Operation: Incentive - Invader Zim fanfic (ZADF)

The Last Act

"Hey, Zim! I'm going out!" Dib called, from the cushioned seats of his Voot Cruiser.

Zim still preferred to work in his base most days, for old time's sake, and still loved to annoy Dib to death. Some things never changed.

"K!" Zim called back, his voice echoing strangely from the basement. "Bring some paper when you come back, Dib-thing, I'm running out!"

Dib nodded, even though Zim couldn't see him. Zim had asked for more paper everyday. 

He started up the engines, and flew off.

He thought he was off the planet, safe from discovery, when he heard a little voice from behind his seat.

"Going somewhere?" Erin asked, sticking her head out.

"Uhm...No, I- er... Paper?" Dib finished a little lamely, flustered.

"Ah, yes, paper." Erin smirked. "Paper, like this?" She stuck her hand through the space between the wall and the seat; she was holding a baby blue notebook, open on a page on which "Operation: Last Act" was written on top. Below the title was a series of complicated diagrams, some by Dib's hand, some by Erin's.

"I know we planned it together, and you said only you should go on a specific date that you wouldn't tell me because I'd follow you, but you wrote it in the plan notebook we both used."

Her slender finger tapped the date, and she shook her head.

"Rookie mistake."

"Well," Dib said grimly, "its too late to turn back, so we have no choice."

"Yippee!" Erin cried, and flopped back into her hiding spot.

"How long have you been hiding there?" Dib asked, exasperated.

"Two weeks." Came the prompt reply.

"Right."

They drove on in silence for a while, then an idea came to Dib.

"If this is where they... raised you, won't they recognize you?"

Erin was silent for a second, before replying, "They won't."

"How do you kn-" Dib started, but Erin cut in.

"I just do, ok?!" she burst out, and fell back into silence.

That fragile silence was one that no one in the ship dared break, until they reached their destination.

The planet Vort had several ship 'parking lots', and Dib, who practiced for ages and ages back on Resisteria, executed an almost perfect landing in the only lot still (secretly) owned by the Resisty. 

He and Erin hopped out of the Cruiser and made to leave, but a horrible banging sound echoed from the... cruiser trunk?

Dib, inspired by Earthen cars, installed a car boot style trunk in his cruiser, but he hadn't put anything in it. He went over to open it, followed closely by Erin, and as it creaked open slowly, rising into the air, Dib saw a familiar face grinning up at him.

"Hello, Dib!" smiled Commander Zim. "Where are we, now, then?"

In his stunned state, all Dib managed to stutter was, "What? How? Basement..."

"You see, Dib," explained Zim with his old vigor, sitting up, "I knew you were up to something, and I wasn't going to sit by and watch! So I asked Gir to install a recording of my voice, which would reply whenever you announced you were leaving! You're no match for my superior intelligence!" he beamed.

"H-how long have you been in there?" Dib asked, stunned at his mate's plan.

"Three weeks!" Zim simpered, and Erin burst out in a peal of laughter.