Betrayal

Zim drummed his claws impatiently against the soft cushion of his armrest. "How much longer is it going to be?" he wondered, staring up at the giant, blank screen in front of him. He slammed his fist down in frustration. "She should have arrived on Irk by now!"

Sir, Tak left only two months and four days ago. Even if she did manage to make it to Irk, it is unlikely she would have contacted you so soon.

"Silence!" Zim shouted up at the computer. "I don't pay you to contradict me!"

You don't pay me at all.

Frowning, Zim pressed his back against the crescent-shaped seat. Whether he liked it or not, his computer was right. Even if Tak did manage to make it back to Irk, there was no way she would have contacted him by now. Not only was the risk too high with the smeet, but any communications to and from Irk were carefully monitored, and it wouldn't fare well for either of them if anyone knew he was involved.

He sank back into the backrest, his face transforming into a solemn frown. "Stupid Tak and her stupid smeet," he grumbled in disgust. Why must I be cursed to care so much?

He wondered what she was thinking about and whether or not she missed him. It was unlikely she would care too much given their current circumstances. Still, he hadn't managed to give up hope that she would, at the very least, contact him to inform him that she was alright.

He thought back to the moment when he first found her working in his lab, back when she was still recovering from her their initial struggle. The memory played out fresh in his mind.

He entered the lab, eyes narrowed. She was there, standing in the center, and using HIS gadgets to carefully repair her PAK.

He strode past her pretending nothing was wrong and continued on straight to where his bizarre pig experiments were being held on display. The beasts floated in large, cylindrical tanks, each one staring out aimlessly at nothing in particular with no thought crossing their minds. He approached the containers stiffly and picked up a metal holographic notepad at the base. Scanning the notes, he frowned.

The results were inconclusive. Not only were the pigs not providing any connection to the humans' favorite pizza chain, Bloaty's, but he couldn't understand why the primitive stink beasts had chosen a ham specimen to represent their greasy, assortment of foodstuffs in the first place. Surely there had to be some sort of connection. Maybe it was because they used ham on pizza as toppings, or maybe it was because the greasy runoff fattened them up like pigs. Either way, he was going to have to reevaluate.

Scratching his head, he thought over the possibilities. There was a brief moment he recalled standing in the skool lunch line and behind him, one of the snot-nosed children had overloaded his tray with an excess of tater tots. The other kid had commented on 'what a pig' he was, and the epiphany struck him like a bolt of lightening.

"That must be it!" he exclaimed, thrusting a pointed finger in the air.

Tak glanced up at him in confusion. "What must be it?"

He gave her a quick scowl and swung his head away. "None of you business!" he shouted back. "I've just uncovered why the humans would choose a hog creature to represent their favored pizza establishment is all."

Tak crossed her arms. "Why bother explaining it to me if it's none of my business?" she asked patronizingly.

Zim whipped back around. "I-...you don't just-"

Tak stared at him smirking as he struggled to explain himself. Deciding to take advantage of the opportunity, she moved in closer.

Zim felt his pulse quicken as she approached. He stood frozen and watched her every move as she teasingly circled around him, pretending to inspect every inch of the glass tube. He held his breath, not daring to move. He didn't understand why, but he had a sudden urge to reach out and touch her. His pulse was beating a million miles an hour, and her close proximity was making it near impossible to ignore the temptation.

Swallowing hard, he restrained himself. He knew what she was trying to do to him, and he wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.

"So you're trying to figure out why humans use pigs as a mascot?" she asked, bringing his mind back to focus. "What use is that?"

Zim snapped out of the distracting thoughts and shook his head. "You dare question my amazing genius?" He stiffened his arm out to explain. "The hog demon here is obviously some form of warship to the humans, and since they seem to love pizza so much, there must be some connection between it as their primary food source."

Tak gave him a disgruntled look. "You think pizza is their primary food source? You're joking right?"

"I do not joke Tak-beast," he said, turning his head away. "Such careful observation is critical of an invader. Not something I would expect YOU of all people to understand."

Feeling insulted, Tak's smirk of arrogance morphed into an angry frown. "You're even not a real invader!" she shouted, hoping to get the point across for once. "At least I would be competent enough to know what planet I'm on before trying to destroy it!"

"You've destroyed nothing!" Zim spat back in return, throwing his clipboard into the ground. "You couldn't even conquer Earth after years of planning!"

"That was because YOU got in the way AGAIN!" Tak stiffened her fists at her sides. "If it wasn't for you, and an INCONCEIVABLE amount of bad luck, I would have had this planet stuffed with snacks by now!"

Zim arrogantly folded his arms over his chest. "Zim cannot be defeated! Especially by you, Tak."

"Don't be ridiculous. You only defeated me because you got lucky. I could take you on anytime, anywhere! Just name it!"

"Pfft. Unlikely. Thanks to my elite training and superior knowledge of Earth, I will always have the upper hand!"

"YOU'RE EXAMINING PIGS!"

"DO NOT QUESTION MY METHODS!"

His smiled faded as the memory passed. Despite her vengeful attitude and irritant scowl, he really missed her. He could still picture her gleaming eyes boring into him, promising him an immanent death while she worked so diligently on her PAK. Those eyes had instilled fear in him at one point, but now the memory only reminded him of her gaping absence. It allowed the feeling of loneliness to steadily creep back up inside him. He hated it, and he would have done just about anything to have her return.

He thought about what life would have been like if she stayed, the two of them living out their lives as forgotten fugitives. If it weren't for the smeet, they could have lived on this planet like regular humans, sitting together and watching TV while Gir and Mimi played restlessly on the floor. He envisioned them spending time together deep in his labs, working on some new upgrade or maintenance for the base. He pictured them lying side by side on his roof at night, gazing up at the stars and wondering what the rest of their kind were up to.

The fantasy filled him with a pleasant warmth.

Getting lost in thought, another positive memory gradually eased into his mind. The two of them at one point had decided to spar one night in his base. It was after their affections had become apparent, and she had challenged him in a duel of hand-to-hand combat just to prove a point in the fit of an argument.

He watched as she set up her stance in the center of the room, the digital scenery of an Irken dueling ring developing around her. They were in his simulation chamber, the same one he had taken Gir in to test his upgraded intelligence chip, and were sparing to test who possessed the better set of skills.

She stared back at him confidently, and Zim readied himself for her attack. When she took off, she moved swiftly, but he was able to clearly see her path. He blocked the first strike and then the second, but eventually she managed to squeeze in and land a few hits. The programming in the chamber absorbed most of the impact, leaving only the simulated feeling of the blow, but it still affected his pride. He hadn't planned on letting her get in a single strike at all. Clearly, he had underestimated her.

After a few more minutes passed, neither of them made much progress. They had kept their distance from one another, and it was only until their frustration increased that they drew closer. Eventually Tak managed to wear him out enough that she was able to pin him to the ground in a choke hold. Zim struggled to break free, but her technique was solid. The countdown started and a small wave of panic passed over him. He hadn't foreseen a scenario in which he could lose, and she didn't show any signs of letting up.

In one last ditch effort, he looked back into her eyes softly and reached his arm up to rest his hand on the backside of her neck. She glanced at the gesture, unsure of his intentions. It wasn't a forceful touch, and light but gentle pressure that felt like he was about to caress her.

For a moment, her confusion had her frozen, and it was soon after that she realized her mistake. Taking his chance, he turned the tables on her in seconds, pinning her to the ground and preventing her from moving altogether. The counter timed down to zero, and to her disappointment, the contest was over.

Releasing his grip, he allowed her to stand up, leaving both of them gasping for breath. Resting his hands on his knees, he looked up at her. She seemed angry and obviously not too happy about losing.

"You cheated," she spat in between breaths.

Zim straightened his posture. "In a real battle, one must be prepared for anything," he returned, referring to his specialized elite training. "I simply took advantage of my opponent's weakness. You would have been wise to do the same."

Tak scowled. "Oh, is that so?" She straightened her posture and began approaching him seductively. "Well then, I think the battle isn't quite over yet. Wouldn't you agree?"

Zim gulped and felt his antennae flatten as he watched her approach. She circled around him, and drew closer with every step. The space between them grew smaller and smaller, and eventually he found himself trapped under her once more.

He gazed up at the ceiling, knowing it was foolish to dwell on such pleasant memories. He was going to need to forget her entirely, and daydreaming about their time together wasn't helping. Even if she did manage to survive the procedure on Irk, she would likely be imprisoned after her trial on Judgementia. She would be locked away and forgotten, or left to rot on some other miserable, filthy planet. She was never going to return to Earth.

Invaders needed no one.

He tried telling himself that, but he knew it was a lie. He repeated the mantra over and over in his head, hoping for it to stick like how it was programmed into him so long ago. But the more he tried process it, the more his mind fought to accept it. He didn't want to forget about her, and even though the memories still plagued him, erasing them would be an even more of a hassle. She was far too integrated with his psyche to get rid of so easily, and at this point, deleting her would mean deleting everything from the past year. It would be far too troublesome.

Invaders needed no one. So why was it so hard to let her go?

Suddenly the computer's voice snapped him out of his melancholy state.

Sir, incoming transmission from Tak's ship.

Zim nearly jumped out of his chair. "Tak?! Well what are you waiting for? Put it through!"

The scratchy sound of poor audio filled the chamber, but to his great relief, Tak's voice managed to buzz through the speakers. "Zim? Zim? Are you there?"

"Tak!" Zim practically pounced forward to the screen in excitement. "It's me! Are you alright?!"

There was more static as the message struggled to come through. Her voice was staticky, but recognizable. "Crash landed...on Earth. Need-" More static still as the message cut out.

"Tak? Tak?!" Zim stared back at the screen hopelessly. "Computer! Reconnect me to Tak's ship!"

No connection available.

Zim growled. "Then lock onto the message's last known coordinates!"

He waited impatiently as the computer did as it was told. There were a few more beeps before it spoke up. Coordinates locked onto the local park just outside the city. But seriously Zim, there's no way Tak could have-

"Local park?" Zim interrupted. "She will be discovered for sure!"

The computer let out an audible sigh as Zim dashed for the elevator.


Meanwhile, somewhere in deep space:

"I see. So that is your reasoning behind returning to Irk."

Tak stared out of the ship's window as it processed the wealth of information. She had spent most of her time explaining how she wound up at Zim's base, and with his smeet. It hadn't exactly been a pleasant conversation. The ship hadn't taken the news well, and Tak was sure that it planned on 'accidentally' ejecting her out of the cockpit any second for admitting such things.

But it hadn't, and instead, simply resorted to insulting her for her poor decisions. Being a copy of her old personality, she didn't expect the ship to understand what had happened between them. It hadn't seen Zim care for her in the way she did, or show her the unselfish side to him that she didn't know he had. The old her probably would have killed herself on the spot for even thinking it, but it was no use hiding it if she was just going to suffer the humiliation later.

She looked down shyly at her midsection and ran a hand over it. "It's the only other option I've got," she explained, following up on the conversation. "If I don't return to Irk, the smeet could end up killing me from the inside out."

"You deserve it," the ship replied harshly. "Allowing such an egotistical, selfish bastard anywhere close enough to lay a single hand on you? It's utterly disguising."

Tak cringed with a frown. "Look, I know the whole thing is hard to imagine, but I could do without the barrage of insults."

The ship's interior glowed a collection of fiery colors. "Hard to imagine? It's impossible! The very idea is revolting beyond measure! How could you even allow yourself to be that close to him? Him?! Out of all people?!"

Tak frowned. "I never said I was proud of it," she grumbled. "But he did have some redeeming qualities in him too. Not that I'd expect you to listen."

The ship grunted. "That's an understatement. I would rather gouge my circuits out with a spigelfork."

Tak's brow twitched in frustration. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to defend him, but she wasn't about to let the ship belittle her any further. "Look, can we just drop it? There's nothing you can tell me that I don't already know."

"Fine. Very well."

The conversation between them fell silent and for a little while, the only thing that could be heard was the gradual hum of the ships engines as it cruised through space. "Have you decided what you're going to do with it yet?" the ship asked promptly.

Tak felt something inside of her snap at the question. "If by IT, you mean the smeet, then no." Her voice fell dangerously low, and it was just one step away from becoming a snarl. "I'm not abandoning it if that's what you're implying."

The ship caught on to her aggressive undertone. "I understand where you're coming from, but you have to remember, it will still be half his. Are you sure you can stand another one of HIM running around? And what about your career as an invader? What do you think will happen if someone finds out?"

Tak went silent, the worry evident on her face. She knew full well what it meant to have Zim's DNA in the mix. The smeet could mean another fluke of insurmountable chaos, carelessly causing destruction everywhere it went. She would constantly be blamed for bringing it into the universe. Not to mention, she had no idea what was in store for her if they DID ever find out. Something like that was sure to sully her reputation.

There was another pause before the ship decided to continue. "Look, it may not be the best course of action, but maybe you should consider outing Zim as a donor."

Tak was taken aback. "What? Are you insane? You said yourself, if they were to discover-"

The ship cut her off. "Listen, if you told them Zim was alive, then maybe they would imprison him. Or even better, kill him. Wouldn't that just be the perfect way to extract your revenge? The icing on the cake for ruining both our horrible lives?"

Tak's posture deflated. "You're the one who's after revenge," she muttered quietly. "I would rather just focus on what lies ahead."

The ship glowed a suspicious orange. "Wait, don't tell me you actually CARE about that little egomaniac?"

Tak remained silent as a blush formed on her face.

"He took away your future! He destroyed your life!"

Tak continued to ignore the protests as she stared out the window. The ship flashed a various set of colors. "Oh you have got to be joking." It made obvious sounds of disapproval as it grumbled in defeat. "You're a former shell of the Irken who once built me you know! You should be ashamed of who you've become."

Tak scowled as the ship spoke the truth. She was ashamed, but at the same time she wasn't. It was deeply confusing state of mind, and one that the ship clearly didn't understand. "And maybe I should upgrade your personality interface so you'll cooperate better!" she threatened accordingly.

The ship cowered into a calm, neutral color. "No, please. Anything but that!"

"Then shut it and fly my to Irk."

The ship quieted and did as she asked. The cockpit grew silent. Moments later, Tak let out a mischievous smirk.

"He wasn't as bad as you'd think, you know..."

The ship made a horrible gagging noise and struggled to fly straight. Tak let out a hearty laugh. She could only imagine what the collection of circuitry was envisioning. Deciding to change the subject, she looked back outside the window.

"Are we getting close?"

"Yes. You might want to get preparations in order before entering orbit."


The ship entered orbit a few hours later, and as the planet gradually came into view, Tak felt an overwhelming sense of admiration as she gazed out upon the world that a majority of their kind called home. It was a massive pink and red swirl, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Irken ships. The cruisers carried cargo to and from the main ports, and on the outer rims, smaller vessels zipped to and fro, carrying on with their daily routines. None of them seemed to pay the slightest attention to a rogue, lone ship flying about through space.

Tak pressed a button on her control console to establish a connection with the docking platform. Correspondingly, a soldier in a moderately decorated uniform popped up on screen. "Identify yourself and state your business," he commanded.

"Irken service drone Tak." She did her best to straighten out her posture and look a official as possible. "Requesting clearance to land at the main hatchling facility headquarters. I was informed I could be assisted with my condition."

"Your condition?" The soldier gave her a strange look. "Only authorized personnel are allowed near the hatchling facilities, let alone headquarters. And your ship isn't even registered in the database. What business do you have in that sector, service drone?"

Tak's confidence faltered at the way he uttered her degrading title. "I-I'm carrying a smeet with me," she said timidly.

The soldier's expression morphed into confusion. "A smeet?" He glanced around her ship. "Where is it? I don't see it."

"It's um..." Tak glanced away awkwardly. "...inside me."

Befuddled, the soldier blinked a few times before reaching an arm up. "Hold on a moment."

He put the call on hold, and Tak waited anxiously as an upbeat tune played throughout the loudspeakers. Eventually he popped back on screen and a taller, more authoritative Irken stood next to him. "Service drone Tak, you are hereby ordered to land at the following coordinates immediately. Upon exiting your ship, you will be escorted to the proper location and ordered to remain inside the hatchling facility until further notice. You are to venture nowhere outside of the approved zone and will follow instructions as given. Failure to comply with these terms will result in imprisonment and or death. Understood?"

Tak swallowed hard. "Understood."

The transmission cut out and the ship abruptly began to descend into the planet's atmosphere. Tak surrendered the controls and allowed the auto pilot to guide her to the correct location. Taking the opportunity to look out the window, she gazed at the vast skyline below.

Her home world was beautiful and ass far as she could see, sophisticated buildings lined the horizon. She speculated in awe as the intricate foundation they made up grew larger and more detailed. As she cruised by, they filled her with a strange sense of admiration, knowing her race was presiding enough to dominate most of the galaxy. However at the same time, she felt misplaced, like she didn't quite belong on this world. She was an outcast, and now an outlaw, and any hope of returning to a decent life was almost certainly a lost cause.

The ship ventured far outside the city and on to a secluded area where it descended upon an impressively massive underground complex. The only thing that could be seen on the surface was a large, metallic, cylindrical-like spire, surrounded by what looked like the shape of a giant radar dish. In a way, it kind of looked like a giant flower stem, with one long stamen protruding upward. Encompassing it were dozens of massive metal tubes and other advanced machinery that dug straight into the ground; and the facility itself was heavily guarded, with the only way in being a small, ring-like landing platform that hovered several miles above the surface.

The ship parked itself on the platform and Tak stepped out. She was immediately greeted by two larger soldiers, both carrying electrically charged spears. One of them held up a bio-scanner to her forehead and seemed to be taking a mental note of her name and information. She watched in silence as they read through her file.

When the scanning was complete, the soldiers proceeded to handcuff her before urging her onward. Wearing pitted frowns, they guided her toward the elevator. Their grip was strong, and she did as they commanded. They seemed to have a general irritation about them, like it was the end of their shift after a long day of work. She decided it was best not to agitate them.

The elevator descended at a rapid rate down to the interior of the facility. Once inside, it came to a stop, and the soldiers stepped off the platform. They shoved her through a long entryway and into a large chamber. Inside the chamber, nurses and other medical personnel strode about, each one carrying a holographic panel and studying it profusely as if the outside world was of little concern.

Tak glanced around the room in amazement. It was all so calm and organized. She expected the scene to be more chaotic, like the time she visited the emergency wing after a severe training incident. Back then, the medical staff had been running about, yelling and screaming at one another to keep their heads above water. She remembered a new Irken arriving every minute, and each one needing immediate medical care.

Her case here must have been very rare indeed.

Upon entering the interior of the sector, the soldiers dumped her off in the middle of a dimly-lit, segregated magenta room. As they shoved her down and forced her weight onto her knees. She felt her wrists loosen as they deactivated the laser handcuffs and then, almost as abruptly as they entered, they left without a word.

Massaging her wrists, Tak stood up and glanced around the room. It looked like some sort of specialized incubation chamber, one designed to hold a collection of specimens. Lining the walls were thousands of glowing abiotic sacs, each one containing a smaller than average Irken smeet. She squinted at the sacs to take a closer look. The smeets were fragile and underdeveloped, and looked far weaker than any she had ever seen before.

Before she could explore any further, a deep, feminine voice echoed above her.

"My, my. It's been a while since I've last seen you here my dear."

Tak whirled around, only to glance up at a formidable Irken control brain suspended high above. It was magenta in color, and seemed to carry a warm, but firm, grandmotherly tone.

"Where am I? What is this place?" The questions began to pour out like vomit, and she looked about the room in a panic wondering why she was brought there.

The control brain glowed a warm magenta hue and didn't seem the least bit upset by her informal behavior. "I suppose it's only natural for you to question your whereabouts. After all, you were such a small, fragile thing the last time you were here."

Tak cocked her head curiously. The control brain carried an accent very similar to her own. "The last time I was here? Wait, you mean...you know me?"

The mass of bio-tec lit up in a spectacle. "Why of course my dear! It's not every day a natural born smeet is delivered here on Irk."

Tak glanced around the room and then back up again. "But I don't understand. If you're saying is true, then that means you raised me?"

The control brain lowered it's voice to a more instructional tone. "Well, not exactly. You see my dear, newborn smeets aren't in the same development stage as those who are tank bred. Unlike them, you were kept in an incubator and cared for under my watch until you were old enough to be cleared for training."

"But why go through the trouble?" asked Tak, still trying to process it all. "Aren't natural born smeets considered to be worthless?"

The control brain pulled back and its many pink indicators warmed to lighter shade of red. "Oh no, on the contrary my dear. Natural born smeets are a very special rarity. They must be cared for and nurtured, just the same as any other Irken child."

Tak looked around at the pods around her. "But why?" she asked again, still confused. "What purpose do we have for existing?"

The control brain seemed to take a moment to process the question. "Naturally conceived Irkens are more genetically diverse and gifted with stronger immune systems than those who are tank bred. They tend to possess hidden talents and are usually far healthier and more durable than those grown in the facility. They make excellent soldiers."

Tak took in the information carefully. She supposed it did all made sense. She noticed she had possessed talents her fellow trainees simply did not. She had been far quicker on the uptake, quicker with her reflexes, and even got sick less often. But still, it didn't explain why the others treated her so poorly.

"If we're held in such high regard," she started, stepping forward, "then why do the others treat us the way they do? Why do they hate us so much?"

The mass above her glowed a warm, pink hue once again. "Irkens are ruthlessly competitive by nature my dear. They will do just about anything to get ahead. Are you saying you are surprised the others tried to cutting you down before you could outperform them?"

Tak pondered the information. The answer seemed to make sense. "And what of my own donors?" she asked, curious. "Is there any record of them?"

"If they didn't leave anything behind, then there wouldn't be anything left to follow up on. Most donors choose to leave their young here and return to to their old lives to serve the Empire. It's the preferred choice, and the least difficult one."

Tak bowed her head and thought on the matter. There was more she would have liked to have answered, such if there was a way to find out who her own biological parents were, but she felt she was pressing her luck as it was. "So what happens now?" she asked, ignoring her overbearing, nagging thoughts.

"The medical staff is preparing your surgery room as we speak. When the time is right, they will move you there. But for now, you will be granted a private chamber to relax."

Tak fidgeted nervously. "And this procedure? It is safe right?"

"You talk like you have a choice in the matter my dear."

The female Irken's expression faltered worriedly. She subconsciously rested her hand over her belly. Handing her life over to the hands of strangers didn't seem like the best idea, but the control brain was right. What choice did she have?

"What will happen once it's removed?"

"The smeet will be placed in an incubation chamber, much like these are here, and you will be transported to stand trial on Judgementia. After your trail, you will be allowed one last opportunity to see it."

One last opportunity? Tak felt her heart sink. Did that mean they planned on deactivating her? Or disposing of her another way? Her mind begin to race at the possibilities.

The control brain must have detected her uneasiness because it switched back to its comforting tone right away. "Do not worry my child. You are far more valuable to collective alive than you are dead. My fellow units will be sure to grant you a merciful verdict."

Tak force a slight smile, but she did not feel reassured. At the very least, they would send her back to Dirt. And then what? Would they eventually allow her to retake the test? What would happen to the smeet? Would she ever be allowed to see it again? What would happen if they find out it was mixed with Zim's DNA?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No. One thing at a time.

Snapping back to focus, she watched as a few nurses entered to lead her to her new quarters. She went with them cooperatively and followed them through the corridor, and onto her new room.


Meanwhile, back on Earth

Zim landed the Voot just outside the park. He hid it behind some thick shrubbery, and activated the cloaking device to prevent it from being spotted. Hopping out with with his disguise in place, he scanned the area.

Off in the distance, he noticed a group of bystanders. They seemed to be surrounding something of interest, and had no intention of backing away. Feeling his heart rate increase, he rushed over immediately. "Outta the way! Move it!" He shoved aside as many of the smelly humans as he could until he made his way to the center. When he got there, he immediately dove into the pile of dirt and rubble without question.

"Tak! Tak?!" He clawed his way through the dirt hoping for some indication that she was alive. There were a collection of murmurs around him as bystanders watched him dig vigorously. Some commented on his strange outfit. Others simply wondered what he was up to. And some flat out lost interest and left.

Ignoring them, Zim did his best to keep digging. He did find it strange that there were no ruminants of her ship, or any other indications that an Irken craft had crash landed here, but he was too determined to care. If there was even the slightest chance she was in trouble, he was not going to risk losing her a second time.

Eventually, he cleared enough of the rubble away that he noticed a small, spherical device wedged in the center of the pile. It was roughly the size of a tennis ball, and donned a shiny, metallic, reflective surface.

He picked it up to examine it. "Wait a minute," he said, focusing on the spherical device. "This is no distress signal. It's a-"

Too late.

Before he could react, a series of metal restraints sprang out from the metal device and latched onto his arms and legs. They pulled inward, restricting any movement or ability to escape. Unable to move, he collapsed to the ground, and soon found himself completely immobilized as he struggled to break free. The more he struggled, the tighter the restraints held him. He tried using his PAK to activate his trusted spider legs, but one of the metal bands had wrapped around it as well, rendering it useless.

What is this? he grunted, twisting every which way. Who is responsible for disabling the great Zim?

For a moment he thought of the possibly that it could be Tak, that perhaps in one last ditch effort, she had tricked him upon her final departure. But before he could prepare his mental state for possible signs of betrayal, Dib stepped forward from the crowd.

Zim narrowed his eyes in disgust. "You. I should have known."

The boy approached him wearing a cocky grin. "I told you Zim, you shouldn't underestimate the capabilities of us humans. Pretty stupid of you to fall for that fake distress signal. That must be the oldest trick in the book!"

Zim glared back at the boy in disgust. "You horrible stink beast. What have you done with Tak?!"

"Tak?" the boy stared at the Irken in confusion. "All I did was use the leftover files from her personality interface to create a fake message on my computer. I have no idea where Tak is."

Zim stared him down as he stepped closer and examined his work. "I never dreamed this trap would work THIS well though," he continued, admiring his catch. "Man, I should have tired this a long time ago."

Zim just glared at him vehemently as the boy paced around him. "Like I would ever fall for a trick like that, you pathetic meat creature!"

Dib shot out his arms toward him in disbelief. "What are you talking about Zim? You just did! Look at you! You're caught right now!"

Zim glanced back at his immobilized body. "No human device can hold me," he replied confidently. "Just watch as I break free using my superior Irken brains!" He struggled a bit more against the restraints, but when unable to break free, looked back up at Dib sheepishly. "This seems...a bit more difficult than I imagined."

Dib smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. He knew he had finally won, and now it was time enjoy the fruits of his labor. "Alright Zim, I want answers. What have you done with Tak's ship! I know you were the one who stole it!"

Zim scowled in confusion. "Is that what this is about? Insolent fool boy! It was never yours to begin with!"

"It was too!" Dib shouted, somewhat childishly. "I was the one who found it! I was in MY backyard!"

"Just because you found it there doesn't it belongs to you, stupid human!" Zim spat back impetuously.

Dib snorted. "You're one to talk Zim! You came to Earth with every means to conquer it!"

Zim chuckled. "Yes, well...That's an entirely different matter."

"HOW is that any different?"

Zim ignored him and struggled against his restraints again in an attempt to break free. Realizing he was in a bit of a bind, his tone grew serious. "Let me go Dib-worm. I already told you, I no longer desire to bring destruction to your world!"

Dib shook his head. "Sorry Zim, but you're not getting away that easily. I told you I was going to capture you, and I finally did. And now the world is going to see that I was right all along." The boy stepped forward, and Zim's eyes went wide as he watched him pull out the old pair of handcuffs.

The Irken squirmed in response, thrashing about to miraculously somehow break free at the last second. "Unhand me filthy stink-beast! Don't you dare take one step closer! Or you'll suffer at the hands of Zim!"

The warnings went ignored as Dib approached. Zim began to panic as he closed in over him. "Alright Dib. You win. Now unhand me and we can call this whole thing even."

The human gave him a wrinkled, insulted look and straddled the extraterrestrial as he pinned him to the ground. He grabbed his arms and hands while struggling to get the cuffs aligned. Zim continued to thrash about, trying to make it as difficult as possible, but eventually the human succeeded.

Zim felt the cold steel clamp down around his delicate wrists as they met their target. Then slowly, he started to feel his consciousness begin to fade.

Dib breathed heavily and stepped back a moment to admire his success. I did it! I really did it! He stood up. Putting his hands around his mouth, he shouted out to the bystanders around them. "Hey everyone! Come witness a real live alien! Right here! Right before your very eyes!"

The group of bystanders gathered around and stared back at him skeptically. "That ain't no alien!" yelled one middle aged man.

Dib held a finger up. "He may not look like one with this disguise..." He grabbed hold of Zim's wig. "But what about if I were to remove...THESE!"

Zim vaguely felt his body jolt as Dib ripped away his wig and contacts. The audience let out a unanimous gasp, and the Irken found himself staring face to face with the very creatures he had sworn to enslave.

The audience grew speechless as they took in the sight. "I...I can't believe it! A real live alien!"

"He's right! The boy was telling the truth!"

Dib felt the rush of excitement flow through him as their jaws fell open with slack. "Yes! Just like I've been saying!"

They continued to voice their amazement.

"It wasn't a hoax."

"They really are here after all!"

The bystanders started murmuring amongst themselves and Dib felt his pulse pick up a mile a minute. Finally, things were starting to go his way. They were seeing Zim for what he really was, and better yet, acknowledging HIM as the captor.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Zim felt himself slowly drifting in and out of consciousness. He was trying to hold on as best he could, but knew he was fighting a loosing battle. His vision around him began to fade, and the last thing he remembered before passing out was being shoved to the ground by the underside of the boy's boot as his triumphant posture towered above him.


A few hours later, Zim awoke in a cold sweat. He sat up to take in his surroundings, realizing in the grim circumstances in which he had found himself. He was no longer in the sun-lit quarters of the park, but imprisoned in a dark, confined lab. A human lab to be precise. They had him concealed in some sort of indestructible cube, surrounded by various observation decks. At first, it looked to only be made of glass, but upon inspecting it closer, he could tell the material was fused with some sort of hardened polymer.

"What is this? Where am I?" he questioned, his voice heavy with panic. He held a hand against his head in an attempt to collect his bearings. The last thing he remembered was Dib standing over him, laughing. He wondered where the boy was now.

As if on cue, a figure popped out from the surrounding darkness. "Welcome to the Swollen Eyeball Zim," said Dib, wearing an arrogant smile. "I brought you here shortly after handcuffing you."

Zim turned around to see his long time rival staring back at him straight in the face. "Dib. So this is all your doing Dib-worm? I suppose you're quite pleased with yourself."

Dib took a moment to examine the container. "I guess you could say that. I said I'd catch you eventually didn't I?"

Zim looked around the room and realized there were various tools lying around that didn't look too friendly. He glanced down at his chest and noticed his PAK was still sealed with a metal latch that wrapped securely around his midsection. He pulled on the latch, hoping to pry it free. But without success, he gave up.

"There's no use trying to escape Zim," said Dib, stepping forward. "I made sure the other members of the Swollen Eyeball knew how to make this container as unbreakable as possible. All those years of study finally paid off. Turns out, they were saving another version of this for when someone finally managed to catch bigfoot."

Zim's eyes narrowed at the sneering human. "What is it you want, Dib-stink?" he asked, uttering the last few words venomously. He wanted to make sure the human still understood his place.

Dib ignored the insult. "I told you Zim. I'm going to expose you for the entire world to see. The Swollen Eyeball is about to go live with your broadcast in a few hours, and soon everyone will know just who, and WHAT, you are! They'll know about your plans to conquer Earth, and that I was the one who stopped you."

Zim growled. "I already told you, I have no plans to conquer Earth, Dib"

Dib eyes hardened at the simple mention of his name. "And you expect me to believe that?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes."

The answer was truthful, and it carried no hint of arrogance or guile whatsoever. Dib stared straight into his enemy's eyes, searching for any sign or inkling of trickery. It wasn't like Zim to remain so civil, and it certainly wasn't like him to beg for his freedom. Obviously the Irken has some plan in mind.

"And taking Tak's ship, that was just coincidence too right?" he asked, continuing the interrogation.

"I speak the truth!" Zim shouted, almost desperately. His tone hadn't gone unnoticed by the young paranormal investigator. He took a step back, and his voice became heavy. "If you must know, I stole Tak's ship so she could return to Irk. She was in great peril, and needed to leave before she could die."

Dib paused a moment, and then rolled his eyes at the pathetic attempt. "Yeah right Zim. How stupid do you think I am? You really think I'm dumb enough to fall for a sorry excuse like that?"

"It's the truth," he repeated. "Not that I would expect you to believe it, or understand the significance."

Dib rolled his eyes. "What is there to understand Zim? That you made up a fake sob story to make me feel bad for you? Or maybe it's some sort of stupid alien ritual I don't know about. Either way, I'm without a ship, and you're going to tell me what you did with it!"

"If you're that upset about a ship, I assure you, I can get you another," replied Zim, even a bit surprised with how cooperative it came out of his own mouth. "All I need is for you to-"

"Forget it Zim! I'm going to show you what really happens when Irkens mess with humans. You can lie to me all you want, but I'm not going to fall for it!"

"These are no lies, Dib-human!" returned Zim. He scowled at the boy. "Tak's life was in danger and I-"

"Like Tak would ever need any help from you," Dib countered, shutting the Irken up immediately. He realized what he said must have gotten through on a deeper level because Zim looked slightly hurt as well. "What could you have possibly done that made her SO weak and helpless Zim? Huh?" he asked, his eyes growing narrow. "Why did she need to steal MY ship in order to fly off into space?"

The boy recoiled as the Irken suddenly slammed his fist against the barrier. He was a little surprised to have triggered such a raw response. Curious, he stared into the Irken's piercing red eyes, searching for answers. Was it possible that he really was telling the truth?

He shook his head, writing it off as nothing more than an afterthought. His mind was playing tricks on him. Zim was caught. He'd won. And the Irken was just trying his best to weasel his way out of it. Just like he always did.

Zim stepped forward and rested his weight against the side of the chamber. "I suppose there's no convincing you then," he muttered in defeat. "Fine. Go about and do as you wish. I don't care anymore."

Dib frowned and took a step forward. "You don't get it Zim. I've been waiting my whole life for this moment! Ever since the day I saw you infiltrate our classroom, I've wanted to prove to the world I've been right all along. I'm sick of everyone treating me like a nuisance, sick of hearing them say that I'm insane. All the news stations on TV want to interview me, people are asking questions about how I did it, and even my dad is starting to pay closer attention. Finally, everyone is seeing me for the serious paranormal investigator that I am, and on top of that, I will no longer have to deal with the likes of YOU."

Zim held his glare as the human pointed a small, grubby finger at him.

"The autopsy is in a week. See you then, space jerk."

He watched as Dib backed away from the container and turned to make way for the exit. His eyes followed coldly as the boy strode off into the darkness.


Author's Note: Whew! That was a lot of story to cover! I tired my best to make Irk as believable as possible without providing too much detail on what the planet looks like as a whole. I feel like the series never really got a chance to fully explore the Irken home world and it's a real shame as I'm sure a lot of fans would have really liked to see what it looked like. There's still more to come, but I can't promise how quickly I'll update since this is such a critical turning point in the story. Wouldn't want to take a wrong turn somewhere and flush all of my hard work down the drain! As always, let me know your thoughts! Till next time!