Chapter 1: Discoveries

A/N: I only download Invader Zim, so I only have a few episodes. I hope to own the DVDs soon, but until then I apologize for any inconsistencies with my story. I don't know any better. But for now, Enjoy. You will learn the source of the title later!

Red sighed. The light in the laboratory was dim, practically nonexistant. The only light was the greenish yellow light eminating from the experiment tank in front of him. A tall, gaunt creature was suspended in the thick liquid in the tank. Its figure was female, with rings about her torso. The rings came from the DNA Red had contributed to the experiment, as did the clawed hands. Red looked at her long and hard. This… thing was essentially his daughter.

There was a dilemma in the Irken race. You see, normally, an Irken suitable for the title of Tallest is born in each generation. But now, due to recent war-related casualties, the gene had been eliminated. Tallest were being synthesized with existing genes, seeing as the same mutations that created a Tallest also caused impotence. These were simply things that the Irken saw as given.

Since this was a new science, it was still imprefect. This creature was the only fetus that had matured into anything, and it was still unfit for royalty. It was tall, indeed taller than the current tallest. It had clawed hands and antennae, like a normal Irken, and the torso rings of a tallest. But this was where the similarities ended.

Its skin had an ugly pale peach colour to it, and it had long raven hair flowing from the top of its head. Its eyes did not have the wide, shining quality of a normal Irken's. It had a nose and two long pointed ears which hid behind its hair. But most noticable of all were the wings - They were not fully unfurled yet, but they were more than they had been. The wings were slightly taller than the creature, and that of a butterfly.

Red was at a loss for how this could have happened - his best guess was probably that the samples had been tainted in transportation, or perhaps his scientists had made a mistake in the growth process. Whatever had happened, this experiment had failed.

Red had a dilemma on his hands. What to do with this thing? With his… daughter? It could not live among the Irken race, and it could not take the throne. Keeping it in a tank and using at as guinea pig for experiments would be cruel. It had to be disposed of. If we kill it, he thought, I would feel like a murderer.

Maybe, just maybe, he pondered, it could find itself a home… somewhere where she won't be the oddest creature around…

Zim grumbled. He was on yet another away "mission", sent by the Tallest. He was beginning to suspect that he was simply a toy to them, but he never said it. The Tallest were creatures to be respected, and never questioned.

The monitor beeped as a signal of an incoming transmission. Zim, who had been in the corner quietly working on yet another useless device, turned quickly on his mechanical spider legs. He scuttled toward the monitor and accepted the transmission. "Yes, My Tallest?"he said expectantly.

"Zim," came a sombre reply. "I have a very special mission for you, which must be carried out immeadiately."It was only Red speaking, Purple was not with him. This startled Zim, as he naturally assumed that neither operated without the other. Red continued. "I need you to visit a planet nearby. I will send you the co-ordinates when I end this transmission. You must pick up a package. This package is very delicate and must be handled with the utmost care." The transmission ended abruptly before Zim had a chance to reply with a "yes, sir" or "right away, sir".

"Gir!" called Zim. "Load the cargo bay with supplies. We are going on a trip…"

"Oh boy!" cried Gir. "ROAD TRIP!"

Gir munched quietly on a waffle in the background as Zim watched the radar, which showed where he was, and where his destination was. The radar indicated that the planet would be reached within an hour. Zim began to wonder what his Tallest would send him on such urgent notice, and what they would be so direct and clear about it. Usually, they were vague and relaxed with him, as if they simply wanted him to go away. But this time seemed different. Not only was Red speaking to Zim on his own, but he had had a touch of emotion in his eyes. Sadness, perhaps.

Zim had lost rack of time, and was awoken from his trance-like state by the urgent beeping of his control panel as his ship entered the orbit of the planet. He landed it expertly and stood atop the stairs which extended from the ship with a hiss.

What lay ahead of Zim was very anticlimactic.

Barren desert land, scorched by 3 suns which all lay at high noon at that time. Zim stepped off his ship, and decided that his spider legs would work best as the dry sand and rock would most likely cause damage to his boots, of which he only had one pair. He cast his eyes about the enpty landscape. Nothing important, He turned to leave, feeling dejected and confused.I must have programmed the wrong co-ordinates into my computer, thought Zim.

The cool interior of the ship was a releif to Zim. He slid down in his chair and let the autopilot take control as he ventured to the back of the ship to check on Gir and make sure he wasn't causing too much damage. Amongst the boxes in the back, Gir was sitting, having made himself a fort out of them.

"Gir," said Zim tiredly. "Clean up these boxes. Your foolishness may cost us our supplies,if you happen to damage something, who knows what could-" Zim was cut off by a deep, throaty and unhealthy sounding cough. He froze. What was aboard his ship? "Gir," he said quietly, "Stay with me." Gir's eyes turned blood red and he saluted Zim silently. Zim charged his laser and crept around the boxes, the cargo bay was dark and forboding. He wheeled around at a sign of movement behind him, and cleared boxes away to let light into a small enclosed area. As the light filtered through, His eyes focused on what was lying there.

A tall gaunt female figure which resembled a cross between the Tallest and a human, and something which he hadn't learned the name for quite yet that lived in earth's skies in the warmer months.

It coughed again.

A/N: Yeah, I know, not the greatest. But you must know that this chapter was written in two sittings, in two days. Both rather late at night, might I add. I have the 2nd chapter written as I post this, but I'm holding off until 5 reviews. And then I'll post the 3rd chapter next weekend, provided I have 5 more. Capeesh?

-xoxo Chix