Game [Not] Over - The Return of Tak

Notes I've been working on this for a while now. Basically it took a while for me to get ideas sorted out. This is based off a long RP a good friend and I did.

Disclaimer Invader Zim, materials and characters are all copyrighted to Jhonen Vasquez. I have no right to them. Prologue is a songfic. ``Aliens Exist`` By: Blink 182.

Summary It takes more, to kill an irken. Please welcome the return of Tak. Which turns Dib's life... and everything he believes in upside down. The gang's in high school now. Will contain romance, entwined. DATR, ZAGR.

Prologue: Aliens! They [do] Exist

            The small desktop was already heavily aligned with broken and melted parts, blueprints, as well as scribbles of notes. Dib regarded all that, by stalking it into a neat pile. He placed his laptop on the space provided that he cleared, and flicked on the power switch. He sighed lightly, his hazel eyes narrowed, and watching the screen start up. It had been a few months, since he had begun his newest and most important project. However, the project wasn't about Zim. It had almost nothing to do with Zim. His project was behind him. The smoldering craft that was lying isolated in the center of his garage. The same craft that had shot across the sky, like a forbidden shooting star--and finally made impact in his front lawn. He had smiled broadly, once getting over the shock. He smiled at the fact that the stars seemed to shift a little bit closer, and that it was the last (and only) item that reminded him, of that girl that walked into his classroom that year. That Valentine's Day.

Hey mom there's something in the backroom
hope it's not the creature from above
you used to read me stories
as if my dreams were boring
we all know conspiracies are dumb. .

             She was a threat? Yes. Of course. A normal, exotic appearance seemed to muffle her true self. Dib hoped away from his laptop, and observed the parts of the ship, which still remained damaged. The escape pod, which was missing--it's outlined remained amid the inner part of the ship. The dashboard was smashed in a few positions, leaving repair to be heavy. Basically, Dib's main focus was to try and repair it the best of his knowledge, as well as transfer irken files onto his computer. Dib placed a hand against the warm outer metal lining of the ship. The outer core was burnt, and some part of the metal seemed to be melted into each other. This must've occurred when she broke through he atmosphere, at such an alarming rate.

            ``Install ion Completed.`` The computer piped a few seconds later, as Dib turned around. He rushed back over to the table, and yanked out the power cord from the back of the laptop. Extending it as if it was an extension cord, hooking one side into the area where the mouse would've gone. Inching towards the craft, Dib plugged the other end into the end of the dashboard, luckily, which had been uncovered only a few days ago. "Computer. Being processing." Dib exhaled heavily, eyes watching his computer screen. ``Processing in progress.``

What if people knew that these were real
I'd leave my closet door open all night
I know the CIA would say
what you hear is all hearsay
I wish someone would tell me what was right!

            "What's going on?!" The voice barked, furiously trying to gain control of the out-of-control ship. One moment, the isolation of space, and hovering was all that was going on. Now the earth's pull had hooked a hold of the small escape pod, and began to drag it mercilessly into the beginning outer layers of the atmosphere. Flushed, the female irken began a fight for the control panel. "Slow down, slow down!" She yelled out again, as her computer screen's speed level was at it's max, the screen bright red. Once again, she fought to bring the speed down. Already she could feel the heat of the earth rebelling against her. Like, being spilt in three ways. One part wanted to go up, one wanted down, and the other wanted the object destroyed.

            The SIR raised its head meekly, watching her mistress struggling endlessly. Mimi quietly padded her way over to the other side--watching as they drifted closer and closer to the lands of earth. Already twilight down on the planet, the dusky appearance of the sky blurred azure--barely being able to be seen through the speed. She had given up by then, and gasped. Her mouth dropped, and her antennae curled backward dangerously. The land became from a vision of small dots to realization. Closer and closer, the illusion of depth seemed to be fading.

Up all night long
and there's something very wrong
and I know it must be late
been gone since yesterday
I'm not like you guys
I'm not like you

            She didn't need to die re-entering earth's atmosphere. Yet, it seemed like a very likely cause. Her pod began to spiral, leaving an irritated and highly frightened Tak at another losing battle for control. ``Speed Reduction, Command accepted! Processing.`` Tak's expression lit up, as the screen dropped from red, and continued to drop at a new pace. The pod began to inch slower, and slower when earth's terrain had became several hundred feet away. She felt the pod jerk and shift as they slowed down completely. ``#00345, Error. Ejecting.`` The computer groaned, before the hatch of the pod flung open, and Tak's seat sprung upward--sending her to sail within the air.

            Not far, she hit the cement with a painful thud. Her figure rolled and she placed her hands up to shield her face. As she rolled she faded out and in within a dim purple mist--once again re-claiming the old human appearance she had used to smuggle herself when she had first arrived. Her antennae quickly disappeared below her hairline. She shifted her weight, gaining control as she finally came to a halt. She felt the fabric of her pants covering her kneecap rip open, and break her skin. She winced as she sat up, grabbing at her knee. She looked up at the sky, to see her pod skyrocketing downward.

            The pods crash-landed in a heap of debris, smoke and fire and caused the ground to level sharply. Tak stumbled out of distance of the now destroyed escape pod. She felt herself watch the pod burn, until it reduced to a sizzling heap of metal. She sighed, allowing the twilight to fall upon her, signaling the coming of the earth nightfall.

I am still a skeptic yes you know me
been best friends and will be till we die
I got an injection
of fear from the abduction
my best friend thinks I'm just telling lies
alright. . .

            She turned away, eyes slightly wavering from the on coming lights of the neighborhood. She bit down on her bottom lip, and groaned. "Thank you, gravity." She muttered in a slur up at the pale skyline. "Mimi?" She called out wearily, wiping a hand across her cheek as she searched her sides for her companion. "Mimi. . .?" She repeated after a few seconds, her head darting behind her. Padding out from alley corridor, the red eyes of the cat gazed up at Tak lazily, before hurrying to her side. The black cat poised herself and jumped up onto her waiting masters' shoulder. Tak entwined both hands, a sigh of relief escaping her.

"We're back to this place, Mimi."

Up all night long
and there's something very wrong
and I know it must be late
been gone since yesterday
I'm not like you guys
I'm not like you

            Dib felt the ground rumble for what seemed to be about 5 seconds. He jumped up, and tripped over the power cable, causing it to rip from the craft. His booted foot, entwined in the thing, he fell over looking up in surprise. ``Running time error. File could not be transferred.`` Dib's eyes widened, and he jumped up, pulling the cord off his foot. "What?!" His face dropped like a stalk of books, as he narrowed his eyes harshly at the only window located in the garage. He turned around, and burst open the door, bolting up the metallic stairwell.

            Gaz had been sitting on the patio when the ``earthquake`` had occurred. This had caused her to drop her Game slave 2 onto the ground, causing the batteries to spring out of their safe place. The cover had landed across the area. Now, in terrible annoyance, Gaz was on her hands and knees, struggling to find the cover part of her GS2, abandoning her dinner, which consisted of a weenie, and grape soda.

            It was around that time that Dib had literally fell out of the glass doorway, nearly tripping over Gaz's hunched form. Dib skidded to a stop, looking down at his sister oddly, and quirking an eyebrow. "GAZ!" He yelled, flailing an arm to get her attention. Yet Gaz showed little to no interest. Just continued her search for the missing part of her beloved game. Dib, feeling ignored huffed and turned sharply on his heel. "Gaz! Did you feel that? hear it? Where did it come from??"

            Now he had gotten her attention, Gaz looked up, one golden eye narrowed and opened at her brother, the other remained squinted. "Oh yeah. I heard that." She said, calmly. "Cost me three saved games, two bonus rounds, and the vampire piggy, BEATEN!" She added, snarling lightly at Dib. He easily took the hint, and turned before bounding the short ladder to the rooftop.

Dark and scary, ordinary
explanation, information
nice to know ya, paranoia
where's my mother, biofather

            The wind changed its direction, and the stars seemed all the tad too bright. Dib stood on the roof, with his hands clutched tightly into fists. Zim had been quiet. Too quiet over the past few days, yet something seemed oddly different. Causing his senses to ensnare. All five seemed to go blank, as he stared over the course of his silent neighborhood. His mind bewitched, he could've sworn, within those few moments on that roof--he spotted a silhouette of a cat, outlined in faint crimson. He could hear laughter. He could feel her presence.

            She was back, and alive.

Up all night long
and there's something very wrong
and I know it must be late
been gone since yesterday
I'm not like you guys
twelve majestic lies . . .