Disclaimers: I do not own Invader Zim
Author's Notes: And we are moving right along, thank you all for reading and please review
(1 Year & 7 Months Ago…)
(Location: Service Port 12)
He knew the Tallest would be furious with him, but he hadn't been ready for the magnitude of it all.
"I can't believe you did this to us Zim!" Red growled.
"How could you tell Kazar and not us?" Purple looked like he had just been stabbed in the back.
"It had to be believable my Tallest." Zim told them.
"Are you implying that we cannot keep a secret?" Purple cried.
"I should have known." Red was kicking himself. "No way you'd let a prisoner uprising get the best of you."
"Please tell me you were at least successful." Purple cut in.
"Only partly I'm afraid." Zim revealed. "The rebel cell was terminated. But their ship's data drives were removed before I shot them out into space."
"That is unfortunate." Red agreed.
"Perhaps, but I think we have overestimated the enemy." Zim assured them.
"You do?" Purple asked.
"They were a small group and had no real vision or directives." Zim explained. "They may have liberated a few prisoners, but they do not fill their ranks."
"So, we were wrong then?" Red asked. "There is no upscale resistance?"
"No, my Tallest. All those involved were members of the races that we recently conquered." Zim reported. "This was merely a failed attempt of an uprising done by what few that managed to escape in Operation Impending Doom."
"Oh, that's a relief." Purple exclaimed. "With Operation Impending Doom 2 about to be underway... well."
"It would be a disaster if a larger scale of rebels were to blame." Red finished. "Tell us was a Vort among them?"
"I am afraid not." Zim lied. "Whoever saved the princesses are not in league with these group of rebels, I hacked into several of their systems while I was on board their ship." He reasoned. "There was no mention of the Magladies or what happened on their home world. I assure you my Tallest the swine that managed to get the slip, on Invader Spleen and I are not involved. There is no bigger conspiracy, these small pockets of resistance are not linked, they come with every victory. They are weak and helpless and the example I have set today will send the rest of them running."
"Very good Zim." Red praised, having no doubt in his words. "We will keep paying the bounty hunters to track down those brats, but in the meantime..."
"It's time you've come home." Purple interrupted, beating his brother to it.
"Home?" Zim asked. "To Irk?"
"Yes." Red answered.
"But what about my post on Rhapsodize?" Zim asked.
"It is good hands; besides we need you." Purple said.
"Of course!" Zim said, realizing he was being called into action. What world would they have him bring to its knees next?
"Report to Conventia, for the Great Assigning." Red Ordered.
"And don't be late Mr. you're already in trouble as it is." Purple lectured.
Zim smiled, he knew he wasn't really in trouble, in fact he was willing to bet all the moneys he owned that they'd never mention his passing once he arrived. "Wouldn't dream of it." He said. "I look forward to seeing you my Tallest." He salutes and hangs up before making preparations to leave. He would need to drop by Rhapsodize to pick up Gir that is if the robot hadn't managed to get dismantled by Kazar in his absence.
He could still remember the look on Kazar's face when he told him Gir would be staying with him, oh it was priceless. He chuckled, not knowing this next mission would change his life forever!
(Back with Dib...)
[Location: Earth, 10 years into the Future]
"This...is...the Future!" Dib looked as if he was having a hard time processing this.
Zim wants to call him out, there was no way this was real, but he knows without a doubt that the Zim before him is real. His Pak is registered as his own, something that cannot be faked. Not without some errors, but the Taller Zim before him is flawless. His Pak, his appearance, the way he carried himself, right down to that annoyingly charming smirk.
"You knew this happen?" Gaz snapped.
"Yeah, we did." Older Dib admitted. "But I guess with the all the chaos happening lately we forgot."
"But how is this possible?" Younger Dib asked.
"I told you we could go too far." Zim said, as he turned off his defensive mode and put his weapons away. "Sling shotting around a planet fast enough can theoretically cause a tear in the fabrics of space."
"That's crazy." Dib exclaimed.
General Hale laughed. "You obviously have done some of the things I've seen these two do." He gestures to the older Zim and Dib. He then laughs openly at the younger Zim.
"You find something funny worm?" Zim growled.
General Hale howls with laughter. "Oh, this is like the perfect revenge." He laughs. "Now you get to see yourself through our eyes."
The Taller Zim growls at him.
"Thank you General." Dib says, ushering him out. "We'll take it from here."
"Oh, I bet you will." General Hale laughs. "I'll be watching the four of you closely, I can't wait to see his face when you tell him."
"Tell me what?" Zim asked, but the General is already taking his leave. He looks around to Tak and the others. "TELL ME WHAT?!" He repeats.
"Oh, look at the time." Tak says nervously looking at a watch that isn't there. "Got to go."
"Yep!" Peg takes Gaz's hand, and they rush out. "We'll leave you guys to it."
"Cowards." Taller Zim growls.
Older Dib chuckles. "Oh, come Zim, I'm sure it will be fine all we have to do is do everything we did before, and it will work out."
"Before?" Dib asked.
"Yes, we were you once." Older Dib explained. "Looking up at older versions of ourselves for a way to fix this."
"So, what this is an endless paradox?" Younger Zim snapped. He was really trying not to look at older Dib, he was annoyingly tall and pleasing to look at. It ticked him off, but he did have to point out something. "Bout time I got taller than you." He smirked.
"Seriously, what is with you and height?" Younger Dib pouted.
Taller Zim smiles slyly and leans down with an arm resting on Dib's head, relaxing openly.
Zim has endured the same treatment in the past by the hands of his tallest, They were always treating him like their own personal armrest and he laughs.
Older Dib gives him a warning look. "It's an Irken thing, you'll understand when you get your last growth sprurt."
"And that makes me understand because?" Dib asked.
"You rub it in my face." Taller Zim muses. "Like you always do, and I remind you of your place."
Both younger Zim and Older Dib blush deeply only younger Dib is still lost on the point.
Older Dib pushes himself from under Taller Zim and takes the lead. "Come on, we know how to fix this."
"Really?" Dib looks skeptical. "What is there a time machine or something?"
"No, not yet." Taller Zim mused as they followed older Dib out of the room. "But I watched my older-self make one so it shouldn't be too hard."
"Why not already have it made?" Dib challenged.
Older Dib laughed. "Why indeed?" He gives Taller Dib a sly smile. "You gonna tell him or should I?"
Taller Zim growls at him, "We'll be in the lab working on the device. Why don't you and your younger self catch up?"
Dib stopped as he sees two familiar faces walk around the corner.
"Oh, my goddesses." A Magladie female races forward and hugs younger Dib
"What the Irk?" He screams.
"It's me, brother, don't you recognize me?" The girl said pulling away.
Dib blinks hard. "Moon!"
The younger princess looks so much like her sister it was shocking, but Zim sees the difference at once.
"Of course, it's Moon, she's a whole shade lighter than Luna, open your eyes earth monkey."
Moon giggled at younger Zim. "I forgot how much you use to scream." She tells older Zim smiling.
"Yes." Taller Zim chuckles. "I was rather...loud wasn't I?"
Younger Dib laughs as Zim's face contorts into a sinister growl. "I AM NOT LOUD!" He shouts.
"Right, and I'm not getting too old for this." The familiar Vort laughs as he joins them.
"Lard Nar..." Zim looks at him, stunned.
"Do I want to know?" Lard Nar asked looking to Taller Zim.
"Our past selves have come to haunt us." Taller Zim growled with annoyance.
"Oh..." Lard Nar looks to younger Zim, to Taller Zim and back again. "Have you told them?"
"Told us what!" Zim demanded once more, but Dib had other concerns.
He was looking out the window where he saw several other alien species walking in a hall alongside them.
A young Vort sees him through a window and waves. "Look everyone its Taller Zim!"
Several other children of all races wave as well, looking at them through the windows of their own hallway. "Greetings Taller Zim!" They call out.
Taller Zim silently waves back.
"Wow...they like you..." Younger Dib was amazed.
"Yes well, we owe our new lives to you and Zim." Lard Nar explained. "Well, your older selves actually."
"Why?" Younger Zim asked suspiciously.
"Because you made the Sanctuary." Moon told him. "You created the force field that protects Earth and her sister planets."
Zim's eyes widen. "I did?"
"Yes, you also created Earth's artificial moons." Lard Nar went on. "It's impossible to live on the gas planets but by terraforming their moons along with Venus and Mars you have made many new home worlds for the refugees all over the universe."
"The children are returning from New Irk Now." Moon cut in. "Oh, Zim you must see it, there are so many Irkens there, you'd love it!"
"New Irk?" Dib looks at Zim puzzled.
"It's the new home world were Irken Refugees can live in peace." Taller Zim explained. "And there isn't time, these two must be back as soon as possible or the fated future will be thrown out of balance."
"So Aliens just live freely around here?" Younger Dib asked. "What about the humans?"
"A lot has changed since the Florpus incident." Older Dib speaks gravely.
"Florpus!?" Zim looks alarmed for a moment.
"Relax it's nowhere near here." Older Dib assures him.
"Okay what's a Florpus?" Dib feels stupid for asking.
"You'll see." Taller Zim growls. "Now come, younger me...we have work to do." He moves on without waiting for a response.
"He's charming as ever." Dib joked.
"Oh, you know Zim, always has to play hard to get." Older Dib chuckled. "Be easy on yourself, he just...doesn't want to sway you." He explained.
"Sway me?" Younger Zim looks at the older Dib confused.
"He wants you to choose this on your own." Lard Nar explained. "Come I will accompany you." He says with a sly smile.
"Why are you smiling?" Younger Zim growled. "What are all of you hiding?"
Lard Nar laughed "You'll see." He mused. "Moon why don't you spend the day with your brother."
Moon jumps up and down happily at this. "YES!" She squeals.
Older Dib laughs and looks at his younger self. "You hungry?" He asked.
Uh Sure." Younger Dib shrugs he could eat.
Zim follows Lard Nar off to find his older-self. He gives Dib one fleeting look as he goes, and Dib nods to say he'll catch up with him later.
Younger Zim returns the nod before they disappear out of sight.
"So where are we going?" Dib asked his older-self.
"Home." Older Dib explained. "Come on we'll take the Portal Jump and be there in seconds."
Dib follows them to the nearest portal Jump and with a punch of a few keys it zaps them down to the Earth's surface and into a home he knows all too well.
It's the Membrane house, only it's a lot bigger than he remembers, and he soon sees why.
"Uncle Dib!" a small toddler with black hair and pig tales giggles from her place on the floor.
"Emmy!" Older Dib opens his arms out to her as the little four-year-old runs into them.
"This is Emelia." Older Dib explained. "Gaz's and Peg's adopted daughter."
Emelia, or Emmy looks to younger Dib and gasped. "Smaller Dib!" She looks at him confused. "There are two of you." She says.
Dib smiled at the little girl; he notices in an instant that she was wearing dress that looked a lot like the one Gaz wear in her younger years. And her doe eyes while confused look at him with such love and devotion. So much so that he knew there was no doubting it he could tell he already loved her. "Yep, I'm from the past." He says all spooky like.
Emmy giggled. "You look like the pictures!" She says happily.
"Pictures?" Dib asked.
Emmy pulls him over to the entertainment center. It is cover in framed pictures of him, Gaz, his parents, Luna, Moon and...
"Zim?!" Dib picks up a picture of him and Zim standing in a group photo with his family.
"It's our Family photo." Moon explained. "It's one of the only ones we have with all of us together. It took forever to convince Zim to take it with us."
"He was like, fine but it better be just one." Older Dib laughed. "Mom took like seven, he was so furious."
Dib laughed as he picked up another; it's Gaz and Peg holding a baby girl in front of the house. It's obviously Emmy, and the picture looks a couple years old. The newly proud parents hold up the adoption papers with tears in their eyes.
"One of the best days ever." Moon laughed as she picked up another, this one was of Zim and Dib holding young Emmy, laughing.
Dib smiles and looks around the house, it looks the same as always, but the walls are covered in pictures, some old, but most of them new. He sees himself graduating high school, walking up the stage to receive his diploma.
He sees a picture of Zim, in this one he is taller, and stands before a large audience.
"That's the day Zim became Commander of the Alpha team." Moon explains.
"Alpha team?" Dib asked.
Older Dib nodded. "The top military squadron of the Galactic Alliance." He spoke proudly. "We go on missions all over space fighting the Irken Empire."
"No way." Dib looks surprised. "What...what happened?" He asked himself confused. "Why change now?"
"People do crazy things for love." Older Dib sighed dreamingly as he picked up a picture from a side table. "It gives you strength you never thought you had." He hands it to Dib.
Dib takes the picture and nearly drops it, it's a picture of him in a smartly dressed tux, and Zim who is dressed in Irken formal wear. They appear to be dancing in a ball room of some sorts, a sign hangs over them: Congratulations, it reads.
The picture changes, and Dib realizes it's one of those electronic picture frames.
He sees him and Zim standing at the altar, dressed the same as before. Zim is putting a ring on his finger. Another picture of them kissing happily in front of a cheering crowd.
The light bulb goes off in his head. "We're...married..."
"Yep!" Moon giggled. "And that's not even the best part!" She laughed.
Dib looks back at the pictures confused. What could be better than this? This was what he wanted, this was his guarantee that everything between him and Zim would work out. This home full of smiling faces and pictures capturing happier future days. What could be better than this?
The next picture gives him an answer that is more shocking than the last.
A proud Zim wears his new flight suit proudly, his arms around Dib who sits in a hospital bed looking exhausted and yet overjoyed. In-between their arms are two bundles, one is small with emerald, green skin, one of his antennas poke out of his blue blanket. The other is as pale as Dib, with a patch of black hair just barely visible, as he snuggles in a darker blue blanket.
Another picture pops up, it's a family portrait; Zim and Dib are both in flight suits smiling proudly. Three smeets stand in front of them smiling at the camera. A banner reads: Happy families' Day! Above them.
"We have a family." Dib chokes out the words. He looks at the three smeets lost for words, the older two are obviously the babies in the picture before. They look like a younger version of Zim and himself, except the smeet that looks more like Dib has antennas poking out of his black, scythe-like hair.
The younger Smeet also looks more human than Irken, but he has Irken eyes along with his antennas.
Dib watched as tears spilled onto the frame, he and Zim had kids, they were a family!
"Mother!" A voice screams from upstairs. "Tell Zii to stop messing with my tools!"
Dib looks up as a young smeet stomps down the stairs, he wipes his face and notices it's the one that looks like Zim. If Dib had to guess he was about seven or eight, but it was hard to tell with Irkens. But if it was true that would mean the picture of the hospital would happen in as little as four to three years!
"Zid, why don't you guys come on down and meet our guest?" Older Dib said smiling. "I'm sure Clembrane is almost done with lunch."
"Mother, I am in the middle of a groundbreaking discovery!" Zid growls. "And Zii is ruining it!"
"Zii!" Older Dib speaks firmly. "You know not to use your brother's tools, you're too young to be experimenting with the laws of physics."
"Oh, come on!" A voice cries. "Zid and Zib made a black hole in the back yard when they were five."
"A black hole..." Younger Dib mutter. "In the back yard?"
"Yes, father was furious!" Zid boasted proudly.
"And you're proud of that?" younger Dib squeaked.
"Oh, he's proud of it." Moon laughed. "He demonstrated how he could open and close it with ease."
"Yes, it was glorious!" Zid exclaimed, looking just like Zim as he raised his fist up proudly. Then he pouted, "Until father confiscated it."
"What did you expect him to do?"
Dib watched as the smeet that looked like him walked out onto the stairs. The two must be fraternal twins, as far as Dib could gather and they were mirror images of the parent they resembled.
Zib wears goggles on the top of his head and sports a trench coat that barely hides his blue ghost shirt.
Dib laughs slightly and Zib notices him. "Whoa mom! Is that another clone?" He exclaims looking at older Dib.
"Obviously." Zid tells his brother, he must be the older of the two, he has a more dominate stance, but Dib notices Zib is slightly taller. It's only a millimeter difference but by the way Zid tries to appear bigger, it's obviously enough to bother him.
"Another clone?" Dib looks confused.
"Yeah, like Clembrane." Zid said as if it was obvious.
"Whose?" Dib began and screamed as a giant deformed fish like version of his father stepped out of the kitchen.
"Kids." The creature exclaimed happily. "Lunch is ready!"
Older Dib laughed. "That's Clembrane. A failed attempt on a clone of our dad."
"Oh my god." Dib couldn't find the words.
"Dib, there are two of you." Clembrane pointed out.
"Yep, this is me from the past." Older Dib explained the Clembrane.
"Isn't time travel like forbidden?" the third smeet finally joins them.
Dib smiles up at his future kids. Zii has his father's eyes, and human skin, he's much shorter than his brother's. Dib figures he must be five or six.
Zid walks down the stairs and approaches him curiously. "Wow father is right." He snickered. "You were a total nerd."
"Hey!" Dib flushes pink. "I am your father, and you will-"
"Actually, you're our mother." Zib corrects him as he walks over to stand by his brother.
"Mother..." Dib goes ghostly pale. That was right, his older-self had been answering to mother and mom this whole time. "I... had you?" What was he saying, of course he did, he was the one in the hospital bed after all, not Zim. "I...I think I need to sit down."
Older Dib laughed and led him to the kitchen where they set down at the table. "Yeah, that was pretty much my response too."
"How?" Dib exclaimed.
"Well, when an Irken loves a human very much." Zid began with a snicker.
"Ew gross!" Moon says as she puts young Emmy in a highchair. "That's not what he mean."
"It's the Pak." Older Dib says giving his son a stern look. "It makes Zim and I... compatible..."
"Oh..." Dib flushes even more. "This is..."
"A lot?" Zib asked as he and Zii took a seat by Zid. The table itself was huge, almost as long as the kitchen itself, which made sense since the whole extended family shared it.
"Yeah..." Dib agreed. "I can see why Zim didn't want his younger self coming with us."
"Father's younger self is here too!" Zid looked excited. "Can we meet him too mother?"
"Later, Zim and well Zim need quality time to sort things out." Older Dib explained.
"Now eat up everyone." Clembrane exclaimed as he passed out plates of...
"Is this macaroni or a pile of cheese?" Dib asked his older-self.
"Macaroni...hopefully." older Dib answered.
"At least he stopped making Pudding." Moon pointed out.
Dib gives her a look. "Pudding?"
"Trust me this will all make since someday." Older Dib assures him. "For now, just accept it and eat, you'll need your strength."
Dib nodded and took an experimental bite. It actually tasted very good despite the overload of cheese it was like a macaroni and cheese casserole. "It's good." He said.
"Oh, that makes me so happy." Clembrane exclaimed. "Making my brother happy makes me happy."
"Brother?" Dib asked.
"He use to think he was dad, we finally convinced him he was more like a brother." Older Dib went on explaining. "Luckily Tak didn't care to put mom in his memory or that would be weird."
"Tak made him? Why?" Dib exclaimed.
"It's a long story." Older Dib explained. "Trust me, its best not to say, it could mess up the future."
"Right..." Dib looks uneasy but shrugs it off, this was obviously the new norm, and if everyone else was fine with Clembrane than he could give him a chance.
"We'll catch up with Zim after lunch." Older Dib tells them.
"Awesome!" Zib exclaimed. "I can't wait to see dad's face."
Zid snickered "Don't forget the camera."
"You guys are little troublemakers, aren't you?" Did chuckled.
"What do you expect?" Moon asked. "They're your kids." She pointed out.
Oh god, she was right, Dib remembered all the terrible things he did and shivered. He leans in and whispers to his older-self. "None of them have tried to raise the dead have they?"
"Multiple times." Older Dib confirmed with a shiver. "Seeing is believing, that's what Zib says."
"Always with the dead, that boy." Dib said, mocking his father perfectly.
Zid laughs. "Grandfather says that all the time."
"Gee I wonder why." Dib gives him a sly look.
Zib looks defensive. "It's in the name of science, you'd think he'd get it."
Dib couldn't help it, he laughed. "You would think, hu?"
Older Dib smiled; this was nice. He hoped Zim was enjoying the time with himself as well.
One could only hope.
-To Be Continued