Megami Joushou

When Vermeil regained consciousness he was greeted with the sound of Megami's sobbing. Not exactly what he was wanting to hear. Opening his eyes and studying her, he realized that this was the third time in recent memory that she had been the cause of him getting knocked out. Women were trouble. Squirming, he found that he had been tied to a lounge chair with wires from his own Pak. His movement caused them to tighten and he grunted.

Having noticed he was awake, Megami looked over at him. She was tied to a chair perpendicular to his, just far enough away that their legs couldn't touch if they reached. GIR lay on a coffee table before them, still and silent.

"Please, Megami... Don't cry anymore. You're making my head hurt even worse..."

Stamping her feet in frustration, she sobbed, "I don't know how everything could have gone so wrong!" Glaring, she said, "On second thought, I do! It's all your fault! From the very beginning, it's been you, you, YOU!"

Vermeil simply felt drained. He couldn't seem to muster an appropriate reaction. Blinking dully at her, he asked, "Someone give you that necklace to wear?"

"Yes," she answered, startled. "Another singer."

"That's an Onimi," Verm informed her. "It's how classy prostitutes advertise their services."

"That BITCH!" Meg yelled, stomping her foot again, tears beginning anew. "Everyone I trust always stabs me in the back! What did I ever do to deserve this kind of treatment?! Everything's been ruined. And GIR's dead! Oh, my poor little GIRminator!"

Vermeil couldn't help but feel smug that despite her being free of him, she was still getting in trouble. His victory was short-lived, however, as they both heard the lounge door click open. Slowly, Dib emerged from the short hallway and stood with his hands on his hips, looking them over. "Boy, you two sure know how to make a mess," he stated. "We had to start clubbing people before they settled down." Vermeil just looked at the floor. Megami peered at Dib silently, her big pitiful eyes dripping tears. At length he approached her, pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket. Gently wiping her face, he said, "Enough of that, now. I bet your face is burning like hell, isn't it?"

Meg nodded, slowly... and watched him as he plopped down in his own chair across from Vermeil. Sighing heavily, he picked GIR up and sat back, propping his boots up on the table and crossing his ankles. After examing GIR for a moment, he twisted his little head back to its original position with another "pop." GIR's eyes lit up and Dib sat him upright on his knee.

Shortly, GIR was functional again. "Big-headed boy!" he squealed, looking up at Dib.

Dib smiled and pulled a bag from his pocket. "Gotcha some burritoes."

"WHOO-HOO!" GIR screamed, grabbing the bag and running off to eat them in the corner.

Other than the sickening sound of GIR's burrito massacre, nothing was to be heard as Dib looked them over again. Laying eyes on Vermeil and smiling, he said, "What's the matter, Prince V? All the fight's gone out of ya."

With a concerted effort, Vermeil looked up, narrowing his eyes at Dib. Pure hatred was evident on his face.

"That's better," Dib hissed, putting his hands behind his head. "But still half-assed. Is it because you've finally come to realize that I'M not the bad guy in this whole situation?"

"Fuck you!" Vermeil spat. "You ruined my life!"

"Your life was ruined the day you were born, Vermeil," Dib replied coolly. "You and I both know it. Yet after I give you an opportunity to break free from your upbringing--"

The wind was being squeezed out of him, but Vermeil was still able to growl, "You say it like you did it for ME. Do you want me to thank you?! THANKS. Thanks for killing my family!" Tears threatened to spring forth. "You're a murderer! A filthy fucking killer--"

Bringing his fist down hard on the table, Dib shouted, "I did what I had to do to protect my family!! Do you think I wanted to do what I did?!"

"Bullshit! Bullshit! Tenn never did anything to you! Tenn was innocent. She was INNOCENT!"

Placing his palms flat on the table's surface, Dib answered, "You know that's not true, Vermeil..."

Hanging his head, Vermeil began to sob. "It's all my fault... All my fault..."

"For showing mercy? For doing the right thing?" Verm didn't answer. Sitting upright, Dib asked, "So... you came to correct the situation, am I right? What's the deal-- she goes onstage and creates a distraction, and you sneak up behind me and stab me in the back of the head?"

"No!" Megami cried, panicking. "I don't have anything to do with him! I swear!"

"So he just came and beat that guy up for you out of the kindness of his heart, huh?"

Blanching, Meg answered, "No... I mean... We know eachother. But... I didn't have anything to do with him trying to kill anybody! We just happened to be at the same place at the same time."

"Well, what's your story?" He sat back, crossing his legs and clasping his hands in his lap. "I'm listening."

"Um..." Swallowing her fear, Megami plunged on. "My... My name is Megami. And... I... um... Someone named... An Irken named Tak... she sent me here. I'm looking for my father."

Quirking an eyebrow, Dib said, "...oh?"

"I grew up on Nirvana. With... With your father and sister. Um, they always told me you were dead... Do they know you're alive, Uncle Dib?"

Dib crossed his arms. "Well, I assumed they did. Though I suppose if that were so, they wouldn't be telling you I was dead, hmm?" He blinked. "....'Uncle Dib'?"

Blushing, Megami whispered, "I'm sorry! I... As a child, mama--I mean, Valerie--she always told me about you and I always thought you were really cool." She squirmed in her seat. "I always thought of you as my uncle... Because Gaz was kind of like my aunt... And Membrane was my grandpa."

"Okay, so..." Dib massaged his brow. "...I'm dead. What else did they tell you?"

"They always told me that... That I was an orphan that fell out of the sky. But... it turns out that I'm not. I'm half-Irken, and Valerie wouldn't tell me but apparently my parents are out here, somewhere..." Nodding toward Vermeil, she said, "He was helping me find them. Though... now I realize that it's because he was looking for Zim... To kill him." Fidgeting, she cried, "Zim thinks you're dead too! At least, I think he does..."

Dib betrayed no emotion. Glaring at Vermeil, he said, "So you let her believe this shit all this time?"

"I don't owe you anything!" His tears had ceased, but his face was still a mask of pure anguish. "And what have you ever done for her!? Nothing!"

"We found Zim! And Vermeil tried to kill him!" She was desperate to separate herself from the Prince.

"But you failed, huh? Tough luck, champ."

Wishing he were dead, Vermeil cast a forlorn look in Megami's direction. "I could have... He was caught off-guard... when you came. Megami, don't you understand? I would have done anything for you. But you... you'd rather... associate with this MURDERER?"

"You lied to me! Just like Papaw, just like everyone else! All your goings-on about the truth, it was crap. Complete and utter crap!"

"No! I meant every word I said. Every word I've ever said to you, Megami, it was the truth." Hanging his head again, he sighed, "I just hid some things from you, that's all. I know it was wrong, but... What else was I to do? I had no choice, Megami. You have to understand. I wanted to make you happy. I wanted to be happy with you for as long as I possibly could."

Having heard enough, Dib got to his feet and undid Megami's bonds. She looked forlornly up at him as she stretched her arms. Reaching down, he broke the chain on her necklace and threw it on the table. "My daughter is no space hooker." Her eyes grew wide as he dropped to his knees before her, grabbing her face between his hands. "I'm so sorry, Megami. All this time I was buying stock in lies, just like you. They told me that you were happy, that you didn't want anything to do with me... And I believed them. All this time I lost... I... I never believed that you could love me, knowing the circumstances of your birth, and I gave up so easily... And now, seeing you here, with HIM... I thought you had finally decided to hate me, to betray me. I'm so very sorry."

"YOU'RE my father?"

Smiling sadly, he pulled up his shirt and showed her the thick, white scar stretching over the right side of his abdomen. "Technically... I guess I could say I'm your mother. Pretty freaky, huh? That's where you were. They had to cut you out of me." He blushed. "Considering how easily I heal now, I could have gotten rid of this scar, but... I keep it, for sentimental reasons..."

Megami could find no words. All this time she had been looking for the one person she had idolized all these years... It wasn't real. It didn't seem real. But she knew it was. All of her life, Valerie had pumped him up to her... Trying in her own little way to feed Megami the truth she wasn't allowed to tell.

"I'm not a space hooker," she finally stated. "That bitch Negna gave that to me to wear. I didn't know what it was." The surreality of the moment finally crashed around her, and she fell into Dib's arms. The tears came. They flowed and flowed and flowed, threatening to never stop. All the uncertainty and fear of the past months just rushed out of her. Dib sighed, enveloping her in his strong arms, resting his chin on her soft head.

Feeling his embrace brought back memories she didn't realize she had. All those dreams that had haunted her... Of him holding her, rocking her, letting her pull his hair... They weren't dreams at all. They had been real.

Dib rose, pulling her to her feet. "Let's walk. Let's talk. You and me, Space Hooker." GIR was on his fifth burrito. "Keep an eye on Vermeil, GIR."

Saluting as his eyes turned crimson, GIR hollered, "I shot the sheriff!"

Megami shot a last look at Vermeil before they left. He looked as if he would dry up and blow away in the wind, his head still hanging limply before him.

Putting his arm around Megami's shoulders, Dib led her to a large walkway overlooking the entire facility. The pure size of the place was apparent from there; thousands of aliens milled about below, going about their business. "Nice view, huh?"

She nodded, but she wasn't really looking. "Uncle D--I mean, Daddy..."

"Yep?"

"Valerie... She told me that my father put me in her arms. You gave me away, didn't you? Why? Why did you do it?" To be the Don of Kharna, maybe?

Sighing, Dib replied, "It's a long story, Megami."

"And... you really did kill Vermeil's family, didn't you?" Hugging herself, she said, "He... told me that... a human had killed his family. And... all his life he was forced to watch that video..."

"Ah, yes. THE video. I was forced to watch it too." Dib shuddered. "A horrible thing for a child to have to see. Even an Irken child. He was indoctrinated at a very young age, Megami..." He looked down at her and smiled. "For that reason, I don't think you should judge him too harshly. It's obvious that he cares deeply for you. I'm sure that, at some point this evening, he thought he had me. Though I didn't know it was him at the time, I saw that cloaked individual creeping up behind me... People attempt to assassinate me from time to time, you understand. It comes with the job, and even if I appear as if I'm not paying attention, I really am... He wouldn't have been successful, but he was very close to striking. Until you got assaulted onstage."

Sniffling, Megami shifted a little until she was looking away.

"At that point in time, his only concern was you. I thought maybe he was just jealous at first-- but I didn't realize who you were, and I didn't realize that the attentions were unwanted." Laughing, Dib said, "Women of the night around here-- they like to impress potential clients with their entertainment skills. It's not uncommon for hookers to perform onstage. If it weren't for Vermeil, you could have very easily been--ah--hired."

At this time, they spied Ninnehla at the end of the expanse before them. Waving, she approached. "Familiar, is you was," Ninnehla told Megami in stilted English. "But placing your face was not mine."

"You've met Ninnehla," Dib said, gesturing to her and smiling. "She is fascinated with our language and is trying to learn it, but it's quite different from hers." Megami smiled, blushing. "What she's trying to say is that she recognized you but didn't remember who exactly you were. In the audition room." Pointing a finger in remembrance, he shuffled around in his pant pocket until he was able to produce a little package that looked like a wallet. Inside was a picture of Megami as a baby. She always wondered why there were none of her at the Membrane household! "See, all this time I kept this. I showed it to anyone that gave a shit."

Nodding, Megami recalled, "Tak said she'd seen pictures of me! She said you'd done a lot for her, which is why she helped me. She gave me her ship to fly out here, and a VIP pass."

"Pff!" Ninnehla spat.

Dib laughed. "Ninnehla does not have a high opinion of Tak." Leaning into Meg's antenna, he whispered, "She's just jealous, that's all."

Ninnehla heard him, of course. Dismissing him with hand wave, she took Megami's hand. "Singing likes you. Practice of time and performance makes natural in you!"

"Um... Thanks?" Megami answered.

Ninnehla laughed. In her own language, she elaborated, "I was trying to say that you had a lovely voice. With practice, you could become a great singer. You're not solid with your high notes, though."

"The girl you liked played a dirty trick on my baby," Dib told her. "She gave Meg an Onimi to perform in-- Megami didn't know what it was for at the time."

"Pity," Ninnehla sighed. "I thought she would have done well." Taking leave of them, she called, "I guess I'll have to go tear up that contract before she finishes reading it to sign. I'm not going to mentor a scheming trollup!" In English, she finished, "Lucky making!"

As Meg watched her go, she asked, "She's retiring? I... don't know anything about her species but she seems pretty young."

"She's only retiring as a performer," Dib said, leaning on the railing and overlooking everything. "Ninnehla... Is very smart, and has good business sense. She'll be better at running this place than me."

"So, you're actually the one retiring?"

"More like... Taking the backseat," Dib answered, smiling at his daughter. "You must understand, Megami... I never had much of a youth. I spent a very long time chasing dreams. And then they chased me. I would very much like to be able to... Just be myself for awhile, with no responsibilities..."

Leaning against Dib, relishing in his warmth, she said quietly, "What are you going to do?"

"Well, I wasn't sure what I was going to do before... But now I think I'm going to get to know my daughter."

Megami smiled happily, closing her eyes. "I think that Zim would be very happy to see you."

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

"He traded GIR for your trenchcoat."

Dib laughed heartily. "I think Zim would trade GIR for a case of soda if it were a good enough brand."

"You should have seen him, Dib. I could see how much he cared about you. Really..." She swallowed hard. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to inform him about how badly his family had spoken of him. "...I think he admired you more than anyone. Did you know he was alive? I had heard he was dead, too, just like you."

"I knew he was alive. I just... couldn't find him." Dib stood up straight, arching his back. "Do you know how to find him now? I should go see him."

"Oh, I think that would be awesome!" Megami was excited.

Smiling good-naturedly, Dib asked, "So what are you going to do?"

"Hmm? Come with you, of course!"

Dib chuckled. "I meant-- about Vermeil." When Megami just stared quizzically at him, he went on, "Whatever you decide, Megami... I'll support it. Personally, I think you should give him another chance. But... If you want me to, I'll lock him up and throw away the key. I don't know the extent of your relationship, but it's obvious that he feels pretty strongly for you."

"I'm surprised you're so ambivalent about someone that tried to kill you."

"Oh, but it was so piss-poor, Meg," Dib cried, rolling his eyes. "I may be wrong, but... I think there's a part of him that wants to be saved. He's been raised to do things he doesn't want to do... But he does them anyway, because like most Irkens, he thinks his path was carved out for him from birth. He thinks he has no choice but to be a fucker." Pushing her bangs out of her face, he finished, "Despite his TRYING to kill me... Or Zim... Or other people, he's never actually done it. He's perfectly capable... Many Irkens toss other creatures aside like litter. If he could actually go through with it, however, I think it would make him more miserable than he already is."

If there was one word Megami could use to describe Vermeil, "miserable" would be it. It appeared to her that Dib actually knew more about him than she did. If Dib wanted to give him another chance, who was she to disagree? There was also a part of her that wanted to, despite deep-seated mistrust... He hadn't ever tried to hurt her. As Dib had said, he could have done so, easily. Tak had been right about him using her, but after the truth had come out... What had he done? Nothing. He took his punches like a bitch, not even bothering to fight back.

"Who do you think is right, Megami? The Irkens or the humans?"

Chewing her lip, Megami finally said, "I think... that there are good humans and bad ones. Good Irkens, and bad ones. Just like everyone else in the universe. And sometimes... Like Tak said... We do the right things for the wrong reasons. Or vice-versa." She looked up at Dib, leaning back on the railing. "Half Irken, half Human... I know... Better than anyone... About how alike the two races really are."

"You and I, babe. I think we're the only ones that have figured that out." Nudging her shoulder, he said, "But I think Vermeil could, with enough time."

"I'm half-Irken," Megami repeated. "Who... Is the other half of me? Dad?"

Dib grinned. "Why don't you ask Vermeil?"

"Are you sure you're not just guilty because of what you did to his family?"

Pulling his hands away, Dib gritted his teeth. "They all deserved what they got, and I will never, EVER change my mind about that." He took her hand and they began to return to the lounge. "I will explain everything to you, my dear, in due time. But first I need to do something about the Irken in my recliner."

When they returned, Vermeil didn't bother to look up. His antennae twitched, however. GIR was sleeping soundly in a pile of burrito wrappers.

"I'll leave you two alone," Dib said, pushing Megami gently into the room. Then, he was gone.

Slowly, he brought his head up. His face was so drawn she almost cried at the sight of it.

"I'm sorry... About everything. I'm sorry that... my father killed your family. And... Zim killed your parents."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Vermeil said quietly, his voice rasping. "You are the only innocent one in all this..."

Sitting down on the table before Vermeil, Megami cried, "No! You see, you're innocent too. You're still innocent, Vermeil. What went on between our parents, our friends, our family, whatever... That has nothing to do with us, don't you see?" She grabbed his face firmly. "You've devoted all this time to fooling me, jerking me around, because you wanted revenge. Am I right? For what reason? Because you thought you were supposed to? If you didn't want to do all the things you did to me... Lying to me, using me... Then you're still innocent, Vermeil. And you can fix your mistakes, still."

"It's not that easy, Megami. You don't know the whole story."

"I don't think you do, either." She sat back. "Dib said he was going to explain everything. Will you be willing to listen to his side? You've always had to listen to the Irken side."

After some soul-searching, Vermeil realized that, to spend more time with Megami, he would do anything.

"We're going back to see Zim." Seeing the light go on in Verm's head, she growled, "Don't go getting any ideas. I'm pretty sure Dib is convinced he could easily whup your ass."

Vermeil knew that was true. Without any amber to exploit them with, they were all much more powerful than he. But he could bide his time, couldn't he? At least, that's what he would tell everyone on Veloixs... "Megami... I... I don't think I can... avoid my destiny."

"Maybe you can," Meg whispered. "Won't you at least try?"

He sighed, deeply. "For you, I will. To... to make up for the hurt I've caused you."

"I knew you could do it, Vermeil!" she cried, smiling wide. She leaned in and grabbed his face again, pressing her lips to his.

*******************************END**********************************************

I wonder how many of you will be pissed off by this ending? I wonder how many of you already figured it out a long time ago? (99% of you I'm sure--I telegraphed the shit out of it) I was still happy to keep you all hanging for awhile ;)I wonder how many will be happy Dibbles isn't dead? Originally, I didn't plan to bring either of them back, but I did because the ending to G*R upset so many people... And I'm doing this for you all! Having them alive again inspired me to add more... So the story is far from over! But... That's all for this part. I thank everyone for being patient with me and supporting me all this time.

I'm so happy to have this finished because now I can spam my DeviantART page with drawings of NEW DIB. XD;;;