Disclaimers: I do not own Invader Zim
Author's Notes: And here we are again, I took a longer break then planned for the holidays, hope you all enjoyed yours! Thank you for reading and please enjoy!
[Back to the present…]
(Back with Zim…)
He had been running for some time now…
Zim breathed heavily as he raced through the trees of the wretched back water planet that had quickly became his own version of hades. It would appear he had underestimated the enemy; they had warned him that choosing Irk would be his undoing.
They had not been bluffing!
Zim dived behind a tree to catch his breath, this was worse than the time he spent running on the streets of Rhapsodize five years ago. Back then he had thought that running from his fellow Irkens was terrifying, but this was much worse!
Zim stiffened as the ground shook as an AI stomped by. This one was Titan; however, he does not know this since Sari is the only one he has actually formally met.
Titan searches left to right; his frustration grows. He would not accept this! He would not be the reason that they had lost the enemy…NOT AGAIN!
Zim tries to shallow his breath, He knows he is very close to his base now. Luckily after Tak's departure to the Massive the enemy had allowed him a head start. He took it, and his entire base as far out of town as possible. He'd like to leave, start all over somewhere else on Earth, but he couldn't.
And it was all Tak's fault!
He knew she would return, and when she did she will come back here, and then Dib would be in danger. Yes, no doubt Tak was starting to understand what the boy meant to him, and she would use him to her advantage.
'If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive myself.' He thought as Titan went back the way he came. Zim waited another agonizing minute or two before darting in the opposite direction, the base was close now. He moved faster, just knowing his safety was at hand.
Finally, he reaches it, a small hill in a fast clearing surrounded by trees, but it is no hill. A hatch door opens as he approaches and Zim takes no time walking through it. The hatch closes as he descends further underground. His base was now nothing more than an underground bunker, but alas at least it did give him some cover.
"How'd it go?" Gir asked cheerfully. The SIR Unit is currently missing the top metal piece of his head. Which he had lost during their fleeting escape, Gir was supposed to be looking for it, but it was becoming apparent that it wasn't among the things they had brought.
And Zim couldn't risk having the bot running out in the open where he could be caught.
"Terrible!" Zim growled. "There is still too many around to risk a call to the Tallest!"
"Oh dear." Gir whined.
"Perhaps the best thing we can do is lay low until Tak gives them something else to chase." The computer suggested.
Zim knew he was right, but the wait was killing him. Tak was probably ruining his reputation right now! What truths had she chosen to reveal to the Tallest? He needed to know so he could start planning some damage control. If fixing this was even possible now.
"All we can do is gather resources as promised." The brain told him.
Zim nodded, deciding some mindless drilling would help numb him to the danger that was closing in with every second. He continues down deeper into the bunker at the thought, he had to start drilling pretty deep in order for the AI's to not fill vibrations when he was digging. Finally, he makes it to the Voot which is still modified as a drill.
He hops in and Gir follows him before the door closes and the invader starts up the drill. The machine is so loud that he can't hear himself think or whatever it is that Gir has started chatting up about.
And he like it that way.
Down here his mind can go numb, and he doesn't have to worry about the fear closing in, or the mess that he has made.
(Back with Dib…)
It was as if time had slowed down to a crawl…
A slow sick, dreaded crawl that drove to new heights of insanity then he had ever known.
And Dib, for the life of him just could not figure out how to react. He looked to Mrs. Biters hopefully, surely she would see through the disguise! After all she claimed to have known about Zim from day one. (Really whose side was this lady on anyway?) Mrs. Bitter's, however, doesn't seem to bat an eye. So, Dib looks to Luna, and again it's like slow motion. He had hoped her royal highness would know the enemy when she saw it. Sadly, the young Queen looks genuinely happy to greet the new student.
"Hello, Tak!" All the children said as Tak calmly marched inside and clasped her hands together, smiling. Oh, how she enjoyed the appalled look from her enemy, the Dib was completely poled, by her arrival. "My dad's the head of the Deeelishus Weenie Corporation! That was his jet out there in fact…AND…" She grinned and reached into her backpack, holding up a weenie. "I brought Valentine's Wieners for everyone, ha-ha-ha-ha!" She laughed.
Her backpack opened up and HUNDREDS of weenies shot out, piling in the center of the classroom, and knocking the desks over. Everyone cheered and dove right into the pile!
All but Dib, who blinked in disbelief…How was this possible? Had he woke up in some parallel universe? He looks to Mrs. Bitters one more time, hoping she will give him a sign that she is aware of the danger…NOTHING!
Dib sighed… there was really only one thing he could do…of course it meant doing the unthinkable…
"Am I seriously the only one who sees the alien in the room?" He asked.
Tak's eye's actually widen at his declaration, and for a moment she even looks worried.
Everyone looks around confused, All but Luna, she is also still at her desk, seeing how she doesn't eat meat. For a moment she thinks Dib might be talking about her, after all she was an alien in disguise, he knew that!
"What Alien?" Recap Kid asked.
"Right there!" He pointed at Tak. "She's no Student, she's an alien! Her name is Kat for crying out loud."
"Shut up fool boy!" Tak hissed. "Kat, happens to be short for Katherine, No wieners for you! However…" Tak hopped up onto Ms. Bitter's desk, holding up a sheet of paper. She cleared her throat, pointing at Dib. "I have prepared a POEM!" She said softly in her vaguely British accent.
Tak cleared her throat again and Sara giggled, taking a bite out of a weenie. "Looks like Dib has a girlfriend!" She teased.
Tak's hands shook angrily as she looked at Sara, tearing the poem right in half. "It's not NICE…to EMBARRASS people! You should apologize and…EAT YOUR ERASER!" She snarled, a bright purple/white light flashing in her eyes.
Sara's eyes went wide. "Yes Kat! I'm sorry Dib!" She said, taking a bite from a large eraser.
Dib blinked in surprise as Tak put the two halves of the poem back together and began to read the poem. Okay that was weird…was it just him or did Tak suddenly have the power to control people?!
Tak smiled slyly, now that she was once again a part of the collective her arsenal had been upgraded with all the most up to date Invader Tech. One being the upgraded implant in her head that possesses limited mind-altering abilities, such as mind control and erasing memories. However, Tak knew it wouldn't work on everyone. Dib apparently was one of these special few.
Tak had previously feared that Mrs. Bitters would also possess the ability to see through her guise, but the Clantarian was none the wiser. She had no doubt it had to do with the fact that it was set to the highest setting. Her eyes narrowed on Dib; this small fact spoke volumes about the human boy before her. He had a very strong mind. If she was going to bend him to her will and use him against Zim then she would have to find stronger means. However, for now she just needed to use him to drawl Zim out. So Dib knowing the truth actually helped her cause. She cleared her throat and began her poem.
"For so long I've been waiting for this moment..." She read off.
Dib realized that not only had everyone stopped looking at Tak, and were now looking at HIM!
"To give you and this filthy ball exactly what it deserves. No one can save you now… Birds sing and you're gonna pay, the end!" She promptly dropped the pieces of paper and held up a pair of ribs covered in BBQ sauce. "Here's some meat covered in barbeque sauce!" She announced, tossing it at Dib.
PLORK!
It hit him square in the face along with the full reality of the situation. No one was here to save him, Tak had everyone under her control, and he was on his own!
"Thanks, Kat. That was horrible." Ms. Bitters said in an appreciative tone. "Now, you'll need a place to sit." She pointed her finger at the students, specifically at ROB. "You! You're being transferred to the underground classroom!"
THWOOMP! His desk lowered into the ground…then rose back up, minus Rob! Tak quickly rushed over and took his seat. Dib cringed; she was now sitting right behind him! Talk about being too close for comfort!
Then Ms. Bitters pointed at Brian. "And you! I'm just tired of you!" Ms. Bitters added. WHOOMP! Down HE went too! Dib blinked in surprise as Poonchy, walked into the classroom, hands above his head.
"Ms. Bitters! Are there really underground classes?" Luna asked.
Ms. Bitters shrugged. "Sure, whatever…"
Suddenly the Bell rings and Mrs. Bitters points to the door. "Out!"
Dib makes his way to her, ready to shake her out of whatever trance Tak has over her, but Luna grabs him by the Arm.
"Nope!" She says dragging him out of the room.
"But Tak, it's really her Luna!" He reasons.
Luna looks around knowingly before she whispers. "Okay say it is." She reasoned. "And say she can alter people's perception of her what's to say she can't do more?"
"What do you mean?" Dib asked as they entered the school playground. It was PE time, and they were scheduled to be outside for the next hour for their daily dose of "Fresh air" as Mrs. Bitters called it.
"Who's to say she can't make the others attach us or something?" Luna reasoned.
Dib didn't think of it that way, but deep down he knows she's still not convinced. "But say it is Tak, and she can control the way people see her, then no one is going to stand in her way, not until we force them to see the truth."
"Oh no you don't" Luna said as he made a run for it. She blocked his path. "You are not rushing off to start trouble." She said.
"But TAK!" Dib yelled.
"Tak nothing." Luna snapped. "I promised your mom that I would keep you out of all this Irken business."
"So, you're fine with doing nothing?" Dib yelled.
Luna soften. "Of course not." She admitted. "Trust me I want more than anything for it to be that easy. For Kat to be Tak and for use to prove it, and eliminate her as a threat to your world." She reasoned. "I do."
"Then help me." Dib pleaded. "Look I'll even do the right thing." He reasoned. "We'll go tell Dark Booty who she really is."
Luna looked thoughtful, she supposed that would be fine. "Okay, but after that we have him handle it." She said darkly.
"Deal." Dib said looking around for Dark Booty, he was usually cleaning up grounds when he was out here. No doubt it was another way to keep tabs on him. A plan that had been put in place back when Zim downloaded the information on his phone.
Zim, there he was again thinking about him, and every time he did a thousand thoughts rushed through his head. Thoughts of fear, of bravery, trust, love, betrayal!
But in the end he knew the truth.
This was his fault!
Everyone told him he'd get burned, but he trusted Zim anyway.
He remembered the look on the Irken's face the day the met, when he nearly caught him at the factory and of the time he nearly shot him on the side if the road. He knew that those emotions were real, the struggle was not fake, it was genuine, and his heart ached even more.
Being separated from Zim was killing him slowly. With every passing day he told himself it would get better, that the feeling would fade. It doesn't, it only gets worse.
Dib shakes the thought away as he spots Dark Booty By the bathrooms. "There he is!" He exclaimed running off to see him.
Luna follows after him and she can't help but smile. Dib was doing the right thing, he had listened to her. Which meant he had valued her opinion as his new partner. Yes, she knew the strain of their situation, that he wished Zim was still beside him, and not her. It was obviously, written all over his face.
The thought angered her, who would want that monster around?
Still, she knew that like Lard Nar things were different when it came to Zim. Where she saw a monster, they saw a person struggling to survive in world he wanted to be no part of. She tried to see it, to see what they saw, but all she saw was the reason why her life was broken. He was the one who enslaved her world and caused her parents to be taken from her.
Deep down, she hopes that they still at least have her mother. That somehow she is still alive, but she doesn't know, no one does.
No one but Zim!
She swore if she saw him again she would ask him. She would ask him how he could stand beside her days on end and not apologies! Surely if he was as good as they said then he would have! More importantly she would ask him why?
Why did he do it?
Why did her family have to suffer?
Why were her people in chains as they were forced to mine there once beautiful world for precious metal that would only fuel the Irken cause?
And why did he do nothing to stop it?
If he really cared as much as they said he did, why did he do all of these terrible things?
They made it to Dark Booty moments later, or Janitor Scrubs as he was known on school grounds.
"Children?" He asked, looking warily. They were supposed to keep their distance during school hours, and only talk behind the safety of closed doors. Other people might get the wrong idea seeing a janitor who had way too much interest in the students at the school. Worse, they might over hear the truth, which could lead to a defenseless civilian getting hurt.
"It's Tak." Dib said, not wasting anytime. "She's posing as a new girl in our class and…"
"Is there a problem here?"
Suddenly Tak comes out from behind the bathrooms and Luna actually sees it.
A purplish/white light flashes over her eyes and Dark Booty stiffens.
"No, I was just telling these fine students that I must get back to work." Dark Booty said before entering the boy's restroom.
Tak smiles a wicked smile as she looks to Dib and the girl, no doubt this is one of the rebels, most likely one of the Magladie children.
Luna now sees the truth, and it washes over her like freezing cold water. "Dib…" She whispers.
"Yeah?" He asked, frozen to the spot.
"Run!" Luna yelled; her shout was enough to break them both from the spell that held them there.
TAK's evil laughter followed them, but they didn't stop until they were safely within the school.
"Okay so maybe you were right." Luna gasped, hunched over.
"You think?" Dib snapped.
"What do we do now?" Luna cried. "If no one believes us then how do we stop her?"
"Well, we could waste time trying to find the one senior agent that does believe us, whoever that is." Dib said.
"Or?" Luna asked, she had a feeling she already knew what he was going to say.
"Or we grab Gaz and Peg and look for the one person we know that can help." Dib said.
Luna nodded already making her way to Gaz's current class, she didn't need him to explain the plan further. No, she knew who he was referring to, and that was the one person who had ever posed a real problem for Tak.
Invader Zim! The source of her rage! Looks like she would get her answers after all.
The only question was, would she like what the Irken had to say?
There was only one way to find out, and that was to find Zim, and Dib knew just where to start.