DISCLAIMER: I own no invader zim characters, scenes, etc.. all i own is Invader Era...all other credits go to Nickelodeon and Jhonen Vasquez....
Song of the Chapter:: This Close-Flyleaf
Era smoothed her antennaes back and stared at her reflection in the screen. She waited patiently for her brothers to appear and begin their conversation.
One hour had passed since the meeting was supposed to start. Not a word from The Tallest. She slouched in the chair and casually put her feet on the table. Tapping her fingers, she dialed The Massive. Something wasn't right, she could feel it.
Zim stared at Era. Her posture was different, even the way she acted. Nothing was the same. Dib stared at the screen and sighed. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Maybe they're just late?" Dib suggested. Zim waved his hand in front of his face.
"The Tallest are never late. They're always on time, for everything. Irkens are always on time, if not early! Something is going wrong." Zim rambled, fumbling with the buttons on the screen.
"Oh whatever Zim, everyone is late sometimes." Dib said leaning against the wall.
Their microphone screeched and spattered. They were picking up an interference that was non-Irken technology. Dib fell forward and walked up to the screen. Zim punched the buttons and scooted away.
"Work this human technology! Pick up on this interference!" Zim shouted. Dib fumbled with the buttons, punching and typing and pressing, he picked up on a clear signal.
Era looked at the screen. It was dark, but she saw what appeared to be the eyes of her brothers. "Why are the lights out?" She said, pulling her feet off the table.
Zim gasped. "Fakes! Liars! Those are not The Tallest!" He burst, smacking the screen. Dib yanked him back.
"Shut up!" He whispered, they stared back at the screen.
"Oh, um, well..er-we had a power surge! Yeah, that's it!" One said to Era. Era frowned and leaned in closer.
"Are you sure? This doesn't seem right." She replied.
The two laughed awkwardly. "Heh, yeah! Of course sister!"
"Why were you late? We were supposed to talk an hour ago." Era asked. She wasn't giving in that easy.
"Yes! Go Era! Find the truuuuth!" Zim cheered. Dib hit his hand.
"Hush."
"Well, we were, um. We were, we were eating snacks! Yeah, that's what we were doing!" The two said uneasily.
"Oh, well then, okay." Era said, leaning back in the chair and intertwining her hands.
"No!" Zim said, smacking the screen.
Dib bit his lip.
"Dib! Trace the signal! Find out where it's coming from! I must find these fakes." Zim demanded, slamming his fist on the chair's arm.
"Okay then, I guess." Dib said and started pressing more buttons.
Era sighed and rubbed her cheeks. "Earth is a tough planet. The people are so strange and eat strange things. Although it will be very easy to take over this planet."
"Oh yes! Well uh-about that. We want you to go to the park right after the sun sets. Don't bring Irz or anything, just bring yourself. Don't worry about the disguise, just go there and we will contact you when you get there, okay?" They said, leaning in to look at her.
Era bit her lip and looked behind her to see if Irz was listening. "Well, okay I guess. If you say so brothers."
She stood and smoothed her dress. "I'll be there within seven to eight minutes." She said and disappeared from the room.
They two disguised as the Tallest laughed. "Our plan is working perfectly."
Zim smacked the back of Dib's head. "Hurry human! We only have a few minutes!" Zim roared.
"Okay okay, jeez. I'm hurrying." Dib said, going as fast as he could.
Era opened the door. Irz grabbed her dress. "And where do you think you're going without a disguise?" Irz asked sweetly. Era brushed her away.
"Just stay here and watch the house. Don't follow me Irz." She said and slammed the door.
Irz sat and watched Era walk down the road swiftly. "Oh no no no. Something is terribly wrong. This isn't how Era should be acting." She whined and pulled open the door.
"I'll need Zim's help." She said and ran over to his house.
Why did they want me in the park? Why couldn't I bring Irz or wear a disguise? What is going on? Era thought to herself, rubbing her chilled arms. She shrugged it off and kept walking. The sun had set already and the breeze made her shiver. "I wish I would have brought a jacket or cloak or something." She whispered and climbed a hill to the park. She saw something flash in the sky for a quick second. She paused and bit her lip. "Probably nothing, just one of those planes." She said and looked at the grass. She started walking again.
"I got it!" Irz said, spinning around in the chair looking at Dib, Gir, and the terribly worried Zim. He rushed up to her and looked at the screen.
"Who is it? Who called Era to the park?" Zim questioned. Irz turned back around and punched in a few buttons.
Irz gasped and fell out of the chair. "N-no. It can't be. We stopped getting threats from them years ago!" She studdered.
Zim looked at the screen and stopped breathing. "The Resisty."
Dib looked at him. "But I thought Era destroyed their base."
"Well, obviously they had another base." Irz said, looking out the window.
Zim grabbed Irz. "We have to get there to tell Era." He said, and the three, including Dib, ran down the road to try and catch Era.
She sat in the center of the park and waited for a sign of contact. Just then a ship appeared in front of her. She gasped and inched back.
The leader of The Resisty stepped out of the ship and launched a trap on Era. It entangled her in steel mesh net. She couldn't get free. She tried to rip it but it shocked her. She screeched and pulled her hand back.
"Why are you here? My brothers are going to contact me soon and they'll get you!" Era hissed. He laughed and shook his head.
"You foolish, naieve girl. It was I on your screen. It was all a trap to get you here." Lard Nar laughed. Era shook her head and looked at alien-like things binding her hands together.
"Why? Why me?" She asked as her hands burned with pain.
"Because you destroyed our home base! We lost two hundred lives because of you! And we plan on being repayed for our loss." He said and pulled Era up by her neck.
"And there's nothing that you can do about it." He hissed, laughing in her face.
"My brothers will find out soon enough, and so will everyone else." Era replied.
"Ha! We have sent another Irken that has joined our group to pose as you. You may know her. Tak? Tak, come here." He said.
Tak stepped off the ship and threw a metal disk at Era and it hit her in the stomach. Era winced in pain.
"Why are you doing this?" Era asked, with pain in her voice.
"Because I should have been an invader, and you being here has ruined my plan to impress The Tallest! So, my only other option was to join a group revolved around destroying you and all others like you." She said and ran off.
Zim looked at Era. The net glowed and waves of electricity pulsed through it. "Era! No!" Zim shouted, but it was too late. They had thrown her on the ship and taken off.
He fell to his knees and tears dripped down his face. "They took her. They took Era."
Zim pulled