Our Purpose

Chapter 7

Dib leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling in an exhausted manner. 

Zim followed suit, leaning back on the couch and staring at the ceiling as well. He kept his hands interlaced in front of him.

For a moment, there was silence. It wasn't awkward like they'd shared before. This time, it was more of a comfortable silence, both of the boys thinking about everything that was going on. Another five minutes passed. 

Dib took a shaky breath in. "What do I do now? My whole life, everything revolved around the paranormal. But now I know that I'm not even human and that I've been fighting you this whole time for no reason. Dad lied to me for so long. This whole time I actually thought that I needed to stop you from taking over the world, but he already had." He continued to stare at the ceiling while he spoke, exasperated.

Zim looked over at the taller while he continued. 

"I just wanted to prove I was right. Now I don't even know who I am," Dib finished, still staring upward. 

Zim thought for a second. Sure, Dib just found out that he wasn't human but...

"You're still you. I mean, you've been Dib your whole life, haven't you? Why stop now that you've found out that you are of a superior species?" Zim said, causing Dib to look over at him.

The not-so-human sighed and sat up, looking back at the floor. "I mean... I guess. This is just a lot to process. Suddenly finding out that you're not who you thought you were, and realizing it was so obvious the whole time kind of ruins how you view yourself."

Zim thought once more about what to say. He sat up just as Dib had a few moments before. His fingers were, still yet, kept interlaced in front of him as he spoke. "I know." 

It was plain and simple. It was a restatement of what he said earlier, but this time, Dib looked at the alien. He hadn't thought to ask, but now he was curious.

"How do you know? I mean, you're always so confident, in not only your plans but yourself too. The only time I've ever seen you falter was just before Peace Day four years ago." Dib was curious, but he regretted asking when the alien's expression shifted from sad to even sadder.

The full-blooded Irken continued to stare at the claws that were twined together in front of him. He sighed. 

He didn't want to say this out loud. He never wanted to. He didn't even want to think about it. He wanted to believe that his Tallest didn't abandon him. He wanted to believe that they were coming back for him, that they were still proud of him, that they still cared. But the last few months showed him otherwise. He'd been in denial about it all, fitting pieces together just as Dib had earlier that night.

He'd come to a conclusion he absolutely hated. It didn't feel real. It couldn't be. He wanted so badly to stay in denial, but...

"I think my Tallest abandoned me here."

The moment he said it, it became so much more real. 

Dib stared. He didn't know what to say, so Zim continued. "Zim does not know what to do. I-" he hesitated. "I don't know what I'm doing here anymore."

There was silence yet again. 

Zim kept staring down. He kept thinking to himself and wondering how he could possibly be so defective that his own species turned their back on him. He continuously thought about how Earth was his home now, how the humans around him, who didn't even know how to pick their noses, were his neighbors. 

He was pulled out of his thoughts by arms wrapping around him, engulfing him in a hug. He nearly threw Dib into the TV; this was the first time the alien had ever been hugged, and it took him by surprise. He was tense at first, but Zim relaxed a bit after a few seconds, realizing that Dib wasn't actually trying to suffocate him.