4:38 A.M, January 28th

Location unknown

The sound of sharp metal slicing into flesh. A blood curdling, air piercing scream. The already crimson sheets dyed a deeper red upon every new wound. A soft thump, a hand's clash against metal, the lights dimming with a quiet groan.

7:22 A.M, January 28th

Tightly bound leather straps, a rusty dentist's chair. Dry, musky air, infused with the salty scent of freshly spilt blood. A single, flickering light dances on its string. I'm here again. All too familiar. The hidden door eases open with a slow, hollow creak. A stout figure walks in, his amaranth glassy eyes glinting in the weak lighting.

"So.. You're awake."

I let out a faint whimper, not wanting to anger him again.

"Quit whining."

Clink. Clink. Clink. A thin, crooked blade tapping on metal walls.

"A couple of hours ago, I performed a less than successful interrogation on you."

I nodded slightly, staring unblinkingly at his squinting eyes.

"I want you to know that was only practice."

Clink. Clink. Clink.

WHAM.

Blade embedded in leather, half an inch away from my ear. I fought not to scream, panic boiling up to my throat. He let his fingers uncurl from the blade, slowly turning, looming right over me. Close enough to share breath.

"Tell me what they want from me."

"W-.. What who wants...?"

Suddenly infuriated, he ripped the knife from the chair and pierced clean into my shoulder, pinning me tighter than any strap could. I wheezed heavily, coughing out a drop of blood.

"WHO DO YOU THINK? The TALLEST! Why have they stopped CONTACTING ME?"

I would have chuckled if it weren't for the pulsing in my left arm.

"They.. They didn't stop calling you, they never WERE calling you! You stopped calling THEM!"

"Because they told me to! It was a test; I was to wait until I was needed!"

"That was a YEAR ago, Zim. They don't need you."

He glared, his whole body shaking in rage. In one swift move the knife was out of my shoulder and in the center of my chest. I gave up on staying calm, letting out a scream of agony. I could barely focus my eyes.

"THEY WILL ALWAYS NEED ME. I just need to know what for."

"W-h... What makes you think I would know?"

He smirked as if it was obvious.

"You're the only person besides ME here who ever had contact with them. If I don't know what's going on, you do. And you're going to tell me. You don't want to shorten your already miserable lifespan, human." He glanced at the blood running down my stomach and looked dangerously cheerful for a moment, like a kitten watching pouring milk. "Looks like you can't stay conscious for much longer, so speak quickly or it's over."

He was right; I was already feeling groggy again. All too familiar, all too familiar.

"I... I swear I don't know anything..."

Still panting, faster and faster. My head felt like it was floating away, the ceiling growing farther as the room extended into nothingness.

12:30 P.M, January 28th

68 Elston Avenue - Membrane Residence

When I was again aware of my surroundings, I was on yet another table. The room was white and sterile, harsh solid lights. I could faintly hear a heart monitor beeping rhythmically. I looked down to find my body free to move about, cotton padding around my leg, shoulder, and abdomen.

I sighed in relief, somehow surviving another encounter. Over the past year, Zim's gotten a bit more serious, a bit more desperate. He's thinking his plans through less, giving up on crazy contraptions and engineered mech suits. He just wants to get things done in whatever way he can.

Dad walked in, glancing at me half-heartedly as he went to grab some equipment.

"Oh good, you're awake. Found you lying on the sidewalk on the way back home. Quite a mess, too! You should really ease up on the horseplay, son." He patted me on the head and left.

5:17 P.M, January 29th

Extra-Terrestrial Base (no address known)

I replaced the sheets with a sterile set, throwing the blood-soaked remains of the old rags in the incinerator. Why didn't I just kill him, right then and there? Why am I so WEAK? I got scared? I panicked when I saw his eyes fade. I thought he had died. But why would that bother me? He's Dib. He's an earthworm. But I let him go again?

The Tallest had completely removed me from their systems, remotely reformatting my base. All my information lost, all my ingenious plans and devices, gone forever. I didn't even have the coordinates of the Massive.

I was stranded.

But that's okay. Just means I get to be a bit more personal.