~
(the screen quickly changes to a more recognizable surrounding.
It is Zim's house: hardly anything seems different. It is still sandwiched by two houses, as cables from this prefabricated house are attached to it's neighbours. The house remains rather suspicious, and different from any of the other houses in the neighbourhood.
It I still an eyesore in the neighbourhood: though people have been accustomed to the appearance of this house, there is still the feeling of curiosity as to what sort of individual would have built such a mechanical looking contraption that vaguely resembles the house.
The answer lay within, and, on this day, the house seemed more suspicious than ever.
For, the scene moves in, into the very interior of Zim's house..)
~
"And tonight: a giant "Delishus Weenie" stand purportedly pumped all out of Earth's magma into the Earth's atmosphere, before mysteriously pumping it all back…."
Gir was watching TV. Free from the canine disguise, he was in full metal glory: two glowing green discs being the eyes of his head, a small, compact metallic body, with his two hands clutching his legs, and his mind still composed of no more than mere scrap metal.
"Although authorities have still dismissed the incident as being nothing more than mere mass hysteria, masses of eyewitnesses still claim that the stand did pump out hot, lava from the very centre of the Earth, and spewed it all out into the depths of space."
We then see a man, in a suit that bares resemblance to a sausage trapped within two layers of long, fat bread.
"Umm… yeah ! It DID pump out magma… yeah. Wanna hotdog ?"
The television screen then reverted back to the news reporter in question.
"Scientists are still baffled by the occurence, let alone the idea of mass hysteria, though one leading member of the Scientific community remains sceptical."
The screen then shows a picture of a man, his face shrouded by a trench coat that covered his lips, and a pair of plexiglass spectacles that covered his eyes. He had only one patch of hair, but, this patch was long, and was fashionably shaped like a long, crooked stick, that was arched, edgily, towards his back.
"There is absolutely NO way magma from the Earth's core can be pumped out ! Our very own level of technology prevents us from even having a glimpse of the very interior of this Earth: we don't even know what the centre of our Earth looks like !"
The screen finally reverts to the reporter, though, this time, to the upper right hand corner of the screen, just above the shoulder, an image of a rather chubby man, in formal business attire, wearing a hat with a hotdog motif appears.
"So far, no word has been reached, so far, concerning the very whereabouts of this giant hotdog stand. The president of the "Delishus Weenie" company has been reported missing, last seen just around the stand, with his daughter….."
As the reporter said that last word, we see a picture of a girl, with purple hair turns up. The colour of her very eyes are magenta, her skin rather pale, and her clothes being stripes of dark and light shades of purple, with the centre bearing a picture that looked, vaguely, like the Irken Military symbol.
"Tak."
~
(the screen moves, to a deeper, more secure section of the house.
Zim's Underground laboratory.)
Zim's laboratory was completely obscure to most of the known world. Completely subterranean, it was secure from the harmful effects of the suns rays, or the all seeing eyes of the enemy.
However, in this case, it hardly gave Zim security.
He was now anxious, and rather perturbed.
"Your mission is all a big lie ! You're not even an Invader !
The Tallests lied to you!"
No, it can't be. How could the Tallests, how could the great, Almighty Tallests, possibly lie to Zim ?
"Zim, you're.. alive ?"
"You know Zim, you're rather small."
Zim heard the Tallests say those things before.
"Um….. Yeah. Great plan, Zim."
"As a show of appreciation…..here's a sandwich."
The list goes on.
Soon, they came back.
The old, dreaded memories.
~
(We are then confronted with a scene from Devastis, more than fifty years ago, when Zim first received his training as an invader, alongside the current Tallests.
Here he is, conversing with the irkens who are now the Almighty Tallests)
"Zim, you've done nothing but rain horror down onto the empire since you were
born...and now they're training you to become an INVADER?! WHY?!! I mean...that's just SICK!!"
Zim could remember that day well.
"Hah..flattery aside, when I am Tallest, I will make the empire rue ever having made me wait so long to rule them!"
"Yeah, well, if I were Tallest, I'd probably put you on trial to defend your life. Yep, that's probably what I'd do. Mmmhmmmm."
That was from the Irken that was now the Red Tallest.
~
(we are treated to a much earlier memory, when Zim was trained on the Military Training Area of Irk.
He was sitting amongst hundreds of rows of young irkens, wearing visors that produced holographic images when you wore them. At the same time, new
data was being downloaded into the pak on his back, and this military information creates the militaristic holographic simulations that Irken youth are taught to handle.
He can still remember the words of the electronic advisor that was supervising his training. She spoke with a voice that now returns in the haunting voice of Ms. Bitters.
"Zim, you are doomed to be a mere slave to an empire that makes you make cola and snacks for someone taller than you. Don't even think about becoming an Invader."
Zim removes his visor and looks around, irritated by another failed war game. He, of course, detests the Irken education system.
"Boring! Ten years and we're still in this education plug! When do we get to see the planet's surface?!!"
His hands were high in the air, in frustration, as turned round, to speak to a fellow irken.
Who was now the Purple Tallest.
"When I'm Tallest, things will be different."
As Zim said this, the fellow gave a snide remark.
"You? Tallest ?! That's crazy !"
~
And there were more, and more.
~
"Hey look, it's Zim !"
"Yeah, the Irken with the defective ID PAK"
"You suck Zim !"
Soon, the memories became no more than mere black, with all manner of hideous beings, resembling Irkens, but in a very hideous form, all pointing their fingers eerily at Zim. Zim was now feeling small, in the way of these tall apparitions.
"You suck, Zim !"
"You're not fit to be an Invader !"
"You're going down !"
"Yeah !"
"I like squirrels !"
~
The last one seemed odd.
And indeed, it was.
"Hello !"
It was GIR.
"Oh, it's you. Leave me be."
Despite G.I.R.'s low A.I. Rating, this did not make him immune to sympathy.
He realised that his master was in a deep state of sadness. After all, why would he be clutching his legs in a fetal like manner ?
Something was wrong.
G.I.R. hugged Zim.
~
As the warm, metallic shell, brimming with the emotions of a dedicated friend, enclosed Zim's personal space, Zim started to feel a sense of relief.
And soon, he could remember the good times.
~
Horrible Painful Overload Day !
That was the day he was born, and HE started it !
He had plunged Irk into 5 years of Darkness on that very day ! Hah ! No one could beat THAT !
He defeated, not one, but two Tallests, and both with the same weapon: a giant blob !
And Operation Impending Doom 1: He wrecked Irk with a Frontline Battlemech 4 !!
"TWIST THOSE KNOBS ! PULL THOSE LEVERS !!!
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!"
Zim was laughing.
He could feel it. But this was no ordinary laugh.
This was a new laugh, a darker, stronger, and more mightier laugh.
It had more DOOM in it.
As Zim continued to laugh, he placed a puzzled GIR down, as he slowly resumed a more serious look, and started to scheme.
However, for once, Zim's scheme was different.
For, despite his laugh, one, sole comment remained. A mocking comment.
That was eating away at his mind.
"Your mission is all a big lie !"
It was from his arch nemesis.
The female known as Tak.
He could feel the Irken blood flow through him, his crimson eyes focused, he felt a greater resolve, and a sense of purpose pouring in.
And with that, he made a speech.
"If my own Tallests dare to betray me, then, SO BE IT !
From now on, NO ONE, not even the Tallests, shall stand in the way of ZIM !"
No one heard it.
GIR was back upstairs, watching the Scary Monkey Show.
Dib was in his own home with his sister.
The rest of the Irken Empire was scattered all over the galaxy, mainly concentrated within the boundaries of Irk.
And the people of Earth resumed their mundane lives.
But, to Zim, this was, perhaps, the greatest speech he ever made, so far.
And with that, he gave, one, last, great sinister laugh, which echoed throughout the halls of his laboratory.
Only Zim heard it.
~