Truce

It was the same thing day in and day out.

Zim twiddled his wooden pencil between his two gloved index fingers. He tired to fight off the nagging sensation of boredom, but it was pointless. He stared up at the clock, teeth grating as the large black hand ticked by agonizingly slowly.

He let out a heavy sigh.

Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered showing up to what the humans considered skool. It was waste of an institution in his eyes, a run down learning facility that failed to provide anything useful for the forthcoming invader. The instructor usually blabbered on about how doomed they all were, or how dreary they could expect their adult lives to be. And every time he listened, he felt like he was on the verge on insanity.

Leaning back in his chair, he tried to find something more productive to concentrate on. As an Irken invader, his job was to observe the planet for weaknesses and prepare it for the coming invasion, but lately, he had barely made any progress at all. He tried to tell himself that it was just a minor setback, that he was just too busy with other things to come up with any new plans to destroy the humans. But the truth was, he rapidly running out of ideas.

He shifted his focus back to the lesson at hand and watched as Ms. Bitters stepped back from the medium-sized prism resting on her desk.

She turned to face the class.

"So you see students," she started, her voice dreary, but direct, "the soldier ants will horribly annihilate their rival counterparts in a brutal fight to the death. Similar to the corporate nightmare that is the backbone of our economy." She lifted her head to stare at the children. "But occasionally, when an orphaned ant loses its queen, it is absorbed into the new colony rather than killed. The same way your rival companies will hire you after they put yours unexpectedly out of business."

Zim tilted his chin up, incuriously bored by the demo. He stared at the poorly maintained vinyl ceiling above.

He wondered what his leaders were up to lately. It had been quite some time since he last reported in, and as expected of all invaders, he was obligated to check in regularly. Had the Tallest grown curious about his absence? Did they even recognize he had been slacking off?

Leaning back in the chair, he thought over the scenario further. It seemed unusual for them, especially with invaders being so critical for world conquest. Perhaps they were simply too busy glassing another planet they had just taken over. Or they were holding a ceremony for an invader who had just finished their job.

He shivered at the thought.

Leaning back in the chair further, he started to drum up another brilliant plan to take over the humans, but an unexpected snap caught his attention.

Sitting up, he realized the metal leg beneath him had given way. The portion that had once been fused together through cheap manufacturing had snapped and it was just on the teetering edge of slipping apart. Moving carefully, he tried to correct it, but it was already too late. It collapsed, and he came crashing down onto the classroom floor with a grievance.

The Irken stood up, dusting off his uniform. He attempted to deflect the collective gaze from the other students by adverting his eyes and straightening his wig. When he felt he felt comfortable enough to pass for casual, he glared at the one person he knew who was, without a doubt, responsible.

The Dib.

His sworn enemy and the one to blame for ruining all of his well-thought plans, sat twiddling his thumbs innocently while looking up at the ceiling.

Zim stared at him vehemently, knowing the incident hadn't been an accident. The child had done it on purpose as an attempt to put unwanted attention on the invader. It wasn't the first time he had pulled such an act. Trying to get the Irken to expose his precious identity was one of the human's regular past times, and once again Zim had been foolish enough to let his guard down and fall into the ill-constructed trap.

The Irken hopped up onto his desk and was about to attempt to shout an impending threat of doom when was interrupted by the teacher.

"Zim!"she barked, casting a cold shadow in his direction. "That's the seventh disturbance this month! One more outburst like that and you lose your desk for the rest of the school year!"

Deciding it was best not to argue, Zim sheepishly backed down and gave a submissive solute.

Satisfied, Ms. Bitters turned away, leaving him to kneel down and pick up the pieces of his chair.

"And Dib!" she added, cutting off the boy's smirk as she turned around. "Since you ALSO seem to be having trouble with today's lesson, I am assigning the two of you as lab partners for the school project!"

Dib immediately groaned in protest. "Aw, come on Ms. Bitters! He's an alien. I shouldn't have to try this hard to-"

She silenced him with a forbidding growl.

He slumped forward in defeat.

"Yes ma'am..."


At the end of the day, Zim found himself angrily marching back to his base.

"And can you believe that!? Me? Ordered to work with that FILTHY Dib creature!" he spat, ranting on to a random confused child next to him. "The thought of such a concept makes me sick! Working with that horrible stink beast. Impossible!"

The child only stared at him as they walked toward the house. He made a run for it the moment Zim entered the base.

"Such invidious notions should never be expected of an invader!" the Irken continued, not paying the slightest attention. "Me? Working with the Dib? HA! Preposterous!"

Grunting in frustration, he slammed the door behind him and scanned the room, getting the attention of his loyal SIR unit who was sitting on the couch.

"Master! You're back!" Gir gasped, running over to the Irken. "YOU GONNA WANNA WATCH THE SCARY MONKEY SHOW WITH ME?!"

Zim stared down his minion in confusion.

"No Gir. No horrible monkey today," he said, almost with a sigh. "There is much work that needs to be done! I will need to come up with a new master plan to destroy the humans, but first I must find a way to gather a whole bunch of them right where I want them. I have already discovered that the smelly hair beasts have an irrational obsession with tacos, so if I can control these tacos, I CONTROL THE WORLD. I'll just need to-"

He stopped when he realized his robotic companion was drooling at his feet.

"Er, I mean... I need you up here Gir. Collecting uh...INFORMATION! Yes! On how many um... TACO commercials there are on at any one time!" He paused. "I need you to count them one by one. Understand?"

Excited, Gir clapped his tiny hands together in joy. "YAY! I'M GONNA EAT SOOOOO MANY TACOS!"

With a quick salute, Gir ran back to watch TV.

Zim rolled his eyes and continued on to the hidden elevator where he knew the little minion would be hesitant to follow.


Hours later,

Zim was still hard at work deep in the base when the notification system alerted him that morning was approaching. Ignoring the message, he continued on with his work.

He often used the late hours to catch up on personal projects or simply enjoy the time to himself, especially since Dib and the majority of the other humans were incapacitated with the hindrance of sleep. It was one of the few advantages he had over his rival and he rarely let the time go to waste.

What primal creatures, he thought, chuckling impudently. Needing to rest nearly a third of their lives? How pathetic.

He struggled to slip into the newly acquired taco costume he had stolen from an unsuspecting teen outside Crazy Taco and after zipping it up, he approached the main communications monitor.

Waving his hand back and forth, he caused the large screen to flicker to life.

"Computer!" he shouted up at the ceiling. "Contact the Tallest!"

A lethargic voice groaned in response.

"But sir, they NEVER answer. Are you sure you want to contact them?"

"Hey, I am your master and you will contact them! Now!"

The computer let out another groan, but did as it was told.

Zim stared at a blank screen anxiously waiting with anticipation. After what seemed like an eternity, a connection was finally established.

"My Tallest!" he beamed in exhilaration as the two familiar faces filled the montior. "I am happy to inform you that I have come up with a new, most ingenious plan to rid this planet of the humans! And this time, I am sure I will have them ready for conquest."

"But that's what you always say," countered Purple, juggling a mouth full of chips. "And you're in a taco suit."

Zim glanced down at his outfit before smiling conspicuously.

"Yes, well. You see, that is all part of the plan." He straightened himself up and proudly turned toward his planning board. "First, I will use this taco suit to disguise myself and sneak furtively into the humans' taco base. Then, once I have successfully infiltrated their defenses, I will inject their precious meat supply with a mind control nanochip, which will allow me to take full control of their taco consumption habits. After that, I will use this tracking device to-"

Upon hearing snickering, he paused to glance up at his leaders.

"Heh. Why, yes thank you," he responded casually, not really sure what they found so funny. "I AM a master of comedy. Now if you direct your attention to this taco..."

Red and Purple's laughter only seemed to increase as his explanation continued on. Eventually, he found the rest of the crew laughing with them as well.

He paused his presentation. "My Tallest? I do not understand. What is it you find so amusing?"

Both leaders struggled to catch their breath and rested their arms on the rails of the bridge.

"You still haven't figured it out have you?" Red asked, wiping a tear away.

The ex-invader looked at him puzzled. "Eh? Whatever do you mean My Tallest?"

The towering red-eyed Irken cleared his throat. "What we mean Zim, is we never meant for you to conquer Earth. You were sent there as a way for us to get rid of you."

Zim sat in silence, trying to process the statement. "Heh, good one my Tallest," he chuckled, forcing out a nervous smile. "I can always count on you to come up with the best jokes. Now, as I was saying-"

"Were serious Zim," Red interrupted.

Zim's hopeful smile disappeared.

Letting out a long sigh, Red brought his two long claws to rest against his forehead.

"Look, you're not really an invader Zim," he explained, hoping this time the message finally got through. "You haven't been one since your re-encoding to service drone. Your invader status was never reinstated. We gave you this mission to get rid of you hoping that you would disappear somewhere in the far end of the universe. We never expected you to actually find a planet to reside on."

Zim stared at the two of them in silence.

What are they saying? That I was never meant to conquer Earth?!

But that didn't make any sense. The Tallest would never do something like that to him. Not to him.

Not to Zim...

"To put it bluntly," Red continued, ignoring Zim's deteriorating state of mind, "we sent you on this mission because we didn't know what else to do with you. You were simply too dangerous to keep around and it was only a matter of time before you got one of us killed, like you did the previous Tallest."

"And stupid! Don't forget stupid!" Purple added exultantly.

Red ignored his comrade.

"We never expected you to actually find a planet to take over," he added bluntly. "It was funny at first, but now it's just become tiresome. From this point on, consider yourself exiled. You will be blocked from all communications and forbidden to set foot on any Irken controlled planets. If you break these terms, well...you get the idea."

Then, without warning, the transmission was cut.


For a long time, Zim stared at the screen, trying to process the information he had just been given.

Exiled? No. It can't be. Not me. Not the great Invader Zim!

Denial overtaking him, he frantically waved his hand over the control panel.

"My Tallest? My Tallest! Surely this is a mistake!"

Failing to reconnect the call, he resorted to pounding on the bioscanner.

"My Tallest! My Tallest? My Tallest?!"

Still no answer.

Stunned, he slumped backward in his seat.

A lie? Had it all been a lie?

Despite hearing the news directly from the source, his mind still struggled to process it.

But it doesn't make any sense! Why would the Tallest entrust ME, their finest invader, with such an important mission if it was all a fake? This has to be some kind of joke. Or a test, at the very least. Yes, it has to be a test! Surely anything else would be a complete waste of time!

He sorted through all past endeavors, hoping to find any sort of remnant or clue that might allude to their true intentions. First, there was the Great Assigning. It had been odd that they hadn't been given him a specific planet to conquer, but instead was assigned a mystery one that they assured was a top secret mission. He'd blindly accepted it, assuming the most challenging mission had been designated for him. And then there was his SIR unit, or GIR as they had called it. Instead of helping him with his plans, the little robot seemed more interested in food and television than taking over the world. And lastly, there was the general lack of communication with his leaders altogether. As an invader, he was required to give frequent updates on his progress, but out of the hundreds of times he had tried contacting them, they only seemed to answer when it was convenient for them.

The reality of the situation was finally beginning to sink in, and his mind plunged into a spiral of turmoil.

How can they do this to me! ME? The great invader ZIM?!

Denial giving way to anger, he dug his claws deep into the flimsy fabric of the taco suit. It gave way easily, revealing the magenta hue of his uniform. He ripped it apart, tossing it aside like a discarded rag doll.

I am an invader! A member of the Irken elite! They can't just throw me away like I'm nothing!

Anger boiling, he grabbed the nearest object he could find, which in this case, happened to be the small metallic wires running along the wall. He yanked on them, hard.

A series of sparks emulated as their individual components became disconnected. After removing them, he hurled them across the room.

There's got to be some way to make them see! Some way to make them understand!

Breathing heavily, he had expected the outburst to calm him, but it wasn't enough. The wound they had inflicted was too great. His mission, his SIR unit, the general disregard for any of his ideas. His leaders wanted nothing to do with him. And even after years of loyal service to the Empire, they'd betrayed him.

Anger rising, he started thrashing everything in sight, destroying anything and all mechanical parts he could get his hands on. He tore apart wiring, slashed open his consoles, and destroyed everything and anything he could get his claws on.

After some time, he glanced over his handiwork.

The communications bay was now thoroughly destroyed, but it still wasn't enough. He wanted more. He wanted to kill, to destroy...something. Anything.

Making his way down to the lab, he used his PAK's metallic claws to force the doors open. The computer tried to shut him out in an attempt to prevent further damage, but he wasn't going to have it. He smashed the large glass chambers as he entered, the semi-vascular liquid spilling out all over the floor and up to hit boots. It collected the bit of the electric current from the broken machinery, causing a nearby computer console to short circuit and set off a series of mini explosions that persisted throughout the lab.

He didn't stop there either. Grabbing a metal pipe, he began beating the computer mercilessly, letting out tiny grunts of frustration as he did so. He banged the weapon on multiple surfaces, trying to cause as much damage as physically possible. He was still in the middle of his chaotic rage when an electronic voice chimed in.

"Sir, there is someone at the door."

Zim growled at the interruption and shouted up at the emptiness.

"Let the robo-parents handle it! That's what they're for!"

The computer beeped again. "But sir, they are still installing their weekly upgrades. It will be at least another twenty-four hours before they are fully functional."

Zim ground his teeth angrily while clenching on to the pipe.

"Fine!" he growled, twisting it around in his claws. "Then bring me the display."

A hovering screen immediately floated into view and his eyes narrowed as he recognized the figure standing in his doorway.

Dib.

Out of all the things to bother him now, it had to be that troublesome dirt-child.

Zim felt his eye twitch out of frustration. Casting his wrench aside, he shouted back up at the ceiling.

"Computer! Let the annoying dirt child in! I plan to take care of that bothersome human myself."


Outside, Dib pounded endlessly on the door.

"Open up Zim! I know you're in there! And I'm not leaving until we talk about this stupid science project thing!"

When there was no response, he proceeded to bang harder.

"You hear me space boy?! I'm not letting my grades slip because of your stupid- huh?"

To his surprise, the door swung wide open.

He stood there a moment, slightly confused.

"Huh? What's going on?"

Inside Gir, who was sitting mindlessly watching TV, turned to face him.

"HIYA MARY!" the tiny robot shouted, recognizing Dib as a frequent visitor. "YOU HERE TO PLAY WITH MA MASTER?"

Dib stared at Gir perplexed. "Uh, not exactly." He took a few steps in, curious to see what the Irken had planned for him. Tilting his head up at the ceiling, he spoke cautiously.

"Zim, if this is a trap, I'm not falling for it! You hear me Irken scum?! You better show yourself now before I run out and call the police! Or maybe the Eyeball, or...something."

Still no response.

Puzzled, he turned his attention toward the robot.

"Hey, is your master here?" he asked casually.

Gir nodded.

Dib stared at him a moment before continuing. "So... can you take me to him?"

Gir nodded with a goofy smile. "Okie dokie!"

The minion hopped off the couch and approached the wall that concealed the hidden elevator. Dib watched in amazement as it opened up, revealing the bright, circular platform that he had seen so many times before. It was nothing new, but still it impressed him every time he got up close.


Both human and robot stepped off of the platform once the elevator reached the mid level of the base. When it came to a stop, Dib followed Gir through a long, stretched out corridor.

Along the way, the boy stared at all the components around him in awe. The hallway was vast, like a massive, futuristic cybernetic network of wiring and metal. He would never admit it to Zim, but the level of technology that the Irken had at his disposal was impressive. It far outpaced anything humans had ever built, and if the alien had even the slightest hint of brains at all, he could have easily taken over the planet ten fold if someone hadn't been there to stop him.

Luckily, he wasn't that smart.

Dib followed Gir further into the lower areas of the base until they finally reached the passageway that led into the underground labs. The boy began to notice some of the equipment around him scattered and broken, almost as if something catastrophic had happened. And the smell of smoke that seemed to linger from a distance was now noticeably overwhelming.

Odd, Dib thought, trying to piece together what had happened. Zim never allows his base to get so messed up. He's usually too paranoid of germs to let even the slightest of surfaces go unscrubbed.

Not having the time to dwell on it any longer, Dib followed Gir through a grand entry way that led straight to the labs. When the doors opened up in front of him, he felt his jaw drop.

It looked as though a tornado, hurricane, and earthquake had hit the place all once. Everything was thoroughly destroyed. All of the glass tubes were completely shattered and metal debris that usually lined the wall was scattered all over the floor. The liquid that had been inside the containment tubes seeped around his boots as he entered He stepped back a bit, a little perturbed by its unique viscosity and the tiny shock that it sent through his system.

He glanced around the room searching for any sign of the Irken, but strangely, Zim was nowhere to be found.

"Zim!" he shouted, squinting into the abyss. "You here?"

He noticed a faint shadow approaching from the smoke.

"Zim?" he questioned again, squinting harder to get a better look.

The Irken's silhouette eventually materialized through the smokey haze.

"Look, I know you're probably mad about the whole me breaking and entering thing," Dib continued as the alien gradually closed the gap between them, "but I'm not here to steal anything this time. I just came down here to talk about the science proje-"

Like a mallet striking the side of his face, Dib felt the sudden force of the Irken's fist collide with his cheek. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Geez Zim," he winced, rubbing the side of his face. He could feel a bruise already starting to form. "What was that for?'

Seething, Zim reached down and lifted the boy by the collar.

"ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES HUMAN!" he shouted, practically spitting into his face. "I demand to know the truth! What is the real reason you've come here and invaded Zim's personal base?!"

Dib hadn't expected the scrawny Irken to be so strong, or for him to have reacted so violently, but knowing better than to let his enemy get the upper hand, he pushed himself away.

"I just came here to discuss the school project," he answered, trying to calm his voice a bit. "You know? The one we were assigned to work on together? I thought we could at least talk about it first before we ripped each other's heads off."

Zim's antennae twitched in annoyance. "Pfft. Your pitiful Earth project means nothing to me stink-beast. Why should I help you?"

"Well, you never DID repay me for when we both turned into Bologna," Dib shrugged, bringing the point to the Irken's attention. "Or I could just turn you in to the eyeball now if you'd rather have that."

Zim looked down at where his claws were holding the boy and noticed a pair of handcuffs hovering around his wrists.

And not just any handcuffs, but the alien neutralizing ones that were designed to render him unconscious in seconds.

His eyes narrowed. "Such impudence," he growled menacingly. "You think you can destroy ME in my amazing base of doom? What makes you think you'd make it out of here alive?"

Dib looked at the mess around them and held up his weapon with a smirk. "Nice try space boy, but there's no way you could destroy me with your base in this condition."

Zim followed the human's eyes and studied the damage around his base. He realized the boy was right. At this point, it may not even be able to repair itself, not without manual support at least. And with so much inoperable, he knew he was at a disadvantage.

Relaxing his posture, he let Dib go.

"Very well," he growled, eyes narrowing in contempt. "What is it that you want?"

Dib dusted himself off and tucked the cuffs back into his coat pocket.

"I want your help with the science project," he repeated, making sure the Irken was no longer a threat. "Then maybe I can return the favor and help you repair your base."

"Bwhahahahahahaha!"

Zim laughed maniacally before wiping a tear from his eye. "That's a good one! YOU? Help ME repair MY base? Why would I allow that?"

Dib shrugged. "Hey, I know this project doesn't mean much to YOU, but if my dad found out that I failed my science class, I wouldn't just be the laughing stock of the school, I would be an embarrassment to the whole world. I can handle being called crazy, but not stupid. I'll help you repair the base as long as you help me with the project. Deal?"

The Irken stared distrustfully at the hand projected out in front of him. He turned away in disgust.

"You think I would ever trust YOU, stink-beast?" he added, practically spitting the words. "What kind of fool do you take me for?"

Dib groaned. "Okay, so you don't have to trust me, but let's at least call a truce. No trying to kill each other until the science fair is dealt with. Okay?"

Zim didn't turn around, but only glanced halfway at the hand presented in front of him. A thought suddenly occurred.

If what his leaders said earlier was true, then he would be forced to reside on Earth, possibly for the rest of his life. He would need to find a way to gather supplies, maintain equipment, and work out a way to keep himself occupied while he came up with a new plan to destroy the humans. The Empire was no longer going to supply him with those resources, and he would have to come up with a new solution if he was still going to take over Earth.

Perhaps if he took the deal, he would be able to scavenge such things under the human's nose.

Perhaps if he infiltrated the enemy's defenses from the inside out, the Tallest would change their mind and let him back into the Empire.

It was worth a shot at least.

Reaching out to meet the Dib's hand in agreement, he shook it firmly.

"Fine," he muttered, not liking the contact. "Then let's agree to finish this as quickly as possible. The thought of helping you fills me with all kind of...sicky feelings."

Dib snorted. "Alright space boy, but don't think you can pull anything funny."


Meanwhile, back on the Massive:

A team of medical personnel rushed through the halls of the Massive. With them was a lone female Irken, unconscious and frail, but still barely breathing. She had been discovered roaming the vastness of space in a battered escape pod, toiled and alone with only a custom built SIR unit to accompany her.

They carried her over to one of the reactivation gurneys, eager to get her up to full strength. They wanted to question where she was from, but her PAK was in hibernation mode, most likely to conserve energy. After hooking her up to a recovery bed, they worked tediously around the clock, ensuring her PAK was repaired properly and ready to reactivate without suffering any major damage. They tended to her wounds and nursed her withered body back to health. Then, when they finally completed their task, they stood back and watched as the switch was triggered to reactivate her.

Head throbbing, she sat up slowly.

"Ugghh. Where am I?" she asked, looking around the room. She felt weak and sluggish, like one would encounter after a long night of drinking.

She glanced over at the medical specialists next to her. Standing next to them was a soldier. He stood attentively by her bed, eagerly waiting to give her orders.

"You are aboard the Massive," he replied, his voice concealed under his high collar. "A scout found the remains of your ship while passing by and you were brought to the medical bay to have your PAK repaired."

"The Massive?" Tak questioned, still trying to process everything. "Do the Tallest want to see me?"

The soldier nodded. "Affirmative," he answered, tapping his spear once of the ground. "You have been ordered to report to the bridge once PAK repairs are complete."

Tak didn't know why, but she felt her heart sink.

The Tallest? Here? On the Massive? What do they want with me?

She felt a subsequent ball of panic as she stood up, her legs wobbling as she tried putting pressure on them.

After her recent failure on Earth, she imagined her leaders wouldn't be entirely pleased with her. She wondered what they might do, or what they had planned in store for her for abandoning her post. They might send her back to Dirt, or worse, Moo-Ping 10. She'd heard stories about Irkens who defied their command. They were usually imprisoned for life or never heard from again. Some might even have been executed.

Dreading whatever punishment was coming her way, she hopped down from the cushioned platform.

"Very well. Lead the way," she complied.

The soldier nodded and carried his spear dictatorially. "Please follow me."


As commanded, she followed him up to the bridge where she waited patiently while he announced her presence.

"Janitorial servant drone Tak, as requested," he saluted, urging her forward with a small shove.

She stepped in front of him and watched in anticipation as the Tallest approached her.

"Ah, Tak." Red addressed her stiffly with his arms crossed behind his back. "You have come to us empty handed I see."

Ashamed, Tak tried to hide her indignity.

Sirs," she answered, masking the nervousness in her voice, "I apologize for my catastrophic failure back on Earth. I should have known better than to lose to the impediment known as Zim."

"I'll say!" Purple added, reaching into his bag of chips. "You really mucked the whole thing up! And the snacks. Don't even get me started on the snacks!"

Red held a hand out to silence his comrade.

"Despite your horrible failure," he stated, turning to face her, "we admit that your plan to take over Earth was rather...good. As it happens, we have a new proposition for you."

Tak felt her squiddely spooch stir as he continued.

"We recently broke the news to a former 'invader' that he would be forbidden from returning to any of our planets," Red added, pacing the floor. "To put it simply, we need your assistance in ensuring he NEVER returns."

"In other words, killing him," added Purple.

Red waved a hand to hush him.

"What he means is," he explained, taking a step forward, "we need someone to keep an eye on him. A REALLY close eye. Zim has been exiled to that distant planet you know as Earth and we would like you to make sure he stays there. Permanently. In return, if you DO manage to succeed on this mission, we will revoke your status as a service drone and you will be re-encoded as an invader."

Tak felt the bloodlust course through her veins.

Yes! This was it! The exact the opportunity she had been looking for!

Barely able to contain the excitement, she bent over for a bow.

"I am honored to receive such an assignment my Tallest," she responded, trying to sound as humble as possible. "I will carry out this mission with little delay."

Red nodded in approval and stepped back to let his co-leader to take the lead.

"You will find a new ship ready for you in the hangar," Purple explained, handing her a holographic information tablet. "It's a standard self destructive model, one designed to ensure your presence isn't detected upon arrival. You will need to gather any necessary equipment before exiting the ship. Once you leave, the countdown will be initiated and it will self destruct."

Tak studied the briefing before giving another solemn bow.

"Thank you my leaders," she said gratefully. "You will not regret putting your faith in me. But I do have just one more question."

They both looked at her puzzled.

"What's that?" asked Red.

Tak smirked.

"How soon can I leave?"


Author's note: So what do you guys think? I've been brainstorming this idea for quite a while now and I finally feel I have the basis for a pretty good story. I've been reading some other Zim stories that other authors have been re-writing and that inspired me to finally jolt down what's been rattling around in my head for quite some time. So thanks guys! Thanks for sticking around! Also, please don't forget to review! I always love me some good reviews! Till next time!