"So! Why have you asked to speak with Zim?" His gaze was cautious.

"Well, there's a chance I might know you..." I avoided his searching gaze. "Um, so, can I ask you a series of questions?"

He huffed. "Go for it..."

"Thank you! I promise this won't take long." I thought for a moment. "Okay, I'll say a word and you tell me the first thing that comes to mind."

"Okay then."

I cleared my throat. "Elite."

"Invader."

"Destroy."

"Humans."

"Height."

"Tallest."

"Um, I think that's all I need."

"So?"

"Uh, does your best friend ring a bell?"

He blinked, confused.

I gave an aspirated sigh. "Come with me." I led him down a hall and down another. I stopped at a door that read 'Storage Room'. Peering inside, I opened the door, motioning for him to follow.

He walked in slowly, eyeing my every move.

I gulped. 'Please let me be right...' My figure began to flicker as I allowed it to revert back to my Irken form.

"Wha-? You-?"

I nodded. "Do you recognize me?" I watched him look me over. "I suppose it's kind of hard to tell with the military uniform on isn't it?" I thought for a moment. "Oh, I know!"

I cupped my hands as if I was holding a ball. However, after a few seconds a small pink ball of energy appeared in my palms. "How 'bout now?"

His jaw appeared as though it was unhinged.

I chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes." I turned my holo-gram back on.

"Why're you on Earth?"

"I'm being hunted."

"By whom?"

I growled. "The Resistance..." I clenched my fists. "They've already captured me once before about a month ago, and I've been on the run ever since. They say as soon as they catch me, they'll kill me."

I watched as his face showed confusion.

"You're confused aren't you?" I sighed. "Okay it goes something like this..."


Flashback

"I can't believe I'm going on this mission." I looked out the window. "I don't want to kill anybody."

"It'll be alright."

"Pic, you could never understand my hate for death." I looked down at my hands. "I'm basically a living weapon..."

Pic looked at me, her antennas were crooked back instead of forward and then they came out to a curl. She lowered them and scooted closer to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "But Mela, I promise you; if you go insane I'll put you into sleep mode and carry you back to the ship."

Looking up, I smiled at her. "Thanks Pic."

"Ugh, watching you two makes me want to gag." A male sat on the other side of the room, his flame like, scythed antenna curled against the back of his head. "Females shouldn't even be allowed in the Advanced Elite."

"I wouldn't be talking Dak since we both know I'm stronger than you." I scoffed, taking out a digital sketch pad.

He glared at me, but I didn't notice as I began to sketch. I hummed a tune, trying to make Dak angry at me.

"Could you just be silent?"

"Hmmm..." I pretended to think for a moment. "Nope!" I began hum again.

A low growl emitted from his throat.

I smirked. "What, is it too much to make things seem even a little simple?"

"We're in the military on our way to cause destruction; this is not a simple matter."

"You know what; you're a kill-joy!" I put away my sketch pad and crossed my arms.

"Yeah, so, your point?"

I growled at him just as the ship was bumped, causing Pic and me to fall out of our seats. "Ow, what was that?" I got up off the floor and helped Pic to her feet.

Dak stood up from his seat and went over to the door that led to the cockpit.

Pic and I followed.

"What's going on?" Dak came to stand behind the main pilot.

"I think were being shot at sir, but the sensors aren't picking up anything."

"I'll go check the back window in the storage pod."

"Just don't do anything reckless." Dak said as he scanned the territory.

I turned around on my heel and walked out and over to the other door on the far side of the room. I placed my hand on a scanner and the door opened with a hiss as I stepped in. It shut behind me, leaving me in darkness as I paced towards a giant window. I saw a flash and the ship jerked again. I stumbled and caught my balance on a crate. I gulped and took out my binoculars from my Pak and gasped at what I saw. "Vortians? No, the Resisty!" I put them away and scrambled back to the door as the ship was hit again, making me fall against it. I pulled myself up and placed my hand on the scanner. The door opened and I slipped out and dashed towards the others. "Guys! It's a Vortian ship!"

"WHAT?" Dak came up to me. "What model did it look like?"

"A V-Mark Stealth M10!" The only thing I could remember about that model it was the most dangerous ship ever built by the Vortians and the Armada.

Dak's eyes widened and he stepped back. "Okay, we have to get out of here; we can't go up against that thing."

"Shall I prepare for hyper drive sir?" The co-pilot looked over at us.

"Yes, and make it quick!" Dak's maroon eyes hardened. "Unless anyone wants to die?"

Pic gulped, her emerald eyes vibrating.

Suddenly my antenna shot up and I turned towards the window. "Um, guys?"

Dak turned towards the window and his antenna drooped and his eyes widened. "Oh, slark..."

A massive grey ship floated beside the Viral Tank.

I gulped. "That's an understatement." I shook my head and cleared it, going into military mode. "Okay, how long until hyper drive?"

"Two minutes, sir!"

"Ugh, that's too long, is there any way to make it go faster?"

"Well, if we took the power from the weapons systems and defenses-"

"No, that's not good enough!" I huffed.

A sudden crash brought me out of my rage.

"The storage room!" Pic and Dak each pulled out a gun as I walked out into the room outside the cockpit. I placed my hand on the scanner and reached back to grab my laser. Suddenly, as if on cue, a net shot out at me. I stumbled back and fell. "What is the meaning of this?" I began pulling at the net, trying to rip a hole in it, but a sudden shock made me stop. I yelped, feeling the weapons in my pak shut down. "What the- No!" I wriggled frantically, trying to activate them. I glared at the small Vortian before me.

"Mela!" Pic pointed her gun at the foreign being. She trembled.

I struggled. "Let me out!" I demanded as I noticed the net was made of cables. I growled at them.

"Silence!" The Vortian pressed a button on a remote, engulfing me in bolts of electricity.

I gritted my teeth, not allowing him the satisfaction of screaming. I gasped as the flow stopped and I could breathe.

"Now, you will come quietly without your friends." I looked back at my comrades. Pic was holding the gun with two hands now, still trembling. Dak stood there, his gun held lightly at his side and a frown of disapproval on his face.

I gulped, blinking back the tears from my eyes. "And why would I do that?"

"Because if you don't," two rather bulky aliens wearing armor came out from behind him, "your friends will be destroyed."

I heard Pic beginning to sob. Dak was mumbling something to himself.

I sighed. "Fine, but on one condition." I pulled myself into a sitting position.

"Oh? And what would that be?" His mouth formed into a smirk.

"Don't include my comrades in this; they have nothing to do with it! It's just me you want!"

"Very well, we will not harm your friends, but if you attack us, you will not be holding up on your end of the deal, so we won't hold up on our end."

I glared at them as the net opened up and I whipped it off of myself. Standing up, I moved toward them.

"Mela!" Pic called out to me, dropping her gun. "I'll go with you!"

"No, Pic, you have to stay here. You and Dak have a job to do." I smiled. "Besides, I wouldn't want you getting hurt."

"No, wait!" She stepped forward but Dak held her back. "Let me go Dak!"

"No, you're an idiot if you go with her!"

I turned back towards the Vortian. "Dak?"

"Hm?"

"Protect Pic for me; make sure she doesn't get hurt."

"Yes sir."

I sighed. "I'm ready."

"Very well, "he looked to the guards and one of them came up behind me, snapping a pair of handcuffs around my wrists, pinning them behind my back, "let's go." He spun around and led us out to a bridge.

End Flashback


"And then after that, I was basically knockout and thrown into a cell, left to freely plan my escape." I looked down and then up to his eyes.

"Looks like you've had a rough month."

I scoffed. "That's an understatement! I've been nothing but running until yesterday!"

Zim looked at the clock on the wall and his eyes widened. "Oh, slark, I still have to get my books for next class!"

"Allow me to repay you for taking up my time!" I held out my hand.

He looked at me, then my hand and back again.

"Do you want to get to class quicker or not?" I extended my hand out farther to him.

He grumbled and then took it, a suspicious spark in his eye.

I smiled. "Hold on tight!" Suddenly the room flashed white and became the hallway.

He stumbled back, pulling me with him.

I gritted my teeth and released when we didn't hit the floor. However, realizing where I ended up, my face became red hot. I had one hand around him and the other still in his hand, with me pressed up against him. I gulped and chuckled nervously, scrambling back and pulling my hand out of his. "Uh, sorry 'bout that..." I put my hands behind my back to hide the fact that they were shaking. "Um... I should go now; I still have to find my other class."

"Oh, okay, I'll see you later then."

"Uh, yeah!" I scooted away from him and dashed down the hall. 'Oh jeez, that was sooo embarrassing!' I pulled out the two pieces of paper from my pocket. 'Math, room 157. Hm... Let's see...' I looked at the small map and then at the door I had stopped beside. "196, so up the hall, turn left and it should be down there." I walked off again, stuffing the pieces of paper in my pocket.