It was extremely hard to continue my search for Dib. If I gazed down into the hellish chamber for too long I found myself gagging and turning away. Since I could only look for a few minutes at a time I was really useless to the search. It was irritating knowing that Zim was the one doing the most.

Thankfully I wasn't the first to find my brother. I'm not sure if I would have been able to handle it if I had.

It was a tiny sound, soft and shaken slightly. It echoed off of the metal walls and rang down into the sea of screams below us. Though barely auidable it stood out amongst everything else around us. It was deafening.

" I…I found him…" Zim whispered under his breath.

I turned around slowly, afraid to look, afraid to see, afraid of what I might find…afraid of what may have become of Dib.

Zim's fingers clenched the vents tightly and his eyes were wide. He didn't turn toward me, even as my feet clanked evenly against the metal floor as I crossed over toward him. His gaze was transfixed on the events below.

No…one event below.

I stood next to Zim, peering out through the vents and trying to see if I could find Dib before he showed me. Then again it had taken Zim a long time to find him as well, even with his so-called "superior eyes". Zim extended one finger through the vent and into Dib's general direction.

" There." He said, calm and composed.

My eyes followed past his digit and down toward the ground. I forced myself to keep staring down, even as the screams and the various smells of blood returned to me once more. I didn't feel like I could look at each individual face, twisted and contorted as they writhed in pain. I had to though. I had to search each of those faces to find the only important one. It took me several moments, since there were so many victims along the way. I finally found him though.

Yeah…I found him.

Even from a great distance I could tell. It was him. His hair and clothes were matted with blood. His coat was torn and from what I could tell the rest of his clothes were too. He looked almost exactly the way I'd found him on that night one week before.

Dib wasn't alone though, much to my horror.

His companion loomed over him with a maddening grin on his face. His arms were crossed behind his back and his long black coat swept around him in gravity defying, menacing swirls. Any eyes he may have had were hidden by the shadow his long brimmed black hat cast upon his face. Thick red blood coated him in splashes; blood that I knew came from Dib.

With a sharp swish the air where Dib had been only moments before was sliced thin by long, sharp knives where the creature's fingers should have been. Dib had scattered just in time to hide behind a rock.

Helplessly they scrambled in circles, the same pattern over and over. The creature would strike and Dib would dodge. Rocks were sliced thin as paper and bloodied dust arose around them. There was a shrill, high-pitched noise that could only be defined as maniacal laughter, accompanied by terrified screams.

I stumbled backwards a little bit, only just barely saving myself from falling. Even so, I could still see Dib. Him and his tormentor ran circles around each other as I stared down at them between my feet.

Everything I had feared came alive in that one moment. Dib was running for his life and I could do nothing but watch in horror and let it happen.

Somehow the creature chasing him seemed especially frightening, like a villain out of a slasher film gone horribly wrong. I could have sworn I felt the air freeze around us each time he swung his iron claws.

" What…what is that creature?" I heard myself ask from somewhere else. Somewhere far away.

" I'm not sure." Zim answered nearby, " Most Irkens just call it Shing, because of the sound its claws make."

I watched as this "Shing" nearly took off my brother's head for what seemed like the hundredth time. I struggled to stand upright as Zim continued.

" The thing that makes Shing especially frightening is that it appears in a different form to everyone. What you see is different from what I or your brother sees." He explained.

That calmed me down, but only slightly. The creature was only trying to scare me. It was a little odd that it appeared as a slasher, since I hadn't really been scared by a horror movie in years.

" Heh." Zim mused, " He looks different today."

A statement like that was begging to be questioned. Somehow though, I couldn't bring myself to ask. There were some things that needed to remain secret and I doubted if he would appreciate my inquiry.

It took several moments for the initial shock of the moment to die down. Once it subsided, I stood tall and peered through the vents once more. The situation hadn't changed but in a way that was a good thing. I could have seen a torn and mangled corpse instead of a frightened child.

" So…" I began, " How do we get down there?"

I smiled inwardly as Zim snapped his head towards me. The shocked look on his face said it all. One hand still tightly clutched the wall as he turned to face me.

" Have your brainmeats completely exploded in your head?" He hissed at me, " You'd be sliced into thin strips and roasted into crispies before you could even scream!"

I had no idea what a crispy was. I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to know what a crispy was.

Gazing back through the vents in the wall I watched over Dib, just like I should have from the start. He had stopped only for a moment to catch his breath. Shing was nowhere in sight, but that wouldn't last long. He was probably off terrifying another captive, someone more interesting than my brother.

Dib fell to his knees, clutching his chest. His breathing appeared hard and rough and jagged, as though his chest was being crushed into pieces by an invisible hand. Blood twirled down his long spiked hair and dripped onto his coat. Wincing in pain he looked up at the ceiling, to someplace higher.

He was always doing things like that.

Somehow, in the midst of the dust and destruction, past the steam and through the fog his eyes found mine. Though since I was peering out a tiny vent with crimson shaded eyes, I doubt he knew it was me.

Still the look he shined back at me was unforgettable. His mouth was open wide in a smile and his eyes were filled with desperate hope and fear. It didn't really matter who was up here to him, I suppose. As long as there was someone to take him away…as long as there was someone there to save him from that hell. Someone to save him from his daily hells and someone to be his hero.

I wanted to step away. I didn't want to be his hero. I didn't want him to see me, yet at the same time I wanted to scream his name out at the top of my lungs and reveal myself.

Before could even decide what I wanted Dib was knocked over. Shing had returned once more and had backhanded Dib so hard he fell to the ground. The vicious cycle began once again swinging and striking and running and hiding.

A rush of emotion crashed over me in a wave. It was a mixture of anger and hope and things unknown. Whatever that feeling was, it surged with each slice of air and each cry from Dib. My fingers twitched, clutching the vents until my pale digits became a ghostly white. Taking a deep breath and without turning, I gave Zim my answer.

" I don't care," I said, a fierce intensity burning through me, " We need to get down there."

Zim still seemed shocked when I finally met his gaze. Maybe it was because I was insane enough to press on, or maybe it was the fact that I had said "we" which sealed his doom as well.

He brushed a gloved hand carefully over his antennae, flattening them to his skull for a moment. He seemed puzzled by something. Of course I knew that something was me. It always was after all.

" You humans are so…strange," Zim searched his mind for the right word. " You do things that make no sense at all, like throw yourself in the line of fire for the sake of another…I don't think I'll ever understand it."

" Well…you are trying to take over Earth," I pointed out, " You're not supposed to care about us or whether we destroy ourselves, remember?"

Zim chuckled softly to himself, which I must admit annoyed me. Somehow it seemed like he wasn't taking me seriously at all.

" Well…I suppose that's true," He mused.

I hated it when Zim talked that way. There was something that wasn't right about it at all. It was too serious and dark to be Zim. It was like he was dangling a small thread of information in front of my face, inches from my nose, and then pulling away at the last second, keeping it for himself. It wasn't like him at all. He was always horrible at keeping secrets and always wound up blabbing his plans before they were executed.

Zim pulled way from the wall and began to walk off in the direction of dark unknown on the other end of the platform, beckoning me to follow. Reluctantly I obeyed and my feet clanked on the metal floor with each hating step.

When he stopped suddenly I crashed into him, stumbling just a bit. Zim took no notice though and turned to a small door in the wall. It really was incredibly short; I doubted if my dad could have fit through it walking on his knees.

" Only the shortest of the short are condemned to lives like this," Zim informed me, " No one will suspect us if they see us down there. They'll just think we're part of the clean up committee."

I really didn't like the thought of having to clean up the blood and gore of slaughtered captives, but I reminded myself that we weren't actually going to do that.

" Come on," He called to me as he opened the door.

Almost immediately steam rolled out from all sides of the door. Peering around Zim I found that the stairs were metal and spiraled down forever, reaching into the depths of hell.

" Watch your feet steppings," Zim warned me, glancing over his shoulder at me, " These aren't stairs you want to be falling down."

There was no need for either of us to crouch since we were both so short. Just getting down the stairs themselves was a difficult task for they were steep and there was no handrail to guide us. Slowly though, we scaled down them like clichéd lambs to the slaughter.

When we finally reached the bottom light shone on us, temporarily covering my eyes and hiding me from the reality of the situation. The bright sunshine I was so certain I had felt and hated was only the glow of fierce flames.

Pits of fire were scattered about everywhere and hot steam shot from pipes that sprouted from the ground and walls. I watched as workers in Irken uniform tossed carnage into the flames. Heavy thick purple smoke that was more than likely toxic spewed from the fire as it swallowed one of many corpses. The cloud flew all the way up to the ceiling, which seemed much further away than it had before.

Of course this was all fine to watch from the bottom of the stairwell, but as soon as I stepped inside the deathly warm room I was overcome once more. The sights, the scent, the screams; they all hit at once, amplified by the heat. They ensnared me; they choked me and made me stumble.

My hand was grabbed just as I was about to fall. Zim, who I refuse to name as my savior, pulled me up and to my feet. I brushed myself off without even a thank you and he turned away, for this was another moment that would mutually never be spoken of again.

It was difficult to focus when I was coughing from a combination of toxic fumes and the sickening scent of blood, dirt, and death. I felt sick to my stomach and was suddenly glad I hadn't eaten. Everything was much more intense down among the chaos.

Somehow though, I managed to press on. With one hand placed over my mouth I weaved through the sea of torment and destruction. No one paid any mind to me. I guess they all assumed I was part of their precious waste disposal unit. I didn't know what anyone assumed of Zim however. He had disappeared somewhere, lost from my eyes. Perhaps he had drowned in that bloody sea.

It really didn't matter to me whether Zim was torn apart or not. He was the reason we were stuck up in this ship in the first place. He had suited his one and only purpose--bringing me to Dib. If he died now it wouldn't matter. Not really.

Or maybe that was my inner sadist, hoping for death destruction and pain of others to always reign supreme. I couldn't help but wonder where she was right then though as I waded through blood puddles and carefully stepped around mangled bodies. I really could have used her help in that moment as I stepped in something gooey. I don't think I want to know what it was.

Finally, after stomping on far too many still chests to count, I discovered Dib hiding behind a rock, curled into a ball on the ground. He was shaking and one his glasses' lenses was cracked. Specks of blood sprinkled his clothes and they were torn very badly. Cuts littered his tiny frame and his big head and he whimpered softly like a child.

I had no time for sympathy however. I only had time for get up and go. I picked him up harshly by his collar and brought his face to mine. Of course his first reaction was struggle and screaming. He paused suddenly once he saw who had lifted him up.

At first I couldn't think of what would make him stop like that. Slowly he brought a shaky hand to my face, almost too close. I winced as he carefully peeled off one of my false eyes. I had gotten so used to them I had forgotten I had them on in the first place. My disguise began falling to the ground piece by piece by Dib's hand until I was left with nothing but the uniform and the long distance between us.

With a touch of childish curiosity, Dib reached up to my new pointy hair and poked it in just the right way. I could feel it tumble down in knotted sheets but I didn't turn to look. Infact my eyes never left Dib, who stared back at me with a look full of not fear and insanity, but recognition.

" …Gaz…" He said softly under his breath.

I don't think I had even been happier to hear my name.

Suddenly that fear in his eyes had returned as he gasped and looked beyond me. Puzzled, I turned around only to find the reason for all of this agony.

Shing loomed over the two of us menacingly; ready to strike at any moment. Dib clung to me and I suddenly felt as though these would be our last moments and that we were about to be brutally sliced apart. Shing laughed low and loud, echoing off of every wall. Even this close to him, his eyes were still hidden in shadows. It made me wonder vaguely if he had any at all.

I guess people think about strange things when they're about to die.

For some reason though, that final blow never came to us. Both Dib and me looked up at our tormentor curiously, wondering why he hadn't killed us yet. Shing had turned away to face something else. That something was suspended by giant metal spider legs and looming in our general direction.

That something…was Zim.

Wordlessly through hand motions he told me to take Dib and leave, NOW. I didn't argue, didn't question him at all. I just took Dib's hand and forced him to his feet.

" Come on you worm!" He taunted the beast, " Why don't you try something just a little more challenging than those stupid Earth creatures?"

Shing let out a low growl and slunk over to Zim and away from us completely. Brandishing his scythe like claws he seemed to grow almost. He stretched and contorted until he was almost as high up as Zim, even higher actually. It seemed like he didn't have a spine, or maybe he had the spine of a snake.

The creature let out a horrible screeching noise and lunged forward in a fluid way, almost like a roller coaster car crashing down. Zim seamlessly jumped out of the way, but almost lost his balance when he landed on his metallic additions.

It didn't take an idiot to figure out that Zim was not a fighter. He wasn't very physically strong and he wasn't exactly an intelligent space being. Those combined, it was amazing he fought so long against Shing.

It did provide a great escape opportunity though. I tugged on Dib's arm harshly.

" Come on Dib," I said, " We have to get your crazy behind back home."

Dib wouldn't budge though. He was shaking where he stood watching the battle. His voice quivered and it bled fear, anxiety and worry as Zim and Shing fell into a graceful pattern of attack dodge and repeat.

" No…no Zim…Dad…" He whispered soft broken words.

Dad? That one stopped me for a moment or so. Why would he bring up Dad? Dad didn't care about us very much. Only enough to take us out to dinner once a year and enough for him to call us roommates. Despite this, Dib could still hold a small bit of admiration for our father and looked forward to seeing him and standing beside him. Of course Dad thought Dib was crazy, what with all of his "aliens" and paranormal junk. It was amazing Dib didn't seem to harbor any hate for the man at all.

Of course…I could be wrong again.

I followed Dib's gaze to the battle. I watched every time Shing's long coat swerved and every time he extended his claws. Suddenly Zim's words rang in my ears once again.

" The thing that makes Shing especially frightening is that it appears in a different form to everyone. What you see is different from what I or your brother sees."

That was it. I could suddenly see in my mind exactly how Shing's coat could be painted white and how his thick and filthy blonde locks could be pulled into one long black spike.

Dib wasn't seeing some serial killer or some being from outer space. It wasn't some kid from skool or some kind of monster. He saw Dad looming before him, telling him all about broken dreams that will never come true with each slash.

" ZIM! DAD!" He shouted out, shutting his eyes tightly so he wouldn't have to watch.

It must have hurt him to have one of the only people he deludedly thought cared at all slam him to the ground. It must have hurt to endure his constant sighs and wishes of a saner child.

It must not have occurred to me until that moment that this battle had been going on longer than it seemed.

" JUST GO!" Zim screamed out at us as Shing sliced him once more.

He would probably die there. It still didn't really matter very much to me.

I had become very impatient over the course of seconds. Zim wouldn't be able to stand this very much longer. We didn't have time to stop and stare.

" Come on Dib! That's NOT Dad and we have to go. NOW." I tugged on my brother's arm as hard as I could, ripping his sleeve just a little more.

I'm not sure how long he stood there, wide eyed at the two aliens fighting before him. Every move; every jump and slash was carefully monitored from behind his crooked frames. Luckily, it wasn't long enough to get us killed. Slowly he forced his eyes away from the battle and we ran together.

Dib's concentration amazed me. He was able to maneuver quickly through the carnage without so much as a gag. However, his eyes were filled with panic as they darted around, looking for the door.

I searched as well, but the exit was nowhere in sight. It seemed impossible that we would be trapped there, considering that I had gotten inside in the first place. There had to be a way out.

Everything was so blurred and faded as we ran in circles searching for a way to escape this hellish pit. There was nothing around us but panic and fear and it cradled us, trying to make us stop just for a moment, just long enough for it to wrap it's hands around our throats and seal our fate.

Suddenly there was a sound--a horrible grinding sound that could have shattered a diamond. It was like a thousand clocks that had grown rusty and creaked with each passing second. Together we looked towards the non-existent sky to see if this strange new discovery would prove to be our salvation or our destruction. Judging solely on the horrifying aura the noise held, salvation seemed unlikely.

I guess it just wasn't our day.

Above our heads, high up at the platform hall, there was movement. I watched as a panel on the side slid up and into the ceiling, revealing two regal figures standing behind a glass wall. They were nearly identical, save their colors. One wore dark red regal robes and the other was dressed in royal purple. Their eyes matched their costumes (or rather, their costumes matched their eyes) and they were both…extremely tall. There was something familiar about them, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. By the looks on their twin faces, they were pretty annoyed by what they were witnessing.

Carefully, the one in purple reached to the ceiling and pulled down a small microphone for them to share. Clearing his throat to test it, he took a deep breath. His next few words rang out through the entire ship it seemed. Clear and dominating they were, yet at the same time they were confused and irked.

" WHAT on IRK is going ON HERE?" He shrieked in an extremely fearsome way.

Anyone walkng by would have never known of the chaos below. All sounds, all movement…everything stopped with those echoing words. Every creature whether tortured or torturing, battered or broken or standing tall and proud gazed up at these figures. Even Zim and Shing who had been locked in a heated battle turned their heads at their superior's voice.

Even Dib and I found ourselves staring at these two Irkens. My face was hard as stone, but I felt something simmering deep within me. It wasn't my usual rage or anger. I knew this feeling though--dread.

I felt it as soon as the red clad Irken turned his head toward me and flashed a sadist's smile at my eyes. We had been found out. There was no disguise left to hide behind and there was nothing left we could do.

To be honest though…I was surprised we had even made it this far. That considered, we weren't doing that badly at all.

With nowhere left to hide I stood up straight to face my impending doom. There had been no escape left for us to run to, thus we stared up and waited to be condemned to hell once more.

(A/N: Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews! You know…it seems like every time I say I'm going to get the next chapter up sooner, the wait gets longer. Heh heh…so…yeah. Unfortionately life enjoys complicating things for me. --; Please R&R and the next chapter will be up soon! : ) )