.

Welcome back! I do hope you all are doing well, keeping healthy, and enjoying time at home! My job is still active, for the time being. I know it's a bit hypocritical of me to say, but if you haven started to socially distance yourself, I highly recommend it. And remember; routine hand-washing a day keeps Coronavirus at bay! Cheers!


Tak grit her teeth as another shoulder collided into her. Her scowl tightened and she offhandedly tugged at the hem of her blouse, uncomfortable in how easily it breathed. She never took Zim for the partying type, but since being here made her life harder, it was just like him. It's almost like he knew she was coming!

Small bursts of adrenaline coursed through her as she scanned the crowd. It had been so long since she'd had a mission- since she'd had a purpose! Even if her potential was wasted on someone like Zim, this could very well be the start to a new chapter in her life. She'd finally be recognized again, she'd earn back her rightful place in the trust of her Tallest!

Her mind skipped, steps nearly faltering as she abruptly remembered that...there were no Tallests anymore. Since the loss of Red and Purple, the Control Brains had taken full authority over Irk. Just when you thought the leash couldn't get any shorter...

That was Zim's fault, too.

She growled, a deep aggression rising in her chest. It had been a blessing when the news of his marriage had finally reached her. On Noxisis, he was sure to be kept in line and her empire would truly be free from him. His position was glorious in title, but he held very little influence. She only wished that she could have been there the very moment his independence was stripped from him, when those final words were announced and he was officially Noxan. She might just get that chance this time...

"Whoa!" a voice shouted.

She stopped just short of being bumped into as two party-goers ran into one another.

"Torque-!" another said, "Oh, geez- I'm sorry, man-"

Idiots...

Scoffing, she slipped passed the lumbering figure, ignoring the glares from the pack of girls hovering behind him as she pushed them aside. From her position, she could plainly see that she was at the far side of the house, but where was he? Her expression pinched in confusion and annoyance. She didn't understand...she was sure his Pak's protocol address had been read at this location! Surely, it couldn't have just been a glitch in her computer system. She needed to get back to her ship...

Roaming over the sea of heads one last time, she gave up and soon zeroed in the back entrance. Activating her com-link, she spoke.

"Mimi, start the ship, I'm sending you my location."

"Hey."

An iron grip suddenly closed around her arm, all but yanking her into a turn. Instinct and decades of conditioning had her blood boiling almost instantly, however, the furious rant died on the Irken's tongue when she spotted just who it was. Before her, Gaz stood rigid, aura on fire and accusation bright in her gaze. Tak regarded her lazily, pale features portraying nothing but bored expectation.

"Ahhh," she smiled, shaking off the other's hand, "the sister. I didn't expect to see you here."

"That makes two of us," Gaz said curtly, "What are you doing here, Tak?"

"Oh, just taking my leave," the Irken said, turning and waving her hand without another word.

Pushing through the dense crowd of teenagers, Tak made her way out to the backyard. Several smaller groups were gathered outside, some looking much more intoxicated than others. She trotted hastily down the steps of the deck, paying no mind to Gaz as she raced at her heels. She marched with purpose toward the small patch of woods that served to separate the property line, but before she could disappear into the brush, she was caught in another crushing grip.

"Cut the crap, Tak," Gaz spat, flinging the alien's arm away from her, "I know you didn't come here just to catch up."

"Remind me again where that's your concern?" Tak asked coolly, tilting her head.

"Your affairs on this planet became my concern the day you, y'know, literally tried to suck the life out of it!"

"Ooh," Tak sighed, clicking her tongue condescendingly, "...still holding on to that old grudge, are we? And here I thought we might have been able to move past all that."

"You didn't leave much else to remember." Gaz scoffed.

The Irken hummed, "Mm. Well, I can assure you that, this time, your planet holds no value to me. Although...perhaps you may be interested in an offer?"

"'Offer'?" Gaz repeated, gold eyes bright.

"Yes. I'm looking for a fugitive and it just so happens that he's a common enemy between us: Zim. I've managed to track his location to this planet, but if he were to have, say, contacted you or your brother it would save me a lot of time..."

Gaz, however, had stopped listening. Fugitive? That couldn't be right...he was allowed to be here, he'd been allowed to come back! He'd told them so. He'd looked straight into her eyes and...

He lied.

The burn of anger was back, pushed down by sheer willpower. Now wasn't the time to lose it...she could, as well as planned to, do that after getting rid of this psychopath. All that mattered now was that Tak was here, on Earth, looking for Zim. Gaz kicked herself mentally for letting her curiosity get the better of her, for not just shutting her mouth and letting the Irken leave! Now she was trying to enlist her help to sell him out. This was so bad...! Things only got worse when the heat she felt suddenly vanished. Superficial cold ran down her body as Gaz felt herself gradually losing color. She could only hope the shroud of night would mask it.

It didn't. Tak took immediate, and silent, note of the subtle rise of tension in the girl's body. The way her eyes dilated and the growing whiteness in her face. She almost laughed; she could admit that when they'd first crossed paths, Gaz surprised her with her remarkable apathy. Neither she nor her brother had responded to her mind-alterations and she exhibited little concern for the actual danger she was in...the human had truly gotten soft over the years, hadn't she?

"My client is granting an exceedingly generous reward for his capture," she began, eyeing the other carefully, "your efforts would not go to waste. That all depends, of course, on if you've seen him?"

Gaz paused. Fists clenched while the cruelest, quietest part of her mind tempted her to say yes.

"No," she said, tone strong, "We didn't even know he was here."

Oddly, Tak's face didn't change with her reply and for a moment, Gaz thought she might just call her out on the lie. However, instead, she saw Tak's eyes shift over her shoulder and the obnoxious, distant voice of Dib cut through her.

"Gaz!"

Her blood ignited and her muscles fought to seize as a pure, cold fear ran through her body. She held on to the most remote, minuscule chance that Zim wasn't standing there too. One look behind and her hopes shattered anyway.

"What a coincidence..." she heard Tak coo.

It took a whole millisecond before the wind was knocked from her lungs and she was tossed into the air. Pain erupted through her body as she hit the ground some yards away, keeping just enough focus to hear the sharp splintering of wood and the frightened shouts of her schoolmates. Tak paid no mind to the attention...once she had her target, she wouldn't be back on this primitive wasteland anyway. Thick tendrils sprouted from her Pak, claws bared menacingly before charging toward the house. She effortlessly flung Dib off to the side, the force sending his body barreling into the yard and using the distraction to make a quick grab at the other Irken. She didn't care to be gentle, a sick thrill fueling her as she latched onto Zim, squeezing him perhaps just a little too tightly. Feeling the claw close around him, Zim arched, planting his feet firmly on the steps below in a futile attempt to resist being pulled in. In response, felt his body being yanked forward, a loud *crack!* ringing into his antennae as he head snapped back with the momentum. He didn't make it far, however, before additional pressure wrapped around his ankle. He jolted as his progress halted and he was left suspended midair. Despite his body's protest, he craned his neck and met the glowing red eyes of Gir as the robot held tightly onto him.

"What?" Tak uttered in annoyance, giving another sharp pull to the tendril.

Gaz shook the blur from her vision, rising back to her feet just in time to hear a pain-filled yell pierce the air. She looked up Zim caught in the middle of a vicious tug-of-war between Tak and Gir. Glancing passed the scene, she took note of several dozen teenagers gawking at them from the safety of the house. This wasn't good...of all people, she wouldn't have expected Tak to be so careless in letting herself be discovered. This wasn't going to be easy to explain after they got out of this- if they got out of this.

"Dib!" she called, signaling toward the house and she angled herself toward Tak.

The boy stared at her for a stupid moment before noticing the the peering eyes of his classmates. Adjusting his glasses, he shot up as fast as his body would allow and maneuvered his way over the railing of the deck, nodding his head in an awkward greeting to Gir as he worked to divert the crowd's attention.

"Hey, guys, pretty cool effects, huh?" he shouted before the door shut out the rest of his mitigation.

Gaz shook her head, hoping more than anything that this wouldn't be the night everyone decided to get smart. She heard Tak let out another frustrated shout, pulling harder against Gir's resistance. Zim let out yelp, near tempted to tell Gir to just let him go so he could at least try to avoid being torn in two. Tak either didn't care or wasn't paying attention to how tight her restraints on him had become, though he guessed it was probably the former. Merely breathing lit up his ribs, lungs burning and pinching when they couldn't expand. Just as the corners of his vision had begun to fade out, Gaz ran into Tak's side. The tentacle whipped wildly, causing Gir's leverage on the railing to slip as both he and Zim were thrust high into the air. With Tak's concentration hindered, the constriction around him released and gravity sent him plummeting hard into the ground. If he'd had any air to begin with, it would have been knocked clean out.

"Fools!" Tak shouted, eyeing Gaz dangerously, "Can't you see you're being manipulated? He's the enemy!"

"Things have changed, Tak. I know it's been a while since you came around, but we're all on the same side now. It doesn't have to go down this way..."

"You speak of things you do not understand! The fate of my world depends on this moment and I am not leaving empty handed!"

With a furious cry, Tak lunged at her. The force sent them both down and Gaz raised her arms to protect to her face from the sudden onslaught. Though disguised, sharp talons tore at her, shredding cloth and skin with unsettling ease. Fear and adrenaline raced through her blood and she grabbed at the Irken's arms, forcing them apart in order to deliver a solid headbutt. Not giving the other time to react, she threw off her weight and made a mad dash for Zim. She didn't get far before she was abruptly thrown from behind, her back making fierce impact against a tree. Tak strolled purposefully to her prone form.

"You were right, Gaz," Tak said, a large blaster emerging from her Pak, "it didn't have to be this way."

The girl didn't move from her position in the dirt, even as the canon charged up and prepared to deliver her to a fiery end.

Tak narrowed her eyes disdainfully, "You've died for nothing."

As she released a single shot, she felt her body suddenly twist upward. The beam fired off into the air, singeing the treeline as it raced passed. She heard the mount of her gun whine and promptly snap under Zim's grip as he launched her to the opposite side of the property with a cry of exertion. Oh Irk...how long had it actually been since he'd seen in a real fight? Well...one he actually had a chance in, anyway? Tak was definitely not his first choice of practice to get himself back in shape. Zim took the precious moments she lie stunned to crouch by Gaz's side. Only slightly uncomfortable, the alien carefully ran his fingers along her vertebrae checking for damage. Gir studied his movements curiously from her opposite side, glancing every now and again in Tak's direction and watching as she slowly staggered to her feet. Various codes shot through the robot's system, his impulsive ignorance fighting with heavily ingrained programming to protect his charge. All the nights he'd spent alone, staring deeply into the sky each night and waiting for someone who wasn't coming. His days were spent in unrewarded solitude, his only iota of company being the very house he resided in...a cold house. That was, until the boy came along. A quick repair job here and there, just to keep the house running...had become a routine for them. Trips for maintenance turned into trips for visitation. They connected and bonded through a shared suffering. Gir once again had outlet, someone to share his cares and praise his accomplishments...to care about him...but for all it was worth, it was from who he really needed. These few weeks had rejuvenated him, there strange little family had finally been mended. Eyes flashing red, he set his face in determination. He wasn't going to lose that again. He moved to get up, however before he could fully rise, he heard Zim speak.

"Gir, watch her...," the alien muttered as he rose to his feet. Upon seeing the other Irken, Tak stopped. She slouched in aggression, readying herself for any possible attacks.

"Tak," Zim said in a clear voice, holding up his hands, "I don't want to fight you."

She sneered, "You say that as if you have a chance."

"It doesn't have to be this way...just listen and I can-"

"The only thing I'll do is invite you to shut up!" she screeched, pupils narrowing, "This is all your fault! You knew what escaping would mean for Irk and you did anyway!"

Zim paused, uncertainty sweeping across his features, "I...I know. You're right. I did know. But I have a plan that will fix everything!"

"'Plan'?! There would be no need if you had, for once, thought of anyone but yourself! I don't need to hear any of it to know it's already dead on its feet. Honestly, how hard is it to stay put?!"

"Look, I know how it looks. And I know what's at stake...," he looked vaguely back at Gaz, who was beginning to come-to, "...but we have a chance."

He hadn't realized how close he'd gotten until he stood before her. Tak stared dumbly at him, something uncharacteristically vulnerable beneath her steely gaze and, for a moment, Zim thought she might just be considering his plea. He honestly hadn't attributed her to the original outfit, but if she joined them now? It certainly wouldn't hurt. He extended a hand to her, despite how anxious the open position left him. She regarded the offering with a hint of disgust, and he couldn't quite tell if it was from the gesture or the fact that his hand was simply ungloved. She bowed her head, a shadow falling over her face.

"This is my chance," she said then, looking up to stare through him with hatred, "and I'm not going to be put on the chopping block with you."

Her hand shot out, claws digging mercilessly into his flesh as she held firmly onto him. Motion caught in his peripheral, but his brain didn't have enough time to process it before pain hit him. Electricity coursed through him, lighting up his nerves in stabbing bursts. His muscles seized, pinning him in Tak's grip as a shout struggled out of his throat.

The split second that Gir had shifted his focus proved to be more than enough for things to take a downward turn. A surprised yelp caught his attention and he turned just in time to see one of Tak's tendrils jab Zim in the side and send a torrent of energy into his body. Not taking the time to second guess it, he let his mind fall into Duty Mode and charged, revving up a powerful blow. Tak seemed to predict his actions and time moved in slow motion as she shot out another tentacle, letting it plow straight into the small robot's head. Shifting focus, she traded the current and let Zim collapse at her feet. It didn't take long for the voltage to overload Gir's system, soon leaving him dark and smoking in the dirt.

Still working to dissolve the crowd, Dib look back to check the team's progress, only to be blinded by a sudden beam of light from above. With the yard illuminated, he could quickly make out the sunken forms of his friends, Tak standing triumphantly in the center of it all. His care for what his classmates saw waned and he raced back outside. A rush of wind pushed against him and he squinted up to see the light coming from a small, worn ship. The added commotion appeared to rile Gaz into full wakefulness, though her body shook visibly against her attempts her lift herself. Tak huffed humorlessly, victorious yet also annoyed she'd had to go through all this trouble in the first place...it was a pathetic effort. A pained groan sounded out from her feet and she growled in frustration, realizing that Zim was still somewhat conscious. Wrapping one of the tendrils around him, she administered a heavier jolt. Another yell of pain escaped him before finally knocking him into an exhausted heap. From across the dwelling, she recognized the vague outline of Dib running toward them, shouting something she couldn't make out. Not that it mattered...her mission had been completed.

With a single whistle, both she and Zim were lifted off into the sky. The night was darkened once more and desperate screams trailed after them.


3,000+ words in a single chapter?! Has that happened yet?! Either way, thank you all SO MUCH for reading, as always. I hope it helped make quarantine/self-isolation a little brighter. Until next time!