Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Invader Zim.

Chapter 5



The constant tapping of the controls on Gaz's Game Slave was a constant backdrop as Jania looked over some data she'd recovered from one of her disks. Her mouth turned to form a frown. For the past week she'd been looking over the things she'd discovered and she was not happy with the conclusions she was making. Dib was sitting on the other side of the couch, writing something on a notepad of his. He suddenly looked up at her. "Hey, how did you eat dinner those first couple nights? You haven't eaten anything since then. Don't you need to eat something?"

Jania unconsciously dropped her hand into her coat pocket and pulled out the little black device she had secured into her mouth before every meal. She tossed it to Dib and he caught it. "I put that in my mouth…it disintegrates all matter that passes through. I had some food stashed in my room and now I eat when I'm at Tak's." She stood up and headed for the door. "Actually, I'm headed there now. See you guys later."

Dib shot up. "Can I come?" He did this every time she left to the base. Every time he received the same reply.

"You should stay here, Dib. You shouldn't be seeing some of the stuff I have on my disks…" With that enigmatic answer she would leave.

Before she had walked a block she saw Zim walking with his disguised Gir unit. He hadn't noticed her and was heading strait for Dib's house. She placed her electronic notepad in her coat and decided to have some fun. She crossed the street and waved at him. "Hey there Zim. How's the invasion?"

He turned sharply towards her. "You! I was looking for you!"

Jania raised an eyebrow. "Me? Shouldn't you be planning world conquest or trying to destroy Dib or something?"

Zim narrowed his eyes. "There'll be time for that later… YOU! You are not who you first looked…seemed to BE! I had my computer analyze your visit and you know what it discovered?" He pointed in the air dramatically.

"Wow…it took you this long to figure it out?"

"Don't interrupt! You know what it discovered?" He pointed again, but this time directly at her. "You are no human stink-beast! That ship that appeared…it was YOURS! Tell me why you're here. Tell it to ZIM!"

Gir jumped up in the air. "I get to feed you a taco!" He hugged himself lovingly.

Jania pretended to think for a moment. "Ahhh…no."

Zim shook his fists. "You will tell it to Zim…"

"Nope."

"You…"

"Naw."

"You will…"

"I don't think so."

"… TELL IT TO ZIM!"

Just as Jania was opening her mouth to give her reply, she heard something and stopped. She turned herself around, looking and listening. She slowly reached her hand inside of her coat to grab something. "Zim…I'll tell you about it later. Just…go."

"No! You will tell it to Zim, NOW!"

Gir performed a little dance and repeated metallically, "I'm a mongoose!"

Something moved from behind the bushes and knocked Jania on the ground. Zim watched as she wrestled with the white, writhing creature. "Aaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaah!" he yelled. "What is it? What is it? GIR! Tell me what that...thing is!"

Gir's eyes flashed red. "Yes, my master!" He saluted and scanned the creature with his sensors. "Creature identified. Karmite. Kill immediately!" His eyes faded back to blue and he smiled. "Can I have a soda?"

Zim raised his arms and yelled. "Aaaaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaaa!"

Meanwhile Jania held the Karmite's gnashing teeth at arm's length. "Shoot it! ZIM! Help me! Shoot it! Shoot it! Blast it! Shoot! Shoot! Help!" She turned herself and the beast around so she was holding it down on the pavement, but it still writhed and clawed at her.

It hissed maliciously in a breathy voice. "Youuuu whillll dieeeee……!" It snapped its jaws and a few of its long teeth scraped against Jania's shoulder. Blue blood was beginning to show.

She screamed in terror. "Zim! Shoot it now!"

Zim was terrified. He searched himself and tried to fine his laser. "Where did I put it, Gir? Where is it?" By now Gir was yelling and screaming like everybody else, completely useless. "Here it is!" He lifted his laser and tried to aim at the beast. He let out one blast, and time stopped as he looked to see who he hit.

The Karmite's body writhed in pain, its mouth gasping for breath. Half of its eyeless head had been completely torn off by the laser blast and orange blood spewed all over the pavement. Jania gasped as she stood up and held her shoulder. "It bit me…" she said worriedly. "Quickly, Zim! I don't have time to get to Tak's base. Yours in closer. Take me there!"

Zim didn't argue, but commanded Gir take both him and Jania to his base. They were there in almost no time, and Jania made her way hurriedly to the lab. "Those fangs are poison…all Invaders have the antidote just in case. Get me some, Zim!" Zim hurried to find the proper vial and handed it to her. She reached up to her forehead and her image began to sputter. Pink skin was replaced with green and hair was replaced by two curled antennae.

"You're Irken?"

Jania looked up with her now dark green eyes. "Perhaps. I have more than one disguise." She took the vial and began to apply it to her wounds. She let out a sigh of relief. "There, now. Thank you." She handed Zim back the vial, who looked at her with suspicion.

"You're keeping secrets from me!" He shook the vial violently.

"Well, duh!"

Zim angrily placed his gloved hands at his hips. "I helped you, so now you're obligated to tell me what's going on!" He gave her a cocky grin.

"No I'm not, but I thank you anyway." She gave him a pleasant smile, the same smile she gave in her human form when she was keeping a secret.

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"I demand that you tell me!"

"No!"

"Tell me now!"

Jania shook her head. "No!"

Zim was just about to implore her again when he paused. "Wait," he said in a quieter, more cunning tone. "Jania…that name…it sounds familiar to me. If you're Irken…"

Jania shook her head. "The chances of me being an Irken are about the same as me being a Human." She stood up to her full height, which was about five feet. "Most Irkens aren't as tall as me."

Zim was lost in thought. "Most Irkens don't have green eyes, either."

"It's rare, but it still happens! Besides, rarities add to my disguises." She smirked proudly.

"Being tall is rare, but it still happens…" He snapped his fingers. "I remember now! Yes! I know who you are!"

Jania stomped her foot in anger. "No you don't! Don't get any funny ideas, little man!" She lifted Zim up by the collar and glared at him. Her dark green eyes narrowed, but her smile remained. "You have me mistaken…"

Zim was perfectly calm and confident. "Oh, I don't think so. I don't know how you're alive, or why you're hiding on this miserable slime ball, but if you don't tell me what's going on I'm going to inform the Tallest of your existence." He grinned evilly and she dropped him on the ground.

Jania turned her back to the Invader and gave the shortest explanation she could muster. "I gathered some information on the Karmites. I'm trying to figure out what they are up to and they're trying to stop me. I was on Earth to hide, but they've tracked me down. I need to move."

Zim glowed with the satisfaction of an adversary cowed. "What kind of information?"

"I'm not telling!"

Zim looked up at the ceiling, acting innocent. "Oh! I wonder what my Tallest Purple will think!"

Jania's eye twitched. "I've been compiling bits and pieces of information that I've gathered on the Karmites during the past years. I've only now started to come up with a theory as to what their next plan is, but I seriously need to consult Tak before I tell it to you."

"TAK? TAK! She's here? She's here for revenge!"

Jania shook her head. "No, no, she's here helping me!"

"You're after my mechanical bee!" he yelled hopelessly.

"What? Bee? No! Haven't you listened anything I've said? She's helping me figure out what the Karmites are doing. I need to consult her before I decide what to do. Do you understand?"

Zim contorted his features in thought. "I'm going with you!" he finally announced.

"I'm not taking you to Tak's base! What do you think I am, stupid? Forget it, okay?"

Zim began to walk over to the monitor. "Computer! Prepare to contact the Tallest!"

"FINE!"