Chapter Three - A Solemn Vow


Miz waited patiently behind the tree on the playground at recess. Zim approached her nervously. "Okay, I'm here. What is it?"

She sighed. "I bet you have a lot of questons for me."

"I do." Zim looked around to make sure no one was listening. "First, what are you doing here?"

",,,Your report came through a few weeks ago..."

"And?"

"...I was in the room when it came on."

Zim was quiet. Miz continued. "Zim, I was really hurt when you didn't say goodbye to me after you were chosen at the Great Assigning. For six
months, I was left in the dark wondering if you were alive, how the invasion was going,...and if you still remembered me."

Zim put his hand on Miz's arm. "Miz, I looked for you, really I did, but...Conventia's a big place, and we made a promise that if we ever separated,
we'd meet again. Goodbyes are hard, you know..."

Miz thought for a moment. "Yes. Yes, they are, but...there was something else we promised each other, if not I know I promised you."

Zim was curious. "Oh, really? And what's that?"

"That we would always help out one another. Zim, I say this as a fellow Invader, and as a personal friend. I came here to help you."

Zim cocked his head. "So you're saying that I'm too stupid to do this on my own."

"What? No! Of course not! Zim..." she gazed into his eyes, "if I were assigned a planet and you were stuck doing nothing with your life, wouldn't
you come and help me out?"

Zim gazed back into her pine-green contacts. "Yeah, I probably would...I'm sorry, Miz. I'm just a little tense about this whole thing..."

Across the schoolyard, Dib spotted Zim and Miz having a conversation. "Look, everyone!! There they are, the aliens, plotting their fiendish plots
against our planet!!" he cried, pointing at them.

Everyone, including Zim and Miz, turned to look at Dib. Silence hung over the yard for a few moments. Then a girl said, "They're just talkin',
dipwad!"

Zim smiled. "Maybe if you get some friends you'll learn what a conversation is!" Everybody laughed.

Gaz was sitting on a bench trying to ignore the fact that her brother was making a complete idiot of himself AGAIN. A girl next to Gaz asked her,
"How many times did your brother get dropped on his head as a baby?"

Without looking up from her handheld game, Gaz answered, "I lost count after 25."

This was the scene at the skool on this day. Unknown to the children, even Zim, was that they were being watched,and not by their loving teachers,
either. No, they were being watched by a much bigger threat. A force so powerful, so awesome, it would threaten the entire cosmos and bring two
unlikely enemies together...

But we can't get there yet. I'm only on the third chapter.

However, I can take you to the watcher, who was known only by Nezram, leader of the war planet Vostor, which was, coincedantally, also an
enemy of Irk. So, when Nezram sees the planet HE was going to take over being invaded by Zim, he wasn't too thrilled. Naturally.

"An IRKEN?! Oh, come on. Those stupid Irkens couldn't invade a paper bag. I wonder who it could be..."

Nezram ran a search on the Irken. "Hmm...no identity available. I - wait...there are TWO of them! I've gotta stop this. Mirra!!"

Nezram turned to see a copy of himself. "I am here, Master," the copy said, mimicking Nezrams voice.

"Very funny, Mirra. Reveal your true form to me!" The copy shifted to a female form, about three feet high, in an elegant white gown. Her eyes were
a sapphire-blue, in an oval shape. She had a briallant white diamond in the middle of her forehead, and her hands were similar to a human's, but
she only had four fingers, and they resembled that of a claw. Other than that, she appeared human.

"My lord, what can I do for you?"

"Go down to this 'Earth' and dispose of our little Irken friends. Succeed, and there will be a great reward for you."

Mirra nodded. "Right away, Master." She paused. "How should I...'dispose' of them, sire?"

Nezram waved a hand. "I don't care, just do whatever it takes to get them out of my way. The Irkens are there to invade Earh, which makes them a
threat to my domination plan! Now GO!!

Mirra nodded. "Right away." She walked to the vehicle storage bay.

As she headed for Earth, she wondered what her plan would be. Gathering information would be easy, with her power of replicating. Mirra's
special power was being able to mimic a creature's form, whether living or dead. Hence her name, mirror, Mirra. Oh, well. She would plan when
she got there. First to establish a base.

Back on the skoolyard.

Sighing happily, Miz wiped her eyes from Zim's joke on Dib. "Good one."

"Why, thank you."

There was an akward silence between them. Before Zim could speak, the bell rang, signaling the end of recess. "Oh, drat. I wanted to talk with you
some more."

Miz smiled. "I've got an idea. Why don't you come to my home base when skool is over? Oh, and bring your Sir, too."

Zim figeted nervously. "Uh, actually, it's a...uh a Gir."

Miz cocked her head. " 'Gir'? What's the 'G' stand for?"

Zim was quiet as he thought. Finally he replied:

"I...don't...know."

Miz smiled . "Well, that's okay. I've got a 'Kir', and I don't know what the 'K' stands for."

Zim shrugged. "Another one of life's mysteries. Well, we'd better get to cless before Ms. Bitters has another one of her fits."

Miz nodded as she walked next to Zim. Right now, she didn't care what Ms. Bitters had to say. Zim was coming to her home base! She squealed
with glee and hugged herself with joy. (Okay, let's not overreact now...) But she felt so...light. Like she could do anything. Then another thought hit
her. (Does Zim feel the same?)

Zim walked to class, with Miz walking at his side. He wore the same sinister expression to scare off the other students. But spite of his hard
exterior, inside he was celebrating. (I'm going to Miz's home base! I wonder what it looks like...is it like mine, or is it more...human...? Blech! I hope
not.) Zim quickly glanced over to his right to look at Miz. She wore that same shy smile she always had.

Miz noticed that Zim was looking at her. She turned to her left, and when their eyes met, they both quickly turned away. Zim groaned inwardly. (I
just hope that this afternoon won't be a disaster.) he thought as they entered the class.