Goddess Rising

It wasn't long before Dib's computer terminal was flooded with pictures of Nirvana. Valerie was blown away by the beauty of the place, though Dib didn't find it so impressive. The sky was almost always a dusty orange color; they didn't have a proper day or night because the planet didn't revolve quite the same around its sun. The humans were placed halfway between the sun and the other side, where they got just enough light to not be cooked to death. The more Dib thought about it, the happier he was with his decision to stay on the Goddess.

Zim was almost never seen wearing his pak. He enjoyed exploring the new changes his body was experiencing, as did Dib. He was much more affectionate most of the time, though is mood swings were sometimes volatile. One minute he would be yelling; the next, cooing and running his hands over Dib's body. They sometimes enjoyed conversation about one thing or another, though most of the time they were content with a comfortable silence. Every so often Dib would ask Zim questions about his life before he came to Earth, and Zim would usually entertain him with stories. Though he was often saddened to relate all that his life had become... It was obvious that Zim had always felt he was destined for greatness, and that his Irken companions felt the opposite.

Zim never spoke about the future. It was clear to Dib that he felt they had no future. The Goddess had no real set destination. They were living on borrowed time.

"I can't believe that you're giving up so easily," Dib whispered as Zim went about tinkering with some of the atmospheric controls in the ship's bowels.

Glancing at him, his thoughts mostly preoccupied, Zim answered, "'Giving up?' What do you mean by that?"

"You're going to let them come and kill you, just like that?"

Zim laughed bitterly. "No." Hammering at a bent piece of metal, he expounded, "I have plans of my own."

"I don't follow you."

His lover turned to him and poked him gently in the shoulder with his hammer. "You're not supposed to."

Dib grabbed the hammer away and glared. "I hate when you keep me in the dark like this. You never tell me where we're heading, what you're planning! You just decide what's best for me and just expect me to go along with it."

"No... Usually you DON'T go along with it," Zim sighed, grabbing the tool back and returning to his work. "Which is why I never tell you. You always argue."

"Did you ever stop and think that maybe it's because your plans are CRAZY?" Dib replied, feeling anger licking at his insides.

Zim closed the panel over the control wires and turned to Dib. A grin stretched across his face. "I'M crazy." Throwing his tools to the ground, he jumped at Dib and sent him flying back against the wall. He started working at the buttons of Dib's pants, licking his lips expectantly. Growling in exhasperation, Dib grabbed Zim's hands and pried them away from his body. "I'm serious," Dib said matter-of-factly when his lover looked up at him with disappointment. "I want to know what you plan to do about the Irkens. I want to help you!"

The alien searched Dib's expression for a short time, trying to find a hint of weakness, maybe? Trying to find out what Dib's true intentions were. After their eyes were locked for a few moments, Zim finally relented.

"I helped build the Massive, you know." He blushed. "Well, you know. Kinda. I was in the same room." Dib blinked. "I know all the schematics. I know all its weaknesses. I can bring it down in a matter of moments..."

"And... then?"

Shrugging and stepping away from Dib, Zim said, "Well, Irk will be a little harder, but I have a tentative plan. Without the Massive to disperse its communications, Irk will be essentially cut off from the other Irken outposts."

"Irk is your home planet..."

Zim nodded. "Where all the smeets are born, educated, and given their initial duties. The collective Irken intelligence is housed there."

"If Irk's collective intelligence is destroyed..."

"...Most Irkens will become puppets. Empty shells. They depend so much on their Paks..."

"You say 'they' as if they're not your people anymore," Dib chuckled uncomfortably.

Zim began to walk back towards the main deck. "Is that not obvious?"

Catching up with Zim, Dib cried, "So you'll destroy the Massive and Irk, leaving your people--Leaving the Irkens--without a leg to stand on. And then what?"

"That's it."

Dib stopped in his tracks. "What about us?"

"We need to make sure the atmospheric generator is running smoothly. Go to your quarters and let me know if it's comfortable in there." Zim continued walking with no sign of abatement.

Dib knew that was all he would get out of Zim at the moment, so he solemnly obeyed. As he suspected, his quarters were fine. Not knowing what to do with himself with this little tidbit of new knowledge to stew over, he finally hopped in front of his computer terminal and started tapping away at a letter to Valerie. He had already decided to end his memoir shortly after the story of their ascent in the Goddess, so he sent it to Valerie for proofreading and continually needled her with questions of when she would return it. She always answered with some variation of, "Maybe I'll get around to it tomorrow."

So busy was he with his letter that he didn't even hear Zim come in. He had just saved his progress when Zim dropped a small disk in his lap.

Examining it suspiciously, Dib asked, "What is this?"

"Just put it in." Dib complied, and was met with a long list of hypertext links on his screen. "The Massive... Sanguinary... Voot Cruiser ver. 3.5... NeedleStar 5... The Goddess... Ring Cutter... A list of Irken ships?"

"And other technology." Zim reached over Dib's shoulder and clicked on the Massive link. A 3D schematic popped up with thousands of foot notes reprinting themselves over and over next to it. "Almost everything we're using right now... Is Vortian technology. When we got what we wanted out of the Vortians, we enslaved their entire planet and locked its best scientists far, far away, deep in the annals of our scattered colonies. They only have enough access to technology for the creation of new technology that can be useful to Irk." Dib studied the screen with interest as Zim continued, "I worked side-by-side with some of Vort's more brilliant scientists, which is why I know so much about the Massive and most of these other ships. They, of course, programmed some backdoors and other little glitches into most of these ships so that someday, someone might find a way to bring down the armada."

Dib laughed. "And even when you were a member of the Invaders, you never thought to tell anyone about these glitches?"

"I was impressionable..." Zim coughed. "At the time I didn't think twice about this stuff. I thought it was to my advantage to have this information, so I kept contact with a couple of Vortian scientists even after they were imprisoned... And I didn't tell anyone about the information I had. I figured someday I could use it to impress the Tallests."

With zeal, Dib began clicking on link after link, perusing the information greedily. "Sanguinary..." The link brought up the picture of a hideous looking metallic creature with two heads, eight appendages and thousands of pearly white teeth. "What the hell is this thing?"

"They had just started working on this when I became an Invader, and was shipped off of Vort... I don't think they got very far on it. They didn't have any test subjects that were willing to help with it... Vort was imprisoned shortly thereafter and only Irken-approved projects got to see completion." Zim shrugged. "I never heard any more info about it, really." Impatiently, he led Dib's computer back to the Massive's schematics. "If you really want to help me, it'll be to your advantage to study these. I'll clue you in on more after you get the basics down." Rubbing Dib's shoulders, he finished, "I'll show you some of the toys the Don of Kharna gave me."

"I can do that," Dib confirmed, looking up at Zim and smiling wholeheartedly. Zim smiled in return, stepping back and looking over the console like a proud father as Dib resumed studying. After a few moments he left the room to continue about his business.

As Dib engorged himself with information that he had been dying for all these years, his mind began to wander. The words his father's assistant had uttered still cut at his heart on a daily basis. Was it true? Was he really clueless about his family? Even after all these years, he still couldn't understand Gaz... That horrifying exterior that occasionally masked warmth and caring. In her own hideous way, she actually did do a lot for Dib and had helped him survive many times. Perhaps she always seemed to have her own agenda, but she frequently saw fit to include Dib in her plans.

Ever since the disappearance of his mother, Dib's father tended to bury himself in his work. Perhaps he was perpetually absent, but he always found little ways (albeit odd ways) to show his love. E-mails, secret signals on his show, other things... And hadn't Valerie said that Membrane was always bragging about how brilliant he was? Of course, Valerie had a habit of putting a positive spin on just about anything... A passing mention in an article could constitute "always bragging" to her.

Briefly, Dib regretted not going back with them. He could have had the family he always dreamed of... A father that respected him, a loving sister, and a new world laden with possibilities...

But he could never leave Zim! There was nothing else in the universe but Zim; Zim was all that mattered. Zim was the only one he had ever shared his soul with, and that's the way he wanted it.

...Right? If he had a chance to make a new start, would he rather stay with Zim than take it?

A new start. Dib laughed despite himself. That would not occur on Nirvana, not with Gaz, not with Membrane. They'd all just collapse into the same routine; ignoring eachother, pursuing their own interests.

Hours had apparently passed. "Are you still studying that? I didn't know you humans had such long attention spans."

"It's fascinating," Dib answered, not even bothering to cut his stare at the computer screen. He already had about 40% of the schematics memorized. Vortian technology wasn't all that dissimilar from human technology, really.

Zim laughed. "I admire your fortitude. But you should come to bed and rest now..." Out of the corner of his eye, Dib saw his lover waiting for him, body totally bare except for one thing...

"You put your Pak back on?" Dib asked, turning in his chair.

Grinning devilishly, Zim growled, "I didn't think of some of the benefits this thing had..." Dib was instantly entangled in a blur of metal and pulled from his chair to the bed. Struggling to stay up on his knees, he gasped as six cool tentacles began to probe his body.

"I... don't know if I like whatever you're planning..." Dib grunted, trying to keep eye contact as the tentacles pushed and prodded him all over.

The evil smile unfazed, Zim whispered, "Oh... I think you will..." The Pak pulled Dib closer until their bodies were nearly touching. With the help of the tentacles, Zim slowly stripped Dib of his shirt. Then Dib was lifted off the ground as Zim removed his pants, lingering ominously over his underwear. Looking down, Dib noticed that his lover was rock hard... He was enjoying this a little TOO much. Inch by tantalizing inch, Zim finally removed Dib's undies to find that he wasn't aroused at all.

"You're not scared, are you?" Zim cried, letting Dib back down to the ground on his knees.

Gulping, Dib answered, "...No. A little nervous--Maybe...?" He shuddered as he was laid out on the mattress nearly spread-eagle, his arms bound soundly above his head. Zim immediately began working over his dick with his hands, smiling in satisfaction when it began to stiffen slightly. "...Zim..."

"Just reLAX. Don't you trust me?" With that said, he pulled Dib deep into his mouth, doing all those things he knew Dib liked. It wasn't long before he forgot to be nervous, letting a quiet moan escape him. Zim laughed deep in his throat and Dib felt the tentacles going back to work, stroking his nipples expertly, leaving warm, wet trails down his torso.

Looking down at Zim, who was still busy in the area down south, Dib whispered, "What is that...?"

"Hmm?" Zim eyed him curiously, teasing Dib's tip with his tongue.

"That stuff... coming out of the... tent...acles?"

Zim jumped up into Dib's face and bit his bottom lip playfully. "I came up with it myself, it's a type of lubricant. And..." Dib's head began to swim. "You can probably guess what else it does..."

"You're drugging me??"

Wrapping his arms around Dib and digging his claws into his back, Zim whispered, "You make it sound so bad. I just played around with that Vodka stuff that Valerie had... It won't hurt you." Placing himself back down between Dib's legs, he said, "ReLAX."

The liquid was beginning to tingle, making Dib's nipples harden almost painfully. He groaned, unintentionally bucking his hips against Zim's face. He barely heard Zim's laugh as another metallic appendage slipped silkily into his ass. He couldn't move his arms, and Zim was holding his legs as far back as possible. How did he always end up helpless in these situations?

"You're so fun to play with, Dib..." Zim growled, getting back into Dib's face. "If I let your arms free, do you promise to be a good boy?"

"What... Do you want me... to do?" Dib asked, his breathing almost too heavy for him to speak. The probe inside him was touching him in all the right places. Every erogenous zone on his body was aching. The appendages let him free, moving instead to lift Zim above the ground and turn him just so, angling him so that he could suck on Dib and receive pleasure himself. Watching as the last retractile pushed itself into Zim's own anus, Dib laughed, "This is so kinky..." He felt his lover take him in again, and he knew it was only right to follow suit.

Zim had actually stumbled upon a good idea. As different as their heights were, having a proper 69 was difficult to achieve without help. He wondered how much time Zim had spent, sitting around, trying to figure out how to make it work. Probably touching his own cock while he was thinking about it... Electricity trilled up Dib's spine as he took Zim's long member as deep into his mouth as it would go. With every stroke, he felt the tentacle inside him reverberate with increasing fervor. They were attached to Zim's own body, after all... He went after his objective with new zeal, knowing that every move he made would be returned with more voracity. The alien, for his own part, wasn't any less enthusiastic about fellatio than he had ever been. It was all too soon that Dib felt his body explode, emptying himself in Zim's mouth in what seemed like eternal bursts. He cried out, grabbing the base of Zim's cock and forcing him into orgasm himself. The metallic legs nearly dropped Zim right on top of Dib; thankfully the human's hands were free and he was able to catch him.

With a last spat of energy, Zim propelled himself into Dib's chair, causing it to spin a couple of times... When it finally came to a rest about 45 degrees away from Dib, Zim grinned and lay his cute little head on one of the arms, staring intently at Dib. Rolling on his side to face Zim, Dib whispered, "You're so crazy."

"Aren't I?" He didn't bother to retract his legs, which were vibrating slightly, glowing with some sort of white energy. Dib looked at them and Zim replied, "Cleaning." He looked absentmindedly at his fingers. "You taste good, but you also ooze a lot. Like some sort of plant."

Dib couldn't help but laugh sheepishly. "Good to know that they're equipped with that feature."

"They're pretty neat, aren't they?" Zim went over them himself, eyes lingering almost sadly at points. "I have to admit... I miss them. When I'm not wearing my Pak, I feel like... Part of me is missing."

"Technically, it is..."

Sitting up and turning the chair toward Dib, Zim cried, "No! I don't need this thing! To be ME!" He slammed his fist against the arm of the chair. "I AM ZIM!"

"You sure are." Leaning back against the wall and stretching his legs, Dib said, "So... Just take it off, then."

"Dib! It's... Not that easy." His eyes went to the floor. It was clear he was ashamed to admit such a weakness. "Besides..." Another demonic smile stretched across his face. "All my toys are in here."

"The toys from Don Kharna." Running his fingers conspiratorially through his hair, Dib plied, "So what exactly did he give you?"

The tentacles finally retreated back into the Pak, and with a little grunting, Zim removed it. Holding it in his hands somewhat admiringly, he twirled it about to show Dib. "You've already seen a few of them. The assault weapons I used when that little crew of Irkens attacked us... Those were from the Don. He also gave me some neat little pods that--" He cackled. "--exploode."

"Whoo. Exploding things are special," Dib mocked. "Like you couldn't make explodey things yourself??"

"BIG explosions. Explosions bigger than I would have ever needed to destroy Earth; bigger than the Tallest would ever let me NEAR." He finally removed one from his Pak. It was a terribly unassuming object, only about nine inches in circumference. Zim could easily hold it in the palm of his hand. Despite how harmless it looked, Dib cringed. "Don't worry," Zim reassured him. "It will only go off when I give it a mental signal." Though, much to Dib's relief, he put it away, and held his Pak up to the ceiling. Small hands came from above and took it, stowing it away someplace that Dib didn't even know about. "Now," Zim cried as he got to his feet again, "Let's call it a night, shall we?"

As soon as Zim vacated the chair, Dib jumped into it. "Later," he dismissed, turning the chair toward his terminal. "I want to study this stuff a little longer."

****************************

"Dearest Valerie,

I hope that this letter finds you in good health and spirit. I know it's been a while since I've written, and I apologize. It hasn't really been particularly busy around here or anything... I just haven't had anything to write about, really. Zim's doing well. He's almost like a human sometimes. Funny to say that, isn't it? 'Human' is probably the last thing I would ever want him to be.

I was thinking the other day that maybe THAT is why I adore Zim so much. Because he ISN'T human. Far from it, really... I detested the human race so much that I tried to find someone who embodied all that the human race WASN'T. Though he has quite a few traits that I found annoying in human beings anyway.

But I'm going off on a tangent here... I had a reason for writing you, to be honest. A rather selfish reason, I suppose... Maybe if I had more guts I could write this to the people it's intended for, or even tell them in person or over the airwaves.

...But I don't.

So...

Please tell my father that I'm sorry. Sorry for all the things I said. Sorry for all the things I was, and all the things I wasn't and will never be. It would probably be best for him to pretend I never existed, I think... Maybe I shouldn't apologize at all, but do something to make him hate me so he doesn't miss me. But then again, knowing him, he probably DOESN'T miss me, does he? I'm so conflicted. I act as if I had a horrible childhood. Unlike you, I had a home, I had everything I ever wanted. Even if he didn't approve, my father always was willing to support my crazy habits and obsessions. Even when he knew--and I'm sure he did--about Zim, about my feelings for Zim. Even considering the fact that I'M the one who has those feelings... I can see how he must feel. I'M ashamed of myself. And it's ME we're talking about, here!

Just tell him I'm sorry. That I love him and I understand. I finally do understand.

I still don't know what to say to Gaz. I've thought about it a lot, if you'd believe it. Sometimes I think that dad must have certainly been negligent, because she's just as fucked up as I am. I think that in her own way she had her own delusions of the paranormal. She had her own little world, in her videogames, and I had mine.

Tell her I'm sorry for ruining her life. I know that things would have been much easier for her in school, at home, without her having to deal with my bullshit. I wish I had stopped to think about her feelings a long time ago.

But she's still young, and things will iron themselves out for her, I'm sure. You said she's doing very well in her new 'job'... I think Nirvana will be much better off because she is there now.

And I wanted to apologize to you as well. In another life... maybe we could have been lovers. Maybe partners. But that will never happen, and sometimes I regret it. The most normalcy I ever had in my life was those two days in college with you. Sometimes I feel as if you were never meant to be part of my life. Like it was a glitch in the grand scheme God (or whoever it is up there) has. I never knew how to act around you, and I still don't.

I miss you.

Write back soon. And FINISH PROOFREADING MY BOOK PLEASE?

--Dibbles McDibberson IV"

***********************

Thankfully, it happened quickly. The pain and the shock knocked him out almost instantly... It didn't sink in until a minute or two after he awakened again. At first he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing; it was like someone were playing a joke on him. His brain couldn't quite make sense of it... It couldn't comprehend why his arm was laying over THERE, two feet away. It couldn't be real. It looked like a wax replica.

But the pain, the blood gushing, soaking his shirt, making it stick thickly to his body as his breathing quickened.... That was real. It was indeed quite real.

"Now let's see how YOU like losing your arm," Purple jeered, his face finally looming over Dib's. It was obvious that he had regained the limb he had previously been separated from.

He tried to make a grab for the alien's face, but his brain hadn't yet figured out that there was no longer an arm there. "MY arm won't grow BACK," he hissed, flailing helplessly. Or at least, he thought he was. Maybe he wasn't really moving at all. Maybe he didn't really speak at all.

Maybe Zim knew they were coming, and never said a word about it.

Blood splashed across Purple's temple, making his skin sizzle.

"What the HELL?!" the Tallest screamed, swiping frantically at the burning substance, trying to get it off of his face.

Dib laughed bitterly, trying to hit him with more as he backed away.

Pointing a shaking finger, Purple yelled, "Wrap up that... FOUNTAIN and get him out of here. He won't escape again."

The other soldiers found Zim idly playing a computer game only a few rooms away. He didn't put up a fight when they hauled him out of the chair and threw him to his knees before Red.

"You think you're so SMART for eluding us all this time, don't you Zim?"

He didn't bother to reply, but his eyes never looked away from Red's. It was rather disconcerting to the Tallest, who finally lost patience with the prisoner and ripped the Pak off of his back, throwing it in a far corner of the room. Zim tried to make the process appear much more painful than it really was, though there was still a little bit of bleeding.

"Keep a sharp eye on him, My Soldiers," Red hissed as he turned for the door. "He likes to play dirty tricks..." As Zim was pulled back onto his feet and shoved into the hallway, Red continued, "He'll pay for humiliating us, however... WE will show the Irken race once again WHY we are the ALMIGHTY TALLEST!"

Barely a hundred feet in front of their procession, Zim saw two soldiers huddled awkwardly over Dib's still body. The air caught in his throat. Had they already...

He sighed in relief when he saw the young man take a swing at one of the soldiers. They jumped back in surprise and one squealed in pain when a droplet of blood hit the bare skin on his arm.

Of course, he shouldn't be relieved. Dib had chosen his fate, but Zim had hoped he would have a quick and painless death. That would be much too good for the Tallest, though... Both he and Dib would pay horribly for every humiliation.

They still hadn't subdued him by the time Tallest Red reached them. "What the hell are you two morons doing?!" he screeched, using a hand to grab one by the lapels.

"The red stuff he's secreting! It BURNS like acid!" the little soldier cried in alarm.

Laughing, Zim barked, "That's BLOOD, just like you and I have."

"Are you immune?" Red asked, turning abruptly to him. Before getting a reply (and probably not expecting one), he pointed at Dib. "Pick him up and bring him along. And don't TRY anything, or I'll kill you both on the spot."

Being killed on the spot would probably be favorable to what he was sure Red had in store, but that wouldn't be in concordance with his plans either. Obediently pulling the boy into his arms, Zim calmly followed Red to the docking area doors, where they proceeded to wait for a short time.

"Where is your little human girlfriend?" Red asked with interest as other soldiers came back to them empty-handed.

Swallowing, Zim answered, "She... Died. From starvation."

"That's too bad," Red laughed haughtily. "I suppose she wasn't really the Destroyer after all."

Silence.

"...Zim....?" Dib whispered, his eyes having a hard time focusing. Finally able to distinguish which arm was which, he reached up and felt Zim's face. The blood did sting a little, but didn't burn nearly as badly as it did the other Irkens. It was starting to dry. Zim looked at the stump that Dib had remaining; the soldiers had actually bound it up pretty well, making the bleeding stop somewhat. But even with the limited amount of knowledge he had in human medicine, Zim knew that wouldn't hold him for long.

"Yes, Dib... It's me."

Dib swallowed. "I'm going to die."

Looking into Dib's eyes, feeling sadness nearly overwhelm him, Zim replied, "So am I."

Tears drifted down Dib's face. "It hurts. Badly..."

"I'm so sorry, Dib...."

"I love you."

"Dib..."

"JUST SAY IT." He swallowed. "Please..."

Purple was glaring at them both. "Shut your fucking mouths."

Trying desperately to control himself, Zim closed his eyes. Dib buried his head in Zim's chest and began to sob. It was all Zim could do to keep his composure. Just a little more time...

"You heard Purple!" Red hissed, turning to them. "SHUT UP." He gestured to Dib.

Drawing a steadying breath, Zim growled, "He's badly injured, My Tallest. There's no way to control his cries of pain."

Turning back to the doors and looking angrily at Red for concurrence, Purple said, "Well, now he knows how it feels..."

"Purple... I'm sorry... I never intended--"

A pistol was pressed against the back of Dib's head. Slowly and with purpose, Red rolled back the charge bar. "We told you to SHUT UP."

The doors finally opened and a small crew of soldiers were on the other side. "We are nearly back at the Massive, my Tallests," one stated. "They're pulling us in as we speak."

Distracted by this new development, Dib quieted somewhat.

"Lovely," Red answered, calmly putting the pistol away and turning to Purple, who looked much more shaken. "Are the soldiers all assembled?"

"Yes, my Tallests." Another Irken chimed in, "The cameras are being situated right away."

Noticing the look of confusion on Zim's face, one of the soldiers in Red's entourage chuckled and said, "The Almighty Tallests wanted to make sure that EVERY Irken was able to witness your death LIVE, even if they were on a mission."

"And we will be able to replay it over and over and over again for the rest of history..." Red hissed, laughing despite himself.

Zim couldn't help but let a grin stretch across his features. "Such an honor for an Invader that you thought would never amount to anything," he said. "I must thank you, My Tallests."

Glaring, Red answered, "You're not supposed to be HONORED, Zim. This is your PUNISHMENT for being a BLIGHT on our race." He sighed in exasperation as if to imply that Zim was an idiot, but it was obvious he was disconcerted by Zim's cool reply.

The next few moments were passed in silence, as Purple stared uncomfortably at the far wall and Red glared at the floor, arms crossed. Zim tried to keep Dib calm, lifting him close and pressing his forehead to Dib's. It was clear that the human was struggling to stay conscious. He was fighting with all his might against death. All too mercifully soon, The Goddess docked and the group walked out into the cavernous launch bay of the Massive, walls lined with saluting soldiers.

As they walked to the auditorium, Zim noticed that Dib was looking at the walls and ceiling with interest. He had seen the inside of this ship before, but there was a new element that he didn't have available previously. Zim smiled, knowing that Dib had studied the schematics he provided religiously. The human was locating weaknesses.

The auditorium was packed with thousands upon thousands of Irkens... The other soldiers dispersed save for one, who herded Zim and Dib up the small ramp onto the circular stage in the center of what could be considered the entire Irken race. The Tallests were soon on the stage as well, and Red dismissed the final soldier.

"Put the human on his feet," Red ordered cooly. Zim complied, and two shackles sprang from the floor and held Dib's legs tight. A third restraint grabbed Dib's wrist. Swaying only slightly, Dib was able to stand on his own, glaring at the Tallests with all the hatred he could muster. Zim couldn't help but feel proud.

"Be strong," Zim whispered.

"YOU," Red barked, "Stand over THERE." He pointed at the opposite end of the circular stage, about ten feet from Dib. As soon as Zim set foot on the spot, his arms and legs were bound as well.

With this done, it was finally time to address their audience. The Tallests turned their backs to Zim and Dib, gesturing grandly as a small swarm of cameras flew about, capturing everything.

"WE, your ALMIGHT TALLEST, have finally located and captured the most destructive member of the Irken race who has EVER LIVED... Number 28403-75... ZIM." The audience burst into wild applause, antennae wiggling like a sea of darkness. As soon as their applause abated, Red continued, "Due to the obvious FAILURE of his Existence Evaluation and his innate TALENT at avoiding our efforts to keep him subdued, we have acquired permission from the Control Brains to EXECUTE HIM like an ANIMAL, PAKLESS and without any means of defense."

"And, of course, his Pak will be destroyed and his data scattered to the winds," Purple added, smiling evilly as the audience again applauded. Quietly enough so that only the four of them on the stage could hear, Purple asked Red, "Where IS his Pak, anyway?"

Gesturing, Red replied, "Back on my ship." When Purple looked incredulously at him, he barked, "I didn't want any further delays!" The audience was quieting again, so Red turned to Zim and smiled wide. "I would ask if you had any last words, Zim... But I really don't give a shit!" As all of the Irkens laughed heartily, he turned back to them again. "Which one of these STAR-CROSSED LOVERS shall we kill first!?"

There was a cacophony of noise as everyone shouted out their answers. The predominant choice was for Zim, however. Purple began to flail and ran up to Red. "Ooo! Ooo! I have an idea! Why don't we kill them both at once?!" He paused for a moment to let the audience applaud THIS concept, and then continued, "You can have one, and I'll have the other."

Obviously not caring one way or the other as long as the job was done, Red nodded placidly. "I'll take Zim."

It was almost deafening in the auditorium as the Irken race screamed their assent, watching as Purple and Red both placed themselves before Zim and Dib, barely an arm's-length away. Without much ceremony, pistols were placed solidly at their temples. Red was so overjoyed that he didn't even notice the clamour that was currently taking place near the back of the auditorium. "On the count of three, okay Purple?" He cackled and rubbed his finger over the trigger, cocking the charge bar back yet again. "One..."

"Red..."

"Two..."

"Red!"

He finally turned to his partner and bellowed, "WHAT?!"

Wordlessly, Purple pointed at the audience, which was rapidly parting as something made its way through. Red squinted at the object, which was making little clicking sounds as it ran along the floor. Finally, his eyes widened and he screamed, "IT'S ZIM'S PAK!! HURRY, YOU FOOLS, DESTROY IT!"

Like a little aphid, Zim's Pak continued soldiering on six little legs as every Irken within firing range began shooting at it. Fortunately for it, it was impervious to laser fire. Many of the Irken soldiers were not, however, and they were unmercifully plowed down by friendly fire.

"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW?!" Red screamed, finally lunging at it as it crawled onto the stage. Though he missed it by a mere foot and it quickly reattached itself to its owner's back. Both Tallests could only watch in horror as Zim, grinning ominously, sent two legs to knock the pistols solidly from their hands. In mere seconds, two more appendages grabbed Tallest Red by his neck and lifted him two feet off of the ground, puncturing his Pak and causing it to malfunction.

Thousands of Irkens were now totally silent as Zim held their leader helplessly above the stage. Slowly, his Pak cut away the shackles holding him and he took a step forward. One soldier, thinking of anything he could, pointed a pistol in Zim's direction.

"DON'T DO IT, YOU FOOL!" Red cried, his voice cracking. "Can't you see his Pak generates an antimatter shield?!"

Laughing, Zim bellowed, "You're pretty smart, Red!"

"As are you," Red hissed back, gulping uncomfortably as a tentacle tightened around his throat. "You know a lot more than I thought you did about how things work around here. You obviously planned ahead."

"Indeed I did," Zim answered, lifting his leader a few feet higher. "And I planned for every contingency."

"Did you now?" Red replied, his voice obviously patronizing. "So what, I humbly ask, do you plan to do with me?"

"Let us go and you'll never ever find out," Zim growled, smiling even more widely.

"R-Red..." Purple stammered, plying his fingers nervously. He looked at Dib, who seemed to only be half paying attention to the events taking place. He jumped back in surprise as another leg zipped out of Zim's Pak, finally freeing Dib from his bonds. He staggered, but was able to stay upright. Zim took a few steps to the side, getting to Dib's side just in time as Dib collapsed against him.

"I want a ship. NOW."

Red looked around, and found that absolutely none of the Irken soldiers were able to take initiative. They were all scared witless, staring at the stage with mouths agape. Sighing helplessly, he looked at Purple and said, "Get it for him." When Purple just stared back, he barked, "NOW! Get it NOW! NownownowNOW!"

Catching a camera that was wizzing by, Purple spoke. "I know there are some of you watching from the launch bay. Bring a ship... Now..."

"The Destroyer."

Purple's ship. He looked at Red, fear etched in his features. "Do it, stupid!" Red goaded, nervousness progressively beginning to show in his posture.

"Bring... My ship. Bring Zim the Destroyer."

It was there in seconds, hovering expectantly a hundred feet over the stage. Zim gestured and the pilot shortly ejected himself out of the cockpit. Knowing they didn't have enough time to sabotage it (and also knowing that Purple would never do that to his darling ship), Zim finally let Red down to a comfortable height. "Thank you very much, My Tallests," Zim laughed, twisting his wrist just a tad.

The tentacle around Red's neck jerked and his eyes went wide. Cackling madly, Zim let him fall to his back on the stage. Gasping, Purple ran to his side. "RED!?"

Struggling for breath, Red grit his teeth and glared at Purple. "Neck... Broken..."

"Red!!"

"Can't move... body... Pur... Purple..."

Fidgeting, Purple cried, "Red...??"

"DO IT!"

"I--I can't!"

The Irkens began to rush the stage, but Red bellowed, "NO! STAY BACK!" Looking back at Purple, he growled, "DO IT."

Stifling a frightened sob, Purple finally reached down and opened the front panel on Red's armor. Zim watched curiously for a moment, but realized that time was of the essence and pulled Dib into his arms. His Pak's legs shot toward the Destroyer, latching onto the door and dragging him quickly upward. The two of them were only one quarter of the way to the ship when Purple opened the front panel on his own armor, pulling out a wire and attaching it to Red. The dying Tallest finally smiled as they both began to glow. The other Irkens, scared and confused, backed away from the stage yet again.

Halfway to his destination, Zim looked down to see one of the most horrific things he had ever laid eyes on.

"SANGUINARY?!"

Knowing what was coming, he quickly let go of the Destroyer and tried to get back to the stage. Ten feet from the ground, an arm shot out and knocked Zim out of the air, causing him to let go of Dib. The human, surprisingly aware of his surroundings, was able to roll a bit and eased his impact on the stage... Zim, however, was taken almost totally offguard, and bellowed as he was thrown out over the audience. He tried in futility to right himself, but a hot claw grabbed him around his midsection, piercing his skin fiercely and pulling him back toward Sanguinary.

Dangling helplessly with his head at a -45 degree angle from the ground, Zim struggled as the beast held him just feet from its faces. Laughing thickly, an unnatural sound that emenated from its chest, the beast spoke. "Do you like what you see, Shamed Invader Zim? I always knew I would have to do this someday. But never for you. NEVER for you. You should be HONORED."

Sanguinary must have been at least sixteen feet tall, and thousands of pounds. Absolutely none of the Tallests' features were evident any longer; it was nothing now but a terrifying mountain of steaming flesh and metal. The picture in Zim's database didn't do it justice, really. Additionally, its powerful arms were extendable to unimaginable lengths. The horror was quite evident on Zim's face, to be sure. The beast laughed heartily, throwing him to the floor and punching him firmly in the chest. He cried out, blood exploding from his mouth as he felt the ground cracking beneath him. His Pak's forcefield was probably the only thing that kept him from being crushed. Another arm came thundering down, and Zim rolled out of its way only seconds before it sank into the heavy metallic material that the stage was composed of.

The Irkens were now screaming for blood. Some were chanting horrific things in their native language, laughing at Zim's obvious pain. Frantic, Zim jumped to his feet and ran to the other side of the stage, the assault weapons in his Pak deploying and firing a barrage in Sanguinary's general direction. It laughed; a horrid baritone that made chills run up Zim's spine, as an arm blew off and fell into the audience. The Irkens parted quickly, though some were crushed beneath the massive appendage.

Stage lights were coming apart and falling all over the auditorium. Havoc was breaking out. Dib, who was lying slightly behind to Sanguinary's left, struggled to get to his feet. "ZIM!" he bellowed, grunting in pain as he tried his best to walk.

"STAY BACK!! STAY--"

Arm number three whipped out and rocketed Zim into the air, totally knocking the wind from his lungs. Yet again he was disoriented as he flew over the audience, watching the Irkens' little fists pumping the air and throwing various things in his direction. Within a few seconds, he felt himself being caught by his Pak; Sanguinary took hold of it and his legs, pulling at them with punishing force. Zim would not be separated from his Pak so easily this time around, however. He braced himself as a powerful electric shock coursed through his body from his back. Sanguinary howled in pain and confusion, instantly letting go of the little Irken. Falling toward the audience, he screamed as he sent two pairs of legs shooting toward the ground, propelling himself back toward the stage.

He landed shakily on his left leg, falling to his hands with his back to the beast. His right leg had been severely dislocated and was useless. Sanguinary continued howling, its arms flailing uncontrollably as they struggled to recover from the electrical shock. Zim hadn't planned on shorting out the beast's system, but it was a cool bonus. Panting heavily and looking wildly over the audience, he tried to come up with a plan of action. If he could only get to that fucking SHIP! Sanguinary's reach was just too long.

"ZIM!"

Just as he turned, a spray of blood shot across his face, and he saw Dib's mutilated body towering over him.

"Zi---"

Sanguinary's booming laugh reverberated throughout the auditorium.

The massive arm had went through Dib's chest as if it weren't even there. The look of surprise on the human's face pierced Zim's heart like a knife.

"DIIIIB!" Zim jumped forward and grabbed his shoulders fiercely, bracing himself as the monster pulled its arm free. Were it not for Zim holding him, he would have been thrown into the air like a rag doll.

As Dib fell forward into his lover's arms, he laughed sheepishly, blood erupting from his mouth.

"I told you.... I told you..." Zim's chest was racked with sobs. "I TOLD YOU! TO STAY BACK!"

"Say it," Dib coughed. "Hurry."

"God damn you, Dib!" Zim lay him gingerly on the ground, leaning over him. "I love you. I love you. You're so fucking stupid!"

Smiling, Dib whispered. "I love you..." He grabbed Zim's head and pulled it close to his mouth. "Vortian.... Weakness.... I studied."

"...What?" Zim sniffled, looking seriously at Dib's face.

"Weakness. Breaker chip... Right above left hip. Electrical system... Faulty..." His fingers dug into Zim's shoulder and finally shoved him away. "Shoot it! You're the only one!"

Finally realizing what Dib was trying to say, Zim whirled about toward the beast. It was readying for a final blow, arms poised ominously in the air. That laugh continued unabated. Yelling, every muscle in his body tightening with rage, Zim took aim and fired with the last burst of energy his assault weapons had stored.

Chunks of metal and viscera painted the air, hitting hundreds of spectators behind the beast. Its faces went blank, surprise and horror all it could muster as its arms fell limply to its side. The audience fell silent as Zim, his keening growing louder still, spun on his good leg, two scythe-like weapons emerging from the Pak, cutting Sanguinary twice lengthwise. He stopped, voice ceasing, as he reeled backward and sliced the beast once more down the center.

There was no movement in the room as the machine that contained the bodies of their Irken leaders fell backward, scattering blood and other matter all over the back of the stage.

His heavy breathing the only thing that anyone could hear, Zim turned to Dib and looked down. The human's head had rolled to the side, face placid. Zim didn't have to touch him or even really look at him to know that he would never speak again. Above, the Destroyer still waited expectantly for passengers. Zim reached to his Pak and pulled out one of the Don's explosive devices. He held it up to advantage of the cameras and the Irkens all gasped.

"That's right..." Zim panted. "Let me out of this fucking ship or I'll blow us all to Kingdom Come."

None of the Irkens dared argue. Some were actually, in fact, confused as to whether they should consider Zim a Tallest--since he was the tallest Irken in the room at the moment, and they weren't sure if any other Irkens were taller.

Sighing to himself and pulling Dib yet again into his arms, he let his Pak lift him toward the Destroyer for the last time. In the cockpit he found that the live feed from the auditorium was playing on the main screen. It was totally silent... The commentators weren't even speaking. Without feeling any need for urgency, he gingerly laid Dib's body into the copilot's chair, buckling him in and perching himself in the captain's position. Keeping a close eye on the main screen and his fellow Irkens, he slowly piloted the ship out of the auditorium and toward the launch bay. He was relieved to find that all of the soldiers once lining the walls there had vacated the area, though to where he didn't know.

"Who, now, will take the place as Tallest?" the announcer finally said, quietly, fear in the edge of his voice. The Irkens in the room looked about in confusion.

As the doors of the bay opened into the vast reaches of space, Zim set the ship on auto-pilot and walked solemnly to the back of the room, where the missile tubes sat open, seemingly waiting for him. He placed the explosive inside one of them and closed the hatch, slowly turning and walking back. Sitting down again in the chair, he took aim and fired it into the launch bay doors just as they were closing.

Zim turned and looked at his companion. His skin was pale as a new star, the color already drained from his lips. After the ship had floated a few kilometers away, he finally leaned over and kissed Dib gently.

"I love you, Dib..." Zim whispered.

The explosive ball detonated as Zim's mental cue was finally spoken. On the screen, the Irkens never really caught on to what happened. A few heads turned as the deafening noise registered throughout the ship, and only a five seconds of firey screams were captured before the cameras were destroyed and the satellite feed was replaced with static.

The Destroyer shook a bit from the shockwave, but was otherwise unaltered from its course.

****************

Zim briefly considered bringing Dib with him, but he felt as if it were selfish. He had never wanted Dib to suffer the same fate he always knew he would get. But it seemed to him that Dib had endured much, much more.

"I'm so sorry, Dib," Zim whispered as he tucked his lover's body soundly into the modified Spittle Runner Purple had used as an entertainment ship. He had wrapped a small sheet made of silver thread around Dib's body, trying to cover up the dried blood that covered most of his clothing. Zim didn't feel it appropriate to try and clean up the blood or Dib's wounds. He had earned them. After fiddling for a few minutes, Zim stepped back and thought that Dib looked rather peaceful.

"I want you... To see all of the stars."

His movements halting, Zim programmed a course into the ship's computer and closed the glass hatch. He was choking on emotion as he walked out of the launch bay and watched on the screen outside the door. With precision, the ship made its way out of the Destroyer and took off, slowly at first, toward the farthest reaches of the universe. Zim had attached a yellow beacon to the back, letting everyone know that it was a funeral ship. Hopefully nobody would bother Dib for the rest of eternity.

END