Disclaimer: I do not own any Invader Zim characters. Anyone NOT I.Z related DOES belong to me. Sort of. I guess.

RATED T FOR STRONG LANGUAGE. Please do not kill me for the swearing, but it just seems... unrealistic for people to go through the zombie apocalypse just saying: 'Oh gosh darn!' So... yeah. I'm going to use a bit stronger words than just 'Shit,' which it pretty much the strongest word in any of my other stories, so don't flip out okay? (PROBABLY won't use the F-Bomb, though...)

I honestly don't know where I'm going with this story. If you want to make suggestions, feel free. I can't promise that I'll use them, but they might give me some cool ideas. And I KNOW that Zim is OOC, but deal with it! He's nineteen and going through a Zombie apocalypse!

As usual, keep reviews rolling in and be happy. (P.S: Do you guys WANT this to be a romance story? Leave your answer as a comment, either yes or no. The sooner you tell me, the faster I'll be able to shape the rest of this story.)

Thank you. Stay awesome everyone. Ferociter or NovaOfNazketrin, if either of you are reading this, please don't judge me. I honestly think I had too much candy and was freaked out about the Crooked Man thing that I watched. Beats me how zombies came out of THAT, but you know how my mind works, so it probably isn't a surprise to you. You've read the Zombie Arena. You know.

As for the rest of you... don't judge me either.

REVIEW! REVIEW! I NEED TO KNOW HOW THIS STORY IS GONNA GO! ROMANCE OR JUST FRIENDSHIP? (I won't tell you WHO the romance is between. Just let me know if you want any AT ALL.)

Blarg. Okay, I'm done now.

I crouched in the rafters, gazing coldly down on the corpse that stumbled across the ground below.

It was a young kid; only fifteen or fourteen years of age. Although compared to my nineteen, I guess it wasn't that much younger.

But then again, humans were weird. And I didn't like to compare myself to them.

I tapped my pistol against my knee, waiting for the corpse to pass by so the mission could continue.

"Zim, you're tense," growled a low voice from beside me. "Loosen up, or you'll fall out of the ceiling."

I frowned but didn't look away from the corpse.

"Zim, are you listening to me?"

"Nope."

"Classy."

This time, I did look over for a brief moment. The human girl kneeling next to me on the long wooden rafters responded with a small glare.

"You're trouble, you know that?"

I snorted at this, finding it funny.

"Are you just going to make noises at me?" the girl asked.

"Yes."

"Huh. You and Dib sure are alike."

This made my mood turn sour.

"If you compare me to him one more time, I'll tear out your throat."

The girl laughed.

"You do that, and you'll be executed. So go ahead."

I hissed and tried to ignore her.

"What are we doing here anyway?" she asked.

I ignored her.

"Talk to me."

Still ignoring.

"Talk, or I'll push you out of the rafters."

Ooo. Change of events.

"See that?" I asked, nodding downward. The girl wrinkled her nose.

"The zombie?"

"Yes, you idiot."

"Don't call me that."

"Idiot."

The girl took a pistol from her coat and gently pressed it under my chin.

"You know, Zim?" she said softly. "I really don't like you. You seem... different."

I glared at her.

"Racist."

"So what? My point is, if you don't stop being an asshole..."

This time, she was the one that nodded downwards.

" ... You're going to have an... unfortunate encounter with the dead."

"Is that blackmail?"

"Yes. So, what's your answer?"

I pondered this for a moment. I could, of course, kill her in many different ways in only a few seconds. However, that would result in me having to explain myself to the rest of the town when only one person returned from the mission.

Well, I would have to find some other opportunity. It wouldn't be that hard, people died every day.

I just wanted to see the look on her face when she realized that I was indeed 'different.' It would be wonderful.

But for now, I would pretend to be a member of this disgusting species in order to survive this unusual turn of events.

"Zim? Your answer?"

"I'll try to be more of a jerk than an asshole," I replied with a small smirk. The girl narrowed her eyes.

"Lose the lip and maybe things will work out."

"Sorry. That's pretty much my whole personality."

The girl decided to give up on the argument and check the ground below us.

"... Coast is clear," she announced. "Why didn't you just shoot the damn thing?"

I didn't grace this stupid question with an answer and instead dropped down from the ceiling and landed on my feet.

"Come on, slow poke..." I growled. "I want to get this finished quickly. There's a warm meal waiting for me back at the compound."

Mimicking my voice in a mocking tone, the girl climbed down one of the supporting pillars of the building and jumped to the floor.

"You're a strange one, Zim..." she growled, brushing past me. "You're gonna wish that you'd been less of a loner soon enough-"

"Rebecca, isn't it?" I asked, causing her to turn around in confusion.

"Wh- yes. Why does that matter?"

I felt my mouth curl into a a toothy grin.

"You'd better watch it. If I recall, the world has gone to the dead. And accidents can always happen."

Rebecca looked frightened for a moment, allowing me to enjoy the panicked animalistic glint in her eyes.

But, sadly, she composed herself in only a few moments and responded with an ugly scowl.

"Come on, moron," she ordered. "We have a mission to complete."

"Ah yes..." I smiled, watching her turn away. "The mission. I'd almost forgotten..."

Now and again, I found myself trying to remember life before the disaster. Funny. It was growing increasingly difficult for me to remember what it was like before this.

Back when I was younger and still totally focused on conquering earth in the name of the Irken empire, I'd never really thought that anything could go wrong or hinder my conquest. As I grew older and the Tallest finally decided to tell me the truth about my mission and cut me from their lives forever, I'd decided to give up on ever being an invader. I really did try to carve a life for myself among the lesser creatures of earth.

And then, three years ago, just when things had started to look like they'd work out...

The apocalypse started. Or at least, that's the name the humans gave it.

Everything went to hell. I couldn't believe how quickly civilization fell apart. In only a matter of days there were corpses walking right outside my base. I'll admit, I'd been terrified at the time. I'd never liked creepy things. Eventually, the stupid humans started dropping bombs nearby and living in my base became too hazardous. I was forced to evacuate so suddenly, I didn't have time to take anything with me besides the clothes on my back. Along with a group of humans from around the area, I made it to some safe zone set up by none other than Dib's father.

Dib. Jeez, was it really possible to be annoyed by a single person so much?

Dib. Once an outcast, now humanity's last hope. Or at least, everyone thought he was humanity's last hope.

In my opinion, humanity was downright screwed if Dib was our final line of action. The guy was still as awkward and clumsy as ever.

However, since the zombies were pretty much living (or dead) proof that he wasn't crazy, people looked to him to set things right. Always the attention whore, he took responsibility as second in command of 'Guardian's Keep,' one of the few places safe for humans to live in a community. His father ran the place.

Heh. I remember seeing him for the first time after shit hit the fan. I was among the refugees being accepted into the compound. He hadn't been exactly pleased to see me, but he eventually decided that one paranormal problem was bad enough. Besides, he had a hunch that my skills would be valuable.

And he was right. I don't think the settlement would have survived long without my Irken abilities.

Of course, no one besides Dib knew what I was and I planned to keep it that way. No need for me to be driven out into the zombie-infested city. That would not be very comfortable.

Three years living with humans. Three years fighting these undead sons-of-bitches. Good thing I was already used to combat or I would have killed myself a LONG time ago.

For all of its complexity, 'Guardian's Keep' did have some flaws; supplies ran out rather quickly and the wall keeping the zombies out needed to be repaired once a month.

The wall wasn't THAT big of a problem. A few men hammering away at it once a week kept it in pretty decent shape. But the supplies...

Well, that's why the 'Seekers' were established. Humans think of names for everything, huh?

The Seekers were like shadows. They slipped through the zombie city quietly and silently, gathering food, medicine or whatever else was needed and slipping back into the Keep was soon as possible. We called these runs 'missions.' These 'missions' were carried out by people under the age of forty, usually in their teens. People who could move quickly and stay quiet.

I fell into that category. (According to the humans, anyway) I was of course given many choices job wise, (Ugh working for HUMANS!) but being a Seeker seemed better than sanitary worker or wall repairman, so I swallowed down my fierce Irken pride and went with the flow. I was given two hand pistols, (The primitive human tool of defense) and sent out twice a week to collect supplies from the shattered place that was once a city of the living, and was now a city ruled by the dead.

First rule of the Seekers: Never go out alone.

Never ever.

Missions were carried out by AT LEAST two people, usually four. Going out by yourself was utter suicide.

I didn't LIKE the idea of dying, so I decided that I would have to deal with human company constantly.

Many times I tried to return to my base, but it was located in the area that people called 'The Red Zone.'

In other words, a shit load of zombies were hanging around the place. And besides, I was never alone. I wasn't ready to reveal myself to ANYONE.

So I would have to endure.

I paused and sniffed the air. The musty sent of old blood and guts made me cough.

"What is it?"

I glared over my shoulder.

"It smells like a hoard coming by, so stay back."

Rebecca shuddered slightly.

"Don't worry..." I smirked mockingly. "I'll save your ass if it comes to that. I don't want to have to explain myself to Dib."

The human glared at me.

"It's not that! It's just... creepy that you can do that."

I frowned.

"Do what?"

"Smell things like a dog."

I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah well... If I wasn't able to, we'd be walking into the arms of some friendly corpses now, wouldn't we?"

Rebecca didn't answer for the longest time.

"You're really different, Zim..." she said quietly.

"The world's a hell-hole. Being different doesn't really matter anymore, does it?"

"No. I guess not."

"Just... wait here."

Pressing my back against the brick wall, I peered around the corner. What used to be a city street loomed ahead of me, framed by tall broken skyscrapers and cars left abandoned on the sidewalk.

"Stay here."

"Zi- Where are you going?!"

I went on all fours and crawled over to the nearest car. The windows were shattered and strewn across the road, so I maneuvered gingerly around the shards to avoid cutting myself.

"Zim!" Rebecca cried.

"Shut up!" I hissed. I crawled under the vehicle and peered out from behind the wheel.

About forty meters away, loitering by the remains of a pet shop, a large group of the undead stood swaying slightly on their feet. Even a decent ways away, I could smell the stink from their rotting bodies and see the pale flesh tearing away from their limbs. I barred my teeth in disgust at the sight.

"Hideous..."

Many wore the remains of regular street clothing. Others had police uniforms and suits. All in all, humans from the city.

Wonderful. The place we need to get to is right behind them. If we can just... wait... what are they...?

Many of the zombies had their faces upwards, sniffing the air like a pack of wolves. A loud moan rose up from the group.

I mentally slapped myself as I remembered a tip given to me by another Seeker: 'If you're close enough to see them clearly, they're close enough to smell you clearly.'

"Shit..." I growled.

With enraged screeches, the hoard turned and thundered toward my hiding spot.

I had barely began to register that I needed to flee when the hoard surrounded the car. I cringed and curled up tighter, but to my surprise, they simply parted around the vehicle and continued to thunder past.

I was utterly confused by this behavior.

Did they... not see me?

"ZIM!" Rebecca screamed, terror in her voice.

Oh shit. They're after HER.

In truth, I didn't really care what happened to the human girl. However, I wasn't fond of the idea of having to explain Rebecca's death, so I felt that it was necessary to save her.

I needed to do something quick before they bit her. Once THAT happened... sheesh, nothing to be done. Better to shoot her in the head if I was the merciful type.

But I wasn't the merciful type.

I crawled out from under the car and got my bearings. The street was empty, but I could clearly hear the wails of the dead as the followed the human through the twisting alleys. If she was smart, Rebecca would have climbed a fire escape or something, but I didn't think the idea would cross her mind. So I would have to go after her.

"Goddamn humans..." I hissed.

For the first time in about a month, I unsheathed my P.A.K legs and used them to vault into the air. The feeling of the wind rushing past my face, even though my antenna were hidden beneath a hologram... it was heavenly. I could almost forget the disaster that had happened.

But then I heard Rebecca scream again and I was brought back to reality.

I hooked unto the side of a building and used the high ground to look into the alleys. It didn't take me long to spot the hoard of zombies and pinpoint the small person running like heck away from them. However, I also noticed that Rebecca was about to turn towards a dead end.

Literally.

"Crap."

I pushed off from the building and hit the next one running. I sped along the side, keeping my balance on the tilted surface with the extra appendages.

"I need to get closer..." I growled.

Ignoring the stomach-wrenching sensation, I jumped off the skyscraper and landed neatly on top of on of the smaller structures. For a moment, I lost track of the hoard.

"Ah, shit!" I hissed.

"STOP! GO AWAY!"

I perked up at the shout. Allowing myself a grim smile, I crouched and hopped from on rooftop to the next.

I reached Rebecca just as she ran into the wall at the end of the alley. Horrified and sobbing, she clawed at the bricks with bloodied fingernails as the first zombie rounded the corner behind her.

"No! NO NO NO NO!"

I sighed in an annoyed fashion.

"I did promise to save her ass... Ugh, why do humans have to be so... useless?"

The corpse ran up to Rebecca and started to reach out with pale, bony fingers. The human screamed and covered her face.

Your GUN, you idiot! Your- Ah, shit!

I jumped in between the two and shoved my pistol into the zombie's mouth. Its momentum slammed the weapon further into its jaw.

I was close enough to see every single blue vein underneath the white skin, to see the rotting flesh on the cheeks and see the strange white glow coming from the eyes.

The zombie choked on the gun and tried to grab at my wrists.

"Lights out, asshole," I grinned as I pulled the trigger.

An explosion of color. Muddy red and pale pink, white and black. A geyser that erupted from the back of the corpse's skull. I enjoyed it far too much. I enjoyed watching the supernatural light drain from the lifeless eyes.

The body slumped to the floor, unmoving.

With a sigh, I scooped the muck away from my face and wiped in on my pants. The tight black clothing had been given to me once I had started my work as a Seeker, and it needed to be washed every single day.

Not that I cared if it was dirty.

Rebecca was sobbing behind me, the left side of her face covered in zombie pus and bits of skull. I gave her my best vampire grin, enjoying the look of terror in her eyes.

"Y- y- you... y-you m- moron!"

Her body was shaking violently, but she made a heroic attempt to stand in front of me.

"You... you got so close to it! It could have... bitten-"

I grabbed her neck and yanked her face close. She shriveled under my cold stare.

"You didn't pull out your gun," I whispered. "And that makes you the moron."

"I didn't... think..."

I released her, knowing that I had frightened her enough.

"Where's the rest?"

Rebecca carefully wiped gunk away from her mouth.

"I... lost them. This one followed me, I don't-"

Just as she started speaking, a couple more zombies appeared at the end of the alley. I quickly scooped Rebecca up and jumped back onto the roof.

"H- HEY!" she yelped.

"Hold on and you'd BETTER not move."

The zombies clawed at the walls below me. I was going to go into the alley right next door, but I turned to see that it was filled with the rest of the hoard.

There was no way were were going to escape, unless...

Shit. Looks like I'm gonna have to do this.

I unsheathed my P.A.K legs again, ignoring Rebecca's gasp of surprise. Racing to the edge of the building, I pushed against the ground and shot into the air.

Leaving the zombies far behind, I hooked onto the top of a sky scrapper and dumped Rebecca onto the floor. She crawled away from me as quickly as she could.

"Ge- get away!"

I gave her a cold stare.

"I just saved your life. Be a little more considerate."

Rebecca fumbled in her coat and yanked out her pistol.

"WHAT ARE YOU?!" she demanded, pointing it at me. I shrugged.

"Someone who wants to survive. Put the gun down, Rebecca."

She hesitated.

"Put it down. Now."

"I don't-"

"DAMN IT, I JUST SAVE YOUR MISERABLE LIFE! I COULD HAVE LET YOU DIE DOWN THERE!"

She flinched at my sudden outburst, but I was honestly pissed off. I stalked over to her and slapped the gun from her grip. It clattered across the roof, out of reach.

"NOW LISTEN TO ME! WE'RE GOING TO FINISH THIS MISSION, AND THEN WE'RE GOING HOME. EASY. SIMPLE. DO NO MAKE THIS COMPLICATED."

Rebecca whimpered, a shell of her former self. I guessed that the brush with death had broken her mind.

"I'll leave you here if I have to," I growled. This brought her back to her senses.

"NO! NO, PLEASE!"

She literally got on her knees and hugged my boots.

"DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!"

I sniffed, annoyed.

"Don't you dare breath a word of this to anyone, do you hear?"

Rebecca looked confused.

"Of... of... of what?"

I leaned down, taking her chin in my hand. Her wide eyes bore into mine.

"Of what you saw," I hissed. "Dib's keeping it a secret, and now you ned to as well. Got it?"

Rebecca nodded vigorously.

"I know, I know, I won't... I won't..."

"Good," I grinned, straightening up and stretching my weary limbs. "Because if you do, I'm going to be much worse than any zombie you come across."

Beautiful. I finished it. I think...

Yep, like I said, I have NO idea where this is gonna go. Ideas would help a lot.

Thanks for reading and review please! I love reviews!

Oh, and if anyone wants to ATTEMPT to draw Seeker Stealth clothing... I dunno. It's tight, it's black... think assassin I guess.

Go ahead and try to design it. I honestly have no idea what it looks like either. Maybe if people start drawing art based on the story and send me a link, I'll post them up on the chapters as they come out for the world to see. Exciting? Yes, yes... I know.

See you next chapter.