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Good day, dear readers! Thank you all for coming back for our 5th installment, however I would like to warn you that it will be on the shorter side, one reason being that I would like the next chapter to focus entirely on Zim's reunion with Earth and the second to keep my updating fresh as I have no idea when the next will be out. ALSO! I'm very pleased to announce that my good friend, FistApology, over on Deviant Art has agreed to do concept works for this story! It's been so long since I've had concept work done, but they worked on a lot from my Astro Boy stories. It would mean a lot to the both of us if you could help support their work. Onward!


*smack!*

Another fierce blow snapped her head to the side. She said nothing, setting her jaw against the ache. Her bound arms burned at the joints and her hands had long gone numb as she settled on her knees, staring deeply into the floor.

A boot strode into her line of sight and she tensed as she anticipated a kick. However, the looming figure simply bent to her level and she could feel his eyes boring into her skull.

"Where is he?"

She stayed silent. In all honesty, she didn't know where her charge had run to...they'd decided it was better that she knew as little as possible in the event of capture. After all their calculated planning, they couldn't afford it to go to waste. It was both of their lives on the line, but she'd already vowed to give hers. Since the day she'd met him and been sworn in as his guard, she'd felt an odd sort of pity for the Irken, despite their stance as natural enemies. She supposed that was her first mistake...

A frustrated growl rolled passed the figure's teeth and he shot up, giving her only a second to process before a heel was driven deep into her side. She felt the snap before she heard it, her ribs fracturing like twigs under the force. Gravity was already pulling her toward the ground and she allowed herself to fall back onto her other side, breathing with the stinging throb.

Her commanding officer glared down at her "You're only making this harder on yourself, Siké, for I can assure you that our King will not be a merciful as I!"

Her breath hitched and for the first time since her capture, she looked at him.

"I never expected mercy."

Rage spread across his features and he bared his teeth in a snarl, looking passed her and nodding to his partner. She braced as movement caught her eye, steeling herself to be hit again when-

"Stop."

The voice rang through the air, instilling a deep and crushing silence. Her heart rate picked up and her position on the floor allowed her to gather a full view of her King. His dark teal scales shown brightly under the natural light of the cell, various scars scattered over whatever visible flesh there was. His reptilian eyes were slitted with well-masked aggression, they're arylide color glowing. The two officers in the room straightened and bowed in respect, but he didn't bother to acknowledge them. He stared down his snout at her prone form, studying her carefully. Even before she'd been assigned to Zim, even when he'd just been a Prince, she had never had any first-hand encounters with him. He struck an uneasy cord in her, though that may have been his intention with everyone. It was only after his rise to power and his marriage shortly after that she'd seen what he was truly capable of...all at once, she decided that she didn't much care for his undivided attention.

His expression tightened "Would one of you care to make yourselves useful? Sit her up!"

Rough hands gripped her arms from behind and she was shoved up, biting back a cry at the pain the change in position caused. She grunted, fighting to even out her breaths. Seemingly satisfied, the King huffed lightly, a smirk playing at his mouth as he began sauntering around her.

"You know, Siké," he started, "...out of all the people I expected to be betrayed by, you were among the last."

She felt the vibrations of his footfalls, her eyes following his pattern. A light wind was generated from the flow of his cape.

"However, I will commend you both for this ploy. I actually believed he'd given up on escaping and had finally accepted his role with some dignity. It's a shame, really...all that potential wasted on this. If only your bravery and effort weren't put forth into treason." he stated in mock disappointment.

He stopped in front of her, his composed demeanor turning frigid "Luckily, I'm feeling just generous enough to offer you a chance at redemption. All you have to do is tell me where he's gone and I will forget all about your transgressions."

It was a tempting lie, but a lie nonetheless. She knew his tactics well enough to know that there was no way he'd let something like this go unpunished. She'd sworn to protect her charge at all cost, however her loyalties had changed. That was her second mistake; she'd gotten too close...he'd cracked away at her hard exterior, showed her a compassion she'd never faced before. He'd gotten her to care about him. Over the years, they'd formed a very delicate- and very forbidden- friendship. The allegiance she'd sworn to her kingdom, to her duty as a royal guard, had shifted into something deeper than the skin. They spoke outside of obligation, she'd stepped in as his comfort on more than one occasion and for more than one reason...and he awakened things in her that she never knew existed. Of course...it didn't forgive the suffering she'd allowed. A large majority of Zim's shortcomings came from his spouse and she resented the fact that he was the one thing she couldn't shield the Irken from. That day she agreed to help him flee, she'd changed her stance from an idle listener to a true protector. She would happily lay down her life if it meant he could be free and now was the time for her to deliver...because she lov-

"SPEAK!"

His shout rang off the walls, causing the three other occupants to stiffen at its intensity. She looked up to face him, his features tight with barely contained rage. She quickly gathered herself before speaking.

"My...King, I'm afraid I don't know where he's fled. However, even if I did," her gaze hardened "I would never give you the satisfaction."

He tensed, eyes flashing furiously, and for a moment she thought he might snap and kill her right there. What he did instead surprised her even more. His rough features softened like the turn of a page and he smiled. He looked at her with amusement, as if he hadn't been preparing to rip her throat out just moments before, and a string of laughter fell out of his mouth. She furrowed her brow in confusion, suddenly on edge as her previous courage began to dwindle.

The other two guards shared a nervous look as his laughter died down into fragmented chuckling.

He shook his head "Oh...you truly believe that it will make all the difference, don't you? That, without your knowledge, all is lost? Well..."

He strode up to her and, in a flash, took her face in a vice grip. His claws dug deep into her flesh and his outward composure was falsified by the manic look in his eyes.

"...allow me to put things into perspective for you; there isn't a single corner of the universe he could hide that I won't find him. You know it and so does he. It's simply a matter of when and when I find him, I will make certain that he never sees the light of day again!" he shouted.

Then he smirked and said, with mock sweetness "...And neither will you."

He released his grip on her, pushing her away as he turned swiftly on his heal. With the singular snap of his fingers, one guard followed rapidly at his back while the other raised his weapon.

A shot rang out.


*Looks back at beginning Author's Note about this chapter being short* so...that didn't work out, but that's okay! Also, I'm very sorry for those of you that may have wanted to see more of Zim's body guard, I was on the fence for the longest time trying to decide whether or not to kill her off, but...I did. I decided this for a number of reasons, actually, but nevertheless. HOWEVER! I do plan on writing various pre-quel entries including her(whether they be one-shots or flashbacks, idk yet). Either way, I hope this chapter is enough to last until my next update! Thank you for reading!