(DISCLAIMER: Beethoven's 5th is not belong to me, it belongs to the almighty Beethoven himself! I am not making any money off of the title, it's just there for looks…)

(Hello, I'm back again with another chapter…too bad I think you'll all hate me for it. I hope you like it anyway, though. To the lovely reviewers! FallenAngel331, maybe you should think about counseling…XD j/k I'm glad you like my story, but I do think it's unhealthy to have an addiction…but, moving on, yes, you are correct in the fact that I am a woman. etch-n-sketch, good to see you again…why would it only be correct for Zak to speak Irken? Oo; Thank you about the song lyrics, I plan on doing it for other chapters that really fit the song. Otherwise, it will remain a title. Thank you for your concern, but I was able to get a brand new, five course one, so I won't need to get a new one for a while.)

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Dib had locked himself in his room after entering his house. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, doing nothing but thinking.

'This can't be happening, I have to be imagining it…' he thought over and over again in his head, 'He can't be Irken…There's nothing about him that says he is. He has no pack or pod thing, that's the key factor…Without one of those things, an Irken can only live 10 minuets. And I've been with or around Zak for hours on end, and no symptoms whatsoever…Even Tak had one of those things…it was still visible even though she used a hologram. I just don't understand!' Dib's features became stressed and twisted at the thought of Zak with green skin, big, shiny red eyes, long curled antenna and that devilish grin he always seemed to bare, standing in the middle of a destroyed city.

"NO!" said dib, sitting up with a jolt, "I refuse to believe it! It can't be true!"

"Dib, I swear! If you don't shut up!" shouted Gaz from downstairs.

"Don't go crazy, now, son!" said Membrane from the basement.

Dib just kicked his shoes off and tossed his shirt on the floor, rolled over and went to sleep. He'd worry about it tomorrow.

It wasn't long after skool had started that the fire alarm went off and the class started heading for the meeting place for that particular class. But Dib didn't go with the rest of the class, for whatever reason, he knew what was going on. Dib went strait to the boiler room and saw the back of someone who was messing with the boiler, flames licking at the walls at every corner.

"You won't get away with this Zim!" he shouted. All he got in response was a cackle. The person turned and it wasn't Zim…it was Zak?

"Stupid earth smelly, you would have thought to figure it out by now…stupid dirt worm…" Zak cackled again and his human form literally melted away the reveal an Irken. "Goodbye Dib, nice knowing you…" He pulled a gun from his back pocket and cocked it, pointing the barrel at Dib's unmissable head. He pulled the trigger and Dib woke up.

Dib sat up like a lightning bolt. He ran a hand through his thick, black hair. Was that Zak, or was it Zim? He wasn't sure. He looked over at his clock. Well, wha'd know…1 in the morning…Dib decided not to think about it, even though it scared him shitless. He closed his eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep again.

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Zak impatiently waited for his call to go through. Why wasn't he answering? He should still be up…Then, his call finally went through.

"Took you long enough!" said Zak at the video screen.

"Zak? What the bloody hell do you want now!" shouted a very angry blonde with green eyes and hollow cheeks. He looked really pissed at Zak for whatever reason.

"Did I wake you? You can drop the accent, Dream…" said Zak lazily, "Not that its not good, you really do sound British, but you can drop the act around me…"

"No you didn't…what accent?" asked Dream, "Zak, has being on the other side of the pond made you loony?"

"I could say the same for you…" said Zak, "Look, that's not why I called you, I need you to do a surveillance mission…over here, right away…"

"What, you just expect me to come through the telle? Are you crazy?" complained Dream, "Why so you need me so soon?"

"Because, I need you to watch Zim. He's planning something big, but I don't know what it is nor do I know when he'll release whatever it is…" said Zak, "Plus, I plan on calling one more reinforcement…"

"And who might that be?" inquired Dream.

"That, my friend, is classified information..." said Zak with that ignorant smile he was known for.

Dream chuckled, "Alright, when I cross the pond, I'll call you on the mobile. See you in two clicks…" with that, he signed off.

Zak turned off his screen as well and sat in his flaoty chair a long time before finally coming to a conclusion, "I'll contact the Tallest about my secret weapon later, right now, I have some music to look over…"

Once again, it was time for band and the drummers were there half an hour early, just sittin' around and chatting. But, due to the nature of teenage boys, they were teasing each other…

"Ha! You couldn't get a girlfriend even if you tried!" laughed David at Dib. Dib just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, because I don't care…" said Dib.

"Liar! You're too geeky to get a girl!" pushed Tommy.

"Shut up! Just watch!" said Dib and he stormed over to where the girls were, the guys snickering all the way and Zak looking on with interest.

Dib stopped in front of Katie and she looked up at him from her sketchbook. "May I help you?" she asked.

"Yeah…uh…you wanna g out sometime?" asked Dib.

"Like a date?" she asked.

"…yes…" said Dib. Katie just smiled a little and shook her head.

"I'd love to, but, you forgot one of the most important rules of dating…" she said, standing up, "Never date a co-worker. In this case, I could be considered a co-worker and I seriously doubt that you would consider leaving the line just to get a date. So, sorry, Dib, it just wouldn't work out between us…" she smiled again and walked off to get her bass drum.

The guys were just laughing their heads off. Dib was even laughing a little to. Ok, he didn't expect that to happen, but it was pretty funny.

"Man! You were turned down flat!" laughed Tommy.

"You got BURNED!" commented Tory, patting Dib on the back.

"Alright, people, time to learn some music! Let's go! In the other room in 10 minuets!" said Mr. Helm, unlocking the back room so everyone could get their stuff. Once everything was set, they headed into the other room with their drums.

"Ok, looks like everybody's here, so, let's get stated. Sorry I didn't tell you anything yesterday, I was much to impressed at how marvelous you all are at playing this music that you hopefully haven't ever seen before..." said Mr. Burk. There were some snickers and giggles, "Ok, as you all know, you all have…" he looked back at the percussion section with mock irritation, "Or should have a bunch of music pieces that don't really relate to one another, in front of you. That's the bad part, you have to memorize all those music sheets by the end of next week…" there were many groans from the freshman. Mr. Burk waited for them to finish before moving on, "As you all know, most of you have seen or met our two lovely Drum Majors: Connie and David. This year's show is entitled 'Battle of the Drum Majors' or something like that. So, having that said, that 'traditional' drum major was voted to be David, and the more laid back, 'I'll so what I think is cool' Drum Major will be Connie. First piece, it will go in order as follows: the beginning of Beethoven's Fifth, David will start that off. That will then lead into a hold, then a pause and Connie takes over and start Respect. Then I believe will have a drum break that will be 'unexpected' and everyone kinda of stops and are all like 'what's going on, what do we do?' kind of thing, probably a scatter plot. Then Fur Elise with a twist…" he snickered a little and everybody immediately started to cower. Whenever Mr. Burk, or Mr. Helm for that matter, did something like that, it always meant something bad for the band…or the drumline… "Then we start playing Summertime, then flow into a fast version of Summertime. This is topped by Role Over Beethoven and finish with the end of Beethoven's Fifth." There were whispers and comments made by everybody, it seemed like a fun enough show…but the veterans knew that with something that sound fun like this, the drill would probably end up killing them…

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Well, after all is said and done, the night was quite short. They started marching drill a full week early. Not bad for only the second day.

Dib kept his distance from Zak, he needed time to think about all that's happened. (He seems to be doing a lot of that lately, huh?) Dib didn't need any…distractions from Zak at the moment.

Dib was right about to exit the skool when he felt a tap on his shoulder he turned around to find…Zim? Well, that was a shocker, but at least it wasn't Zak. "Zim? What do you want…"

Zim just held his three clawed hands up as a peaceful gesture, "Look, Dib-stink, you seem to have been doing this whole drum thing a lot longer than I, ZIM! So I demand that you make me better."

"Zim, I don't have to do a damn thing for you…" said Dib, continuing to walk home.

"You will obey! OBEY! If you don't…I'll…uh…" said Zim, not doing a good job of persuading Dib.

"You'll what? Blow up the earth?" joked Dib as he walked down the street, Zim following behind.

Zim stopped and when Dib didn't hear Zim's footsteps, he stopped and turned around. Zim was…Different, he seemed smarter, but not much, but there was just something about him… "Zim?"

Zim was looking down at the ground and his posture slumped, not something Zim normally did, if ever. "I no longer have that authority…nor did I ever…I was living a lie, a damned, fucking lie. So no, I will not blow up the earth, nor will I ever. Earth is safe, Dib-beast. I have nothing to force you with to do anything anymore…"

Dib just stared at Zim with his mouth open. He'd been protecting the earth for nothing? Dib took a step back and nearly stumbled onto his ass. Zim just looked at Dib and Dib acted like he had seen one of those flowy, white earth things he'd seen on TV.

"You're just trying to trick me! I know you're up to something Zim! You wouldn't just give up! I know you!" said Dib, pointing an accusing finger at Zim.

"I guess you don't know me as well as you thought, big-head!" said Zim, rising up on his spider legs and started walking towards Dib, who slowly receded as Zim came. Zim ripped off his wig and contacts and rose high above Dib, ready to kill if need be. "You begin to make me sick, Dib…And if you do not give me what I want, you'll find yourself dead…" His blood red eyes shoe brightly in the dark of the night. But, right as he was about to attack, someone else struck first. That's what knocked Dib on his ass.

A third party had come into the situation. A tall, lanky looking Irken with emerald green eyes had kicked Zim away. His clothing was far from what Zim had on. TI was much more elaborate and parts of it looked almost like body armor. He still had the black pants and the black boots, but the tops of the boots came to a sharp point, and pointed slightly outward as if to be used as a first moment self defense weapon. The technology from his pack seemed a little older and not as high-tech as Zim's, from what Dib could tell. When this new Irken chanced to look over at Dib, Dib noticed that his face was long and hollowed with age, his eyes seemed worn and tired with two light scars passing over them. His antenna were long and very battle worn, with bullet, or lazer, holes that went through them, and one of the antenna seemed to droop lower than the other. This new Irken was definitely a worrier, a soldier of the Empire.

"What is this? Who are you!" snarled Zim, getting back onto his spider legs, "How dare you attack with out proper provocation!"

"There was provocation, food drone!" hissed the new Irken, speaking in a British tongue. Zim cringed at the insult, "You are in direct violation of the interplanetary law. The rules and regulations of the intergalactic conquest clearly state that any alien under protection of any official or commanding officer of the armada is to remain untouched. You are in direct violation of the code, though it seems fitting for a defective to violate the rules, knowing what happened with the first galactic sweep!" This new Irken was cut off by a swift punch to the lower jaw and was flung back a ways.

"Shut up! I refuse to take such diatribe from you…" growled Zim, taking up a fighting stance.

The other Irken just laughed and Zim quirked an antenna. Dib was just happy he wasn't exactly in the middle of this one, so he stayed quiet and where he was. The green eyed Irken chuckled once more and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, "If you want to take it up with someone, take it up with Sergeant Major, and code 925-03." He chuckled again in that (very sexy X3) British tone, "It's good to see you again, Zim…"

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(And that's all I wrote! Hope you like it, 'cause it's all you're going to get for the holiday! Happy holidays and a happy new year! Love you all!)