Disclaimer: I don't own Invader Zim, but if I had enough money I would totally buy it.

….

Lock The Door

~Prologue~

Vinny struggled against the bindings that held him to his chair. Blindfolded and tied up, he had been sent to this dark room, only being told "someone would be with him in a bit." That didn't ease his fears a bit. All he knew was that he had been taken.

As he strained to free his fingers, he froze as he heard a metallic squeal. A patch of light found its way through his blindfold, and he heard another clang. Suddenly, his blindness was lifted, and the cloth thrown to the floor. Vinny gasped, and squinted as he saw a bright light assault his eyes.

"Well hello, Mr. Juan. Can you see me?" a voice said, smooth and unconcerned.

Vinny widened his eyes. "You coward! Tyin' me up like a little -" he said, spitting a stream of curses at whoever had spoken.

"Language, Mr. Juan." Vinny stopped long enough to hear the man- the voice was definitely male- and paused.

"W-what have yeh done?" he said, his voice almost quavering. From behind the light, the man laughed.

"I asked you a question first, Mr. Juan."

Vinny paused. He didn't trust this little mama's boy one bit. Still, he had him tied to a chair.

"No… I can't…" he said, submissive, as the outlook for him wasn't good. Vinny squirmed- was it getting hot in there?

The man laughed once again. "Good," he said, "now we can begin."

Vinny panicked for a minute, thinking this might be an interrogation for his small crime streak. "I didn't do nothing! You can't trace me back to anything!"

The man paused. "We caught you coming out of someone's house with weapons," he said in a monotone.

Vinny paused, and then his eyes widened in fear. "Yo-you know? About that? … Don't remind me of that 'orrible place… it's not good fer my health…"

The man gave no indication that he had heard at first, then lowered the light from Vinny's eyes. Vinny whimpered, all tough-guy attitude gone from his eyes.

"D-don't remind me… of that 'orrible house…"

The man said nothing, but sat down at a table that Vinny hadn't noticed before. "I need you to tell me what happened that night," he said.

Vinny yelled, regaining the wall around his emotions. "I ain't tellin' you, sir! I ain't need no psyche-whatever damage! That house is deranged! Stay away from it if yeh know what's good fer you!"

The man laid his hand down on the table. "Mr. Juan, this is going to be a very long night if you don't tell me what went on."

Vinny trembled, staring at the shadowy figure across from him. "Then we ain't goin' to have a short night, eh?" he said, growling under his breath.

As he looked away from the shadow of the man, his jaw was grabbed by a meaty hand that suddenly appeared. "Hey, man, I ain't gonna talk about that 'orrible place!" Vinny shouted, back arching with surprise.

"My name is Harold Watcher. I have served in the Marines for 12 years, and fought in many wars you do not know even existed. I work now in Area 51," the man said.

"And I need to know what you found in that house."

…

(As a notice to all of you, previously this story had really long and winding author's notes that I've cut considerably.)