Disclaimers: I do not own Invader Zim

Author's Notes: okay I know it's been a while, but I had to do some major re-planning with this story. Truth be told Dib was not supposed to find out the truth until much later, but the chapter just wrote itself, anyway I think I am ready to finish this episode.

Thank you for reading and please enjoy!

(Back with Dib…)

He had never felt so stupid in his life!

Dib had known from the beginning that there was something off about Miz…and yet he had allowed his charm to get the better of him.

He sniffled, part of him felt disgusted with himself, how could he fall for such a monster!? Zim was a lowly using jerk who wanted to take over his world, and yet Dib couldn't just hate him. And that was what angered him the most. Zim had cut him deep, and yet part of him was actually relieved to hear that he and Miz were one in the same.

How messed up was that?

"Sweetie is everything alright?" Annabel asked from outside her son's room.

Dib had come home in an obvious state of distress, tears streaming down his face. He had rushed up to his room before she could stop him. His father had entered through the front door moments later.

"What's wrong with Dib?" She asked her husband.

"It's…its Miz." Professor Membrane had told her.

"Oh no is he...hurt?" Annabel had asked.

"No Miz…he's…" Membrane looked as if he was having trouble forming the words.

"Don't tell me he's dead!" Annabel looks green for a moment. "I knew letting kids in this fight was a bad…"

"No that's not it." Membrane shouted.

"Then for god's sake Dibson, tell us." Annabel exclaimed.

Miz is Zim." Richard, who had been sitting next to her quietly, finally spoke for his son in-law.

Professor Membrane turns ghostly white at the news, the news that Richard had known all along. It made him wonder who else in the resistance knew. It also made him wonder why he was left in the dark. However, Annabel's first reaction was to get up and race to her son's room.

"Dib, I…I don't know what to say." She admitted through the door.

Dib hid under his blankets in shame.

"Look I know it must hurt, but you can't let the enemy get you down like this." She told him.

Dib peaked out from under the covers, there were many nights like this that he had longed for his mother to be here. For her to do what she was doing now, standing at his door trying to cheer him up. He got out of bed and sat down in front of his door.

Seeing his shadow shift from under the door Annabel did the same.

"Look I know there isn't much similarity, but I once got a date to the Prom." She told him. "I was such a nerd in those days, big glasses, messy puffy hair, and I had the biggest crush on the football star, Bradly Ashford." She laughed at the memory. "And when he asked me to the Prom I thought this couldn't be happening. I was head over the moon. I went shopping for a new dress, got all dolled up and waited for him to pick me up." She sighed. "He never showed, we didn't own a phone back then, so I couldn't call him, so finally I decided to head over myself thinking perhaps he had meant to meet me at the Prom. But when I got there I discovered it was all a huge prank designed to make me look like a fool."

Dib bit his lip, she was right he had no idea how this related to his problem, but he still was drawn in by the story none the less. "What did you do?" He asked.

"Well I was about to leave when my best friend showed up." Annabel smiled. "He was this gangling tall dork who was obsessed with science and wear a lab coat and a silly pair of goggles." She giggled. "He told me he was here to rescue me, and that we could go anywhere I liked."

"Where did you go?" Dib asked.

"Well part of me wanted to run home and cry in my bed forever." Annabel admitted. "But I had spent so much time getting ready for Prom, weeks of planning and money spent on the dress, and getting my hair, and nails done. All that time and effort would be wasted if I left. So, instead I decided to stay, and I enjoyed Prom right there with Bradly Ashford in the background while the most amazing person in the world shared a dance with me…in his lab coat." She bust into a fit of laughter this time. "We must have looked like quite a pair."

"And this helps me how?" Dib asked.

Annabel shook her head. "Sweet heart, I'm saying, you put a lot of work in this mission to stop Tak, you shouldn't let the truth about Miz stop you from doing what you think is important."

Dib froze, she was right.

He was Dibson Cornelius Membrane the second and nothing was going to deter him from his one true mission: DEFENDING THE EARTH!

His eyes widen as he noticed for the first time…the rain had stopped!

"TAK! She'll be attacking the HQ!" He sprung to his feet and grabbed his gear. "Got to go mom, there's a world that needs saving." He shouted racing out of his room and down the stairs.

Annabel smiled. "Go get 'em." She whispered proudly.

Professor Membrane stepped from around the corner. "You never told me you thought I was a dork." He said.

Annabel smiled. "Oh, you were a total dork." She admitted with a laugh.

"Maybe." Professor Membrane admitted wrapping his arms around her. "But I am the dork who married you."

Annabel laughed and returned the embrace.

"I should go look after him." He told her before kissing her.

Annabel returned the kiss before adding. "Be safe."

"Aren't I always?" He asked, and with that he activated his rocket shoes and shot straight through the ceiling.

"You call that safe!?" Annabel yelled off after him, though if he heard her he showed no sign of it all.

(Back Gaz…)

The Irken female had arrived at the docks just as the moon had reached the center of the sky.

Rather than wait for her to reach the Warehouse, Gaz and Peg had joined a small team led by Dark Booty in hopes of stopping her. Currently they were all hiding behind several shipping crates along the docks. Their goal was to lie in wait until the Irken female had walked into the middle of them. They would then surround her and with the help of some water neutralizers (which was really some high tech version of a water gun) they would stun her and use some alien sleep cuffs to render her unconscious.

It was a sold plan; the only wild card was that dang robot!

Luckily, it was nowhere in sight when Tak had entered the docks, and thanks to their new goggles the team would be able to see it, even if it was invisible. Still, they were not sure what it would do if it showed up or how they would stop it if it turned on them. However, the main goal was to stop Tak from finding the HQ; so if the robot did show up Dark Botty had advised to stay out of its way. After all it was there to eliminate Tak, so as long as they stayed out of its way they should be fine.

But Gaz wasn't so sure of that. Who was to say Zim wouldn't turn it on them the moment Tak was out of the picture?

Dark Booty had a similar fear, but forced himself to push it aside as the target moved into the trap.

Tak knows they are there, but she shows no sign of slowing down. The rain has stopped, but thanks to her new glue defenses she was able to get a head start on the Megadoomer. All she had to do was find there HQ and she was golden. She would use the location of the HQ and the presence of the resistance as proof that Zim had been keeping secrets from them. This realization would plant a seed of doubt in the Tallest that Zim could complete the mission successfully. And with that seed of doubt Tak would ask to be given the chance to prove that the rumors about her were wrong!

That she was not defective, and the only reason why she never showed up to finish her training was because Zim had sabotaged her.

Of course that was her plan, but said plan went up in smoke when he showed his ugly mug.

Dib stepped in front of her from out of the shadows, a look of relief on his face. He had showed up just in time. Tak had not found the HQ, and this time he had back up! Dib could see his sister just out of the corner of his eye, she was blocked from Tak's view by some crates. He ignored her, doing his best not to give away her position. No doubt, Peg and reinforcements surrounded him as well.

This was it, he was finally doing things right! This was what Dark Booty had wanted him to do, to work as a team, and not go solo!

"Out of my way worm!" Tak hissed.

Dib takes a brave step forwarded, his own water based weapons are at the ready.

Tak cackles as she sees the water through the transparent casing of the weapon. "Your stupid water has no effect on me now." She told him proudly. She looks around and notices that her true target is not in his usual place. "Where's your friend?" She taunted.

The pain on her brother's face alarms Gaz, she had never seen him so wounded before. She knew Tak must have been talking about Miz. Had something happened to him? Why wasn't he hear with Dib? Sure their break up had left things awkward for the group of teens, but Gaz was sure that Miz would be here in their time of need, regardless of the fact.

Tak sees the truth written all over the boy's face. "So you finally figured it out?" She scoffed. "So not only had he been keeping secrets, but now his cover is blown." She smiled. Things were looking better and better for her with every passing second. "The Tallest will not be please with him."

THE TALLEST!

Suddenly understanding enters the minds of all the humans around her.

Miz was in league with the Tallest, no worse…Miz was…

'Zim spelled backwards!' Gaz could have kicked herself as the realization hit her. Of course he was Zim! She should have known!

"I must admit I had hoped to humiliate him in front of the Megadoomer." Tak revealed. She had hoped to do this, because she knew the robot would record everything it sees and send it to the Massive for the Tallest to view. It was the standard procedure after all.

"Then I am glad to say I will not be disappointing you." Zim said revealing himself. He was not pleased to see Dib was there, but honestly he figured the boy would bounce back quickly. However, he had hoped it wasn't this quickly. Still, he could not allow Dib's presence to distract him.

Dib ignored Zim and decided to focus his eyes on his companion.

Lard Nar knew the boy must hate him for staying by Zim's side, but at the moment he allowed the matter to stand as it appeared. Tak was a formidable foe one that had proven several times already that she was more than a match for all of them separately. But would they be able to stop her as a group?

Dib sure hoped so. Sure he was still totally furious with Zim, but as much as he hated to admit it they needed all the help they could get right now. So even though he really wanted to yell at the alien scourge beside him he forced himself to push those feelings away for the sake of the mission.

For the sake of Earth!

Tak tensed as she found the odds stacked up against her a little higher then she had hoped. It was becoming very clear to her that getting to the enemies base was not going to happen. Still, she had searched a good deal of the docks, so much so that she was sure the base had to be one of the warehouses numbered 1 through 15. Yes, those were the only ones left to check and she was sure that she had not over looked the enemy HQ. No, it was one of the unsearched warehouses, she was sure of it! Not, that it mattered now, she would never get to it, but she had one more card up her sleeve. However, it was a dangerous gamble, which is why she had been saving it as a last resort.

And it was dangerous for one simple reason, it involved allowing the Megadoomer to get close…

Dangerously close!

And then, as if right on que the monstrous Megadoomer stomps on to the docks from behind her enemies. Each step shakes the ground around them in such a way that anyone would mistake the movement for an Earthquake.

Tak's squeedlyspooch hammers inside of her chest as she forces herself to ignore the instinct to run. As crazy as it sounds this was her last hope, the machine that was destine to bring forth her demise; was now her only salvation.

Zim notices her strange behavior in an instant. Surely, she did not think she could take the Megadoomer head on. No, she was smarter than that. Had she finally accepted her fate? No, she was an Irken after all, and they never gave in. So, what was she planning? What madness was she up to now?

The Megadoomer continued its approach and still she doesn't move.

No one does.

Finally it is right on top of them, and for a moment Dib fears it will squish them into paste, but to his relief it stops before Tak.

"Irken Tak." It speaks in a robotic voice. "You have been charged for crimes against the collective. How do you plead?"

"Wait it can talk?" Dib asked dumbly.

"Hush." Zim told him rather bluntly.

Dib goes to argue, but Lard Nar shakes his head. It is then that Dib realizes the truth. By talking now he could be perceived by the Megadoomer as intervening. By telling him to hush, Zim was protecting him. Dib finally looked at Zim for the first time, and when their eyes met he was surprised by what he sees. He had expected to see a smug look on his face. A triumphant gaze for tricking him with such an obvious ploy. A mocking expression for using his own emotions against him.

But all Dib sees is pain, in fact Zim can't even hold his gaze.

Instead he looks back to Tak.

Again Dib wonders if maybe...just maybe Zim had feelings for him, why else would he save him? Why else would he look so guilty? And just like that Dib thinks that perhaps he had been right about Zim all along. That if they stood together against Tak now, that maybe it could be the start of something more.

Maybe it would be a stepping stone towards Zim doing the right thing, and joining them against his people as a whole. Dib allows the thought to recede into the further parts of his mind. He could not afford to be distracted right now, so as much as it pained him. These realizations would have to wait to be acted on.

Meanwhile,Tak gathers her courage and answers. "Not guilty."

Zim is confused, Tak is allowing the Megadoomer to put her on trial. Usually the machine would simply charge her and be done with it, but said protocol was meant for targets that resisted, and Tak was not resisting now. She was facing her fate, but why?

'She's up to something.' Zim realizes, but knowing this does little to help him now. He cannot stop the Megadoomer, no one can. It will not stop until its objective has been complete.

"You have evaded capture, stolen Irken tech that was not issued to you, and hindered Invader Zim's conquest of this world." The Megadoomer spoke her charges. "And the greatest crime of all, you are expected of being defective. Do you deny these charges?"

"I did steal Irken Tech." Tak admitted. Which was true, she stole from the trash heaps to make her weapons, her ship and the current base that was in the works at this very moment. "And I have been avoiding capture." She continued, also true. "And I have meddled with Zim's plans." Again true. "But I am not a defective." She stated.

"You disappeared during a trial exam." The Megadoomer stated.

"Yes." Tak admitted, she knew she could point the finger at Zim, blame him for sabotaging her, but she kept that to herself for now. The machine would not care who prevented her from taking said test. All it will care about is her crimes, after all she was the set target. "But I am not defective." She repeated. "Don't believe me? Then scan me right here, right now." She challenged. "You will see that my programing is 100% intact."

It is now that Zim sees her plan, the Megadoomer will see she is indeed programed properly. And since a fully programed Irken is supposed to be perfect, her crimes will be relabeled as distasteful actions for a reasonable cause. The Megadoomer will allow her to speak her peace to the Tallest where she will reveal everything! Still, knowing this does nothing for him. It is too late! He cannot stop this!

Tak smiles as their eyes met. 'That's right you slimy worm. I got you right where I want you.'

"Scanning for proof of claims now." The Megadoomer says.

Everyone watches as a red light erupts from the robots scanners. No one moves, they can't! The slightest movement can be seen as a threat to the machine before them.

Dib can't help but hope she is indeed defective. After all, this machine was really the only weapon they had that they knew for sure could stop her. He knew this because of how afraid she had been before.

"Scan complete, Irken programing is 100% intact." The Megadoomer states. "Irken Tak your actions are not fitting of a perfectly functioning Irken. There for you will be allowed to plead your case to the Tallest." The Megadoomer turns to Zim. "Task complete, awaiting release."

Zim pauses. He knows he has no choice but to release the machine, but the moment he does is the moment it is all over. The Megadoomer will go, and it will take Tak with it to plead her case to the Tallest. And he will not be there to cover his own skin.

"Task complete, awaiting release." The Megadoomer repeated.

Tak sneered. "Well?" She asked smugly.

Zim chuckled, despite it all. "Well played Tak." He admitted. "But I expected nothing less from a fellow Irken."

"What will you do now?" She dared to ask. "Your cover is blown, and your only advantage over me is gone. Not to mention the Tallest will know everything."

Again Zim laughs. "The Tallest and I are close Tak, I doubt they will believe your claims." He reasoned. "And even if they did they would not believe your claims of me being defective. They will see it as what it is?"

"And what was is that?" Tak mused.

"I saw you as threat to my success and I plotted against you." Zim reasoned. "You're the one who ran and put yourself in a bad light. Had you of turned yourself and ratted me out you might have been allowed to complete the test."

Tak knew he was right, but she also knew that she would have had to wait 50 years or so on some garbage planet in hopes of one day getting the chance.

A chance that may never come.

"I'll take my chances." Tak stated.

"As will I." Zim said turning his attention to the awaiting Megadoomer. "I release you." He says.

"And the humans?" The machine asked.

Gaz tensed, would Zim turn on them now?

"I will handle them." Zim tells the robot. "You must deliver Tak to the Tallest, and it is a crime to keep them waiting."

"Understood." The Megadoomer turns to Tak and knees before her holding out his hand. "Come, Irken Tak."

Tak jumps into the Megadoomer's hand and it stands. "Goodbye Zim." She said, the smirk still planted smugly on her face.

Zim nods and the Megadoomer launches off into space with Tak in tow.

For a moment silence engulfs them, and for good reason.

No one knew what to do now, their common enemy no longer binds them together.

Zim stands there, waiting for the humans to turn on him but nothing happens, so he turns and begins to walk away

"Zim…" Lard Nar finds his voice. "Please, Tak is right soon the Tallest will know everything. Your loyalty will be called into question and once word of my survival gets around…things aren't looking good for you."

Zim stopped. He knows his old mentor and friend is right, but he refused to accept defeat so easily. "So what? I should join you now; save the trouble?" He laughed.

"You do not believe in their ways." Lard Nar urged. "You have told me as much, this is your chance-"

"You waste your breath." Zim answered plainly. "You cannot erase what I have done, I made my decision a long time ago."

"Then you leave us no choice." Dark Booty said as he came out of the shadows, Gaz, Peg and the rest of his team do the same. "Zim of Irk, due to your previous relations with several members of this organization including myself; we will give you this one chance to leave our planet. After that you will be labeled as a threat where you will be then be hunted down and eliminated."

Dib looks to Zim hopefully, sure he's still bitter, but part of him hopes that Zim will prove him right. That there was some good in him, that at least some part of the Miz he had come to know and love was real.

Their eyes met and Zim sees it, he knows what he is hoping.

And part of him wants to give in, to be back with him.

"Sorry, but I am not the hero of this story." He says. "I am the villain, the monster, the destroy of nine galaxies. And nothing I do will change that." And with that he walked away leaving a clear message in all their minds.

Invader Zim was the enemy and like all enemies Earth He must be stopped.

Professor Membrane stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself at last, he rested a hand on his son's shoulder. "I'm sorry son." He said.

"No I'm sorry." Dib said. "I trusted him."

"We all did." Peg said.

"No you trusted Miz." Dib yelled. "I trusted Zim!" He reasoned. "I did this."

Yes, this was his fault, but he would correct this wrong.

He would hunt Zim down and he would bring him to justice…

No matter what!

-To Be Continued