A/N: Short and sweet! Just to let you know I'm still alive. I have more instalments in the works and some time to actually work on them. As late as I am in posting, I wonder if you remember this! Yeah, I know what I said about being dead if I don't have anything up in six months. I also know what I said about finishing every story I write. Unless I'm dead, I intend to finish everything I write, eventually, and since I'm not dead yet: Here is my latest instalment. I realize this has been a major delay in story telling, and extend my apologies. Since my last instalment I've been spending 8 to 10 hours in front of the computer 5 to 6 days a week,with the evenings spent in a mentally exhausted stupor. I will do my best to finish and post new instalments of this tale soon. I will not promise how soon, but I will restate that I will finish this story sometime….unless I die. I know how it ends; I just need to get us there.

Acknowledgements: To all I wish to extend my humble apologies. I hang my head in shame when I see how long it has taken to update. To make amends, I post now! Special thanks to all my reviewers! DibMagician, I'm glad you liked the whole Skoodge and Dib thing. Tash Dragon, The people talking over Dib in the first part are actually the people talking over Zim in the previous chapter. The CPE has enabled the bond between Dib and Zim to be used as a language translation link. This has also allowed communications to be sometimes transmitted between the two. Dib hears what Zim does and visa-versa, but at a subconscious level. That's why Dib's auditory dream was so vivid. The program that turned your brain to mush also works at the deeper subconscious level to maximize brainwashin…er…loyalty and knowledge. Yeah! Maran Zelde, Thanks! I like the unexpected. Senri, Yeah, I like Skoodge too! As for Gir, I've always felt he was more than he seems. Leila16rose, As you wish! Durana-Kal, Thank you! I am honoured. Princess Agent Jillian, Thank you and as time allows. Tarka, Sorry for the painful cliffhanger. I hope this helps some. Ink, I'm not stopping, I will finish it (eventually (unless I'm dead)) and please don't die.

Disclaimer: Invader Zim, I do Not own.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

Zim, nazre lilk skos

Time Unknown.

The trip down the hallway could have lasted seconds or days, Zim wasn't quite sure. He had spent a great deal of time squirming angrily and unproductively in his captor's grip before exhaustion caught up with him. Now, as time continued to blur, he hung, tied, tired, scared and fuming.

Zim fought his exhaustion by fuelling his anger. 'The STUPID CPE! Why Isn't It Saving ZIM? Was Gir still to close?'

His antennae pricked up as he recognized Gir's squeals mixed in with shouts of various scientists.

"HE ESCAPED?"

"Yes, but we captured him again. See?"

" So if you captured him, why didn't you locked him inside the containment chamber?"

"I DID! He somehow managed to get the lid off!"

"Well, Get him inside and Get The Lid BACK ON!"

"I'm trying! I'M TRYING!"

So Gir was close.

Sick realization fell on Zim, quickly feeding his fear as he realized the precarious position he found himself in. He must have fallen asleep. He certainly didn't remember being strapped into a chair. Zim valiantly struggled against his new bonds, dreading the inevitable. 'Why hadn't the CPE thingy freed him? Was it to Stupid to realize the danger they were in? Had Gir always been to close for the CPE to have the freedom to save him? Did it WANT them to fail?'

There was a loud clatter, followed by more shouts. Zim stopped moving as something clambered onto his lap and metal arms wrap around his waist. Zim knew this would happen eventually, the recapture of Gir, but he was hoping it would happen after the CPE had freed him. For a moment, Gir buried his face into Zim's stomach and Zim felt two warm spots on his skin where Gir's optics were pressed against him. "Gir's eyes don't radiate heat.' The sudden and confusing thought flickered through Zim's brain, leaving as quickly as it came. Zim didn't hear Gir whisper into his shirt, "Don't worry Master, me 'n your glowwy insides got a plannnn!" Fortunately, nether did the rest of the scientists. Zim probably wouldn't have understood what Gir meant, but the others might have. The scientists pried Gir off of him, freeing Zim to renew his pointless struggle.

Zim froze as someone rolled up the sleeve of his left arm to his elbow. Something wet scraped against his arm seconds before he felt a sharp sting. Fire raced through his arm, quickly spreading through his body, causing it to shake in the confines of his bonds, rattling the chair he was strapped to. Coherent though was lost to Zim as the intensity of the pain increased, though one thought found its way through Zim's tortured mind. 'They are killing me. I'm going to die, O' Tallests, I'm going to die.'

oooo

Dib, Nazre Triman Skos

Time Unknown

Dib closed his eyes and lifted the cup of stevs to his nose. The aroma was intoxicating. Touching the rim of the cup to his mouth he tilted it. The warm liquid touched his lips, tickling them. He put the cup back down before actually taking a drink and licked the liquid off of his lips. The taste was amazing, but the tingling sensation on his tongue was intriguing. It didn't hurt, in fact it felt, well, he couldn't really explain it.

Dib looked at Skoodge, finding the pudgy Irken starring at him with a faint, goofy grin on his face.

"Do you like it?" Skoodge questioned, the grin spreading to a full-blown smile.

"Are you sure this is safe for me to drink?" Dib held the cup up for Skoodge to see. "I mean, it tastes good but it kind of tingles when I drink it."

"I know. Isn't it great?" Skoodge lifted his own cup, closed his eyes, and took a deep drink. Dib noticed, with interest, that Skoodge's antennae were vibrating softly, emitting a soft hummingbird sound.

Skoodge let out a content sigh, drawing Dib's attention back to him, before continuing. "It's sort of the ultimate relaxation drink. It's harmless, non-addictive, and makes a great treat for celebrations and stuff. The tallest serve it whenever they negotiate, or before they go into battle. It keeps everyone from getting too excitable, not to mention it helps with anger management. Everyone loves stevs." With that said, Skoodge lifted his cup again and took another drink.

After a second's hesitation, Dib again lifted his cup to his lips. The small sip of liquid danced on his tongue like the carbonation from a poop cola, only different, and warmed his body as it flowed down his throat. He even felt it enter his stomach. The taste was just as Skoodge had explained it, like drinking a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon and a hint of what tasted like hazelnut, or maybe almond, but there was something more to the taste. A flavour he couldn't identify. As Skoodge looked on, Dib closed his eyes and ventured a deeper drink to try to identify the mysterious flavour. The drink's calming effect was immediately noticeable and Dib found himself relaxing as the warmth spread throughout his entire body. Pleasant (false?) memories flooded his mind and happy images from his (created?) past danced in front of his closed eyes as he drank. It was absolutely incredible, these calm and warming feelings that were running through his body. Yet at the same time, he felt mentally sharp, as if the drink had fine-tuned his brainwaves He hadn't felt this happy, this content, in a long time.

Opening his eyes Dib stared at Skoodge in amazement. "Wow!"

Skoodge beamed. "I knew you'd like it. It was created to help calm the smeets down and help focus their concentration before and after competitive battle downloads, as they always get a little to hyper for the instructors to handle. Now it is used for all kinds of purposes. I figure you'd need it before you go into battle with the Nosferotz. I only wish Zim was here. He could use a drink of this. He tends to get a bit overexcited when it comes to battles."

At the mention of Nosferotz, Dib remembered his 'dream'. He wasn't sure, but he thought the V-Gz gyrostabilizer might have something to do with he and Zim's upcoming battle. He glanced at Skoodge sitting across from him basking in skevs bliss.

"Hey Skoodge?" Dib asked, drawing Skoodge's attention back to him. "What is a V-Gz gyrostabilizer? And where could I get one?"

FYI: Skevs is based on an actually drink my family makes consisting of milk, melted baking chocolate / coco, a little butter, cinnamon, nut extract, and some brown sugar or honey, all slowly cooked on a stovetop. (Sorry, there are not odd side affects!) Yeah, it's basically just spiced up hot chocolate.