Disclaimer: Invader Zim wasn't made by me, if he was...maybe the world would be a better place.

Dibsthe1- I won't pretend I knew it was 6 months but Tamik is a fair way from Irk, and he won't be arriving on Earth in a voot ;)

EvilMewTwo- I'm going to read your story tonight, expect a review soon!

Chapter 3: Friend or Foe

Dib awoke groggily, his head felt like it was about to explode and everything was pitch black.

He tried to stand but found he was bound to a chair, but only lightly. As he tried to reach out, his hand (which isn't tied down) brushed against his face and he quickly realised that he was wearing a blindfold.

Dib ripped it off and blinked, the room he was in was actually well lit. As his eyes became accustomed to the light he was aware of several others in the room. One came up to him and untied him, he could have done it himself except he was a little busy thinking WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

Dib looked around the room and was surprised, he had been here before once, when he was little.

Dib suddenly remembered his capture and sprang to his feet, his mind unconsciously formatting many plans of escape.

"Relax Dib", A friendly voice came from behind him, "Your safe now."

Dib looked back and put on a brave face, "Being captured and held in a room full of weirdoes doesn't exactly make me feel safe."

The same voice replied, "I think you need to reconsider your current situation, not only have we rescued you, we are here to protect you."

Dib finally turned to face the man and looked him over quickly, he looked just like some secret agent, black coat, utility belt etc...

"How do I know I can trust you?" Dib was very confused, but strangely curious. The man chuckled and replied, "My name is Christopher, but you will address me as Agent Icarus."

The other members in the room gasped and looked very uncomfortable. "As you may have guessed, no one in this room knew my true identity until this moment. The fact that I have revealed it to you should prove my trust."

Dib nodded slowly, what he said made sense except for one thing. "If your identity is secret, why did you tell me?"

Icarus, as he was to be called, stiffened and the grin dissolved into his face to be replaced with a look of worry. "Because you are important Dib, we have a mission for you, one so top secret that not even the Earth's leaders are aware of it."

Dib, still not convinced, didn't raise his hopes but gave his final argument, "Why me?"

Icarus took Dib's arm and led him out of the room and into his "office", which was actually a Dilbert-style cubicle surrounded by at least a hundred others.

"We have chosen you because of your unique talent." Icarus explained to Dib. "What talent?" Dib was really curious now.

"You, like several others, have the Mark," Icarus replied, waiting to see Dib's reaction before continuing, "We are the Swollen Eyeballs Dib...and so are you!"

What on earth is a swollen eyeball? It is a covert group of agents who bear the Mark...

Dib almost fell off of his chair, "Who said that!"

Icarus smirked, he too had been shocked when he first heard the messengers.

Dib paused before asking slowly, "So..i'm a secret agent..bearing a 'mark'..and my job is to?"

"PROTECT THE UNIVERSE!" A unanimous reply rang out from every cubicle.

Dib was gettingvery freaked out so he decided on his final question. "What is...the Mark?"

Icarus, who had been typing some kind of report on his computer, smiled and pulled his left sleeve up.

Surprise, surprise, it's Dib's watch.

: Didn't see that one coming did you :

Dib pulled up his own sleeve and, once again, looked at his identical watch. However, it looked...different now. It had changed from digital to analogue : numbers to hands : except it had 4 hands instead of three.

"H..how is this possible?" Dib asked in wonder.

Icarus said, "It's the power of the Mark."

Dib had seen enough, he ran out of the cubicle and through the door opposite the one he had entered through.

Icarus sat down and booted up AIM.

Government Guy: Was the mission a success?

Agent Icarus: Yes, the boy knows nothing.

Government Guy: Excellent, make sure it stays that way.

: Government Guy has logged out :

Icarus stood up, stretched, and hit a small button under his desk. Halfway across town an alarm sounded and a tubby man put down his burrito. "It's go time!"

Poetic: Whoo, so many plot twists!

Zim: I'M GOING TO CRASH!

Poetic: Uh...huh

Dib: And what the heck happened to me?

Gaz: No one cares.

Poetic: I think it's time for some real Author's Notes.

Since this is my third chapter and I have 3 fans (YOU GUYS ROCK!) I will be changing my style a bit. You don't know this, but i'm writing this on my pocket pc (15cm x 20cm screen) on my school bus. This is the only time I write.

Now my pda has no 'keyboard', just a touch screen, so I can't type fast, which is why my chapters are so short.

However I will soon get a keyboard attachment and be able to write properly, most likely by chapter 10 or so. Sorry to make you read all this pointless info, but now you know.

Also, this fanfic was written almost entirely while listening to Green Day. Once again, sorry for the short chapters, but I can promise i'll update once a week!