Hello everyone!

To begin, I wanted to challenge myself to write two full length fics at the same time, so here we are. The other fic is a Fairly OddParents, two totally different things, but by the same studio.

And yet, I didn't publish both at the same time.

So I got this idea from…Well…I don't know. I think it a combination of multiple fanfics and deviant art.

It's mostly going to be about Dib and Gaz adjusting to life with the Irkens. There is some minor ZAGR, but don't expect any juicy details, so don't complain if the detail is not intense.

THERE WILL BE NO LEMONS IN THIS FIC! There will be some mature situations and themes, not romantic ones, so I expect all of you to be mature readers. Remember, if you don't like the story you are welcome to leave at any time.

I'm currently sitting aboard Air New Zealand, 39,000 feet in the air, 2000 miles away from home with another 1000 to go before I land in London.

Wow, you read that? I thought I would have lost you after the third sentence! Good Job!

Summary: Dib and Gaz turn their backs on humanity, choosing to assist Zim in the take over the earth. How will they adjust to their new lives as a part of the Irken Empire?

Without further ado, I give you "Aloft In The Airway".

Chapter One: Crazy House

"Let me go!" Cried the black haired boy, struggling against his restraints. "I'm sane I tell you!"

His efforts were gone to waste as no one was around to hear him. Even if someone happened to be passing by, they would never hear his voice over the white padding of the room.

Yes, poor Dib had finally ended up in the crazy house.

The boy raged angrily inside his head, all the while trying to chew his way out of the straight jacket.

It started that morning as he woke up to his normal sixteen year old routine. He got dressed, woke up Gaz, and went down to eat breakfast before the bus came to get him for Hi Skool, but that was right about where things took a turn for the worst.

He sat there, munching on his cereal with Gaz when the men in white coats came barging in. Before he had a chance to react, he was already in the strait jacket.

His father approached him, a grim look on his face (though it was hard to tell through the goggles and tall collar of his lab coat.) "I'm sorry, son, but this is for your own good." He explained. "If I let this go on any longer, you'll endanger us all with that crazy alien talk of yours."

"Endanger!" Dib yelled angrily. "I'm saving your lives! If I'm not there to stop Zim, then we really will be in danger. Dad, don't you see he's an alien?"

Professor Membrane nodded solemnly. "Whatever you say son, whatever you say." It was too late for his poor insane boy.

The white coats began dragging him away to be hauled off to the asylum.

"Gaz!" Dib called out to his sister in desperation. "Tell them! Tell them the truth about Zim! Tell them he's an alien."

Gaz continued to eat her cereal in silence, never once acknowledging her brother's presence.

"Gaz!" Dib bellowed at the top of his lungs. Was his sister abandoning him too? It was too late; the truck was already driving away.

And that's how he found himself in this little predicament.

Oh, when he got out of here! First, he would have to stop whatever crazy scheme Zim had come up with, then he would have a good talk with his sister.

He gave up trying to break free, opting to just stare at the padding on the ceiling. Lockdown usually lasted for seventy two hours.

How much time had passed? He had no real way of telling, but it was probably a few hours, maybe even a day.

He cleared his head, not wanting to drift to thoughts that would only rile his anger. He took deep breaths, trying to lull himself into a sleep.

His snapped open as he heard a high pitched sound coming from the ceiling.

A red circle was beginning to form as the sound continued. Once the circle finished, the padding, and possibly the insulation, fell from the roof to reveal his arch nemesis.

"Zim!" He cried, sitting up as to not appear helpless. "Come to get me while I was down?"

"Foolish earth human!" The alien resounded. "As if I would ever do anything so cowardly. I have come to set you free! You may begin you endless praise of me now." Zim puffed out his chest, motioning with his hand for the boy to begin.

"You came to save me?" Dib asked cautiously. This seemed like a trap. "Why would you save me?"

"Because, I- AAAH!" The green Irken tumbled out of the ceiling and into the cell. "Girl-child! He yelled to the ceiling when he landed. "I will make you regret your actions!"

"Just shut up and get him okay. Your voice is making me nauseas." Gaz appeared above the two boys. She lowered a rope into the room as Zim undid the restraints on Dib's strait jacket.

Dib pulled the accursed restraint off and threw it across the room. He stood up; admiring his new found freedom with a couple of stretches. His eyes landed on the Irken alien as he flexed his hamstrings.

The alien had grown substantially over the last four years. He rivaled Dib's impressive height of 6'1, but what got Dib the most was the alien's physical transformation. As he grew taller he began resembling the leaders of the Irken race more and more.

For starters, his thumb began to swell until it fused with his arm, leaving him with two antennae like fingers on each hand coming from what appeared to be a girth of some sort. As he got taller, his waist grew narrower and narrower until it was reed thin. His neck came forward, giving the illusion of a humpback when it was really only in a relaxed position. Zim only straightened out his back and neck when he felt threatened or was giving a display of power.

Dib had only spoken to the Irken leaders once, but he clearly remembered what they looked like, and Zim was remarkably close.

"What are you gawking at, Dib-Stink?" Zim asked, annoyed that he did not get the praise he so rightfully deserved.

"How could people not believe you are an alien? No human is that thin!" Dib pointed to Zim's waist.

"What can I say? I am a master of disguise." Zim pulled off one of the fake eyes, revealing his true magenta one underneath.

"Enough talk!" Gaz yelled. "Grab the rope so we can get out of here before you two idiots get us caught!" She shook the rope, a subtle message for them to get a move on.

Dib grabbed the rope and climbed to the opening followed by Zim.

When they were all safely in the air shaft, Dib began venting his anger. "Gaz! How could you just stand there as I was carried away like that? What would happen to humanity if I wasn't there? Did you think of that? Huh? Huh? Did you?"

Gaz sent his a death glare, stopping him in his tracks. "If both of us are in the crazy house, no one would be able to come and save you. Did you think of that? Huh? Huh?" She mocked his train of thought.

Dib grumbled in silence. She was right. If they really were trapped, no one would come save them except for Zim, who would more likely show up to gloat than to do any actual saving. Speaking of Zim…

"Zim, may I ask what you are doing here, again?"

"Your terrifying sister told me you were here, so I came. Zim cannot take over the world if there is no challenge! All Irken soldiers face great peril and risk their lives to conquer their designated planet. Therefore Zim must have the Dib-beast there to pose as the obstacle!"

Dib rolled his eyes. Of course, he should have known. "I don't suppose you came here willingly, did you?"

"As if I would go out of my way for you! I would have left you there a few more days to suffer, but your terrifying sister forced me to come get you. Zim does this for his enemy and gets no words of praise!"

"Shut up!" Gaz put her arm back to stop the two boys from going any further.

There were soft shuffling sounds coming from the hallway underneath them. The nurses were talking about something; the voices were too soft for the group to hear.

With her index finger at her mouth, she motioned for the boys to continue quietly.

Unfortunately, Zim didn't quite understand the concept of air vents. He crawled over the grate, which couldn't support his weight. It fell through, but not before Zim grabbed Dib in an attempt to prevent the fall.

Gaz face palmed as the two boys slid out of the shaft and landed in the hall. Couldn't they do anything right?

"It's the crazy alien kid!" Cried one of the doctors in the hall. "Capture him."

Dib and Zim snapped into action. They made a mad dash for the exit.

"Zim, don't you have anything in that stupid pak of yours we can use?" Dib panted as they ducked to avoid a tranquillizer dart.

"You think I carry lasers in my pak?" Zim yelled back at him.

"Don't you?" Of all times for Zim not to be carrying some dangerous weapon.

"Stupid human! Zim does not keep his lasers in his pak. He keeps them in his pocket." Zim removed a small cube from his pocket and fiddled with it for a second. It expanded to a normal sized handheld laser.

Dib snatched it out of his hands, ignoring the alien's protests, and began firing at the nurses and doctors. He grabbed Zim's arm and pulled him up with him on top of the receptionist's desk. "Can you please help?"

"First you steal my laser, then you ask for my help? There better be some good praise for Zim after this!" Zim brought arm to his face and turned on his communicator watch. "Gir! Get over here and take care of the doctors!"

Instantaneously, the robot burst in through the roof and began bouncing around in several directions. "Aww! Do you guys wanna play tag?" He danced around in his dog suit. He latched onto an approaching doctor, grabbing a hold of his head. "You're it!"

One by one the doctors were knocked out as Gir 'tagged' them.

The two boys ran outside to find Gaz waiting for them in the car. "Come on!" She yelled through the open window. "Before the cops get here!"

Dib and Zim clambered into the back seat of the car. Moments later Gir bounced in through the open window, allowing Gaz to floor it.

"That was close." Dib sighed in relief. Then, he noticed something. "Wait! You can't be driving, you're fourteen!"

"Yeah, and I'm not supposed to be breaking patients out of insane asylums either. Now sit down and buckle up before I turn this car around!" Gaz made a sharp left, sending the two boys flying into the side of the car.

"The police are probably looking for the two of you earthlings." Zim pried Gir off of him. "Head to my base. We can give those pathetic law enforcers the slip."

Gaz made a U-turn, smirking as she saw the boys fly in the rear view mirror.

Dib lay on the roof, staring at the night ask above him. He wasn't really thinking about anything, just listening to the police sirens ringing throughout the neighborhood.

Man, this was a depressing town. It was filthy, kids were always left unattended, and the sun never shined. The thick layer of smog always kept the city enveloped in a cloud of dark grey. And people wondered why the city had a high rate of birth defects.

His line of sight was interrupted when Zim stood over him, Mini-Moose sitting on top of his head. The Moose jumped off the alien's head and landed in Dib's lap with a squeak.

"Dib-Creature, we need to discuss an important matter." Zim didn't have his disguise on, allowing his eyes to give off a slight glow in the night.

"What is it?" Dib asked, sitting upright.

"Zim will be frank." His voice was surprisingly soft. "The armada will be arriving tomorrow. I want you and your sister to join me in taking over the human species."

Dib stared at the alien as if he had grown a third head. "You want me to help you conquer my own people? Just like that? I've been trying to expose you for the past four years, and you expect me to join forces with you? What use could you even have with me?"

"You hold a good amount of information on the human species in the overly large head of yours. Information the Irken Empire can use. You are well versed in Irken technology seeing as you've bested my plans several times and have even managed to program Tak's ship."

Dib was about to protest when he was cut off by the alien. "Do not try to fool Zim! Zim knows you still have the ship. So what will it be? Will you aid the great Zim, or will you be enslaved along with the rest of your pathetic planet?"

"Zim!" Dib stood up suddenly, accidently knocking the purple moose out of his lap and onto the tiles of the roof. "Oh, sorry Mimi-Moose." He picked up the small creature and let him go in the air to drift freely. He paused a moment, as if lost in thought. "Oh yeah… Zim! Why should I? Give me one good reason why I should help you and not head back to my lab this instant to try and stop you?"

"Because you're underappreciated here, Dib." Zim smirked. "You can warn all the humans and government officials, but will anyone believe you? No. Your own father won't believe you. All your genius is going to waste here. Come with me to Irk. Your intelligence will be put to good use. You're a tall critter; you will get the respect you deserve."

Dib wanted to retort, but he knew everything Zim said was true. The other people had seen Zim without his human disguise and still refused to believe he was an extraterrestrial. How dense could they be? It made him so angry. So angry!

They deserved to be enslaved for locking him in a crazy house! His own father threw him into a crazy house!

"What about Gaz?" Dib's expression softened. "What's going to happen to her?"

"Yes, the Dib-Sibling. She is a fertile human, is she not?"

"Yeah, I guess. What does that have anything to do with the Irken take over?" Dib was genuinely confused. Being fertile wasn't all that big a deal. Most females could give birth, but whether that child would be healthy was a completely different issue.

"As you know, Irkens are sterile. Years of test-tube babies has taken away the female's ability to reproduce naturally. If we present your terrifying sibling to the Tallest as a fertile being, she will be welcomed instantaneously." Zim sounded so proud of his great scheme. He knew the Dib-Creature would not leave his younger sister behind, forcing him to come up with a reason as to why she would be useful to the empire. She was tall compared to the average Irken, even at her human average of 5'2, but unfortunately, there were still taller male Irken. She had to have a purpose. No Irken was allowed to exist and not serve the empire in some way. "Irkens allows species from conquered planets to rise through the ranks, but it rarely happens. None have been tall enough or willing to abandon their native species."

Dib thought about it. Present Gaz as a fertile human? "You want to present Gaz as a fertile female. Doesn't that mean…"

"Yes." Zim nodded. "She will eventually be expected to carry an Irken child. This is the easiest way out for you, Dib. If you say no, you will be enslaved and probably die in a labor camp. Think of your sister. You wouldn't want her to be forced into a life of hard labor, would you?" Zim didn't really want to, but he had to play the sibling card. Dib might have been willing to die himself for the humans, but he wouldn't let someone else die, especially not his sister. "Bedsides," Zim added. "You're wanted now. You can try to save the humans, but as soon as they see you, you're going right back to the crazy house. Your sister will be sent to jail for helping you escape."

There was a long pause.

"They're coming tomorrow, you say?" Dib asked.

Zim nodded.

"Where is Gaz now?"

"Base!" Zim cried to the floor of the roof. A small computer came up through a hole in the roof. "Where is the female human?"

"Subject is watching T.V in the house." The computer droned in its annoyed voice before returning to the base and closing up the hole it came from.

Dib didn't answer. He sat back down on the roof, looking over the city this time.

Zim took a seat next to him, silently watching him. What was left to ponder over? The choice seemed pretty clear. Or was this still about his sister? "I'm sure Gaz will come around to the idea. There are lots of charming Irken invader bachelors, though none as charming as me. She'll fall for one of them."

Dib finally turned back to Zim, taking Mini-Moose from the air again and stroking the fur on his back. "We'll tell Gaz, but I want you to not tell her about the fertile part. She's just as good as I am when it comes to Irken technology, so she'll buy it if we tell her that is the reason."

Zim couldn't deny it. The girl had broken into his base so many times now it was hardly a surprise to come home and find her raiding his fridge. She usually came along with Dib, mostly because he would drag her along, so she knew her way around. Wait. He said 'tell Gaz'. "Is that a yes?"

Dib let out a loud and long sigh. "Yes."

"Perfect! You won't regret this decision Dib-Human." In his excitement, he draped himself over Dib.

"Okay, get off me!" Dib elbowed him in his stretched out squeedly spooch, watching as he doubled over from the pain.

"My Tallest!" Zim gave a salute to the two Irken leaders standing before him on the screen. "I present to you the two humans I spoke of earlier."

Red and Purple's faces came closer to the screen as the examined Dib and Gaz. They nodded in approval at what they saw.

"Oooh, they're tall." Purple chimed.

"As tall as you are Zim, but not as tall as us." Red shoved purple out of the screen to get a better view. "Introduce yourselves!" He ordered.

Zim had previously prepped Dib and Gaz on what to expect, and how to answer. The Tallest were their leaders now, they had to obey.

"Dib, my Tallest." He gave a salute.

"Gaz…my Tallest." Gaz hated acknowledging the fact others had powers. She was only going along with this because Zim and Dib promised her all the junk food she could ever want to eat. She gave a half-hearted salute.

Purple shoved Red out of the screen. "Gaz, eh? Your hair matches my eyes!" Purple was pushed out of the monitor's line of vision once more.

"Shut up, she doesn't want to talk to you." Red yelled at the fallen Irken.

Their bickering continued on for a few minutes until Zim cleared his throat, reminding the two of them of their presence. They straightened out their robes and smoothed out their antennas.

"Right." Red spoke up. "Welcome to the Irken Empire. Your formal roles will be assigned to you when we meet you in person."

"You're ready for tomorrow, right?" Purple asked.

"Yes, my Tallest. We wait on your signal." Zim's confidence was clearly evident in his voice.

"Excellent. Rest up, Zim. We need your pak at full power for tomorrow. Farewell." Red's face disappeared from the screen as it went black.

"That was GREAT!" Zim yelled out. "All we have to do is wait for the armada to arrive and the earth is ours." He rubbed his hands together with a menacing laugh.

Dib didn't share the enthusiasm.

Was this really the right choice?

And we've got our first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!

So, this is going to be a little ficlet, about ten chapters, just to give me some practice writing. I hope you'll stick around.

Review Please!