Black boots clanked against the metal of the floor as the Irken paced around in his temporary room aboard the Massive, antenna were flattened in frustration. The green male couldn't comprehend the situation that had been revealed to him only a few days before; a secret that was meant to be known was lost under hidden files within the database that was on the ship.
When questioned about the files, Zim coldly brushed aside Genn's probing and retreated to the sanctuary of the small room. Next to her obsessive infatuation with him, her constant questioning made it near impossible for the taller to deal with it.
Letting out an angry sigh, the Irken flopped down onto the large cot, hands to face as he tried to clear his thoughts. Irken's had emotions, the Control Brains were corrupt, the empire know nothing about their true selves, and Zim wasn't a defect. That fact had black stalks twitching with a smug satisfaction that he, the mighty Zim, was not the lowest of the low- the most despised being to the Irken people. Zim's thoughts were interrupted as his PAK's communicator extended from his back and appeared before him.
"~Incoming Transmission from the Almighty Tallest.~"
Zim swore under his breath before the telecommunication link was opened, revealing a very pissed off Purple and a bored looking Red. "Hello my Tallest." Zim greeted with a false smile.
Purple's eyes narrowed into thin slits as he glared into the smiling Irken's face. "Come to the bridge." He said quickly before ending the transmission.
Black stalks perched forward, spooch churning with worry. Had the Tallest found out about his snooping? Zim shook the thought away as he stood to shaky legs. There was no way they could have found out; Genn was ingenious when it came to hacking into the Massive. There was no one in all of the galaxies that could trace her devious skills.
With newfound confidence, the Irken flattened his uniform down before straightening his posture.
His antenna wilted slightly. If they weren't suspicious of him, then why did they need to see him? As far as the Tallest were concerned. Zim was virtually useless to them now that Earth had been conquered. His spooch beat heavily against his ribs. It must be something to do with the Dib.
Black boots thudded heavily against the metal flooring as they stepped out from the teleporter, each step faster than the last, bringing the Irken closer to the revelation that he was so eager to hear. The Irken had wasted no time to heed his Tallest's commands, practically running around the Massive in order to reach the bridge.
Black stalks wilted slightly as Zim approached the door that led into the command center, Purple's irritation grinding his nerves into the ground as a thousand negative thoughts swam through his mind. Zim knew what kind of pain the purple Irken could inflict in a foul mood.
Heaving out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, the ex-Invader placed his hand onto the panel to his left. The giant door hissed open to reveal both leaders pacing around the room. Purple's antenna shot up at the sound of the door; his violet eyes darting towards the tense Zim as they narrowed once again into thin slits.
"Get over here." he barked.
Zim flinched mentally at the harsh words, but complied. He hastily made his way to the front of the glaring Tallest, left hand across his chest as he quickly bowed in greeting. "You hailed me my Tallest?"
A clawed finger reached out and grabbed the Irken by the chin, forcing the other to stare into the heated gaze. "Do you play us for idiots Zim?"
Said Irken let out a grunt of discomfort as his chin was harshly grabbed, antenna perked forward in confusion. "My Tallest?"
Red silently took his place next to his lovers right, eyes half lidded as if saying Are you kidding me?...
"The hyooman." Purple hissed, his grip tightening around Zim's chin. "He is broken."
Ignoring the pain, fuchsia eyes widened slightly. "Broken, my Tallest? Broken how?"
Purple released his hand from Zim with a cht. "The stupid thing isn't responding to anything we do to it." He took a step back from the confused Irken. "Cleaning, acting as a table, we even had him lick our boots clean and not once did he put up a fight." His bottom lip stuck out in a pout. "You told us that he was the best of that Irk forsaken race, but he's nothing more than a compliant drone."
"But my Tallest I assure you, the Dib smelly is the intolerable, infuriating and insufferable of all of the hyoomans!"
"Whatever." Purple said with a sigh. "Just- go to the prison and fix it."
"But my Tall-"
"Go fix it!" The violet Irken bellowed.
Zim's eyes narrowed as he crossed his chest once again, but didn't bow. "Right away, Tallest Purple." he spat before turning on the heel of his boot and marched towards the teleporters, leaving a trail of spite behind him.
Mumbling curses under his breath, the irritated Irken strode to the teleporters in the back of the bridge. He stepped inside with a huff and without turning around to face his leaders, he closed his eyes in an attempt to calm himself as a bright light consumed his body, his molecules disassembling only to be reassembled in the Massive's Prison.
A black scythe-lock bobbed slightly in acknowledgement at Zim's mumbling as it filled his ears. Said green male turned around in the teleporter, the mumbling ceasing as he took in the unsettling sight of his once great enemy.
Dib's clothing Zim worked so hard to fashion was now torn into shreds, his lanky arms wrapped around his knees while his face was buried in the crook of his elbow. Hazel eyes stared towards Zim's direction, but they seemed dull, somehow lifeless.
The Irken's eyes narrowed further as he felt an overwhelming rage take over him. "What are you doing Dib-Foe?"
Dib said nothing as he shook his head slightly.
Zim clenched his fists as he strode over to the cage that the human was imprisoned in. "You will tell Zim now!" He said loudly.
Again, the human said nothing.
Growling in frustration, the ex-Invader grasped onto the Vortian-made metal bars of the cage. "Dib-thing! Tell me what is wrong!"
The boy looked up slightly when Zim grabbed ahold of the cage, but he quickly buried his head into his knees with a sigh.
Zim turned his back to the human and leaned on the bars. Shaking his head in bewilderment, the green male tapped his foot against the cold ground.
Silence quickly fell upon the two. Every now and then, black stalks would twitch at the occasional noises the human made: shuffling, sniffing, sighing, breathing. It had only been five days since he saw the once defiant human, and now he was reduced to, this.
This Dib, was not the proud enemy of Zim. He was not the pig-smelly that the Irken could proudly claim as his equal. As his. But this, was not his Dib.
But is there ever a justifiable claus behind the words, "That is mine." ? Could one honestly look at another and without a moment's hesitation, claim them as yours? If one could open up and reveal their true selves to that one person, do they, in turn, own you? Claim you, brand you, mark you, love you, hate you, possess you?
Would that not be an endless loophole of ludicrous accusations of false security and undisclosed desires revolving around that one thing that you claimed as your own as you unknowingly and unwillingly allow it to eat you alive from the center of your very being, all the while chanting the words, "That is mine."?
The thought brought out another sigh from the Irken. Looking down at the emotionless human, that sharp pang of something returned to Zim's spooch. Letting out a shaky breath, the green male removed himself from the metal cage and slowly made his way towards the teleporters. "Stupid human..."