A/N: Welcome, again. :3 I am pleased to give you chapter 4! It was originally planned to be 2 chapters, but they ended up being too short on their own. It still is a fairly short chapter, though... Oh, well.

I am NO LONGER updating on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm just updating whenever I can. So yepo. Enjoy.

Chapter 4 - MY Prisoner

...

"You need the danger just to feel your heart beat

You need to die just to find your identity

You need the knife just to know that you can bleed

You need the pain now just to feel anything..."

...

~ Feed The Machine, by Red

Black boots made sharp clacking noise on the pavement as they walked. Familiar boots, that of an almost-invader who was foiled by a fake one.

She clipped along the sidewalk with her hands behind her back and her posture slouching lazily. Her purple hair was longer then before, down past her shoulders. Her eyes were just as cunning and just as sharp.

Tak wasn't fond of her human disguise, but it was a lot better looking then most humans.

She had gone to Zim's house every day; FOR A WEEK. She was sure he was not there. If anybody knew where he was, Tak could bet it was Dib. Dib's house wasn't far from her current place of residence, just a few minute's walk.

Tak could see the unfamiliar house, but was sure that if was Dib's. She had been here a few times, followed Dib home for spying purposes, and such of the like. Tak easily strode towards the entrance, stepping up the doorstep and pausing just in front of the door.

She could ram it down.

She could fire a laser at it.

Sighing, Tak raised a pail human hand to the dark red door and knocked slowly, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly.

She was albeit surprised to see a little girl open the door. Purple hair, gothic dress style and narrowed eyes. It was Gaz. Gaz grunted and seemed to be trying to look intimidating.

"I need to speak with Dib," Tak snapped in her accented voice, "It is urgent." She crossed her arms and looked down at the human larva with a sense of disgust.

"He's not here," Gaz sneered, "He's at Zim's house."

"What? Zim's house?" Tak echoed, confused.

"Yes, ZIM'S HOUSE," Gaz said through her teeth, slamming the door in Tak's holographic human face. Tak grunted and turned, deciding she would go to Zim's house, then. She set off briskly.

Zim spread out his hands, a smug grin on his face. Dib had finally agreed to take the handcuffs off, and Zim was more then pleased to wave his hands around like an idiot. Dib rolled his eyes and looked away, sitting on the couch with a thump, dropping the heavy metal cuffs unto the pink tiled floor. Dib pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"Hey Zim, did you ever-"

"SILENCE!" Zim cut Dib off, moving towards his robots. He began to fiddle with them, removing a panel on GIR's back and rearranging some chords inside. Dib knew that Zim was going to turn them on, it was obvious. But he and Zim alone in the house... It made him rather want some more company. Even if it was GIR and Mini-moose. He actually didn't mind them so much... There was that time GIR had danced with him...

Cutting off his thoughts, Dib decided now would be a good time to ask come questions. For research purposes, obviously.

"Okay..." Dib grumbled. "I've been meaning to ask, what do your antenna do? Smell? Hear? It could be useful to know for when I slice them in half and look inside." He said thoughtfully.

"No questions!" Zim snapped, obsidian antennae flattened. Dib hesitated.

"Do they do ANYTHING?" Dib asked curiously, crossing his arms.

"They smell and hear. They also sense vibrations," Zim snapped, "But your puny little human brain would never understand." Zim set down GIR and picked up Mini-moose.

"Of course I understood. I just always thought..." Dib trailed off, looking flustered.

"What?" Zim demanded snappishly, not looking up from his task.

"I always thought they were used to reproduce... Since male and females have different ones," he shrugged. "Guess not." But it had seemed likely..

"Of course not!" Zim snapped. "Females only style theirs as a... Statement. A trend... A fashion," he said, finally finding the right word.

"Oh," Dib said quietly, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. The silence was unbearable almost. "Are your robots almost done?"

"Almost," Zim retorted icily.

"Why do you care about turning them on so much? I thought you hated GIR, at least," Dib mused. "Kind of... Like family. Do you think of them like family?"

"No more questions!"

"Geez, sorry," Dib muttered. "I'm just trying to gather information before I perform your autopsy.

There was silence has Zim continued to work on the two droids, biting his lip. Dib watched curiously. Finally the robots buzzed to life, GIR's eyes blinking cyan and Mini-moose floating into the air. Zim grinned, looking pleased with himself.

"MASTAH!" GIR screamed, "I BEEN ASLEEP. BUT I'M WAKE NOW, K?" Zim glared at the robot.

"Okay, GIR," Zim said in a hissy voice, looking at Mini-moose. "My creations LIVE!"

"Why is Mary here?" GIR asked, running towards Dib.

"GIR! Don't touch the human filth! He is here because-"

*BOOM*

In the blink of an eye, rubble was scattered all over the living room. Light flooded into the base. Dib groaned, rubbing at his head, and Zim threw some pieces of roof off his body. GIR was buried somewhere, it seemed, while Mini-moose floated overhead, squeaking wildly. The roof had been exploded, it looked like, and Tak's ship landed on the floor dangerously close to Zim and Dib.

Dib's eyes widened in shock. Was it really her? He recoiled backwards. Rubble had hit him in several places and he was now bleeding unto the couch. He glanced at Zim, who looked pail and terrified. He too, was bleeding, but his blood was a dark, syrupy green.

The ship opened slowly and dramatically.

Tak leapt out of her ship, grinning at them sinisterly. She was not wearing her disguise anymore.

"Tak!" Zim spat, cradling his left arm, which had a shard of something stuck in it. Dark green blood spurted out rapidly. "What do you want?" Which, was an obvious question, really...

"Revenge," Tak hissed, stalking towards him. Dib, despite himself, jumped in between them, a bit shakily.

"You can't kill him! He's my prisoner!" Dib shouted, pointing a stubby finger at her.

"I'm NOT going to kill him! I'm going to take him to my base and TORTURE him!" Tak shrieked back. Zim had resided to one of the corners, staring at them with confusion.

"Well you can't, that's my job!" Dib retorted, seething.

"I'm coming, son!" A voice interrupted. It was Membrane on the other side of the metal-enclosed door. Tak and Dib stared at each other, confused. The moment seemed to freeze for a second.

There was a loud buzz and then the door shot inward, hitting both Tak and Dib. Membrane stormed into the room, several tall men following.

Zim watched from the corner with wide eyes. He needed to get out of here, fast; or he would be taken back to the lab. Tak's ship! The injured alien limped towards the ship. Dib and Tak appeared to be unconscious. Membrane was walking towards Dib. Zim hissed and grabbed a shard of rubble with his right hand, throwing it at Membrane, who flinched as the piece raked into his face. Zim grabbed the bloody Dib by the collar and pulled him into the ship none too gently. Slamming the door down, Zim pressed the ignition, grunting in pain, and shot through the ceiling, the ship rising into the sky at a rapid speed.

Everything had happened so fast. Membrane watched as the alien ship disappeared into the sky. What did the alien want with his son? Revenge? He looked down and saw a similar looking alien laying in the rubble. She was a lighter green with curled antennae and a purple uniform. "Get this specimen to the lab," he called to his group. "I just hope my son doesn't bleed to death..." He added worriedly. "I'm going to go see how far they have gotten."

But Tak's ship was long gone.

A/N: Look out for chapter 5!