Merry Christmas everybody! Or Hanukah! Or whatever you feel like celebrating this holiday season! Here's my present to you!

Zim had never in his life been trick-or-treating. In fact, he normally spent Halloween at home, targeting lasers and cowering in the lower labs. To Gaz, this was completely unacceptable.

"You HAVE to go trick-or-treating at some point in your life!" She exclaimed, pulling him toward a large development. "It's taboo!"

"I still dunno. Last year, they say some kid got razor blades in their candy! That's not good!"

"Zim, that's an urban legend. They always say that."

"If you say so." Zim looked apprehensivly at the darkening sky. Werewolf howls echoed throughout the streets.

"You remembered the bags?"

"Yeah." Zim reached into his PAK, pulling two pillowcases out. They were black, with the Irken symbol in red on them.

"Neat pillowcases."

"Pillowcases?"

"Not pillowcases?"

"Just basic sacks. With one addition. Tiny interdimensional link at the bottom. These things'll never fill up."

"You have all the cool stuff."

"I do. You go first."

"You're still not scared are you?"

"IRKENS ARE NEVER AFRAID!!"

"Oh, bull."

"I am not scared. But you go first."

"Fine. But you have to come with me." She dragged him up to the first house. A group of little kids was just leaving. Gaz rang the doorbell. The door opened, and an old lady stood there, with a big bag of candy.

"TRICK OR TREAT!" Shouted Gaz. She held out her empty bag. Zim cautiously held his out, too.

"Well, don't you have a creative costume." The lady said, dumping candy into their bags.

"Thank you," They chorused together, before setting off for the next house. They ran straight across the darkened lawn. After the first thirty houses, their bags were getting heavy. Most people had overloaded on candy this year, and were determined to get rid of all of it. The trick-or-treaters didn't mind.

House 779 was particularly interesting. A woman came to the door, dressed in a bathrobe. She gave them some Q-tips and asked if they were friends of the strange little boy who lived there.

"Uh… no. Sorry." Muttered Zim. The next house was equally interesting. Zim rang the doorbell. It sounded like someone screaming. The door opened a crack, and a young man peered out.

"Trick or treat!" Said Gaz nervously.

"Would you like your eyes removed?"

"No thank you." Said Gaz. They scurried off. It was about an hour after that they saw Dib. It took them two whole seconds to decide to play a trick on him. After all, they hardly looked like themselves. They shook out their bags until the candy had all filtered through the tiny links in the bottom, and then folded the 'empty' sacks into their paks. Zim retreated into a backyard, hiding in the dark shrubs. Gaz stood in plain view in front of the house, waiting for Dib to come around to that house. Which he did.

(Dib's POV)

Of all the days for another Irken to show up. My Halloween is shot. This must have been what Zim's 369 was. But then why isn't he here? I walked up the Irken, she was undoubtably Irken, she even had purple eyes, and a Pak. She was standing on someone's front yard, looking disoriented. I approached her slowly, I didn't know if she would bolt. To my surprise, she talked to me first.

"Zim? You're Zim right?"

I have two options here. One, I can say no I'm not, but then she won't have any reason at all to trust me. Or, two, I can tell her I'm Zim. I can take her back to his base, he'll be there hiding, he always is on Halloween.

"Yes. Irken Zim."

"I'm Tix. The tallest sent me here to… uh… I was banished."

"Tough. Here. Let's go back to my base."

"Are the humans always dressed like this?"

"No, thank goodness. It's a holiday. We all dress up for one day."

I started walking back to Zim's house. I think it's only about two blocks. But man, this bag is getting heavy. I got a whole load this year. I'll be eating candy till next Halloween. Tix followed behind me. She walks like Zim does. Or, like I am at the moment. I figure we both look pretty ridiculous, walking along with our noses up in the air. But what the heck, it's Halloween.

When we reached Zim's house, I could tell we had a problem. The windows were dark. It was obviously deserted. Where could Zim be on Halloween? Burying my concern, I strutted up to the front door, flinging it open, and holding it for Tix. I closed it behind her, and the automatic lights went on.

"Is this location secure? No Earth slugs can hear what we say?"

"It's as secure as you can get. It is the base of ZIM!"

"Good. We need to prepare the coming invasion."