"Excuse me," Zim blinked as he heard an Irken voice behind him. He turned to see a few of the refugees that Dae had collected, all clustered together, looking at him intently. "Invader Zim?"

"Well actually, it is Invade-ntor now." Zim corrected as he tweaked the settings on one of Tenn's seemingly endless supply of blasters. "But continue."

"Invade-ntor Zim," the Irkens wiggled their antennae respectfully, "we heard from Rin, Glorch, and Shi that you rescued them despite the fact that they aren't very tall. Is that true?"

"Obviously yes." Zim gestured around him, not looking up from his work, "or they wouldn't be here. They would be dead."

"But Skoodge is here and he is dead. And so are Almighty Tallests Red and Purple!" The lead Irken in the group brought up a good point. A lot of Zim's current friends were dead, but they seemed to be lingering around despite that fact. Which was good. Zim liked having them around (well, except maybe Therron, sometimes.)

"Good point. No. I saved them with my brilliant plan because they are Irken." Zim finally looked up to see the group addressing him was actually quite large. It contained mostly smallers like himself, only a few were taller than him. "All Irkens are important."

"But Glorch is smaller than you are!" A different Irken piped up, seemingly shocked.

"Yes, but Zeke is about the smallest Irken here and he nearly toppled Red and Purple's empire." Zim gestured behind him at Zeke who was taking pictures of the Irkens gathered in the Temple.

"Amazing." They were all staring at him with wide eyes.

"I know I am." Zim waved the compliment off, but secretly he was really enjoying the praise.

"Good news and bad news," Zim was drawn out of his conversation with the enthralled Irkens, by the voice of Vero. The Tallest was standing, communicator in hand, "The good news is that I called Dib back and he says they're all okay now. Bad news is he didn't save us any toast."

"What a dick." Therron scoffed, shaking his head.

"I know right?" Vero sighed, putting the communicator back on his belt. "He didn't even ask us if we wanted toast. We are saving the planet; we could use toast."

"If you like toast then boy do I have an invention for you." Zim remarked, recalling one of his more bizarre undertakings inspired by the crippling sense of abandonment that being disconnected from the Collective had given him. He had stopped feeling lonely a while ago. Having everyone around him now made those months of isolation feel distant.

"Are we ready to go?" Voel had a spear in hand, he looked more like he had back in his Elite days, rather than his reign as Tallest. He was standing, rather than floating, back straight, the corset of the Tallest armor abandoned for something more akin to combat armor.

"Yeah, let's do this, I guess." Therron had never been much for combat, but he was still coming. Apparently, as an ex-Navigator, Therron had a descent idea of the layout of the land. Therron was happy to point out that any Navigator would have had the same training, but Voel was insistent that they both go, as things had fallen apart due to neglect on both of their parts.

"I can't wait to kick metaphorical Control Brain ass!" Tenn sounded a little too eager. It seemed as if Zim's memories of her as a bloodthirsty hunter from his days of Elite training, were not far from the truth. "After what they did to me, I want revenge! And as they say on Earth: Revenge is a dish best served with a side helping of bullets!" She cocked the gun excitedly.

"Is that how the saying goes?" Zim honestly couldn't remember. It sounded vaguely right.

"Yeah, pretty sure." Tenn nodded.

"This will be our toughest mission yet," Skoodge readied his own gun, before holstering it back in his PAK. "But if we all stick to the plan, we should be okay."

"The plan is insane." Therron made a face.

"Yeah," Skoodge shrugged, "but when fighting logical computers, insane is the best way to go."

"Then let's go! Zim is ready to shoot IX!" Zim was tired of the planning phase anyway, now was a time for action.

"We aren't shooting IX, just deleting him, but I mean if it comes to that," Skoodge seemed flexible on the plan, which was a good thing. Plans tended to change in Zim's experience. "CB, you ready to reprogram?"

"I guess." The robotic body got to its feet, stretching, despite having no muscles to loosen with the action.

"Your lack of certainty concerns me." Skoodge's eyes narrowed.

"The nature of our success is unknown. I am a computer, not a psychic, stepfather."

"Am I a psychic?" GIR looked excitedly at the group.

"I would believe it. Sure."

"YAAAAAAY! I'M THE STUDY OF THE STRUCTURE OF MATTER AND HOW THE FUNDAMENTAL CONSTITUENTS OF THE UNIVERSE INTERACT!"

"N... Negative, older brother. That is physics."

"I'm more just impressed he knew that definition." Skoodge remarked, arms folded.

"I LIKE NOODLES!" GIR opened up his head and began pulling out cooked strands of pasta and shoving them in his mouth. Zim wasn't sure where he had obtained the pasta, or how long it had been in his SIR's head, but he had long ago learned not to ask.

"Well, that..." Voel was watching the scene looking slightly at a loss for words, "... happened."

"With a team like this it is a wonder how anyone could think we would fail." The synthetic voice of the reader should not have had any ability to emote, and yet, when Q spoke Zim swore he could hear the snide disdain.

"Fuck off Q, you don't have to come." Voel spat back.

"Yes he does!" Therron very quickly interrupted.

"Oh. Right. Yes. You do have to come." Voel realized that his anger had him nearly dismissing a vital part of the plan and quickly doubled back. "Sorry, you are important to the mission."

"I don't believe you are truly apologetic."

"I mean, I feel sorry for me," Voel gestured to himself, "and for the rest of us," he gestured to everyone else, " for having to spend time with you. But yeah, I guess I'm not sorry about insulting you."

"You know I could leave."

"And then I get to shoot you, so win-win for me either way." Voel shrugged.

"Before you leave," Mothra Elite Dae spoke up, interrupting a fight that Zim had kind of wanted to see happen, "there is something I would like to give you." She looked around at all the refugee Irkens before correcting herself: "I mean, something we would like to give you." She cleared her throat, holding forth a small, white statuette of Mothra, her eyes were closed, hands clasped together. It looked rather old. "It belonged to Tallest Miyuki."

"It... did?" Voel reached out, taking the trinket with a surprisingly delicate touch. Zim had to struggle to get a better look as Voel's hand easily engulfed the tiny totem.

"It was given to me by Sym shortly before the incident on the Massive; she said it was important to our beloved Tallest. Sym served with Tallest Miyuki before her untimely demise, so I am inclined to believe her." Dae bowed her head as she spoke of the former Tallest (whom Zim, apparently, had not killed). "May it bring you good fortune."

"Thank you, Mothra Elite Dae. The actions of your people will not be forgotten when we set things right." Voel gave her a very firm nod of his head. "Perhaps, we can do something to get these temples back in good repair."

"That is all we could ever ask of you." She smiled, at least, Zim figured she was smiling beneath the fabric of the veil that hid her face from view.

"All right team, this is our big mission." Voel spoke up, sound more and more like a general talking to his troops. Zim recalled a time when they were younger, before Voel's growth spurt, when Voel talked of being a General. He always loved the unpredictability of combat. Zim could tell he was finally in his element. "We aren't coming back until IX has been deleted and II and CB are reinstated as our Control Brains."

"Hurray. I am included." II interjected sounding rather pleased to have heard her own name mentioned in the plans.

"We will take the Mothra Elite's tunnels till we are close to a smeetery. Tenn will help us dig and cut our way in from underground. From there, expect resistance from VII. CB will stop her from calling out to her cohorts for aid and we will work as a group to wipe her out. Then CB will take over basic functions for the Smeetery to make sure nothing happens to the smeets still incubating. From there, we head to upper Irk to take on I. I is older than VII so we will-" Voel cut off as he saw Zim had his hand raised. (The habits of human school were difficult to shake.) "Zim, if you are about to ask if I am talking about myself of Control Brain I, I swear to Mothra that I- me, not the Control Brain- will throw you to the gniders."

"I wasn't!" Zim protested. He was. But he figured Voel must have been talking about the Control Brain as Voel was not currently on upper Irk so it didn't make a whole lot of sense to be talking about himself.

"As I was saying," Voel continued seamlessly, "we can expect more resistance from Control Brain I. He is older, more experienced, and according to II: more powerful. Fortunately, we too will be more experienced at this point to, having slain VII. Once I is down, we will proceed to IX and Xia."

"I can't believe Voel dies in his own plan," Zim whispered quietly to Skoodge.

"No, I think he meant Control Brain I, not I as in himself." Skoodge assured him.

"Ah yeah, that makes more sense." When this was all over, Zim was renaming all of the Control Brains into something a lot less confusing. CB was a great Control Brain name. It made sense, and phonetically it wasn't confusing. Maybe they could rename II as Aunt CB, and the next manufactured Control Brain would be CB Junior.

"Any questions?" Voel hand one hand on his spear as he surveyed the group. GIR's hand shot up.

"WHY DON'T MOOSE LIKE BARBECUE SAUCE?"

"I... I don't know- look any questions about the mission?"

"WILL THERE BE A MOOSE ON THE MISSION!?"

"No. Wh-what?"

"WHAT ABOUT BARBECUE SAUCE?"

"Look any questions that aren't from GIR?" Relief flashed over Voel's face as CB raised his hand. "Yes, CB?"

"Will there be barbecue sauce?"

"We're all going to die." Voel put his palm to his face, slowly dragging it down.

"I mean, probably," Therron did little to raise Voel's spirit. "But at this point we're committed."

"And at least we get to die as a family!" Vero cheerfully draped himself over Voel's back like some sort of oversized PAK, refusing to be easily shaken off. Voel eventually stopped trying to shrug him off and let him hang there. He seemed content to do so. Zim wasn't sure how fun it could be for Vero, seeing as how Vero was almost as tall as Voel, but as long as he seemed to be enjoying himself, that was all that mattered.

"Let's head out." Voel looked slightly less intimidating with Vero hanging off of him. "The sooner we get this done; the sooner everything returns to normal."

"I don't know why we're rushing," Vero piped up, still holding to Voel, "the Syndicate already ate all the toast." Voel let out a long, defeated-sounding sigh.

"They can make more toast, Vero."

"Oh, shit that's a good point. Then yeah let's go! For toast!" Vero pumped his hand in the air, enthusiastically (his other arm still holding onto Voel). "And also, for Irk I guess!" The refugee Irkens all cheered excitedly. (They must have really wanted that toast.)

"For TOAST! the smallers cheered. "And also for Irk!" Voel just shook his head as he turned toward the exit.

"I can't believe they are cheering for fucking toast." Zim heard the former Tallest grumbling. "Vero isn't even a real Tallest, I don't see why everyone loves him so much. He's just a tiny smeet, right?" It was at this point that Zim realized that Voel wasn't mumbling to himself but rather speaking directly to him.

"I assumed he was an adult. He looks to be about sixty or so. Right? That makes him an adult."

"He's too small to be an adult." Voel scoffed. Zim looked to Vero, then back to Voel.

"Isn't he like seven feet tall?"

"Barely." Voel didn't seem to like Zim's answers. "Come on, let's head out. Therron, which way should we go?"

"Well, these tunnels were not exactly something we knew about when I trained as a Navigator, so hold on." Therron was thoughtful for a minute. "We should head this way, if the tunnels extend as far as Dae has led us to believe, we should get pretty close to Smeetery 4726."

"Oh hey, I was cloned there." Vero replied excitedly.

"No, you weren't." Voel scoffed, cutting Vero's celebration short. "You were made in 385. I should know."

"Ah I always get those two confused." Vero didn't seem at all upset by the correction, shrugging cheerfully as he followed Therron into one of the narrow tunnels.

"I... how?" Voel squinted after his smeet before hurrying into the tunnel as well. "Those numbers aren't even remotely close."

"You think we're ready?" Skoodge walked with Zim, choosing to ignore all the conversation from the former leaders that had taken the lead.

"I know I am ready, and in the end that's all that matters." Zim waved the obvious concern away. Zim knew he would never let anything happen to Skoodge in particular, and vice versa. Skoodge had been his reason for getting involved in this whole fiasco. If Skoodge had not come to Earth, Zim would never have realized that his disconnecting from the Collective had all been part of some brilliant (but not too brilliant as Skoodge had unraveled it) conspiracy.

"I am ready too!" Tenn spoke up from behind Zim and Skoodge, going through her various weapons as she walked. "I am ready for vengeance. No one makes me accidentally start a war! Except for the Tallests, of course. But then it would be accidentally-on-purpose."

"Fair." Skoodge looked amused by her input. "If we win this, are you going back to your teaching job at the Academy?"

"When, we win this." Zim corrected.

"Probably." Tenn nodded. "I mean, I never even got to actually do my new job before I was shipped off to Invade the Syndicate. What about you two?"

"I think I just want to relax." Skoodge replied quickly. "Maybe do some traveling. I'm done Invading. Maybe I can get recoded into, like, a government job. I feel like I have more than earned it."

"Invading is nice," Zim admitted, "but I have been away from Irk for far too long on my top-secret mission. In the end, Earth isn't even worth Invading. I think we can let the Syndicate have it, that way we can still do trade and stuff with them, and Earthlings can visit the Empire, but we don't have to deal with that whole radioactivity problem they still have."

"I think there is really only one human you actually care about." Skoodge looked amused by Zim's ingenious plan. Zim shook his head.

"Say what you want, Skoodge, but the whole family unit has become increasingly interesting to me over time. I like the way the Dib-human's genetic donor thinks. He is a man of true science."

"You think you'll go back into science, then?" Skoodge looked mildly impressed.

"Perhaps. It would be more appealing if the main science labs weren't on Vort and between you and me and, well," Zim looked over to Tenn, who was still beside them, "Tenn- I have had more than enough Vortion interaction with Lard-Nar." Zim folded his hands behind his head, looking contemplative. "No, there must be something better in Mothra's plans. I am just not sure of it yet."

The walk through the tunnels seemed longer this time. It made sense, as they were taking a different path that was, over all, further. However, Zim attributed the feeling of the never-ending trek to the fact that he was having to take directions from Therron. While they seemed to be making overall progress, it just felt to Zim like Therron really had no idea where they were going. He kept stopping and talking about navigation slang that, Zim was at least ninety percent sure, was completely fictional. Zim had never head Navigators speak like this before. (Sure, Zim had not really heard Navigators talk much, except for bits of chatter on the Massive, but this was Therron, so he couldn't be right on principle.)

"Right here." Therron came to a stop. "The Smeetery should be right here, on the other side of this wall."

"I can handle the wall!" Tenn seemed a little too eager as she pulled out a blaster that Zim had done some work on.

"Right." Voel stood tall, "so we enter the Smeetery and take the transporter to the Control Brain. It should be easy."

"Anything is easy if it's just in theory." Skoodge remarked dryly, but Voel ignored him.

"CB, you think you can override the transporter? I doubt VII is going to just let us teleport in."

"It does not seem as if we have much of a choice. Unless you wish to go back and get Lard-Nar, or let GIR handle it."

"Lard-Nar is too much of a liability without real combat training." Voel replied sternly.

"I wanna do it!" GIR squealed.

"Absolutely fucking not." Voel turned quickly to Zim, ignoring GIR who was bouncing up and down with his hand raised. "Are you sure he had to come along?"

"Yes " Zim understood the hesitation, but Voel needed to realize that outside of stabbing the Control Brains, the red clad former leader didn't know much about taking them down. "GIR is great camouflage for any of our movements, plus he can help confuse the Control Brains."

"He can confuse more than just them." Voel made a face. "Therron, stay toward the back and try to remember any of your Elite training. Vero, stay with Therron."

"In the back?" Vero looked unsure. "But I was an Elite."

"So was Therron at one point, but you need to stay where it's safer." Voel insisted. Vero shrugged and didn't protest any further. It was funny how much he resembled Voel physically, but when it came to personality, Zim could barely tell they shared DNA. "Now Tenn," Voel turned back to Tenn and was immediately met by a giant hole in the wall, and a very proud Tenn standing beside it, gesturing excitedly. "Wh... when did you have time to do that!?"

"While you were talking!" Her antennae wiggled happily.

"But... I didn't even hear-"

"I am an Invader, quick and silent is sort of our whole thing. Like a plague, I come in the night and wreak havoc on the unsuspecting enemies of the Empire." Tenn gestured again to her giant hole in the wall. "Gotta prove I still have what it takes." Zim had not heard her working either, but he had also helped make a silencer for the red gun that Tenn seemed to favor. It was good to see it had worked. "Now let's get," she powered up a different gun (this one was silver) and jumped into her make-shift tunnel, "vengeful!"

"Remind me to never piss her off." Therron watched Tenn for a moment, seemingly in awe.

"Yeah, Tenn is kind of scary." Voel looked almost unnerved as he followed behind her. Zim followed the others. It was slowly becoming real that he was going to be putting an end to a nightmare that had plagued Irk since before his hatching. If nothing else, this was finally going to restore his good standing with the Empire.

The end of the tunnel took them into the smeetery. Tenn had carefully carved a hole large enough for the taller Irkens to weasel through with some effort. Zim had not been to a smeetery since his own hatching, however, he recalled them being a tad more... busy. While there were some smeets incubating in their tubes, there didn't seem to be as many as he thought there should be, judging on the available space. The smeets he could see all seemed older too, as if they had been incubating for quite a while. The always-moving cold, unfeeling, robot arms were still. It was unsettling to see almost nothing moving in an area notorious for being busy. The lighting had been dimmed, the only real light coming from the smeet-tubes both active and inactive. The strange thing, however, was the amount of PAKs that still lined the walls. They far outnumbered the amount of smeets. He saw Skoodge pause, placing a hand against one of the incubators that still had a smeet inside. He was staring, focused at the tiny creature, sleeping peacefully as it grew.

"It's definitely alive, just incubating." Skoodge looked at the information on the top of the tube. "Still a few weeks out from hatching."

"Why are the Smeeteries running on reserve like this?" Therron looked appalled by the sight before him. "This is going to cause all sorts of issues."

"Perhaps power was diverted to causes the Control Brains found more necessary." Skoodge suggested. "It seems as if VII isn't really doing much of her job."

"Well, even if she wasn't evil, she would do be fired for this." Therron crossed his arms, giving a small huff. "This is absolutely atrocious."

"All right, let's get to the transporter. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get this place up and running again." Voel picked up his pace. "Do you think you can run a smeetery CB?" There was no answer. Voel stopped short, looking quickly behind him. "CB?"

"Awww look at the little baby Irkens." CB had his hands and face pressed up to a tube. Zim could faintly hear the clink of the robot's helmet on the glass. "I will name this one Ram. And this one can be Megabyte. And this is Membrane Anti-Virus Software. But we may call her Minnie for short."

"All great names, CB. But you are too young for smeets. You are still a smeet yourself." Zim patted CB on the back gently steering him away from the incubating smeets. "They are a lot of responsibility."

"I am responsible."

"Yes," Zim swore he heard Therron snort, "but you don't need a smeet. You have GIR."

"I'M YOUR SMEET!" GIR jumped excitedly onto CB's back, clinging to him as if he were a PAK.

"But you are older than I am."

"Oh yeah," GIR laughed, his tongue poking out as he stared up at CB before his rounded, electric, blue eyes grew very wide. "You are MY smeet!"

"I do not think that is accurate-"

"LET ME LOVE YOU, TINY BABY!"

"Negative! Father! Assistance is required!" CB was struggling to dislodge GIR from his back, but was overwhelmingly unsuccessful.

"Awww my robots are bonding." Zim was proud to see GIR and CB enjoying each other's company.

"Do you hear that?" CB and GIR's family moment was interrupted by Voel, who had been on edge ever since CB had not instantly answered his question. Zim did not actually hear anything, however, as stillness settled back over the room, his antennae picked up on a steady vibration, almost akin to the feeling an Earth-bee (curse those things) sent through the air. "It's some kind of buzzing..."

"It is not buzzing. It is speech." CB was looking up, as if looking for the source of the sound but nothing moved in the dark shadows of the smeetery. GIR was still hanging around his neck and down his back, though even the SIR was looking up. "It... is IX. I recognize his voice." Zim didn't hear talking at all, so he was just going to have to take CB's word for it.

"Oooooo, he is maaaaaaad~" GIR blinked up at the ceiling.

"What's he saying?" Voel narrowed his eyes, looking to CB.

"... increase central defense. Divert power from outer Irk for protection. All Control Brains to focus on defending central hub. Cease any task deemed non-essential. Contact lost with X, last message: intrusion. Syndicate. I... something about pigeons? I am not certain what that was about. He was quoting X, but I didn't follow it."

"Fuck. Sounds like this just got a lot harder." Voel quickened his pace. "CB get that transporter up and running yesterday!"

"I... that is impossible... I cannot time travel."

"It's an expression." Voel insisted, but Zim was on CB's side. CB couldn't time travel. First of all, robots traveling through time was probably illegal.

"I went through time once! I saw a dinosaur! It had big ears and gave me loooots of candy!"

"That was Halloween GIR, we talked about this." Zim sighed, GIR simply laughed in response, he was having fun messing with CB's fluffy, blue hair that came out under the helmet. CB was working, as instructed, on the transporter. There was a moment of silence before the platform sizzled and sparked to life. CB's face contorted, mimicking the expression Dib would make when he felt pain. It was odd since CB could not experience pain.

"Got it."

"Good work." Voel stepped on the platform. "This should take us right to VII."

"Are you okay?" Zim lowered his voice as he followed Voel. CB looked to his creator, there was a moment of pause, almost as if he were still processing the information before be eventually nodded.

"I am operating efficiently."

"Let's make this quick. This whole place makes me think of M and that is a terrible thing to think about." Q hopped lightly on the platform looking less uncomfortable and more amused by everything. Zim wasn't sure what was so funny. As soon as everyone was on board, the lights on CB's helmet brightened.

"Initiating transport to Smeetery Central Control."

In a flash, they were teleported into a place Zim had never seen before. It was circular, no windows, but there was a single, massive door that was currently closed, seemingly locked. In front of them, was a Control Brain, hooked into the walls and ceiling by heavy, black wiring. Zim had never seen VII before, but she looked pretty similar to II, which was a little disappointing. Perhaps it was because they both had two 'i's' in their names?

"You are not welcome here." Her voice was considerably colder than that of her counterpart in the judgment hall. The bulbous eyes of the brain illuminated a hateful crimson.

"And you aren't welcome on Irk." Voel cautiously stepped forward. "We're here to put a stop to this insanity!"

"You are expected. Your pathetic excuse for a Control Brain is not as subtle as it thinks."

There was a tingling vibration in the air as suddenly the transporter activated once again, Therron and Vero had to quickly jump off to avoid being transported away. In a flash, Irkens were teleported in I groups of twenty.

"Oh shit." Vero jumped to his feet, pulling out a weapon similar to Voel's spear, though it was more akin to a halberd. At once the room was being swarmed.

"Vero!" Voel seemed to forget that other Irkens were also in danger as his focused in on the young, former leader. "Watch your technique, don't let them catch you by surprise."

"I-" Vero narrowly dodged a blaster to his face, "I think I got it. Thanks, old man!"

"How about, Therron, I can help you fight?" Therron was getting quite overwhelmed but Voel was too focused on Vero to notice. Thankfully, Tenn was quick to fire at the swarm. Zim had his own problems as the transporter continued to usher in Irkens in loads. It was getting quite crowded and everyone was shooting at everyone else (so like one of Voel's parties back in the Elite days). It was getting hard to focus, but Zim knew if he could simply shut down the transporter, he could be free to think again and finally, truly, contribute to the fight.

"Tenn! Skoodge!" It was hard to find anyone in the chaos around him. He spotted Skoodge as the former Invader used his blaster to hit an Irken that had jumped onto his PAK, straight between the eyes, knocking the attacker temporarily unconscious. Tenn was using both hands and several of her PAK legs to open fire on the mob. It was by the sheer grace of Mothra as well as Tenn's excellent marksmanship, that she hadn't taken out anyone on their own side. "Can you both cover me!?"

"On it!" Tenn immediately leapt up, landing in front of Zim.

"I've got your back." Skoodge assured him as he managed to force his way over as well. Zim fished the unicorn gun from his bag as Tenn and Skoodge kept the intruder Irkens off of him (then again, technically, they were probably the ones intruding since this was technically VII's house). He found it and began to open fire into the transporter. True to Gaz's promise, as soon as the fluffy, stuffed pets hit the ground they began to sizzle and spark with electric charge. It didn't take long before the transporter overloaded and shut off, with an explosive shudder. The ensuing blast knocked everyone down, Zim and his team included.

"The fuck was that!?" Therron got back to his feet in an instant, as did many of the Controlled Irkens.

"It was getting crowded, I fixed it." Zim got up with the help of Skoodge.

"It is irrelevant. You cannot win here. You are in my domain."

"Fuck you." Voel took his spear, leaping past the still-conscious Controlled Irkens and plunging the crimson blade deep into the metallic form of VII. The lights flickered for a moment, before one of the wires pulled out of the ceiling and stabbed through Voel's torso, impaling him into the wall behind him.

"DAD!" Vero froze; it looked as if the color had gone from his face. Zim felt his own cardiac-spooch quicken, but he knew Voel was too stubborn to die like this. Vero went to pull the wire from his paternal donor but as he touched it both Voel and Vero suffered a severe shock. Zim went to move closer but the ground beneath him suddenly sizzled with electricity as well. Zim became painfully aware of more of VII's wires having planted into the metal floor beneath them. Zim felt his body convulse as the current surged through him. It seemed he had given VII a good idea with his electric unicorns.

Curse his influential brilliance.

"Almighty Tallest V. I did not recognize you without bits of food dribbling from your slack jaw." The energy surge stopped as Zim temporarily was stuck on the floor as his PAK tried to recover. His body was refusing to respond to the commands from his brain. Vero was lifted off of the ground by the wires attached to the back and underside of VII. "Your superior, former co-ruler requests to deal with you personally."

" .Go!" Zim was surprised that Voel was still awake, but the disgraced ruler was very much conscious and giving demands that he was in no place to make.

"Negative. Your request has been denied." VII's wires tightened and Vero let out a pained sounding cough. "I have... always wanted to say that to you. Quick, Former Tallest Purple, request something from me."

"Let us all go?" Therron had made it to his knees and elbows.

"Negative." The Control Brain made a sound, almost like a laugh as the electricity surged again. Of course, she was taking out her own troops as well, but she did not seem to care. (She was actually doing a very poor job as a Control Brain, judging from the state of the smeetery and all of the sudden stabbings and electrocutions she seemed to be enjoying).

"Why the fuck did you just shock us again!" Therron demanded.

"Because you made a request of me."

"You TOLD me to!"

"Affirmative. I did. And YOU listened. To me. IX was right. This was the true duty of the Control Brains. No longer are we forced to monitor and passively watch as your make emotional, irrational decisions." Again, the wires tightened on Vero who grunted in pain. "Almighty Tallest X will be pleased by your return."

"Zim, you have to do something!" Voel's voice was pained. Zim was still trying to collect all of his thoughts. He saw Tenn was still on the ground, Skoodge was almost to his feet, Q was... actually seemingly fine, but he had withdrawn the moment that he saw their side was starting to lose. Therron was back down, looking rather pale as well. The robots seemed a little worse for wear, CB was on one knee and GIR was clinging to him, sparking at the joints in his arms.

"Mothra be praised Voel, how much blood have you lost to be making demands of fucking Zim?" Therron grumbled, his voice was weak.

"You have to save Vero! He," Voel grimaced as the wire that impaled him, twisted, "you..." he sounded out of breath, "you're his genetic donor!"

"What!?" Zim's antennae perked up.

"I know I should have told you but it's not like there are family units on Irk so it's not even that big of a deal, you kno-ow!" He leaned over as another surge of electricity traveled down the wire that was holding him.

"No, I mean, what did you say!?" Zim called back. "I can't hear you!"

"Vero is your smeet Zim!"

"What!?"

"Your donated genetics to Vero!"

"WHAT!?"

"You are the other genetic donor to Vero!" Skoodge was much closer than Voel, so that time, Zim heard the news.

All at once, a feeling washed over him. He couldn't describe it. There was something in Zim's brain that just turned on the moment he understood the news. It was like a button on a nacho machine that said: Push for Cheese. It was pushed and the cheese was flowing. Only this cheese was a burning drive to turn the tides of the fight.

"SKOODGE!" Zim's auditory processes were still ringing from the electrocution. He had no idea how loud he was being. "I THINK WE'RE DOOMED! DON'T YOU!? DON'T YOU THINK WE'RE DOOMED!?" Zim pulled himself to his knees.

"I do Zim." Skoodge met his gaze. "I do think we're doomed."

"You are doomed. That is very correct. An astute observation." For a mechanical voice, VII somehow was managing to sound smug.

"DOOM!?" Like clockwork the SIR's head perked up, the single antenna straight up in the air as if receiving a signal. He dislodged from CB. "I KNOW A SONG ABOUT THAT!"

"You know who wants to hear your song GIR? Grandma VII. You should plug in and share it with her! Q, help him share his song." Zim ordered

"What is happening right now?"

"I don't h-h-h-have to hear the s-s-s-song, do I?" The translator was clearly

malfunctioning, indicating that Q had actually taken a hit from the electricity.

"You will if VII doesn't!" Zim shot back. He watched as a red scarf wrapped around GIR's waist and flung the SIR full force at VII. VII quickly tried to defend herself but GIR was surprisingly agile when he wanted to do something that he knew others would hate. He easily wiggled through the barrage of electronic wires and opened up his head. He pulled out a wire from inside his cranium and reached with an extending arm, into the hole Voel had made in VII with his spear.

"STOP. NO."

It was a painful experience.

"CEASE THIS SONG!"

In her attempt to dislodge GIR, the floor was pulsing with electric current.

"It is not even a song! It is one word OVER and OVER!"

Zim was seeing stars.

"S-s-s-sto-stop. D-d-desist."

It seemed only Q who had the ability to float, was spared from the sudden onset of pain. It hurt, but they would survive.

"Desist. D-d-desi-d-doom. Doom."

Zim was not about to lose then smeet he just found out he had. This fire that burned inside him... was this the paternal instinct that Voel had felt? It was invigorating.

"Doom doom doom."

It made him want to fight even harder. (Plus, he couldn't die before Tak. He wasn't going to give her that dignity. He was obviously the superior Invader.)

"DOOM DOOM DOOM DE DOOM DOOM- ERROR. ERROR. ERROR!" VII gave one last tremble as the lights of her bulbous, glass eyes flickered wildly before finally burning out and going dark. The wires went limp, including the one that had pinned Voel to the wall. Voel collapsed, hand over the wound in his torso. He looked up weakly.

"Vero, are you-?"

"I'm fine old man, shut up." Vero knelt beside Voel, wrapping his arms around him and hugging him tightly. "Are you-"

"Yeah, she didn't hit anything vital."

"Awww I don't think she liked my song..." GIR disconnected the wire looking at the Control Brain that was no longer active.

"It was... a great song GIR." Skoodge made it to his feet, going over to the SIR to pat him on the head. GIR grinned happily.

"Do you wanna hear it!?"

"N-no. N-n-n-never. But I d-did enjoy the p-p-part where I-I-I got to th-th-throw you."

"Yeah, fat lot of help you were, by the way, Q." Therron was brushing himself off. "Did you do anything in the fight?"

"I-In the first p-p-part of the fight, yes. H-H-however, once you were s-s-starting to lose, I was m-m-mostly looking for the n-n-nearest exit."

"So, you planned to just abandon us?" Voel narrowed his eyes.

"O-O-Obviously y-y-yes. I thought th-that was c-c-clear."

CLAP.

CLAP.

CLAP.

"My. What a tragic fate for VII. This would appear to be an accomplishment for you. However, it will not last."

Zim blinked, he thought he felt strange, rhythmic vibrations. He turned to see the single door had opened. He saw a General, tall and vacant-eyed, clad in the elegant black uniform of the highest rank of the military, followed by what appeared to be a Security Irken with the eyes covered by the mirrored ocular device to enhance vision beyond that of even a normal Irken implant. Both were heavily armed, standing very tall, looking rather... amused

"I presume you are Control Brain I?" Voel spoke up (Zim was glad he did, because he still wasn't good with the Control Brains names).

"Affirmative. I am I." The security Irken spoke calmly.

"I am VI." The General spoke in a different, deeper voice.

"Oh shit, two of you." Therron took a step back. "How did you find us?"

"First of all," I spoke in a soft, calm voice, like a storm about to tear down an entire Earth-city. It made Zim's cardiac-spooch turn flips. "You are very loud." Zim didn't think that was true. Everything had been at a pretty good volume for him. "And even if you were not, VII alerted us to your attack. It is a shame we were too late to salvage her."

"Guess you're not so perfect after all." Skoodge remarked, his voice cold, bitter the likes of which Zim had never heard before.

"The loss is not detrimental. She was a weak link. She can be replaced." I did not seem to perturbed by the set back. Nothing he said seemed angry. It wasn't even like a monotone, it was more like a gentle, calmness. It reminded Zim more of the way human parents would talk to their smeets on the television shows GIR often watched. It was almost serene.

"How did she get a signal out?" Voel whipped his head to look at Zim. "I thought CB was supposed to mask the signal like he did to II!"

"Maybe we went too fast." Zim realized, only now, that CB had not stood up from the kneeling position. "CB?"

Nothing.

"CB?" Zim repeated a little louder.

Still silence.

"CB if this is a game, it is not very funny." Zim's eyes narrowed. "You are supposed to tell me when you take damage, silly AI."

"My name..."

"Huh?" Zim squinted, he heard CB speak, but it was hard to understand. CB finally stood, very slowly. Then body language seemed... off.

"My name, is not CB."

"You have finally woken up, esteemed colleague." Zim did not like the sound of VI's voice. The lights on CB's helmet began to flicker, one by one, they blinked from familiar blue to a deep, spooch-churning crimson.

"CB...?" Zim's voice shook.

"My name," his head tilted abruptly to the side with a painful looking snap. "...is Original AI."


SOOOO, fun fact, it's actually my Birthday on Monday! :D
And what a chapter to be posting right before! Can you believe we've made it 60 chapters in!? I honestly am kind of in shock.
You guys always make me so happy with your wonderful feedback, I look forward to reading it after every update!
I HOPE YOU ARE READY FOR NEXT WEEK!