Adaptations

The Invasion

Dib simply stared out of the window as he looked down at Earth. He was up in one of the irken spaceships and was simply waiting for Zim to begin the invasion and end all life on Earth in one short day of destruction.

All at once, Dib felt good about the invasion and he also felt terrible. He would finally be rid of the planet that had rejected him and his mindset, and the thing that would be wiping out the Earth is the army of aliens that he had been trying to protect them from for an entire year. Now, he was on the side of the Irkens, being in a committed relationship with the leader of the Earth invasion.

Everything would be perfect for him… if he had someone to share it with. Zim was down on Earth… and so was Gaz and his father. He knew that he would miss them.

"Oh, there you are," a voice said. Dib turned around and noticed the Almighty Tallest Red.

"Do you need something… my Tallest?" Dib asked. He wasn't used to treating the Tallest like his leaders, but he knew that Zim would have wanted it.

"Let's skip the formalities for now," Red said. "I still think this whole thing is weird."

"Alright," Dib said, raising his head up to meet Red's face. "Were you looking for me?"

"Actually, Zim was looking for you," Red said. "He's kinda freaking out. He couldn't find you and he really wanted to talk to you before he left on the invasion."

"Oh," Dib said. "Well, let him know that I'm heading to our room right now."

Red stopped Dib. "That isn't necessary." He talked into his communicator and let Zim know that Dib was in the main viewing room. Zim seemed excited and thanked Red for the information.

"Alright, then. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Red said. He began to leave the room and turned around. "You know… you seem perfectly okay for a human who's about to lose his home."

Dib turned back to the window, watching the green and blue while it still flourished. "How can you call a planet with a bunch of selfish beings on it your home?"

"Hm… I guess I never thought of it that way," Red said. "You were really hated there, weren't you?"

Dib nodded. "Yeah… I was. Not anymore." He withheld a few tears, trying to remain strong for all of the irkens.

Red sensed this and wanted to say something about it, but Zim had turned around the corner and saw them talking. He turned to both of them and said, "I'll… give you two some privacy. Zim, I expect you on the head ship in ten minutes. This is your first invasion on a planet other than Irk. Don't be late."

"Yes, my Tallest," Zim said, saluting for Red. Dib smiled as he saw the act. He had watched Zim mature over the past few months, and he was glad that he was there to see it unfold.

Red went away and Zim approached Dib. He was wearing a uniform similar to the Almighty Tallest. He looked much more formal, ready for battle. Zim cleared his throat a bit and said, "Hey, you left the room early. Is Dib okay?"

Dib nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just… I just wanted to see the Earth one last time before it's wiped out."

Zim frowned. "Is Dib having second thoughts about the invasion?"

"Of course not," Dib said. "I want this to happen as much as you do. It's just… weird, you know? I spent my entire life on that planet and now it's all going to disappear in a day."

Zim grabbed Dib's hands and tried to look in his eyes. "Zim gets it," he said. "When I was banished to Foodcourtia after Operation Impending Doom 1, I thought I was losing everything. My irken brothers and being an invader in general."

"Yeah, but… you were able to come back," Dib said. "I won't be able to do that here. And… I won't be able to see my family again."

"Zim is Dib's family, isn't he?" Zim smiled, trying to keep things positive before going off to destroy his first planet.

Dib returned Zim's smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean… I won't ever really be an irken like you are, but I guess this is pretty close."

"That's actually why I wanted to find you," Zim said. "Zim wants to give you a surprise."

"A surprise?" Dib asked, curious. "What kind of surprise?"

Zim had been holding a bag behind his back the whole the time he was in the room. He put the bag on the ground and removed a blue mechanism and showed it to Dib.

Dib looked at it with a surprised look and then looked back up at Zim. "Is that what I think it is?"

Zim nodded. "Yeah, the Tallest agreed to help me find someone to design a PAK that would be able to work with a human like you."

Dib's eyes glowed. "You… you made me my own PAK?" He grabbed the blue PAK from Zim's hands.

"Zim noticed that Dib was feeling uncomfortable around all of the irkens," he said. "He figured this would help you fit in now that you can call Irk home."

"I can call Irk home?" Dib asked.

"The Tallest seem to be okay with you," Zim said. "And… in a few hours, Dib's old home will be no more. He'll need a new planet to call home."

Dib smiled. He brought the PAK closer to him and it immediate ran cables into him and attached itself to Dib's back. He felt a striking pain surge throughout his body and he let out a little scream. But… in a moment, all of the pain was gone, and he felt a bit different. "Wo…" Dib said.

"That PAK isn't quite the same as ours, because our PAKs would destroy your body in about ten minutes. But, the designer told Zim that it would enhance your body function, and it will help enhance your brain. Dib should be able to learn and memorize more things now!"

Dib brought Zim into a hug, squeezing him a little bit. "Thank you, Zim."

Zim smiled, leaning his head on Dib's shoulder. "You're welcome, Dib-irken. Welcome to the family."

Dib smiled, eventually letting go of the hug. "Good to be here."

Zim nodded. "Well… Zim has to lead an invasion," he said, smiling. He leaned in and gave Dib a kiss. "Are you sure you don't want to come with Zim?"

"Nah… I'd rather be up here," Dib said.

"Yeah, I figured. Alright, well… Zim understands. He'll be leading the invasion on the other side of the planet that we were on," he explained. "Just… too many memories. Even for me."

Dib put a hand on Zim's shoulder. "You got this."

"I know!" Zim exclaimed, getting very excited. "I am an invader after all! It's in my veins." He gave Dib another quick hug before running out of the room to join the rest of the invaders for the start of the invasion.

Dib couldn't help but smile. He knew that this was Zim's dream, and he didn't want to do anything to stop him from fulfilling his dream.

He turned back to the window to find that some of the irken battleships were already approaching Earth's atmosphere and a brutal battle was about to begin.

Dib frowned. He was mainly thinking about Gaz and his father at the moment. He was thankful that they wouldn't have to feel the pain of being wiped away. The main reason that Dib woke up so early was so that he could go down to Earth and slip a pill into his dad's coffee mix and Gaz's cereal. The pill would knock them out and they wouldn't even realize it when they were wiped away from the invasion. That was the best he could do for them… even if they didn't believe him at the most crucial moment.

The next few hours passed as if they were only a moment long. Dib simply watched as life slowly grew cold on the Earth. Some of the larger explosions were easily seen from space, and he could see portions of the Earth's green tinge turn brown. When 95% of the irken battleships returned from Earth, save for a few that probably got destroyed by the military, he knew that the invasion was over and that it was successful.

Dib looked away from the viewing window and noticed that Zim was already standing there. He was the first to return from the invasion.

Dib walked up to Zim and wrapped his arms around him, bringing him into a tight embrace. He didn't cry or anything, but his feelings were apparent.

Zim didn't say anything. He had caught onto this after a couple of months: the best thing to say in a situation like this was nothing at all.

Dib separated the hug and asked, "Aren't they throwing you a big celebration downstairs? Shouldn't you be a part of that?"

"Zim wanted to make sure you were okay first," he said. "And besides, it's as much as your party as it is mine. You helped with the plan."

Dib nodded. "I know. But this is YOUR dream."

Zim smiled. "Yeah, and Zim fulfilled his dream and will continue to fulfill it. I don't need some stupid party to let me know of that."

Dib smiled. "And I'll be right there with you when that happens." He leaned in and kissed Zim on the lips.

Zim happily obliged. Now that he was used to it, he actually started enjoying the "human" method to show affection.

They continued for another few moments until they heard a knock at the door. They ended the kiss and turned around to see both of their Tallest entering the room.

"Oh, sorry," Purple said. "Are we interrupting something?"

Dib shook his head. "No, my Tallest."

"Do you need something, my Tallest?" Zim asked.

"Well, we first want to congratulate you, Zim," Red said. "Despite all odds that we placed on you, you've managed to successfully invade Earth. There is a party going on downstairs for you, and we'll explain to you what will become of your future as an invader."

Zim bowed. "Thank you, my Tallest."

"And we have doughnuts in 5 different flavors!" Purple exclaimed. "Better come down quick before we eat them all."

Zim chuckled. "I'll be down in a moment."

Purple smiled and left the room. Though, Red stayed and slowly approached Dib. "Dib… I'm sorry to say this, but I feel that I have to. We did a diagnostic on the planet and it seemed pretty thorough. You are, as we know of, the last human in the universe."

Dib nodded. "Yeah, I figured. You don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine."

"Well… if it makes you feel better," Red started. "You are now one of us. That PAK of yours makes it official."

Dib smiled. "Thank you… my Tallest."

"Good," Red said. "Now, I expect you to be with Zim when he reports. Or you will get a… pummeling or something."

Dib stood up with pride. "I will, my Tallest."

Red nodded then exited the room.

Zim turned around. "How is it that you got the Tallest to like you so fast? Must faster than Zim!"

Dib smirked. "Simple. I just gave them a doughnut every day and told them how superior they were for the past couple of months."

Zim gasped. "So you have been going behind my back to impress my leaders with petty pastries and compliments in order for them to like you more?"

"Yep," Dib said confidently.

"That is diabolical." Zim kissed Dib's cheek. "Zim likes that."

Dib chuckled. "Good. Now I have no idea how I'm going to get them to stop asking me for doughnuts."

"Oh, you can't," Zim said. "Dib has dug himself into a sad, sad ditch."

"Can Zim dig Dib out?" he asked.

"Nope!" Zim exclaimed before laughing diabolically.

"Aw, come on…" Dib said, frowning.

Zim sighed. "Oh, fine," he said. "But only because Zim did the exact same thing and he knows how it feels."

Dib smiled. "Thank you. Now… do you want to head to your party or not?"

Zim nodded. "I do. Let's go, Dib-irken."

Dib walked with Zim down into the main area of the ship. "You know you can just call me Dib, right?"

"Zim knows," he said. "I just like to remind myself that I helped convert you from an annoying human to a not-so-annoying irken."

"Yeah, why are you my boyfriend?" Dib asked.

"Because you like it when Zim makes fun of you."

Dib chuckled. "Yeah, whatever."

The two of them went down to the party and had a good time. Despite being ridiculed for so long, Zim got a lot of praise from his fellow irkens, even getting some from the other invaders who were successful before him.

An after the party started, Zim was asked to give one last final speech. He did so and gave a somewhat motivating speech, though it was mostly just him boasting about himself.

Towards the end of his speech, he said, "Though, Zim couldn't have done this invasion alone. The plan for this invasion was also made by Invader Dib." The crowd cheered and Zim practically pushed on-stage. He pleaded for him to make a speech. Dib figured he would improvise, though… he felt he had a better plan. Something he had been devising for the past few days.

He got up to the microphone and said, "Hello, irkens. I am Dib, and according to the Tallest, it seems that I am now the last standing human in the universe. But, as sad as I am to see my planet get wiped out, I would like to let you all know that I am one of you now, too."

The crowd cheered at the comment. He quieted them down with a wave of his hand. "But… I would like to share with you a bit of human culture if you will allow me, too. It's something that we call… a marriage."

All of the irkens looked at him intently, especially Zim. He already had learned what a marriage was, but not in-depth.

Dib continued to explain the bare basics of what a marriage was. He then pulled out a ring. It was made from the same material as one of Zim's destroyed ship, a mix of red, purple, and maroon. "I would like to show you a little… demonstration, if you'll allow me to." Dib turned to Zim.

Zim's eyes went wide and the room went a bit silent. Dib went down onto one knee and Zim knew that the process was starting.

"Zim… I thought you would be my eternal enemy forever. I've stopped you time and time again from destroying, and today… I helped you. And I don't want to just stop with the Earth with you. I want to continue invading with you forever."

Zim blinked and his heart was racing. "G-go on."

"Zim… I know you're an irken, and you probably never expected this, but… will you marry me?"

Zim thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes."

Dib smiled, wowed by the experience. He put the ring on Zim's finger and brought him in for a kiss. He kinda figured that the crowd would cheer for them like they would on Earth, but Zim knew better. All they heard was groans of disgust. They weren't exactly used to the PDA, but Dib didn't really care all that much.

Dib ended the kiss and turned to the crowd. "Oh, grow up. Or I'll pummel you."

"Hey, that's my line!" Purple exclaimed.

Dib chuckled uncomfortably. "Heh, sorry…"

Dib and Zim smiled at each other and the party went on.

After a couple of hours, the Tallest eventually gave a speech. They still didn't quite trust Zim to have an active role in Operation Impending Doom 2 after his act in in the first Operation. Though, they still allowed him and Dib to be a part of the team to salvage the resources on Earth and to find anything else of value on any of the nearby planets. Zim graciously accepted, even if he wanted to do more.

Shortly after, the party ended and everyone left to return home. The Tallest stuck around for a little bit and… tried to "congratulate" Zim and Dib for their marriage before they went on their merry way.

Zim and Dib stuck around in the large room as they watched the SIR units clean up all of the remnants of the party.

Zim yawned. "So what now?"

"I was going to ask you the same question," Dib said.

"Well, I WAS thinking about taking you back to our room so that we can mate for the first time, but now I'm just tired."

"Mate?" Dib asked, a bit shocked. "You would want that?"

Zim chuckled. "Zim kids with Dib."

Dib laughed a little. "I see. Well, if you're tired, then maybe we should go to bed."

"Yeah, and we can sleep in the same bed this time," Zim said, getting up and helping Dib up.

"Hm?" Dib asked.

"Isn't that what a married couple does?" Zim asked. "Zim wants to follow Dib's human culture, and you're going to have to help me figure some of this out."

"I'd be glad to," Dib said, walking hand-in-hand with him back to their room. A bright future was coming for Zim, and thus there was also one coming for Dib. He slowly fell into the collective of irkens, and in no time…

He too had adapted to become an invader… just like his husband.