The Challenge

"See, see?! What did I tell ya?!" Dib said jumping up excited. "Zim is an alien!" An angry glare from a few people, Ms. Bitters included, forced Dib to sit down and be quiet.

"Okay, this is obviously someone's idea of a stupid joke." Prof. Membrane said getting up. "Now take that mask off young man and we won't sue."

Prof. Membrane tries to take the "mask" off but to his surprise, all he gets is plain old skin.

"Hmmm, looks like the mask is on tight." Prof. Membrane said puzzled.

Annoyed, Zim knocks Prof. Membrane into the wall with one of his spider-legs. Prof. Membrane is down and out. This convinces some people that something's wrong. Zim laughs evilly then calls to GIR who just appeared with his piggy.

"GIR, released the SIR units now!" Zim commands.

"Yes, my liege!" boomed GIR, red eyes glowing, and then pushed a few buttons.

Soon parts of the wall got more holes and SIR units came barging in. This is enough for the family, friends, and whatnot to run and scream like heck. All except Ms. Bitters who glares.

A SIR unit fires at Kimi who dodges it. Kimi tries to fight back but a few more surrounded and grabs her.

"Let me go!" yelled Kimi angrily.

Timmy quickly runs over to try to help Kimi but find himself blocked by a few SIR units.

Zim, loving every minute, pulls out his laser, and points it at Tommy and Gaz. Tommy gets in front of Gaz.

"You'd not harm her, creep!" said Tommy angrily.

"Oh, on the contrary," Zim said. Zim then uses his spider-leg to knocks Tommy away then he fires his laser. He actually shot out a net which caught Gaz and traps her. "I am intending on capturing her!"

With an evil smirk, Zim takes his prizes and pushes Tommy when he got up.

"GIR! Time for us to go! Get us some cover!" Zim commands once more.

"Okie-dokie!" said GIR stupidly as he throws some sort of silver ball.

The silver ball, once landed on the floor, blows out smoke which covered everyone preventing them from seeing and breathing. As soon as the smoke clears, Zim, GIR, and the SIR units are gone...along with Gaz!

"Gaz!" cried Tommy, horrified that his soon-to-be bride is gone.

Tommy got up and gave chase. He soon caught up with them.

Zim looked back and saw him. "Good, just as I planned."

Gaz is hitting Zim. "Let me go Zim!"

Zim looked at Gaz, his spider-legs held her in front of him. "No Gaz, I will not. I want to see what it is you see in this human."

"What I see...why would you..." Suddenly it hit Gaz. "Zim, listen to me, I love him. That's all I can say."

"NO!" Zim yelled.

Just then Tommy finally lunged up and jumped at Zim and knocked him down. Gaz went into the air.

"GIR!" Zim yelled before getting punched by Tommy.

GIR's eyes glowed red as he flew and grabbed Gaz. Then they went back to green. "Oooo! Pretty girl is back!"

Zim glared at Tommy and knocked him back. Tommy jumped at him again. Put Zim pulled something out of his pocket, a control of some sort, and pressed it. A beam shot down and Tommy disappeared.

The beams source was from Zim's huge ship that has been in orbit for a long time, but cloaked to any sensors on Earth.

Tommy landed in a strange room. "Where am I?" He wondered.

Just then a view screen of some sort appeared and there was Zim, laughing his head off. "Who the heck are you? I want to know!" Tommy ordered.

"My name is Zim, an invader of the Irken armada, sent here a few years ago to study and conquer this planet for my leaders, the Tallests!" Zim said with pride.

"You're leaders are just taller than everybody?" Tommy asked.

Zim was quiet for a moment. "BE QUIET!" He yelled. "Now that you are my prisoner I could do any horrible terrible things to you. Like turn you inside out and see your organs on the outside." Tommy shivered. "Or other dastardly things."

"Where's Gaz!" Tommy ordered.

"Oh she is safe; I would never do anything bad to sweet Gaz." Zim said. "Here, let me show you."

Zim pressed a button on his control and the video screen changed to show Gaz, untied up, inside a room. She is looking around, as if to find a way out. Then the video changed back to Zim.

"What is it you want?" Tommy snapped.

"What I want! I want what you want! Someone to like me, someone to care for me! I have been stuck on this planet too long, I would want some companionship! My robot GIR, while I've improved him a bit, is too stupid, loud, and annoying to do me any good. However I have always had my eye on Gaz!" Zim told Tommy.

"But why now? Why not before she moved?" Tommy asked.

BECAUSE!" Zim yelled. "I was too caught up with being an Irken Invader and having to deal with her brother Dib that it never occurred to me."

"Until you say her in the paper I take it." Tommy finished. "Once you realized she was going to someone else, jealousy finally sunk in right?"

"Irkens don't ever feel jealous!" Zim scoffed.

"Oh really? Then why go to all of this?" Tommy asked.

"Because, I wanted to see who is the better person for Gaz. To do so, I set up a test. I challenge you to a contest of speed, endurance, and intelligence. A combination of a race, scavenger hunt, and survival. If you win, I will give up Gaz and no longer be a threat to Earth any more. However if I win, you will promise to give up Gaz and never ever come near her again!" Zim spoke loudly.

Tommy sighed. "Looks like I don't have much of a choice." 'Although, from what Dib and Gaz have told me, he's quite an incompetent idiot.' "Alright Zim, I'll accept your challenge."

"Excellent." Zim smiled.

Suddenly Tommy disappeared. He soon reappeared on another, red-ish, planet. Zim was next to him, he laughed maniacally.

Soon, Zim stops laughing as some sort of alien appears.

"Hello, my name is Meldar, former host of "Intergalactic Showdown", which would have continued on if it weren't for that stupid genius boy!" yelled Meldar a bit ticked off. He calms down. "But enough about that. I will be referee for this challenge."

"Referee? What for?" Tommy asked.

"Duh. This is an intergalactic challenge. When an alien challenges someone over something or someone, they need a referee! I will explain why but I got a show to watch in 3 hours so let's do this." Meldar said.

"Wait a minute. How did you know Zim sets up a challenge???" interrupted Tommy again.

"The higher ups got good ears! Now stop interrupting! Now then, this is a contest of speed, endurance, and intelligence. First 2 out of 3 wins. But remember, anyone caught cheating will be put in the freeze box" Meldar said as he points to box that is literally cold, "for 10 minutes before we have to start the part of the challenge he cheated one again. Also, anyone who dies automatically loses. If you got any questions, take it up to the higher ups. Any questions???"

"You said..."

"Let's move on!" interrupted Meldar.

"Tommy, prepare to lose." laughed Zim.

Tommy frowns then speaks.

"I refused to lose. This is for Gaz." Tommy said.

As so, the challenge begins.