Chapter 14

Zim and Gaz walked through the door to his base. Zim stopped, taking off his disguise slowly, his ruby eyes darted around the living room and his antennae twitched, searching. Something was wrong.

"Zim, what-"

"Shh." He quickly shushed Gaz and held a hand out for her to stop, and stepped into the room with caution.

There was definitely something wrong. The air was too still, too quiet. The atmosphere had changed since they left, there was another presence in the house. His antennae picked up on a scent and he froze. It was something familiar, something he couldn't pin, but something dangerous.

"Gaz. Run." Zim whispered, still frozen.

"What?" She asked confused.

"Run!" He yelled, but before he could do anything, he saw a flash of green and was blinded by a sack over his head. He immediately fought back but was thrown down to the floor and pinned by his attacker.

"Hey!" Gaz yelled as she was also tackled and blinded. "Let me go!" She yelled.

"COMPUTER! ELIMINATE THE INTRUDERS!" Zim yelled, fighting against his foe.

"System error. No intruders detected."

"No intruders!? Who are you?! Let us go!" Zim demanded. He felt the hands on his back move but he was still pinned by the attacker's body. He felt them on his PAK.

"NO! Don't touch that! What are yo-" Then everything went black.

System reboot commencing.

Scanning:

PAK health: Normal

Body shell health: Normal

Brain functionality: Normal

PAK weapons functions: Disabled

PAK leg extensions: Disabled

Commencing reactivation

*ZAP*

Zim groaned and opened his eyes, everything was blurry, all he saw were colors and basic shapes. A green blob came into view. Slowly, the image became more and more clear.

"Rise and shine, Zim." He heard a sharp, female voice come from the green shape.

"Wha…?" Zim focused his eyes. The image became clear but he still didn't believe his eyes.

"T-Tak?" He stammered. "You're alive?"

"Yes. Sorry to disappoint you, defect. I am alive." She began pacing around him. He struggled but was tied tightly to a chair. He looked around, they were located inside Zim's base labs.

"COMPUTER! ELIMINATE THE INTRUDER!" He yelled.

"System error. No intruders detected."

"What is the meanING OF THIS?" He yelled, his voice growing. "She's right THERE!"

Tak laughed at him and Zim turned to glare at her.

"I've shut down your computer's defenses, Zim. There's no escape. I'm in control now." She waved a little remote controller.

"How did you get in my base?" He demanded, Tak smirked.

"You really expected to keep anyone out with this inferior equipment? It was easy." She leaned to one side with her arms crossed, smiling menacingly. Clearly proud of herself. Zim smiled.

"I'm the inferior one? You haven't grown since the last time you failed to defeat me. You look like a fresh smeet." He scoffed. Tak's smile disappeared, calmly, she walked up to Zim and punched him in his squeedily-spooch, he groaned in pain as she walked away.

"I had a little help from an inside source as well." Tak's smile returned, Zim opened one eye, only for it to be blinded by a bright flash.

"There's one for Mysterious Mysteries." Another flash. "One for the local newspaper..."

Flash. Flash. Flash.

"A few to show everyone at skool…" Zim opened his eyes again, to see Dib putting his camera down and walking over to him.

"Dib-stink? What are you-OOF!" Dib punched Zim square in the face, knocking his head back and smacking into the chair. Then another hit in his squeedily-spooch, and a hard smack across the face. Zim coughed and slumped over in pain. Dib grabbed an antenna and yanked his head to up to take another picture, Zim winced and blinked his eyes, blinded again.

"And one for me." Dib let him go and he slumped over again.

"What are you doing?" He groaned.

"Don't, Zim." Dib snapped. "Don't even think about trying to talk your way out of this one. I know what happened with Gaz. I know what you did to her."

Zim's eyes widened. "Dib-human. I can explain-"

"No need. I don't know what your plan with Gaz is. Personally, I don't care anymore. All I know is that you're not leaving here alive."

"It's not what you think! I… Your sister... I l-" Dib kicked Zim's. Zim winced again.

"I don't wanna hear it, Zim! I saw you! I FUCKING saw you with her! I don't wanna hear ANYTHING you have to say!" Dib kicked him again, harder. "You've gone too far now, Zim. Now you're gonna pay. I warned you to stay away from Gaz!" He punched him in the squeedily-spooch again and Zim yelped in pain as the chair fell over.

"That's enough, Dib." Tak said, leaning off the controls to his computer. Dib backed off and glared hard at Zim. She walked past Dib with a smile on her face. "He's mine."

"I wasn't surprised when I heard about your little mate, Zim. You would be the one to betray your own race." Tak smirked, looking down at the hurting Irken defect. "That's pathetic, even for you, Zim."

"Leave her…. Out of this." Zim groaned.

"No. I don't think I will." Tak pressed a button on the remote, a chair was lowered down by the base's cables in the ceiling. It held a bound, struggling Gaz with a blindfold and gag.

"Gaz!" Zim snapped up, struggling harder from his chair's ropes, ignoring his pain.

"Hmm…" Tak sneered, holding a claw up to her chin, looking from Zim to Gaz. "Perhaps this human really does mean a lot to you." Tak walked over to Gaz, looking at her up and down.

"In that case…" Tak shot a claw out and scratched Gaz's cheek, who immediately began yelling and cursing at Tak, but everything was muffled through her gag. Dib's eyes widened.

What is she doing?

"TAK!" Zim bellowed, frantically flailing in his chair which made it bounce around. "If you lay another FINGER on her head. By the Tallest, old and new. I will RIP EVERY MOLECULE OF YOUR PAK TO PIECES!!!" Zim knocked around in his chair, trying desperately to get free. Tak's PAK opened up, she aimed one of her PAK legs at Gaz's throat and aimed the other two at her forehead, in a claw like hold. Gaz fell silent, feeling the cold points on her skin.

"Hey!" Dib shot up. "This wasn't part of the plan!"

"This was part of my plan." Tak said smiling at Dib. "You see Dib, I need to make Zim suffer." She aimed the points of her legs closer to Gaz, poking harder against her skin, Zim struggled more.

"It appears that he cares deeply for this… purple human. What better way to make him suffer than to watch her die?"

"You swore you wouldn't hurt her!" Dib yelled.

"You humans are so gullible." Tak grinned.

"But… I thought-."

"You thought what, Dib? That when I came back you could get close to me, and perhaps I would fall in love with you too?" Tak drew her PAK legs back and stomped over to Dib, who blushed. Her glare darkened as she looked up at him. "You think I don't realize your disgusting infatuation with me?"

She shot a glare at Zim. "He's only a wretched, slorgak TRAITOR because he's DEFECTIVE."

Zim scowled and spit at the ground.

"I used you from day ONE to get close to HIM! You think I care about you? You're a stupid, hideous, fleshy primate! How on IRK could I care about you." She hissed. Dib was frozen, his blush went away. Tak smirked and turned away from Dib and pressed another button on her remote. The cables from the ceiling came down and grabbed Dib and strung him up, holding him powerless, he started to struggle.

"Tak how COULD you?" Dib yelled, flailing his arms and legs in vain. "We had a deal! I trusted you!"

"Now where were we?" Tak sang, walking behind Zim. She pulled his chair off the ground and set it up, then drew her attention to his PAK.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! What are you-." Quickly, and without warning, Tak popped Zim's PAK off. His saw an image of a timer counting down from ten minutes appear in the corner of his vision. His lifeclock. "NO! MY PAK! GIVE IT BACK!" Zim yelled.

9:52

Tak walked around him and pressed another button on her remote, a hard, metal shell came down from the ceiling. She opened it up, tossed his PAK in, and locked it so it wouldn't be able to escape.

"GIVE ME BACK MY PAK!"

9:38

"No." She said smiling at him.

"Tak. I'm warning you. Release me and Gaz this INSTANT and I will not DESTROY you!" Zim fought to break his binds in his chair again.

9:28

"You don't get it do you? You've lost. It's sad that you're even still trying. Why Zim? To protect your ugly mate?" Tak leaned closer to Gaz again who remained motionless, she opened up her own PAK and used a leg to turn Gaz's head. She dug her leg into her cheek and pierced the skin and he saw a drop of blood run down her neck.

"STOP! I'm the one you want! You already have me! Do what you want to me! Just let her go!"

9:05

"I've already said, Zim. I want you to suffer. I want you to suffer like I did all those years ago on DIRT! You ruined my LIFE Zim! I'm just repaying the favor." Her leg dug into Gaz's cheek further, Gaz clenched her fists and winced in pain. Zim winced and fought again. He had to get out now while he still had his strength.

8:49

"TAK NO!" Dib yelled from the ceiling.

"Say goodbye to your mate, defect." Tak smiled and raised her leg. Then, out of the blue, Gaz kicked Tak hard in the chin, knocking her into the floor. Quickly Gaz dropped her restraints and took off her blindfold and gag.

"Don't you EVER touch me again." Gaz spit, standing above a confused Tak, rubbing her chin.

"GAZ! Get me out of here!" Dib yelled from above, still wiggling defenselessly on the ceiling.

Tak swiped her leg under Gaz, making her fall over, and pinned her wrists to the floor with her spiderlegs.

"How did you get out?" Tak demanded Gaz used her legs to throw Tak off of her again.

"You weren't paying attention when you were yelling at Dib. I got free while you weren't looking."

"Gaz. Get out of here! Run!" Zim yelled, desperately.

8:05

"Foolish worm-demon. Do you really think you have a chance against me? I trained as an elite soldier since before you spawned. Give up now and I won't make your demise as painful as I want it to be." Tak rose off the ground and sunk into a threatening stance, preparing her PAK legs. Gaz scowled at the little alien.

"If you don't let them go. Now. I will plunge you into a nightmare world from which there is no waking." Tak shrieked a battle cry and began slashing at Gaz with her sharp legs. Gaz quickly dodged her, but Tak spun around, swiping at her again, and again Gaz dodged her. Zim struggled in his seat, but his breaths were growing heavy and his arms felt weak from using up his energy. He needed to get out. Now. Or all would be lost.

7:09

"Gaz! Throw me the remote!" Dib yelled, finally getting one arm out of his restraints.

Tak lunged for Gaz again, aiming one of her legs directly into her belly, Gaz jumped, stepped off the sharp leg, and kicked Tak in the face again.

"You're lasting longer than I thought you would, little human. I'm impressed." Tak smirked, rubbing her cheek, and slashed again, striking Gaz's arm. Immediately she held it against her side in pain. Zim's eyes grew wide and his antennae pricked up as he saw her red-ooze began dripping down off her fingers.

6:39

"Tak! Leave her alone!" Zim yelled, he was out of breath and his arms felt heavy. He was beginning to feel the effects of being PAKless for so long. He could hear the clanking and banging of his PAK trying to break itself free from inside the metal box.

6:31

Dib, meanwhile, had released both his arms from the restraints on the ceiling and was now pulling his torso free. He looked down at Zim, his skin looked paler green, and his eyes were more strained, he took deep breaths as he still desperately tried to get himself out.

Did Zim really want to save Gaz? Dib thought looking down at his sister fighting off Tak. He looked down at Gaz's empty chair and saw the remote Tak used to contain Zim's PAK which was ruthlessly banging around in the metal box.

If I can get to the remote, then I can use Zim's PAK to help Gaz. Dib thought, then he looked back at Zim who began hacking and coughing his… alien-lungs out. He looked like death.

5:52

Or maybe… Dib thought. Tak screeched as Gaz snapped off one of her PAK legs and used it to swipe at Tak's cheek, which started leaking green liquid.

"You'll pay for that, you little SLORCH!" Tak yelled, viciously swiping at Gaz again and again, backing her into the wall, then she felt something hit her in the head. She whipped around to see Dib had thrown his shoe at her, she scowled at him before Gaz jumped on her back and covered her eyes. She squealed and began grabbing at Gaz who used her legs to contain Tak's spider-legs, keeping them from impaling her.

"GET OFF ME!" Tak screeched, grabbing onto a handful of Gaz's hair and pulling her over her shoulder, and onto the ground. Gaz fell with a thump and rolled over to the right as Tak stabbed at her, driving her leg into the ground. She stabbed again and again, and Gaz kept rolling out of the way. Tak used her legs to block Gaz's escape and went to stab again before getting kicked in the face by Dib, throwing her into the wall. Dib had swung down off the ceiling to save his sister, and ran for the remote by the chair.

Gaz looked up to see Zim hanging his head off the side of the chair which fell over with a bang. He looked awful. His antennae hung limp against his head and his ruby eyes were glossy and crossed. His green skin was much paler and his worm-like tongue hung out of his mouth, drooling on the floor. He groaned in pain when he slammed down into the ground. Gaz ran over to him while Tak attacked Dib.

4:58

"Gaz… Go now… save… Gaz." Zim slurred, unable to speak properly.

"No way! We're getting out of here." Gaz said. His body was going completely limp as she untied him from the chair. She heard a crash and a yell, Gaz turned around to see Dib had Tak on the ground, her PAK legs lay broken and limp on the floor and she had the leg Gaz broke off in her hand, trying to stab Dib with it. He had her claw in his hand and fought to pin the other claw with the sharp leg in it on the ground, the remote was a few feet away from them.

"Gaz! Get the remote!" Dib yelled.

"LET GO OF ME!" She yelled under him trying to pierce him with her broken leg. Gaz left the drooling Zim to fetch the remote and began pressing random buttons, hoping to release Zim's PAK.

4:31

Gaz's chair flew back and forth, lights flashed and sirens blared loudly, Dib's old restraints flung around from the ceiling, grabbing hold of one of Zim's legs and stringing him up by his ankle.

He hung there and opened one of his eyes. His whole body felt completely limp and broken, he could barely think coherent thoughts anymore. He looked down and saw Dib and Tak wrestling on the floor as she screamed Irken curses at him, ruthlessly. He saw Gaz looking up at him with a little remote control as she desperately tried to get his PAK from the metal box which had been slightly dented from the inside out. He let his heavy eyelids fall as he swung gently back and forth.

3:41

Tak knocked Dib off of her and launched into Gaz who fell forward, losing the remote. Tak fell over Gaz and tried to cut her with her leg again, Gaz held it away as she came closer and closer to her neck.

"ZIM!" She yelled up at him. Wearily, his eyes opened, looking down at her again.

The little purple creature looked afraid. Something felt familiar about the purple one. Something he liked. Then he remembered.

"That's…. My… purple human…" He slurred, wiggling a little bit in a feeble attempt to save her. "Let her... g-g-gooooooo." Zim's mouth felt numb and his body hung limp again. He closed his eyes again, drooling.

3:12

"Dib! Help Zim!" Gaz yelled at her brother who shot up and ran for the remote.

I have to get the PAK. Dib thought, as he dove for the remote. He started pressing more buttons, and eventually the metal shell opened. Dib ran and grabbed the little backpack which immediately attacked him, trying to fuse itself to Dib.

2:54

Dib rolled around on the floor with Zim's PAK as the spider legs grabbed at him and fought to pull him closer, little metal piping shot out to reach for Dib. Gaz and Tak were still in a dead-lock, as she tried to cut into Gaz's neck with the sharp metal leg.

"You're going to die, little Earthen scum." She hissed. "Any last words?"

Gaz breathed heavily, actually afraid for her life. Everything moved in slow motion. As she looked around the room. She looked up at Zim who had almost lost all of his coloring, looking as if he had passed out, and looked at Dib who was fighting with Zim's PAK, then at Tak who smiled as the leg got closer to her throat. Suddenly Gaz saw something behind Tak.