The Return of Zim

Part One (Reboot)

The Return of Zim

Part one

(Zim's P.O.V.)

I ran.

And as I ran, I listened to the loud smacking of my black booted feet against the pavement, watching the curling tendrils of smoke around me. A loud, hacking cough escapes from my throat, and my red orbs sting, bringing about tears. Just get to home base, I think, angrilly swiping at the moisture.

Pressing a hand to my mouth, I catch sight of my home base ahead in the smoke, and my second wind washes over me, propelling me forward with a new vigor. I slam into the door at bone-cracking speeds, fumbling for the door-knob. I rip open my door, tumbling into the clean air with a whoosh.

"Thank the Gods..." I cough out, sinking against the door. Immediatley, my back starts to throb from the new whip marks, making me jump up. I stumble, almost falling when I right myself, my vision foggy with hatred.

No, dont, dont go back there. 

The whip marks burn, old and new as-

NO! Stop thinking about it!

Too late. 

~ "Whats wrong with you? Cant you do anything right? You are training to be a Tallest! You must stand Tall and Strong, you must stand with authority!" The deceptively dim-witted voice erupts from behind me, followed by a growl. "Maybe I should show you what happens when you disobey the Tallest Purple!" He snarls, and I turn towards him, feeling my eyes growing wide.

"N-No, your Highness, p-please!" He bares his ziper-like razor sharp teeth and his violet eyes shine with hatred. 

"You snoveling worm! You are a Tallest, use your voice as a Command! These people must kneel before you! They knelt before us, before Red..." His voice trails off, and a moment of silence passes for our fallen Red Tallest, before his gaze turns sharp once more and he practically spears me with his glare. "You are nothing, never will there ever be a Tallest like my brother."

He advances on me, pulling the whip from behind his back, and I start to back away, as he raises it, and- ~

I gasp, gripping the edge of the table with my claws, extended with the adrenaline of the memory. I try to escape it, but there rises flashes of the rest; The pain, the screaming, the comeplete and utter hopelessness... and then the spark. The blue flame, the burning as I ran. The savior, but its all still so jumbled up. I shake my head, lurching towards my Air-ship. 

On the way, a flash and beep catches the corner of my vision, and I turn towards the P.A.K., wincing as it screaches, sensing my panic. It starts flashing lights, and I grab the small thing, letting it attach itself to my back. 

I push the cob-webs away from the Air-ship, and clamber in, trying not to notice the abused and curled up robot in the corner as I start it up.

Try not to know that Gir's fall was my fault.

~*~*~

I cough, stumbling out of the wreckage of the ship, falling onto the soft grass of the plaine I had crash-landed in. Taking a deep breath, the air is so clean here, I mull for my next course of action, and come up blank. What should I do?

I know what I should have done. I should have set up base, just as Gir and I had done before when traveling to this wretched planet.

Gir....

I gasp, sitting bolt upright and staring at the wreckage, and stumble over to it, sifting through the rubble. My hand brushes against something soft and small, Gir's pig. Knowing that his small body is wrapped around the ratty thing, I pull it out gently, and clutch it to my chest as I turn, thinking of the only place I can go, now that I dont have Irk behind me.

I have to find Dib.

~*~*~

This cant be right. I always though that Dib would end up somehwere big, but never... never this.

I double check the sign out front to be assured Im not mis-reading things.

'Shady Oaks; Apartments for the Mentally Unstable'

"P.A.K., are you sure this is where the Earthling Dib is?" It gives a few beeps, assuring me this is where his life form is sensed. Stiffling a sigh, I push open the doors up front, stepping into the cold lobby of the building.

"Can I help you?" I jump, startled by the loud woman at the front. I turn to her, and nods slowly.

"U-Um, yes... I-Im looking f-for Dib. D-Dib Membrane." She clicks her gum, and nods, looking only slightly shocked that a green-skinned guy would be looking for Dib.

"Membrane, huh? Hes on the second floor, room 43." Turning her attention back to her magazine, she clicks that gum again, and I nods, mumbling a thanks, and I walk over to the stairs. 

It doesnt take long to find room 43, as its only about 5 doors down from the stairwell exit. Slowly, I raise my hand to knock, wondering where the loud bass sound was coming from. After a few moments, I nod harder, louder, and the music turns down only slightly. Im almost ready to knock again when the door is wreched open, and the man inside growls out, "What do you want?"

Is that... Dib? His head is shaven into a long balck mohawk, and hes taller, even taller than me. His pale skin hasnt changed much, as well as his fashion sense, but his normally caramel colored eyes has changed to a cold, Icy blue color. 

"D-Dib?" I whisper, and watch as his face goes slack.

"Dib... Heh, the last person who called me that was..." He blinks, and shakes his head, turning his icy gaze on me once more. "Nevermind. Thats not my name anymore. Its Devon. And, may I ask, who in Holy Hades, are you?" I swallow, not liking the fiercness of his gaze, like he can see through my soul.

"D-Devon? Oh, uh, ok... Its... Its Zim." His face doesnt change, but his eyes widen, and a flicker of panic flashes through them as he grabs my collar.

"Who the hell are you? Really?" He snarls, and I gasp at the animal-like feral in those eyes.

"Zim! Its really Zim!" He pulls me inside of his apartment, and I stumble, grabbing hold of the wall to steady myself as he slams the door. He turns back towards me, and glares.

"Look, ok? Its not funny anymore. Im done with all this stupid bullshit! Im done with all the stupid pranks! Zim's not real, alright? I know that!" he pauses, taking in my reaction, "Who paid you?" 

"Huh?" I answer brilliantly.

"Who Paid You?" He snaps at me, and I gulp, taking a deep breath.

"No one paid me, Di- Devon. Its Zim. For Real." I reach up and pull off my wig, revealing my two long anntennae. His eyes widen, and he grabs my collar. 

"Thats impossible." He whispers, almost like hes afraid at the possiblity of me being here, in his home.

"No, Dib, its-" His eyes change to hard saphire, and he shakes he, cracking my head against the wall.

 "Its DEVON!" Rings in my ears before the sight of him, the weirdness of his book-infested home, and the sound of his madness-tinged voice fades away into oblivion.