A short and fat Irken crawled out of the window on his PAK legs covering his face.

"AND STAY OUT!" hissed a female Irken tossing several household chemicals at the unfortunate male.

"I swear to the Tallest I wasn't looking at her antennae!" yelled the male.

"Yeah right!" growled the angered female. "Get out of here Skoodge!"

Skoodge grumbled to himself ad wiped the chemicals off of his uniform.

"Greta!" he mumbled. "A stain." He sighed and began walking towards his favorite place and virtually his home, Food Courtia.

88

It was a slow day at Food Courtia. Barely anyone was there. One might take this as a bad sign but the employees knew it meant that "The Great Lunch Rush" was about to happen.

One Irken stood behind the counter leaning against it. He peered at a screen with his red eyes and antennae buzzing with excitement. It was an advertisement for something the young Irken longed for.

"Attention all Irkens!" yelled a loud voice on the screen. "Tonight don't forget to go to The Massive's mighty Convention Hall to witness the most elite of each rank's military sign on to the greatest mission of all… being Invaders!

There will be action!

There will be music!

There will be a fantastic show.

You'll get a chance to meet the Mighty Invader Tenn and… the… Almighty Tallest! So come on down. You'll even get a chance to sign up for the military so even you can get a chance to become an Invader!

The employees of Conventia are not responsible for an injuries, fights, or death during the event."

"ZIM!" growled a large overweight Irken from the kitchen. "Quit fooling around and get working!" he growled.

"Call me a fool now Sizzlor." said Zim clenching his fist. "For soon I will be an Invader and you will call my the Mighty Zim!"

"You'll never be an Invader, Zim." laughed Sizzlor/ "For one thing you are just too small. Your even smaller than the Scraper rank. Even your parents must of thought you were pathetic. Why do you think they dumped your egg here?"

Zim had nothing to say. He clenched his fist harder and tossed his rag at Sizzlor.

"I could have left you out there you know!" growled Sizzlor. "Your lucky I didn't just cook you up!"

"Maybe you should have because that would have been better than living in this dump THAT HAS CRETBLINGS IN THE KITCHEN!" Zim yelled so everyone can here.

Everyone in the restaurant stopped eating and stared.

Sizzlor quickly slid to the microphone.

"Sorry people. Just a disgruntled employee telling lies. Enjoy your meals. I assure you that they are cretbling free."

Sizzlor growled and grabbed Zim by the throat. He squeezed hard until he noticed Skoodge walking in. Skoodge was on his best customers. Zim was Skoodge's favorite waiter and best friend. Sizzlor dropped Zim and handed him a pencil, pad, and paper.

"Take Skoodge's order then as punishment you are going to cook it with your bare hands again!" ordered the fat alien.

Zim scowled but took the paper and walked to his friend.

"Hey Skoodge." sighed Zim.

"Hey Zim. Get me a Dron." sighed Skoodge.

Zim made a little smile. He wouldn't have to burn his hands after all. Dron was a strong drink similar to Earth beer. Then Zim began to question why Skoodge needed it.

"What's the matter?" asked Zim. "I thought today was the big day. You get to be an Invader."

"Yeah but Grin broke up with me." sighed Skoodge picking up his drink.

"Again? What for this time?"

"Mighty Invader Tenn was on screen and she thought I was looking at her. Well who couldn't? She's just so freakin…"

"I get it." Zim interrupted. "Well at least you have somewhere to go. What planet were you assigned to again?"

"Blorch. Home of the Slaughter Rat People." said Skoodge. Suddenly the fat Irken seemed to peer over Zim's shoulder. Someone had just entered the restaurant.

"Holy Spork! Its her!" he cheered.

Zim looked behind him. It was a tall female Irken with dark purple eyes. He might have found her attractive but there was something about her presence that almost frightened him. He was intrigued.

"Don't even try buddy." laughed Skoodge. "I don't know her name but she's the daughter of Purple. You don't have a chance."

Zim just ignored Skoodge and slid to the girl's table.

"Hello I am.." he was interrupted by the girl.

"I don't care who you are food service drone!" She hissed. "I am about to embark on the longest and greatest Invasion since Tenn conquered Vort and require nourishment. As a food service drone it is your purpose to tend to my demands. I am after all a member of the Tallest rank. You don't look big enough to be a Scraper. Now I want a sandwich and make it snappy!"

Zim growled and leaned himself towards her. Not being intimidated the female did the same and soon enough they were touching foreheads and snarling.

"My name is Zim!" he growled.

"You are a food service drone and that is all that matters." she said angrily back.

"ZIM! Quit harassing the customers and scrape the grill!" yelled Sizzlor.

Something snapped in Zim. Something inside him that made him obey.

"NO!" he shouted right at the female's face.

"I am the Mighty Zim! I am not a food service drone! I am destined to be the greatest Invader ever! I QUIT!" he shouted so everyone could here.

Everyone in the restaurant stared and Skoodge suddenly gulped his drink in shock.

"You can't quit Zim." growled Sizzlor. "You don't have it in you."

"Watch me!" he yelled. Suddenly he grabbed the female and tossed her at Sizzlor.

She smacked against Sizzlor face causing the massive Irken to fall against the burning grease. He screamed in pain as the grease burned his facial skin.

"You'll pay for that drone!" yelled the female picking herself up. She activated her PAK and used her spider legs to chase after Zim who had done the same.

Sizzlor, who didn't have a PAK, waddled into the parking lot. He gasped for air and shoved a guest off his motorcycle-like hovercraft.

88

The female was in close pursuit of Zim. He jumped from building to building and the female easily followed.

"You can't possibly think you can out maneuvered an Irken Elite!" she yelled.

She was crafty. No matter what Zim did she was right behind him. He just continued to jump through the twist of pipes and wires of the city. He did not know that he was traveling in a circle. Suddenly he noticed an open Voot Cruiser in the parking lot. He landed on the street and made a break for it.

Sizzlor spotted Zim on the street and sped up. Now Zim had two really angry "superiors" behind him. The Voot Cruiser was his only chance.

He was almost to the Cruiser when he felt the bumper of the cycle graze his mechanical leg. "I'm gonna rip your limbs off then fry them up!" snarled Zim's former boss.

"No!" yelled Zim. "Your going to help me!"

He quickly used his rear spider legs to shove the large Irken off the cycle. Sizzlor was tossed backwards as the cycle zoomed forward from under him. Zim deactivated his mechanical legs and hopped on. Meanwhile Sizzlor bounced across the street and right into the female.

"Get off me you disgusting being!" the female growled to the knocked out Sizzlor who was pinning her down with his massive weight.

All the female could do was watch as Zim climbed into a Voot Cruiser. Her Voot Cruiser! She needed that to go to the Great Assigning!

"Don't do it drone!" she screamed.

Zim pretended not to listen as he closed the hatch.

"Drone!" she ordered.

Again Zim didn't pay attention and began to fly off.

"ZIM!" the female yelled in blind fury. "I swear I will make you pay for this if it takes till my last breath!"

Meanwhile Skoodge snuck to his ship hoping not be noticed by the enraged female.

Zim was finally happy. "From now on I am Invader Zim!" he cheered driving the Cruiser to Conventia.

IRKEN FUN FACT: The term Mighty is given to an Invader that the tallest believe to be the greatest. Below Mighty is Great and below Great is Decent and so on. The lowest Invader level is Defective.

When any Irken is labeled Defective they are shunned from society. No one can rise from being a Defective even if they prove themselves to be confident and successful. This is all part of the Tallest propaganda.