#Zerinim

[saintheartwing]

Breaking Dawn, Pt. 2: Rage of the Forgotten Ones

Author's Note:

Regrettably, this time, I'm not accepting OCs for the story. Though you may spy a cameo here and there for certain...persons. ;)

Anyhow, on with the tale! And feel free to tell me what you like and dislike about it. :D

BREAKING DAWN, PART TWO RAGE OF THE FORGOTTEN ONES

If you're reading this, then again...thanks. I'm glad somebody bothered to check out my blog. I'm surprised you're checking it now, though. Shouldn't you be more concerned with the fact that hundreds of planet Earths are floating around in the sky above, defying all physics? Even the average ignorant idiot can tell: something is seriously wrong.

And I know you want to know how this happened. Maybe you heard about me. Remembered I was the "crazy kid" for a long time, that I had all of these "insane" theories about aliens and the supernatural, and now that this is happening, well, you turn to me for answers. I've got answers, alright...I've got answers.

It all ties back...to him. To an alien named Zim.

His species is called the Irken race. They're like reptile-esque bugs. Their bodies are organic shells, their REAL selves are attached to their backs in robotic backpacks called "PAKS'. They're generally proud, vain, narcissistic, selfish, dangerous, in a word...evil. I knew from the moment Zim entered my classroom in his pathetic disguise that fooled everyone but me that he was bad news, I swore to expose him.

But something happened over the years. Zim and I began to...

Well...

...I can't call it friendship. I really can't. It's like...we were rivals. And we always wanted to stay that way. To outdo each other. It was a "same time next week" kind of deal we had: he'd try to make some world-enslaving or world-destroying plot...I'd stop him. It was a great game we played. And I think we began to develop...well...a kind of respect...a kind of trust. We kinda mellowed, in a sense. Heck, we even applied to the same colleges. I guess that my life fell into a rhythm I intended to ride for the rest of my life.

...but before all that happened, there was...a period that I think back on with shame. It was kind of like the turning point. When we looked back on what we did, something changed in us. I think we kinda were forced to change.

See...I wasn't the only one who knew Zim was an alien. My sister knew, but she didn't really care much. Zim had another Irken living at his home, named Skoodge, but Skoodge wasn't really too much of a threat. He wasn't actually too bad, as far as Irkens went. But I did tell my classmate Gretchen about Zim, and I think she wanted to believe me.

And then there was Nick.

Nice kid from down south. Slightly annoying accent. Little bit dumb. Okay, maybe more than a little bit.

But friendly. Helpful. And Zim had experimented on him before. Made him REAAAALLY happy with this strange device he stuck in his head. Twice. I asked him for help, knowing he knew the truth.

I TRIED to train him. I really did. I tried to help him get smart and savvy the way I was. We planned...we calculated...a few missions went by, we did well.

He wasn't my friend, but...but he was a good comrade. Yes...a comrade. And that day, on March 23rd, six years ago...Zim did the worst thing he'd ever done.

And he did it to Nick.

...I own that. Because he was my soldier. My comrade.

...my fault.

I don't know if he...remembers it all. I kept wondering "Was he afraid? Was he begging for me to save him in his head? Was he crying all the while as Zim..."

Now I know how he felt. I'm feeling that way too. Because someone showed up at our front door. They forced a very dangerous, very powerful ring on me. A ring that can turn the imagination into reality. Chosen for me because I can overcome great fear.

And yet...

All I want to do now...

Is SCREAM.

At first...it was a spiritual experience. Exhilarating. Almost transcendental. He felt invincible. He felt...like he could face anything. Anyone. Dib Membrane wasn't afraid of anything or anyone, and he knew, in that first few moments he KNEW he could have taken on the entire world and WON. For those first few moments...the ring upon his finger showed him a world just in front of his fingertips, a world of potential.

And then...then it was not HIS will that controlled the power. It felt like he was being tugged around by slimy strings, his flesh was not his own...he was lost in his own spirit...and he knew what was at fault.

"Get this thing OFF me!" Dib yelled out, yanking on the white ring on his finger as best he could, gasping as the Irken with the golden eyes looked on in pitiless amusement. Two sets of antennae, one teal, one black slightly raised in amusement with gloved hands and a blue vest across his chest, with dark blue pants and boots of black...black to match the gloves...black to match his heart. "GET IT OFF!"

"It's no use." The Irken with the golden eyes said, waving his hand in the air. "I was the first one to touch the Exemplar Ring you wear on your hand. It might be powered by your Will, it might think you're using it, but really...it's MY will that matters now. It might as well be on my hand. And you're going to do everything I tell you to do. You won't have a choice." The Irken said.

Dib's sister bellowed angrily, punching the ground below and seething, frothing at the mouth. Unlike Dib, who was dressed in a fine outfit of black and green, she was all red and black, with a form that looked vaguely machine-like in its design, a fury dripping off her facial features as the Irken snapped his fingers and she panted slightly, slowly calming down.

"You...fix us...NOW." Dib snarled angrily, summoning up all his willpower, leveling the ring on his finger squarely at the Irken. "You FREAK."

"The NAME...is Zerinim Two Jookiba." The Irken with two sets of antenneas said, putting one gloved hand on his chest before growling fervently, a burning red fiery blaze of energy forming in his hands, sizzling like he was holding a miniature sun in his palms. "But don't call me "Two" like my closest loved ones do. Call me...MASTER."

He immediately launched the wave of energy squarely at Dib and Gaz, knocking them to the ground, Gaz taking a blow to the head, unconsciousness settling in as Dib felt the thing's grip on him relaxing, and now the many sledgehammers he kept imagining should be beating into this thing actually manifested in a bright green glow, energy constructs that struck at Two over and over as Dib kept the manifestation up, intent on one thing and one thing alone...

MAKING...HIM...PAY.

"I'm gonna make you sorry you ever came to my planet!" Dib yelled out, stepping closer and closer to Two as the Irken held his gloved hands forth, a sonic blast of red construct energy knocking Dib back as Two snapped his fingers, a surge of power rising from his form as a bow popped into his gloved hands. Dib jumped back up, quickly firing off blasts of energy from his ring like a cowboy desperately firing his pistols at an oncoming posse, but Two calmly stood still, the blasts missing him as he notched an arrow of burning red.

It launched through the air, impaling Dib through his left side and he screeched in pain, falling to the ground as his grip on his body faded, and he swam in and out of consciousness, struggling to stay awake, Two chuckling coldly as he approached the human and his sister.

"Ahhhhh, I NEEDED that. I'm in a such good mood right now...now you go home and power down and get some rest. Dream peacefully...it'll be the last happy sleep you ever have, I'm afraid." The Irken said, kneeling by Dib and lifting his head with one claw. It wasn't a mocking tone...it just said it. A statement of fact. Nothing personal. "You've got a busy day tomorrow, after all." He added with a slight smile, clapping his hands as Dib and Gaz found themselves returning to their normal clothes, getting back up and returning inside the house of their own accord, the will of their master, the being named Two, echoing in their minds...

Mercifully, Dib could feel his wounds healing. But this was cold comfort. All Dib could think about...was what this thing was going to do the world he loved.

...

...

...

...as Dib rested in his bed, snuggling up beneath the covers, shivering slightly, he grit his teeth and grounded them together. He was mad. He was furious. He couldn't even fall asleep without feeling like that...that thingwith the double set of antennas was watching him. It had loosed it's control over them...just barely. It was allowing them to rest, but that was cold comfort considering Dib knew the thing would be up to no good.

What would it do to his world? What would it make himdo to his world? What would it make him do to the people he loved?

Simply trying to imagine talking to his father or anybody else about what had happened was giving him a headache...no doubt another part of that being, "Two", inflicting his will on him. What would happen if he actually tried to tell his father what had occurred, get him to simply analyze the ring that he was unable to take off? Would it be some "Battle Royale" kind of deal? Would a collar manifest around his neck and take his head off?

Gaz. What was Gaz thinking, Dib wondered as his eyelids slowly beginning to drop, genuine sleep mercifully setting in. Was she scared? Was she indignant about being used? Or was she just...angry?

Well, as it turned out, Gaz was none of those things. She had long since fallen deep asleep to dream of a world that shaped and shifted by her will, brought to life by a giant red pen, floating upon a rubber piggy and laughed giddily at the new world she was making. She liked seeing things in red...yes, yes, she wanted to paint everything in red...

She knew this power would help her do it. She was aware it was bringing out her most violent desires and attitudes. But she knew she could channel it. She just had to wait for her chance.

She could take control of this. She could prove stronger than the thing on her finger.

"That idiot thinks he has me. But I've beaten worse things before." Her dream-self said as she raised a chainsaw high, cutting through a swath of imaginary Twos. "AND YOU'LL FALL, JUST LIKE THE REST OF THEM!"

...

...

...

..."Oh great. Two is here. Help me put my clothes back on."

"Why did you ask me to bring HER along? I could understand Lilo, but…"

"I want her to understand what we're…willing to do to break her. Lilo, do you know HOW the Minor Arcana was formed? How the…application process is undertaken?"

"..."

"Well, in exchange for very, VERY large amounts of power and the ability to remain eternally young…you've got to kill family. Close family. One member, to be precise."

"Samael approached me and told me that if I wanted into the Minor Arcana…if I wanted the ability to be immune to control and to control reality, I'd have to kill a family member."

"No, please tell me you didn't…didn't kill them…Kila, Zim, you…you didn't?"

"No, of course I couldn't, I…I love my parents. I…I chose Green, my sister from the past."

"If Kila and Zim ARE your parents, the ones I know so well, then they would have been horrified at the idea of you working for the person who made them suffer so much! They wouldn't have raised you to be so cruel!"

"They didn't raise me to be cruel, but we never could stay in one place long…do you know how some kids move around city after city, state after state, never really making friends, or worse, constantly leaving the friends they DO have? For me…it was TEN TIMES WORSE. I had to move from world to world and whenever we got REMOTELY settled into the hotel or other temporarily dwelling, we had to leave! Working for Samael meant he wouldn't hunt my parents anymore and…It's not like I know Green. She's my sister and I understand mentally that the whole thing is…sad."

"..."

"I OUGHT to know her. I should have spent my childhood with my big sister being there, we should have blown stuff up in the backyard together or played gorka-ball or "Toss the GIR"…we should have been siblings but…but we weren't. Aren't. It IS sad, but…I just don't really know her, and so I don't have many qualms about killing her, though MIYU had NO qualms in killing MALIK! And to get to her mother, she killed her dad too!"

"Azazel has yet to kill Nick, his dear, beloved Grandfather. So perhaps he'll kill his originator instead, he was so close to Nick, In his reality, his "Pee-Paw" was so PROUD of him…he even gave him his-"

"..."

"As for Frequency, lobotomizing Sari, whom he cared for greatly, was his act. Samael was happy to allow him to do the act, it allowed Miyu to replace Sari, who had refused to kill her parents and had taken Samael's gift of immortality. Such a pity…she would have gained Miyu's incomparable battle skills but instead she lost most of her brain."

"And now let us come to the point. You are not going to be rescued. You are going to be tortured here by us, one at a time, and when TWO finishes with you, I…will begin."

"Question: Who shall start?"

"I'll be the first...my power will be good for torturing you-"

With that, Dib awoke from the strange dream. It had felt real. FAR too real. And that person...Two. It had definitely been him. What was going on? Were Two's memories of the past somehow crisscrossing with his slave's head? Possible, he supposed. The Irken could control him from his head, but that meant his mind was open, at least when asleep, to Dib's own...

How strange...

"How odd..." Dib mumbled as he scratched his head, sweeping his legs out of his bed and onto the floor as he made his way to his bureau to get his usual attire out. Dark jacket? Check. Blue t-shirt with a "Meh" face on it? Check. Dark pants? Also check. Glasses...shoes...belt for said pants...check, check, check-

"...is the ring still on my finger?" Dib mumbled, looking down at his hand.

Check.

"...crap." He muttered. "You JERK." He growled, turning his head to look out the window at a cheerily grinning Two, who pushed the window open, letting in the sunshine to the dark blue walls of Dib's cluttered-up bedroom.

"Nice place, it really is...except for the smell." Two admitted as he looked around the bedroom. Indeed, over the years Dib had gotten slightly more advanced equipment from his father for birthday presents...yes, Birthday. Dib's father refused to celebrate Christmas due to his undying hatred of Santa Claus, so he always wasted that day searching for signs of Santa. And beating up Santa's Helpers in the street.

Yeah, it was weird.

A sophisticated computer system on a desk with what appeared to be three dozen drawers, many of them stuffed full of papers on Bigfeet, ghosts and aliens...a pile of laundry in the corner, all dark clothes, blue t-shirts...and several dozen paranormal posters littered the walls, including one of a flying saucer. And not just ANY flying saucer. "Is that from the X-Files series?" Two found himself asking, an intrigued expression coming to his features.

"Yes, the original one. I got it off of Ebay. Cost me two month's allowance too." Dib added, not taking his eyes off the alien scumbag. He wanted to jump through the air and do a karate kick to his head, hey, years of fighting with Zim meant he'd picked up a couple of tricks. But no, no, it was like he was rooted to the spot, and he knew EXACTLY why.

He tried to yank the ring off anew...hopeless. Two chuckled slightly as he snapped his fingers. "I used to watch the show when I was younger. Ahhhh, memories. Moving from dimension to dimension it's still nice to see that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Wait until I tell you about the second movie."

"Second movie?" Dib remarked, blinking stupidly.

"Oh, right, you don't know. Guess this world will never see it once I'm...well..." He chuckled coldly. "Once WE'RE finished. Go on, my little puppet. Eat breakfast. Say goodbye to your father with your sister. Then we begin, and I think I'll start by doing you a favor, and doing what all children dream of doing at one point or another...burning down your school."

"Why would you want to do that?" Dib growled angrily, fingers clenching almost like claws, eyes alit with fury. "What could you POSSIBLY gain from-"

"Do I look like a Bond Villain, my boy? I'm not TELLING you." The Irken chuckled. "But I'm in a good mood, so being the nice person I am, here's the deal. You get until Lunch Period's over. Then I'll take full control...and have you and your sister burn down the school and everyone and everything in it."

The Irken was suddenly up in Dib's face, smiling coldly, one hand gripping his chin, the other tapping Dib's ring. "You have until then to convince the others to get out, and don't bother trying to use your ring to convince them, I'll put it under a lock that won't open until it is finally time to BURN, baby, BURN." The Irken laughed. "Hey, you've been failing to get your classmates to listen for years. Maybe today's the day they'll finally listen!"

"You don't have to do this." Dib said, trying another tack, remembering the dream. Normally he wouldn't EVER negotiate with an alien, not even try, but...this was different. "You don't need to hurt anyone."

"But I do." Two whispered, raising his gloved claws up and clenching them. "...I DO."

Letting off cold-hearted laughter, the Irken jumped back out of the window, strolling off. Dib cursed under his breath. This was one of the few times an alien was out in the open! NO disguise! Why, WHY was nobody outside? Or LOOKING outside? What had their attention? Were they all still ASLEEP?

"So then he shot her, it was weird." The newest arrival on the "Okrah" show said to the titular host, Gaz munching on some cereal as the tall and weirdly surreal Prof. Membrane adjusted the goggles over his eyes, looking at the screen.

"This PULP is what the people are interested in?" He inquired.

"Yeeeeep." Gaz said nonchalantly through a mouthful of "Choco Frosted Sugar Bombs".

"And it's on every morning from 8 to 9? Without fail?"

"Yeeeeeeeeep."

"...what next, dancing panda bears?" Prof. Membrane mused sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he poured himself some coffee. He was getting better at this, he TRIED to be there during the day for breakfast if nothing else. And to think, it only took him a little over 10 years to actually start being somewhat of a good father figure.

"Mornin', Dad." Dib said, entering the kitchen and going to the fridge before shrinking away. Every time he tried to open the fridge, weird things happened. Last time he was SURE he'd heard a sneeze, and the mayonnaise had started yelling "The ketchup did it! The ketchup!" And ANOTHER time his father had left an experiment in there. Something had been living in the fridge.

"...is...the thing still in there?" Dib asked Prof. Membrane, inching away from the fridge and reaching for the knife drawer by the sink, pulling out a large carving knife as Gaz watched with interest.

"No, I'm fairly certain I moved him to the freezer." Prof. Membrane said, shaking his head back and forth. Smiling in relief, Dib wiped his brow and opened up the fridge...and was then forced to hack back several dozen tentacles before slamming the fridge shut. "Or maybe I forgot. Who keeps track?" Prof. Membrane added a moment later, putting a gloved finger to where his lip might have been...it was hard to tell, the white labcoat that he wore had a loooong collar that reached up high. You couldn't even see his nose!

"I'll just make some toast."

"SUPER-Toast?" Prof. Membrane asked expectantly.

"...er, I was thinking cinna-" Dib began to say, before he saw his father's slowly drooping expression. "SUPER-Cinnamon Toast." He quickly changed his mind, nodding enthusiastically.

"EXCELLENT choice, my son!" Prof. Membrane agreed, clapping Dib on the shoulder and moving to the cupboard to get the cinnamon sugar for his boy. "I can only spare 110 more seconds but I'd be HAPPY to get your cinnamon toast started!"

"...thanks, Dad." Dib said quietly. "I...I really appreciate it. And...appreciate you." He murmured.

"What will that thing make me do to the ones I love?"He thought sadly to himself, sitting in the chair next to Gaz as she quietly looked over at him, a faint flicker of genuine regret passing over her face for an instant.

...

...

...

...the Beautiful Angel clutched his mother's paw, looking down at her closed eyes. She looked so...worn and tired. So sad...so lost...so forgotten. She was a sad little doll that had been tossed into a closet to be forgotten about. She lay there in the ornately-draped bed inside of the crystalline palace that hovered high above the clouds, hidden from all sight not by ignorance on behalf of humanity, but by carefully-constructed machinations, creations of Zerinim Two, and of the robot that calmly watched, her face solemn before she turned her red-helmed head away from the sight of her beloved kneeling by his dying mother.

"C'mon...just a few more days, momma." He whispered, his golden/amber eyes gazing down upon his beloved mother. "...just a few more days and maybe we can end all of this...get our world back...and bring all of us back to normal."

"Is she...any better? Any worse?"

The Angel looked up. Zerinim Two's face was normally a window...behind his eyes you could tell he was barely suppressing a furious rage within. Now that window was cracked, but not showing rage...but deep, deep concern and sadness...

Personal loss...one of the greatest causes of rage in the world.

"No. And...and I've been talking with her and...she kept asking about the plan." The Angel went on, sighing as he stood up, brushing his thick slightly-light-brown locks of hair back. "You know that this base Earth is very...unstable. It's got the seeds of potential for all the other stories, but if this plan works, I'm worried what'll happen to the other-"

"Who GIVES a rat's ass?" Two snapped angrily, cutting his hand in the air to shut him up. "Azzy, these people are awful. AW-FUL. I might have been petty and selfish but when it came down to it, I ALWAYS put doing what was right for the ones I loved and for the world I loved at the forefront! Do you think ANY of the so-called "cornerstones" of this Base Earth would?"

"...I don't know." The Beautiful Angel admitted softly, honestly. "...I'd like to believe that some of them would."

"I'm sorry that "some of them" isn't enough." Two spoke quietly, folding his arms. "You know...I saw into Dib's mind when I controlled him. He has a family. He has a father. He has a sister. And his life's been slowly getting better for the past five years. Zim getting more considerate, Gaz becoming more tolerant, his father's actually eating BREAKFAST with them!"

That made the woman in the bed chuckle slightly. "Brekkie? N-no kiddin'? Ame kef, never thought he'd actually..." Her chuckling dissolved into pained coughs as she held her paw over her mouth and Two gently patted her forehead. "I'm...sorry I'm so friggin' useless now."

"It'll be alright, maneem." Two whimpered, kneeling by his mother and kissing her paw as a blue-furred being entered, Two rubbing his eyes as he left the room. The blue-furred being took off his cap, letting his hair fall down as he nervously chewed his lip, gazing at his aunt.

"...are we really gonna go through with this? I want the world back but..." He sighed. "...what he's making Dib do isn't...it isn't right."

"I want you to have this." The Beautiful Angel said, giving the blue-furred bounty hunter a pad of paper he had in a pack slung around his shoulder. "It's notes that mother took. I've read it five dozen times..." He trailed off, taking his mother's paw again.

The blue-furred being chewed his lip again, walking out of the room as he went to stand on a balcony, reading the journal as the robot stepped out on the balcony to join him.

"I shall be meeting with MY personal inductees today." She said in her emotionless tone, holding up the rings she would be using. "They shall join my Corps and I will then bring the two up here so that they may understand why we do what we do. I think he would go along with it anyway...a chance to destroy this world? Have "fun"? How could he say "no"?"

"Will you bother to tell him that once enough of this world's been destroyed by the Cornerstones, he'll get folded into the historical fabric?" The bounty hunter wanted to know.

"That's on a "need-to-know" basis." The robot said, a flicker of amusement passing over her metallic features as she sauntered back into the crystalline palace, leaving the bounty hunter alone on the balcony as he reached into his pocket, pulling out two small rings of his own. One was shining slightly, a chosen partner found, but the other...it's light was dull.

"...why isn't it lit up? What's it missing? WHO is it missing? I might have been the first to get ahold of these, but...can't do this alone..." He murmured, putting them back in his pocket, his paw going over the journal to his side, over an entry stained by teardrops.

...

...

...

...Dib nervously gripped his pants pockets as he looked out the window of the bus, sitting in the back with Gaz as she looked over at him. "Any ideas?" She asked sarcastically.

"...I thought about offering twenty bucks to everyone to leave school right after lunch...but my allowance isn't THAT high." Dib admitted, pulling out his wallet and opening it, a tiny moth fluttering out as Gaz rolled her eyes.

"And just TELLING them the truth won't help either, will it?" She asked. "They'd never believe you. Well, they might if you tried to use that thing in front of them, but-"

"It's not working." Dib mumbled, shaking his fist angrily, the ring uselessly dull. "I'm trying and trying...but he meant it...he shut it off. And after lunch, it turns on...and I turn into a living weapon. He'll drive me like I'm a BATTLEBOT."

Gaz looked around the bus, eyes narrowing darkly. "...Dib...what's wrong with this picture?" She asked quietly, dangerously.

Dib looked up from his lap, glancing around.

"Notice anything...missing?"

Suddenly it hit him. Zim. Skoodge. Gretchen. Nick. All four of them were gone. How strange...how very, very strange...

The bus came to a stop as everyone headed into the school, their new guidance counselor greeting the children at the door. He saw Dib's clearly sullen expression and his gentle green eyes softened. A hand reached out, placed squarely on Dib's right shoulder. "Dib, is something the matter?" Mr. Thildari inquired, one eyebrow raised high over a head with perfectly-combed grey hair.

"...nothing you could help with, sir." Dib told him as Gaz headed inside. "You've been more help than the last guidance counselor I had, but...you can't help me with this."

"Aww, why not try me?" Mr. Thildari asked, moving Dib inside and sitting him down at a bench by a water fountain. "First period bell doesn't ring for a whole seven..." He checked his watch. "...six whole minutes!"

"...I need to get everyone out of the school before lunch. And I mean EVERYONE. Even that creepy janitor." Dib told the guidance counselor, leaning back in the chair, Two's smirk lingering in his mind. "Or else something terrible is going to happen."

"Dib, did a friend of yours say they're going to blow up the school?" The guidance counselor wanted to know, his darkened skin paling slightly.

Dib's eyes went wide.

There it was...

...hope. Why hadn't he seen it before? It was such a simple solution.

"Yes, yes." Dib said fervently. "...except he's not really a friend, he...he said he was going to blow the whole school sky-high after lunch period, Mr. Thildari." Dib informed the guidance counselor, shaking him by his shoulders, back and forth, back and forth.

The guidance counselor looked deep into Dib's eyes, mouth becoming a taut line as if "reading" him. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before closing his green eyes and letting out a soft, long sigh. "I believe you." He told Dib. "I'll inform the principal and vice principal about this, and I'll have everyone escorted out of the building until the police can search the grounds."

Dib inwardly cheered for joy as Mr. Thildari stood up and headed for the staff wing, punching the air as he headed off to class. He won. He'd WON.

Or at least...so he thought.

"I should have KNOWN you'd cheat." Two muttered furiously, sitting in a tree outside of school, his fists clenching tightly as red energy swirled off his body like sparks off a fire as his own ring swirled around him like a tiny fly, buzzing, buzzing.

"Calling in help like that, you great big cheater...well, you're about to find out that I'm just as petty and immature as you, Dib Membrane..." The Irken chuckled darkly. "I suppose the saying's true. If you want something done right..."

He hopped down from the tree, making his way towards the school as red energy seeped off his body, his footprints leaving behind burning indents within the ground as he chuckled coldly.

"You have to do it yourself."

[saintheartwing]

Another part of the Invader Zim story I had begun in honor of "InvaderCon" and Invader Zim's anniversary, which ties in to the story I’ve begun uploading, in which Nick finally faces down the Tallest, bringing in a new age to the reality he was deposited in. Hopefully the comic itself is explanation enough for the back-story of the plot on Dib's world, but yes, I'm having the tale take place quite a few years in the future of "Invader Zim", in the "canon" realm, which has now had something dramatically DUMPED into it's lap by several interlopers. And hopefully, my story will have something for everyone to enjoy in it. I'm really having fun with this concept. Zerinim Two and Miyu are property of me. All other characters are respectively owned by Jhonen Vasquez

[saintheartwing]

I've decided to put this up for reference and to help not only myself remember who's who, but clear a few things up for you, dear reader. All part of my “Breaking Dawn” Invader Zim story! From left to right, starting at the top...

DIB Occupation: Student Power: Willpower Further Notes: Dilbert Membrane, little "Dibbun". He's both antagonist and protagonist like Zim in the television series "Invader Zim", and grew up with both a strong interest in the paranormal and the strange, and with a deep desire to protect the people of Earth. Even as a toddler he seemed to have a calling within him to protect the planet and those within it. He is capable of overcoming great fear, and with his strong resolution and imagination, he makes for an excellent green lantern. This brave-hearted youth grew up on "IZ-Prime", the "Base" planet of the Invader Zim youth, the Earth where all other Invader Zim universes are born from. His primary job is usually keeping Zim from experimenting on other people or unleashing some highly strange, oddly stupid and yet fiendishly clever doomsday weapon on the populace. Eventually Dib hit on an idea: Zim had managed to make himself a "friend" in Keef, who had done everything with him...and where was Batman without a Robin? He took in a charge, and recruited that slightly slow, but friendly and impressionable kid Nick whom Zim had stuck a probe in some time back. The two became an excellent team for a time until "The Incident" in which Zim crossed the line...and did something to Nick Dib would never forget...and possibly never forgive. Eventually the years went on and Zim slightly mellowed out, meaning that Dib could relax somewhat...until, that is, all of reality began to fall apart... GAZ Occupation: Student Power: Rage Further Notes: Gazeline Membrane blamed almost everybody when her mother Peggy died in a tragic lab accident. All of it was unfair blame, but she didn't care. She shut herself up in selfish desires and caprice, her rage slowly boiling underneath her like a volcano set to blow at the slightest notice. Interestingly, she began to warm up to Zim. The two had a surprising amount of things in common...the two even went to the dance together. She admits in private he "cleaned up alright". She was blushing heavily as she said this. She didn't, however, approve of what Zim did to Nick, because whilst she doesn't mind the exploitation of the stupid, the outright abuse he leveled was horrifying even to her. She tried to be nice to Nick in the hospital, giving him something of a crush on her. Being a being of revenge, private loss and fury, it's not surprising she bonded with the power of Rage, which had, at one point, been the might of Passion. Heck, she's ALL passion! ZIM Occupation: "Invader", Service Drone/Student Power: Avarice Further Notes: Zerinim, Zimmy-Wimmy, Zimri, etc, etc. You all know him. He's that short, tiny little thing who's determined to take over and/or destroy the Earth. You have to give him points for persistence, he keeps a-tryin', but his level of commitment and competence is "Team Rocket" level. Since he was little, he's been pretty much destroying everything he touches, but this isn't totally his fault. His PAK is defective, his mental processes aren't right. He's slow in some areas of development, but very bright in others, similar to that of an autistic child...obsessive and slightly anti-social behavior included. He's also never admit his deep concern for his beloved companions, mostly because he desperately clings to the inane idea that an Invader needs no one, even though he often relies on others for the "final touch" in his plan. The "incident" that happened with Nick actually struck him with so much guilt...it almost struck as hard as Dib did with that lead pipe after he snuck inside Zim's house and put Zim in a body cast for half a year. Zim's plans became less lethal and more annoying, and he began to appreciate his "friends" a bit more. He views Dib as something of an equal, and in a way, perhaps...more than that. And then...there's Gaz... GIR Occupation: Robot Power: Fear Further Notes: GIR. He's a GARBAGE-INFESTED-ROBOT! Useless as far as most robotic companions go because he's not usually taking things seriously, his head always in the clouds. And the few times he DOES focus don't last long at all. However, with the power of "Fear" flowing through him, the potential to inspire terror and impose HIS kind of order on the world brings out the dark, foul and pitiless cruelty he holds within. GIR has the potential to be even worse than Zim, and the ring focuses his inner psychopathic tendencies. GIR is very childlike...he doesn't always 'get' what he's supposed to do, or understand why things are the way they are. Yet he is also more intelligent and wise than people give him credit for, having access to fundamental truths about the universe he lives in. He understands what kind of world he's in, and has accepted that, and his role as the on-again off-again goofy sociopath. If your really are worried about him, give him something shiny. Or a lollipop. SKOODGE Occupation: Invader Power: Hope Further Notes: Invader Skoodge. No matter what terrible things happened in his life, he's always faced the future. He's remained cheery, helpful, friendly and optimistic, and therefore, it befits him to wear the robes of the Blue, wielder of the light that Hope brings. Skoodge and Zim go way back, and Skoodge considers Zim a dear friend, one of the few people who didn't treat him like a fat, useless lump. As such, he's willing to do almost anything for him, or anybody who treats him with respect and decency. He treats the revelation about the world he lives in with stoic acceptance, and doesn't raise a stink about it. Skoodge is too cool for school, baby. NOTHIN' rattles him. Plus I like this outfit the most. It's so stylish! GRETCHEN Occupation: Student Power: Love Further Notes: Gretchen has always had a huuuuge crush on Dib, admiring him and his work from afar. She eventually figured out the truth about Zim, which helped make Dib open up to her, but nobody really listened to HER either. Mostly because her braces weren't fixed yet...kids can be so cruel. But when wielding the light of Love, she's able to bring out her strongest potential, and become the brave defender that she always was inside, the sort of take-charge, admirable alien-busting girl that Dib would find his ideal. Plus, more importantly, the outfit she's wearing does NOT make her look half-naked. You're welcome. TAK Occupation: Former Invader/Current Patron of Emotion Power: Willpower Further Notes: Tessirak, or Tak, was at one point, a promising Irken training to be an Invader. She rose quickly through the ranks, impressing all of her superior officers (Red especially, he "loves that girl!")...and tragically getting trapped on her training planet when Zim caused a huge power outage in his desire to get a snack. Typical Zim. Tak got a LITTLE bit insane from that and from being forced to be a janitor for several years. She went to Earth to get her revenge and actually befriended Dib somewhat, but ultimately she lost against Zim and his "friends", and was sent out into space. Her old comrade who still had a great gentlemanly (and slightly romantic) concern for her, Darth, had a fellow comrade go pick her up upon hearing of her plight, and she was almost dead...if not for the fact that her Will was keeping her alive, beyond even her PAK, beyond anything else. This strong Will was what transformed her into the Patron of Willpower, and she bonded to Jayd when he arrived to aid her. Tak is very resolute and intelligent, and always follows through on her plans. She's clever as can be, and over time, developed a dear fondness for Dib and her host, Jayd, who views himself as a Knight, with her as his queen to protect. I like the way her design came out quite a lot, truth be told. She's so streamlined and stylish! I was tempted to give her a cape, truth be told. But like the movie "The Incredibles" said...no capes! JAYD Occupation: Medic Power: Willpower Patron: Tak Further Notes: Jayd was and always has been a lucky, lucky guy. He, like the others in Senior's care, found something fascinating about Earth Culture. Unlike the others though, this fascination came from comics. Ideals like justice and morality hit home with him, and he became fascinated by the tales in comics like "Superman", "X-Men" and, his personal favorite...Green Lantern. It could be the result of his programming: after all, he WAS encoded as a medic, helping the sick and injured and helpless is in his "blood". So was it the entity of Willpower, heroism and courage embodied, that he picked..or did it pick HIM? Either explanation makes sense, and that's what I'm leaving it at. Jayd is the heroic Irken that strives to be courageous and noble, the honorable warrior, a flame of chivalry that can't be blown out. The power of Will requires a living being to manifest, and it's representative is always changing based around who has the mightiest will in its presence. It was Tak that gained it, having the ability to overcome great fear, and she, in turn, bonded to Jayd after he was sent to rescue her courtesy of her dear old comrade, Darithil. With her indomitable will and his deep moral code, the two are a good fit. And I really like the wreathe he wears atop his head. It's a nice touch. MAHT Occupation: Service Drone Power: Compassion Patron: Fiyvr Further Notes: Maht's always been used all his life. Be he a tool of a general, being forced to sweep floors at a diner or being stuck bussing drinks, he's never had his own will. But he doesn't totally care. What he DOES care about is being able to be of some help or use to others. He accepts his lot in life because, for the most part, he feels he can do the most good in whatever position he happens to be in. Gaining the sympathetic light of Compassion and becoming wielder of the Indigo Light enabled him to be of even greater assistance to others. Maht, like the others, found a deep liking of Earthling ways. He finds the different races and cultures fascinating, and has a deep personal enjoyment of food from the small blue planet, especially if it's deep fried or contains cheese. Fiyvr, his patron, is from the world of Wahshyd Dawhn, and was a renowned prophet and seer. He's always happy to lend a hand in solving somebody's problems, and to be a shoulder to cry on...even if he's physically short on both accounts. Curse his lack of opposable thumbs! Still, Maht might be pretty much a rug for others to walk all over on, but he's a very HELPFUL rug, and a reliable type...and he'll still try and give the best hug he can when somebody's feelin' down. DITE Occupation: Elite Invader Power: Passion/Rage Patron: Chulainn Further Notes: Dite likes to be seen as strong. She handles fights like a man, handles anger like a man, and fights dirty like a man. All of her inner anger though, stems from personal loss. She loved someone once, many, many years ago, and gave her all for him. But the Empire let him rot. For that...she would never forgive them. And she adopted a gung-ho attitude similar to her beloved's personality. It is grief that fuels the greatest rage, and so Chulainn, who endured great pain in HIS life, naturally bonded to her and others who felt great suffering. He originated on Earth like Psyche and Jourmungdr, and his appearance changed to better fit his new nature. Dite has a deep love of the kind of "gritty and dark" action stories that Earth has. I'm talkin' "Bloodgun" or "Punisher" type stories. She really, REALLY likes making sure people get what they deserve. And get. And get some more. So yeah...she's a bloodthirsty vigilante with a tragic past. Never seen THOSE before! :roll" MIYUKI Occupation: Former Tallest, Current Resisty Leader and Television Personality Power: Hope Patron: Psyche Further Notes: Psyche comes from Earth like Chulainn and Joumungdr, and when Chulainn stood for passion, the two were very close. If one has hope and faith in the future, one should live passionately, living life to its fullest, unafraid. Furthermore, she likes poetry. His poetry. Yeah, weird relationship. Miyuki has had several weird relationships in HER life too. Darithil considers her a mother figure, to Senior, she was the "big sister" type boss, as dear as family, and to Spork she was an annoying wife that he felt he always had to drag around, like she was a nagging ball and chain and he was a prisoner on a chain gang. Of course, his biggest concern was usually whether the camera was getting his good side, whilst she cared more about, y'know, food shortages, the fate of physical defectives and whether or not the Meekrob would nuke her people. She lost almost all hope when Zim's creation, the Infinite Energy Absorbing Blob ate her, and was forced to maintain her consciousness and what little was left of her body by consuming living beings along with Spork. However, she held onto the idea that one day she could return, and bring her people out of darkness. She represents living hope...the hope that one day, the Irken people could be good and noble, if only they had the right person to show them the way...and she sure knows how to dress, woo! Her outfit is my favorite out of all the girls. It's so regal and dignified! FEYR Occupation: Consular (Interrogator) Power: Love Patron: Jourmungdr Further Notes: Most would be surprised that the power of Love is exemplified by a patron that's a giant snake which used to be a Norse monster, and represented by cannibalistic Irkens dressed in vaguely transsexual armor. Well the thing is, their love almost borders on obsession. Love is deep and complicated, and though usually innocent in intent, it has a bad tendency of not realizing that it's lost sight of the rest of the world...and lost its grip on logic. Consulars are all psychics, and their power has been manipulating Irk for generations. They seek to save Irk from "itself", feeling that the idea that "invaders need no one" is inane. If they didn't need anybody or anything, the Tallest wouldn't give them SIRs. Wouldn't give them PAKs. They love their planet and love other alien races, and not merely for dinner, either. They just have a tendency to get...carried away. Feyr is no exception. He wines and dines all he interrogates, and views shrinking and swallowing them as a high honor, keeping them safe forever, embedded in the crystals he generates with his power, safe until the day Irk is ready to accept love, and by extension, the right of other races to live freely. He's charming and sweet, but also very manipulative and cold-hearted when he wants to be. But what else could you expect from a slightly sociopathic cannibal? XEIL Occupation: Communications Officer Power: Intelligence/Fear Patron: Nollij (aka Panyck), co-bonded with Spork Further Notes: Xeil's problem isn't that she's an egotistical, proud, narcissistic bitch. The problem is that it's a front. The problem is that she could be better, and WAS better. She had a personality her own, which befits her station. Most communication officers are good at listening, can "hear beyond". She was no exception... But Xeil lost herself in her job too easily, and forgot how to feel. She was hearing what others said...but she stopped listening. She lost the zest she had for her job. Panyck is much the same. At one point, he was Knowledge made manifest, the pride and joy of his home planet, but he lost himself in HIS job, and became a fascist, a dictator who worshipped fear. He views it as the best way to establish real order, and that not knowing fear is utter insanity. Admittedly, he might have a point. SOME fear is necessary, some caution is always needed in life...but inflicting fear on others needlessly is something he began to enjoy, when once before he sought to instruct others on what was to be feared rather than being the thing feared. However a piece of his true self remains, brought out by Spork, who has had a long time to think about his own rule, and Xeil, who will, with time, remember HER true self...and why she chose to be a communications officer in the first place. PEECH Occupation: Guard Power: Diligence/Avarice Patron: Pyrsist Further Notes: Pyrsist didn't take a new name, but she focused more on getting stuff than getting stuff DONE. Peech's love of Earth culture is centered around things that can best be summed up in a single word...shiny. Shiny shiny shiny! A brand new shiny thing, that's her favorite object in all the world! She keeps most hidden in her backpack/jetpack, but usually you can hear it all jingling. She likes stealing things out of people's pockets and purses and the like, being something of a kleptomaniac. Peech believes in looking regal and elegant and beautiful, and that more jewels equal more happiness. In short, she's a petty, selfish little brat...she and Pyrsist deserve each other. At one point, Pyrsist was a hard-working citizen of Avianos, but that went out the window when she became Mistress of the Orange Light. Peech is also a huge fan of Earth fashion and likes imitating what's "in" on the planet. Were she a guy, she'd have no problem wearing things like dark biker jackets or cowboy hats. She believes full-heartedly in the right to choice, she sees nothing wrong with letting Irkens be free to dress how they want, and is witty enough to debate her point of view well. To Peech, Wiyn was more than a friend growing up. But when Peech tried to give her the love she felt...Wiyn couldn't give it back. Wouldn't give it back. So she sought to fill the void with junk. She went from being a deep, poem-writing romantic to a shallow valley girl. She didn't have to be that way... NICK. E. ODEON Occupation: Student Power: Death Patron: Himself Further Notes: He's a tragedy. He was eager-to-please. He wanted to satisfy the people who showed him attention and support. He wanted to make others happy and bonded instantly to somebody who he felt was "in need of a friend". But then Zim did the unspeakable, and he went from being childlike in heart to being childlike in mind and interests as well. He has problem getting dressed...tying his shoes. That's not his real hair. It's actually a wig. His old hair kinda...rotted off after... ...erm...well, at one point, he was Dib's comrade and friend. His solider. But Dib couldn't help him...and Dib didn't avenge him. He put Zim in a body cast for six months...but "Nick" never was the same. Ultimately, it's sort of unsurpriisng that he ended up being the Black Entity. He doesn't just blame Invader Zim for his pain. He blames the universe he's in for creating Invader Zim the way he is. He blames the people that made Zim ZIM. And he's gonna make them pay for making so flawed a universe. He views Zim and the universe of Invader Zim irredeemably flawed and better off dead because of all the immorality, cruelty and terrible tragedies that it and its alternate universes spawn. The problem is that he fails to see the good that can be found within, because he refuses to see any other part of IZ. In choosing to focus on one part, albeit a large one, of the realm, he ignores all the rest of it and doesn't get a clear enough view. He doesn't fully"get" Zim, even though he says he does. And yes. He is every bit as representative of you-know-what as you think he is. But it's not his fault. He just doesn't know any better. He's just trying to do what he thinks is best. WIYN Occupation: Elite Grunt Power: None, unless you count being a bitch. Patron: None, unless maybe Satan is her secret benefactor... Further Notes: Wiyn is every horrible, cruel, sadistic, by-the-book bitchy jackass that we've met. She will always stick to the rules but only if she thinks they fit her standards. She forces everyone to fit her standards and will blast anybody that doesn't, and instead of reasonable discussion, she prefers cruel words and violence. Wiyn was, at one point, a dearly beloved comrade of Xeil, and then some. But Wiyn refused to open her heart. Instead, it shriveled up. Don't set her up with a boyfriend. She's married to her work! She's proud, narcissistic, vain, ignorant of others feelings and apathetic to the suffering of innocents. In a word, she's evil. She's a constant whiner about what is or isn't "right" for an Irken to do because she looked into the Untempered Schism, seeing all the truths of her universe. As such, she considers herself a "true Irken" and anybody remotely different from her mold, even if they just have an unusual eye color or like wearing, say, a striped outfit, MUST DIE! She's a good representative of the part of the fandom that I hate...the ones that obsess over what's truly "canon" and what's not, and who have no tolerance or compassion for anybody or anything that stretches outside their boundaries. They've got little tolerance for the fandom and refuse to recognize what it brings to Invader Zim. I have no respect for Wiyn or what she represents. I yearn for the day when she will be turned into an AVOCADO. For those of you who get this inside joke...you know who you are. You rock. SENIOR, aka Nick Grey

Occupation: Senior Communications Officer Power: Life Patron: Sude Further Notes: Nick's Irken Form, now given a true name, "Senior". He's the oldest and most experienced communications officer on the Massive, and considers himself the "Safety Net" to those on the ship. He's there for its crew, to lend a helping hand, a pair of arms to lift them up, a shoulder to cry on. He's always been kind-hearted and harmonious, with a deep love of Earth music. It's no surprise the Entity of Life, Sude of the Planet Allforce, bonded to him. Sude's story is much like Senior's. He was happy with his life. He was upstandingly moral, kindhearted and believed in doing good...and he loved, LOVED music, always having a song in his heart. But in refusing to listen to the Force of Fate, he learned that whilst such forces might not dictate what it is we are destined to do, it's not a good idea to not just disregard the words of a force of nature. Sude's devoted to protecting and supporting life, and will spend the rest of his existence forever making up for his failure. Just like Senior, Sude will always be fighting. But Senior is less of an "immortal". He's been saving the many universes in the I-Z realm for years now, and he feels he was never truly given a choice, given an unfair deal. Ultimately though, his desire to do the right thing made him chose to keep up the fight, realizing that one should never put selfish desires above doing good, no matter how seemingly innocent those desires might be. Senior's come a long way, but at last, his true form is revealed. He is a superhero, meant to embody an ideal, an ideal of humanity brought to Irk, a blessed gift that other Irkens can learn from. I guess he was always going to become a superhero one way or another...he was just such a perfect fit. Plus, I really, REALLY like the new outfit he's got now. It looks damn good on him. Now he'll be fighting injustice and cruelty through the IZ-Realm and in style! White goes well with EVERYTHING.

[saintheartwing]

Breaking Dawn, Part Six: Avaricia Est Bonum

Breaking Dawn, Part Six

AVARICIA EST BONUM

The Yellow had waited for the others to walk off, momentarily sneering over at the Green as it glared at her. It was, in a sense, somewhat sad. Intelligence and Will had birthed the Irken race. What had been love had turned to hate, and the Green, which stood for Will, hated what the Yellow had become.

It gave her a "I'm watching you" look before sprinting off, following after Senior, and the host for Fear, transformed element of Intelligence, sneered as it snuck into a private room, bringing forth an energy construct to contact the Blue, the Wing of the Resisty...

"Hope...Psyche...looking well." The "Talon" to Hope's "Wing" said calmly, steepling it's claws as Psyche's host glowered underneath her hood on the vid screen before the Yellow, before Pahnyk, the entity of Fear. Psyche fluttered over her host as the tall female Irken dropped the hood down.

"Am I speaking to "him" or to you?"

"...now...it is me." An all-too-familiar voice inquired, as the Yellow licked it's hosts lips. "I was feeling a bit peckish. Want to come out to dinner with me? I'll invite some nice people to a party and eat them."

"..."

"Why join with the Resisty? Trying to atone for national guilt through individual action? After all that YOU'VE done? You've got blood on your hands, my blue-eyed darling."

"...I..." The female Irken sounded truly sad as she glanced slightly away from the Yellow's accusing eyes. "...I did what I thought was RIGHT..." She spoke quietly. "Can you truly say the same?"

"Survival is the only thing that matters. All else is secondary. And I didn't get this far, surviving being eaten alive, to see you and your ragtag group of idiots win."

"I KNOW you're the one who told Avarice's deputy where the Massive was, I know how he towed it away, but that was stupid. He can't get inside. How's he going to sell something he can't get inside of?"

"He just needs a sample of DNA from the current Tallests, as per the ships's computer matrices. So I called him up and made a suggestion." Xeil, the host of the Yellow, calmly laughed. "They just need a piece of Red and Purple's body. They won't need their, say,HEAD!"

Zim was astonished to see the form lying in the bed before him at the palace that floated above the city. She looked so damn FAMILIAR. He was CERTAIN he'd seen her somewhere before. Greenish fur/skin...long black hair...golden-amber eyes...a red t-shirt and...some kind of choker around her neck?

But...she seemed pale. Very pale. And sweating heavily.

"Her very appearance and voice are changing the longer her world, our tether, stays dead." Zerinim Two murmured. "And our memories of her and our home are fading,I'm...I'm even beginning to forget her name. I can't even remember my maneem's name..."

"I...I feel like I know her." Zim murmured, scratching his head. "Tell me!" He demanded, grabbing Miyu's chest and shaking her. "Who is she?"

"Look." Miyu spoke calmly, pointing up. "Command: Look into...the Schism."

Zim's body stiffened as he turned his head, looking up, hearing a sound like the rapid beating of a drum, his ruby/maroon eyes widening as he gazed up into a split open THING, something that looked like God himself had taken a knife and sliced open a piece in time and space. It pulsed with energy, a strange light spilling out, falling onto Zim as-

"MIKEEEEEY!"

"You didn't mean to do a lot of things."

"What if he CAN'T change?"

"I think of you...and let it go..."

"Look at King Midas! Everything he touches turns to CRAP!"

"Everyone was going to love us..."

"Yes. Yes, they are. You are wise!"

"I AM ZIIIIM!"

"I will always love-"

Zim's eyes shot wide open and he panted heavily, falling to his knees as he began to dry heave the contents of his stomach up, the others nervously standing by as Zim slowly turned his head, getting up and walking over to the being in the bed, taking her paw as she turned to gaze at him.

"...it's me." He said. "It's ME. I remember."

Her face broke into a smile as he leaned in close, and hugged her tight, tears springing to his eyes as Two and Miyu watched on, a small smile spreading across their faces. Their father remembered. Remembered every adventure he'd ever had, would have, COULD have. And what had floated to the forefront...was his desire to be with her, to be with the ones that were his family, his friends, his comrades.

Yeah, it was all about him, in a sense, Miyu reasoned as Zim began to catch up with...Cass?...yes, she thought it was Cass...

But it was a childlike, forgivable kind, and they loved him for it.

...

...

...

... "Oh, Sude, your host is new to this. Do you really think he can HOPE to match me? I'm not even your worst threat." Jourmungdr said calmly, folding his arms as Feyr and Senior circled each other. "Chulainn's men are far more violent and less kind than I, and all of them have the same attitude, same powers...same HORRIBLE taste in dress. I mean, shoulder-wings? REALLY?"

"My host can do this!" Sude insisted, patting Senior on the shoulder as May watched on, blinking slowly. She was SURE she'd seen him before. Something about him was just so...familiar. So very familiar. "You can do this. Just believe in yourself. Hunker down, and pull on through and-"

"Please, leave the cliché'd speech to ME, I get enough of it outta my own mouth." Senior groaned, rolling his eyes. "And what's this "oath" you're talking-"

He blinked. Wait. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it was bursting through...ringing in his ears.

"You know it. When we first connected, we began to share our thoughts and feelings and desires. Now I'm sharing the most important words you'll ever speak." Sude said proudly. "...make me proud, "son"." He whispered, gently hugging Senior before hovering back, Jourmungdr doing the same to allow their respective fighters breathing room.

"Here goes." Senior murmured, a white blaze flying off his body as his ring proudly shone upon his gloved hand. He held it high, fists clenched as his outfit began to shift, morphing into something new...he soon became cloaked in blinding white, blazing like a star...

"In Brightest Day, through Blackest Night, No other blaze will burn as bright! Let those who try to halt what's right...burn like my power...WHITE LANTERN'S LIGHT!"

Now what stood before them was an Irken in a white, fairly tight-fitting armor with silverfish-tipped ends to his pant legs and tipless gloves. He wore a silver belt with small ring-like clasps coming off his shoulders and sides like attached halos, and a similar batch of artificial halos topped his head. He looked very much like he deserved to have wings, and a peaceful expression fell across his face, that familiar, welcome feeling of unbridled joy and bliss rising in him.

It was like meeting Sude all over again.

"My Lord, my God...this is...incredible..." He murmured, looking down at his hands as a glowing white light slowly rose from his body, like steam rising from one fresh out of a hot bath. "I feel like I can do ANYTHING!"

"My boy...you can." Sude said gently, nodding firmly as Senior shot forward at Feyr.

...

...

...

...Gazlene Membrane and GIR gaped at the sight before them, a should-be-dead Peggy Membrane walking towards them. Gaz glanced back at her mother's grave, then at her mother as she stammered slightly. "What-what the...what's...how in...Mom?"

"Not exactly. Not the one you know. Not just yet." Peg said kindly, shaking her head back and forth. "I'm from an alternate Earth, honey. A place where your brother grew up to be so damn strong. And no matter how rough things were..."

Peg held up a glowing red crystal as an image appeared above it, shimmering into existence to reveal a pleasant city. "The sun always managed to shine. Matthew was always a smart scientist, but he went beyond that. He learned to truly care about you and Dib. He moved past my death, opened his heart and mind, allowing Dib to pursue his own interests, and in the end, Dib even found love of his own in Hawaii. It was there that he found a way to bring me back...back to him."

Gaz found the tears coming on again. Her parents? Alive and together again? A happy family? No more weirdness, no more grief? She had so, SO wanted that after her mother had died...so...SO wanted that...

"How did you get here?"

"The Schism has opened to this world, the Base world of Universe IZ." Peggy told her daughter as images of multiple Earths branching out from a single Earth shifted into view above the red crystal she held. "It's allowed beings from parallel Earths to come here, to the place where the Seeds of Potential lie. This world can give birth to so many amazing worlds...it can bring back the happy world I came from..."

Peggy embraced her daughter, and Gaz breathed in the scent of her mother's hair anew as she found herself eagerly returning the hug. "The world that died can come back with your help. I can come back. The Earth of BS was a better, brighter world, Gazzy. Everyone'll be replaced, but they'll better. I'd never lie to you."

Gaz held her mother tightly, listening to her beating heart as she took in deep breaths, a question bubbling to her lips, quiet and soft.

"Am...am I a better person on your Earth than I am here? Now?" Gaz asked, stepping back as GIR scratched his head.

Peggy's face became pained as she looked away. "...no." She murmured. "...you're not."

"I didn't think so." Gaz said quietly. "...it would have been nice...it really would have."

And with that, she leveled her ring at her mother. "I can't let you replace this world! I won't let you change things, won't let you change ME!"

"You'd NEVER be able to kill me. Come on, baby, put the ring down." Peggy said angrily, frowning at her.

"NO." Gaz snapped.

"You will LISTEN to your mother-"

"My mother never made any demands of me!" Gaz yelled out, as crimson energy swirled around her, forming into a focal point. She gripped it firmly, a chainsaw humming to life in her gloved hand as she launched forward at the thing that was not her Mother. The thing snarled and leapt forth at her, red energy dripping off IT'S body as Gaz let out a bellowing cry, GIR eagerly grinning.

"Ooh! I wish I'd brought some popcorn!" He then smacked his head. "DUH!"

PING! In an instant he was sitting in a movie chair with a soda and a bunch of popcorn, all formed of yellow energy. He took a sip, then sighed, putting the soda down. "Lemonade. I HATE lemonade!" He pouted, smacking his powerful, tiny fists against his seat handles.

All were unaware that Dib was celebrating, pacing his room and eagerly awaiting the Massive. HIS bid had been the one that had won. It had been tough, he admitted, paying for sale of an Onslaught-Class battle cruiser, but it had helped that he'd figured out how to hack into Zim's account. Hey, Zim had more zeroes!

And it would soon be delivered to his backyard. The auction organizer had specified that he would disguise the vehicle to make it invisible to the naked eye, so-

DIIIING DOOONG!

"The front dooooor." Dib whispered, rushing out of his room and bounding down the stairs, pushing open the front door as a red-haired, nicely-skinned young woman stood there in a delivery woman's outfit, holding up a clipboard.

"Hi, I'm Mrs. Knightly. My husband Mr. White and I are the ones that totally jacked-up the Massive. We've parked it above your house, it's the cloud shaped like the Loch Ness Monster, we thought you'd like that judging by your Ebay profile info."

"Oooh." Dib eagerly signed off on the clipboard as Mrs. Knightly brushed back some of her red hair, smiling at him. There was something...odd about her. Something familiar. It was sort of like he was looking at his sister Gaz all over again, but he couldn't quite figure out WHY.

"Listen, at the moment, you can't get inside. There's a security protocol that prohibits any foreign entry and flight by unauthorized personnel unless a DNA sample of the current Tallests is present. So my husband's gone to go get said sample so you can fly the thing as you please." Mrs. Knightly said. "...by the way, your sister, Gaz..."

Dib glanced up at her. "You know her?"

"We saw HER profile. She's bid on some of our games. Listen, I just saw her at the graveyard with a psychopathic robot that's glowing yellow for some reason and a woman with long purple hair that said she was her mother just appeared and hugged her in a Hallmark moment. That normal for you Earthlings, cuz we Aroseans don't really have much to brag about on our planet."

"...yeah...it's normal." Dib said, eyes widening, face becoming pale. "...our...dead mothers c-come b-back all...ALL the time! Yeah! Totally...oh HEEEELLLLL!" He yelled, racing off down the road. "NOW I HAVE TO SAVE HER!"

...

...

...

...elsewhere, Red was pacing up and down in their private room as Purple sat on the bed, nervously scrunching up the blanket he was sitting on. Everything about the place was pretentious, flashy and gaudy-looking...in short, just the way the Tallest liked it. Even the clock nearby was a gaudy piece: overly thick clock hands with Red and Purple's mugs ticking down the seconds.

And don't even get me started on the wallpaper. All of it was clashing red and purple. Clearly, these two had a deep love within themselves the same way the Consulars had. Only instead of caring for other species a bit too deeply...they were waaaay too into themselves.

I know you're all expecting me to make a gay joke, but as Jayd already demonstrated, I'd get fried by lightning. So no, I'm not going to...

"I have something to tell you." Purple admitted as Red glanced over at him. "Something I've been keeping a secret for a long time."

"What?"

"...I'm pregnant."

...okay, you know what? Why not! THE AMBIGUOUSLY GAY-

"Did you just hear a thunderclap?" Red murmured, looking out the window as Purple scratched his head. "Don't make JOKES like that, it's not funny!"

"Aw, I thought the look on your face was pretty funny." Purple laughed as he stood up. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the Massive. Look, I KNOW you're upset about losing it, but I've been thinking up some ways we can punish Senior." He held up a small grocery-esque list and Red snatched it from his co-tallest's hand.

"...electric chair...but in midair? Staplers...red hot pokers...wait. Is this...an IRON MAIDEN?"

"Yep." Purple said cheerily, flashing his zipper-toothed teeth.

"You've been watching "The History Channel", haven't you?" Red laughed, clapping Purple on the back. "I guess our species DOES have something to learn from Earth after all!"

"I'm a single lady! I'm a single lady! I'm a single lady! I'm a single lady!"

Purple nervously blushed as he activated his wrist-gauntlet's built-in communicator. "Y'ello, it's Tallest Purple! Talk to me!"

"I've got a message for you."

"...who is this?"

"Wanna guess what it is?"

"What's the message?"

"Look out the window, Big P."

Purple paled as he creakingly turned his head to gaze out the window, Red following his gaze as they saw a white-haired humanoid being in black and orange standing there, grinning darkly as he sat atop a swirling mass of orange energy formed from his ring. A dark orange glow was rising off him like a blazing inferno as Purple's hand quivered, the communicator slowly being lowered.

"Like I said...wanna guess what it is?"

"I think I have a few ideas." Purple squeaked out as he and Red barreled for the door, the wall being blown away as two bands of energy snatched them up and they were whisked through the air to the outdoors, their cries echoing through the palace.

"Oh, poor, poor Jimmy Olsen." Jayd murmured, the medic shaking his head back and forth as his nanogenes hovered around him, forming a vague shape that looked almost Irken, and almost feminine. "Everybody hates you but ME." He said, finishing up his copy of "All-Star Superman" that he'd snuck into his PAK.

Upon hearing his Tallest's cries, Jayd's head shot up, his black eyes widening as the nanogenes "glanced" down at him.

"We need to be there. NOW." He said, leaping through the air and kicking down the door as he raced into the Tallest's room, seeing the blown-open wall and the Tallest being strung up by a makeshift tree, a white-haired being with glittering pink eyes about to hang them.

"I'm gonna take your hands." The white-haired being explained. "That way my customer gets the DNA sample from you he wants AND he can make all sorts of little puns. Maybe he'll keep your hands in a little bubbly jar or something. That's always tasteful."

"Can't you just, uh, cut off one of our fingers and let us off with a warning? We promise not to go after our ship! Really! Pinky-swear! And it's one of the few fingers we have left!" Purple blubbered out.

"And cut off a body part with you still alive? That would hurt like HELL!" The orange-clothed being laughed.

"HEY!"

He and the Tallest's head snapped in the direction of a being now cloaked in green light, as a form, proud and tall, stood ready to fight. "Put them down."

"Or else what?" The orange-clothed being asked as the green form raised an accusatory claw high.

"Or else you answer to the GREEN FUCKING LANTERN!" Jayd roared out. "...woah. I went all 'Frank Miller' there." He blinked a few times before shrugging. "Oh well. It's "Miller" Time, I suppose...AND CLOBBERIN' TIME!"

And with that, he leapt through the air, an enormous green hammer SMACKING the orange-clothed being away from the Tallests as Jayd grinned proudly, he, the Host of the Green ready to do his Tallests proud.

Meanwhile, Gaz was taking a chainsaw to her now-utterly-batshit "mother", who's long purple hair had taken on a life of her own as GIR laughed maniacally, watching Gaz bitch-slap Peggy Membrane around the graveyard as Peg's hair flung spiked locks in her daughter's direction. It was like a "Jerry Springer" episode from Hell itself.

"This is turning out even better than I'd hoped!" GIR remarked as Gaz managed to cut into her "mom's" stomach. "Ha-ha! No guts, no glory!"

"Who knew you had the STOMACH for this kind of thing!" Peggy said wryly, her mouth splitting open as blackened tentacles lashed out and struck Gaz, knocking her clear through several tombstones as the school janitor grumbled, pushing Gaz off of him and out of the open grave he was in.

"I can't get ANY peace 'round here. F—kin' kids...even on my day off they make things difficult." Nny muttered balefully as he patted the skeletal form beneath him on the head, a worm slithering in and out of it's nose as a black ring glittered on his hand...a black Exemplar Ring the way Gaz had one of her own...

"Be back later, baby...aw, but you ain't goin' anywhere, are you?" He chuckled, climbing out of the grave as Gaz and Peggy whipped their heads in the direction of Nny as he held up a fist, black energy swirling around it as it shot forward at Gaz, knocking her into her mother as GIR gaped in surprise. "THAT'S for all the times you and your brother and your stupid friend knocked over stuff in my hallways!"

"The JANITOR'S got a ring too? What is this, did somebody puke a rainbow over the Earth?" Gaz mumbled as GIR clenched his fists tightly, standing up straight.

"Nobody hurts my Gazzy but ME!" He and Peggy yelled out, the two rushing forward, simultaneously punching Nny squarely in the chin as he was knocked through the air, crashing into anther gravestone as he grunted, leaping forward, a scythe forming in his hands as all three of them began to brawl, Gaz leaping forth as he knocked GIR and Peg away, chainsaw held high.

"I know why you play all those damn games in my hallways. You're such a PIG yourself. I've seen you eating the same food all the time." Nny told her coldly. "Surprised you didn't get an orange ring, you little glutton."

"HEY! I never waste money on stupid things! Only on the BEST games, the BEST food!" Gaz yelled back at him, cutting across his chest, astounded at the sight of his wound healing before her eyes, flesh sewing itself back together via the black ring on his hand. He sneered and kicked her squarely in the nose, knocking her backwards as he jumped forward.

"EXACTLY, "Gazzy"! You inconvenience everyone else to make sure you get what you want! Your lunch HAS to be pizza, your snack HAS to be a pudding cup, you HAVE to have soda, and if you don't GET that, or if somebody takes them from you, well, Heaven help them!" Nny said coldly, shoving her to the ground and holding a burning-black hand up. "Always spending money on trivial plastic crap and your favorite junk food...not caring how much you spend or where it comes from or who needs it more..."

He dug his hand into her chest, gripping her heart as she screamed. "If that's not avarice, I don't know what...wait...WAIT!"

He frowned, reaching out in her chest. "...what the...where's your heart?"

Gaz promptly kicked him squarely in the crotch, his eyes bugging out as he howled, reeling back and clutching his privates as she kissed her ring. "This thing IS my heart." She told him, punching him squarely in the chin as he went flying into a nearby tree. "And I think I'll rip yours out! Turnabout IS fair play..."

Elsewhere, "Mr. White" was shooting across the ground, running at an incredibly fast speed as Jayd fired off plasma blasts from his ring, White cackling madly. "Can't catch me!" He called out, spinning around and around Red and Purple's tree as they let out loud, long groans, the world going topsy turvy as Red hiccupped slightly, Purple turning a darker shade of green.

"I think he's about to do a tango with the toilet." White snickered as he leapt backwards, clear over Jayd, firing off an orange blast of energy from HIS ring as Jayd was knocked through the air. The medic re-righted himself and shot forth a claw that gripped the white-haired being to the ground. "Multicolor yawn...Chuck, Ralph..."

"There's nothing funny about-"

"Oh, no, no DON'T-"

Purple couldn't hold it in and he promptly...well...insert your favorite term for puking here.

"BLUEEAAAAUUUGGHAAAAKKKK!"

"Pur, this was a brand new suit of armor!" Red complained, shaking his head back and forth.

"What did you EAT, my Tallests?" Jayd moaned, waving a gloved hand before his face, momentarily distracted in his disgust as White sneered, an orange energy construct of a giant hand shimmering to life behind the medic, whacking him away...

With a giant orange safe knocking him to the ground.

"Low-quality finish." Red told White as Jayd moaned, struggling to get out from underneath the safe, the white-haired humanoid approaching Red and Purple.

"You two are brimming with Avarice. Figures. Much like me, you want it all." White said as he snapped his fingers. In an instant a giant pair of shears appearing in his tipless-gloved hands as he grabbed Red and Purple's right and left arms respectively. "With the money I'm getting from selling your ship, my wife and I can go retire to Pokitaru."

"It IS nice this time of year, isn't it? And it's 342 days free of mutated sea critter attacks!" Purple agreed.

"See? Now PURPLE understands the importance of goofing off. Why can't you be more like your "brother"? I'm so disappointed in you, son." White mocked Red who stuck his tongue out defiantly at the humanoid, who raised the shears up. "Ah, well. Snip-snip!"

"Not...yet..." Jayd growled out, gloved hand clenching deep into the ground. "Not...YET!"

"Oh, don't bother." White remarked, looking back over at him and rolling his eyes as Jayd tried to lift the energy construct of the safe. "You can't lift that thing. Not in a bamillion years. No matter how many times you say "I think I can, I think I-""

"I...think...I...CAAAAAN!" Jayd roared out, his muscles bulging as the nanogenes around him shot forth, and with an enormous EXPLOSION the safe was shattered into pieces. The Green Lantern stood triumphant as Red and Purple saw the Nanogenes take a definite form, a familiar form...

"...you." Red whispered. "...it's YOU?"

"It...can't...be..." Purple murmured.

"TAK?"

...

...

...

...GIR rubbed his head, turning to look at the unconscious form of Peggy...or at least, he HOPED she was unconscious. Gaz's chainsaw was pushing Nny's scythe back as the two glowered into each other, blazing red against heartless black, with...

Dib flying through the air, aiming squarely at Nny's back?

THUDDA-BLAM! Two powerful fists struck squarely into Nny's back as he let out a howl, Gaz sticking the chainsaw squarely into his chest and revving it up to full throttle. Nny shook like a milkshake before EXPLODING into chunks, Dib groaning in disgust as GIR blinked at the thing in his arms.

"Heh. GIR'S such a player." Gaz said with a slight chuckle as GIR waved his prize in the air, Dib sticking his tongue out in disgust. "See? He got a little head!"

"Here lies the usurper's cuuuuursed head!" GIR cackled. "Ah, Macbeth...your arse is out the windee!"

With that, GIR drop-kicked the head across the cemetery as Gaz turned to see her mother's still form, Dib gasping in horror as he and Gaz raced to Peggy Membrane's side. Peg looked up at Dib, blinking slowly, none of them aware that a Beautiful Angel was approaching from behind.

"I'm...I'm not supposed to stay any longer. This...this is all the time I had." Peggy admitted quietly as Dib clutched her hand tightly.

"I...I just finally saw you again." Dib whispered. "C'mon, please...just a little longer, PLEASE..."

"Dib...it'll be alright." Peggy said, taking his cheek and smiling softly, turning to look at Gaz. "I'm just...sorry that...sorry that I got so angry with you, I...I think I passed on something I never meant to. I'm sorry you got that from me. But you can be better. I know you can."

"...I'll try." Gaz whispered.

"Try to forgive your brother, Gazzy." Peggy rasped out, her breath fading from her, her body becoming paler than usual as her eyelids drooped. "Forgive your father. Forgive your stupid, STUPID mother..." She coughed slightly, hacking before taking in several deep breaths. "Not everyone on my world was as strong as the ones here. Dib...you look like you've grown very, VERY strong...and Gaz...you became even better than I would have hoped. You cared about what happened to this world, even if only for a slightly selfish reason."

"But if changing the world means bringing you back-" Gaz began to say, speaking quickly, begging...

"I don't WANT to come back...if it means you won't be the strong girl you are now." Peg insisted. "I DON'T. But listen. Please. Don't be too hard on Two and the others. They're doing it for their family, the way I wanted to do this for mine. It's wrong for them to change things, but..."

She began coughing madly and Dib nodded, Gaz sighing as she nodded in agreement as well. Yeah...they could understand. Two had said he would have done anything for his mother. They didn't agree with what those monsters were doing, didn't agree one bit, but...but they COULD understand...maybe even sympathize a little. Dib almost felt sorry for Two. Was he looking down at his mother right now? Watching...

Watching her...die...

And die she did, a smile on her face as a winged being gently knelt by her, Gaz and Dib barely noticing him as he took her in her arms. "...I'm sorry." He said. "I brought her back to speak with you. I didn't want...want your goodbye to be like this."

"...YOU brought her back?" Gaz asked, looking over at the Angel as it nodded, golden-amber eyes filled with sorrow. "...why?"

"You wanted to talk to her. And you too." He told Dib, nodding in the black-haired human's direction. "You wanted to be forgiven by each other. This was the only way that could happen. There were other ways I could have convinced you to fight for this world's sake, to help you become less selfish, but...but this way meant something. You would have fought for the wrong reasons, your heart wouldn't have been in it if I just told you what was happening the way your mother did. Now your heart WILL be in it...and you got to be with your mother again...see her...hold her. She didn't die alone, she died happy."

"I didn't want you to EXHUME her and drag her in front of my face!" Gaz yelled, standing up, eyes ablazing.

"It wasn't all about you. It was also about her." The Beautiful Angel said as Gaz stopped in place, looking down at her mother draped across the being's arms. "...and this was what SHE wanted."

Dib watched the Angel fly away with Peg's body, GIR giving a momentary sad smile at Gaz, waving goodbye as Dib put a hand on her shoulder. She yanked it away from him, body shuddering, her voice very soft, very low...very hurt.

"Just...just leave me alone. Not right now, okay? Not...not right now."

With that, Dib nodded quietly, walking off, hands in his pockets as Gaz quietly sat by her mother's grave, with nothing but the wind to keep her company...

Both unaware that Nny's eyes had fluttered open, his body parts slowly inching back together...

...

...

...

... "This isn't possible." Red murmured as White looked on in surprise. Now HE was under a giant safe, with Red and Purple being cut free by the unmistakable form of Irken Tak, albeit made entirely of the medical technology called nanogenes. Jayd humbly blushed as he gestured at her.

"It's her, sir. The Will needed a host spirit the way the Yellow did. It found a being clinging to life through sheer willpower alone and chose her the way that Fear chose a being who existed to make others fear him. Tak's will is one of the strongest in the galaxy's."

"Good to see you again, my Tallests. What can I say? I live to serve." Tak informed Red and Purple, the two now freed and blinking in surprise, mouths agape at the Irken before them. She bowed deeply, the nanogenes shifting constantly, yet always keeping that same basic shape of her. All were green in color, save for her eyes. Those remained purple, as usual.

"As the always say in the comic book industry, if you never find the body, they're not dead!" Jayd the Medic insisted, leading his Tallest back to the palace, ignoring White's struggling as the humanoid inched out from underneath the energy construct he was pinned beneath. "Cardinal Darithil didn't just send me the best reading material from Earth, he told me where she was out in space. Her old body had long-since faded, she needed a host. So I volunteered."

He took Tak's "hand" and kissed it. "Anything for a lady, you see."

"Is EVERYONE in the Empire falling in love with Earthling culture? What is this, a conspiracy?" Red murmured.

KRUCHA-THROOOOM! An enormous pink cobra was knocked through the air and over their heads, landing squarely on White as he let out a "OH, C'MOOOOOON", a pink-clothed being climbing atop the entity's head as a white-clothing being cracked his knuckles, exiting the palace...which now had a NEW giant broken-open hole in the wall.

"...well." Purple remarked. "Our day just keeps getting more and more interesting! Who might you be?"

A terrible, dark idea was flickering in Senior's mind as he gazed upon Red and Purple, thinking about all the times they'd made him ignore cries for help to the Massive from outposts and scared soldiers on enemy planets. He thought about the Vortians and Screwheads and Meekrob and other aliens who had suffered under Irken hands. He thought about her. His boss. His FIRST boss.

She never, EVER would have done anything like they'd done. She had been strict at times...but she'd done what she'd believed was right, and had always felt bothered when innocents had been hurt by her policies.

Why. Why were Red and Purple still breathing when so much worthier rulers were dead? If THEY were dead then-

"Don't." Sude insisted immediately, a hot, flaring anger rising in Senior. "I KNOW how tempting it is, but you NEED to resist."

A red mist was falling over Senior's mind. Resist? Let them GO?

Let them LIVE?

"Why should they live when so many are dead..." He thought. "All because of their GREED...their freaking GREED...”

He stepped forward, fists clenched, eyes blazing as he raised a hand up to blow them to Kingdom Come...

He then felt Sude's hand on his arm. Gentle...soft. It was like it was made of feathers.

"Senior."

The Tallests gazed from the dragon to Senior as he grit his teeth tightly, then lowered his raised claws, holding his head in one hand.

"...I'm tired." He said. "...I'm so...so...tired of this. And of everything you've done. You'd better stop it. Because this is where it leads you." He told the Tallest, gesturing around at the broken-open palace, at the remnants of the tree they'd almost been hanged at, the giant shears discarded on the ground. "To places like THIS. And at the mercy of people like me. And not everyone's even like me."

"You ARE a lot like them." Sude admitted. "You too have near-uncontrollable desires for so many things. You rule over others, albeit a smaller group. You have potential...and power...and great ambition. So much like them."

Red frowned. "Hey, wait. So...this fancy power you have could have just as easily gone to US? Hand it over!"

"No." Sude said firmly, putting a hand on Senior's shoulder. "NO, my Tallests. It won't be given to you. I let him wield this power...and I'll let him stay close to you so you can see what he'll become."

"WHY?" Purple asked.

Sude grinned.

"To MOCK you."