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The Irken Anatomy	By : ladylaguna Category: +G through L > Invader Zim > AU/AR-Alternate Universe-Alternate Reality Views: 4135 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Zim and all related characters - Viacom... All unrelated characters � Jenn L. No profit is gained from this writing.

Chapter List
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Thanks to Calantha as usual for giving the chapters a look-see for me :)

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Without a word, Dib rose and left the room. After a moment of hesitation, Zim followed. He was incredibly impressed with Dib's ship; it was a fine vessel, meant to accommodate a large party of people. Though it seemed that the two of them were the only passengers...

“MASTER!” Oh, yes, and GIR. He came barreling down from the upper decks, attaching himself to Zim's legs and hugging him tightly... Painfully tight, actually. As Zim stood immobilized, Dib disappeared into a room at the end of the hall. “I MISSED YOU SOOO MUCH, MASTER!”

“I'm sure you did, GIR...” At first Zim tried to be nice, but when GIR wouldn't unlatch, he became more impatient. “GIR... GIR! Let... Zim... GO...” He finally kicked the robot away, leaning against the wall for a moment to catch his breath. The pummeling Dib had given was catching up with him... Though he recalled doing well just to defeat little Vermeil...

He wondered what happened to that smeet, anyway. Was he still with the girl?

GIR followed Zim dutifully as he crossed the last stretch of hallway, peering into the door Dib had entered. It was the sick bay. He sat on a chair, shirtless, tending to the wound on his stomach. Though it already looked much better; the blood had stopped flowing completely.

Looking up in alarm, Dib hissed, “GET OUT.”

Shrinking away from the door, Zim ventured, “Let me help you... Those are my fault.”

“Computer. Shut my door.” And it slammed in Zim's face.

Why was Dib still angry? Zim hadn't quite worked out why he was angry in the first place... So the girl was their smeet... But she had almost killed him? Maybe Zim had made the injection in the wrong place. No, they carried them in the stomach... He had done it right!

No point in thinking over all of that old pain. He'd spent years trying to bury it. Limping toward the common room, he carefully lowered himself into a chair. So soft... He had denied himself such creature comforts for so long, this bliss almost lulled him to sleep instantly.

GIR was around to keep him awake, however. “Are you going to be traveling with us, Master? I've been so lonely since Megami left...” Pulling out a pair of maracas, he cried, “I'm gonna play you a song from a distant land!”

Shakka shakka shakka shakka... The sound was incessant and it almost drove Zim to tears. Where had the girl gone and why hadn't she taken GIR with her?! “GIR... Please. Just... stop. Stoooppp.” He didn't have the energy to be authoritive with the robot anymore.

Thankfully, Dib entered the room. Though he didn't reprimand the tiny musician. He seemed completely unaffected by GIR's antics, ignoring him as he rounded on Zim. He looked a bit calmer; shirt back on, the only visible wound being the bandaged one on his arm. “The bay is free now,” he stated somberly. For a moment they just stared at one another, until Dib offered, “Do you need my help?”

The thought of Dib looking at his body was both titillating and horrifying. Pulling the coat more tightly around himself, Zim finally shook his head. “I'm fine.”

Dib looked skeptical. “You're all chewed up. How many years of damage have you taken? It doesn't make any sense; your pak should've healed you right away.”

Shaking his head, Zim replied, “I don't use my pak in that capacity anymore.”

“Then the Meekrob should've taken care of it. Even when I didn't want to heal, I would pass out and end up recovering.”

Didn't want to heal? Could he have been suffering from the same despair as Zim? Maybe he would understand after all. Whimpering, Zim leaned forward and curled arms around his legs, hugging him tightly much like GIR had done just moments before. Dib simply sighed heavily and stood there, the maracas filling the awkward silence that would have been in place otherwise.

When Zim didn't let go, Dib finally pushed him away. “Look...” Shakka shakka shakka shakka. “--GIR!” The robot tore ass out of the room and Dib looked back to Zim. “Look. It's been a long... LONG time. A lot has changed.”

“Are you... with someone else?”

Blushing, Dib replied, “Well, not exactly... but...”

Antennae perking, Zim looked at him with hopeful eyes. Dib just thought it made him look even more pathetic... almost disgustingly so. A lot had changed... He was so much different, and so was Zim. He didn't like it at all. “...I'll show you to your room.”

Zim followed him dutifully out into the hallway. At least this suggested that he would be hanging around for awhile, wherever the ship was heading... “Where are we going?” he finally ventured as they walked.

Dib stopped, hands in his pockets. He turned and looked back at the other. “...I didn't think that far in advance.” That was indeed a very good question... What would he have done after he finished Zim off? Just headed back to Kharna and waited for Megami? If she didn't come back, would he just return to his old life? Suddenly all the glitz and glamour and elbow-rubbing seemed empty... A complete waste of time. He missed having a family. He missed having real meaning to his life. Though... did he ever?

He had felt like his life had meaning when he was with Zim. And... here he was, still staring at his former lover... The alien staring back at him, completely silent and still. Reality finally nudged him and he said, “We need to stop and resupply. I'll figure out our destination after that.” He was making assumptions, however. That Zim didn't have somewhere of his own to go. “Unless you have someplace you'd like me to drop you off.”

Antennae wilting, Zim replied, “No.” He didn't want to grovel and cry, “I want to stay with you!” but he was sure it showed in his eyes. Trying to save what little face he had, he murmured, “You destroyed my home, after all...”

Surprisingly enough (to Zim at least), Dib grinned. “I'd say I'm sorry about that but... I'm not, really. It actually made me feel a little better about everything.”

“Then... maybe you'll forgive me someday. For... my idiocy.”

Shrugging, Dib led Zim to what had been Vermeil's room. He didn't notice before, but the place was trashed. Had it been this way before? Or had Vermeil done it as a parting shot? “Aah, I guess he gave me a going away present.”

“Who?”

“Prince V.”

“...who?”

Dib glared. “Vermeil. He was with Megami when she came to see you, I know. He's the last Tallests' offspring.”

“Oh.” Nodding, Zim replied. “I do know. He tried to kill me.”

“Me too.” Dib grinned. “He's so cute. You just want to pinch his little cheeks.”

Zim's brow furrowed. “Cute” would be the last word he'd use to describe Vermeil... He looked so like Red, carried himself with that strange grace, but there was also that wild look in his eyes that Purple always had... “So, did they leave together?”

“Yeah. She said she wanted to hear his side of the story.”

“What story?”

“You didn't always ask so many fucking questions.” Zim faltered and Dib felt guilty for snapping at him. It was then that he remembered Zim bitching at him for the same thing, so many years ago. He couldn't help but laugh a little, running his fingers through his hair. “...I'm not really much in the mood for talking right now. Maybe later.” The time he'd spent en route over the last couple of weeks had been nice... While he had conversations with Meg, for the most part he had nothing but peace and quiet... and didn't wish to give that up quite yet. “I'm going to go rest. Do you need anything? Whatever I don't have, I can pick up when we resupply.”

Chewing on the inside of his lip, Zim sighed, “I don't have any credits to pay you back with.”

“Don't worry about it. Money isn't much of a concern to me at this point in my life.” As evidenced by his ship... He hoped that Zim was impressed... Surely Zim never thought he'd amount to much; he'd always live at Zim's mercy, being taken care of... being his 'pet' as he had pretended to be when they first went to Kharna. Now the tables were turned and he felt delicious about it.

Leaving Zim in whatever reflections he had, Dib returned to his own quarters... He left the door open, mostly out of habit. Sitting down in his chair, he pulled out his console and went about checking his mail and going over the business for the day. He still had a hand or three in how things were run on Kharna. Not everyone was ready to do business with a lounge singer right off the bat, after all.

He wasn't paying any attention to the goings-on around him, so it took an hour or so before he noticed that Zim was standing at the door, peering in. Turning in his chair, Dib sighed. “...yes?”

“Nothing.” And he just stood there. Staring.

“If you're going to watch me, at least come in and sit down.” Zim didn't move. “Seriously, you're creeping me out.”

Zim finally obeyed, coming into the room and perching on a nearby chair. “I didn't want to interrupt.”

“FUCK.” Slamming his console shut, Dib leaned forward. “Who the fuck are you? You're not Zim. Quit being such a pussy.”

“Sorry.”

HIS Zim would never have uttered that word. Though, the old Dib wouldn't have said those things either, would he? “Just... forget it.” He opened his console again and ignored the alien, typing away.

After a little while, Zim spoke up. He didn't want to risk another question, so he worded the statement carefully. “You never went back to Nirvana, I know. The girl was from there.”

Laughing bitterly, Dib shook his head. “They didn't want me on Nirvana.”

“You seem to have done well for yourself regardless.”

“Was a lot of hard work.” He glanced up at Zim, but didn't linger on the thought. Briefly, Dib wondered what Zim had done all these years... But it was better not to give the illusion that he really gave a damn.

The next week passed in such a way. Zim crept around the ship, afraid to anger Dib... and for good reason. Dib's mood was especially foul. Though Zim still poked at him, trying to get more information about where he'd been, what he'd done in the intervening years. Dib finally relented and told him that he was in charge of a “very popular tourists' destination.” When Zim pushed any harder, Dib got angry. By the end, however, he'd gotten used to having the alien around... He even fixed meals for the two of them, though he suspected Zim only ate to make him happy. He never changed his clothes or took off that trenchcoat. It seemed his wounds were still bothering him as well; he limped everywhere he chose to go.

“I wish you would let me take a look at you,” Dib finally spoke up. “People at port are going to think I beat you.”

Hiding in that coat as he always did, Zim replied, “Zim is fine. Really.” Though a rueful smile crept onto his face. “Tell them that I'm your slave.”

Dib didn't find that joke very funny at all. “I never have and never will keep SLAVES.”

Just a bit of exasperation surfacing, Zim hissed, “It's a good thing... With a temper like yours, you probably WOULD beat them.” Licking his lips, he finished, “All the money you could ever hope for and you're still completely discontent.” Maybe he was suggesting that ZIM would make him happy... Or maybe he just wanted to see Dib smile. He wasn't sure.

His comment had the opposite effect from what he intended. Dib rounded on him, slamming both hands on the wall at either side of his head, glaring down at him. Melting against the wall, he cowered without even meaning to. “You have no IDEA of how hard I've suffered, you little shit. I'd give all the fucking money back, every credit, if I could forget I'd even met you.”

“Why are you still blaming me?!”

“Because,” he growled, voice so low it was barely audible, “It's all your fault. While you sat on Solstice, playing hide and seek with your little followers, I was eating up all the blame YOU deserved.” With that he backed away, turning on his heel and heading for his room, the door swishing soundly shut behind him.

Despair began to creep over Zim again. Nothing he tried seemed to reach the human... He was bound and determined to hate Zim no matter what. And the worst part was that Zim had no idea what exactly he was being hated FOR.

Sitting alone in his room, he stared at the wall and tried not to think too hard. On Solstice the practice had been much easier; he had all of his machines and trinkets to distract him. Here, all he had was Dib's public console and the vidscreen in the common area... And he was afraid to touch either, for risk of angering the other.

Choking down what might have been a sob, he reached into the coat and pulled out a small golden case. Snapping it open, he eyed the glass vials inside... Each was filled with a thick golden liquid. Simply touching them made his fingers burn. At first, that had been enough... but now he felt he needed to remove one. Pulling the collar of his tunic down, he pressed it to the softest flesh at the hollow of his neck. The pain intensified, spreading up to the base of his skull. Tears burned at the back of his eyes. He focused on the pain until the rest faded. Lying back on the bed, he kept the vial pressed to his skin until his mind grew tired... Then, sweet sleep finally enveloped him.

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“We're here.” Dib's voice echoed over the intercom system, stirring Zim from his sleep. He realized that the vial was still in hand, now curled against his side. Careful not to break it, he began to insert it into the case again. His fingers shook, making the task difficult. “Hurry up or I'm leaving without you.”

Panicked, Zim cast the case aside, forcing himself to get to his feet. This too was difficult, but without the vial in hand his body was able to recover somewhat. Soon he made it to the hallway, where Dib was waiting mere feet away. “Come on, come on,” he growled impatiently.

Silently, Zim followed the human to the docking area. As soon as they left, he locked the ship up tight. Aliens lingered, staring at the fine vessel... Likely Dib only wanted Zim to come along so that he didn't leave on his own and the ship unlocked. “I already have our order placed, and it'll be delivered tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Dib replied. He didn't look at Zim, instead he glared at the goons he passed, making sure they knew that he wasn't someone to fuck with. “I like my ship, but I've been stuck on it for a good month now. I wanted to have a night on land.” Living in artificial environments got old; whenever he set foot down on a planet with a REAL atmosphere, he got a sort of heady rush from it. “Do you object?”

“Not at all,” Zim replied. The atmosphere was getting to him too, a bit of renewed vigor flowing through him. Though that might also be owed to not having that case on his person.

The city was fairly modern, but not incredibly so. There existed a sun after a fashion, and it shone brightly over the bustling streets lined by metal and glass buildings. Though they had arrived late, with only a couple of hours of daylight left. First, Dib secured their reservations for two hotel rooms. Zim, of course, just wanted to share ONE, but that was non-negotiable. Afterward, not saying much to Zim, Dib took a stroll, window-shopping and having the occasional conversation with locals. Zim couldn't believe that Dib was so open now; he really must have become acclimated to life in space. Though humans were a rare species indeed, and people were always fascinated with Dib's appearance. That often made conversations easy.

Irkens, on the other hand, were still hated. And though Zim was left alone because he was with this seemingly affluent and friendly man... he wasn't addressed very often, either.

The sun began to set. As the sky turned slate grey, they passed a busy eating establishment. There seemed to be a bar in the back, already teeming with young aliens, dancing under the neon lights. “Let's eat,” Dib said, ducking inside.

They sat at a greasy table near the back. The environment was quite loud and Zim just didn't have the energy to yell. The meal was spent in relative “silence”... Though Dib was alert and smiling, taking in the view. At least his mood had finally improved... And so Zim finally grinned, though it was hard to see behind the raised collar of his cloak. He only pulled it down to force fries into his mouth.

After clearing his plate, Dib yelled, “I'm going to get a drink! Do you want anything?”

Didn't he already HAVE a drink? Zim shook his head, though he'd barely moved by the time Dib was sliding out of his chair, weaving his way to the long bar in the back of the restaurant. Zim lost sight of him. Ten minutes passed... a half hour. The alien finally got up on his knees, eyes scanning the heaving crowd for that tell-tale mass of dark hair. He finally found his quarry... Dancing with two girls as he held a drink above his head. Hands were everywhere... especially in places they really shouldn't be.

Holding his now sinking stomach, Zim slid down into his seat. What should he do? He was a 'pussy' now... Dib would probably want him to go shoot these girls in their faces. The old Zim would have... But the new Zim didn't have the slightest desire to. Let Dib have his girls... Maybe he'd forget his rage while lost in their arms. Making his way to the dance floor, Zim poked Dib hard in the ribs. Growling, he turned... Though his face went blank when he saw the alien. Did he forget Zim was even there?

“I'm leaving,” Zim said. Though he didn't speak any more loudly than normal, so it was unclear if Dib heard him or not. He didn't care.

He would just go back to the hotel room. If only he'd remembered his case! They'd be back on the ship tomorrow, and then it could be dealt with.

Pulling the coat tightly around him, Zim returned to the street. Dib did not pursue. Night had completely enveloped the city, streets overtaken by an entirely different crowd. Doing his best to keep to himself, Zim made his way along the sidewalk toward what he thought was their hotel.

“There he is!”

A group of aliens gestured toward Zim from across the way. Sighing heavily, Zim ducked into a side-street. They all looked young and non-threatening; pale, almost translucent skin and light tunics... But whatever they were after, he wasn't interested.

He emerged on the other side of an office building and... there were more of them. The same species. Willowy hair and long pointing fingers.

Advanced strategic thinking had never been Zim's forte, and his mind was dulled by even more years of complacence and depression. Every turn he took, he ran into more of them. Turning and turning and turning until he was at a dead end and twenty of them stood, facing him with soft smiles on their faces.

“We're the only ones that survived.”

“The destruction of Solstice! The shining planet!”

“We're the true believers!”

“Take us under your wing, O Great One!”

“The Prophet

Our Oracle

The Great and Mighty Zim!!”

Oh, Goddess... THEM. Fanatics... He'd been so masterful at avoiding them for all these years... And after only a day of letting his guard down, they found him. They surrounded him completely, suffocating him, reaching out to feel his clothes... his skin.

As they pawed at him, his heart began to race. “No... Please... Stop... STOP!” When they ignored his pleas, he began to push at them, trying to escape the circle. Then they became a crush, pulling harder, beginning to rip his clothes. He hit and clawed at them until they grabbed his limbs, holding him helpless in midair. Soon they blotted out the sky above him... Were there more of them?!

He screamed, choking on his voice. But they easily drowned him out... and carried him away... to where, he had no idea.

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sickindulgence: Hooray! I live to induce audible reactions in people. XD I hope these chapters don't disappoint. I tease, but eventually I get to the point. I swear I will!
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The Irken Anatomy