(we resume with Tak's briefing, in a classified area on the planet Irk)

~

"As you can see in this first slide, Zim was responsible for Horrible Painful Overload Day."

The screen, having given birth to an image of millions of smeets, clogging a delivery chute, was replaced by another image.

It was the cross-sectional view of the chute, showing the multitudes of Irken hopefuls, all crammed together in the tube from which they were originally destined to live.

And, within the chute, as Tak looked into the image, out stood a particular familiar face. A rather outstanding face.

"Ah yes, I remember that day."

"Yes you do. Even I do. All of us remembers that day, and Horrible Painful Overload day 2.

I assume you're familiar with the termination of Tallests Miyuki and Spock."

As the Purple Tallest queried Tak, two images come on to the screen. The first showed a Tallest, wearing a yellow version of the Tallest's suit, and with yellow eyes. However, aside from that slight uniqueness, what was really interesting was the look of downright fear and horror on her face.

For behind her, was, one, giant, shapeless mass, all-consuming, ravaging through the area.

The second image revealed another tallest, this time with green eyes and a similar green suit, and a masculine irken this time. However, although he seemed less terrified than his predecessor, his mouth was still open as a sign of desperation, and less of fear in the face of an enemy that one could not defeat without a suitable weapon.

~

As the slides passed by, one by one, with every image from the annals of Irken history revealing the havoc that Zim wrecked, Tak was all the more convinced the danger that Zim could pose. Even though he was exiled to an unknown, and uncharted planet, this hardly prevented him from being a menace.

And, with a war now brooding, it was a thorn in the side that HAD to be plucked out. Immediately.

~

"So, that is it ?"

"Yes. Conquer Earth, eliminate Zim once and for all, and prevent the Resisty from even reaching this planet. That is all."

As those words were uttered, two, long Irken claws, a symbol of Irken strength, and the ability to rule with an empire with only two fingers, raised itself high up, almost touching the black sable antennae, commonly known to the Irken race.

"Tak. As of this moment, you have been promoted, from the status of Service Drone, to the status of Invader."

As the purple entity muttered this formality, his red companion did the same salute, though rather hastily, and at the wrong time.

For the purple visage had already unleashed his hands up high, and exclaimed.

"Unleash the smoke machines !"

~

A being lay sprawled on the floor, as the Purple Tallest continued to address Tak.

"Yup, that's it: you are now Invader Tak."

~

(scene shift, Earth, beginning of a new school day, exactly one month after "Tak")

Dib took slow, uneasy steps to the school he attended.

Hardly anything had changed. he was still the outside of the whole lot, an outcast, a reject. His sister, his dark, dangerous sister, still though him to be completely schizophrenic, and a complete idiot. His teacher considered him a disruption in his class, and, to his father, an intelligent young man dealing in "bad science".

But what was more sickening was the basic fact that, every day, as he entered the classroom, he would see the same green eyes, the same basic haircut, the same hideous green face, the missing ears and nasal cavities, and the weird suit. He would still bear witness to this person's overbearing behaviour, his bothersome arrogance, and his annoying antics.

He would still see Zim.

And, as he thought more of this Zim, he called to mind many past encounters. Like the time he first met Zim, and immediately knew that he was completely different from anything even remotely human. And his first, botched attempt at handcuffing him. He remembered the first time he caught Zim, without his disguise on, only to have Zim enter his body through a Nanobot, though, of course, thanks to his sister's intervention, he won. The many fights he had with Zim, the many squabbles and duels. Words, muffins, water balloons and even planets were used against each other. They were constantly at each other's throat.

But, there was one exception to that time: and that was when they faced a common enemy.

Tak.

Dib still couldn't believe she was gone. He really, honestly did think that Tak did like him. Maybe she did. Or perhaps she had just duped him into believing so. Either way, the appearance of this Tak was intriguing. Zim's race had… girls ! And their leaders were appointed because they were… tall ! What other things could be uncovered about Zim, and his particularly unique race ?

Din knew the answer now laid in one person.

And that was none other than Zim.

~

As the quiet sound of Irken boots could be heard, shifting up and down the early concrete pathways built by man, Zim trudged along, his head down in deep thought.

His mission was going on with little success. All around him, other Invaders were busy finishing up their final touches on Operation Impeding Doom 2. He, on the other hand, still had to figure out a way to defeat the very city that he was living in.

Bah, he thought. Foolish Tallests, they should have given him a better planet ! A harder planet would prove him easier to conquer, and to master. But, no, here he was, saddled with a plane that was relatively easy to conquer. As he kept moving, he started to think of the many enemies he had made from the long list of those filthy humans: the particularly annoying Keef, who never left him despite being ordered to resign his post as Zim's Bestest Friend, the lot of human worm babies who deemed themselves "popular", the Earth authorities, whoever they were, the potentially terrifying Ms. Bitters, who seemed to know that he was an alien, but never voiced it out, and all manner of xenophile morons that worshipped him.

But the stinkiest, most disgusting of the human worm babies was that particular earthanoid, with his big head and swollen eyes.

Dib.

Ah yes, they had their battles. And it was these battles that prevented Zim from focusing on his main objective: obtaining more… stuff…. For the conquest of Earth ! Yes ! But… that Dib Human HAD to interfere, that slimy worm ! And they would settle their matters well, like children, and fight it out, be It with rubbery stuff with burning liquid housed within it, weird baked Earthanoid food housed in a paper cup, asteroids, and threats, these were their arsenal, against each other.

But, for once, these two DID work together. And that was when they faced a common enemy.

Tak


~

Now, Zim had a hard time thinking.

Perhaps Tak did like Zim: she was just afraid too show it. After all, romance is not foreign to the Irken empire. And she was not for revenge. Then again, the battle they had, amidst the red hot lava in deep space, clearly portrayed that she was no better than Dib.

And Tak claimed that she was sent by… the Tallests. But, it was they who gave him this mission to this stinky planet ! Why would they have some other Irken, clearly not an Invader, take his place ?

Unless she was right.

Unless his whole mission was a lie. And the Tallests were lying.

And he was not an Invader.

~

Lies, lies LIES !

Zim gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and raised his left fist high in the air, like a shiny alloy, as he slowly walked to the school.

~

Confusion.

The wisps of smoke surrounded her body, shapeless, formless, and chaotic, in all it's swirls and movements, save disruption from a being choking on the floor, her thoughts were in a buzz.

50 years of waiting, a lifetime of study, with it's good times and bad times, the events she witnessed, the friends she made, her achievements, the failures, and all that, everything that her life had been for all this while had now reached it's pinnacle.

For she had attained her first dream.

As she grasped out, and felt the cool air, the breeze, and inhaled in the smoke, incensed with Irken perfume, she could smell the bittersweet moment, the bitterness of past failures, now usurped by the victories of perseverance.

This was it.

She was not just Tak.

She was, Invader Tak.

~

But one question remained.

"It took me 6 months to get to Earth: how do I get back…."

Before she could finish her finish her sentence, the Purple Tallest raised his hand, ad, within moments, before even Tak would realize it, a bright light appeared, surrounding her…..

~

"She's gone now."

"I wanted lasers !"

"You always get lasers ! And you hit me them !"

"But it's fun !"

"Not as fun as you choking in smoke…."

"You…"

"Here, catch."

As the Purple Tallest said this, he threw to the now revived Red Tallest a small device.

The R ed Tallest slowly brought the device close to his eyes, to examine it better.

"What's this…ack!"

As the smoke surrounded his nose, the Red Lattes started to wave the air, and cough badly, while the Purple Tallest smirked.

Ah, the sweet, silent joy of revenge, though the Purple Tallest.

~

Black.

All seemed dark at first. All was unclear.

Then followed light, a slight glimmer of light, as the eyelids open, to drink in the new details.

This was no longer the smokey briefing room she was, just a few minutes ago.

Up above, machinery, by means of giant robots, was working away at the gargantuan devices around.

Though the main production lines consisted of the production of more machinery, one particular production line was stuffing Earthanoid sausages, and laying them on long, strips of Earthanoid carbohydrates.


~

I'm back !

Indeed, she was.

The giant "Delishus Weenie" stand that she had left no more than a month ago, was now her home, once more, instead of the lonely escape pod.

She now had all the equipment she needed, everything, the plans, the ideas, everything ! She would just need to start her plans all over again, but, that wouldn't take much time !

Only one thing was missing.

As she realized this, a small note appeared, with a slight glow surrounding it, showing that it had just came from the same area that she was displaced from.

"By the way: we're fixing your robot. Wait a while : MiMi will be coming back !"

She folded the note, slightly smiling to herself.

Now, the invasion of Earth, proper, was to begin once more. But how ?

She knew how.

And she knew the very place to start.

~

"Class ! Today, you will be learning about your fellow classmates. Every one of you will be paired up with an assigned classmate. Failure to comply will result in being sent to the underground classrooms.

First is Dib & Zim !"

"MS. BITTERS !!"

"SILENCE !"

~

The green, foreign eyes of Zim met the brown, earthly eyes of Dib, as they locked their gazes at each other.

However, on the outside, a wind was blowing. It grew intense, and wilder.

And, lo and behold, a hover ship came, and landed, not far from the school, dropping off a young, rather familiar individual, one whom the classmates had seen before.

All were amazed.

Except Dib & Zim.

~

"You want a project ! I'll make a project out of you, Zim !"

"Quiet !! You shall face the projecting powers of ZIM !!!"

~

Tak slowly walked into the classroom.

It was no different from the last time she left. The students were still the same, save for a few replacements,, and Ms. Bitters was still there.

And she seemed to be very annoyed.

"The school has complained about your father's apparent holiday to Batavia. Next time Tak…"

It was this very word that both boys heard,

Their eyes turned to Ms. Bitters.

As they started to look round, the caught the sight of the girl. With purple eyes.

"……please inform us before you go a trip that will deny you further vital knowledge that will prove essential in your doomed life when you reach maturity. That is, if any of you reach maturity."

~

Oh they were going to pay.

Dib, Zim and Gaz… they were all going to pay.

As Tak walked back to her desk, now dust covered after a month of neglect, she could feel the gaze of two, surprised boys. She did not heed their attention.

For they shall pay.

As she would ruin their lives.

~

Meanwhile, up above, a lone, silvery ship, sleek in it's design, was making it's way for Earth.

Suddenly, the ship stopped short of it's course.

And then, it did the unimaginable: it made a 360 degree u-turn.

~

And back, on the planet of the Meekrob, lone eyes watched the screen, portraying the Meekrob ship that decided not to make it's way to Earth.

(As the episode comes to an end, we are revealed, for the first time, the leader of the Resisty.

Lard Nar.)

And Lard Nar took a look at the screen, before smiling, and saying, quietly, to himself.

"It has begun."

~

(we come to the final scene of the episode, where we see clips of all the characters that now take centre stage in this series.

Dib and Zim are in their classes.

Gir is at home, watching TV while drinking a Suckmoney slushie.

Professor Membrane is at his lab, probing the membrane of science.

Gaz is in her own class.

The citizens of Earth, and Irk, go about their daily lives.

Tenn is locked up, in a cell.

And Lard Nar is smiling.

While the two Tallests are busy lying on a couch, and finally, we come round to Tak, who is writing a small entry into a journal she had been carrying, for a while, using a pen.)

"This is Invader Tak, signing off."

(fin.)

~

Note from the author: And that's just the first episode, the pilot ! The first of Tak's adventures will be coming soon !

~

Up next: Episode 2a: Eye Treatment.

~