My Only The Only One

Chapter 15

Dib was devastated when the ship that reached them was empty and he realized just how faulty Lix's planning had been. Of COURSE something like this would happen! But with Lix's promise to the Tallest there was no way he couldn't have gone. They would have killed Zim then and there.

Though Karen did make a point of telling him that it was probably good that Lix was with Zim, because if Zim had come back on that ship, and discovered they let Lix do something so reckless, Zim would probably have killed them. On this Dib had to agree, but it didn't make the revelation any easier.

"Relax, I can do this." Lix told his 'mother', who was tapping a foot impatiently on the ground as the younger irken tried to pick the lock on the door.

"You can't pick these locks, Lix." Zim sighed. "Even if you get THAT one it's impossible to get the other one because they put a bolt on the outside."

With that Lix sighed in exasperation and felt back on his butt, asking, "Well what do you want to do then?"

"Move back," Zim said, getting up and going over to the door, saying, "I want to do what I do best."

"What's that?" Lix asked, doing as Zim told him.

"Making things go boom." Zim said with a smirk.

The Tallest sat in their lounge, relaxing and stuffing their faces with snacks. "We have all the leverage we need now!" Red said. "There's no way the resistance can do anything now!"

The ship lurched in a less than pleasing way, making the Tallest stop and look around. "What was that?" Purple inquired.

Red shook his head and turned to a guard standing nearby. "Go find out what that-..." The ship rocked more. "...was...."

The ship then jerked violently and a technician quickly rushed in, breathing apologies as he caught his breath. "Sirs! We're... under attack!"

"What!"

Dib hugged his sister tightly upon arrival, sighing in relief.

"Thank God you're here." He said, pulling back quickly when she gave him a growl.

"How have you managed to hold them off this long?" Gaz asked, one eye squinting open. Her troops were already on the attack, a battle waging outside the window beside them. She trained them hard, and it seemed that paid off.

"We've been in hostage negotiations, you could say." Dib said, shaking his head.

"Who's got who?" Gaz asked.

"Well, we did have an irken, but then they captured one of ours, and now they have them both."

"Zim, and their son." Karen interjected, making Gaz's eyes widen in surprise.

"Who had a kid with the freak? What happened to hating him for leaving you?"

"I don't have time to explain, can we just go get them!" Dib growled, his own eyes narrowing.

Gaz paused, looking to be thinking it over, which just made Dib angry. Finally she nodded, saying, "Alright, let's go."

The door blew off the cell and Zim led Lix out into the hall. No one seemed to notice though, so sneaking wasn't necessary. It probably had something to do with all the movement the ship was making, but Zim didn't take the time to ponder it as he and Lix made their way to the front of the ship.

"Where are we going?" Lix asked, hoping to be part of the planning process.

"We're going to hijack a ship, where else would we be going?" Zim asked.

"Don't you think we should be doing something more produc-" he paused as they were thrown against a wall as whoever it was kept up the attack. "productive?"

"We don't have time to be productive." Zim said, grabbing Lix's wrist and pulling him along.

"This is the perfect time to be productive!" Lix argued. "If we're going to take out the Tallest this is the time to do it!"

Zim stopped, turning to Lix and saying, "We're not sticking around to do anything to the Tallest, that's suicide!"

"It is not, it's perfect! Zim we can do it!" Lix shouted.

"No! I'm not putting you in danger because of them!" Zim shouted back, looking stern, but not angry. He could never be angry with Lix. "I'm your caretaker; I have to take care of you!"

Lix's antennae folded and he looked concerned. He pulled Zim down by his arm, saying, "Its okay, I know Zim. I know who you are."

Zim about flinched, his own antennae perking in surprise, though he tried to deny it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do Zim... I've known you were my parent for a long time. Dib explained the rest." Lix said.

Zim growled. Stupid Dib, always making stupid decisions and opening his stupid mouth when it wasn't needed. "He shouldn't have told you."

"That doesn't matter." Lix said. "What does is the Tallest will never stop hunting us, the both of us, until you're dead and I'm with them. We have to take care of things now or who knows how long this will go on."

Zim couldn't argue with that logic, but he shook his head anyway. "I'm not putting you in danger." He stood and continued to lead Lix to the docking bay.

"No! Zim! Please! We have to do this!" Lix argued all the way there.

Zim pulled Lix in front of him once he'd chosen a craft and said with a frown. "Go. Take this shuttle and go back to the resistance."

"What?" Lix asking, looking surprised. "No, I'm not leaving you!"

"You're right." Zim said. "This has to end, but you're not going to be the one to end it, so go."

Gaz flew the ship expertly, but then that's how she did everything, through the battle, dodging laser fire and ducking and weaving around friendly and enemy ships. She landed smoothly in the Massive's docking bay with no interference, everyone who COULD interfere being out in battle.

"There's Zim and Lix!" Dib shouted excitedly, a smile on his face now that he saw that they were okay. The smile faded, however, when he saw Zim run off, leaving Lix by the ship. Dib jumped out and quickly ran over to his son, who looked beyond worried. "Where is he going?" Dib asked.

"To find the Tallest." Lix said, antennae quivering.

Dib's eyebrows furrowed and he quickly called over to Gaz. "Take Lix and go, I'll get Zim and we'll catch up!" He then point Lix over at the ship. "That's your aunt Gaz, she'll take care of you." And with that he ran after his Irken lover.

(Break)

Zim found the Tallest's chamber's with little problem. So few guards were still left in the ship that it was easy to get past the few that were and find his former leaders.

He pulled a laser from his pak before forcing himself through the door, yelling, "This ends! I'm not putting up with it anymore!" Only to find he was yelling into an empty room. He stepped in and slowly looked around, frowning when he didn't see anyone there.

"YOU're not putting up with it anymore?" Came a voice from behind. He whirled and there stood the once towering forms of Red and Purple, having been hiding behind a consol.

"That's right!" He said, pulling up his weapon, only to have it shot out of his hand, old-west style, the laser burning.

"Zim, we've had to put up with YOUR antics our entire lives." Red growled, holding up his own laser, which was much more impressive looking than what Zim had been wielding. "Horrible Painful Overload Days one and two. The destruction you'd created of Operation Impending Doom One, or, how about hijacking our ship and sending us hurling through the sun!"

Zim just glared, but, after all the time he'd had to reflect, he knew all of those awful things were true. He was a disgrace to his own race.

"It's time WE didn't have to put up with YOU anymore." Purple said, correcting Zim's previous statement.

"Now, say good bye." Red said, pulling the trigger