Long hours passed Zim by as he worked on his instrument. This particular coat of crystal over this piece of wood, this particular string fastened here and tuned precisely to this pitch well, it wasn't finished yet, but every thing he did was an amazing improvement over what had once.. once been a human instrument. Zim cackled under his breath and straightened up, letting the cyborg attachments wired through his body refresh his muscles of their own accord. With a pleased smile across his face, he hopped down from the workstation, replaced the instrument on the table, and took his exit to the room built around his pipe organ. Still it played, and the smile on Zim's face grew even wider. He had certain principles he wanted to test out although he'd long ago abandoned digital sound AMAZING as Irken technology was, there was something about the property of actual sound vibrations generated by a true source that held more power and reality. That realization had been a struggle, and he'd been extremely surprised to know it true.

But for this next experiment, he needed the assistance of his stink-slave, Jessica. Her mind was his model, with all the extensive testing and manipulating he had done to her nerve centers to amplify her susceptibility to music and sound. No other human would do! He had put too much work into this one, ultimately. Yes, too much work—so why wasn't she AROUND!?! Grumbling and muttering in disgust, Zim marched to the lift that would carry him to the top level of the base. He stood smartly on the lift platform as it shot upwards, arms crossed and fingers tapping impatiently against them. The only thought on his mind was finding Jessica and continuing his experiment, at the moment, so although his senses were aware that the sound waves from below abruptly shut off once he passed a certain checkpoint to the top level, his mind did not acknowledge it.

At least, not until he reached the top, leapt from the toilet, and was promptly assailed by the horrible cacophony of GIR's pounding on the piano keys. He knew it was GIR Jessica would never ever do such a thing. It was beyond her physical tolerance levels! She must be writhing in agony at this blasphemy! Growling under his breath, Zim stalked into the living room.

he hollered. Cease that insufferable— his voice froze mid-sentence as a gust of cold air hit him in the face, and he turned to stare at the empty room before him and the front door swinging loosely. Specks of snow blew in across the floor, and Zim could do naught but stare, his antennae flattened against GIR's playing'. Jessica was gone. GONE. How!? Why!? WHERE!?! Zim's cry of rage was lost amongst the dischord of the piano and GIR's delighted shrieks.

---

In all the years he'd been alive, Dib could not remember ever having had a girl in his room who wasn't his sister. And not only in his room, but lying on his bed. He figured the shock, whatever the shock had been, had been what caused her to black out but then, she'd been living under alien mind control for years, now. Of course, her re-introduction to the real world would be a jarring but necessary process.

Dib stood by the bed, carefully pushing an errant skool book back underneath it with his boot. No time for homework now. No time. He had so much to do; he couldn't waste his time with pointless attention to grades that measured nothing of consequence and only mattered to skool records. There were bigger things in life. Much bigger things like saving people from the whims of evil manipulative aliens.

Dib gazed down at Jessica lying on the bed. Aside from the incredibility of there being a teenage girl on his bed, a fact that he was doing his very best to ignore, there was something else that held his attention almost irrevocably. She was human, typically so, around his age, probably a year older; she'd been a grade above him back in middle skool but what really held his attention was what she was wearing. No longer the magenta t-shirts and baggy jeans of her childhood, or anything that could even remotely be considered Earth apparel when you really looked at it. She wore some kind of suit, in shades of red and purple, that, strangely enough, on a quick glance looked almost exactly like what one would expect a teenage girl to be wearing. He hadn't had time, before, to look at this, and it was just subtle enough to escape direct notice but the clothes' she was wearing were unmistakably Irken.

He turned away, filled with silent horror. He had no idea what Zim had done to this girl's mind but that rotten alien had had her under his control for years.. at least what? Five years? That was a long time. Far too long, in Dib's opinion. If he only he could've done more but he'd been too busy with his evidence he hadn't cared enough about the human casualty factor. He should've realized! But he'd let real life' and facts take his attention and now this had happened.

A soft groan distracted Dib from his thoughts, and he spun around towards Jessica, rushing to her side. Her eyelids fluttered and then opened. They stared blankly for a moment, then grew wide. Dib held his breath. What would she do, finding herself in some place other than the only place Zim had let her know?

She turned to him and her mouth opened, as an expression of shock and fear crossed her face. In spite of that, she did remember his name. she stammered. Her voice trembled. am I? She seemed extremely upset damn.. damn damn.. this was going to be hard. Dib's forte was not his social skills.

You're safe, Jessica! he said energetically, gesturing to the room around him. I got you away from that evil alien's base look, I know he's been controlling your mind and I know this probably going to be really hard for you but you've got to try! You're human! You're not his little.. pet slave thing!

Jessica stared at him for a moment more, then turned her face away towards the wall and the elaborate posters that covered it. He had taken her away, then. Taken her away from oh god where was she? How was she going to get home? Where was her home? Was it with Zim? Where was Zim? Turning to Dib, she voiced the last question, almost hesitantly.

Dib stared at her for a long moment, like he couldn't believe she had asked that. off at his base, doing horrible things no doubt! He's probably going to try and make you come back so he can use you for whatever he's doing down there You don't want to go back to him, Jessica!! He's done awful things to you!

Had he? Jessica looked away again, then very carefully pushed herself to a sitting position. Well, it was a fair question, wasn't it? She bit her lip and frowned, considering. She couldn't remember no, she could, but only in snatches. She did remember Dib, from skool, a long time ago. She remembered when she'd first been kidnapped by Zim, ala the Phantom, and was surprised to realize that such a frightening event had been remembered in her mind with such fondness. That wasn't right was it? She viewed that particular memory with a thrill and affection she couldn't ever remember feeling before. What had Zim done to her, that was so awful? He'd given her music. He'd sang to her. And in all these years, he'd never touched her. But she'd never missed that the music and his voice had seemed like the only thing that had mattered.

Dib said, moving worriedly around the bed in an almost clumsy dance. She turned to look at him again. He was concerned, for her. For her sake. Had Zim ever bothered to worry about her? Of course he must've! He just wasn't very good at showing it! She could respect that. Couldn't she?

A.. a real long time it's been a long time, Jessica told Dib. He's been he please understand I She fell silent as her emotions warred within her. She found herself aching for things that had never seemed to matter. A kind word, a soft touch, a little consideration why had Zim never given her these things? Was his music so divine that it made everything else irrelevant? Was he nothing but a ghost, like he claimed? Was he someone real that she could love? She realized with a painful ache in her heart that she didn't know. She'd never seen him beyond the veil of music and the distance he put between them. He called her his angel. Surely that meant

Don't cry, Dib was saying nervously. Don't be upset.. it's.. er.. it's all right.. he can't hurt you here. Jessica looked up at him and saw her vision blurred with tears. She hadn't realized she'd been crying. Hastily she wiped her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of someone who was trying to be so nice to her, even if he had the wrong idea she felt his hand clumsily pat her shoulder, and she reached up to take his hand. It was like a jolt of fire through her entire being. She gasped. She hadn't touched another person in in so long

Dib, on the other hand, was blushing furiously. She couldn't remember what that meant. Maybe she would, in time. She'd lived with other humans, once, before her glorious and uncertain days with Zim maybe someday she'd remember how to do that. All at once, as she held onto Dib's hand, the entire human experience seemed well, no less exciting and wonderful, in its own way, than what Zim gave to her. And especially with someone so

she mumbled softly.

Uh.. yeah?

you'll take care of me, won't you?

well I Dib's blush turned a deep scarlet, and she felt his hand sweat and tense in her grip. uh.. sure. I mean, I have to keep you safe from him he'll be back for you, the bastard He winced, looking even more abashed at his word usage. Jessica stifled a giggle, and he responded with a very weak smile. Maybe things in the human world wouldn't be so bad after all

---

Are we goin for pizza, Maztur? the little green dog asked, staring wide-eyed up at Zim.

snarled the little alien, as he adjusted his disguise. We are going to FIND JESSICA!! Zim's robot slave giggled charmingly and Zim fought back another choking wave of rage. How dare it? How dare GIR act like this? This was IMPORTANT!! This was deadly serious!! Jessica was GONE!! Zim did not stop to look at his feelings or figure out why, exactly, it was so important that Jessica be returned to him. He had no time or thought for that, none at all. The only thing he understood or was willing to act on was the feelings themselves. He didn't remember ever feeling quite as enraged as this before but the emotion had him in its deadly vise and he was prepared to do whatever it required of him. He would tear down every building in this city. He would destroy every human in his way. He would find Jessica.

Zim stalked out his front door, followed by GIR trotting at his heels. His disguise nowadays was not the itchy wig or burning contact lenses no, he preferred his Phantom-style black fedora and white mask. They did the job just as well, even if he did get many more odd stares. They simply feared him more, now. What a wonderful thing, being feared. What a wonderful thing it would be when his slave returned to him. What a wonderful thing it would be when he made that stinking Dib-monster suffer. Yes, Zim's mind was still moving in the perpetual circle of blaming Dib for all his misfortunes. He was the cause of most of the Invader's problems, was he not? No, he was the cause of ALL of them. Logic was not a strength of Zim's at the moment as he stalked down the street, boots slamming furiously against the concrete, black cape swirling around his ankles, eyes burning with bloodlust behind the mask. He would visit the filthy, germy lair of that disgusting Dib-pig first. If Jessica was not there he would make Dib bring her to him. If Dib was not there there would be doom. So much doom