Betrayal

Zim drummed his claws impatiently against the soft cushion of the armrest.

"How much longer is it going to be?" he muttered, glaring up at the giant dark screen in front of him. He slammed his fist down in frustration. "She should have arrived on Irk by now!"

The computer chimed in above.

"Sir, Tak only left two months and four days ago. Even if she did manage to make it to Irk, it is unlikely she would have contacted you so soon."

"Silence!" Zim shouted. "I don't pay you to contradict me!"

"You don't...pay me at all."

Frowning, the Irken pressed his back against the crescent-shaped seat. Whether he liked it or not, the computer was right. Even if Tak did manage to make it back to Irk, there was no way she could have contacted him by now, and given her current circumstances, it probably wouldn't be too safe for her to do so.

He let out a sigh and twisted his face into a solemn frown.

"Stupid Tak and her stupid smeet," he grumbled in defeat. Why must I be cursed to care so much?

He let his mind rewind back to the moment when they said their goodbyes, and the feeling of her last kiss filled his memory with pleasure. He closed his eyes and wondered if she missed him, or if she was thinking about him at all. It wasn't likely, probably because she had far more important matters to deal with. Still, it would be nice to know if she missed him.

Letting his imagination get the better of him, he thought back to the moment when he first found her working in his lab, back when she was still recovering from her their initial struggle in the rain. The memory played out clearly:

He entered the lab, his eyes narrowed.

She was standing in the center using HIS gadgets to carefully repair her PAK. He strode past her, pretending nothing was wrong. He continued straight on to where he kept his bizarre pig experiments. The beasts floated in large, cylindrical tanks, each one staring out aimlessly as if no thought crossed their minds.

He approached one of the containers and picked up a small, holographic notepad. After scanning the notes, he frowned. The results were inconclusive. Not only were the pigs not providing any useful connection to the humans' favorite pizza chain, Bloaty's, but he couldn't understand why the primitive stink beasts had chosen the ham specimen to represent their greasy, assortment of foodstuffs in the first place. Surely there had to be some sort of reason. Maybe it was because they used ham on pizza as toppings, or maybe it was because the greasy runoff fattened them up like pigs. Either way, he was going to have to reevaluate.

Scratching his head, he thought over the various possibilities. There was a brief moment when he recalled one of the snot-nosed children standing next to him in the skool lunch line and how the boy had overloaded his tray with an excess of tater tots. The other kid next to him commented on 'what a pig' he was and shoved him forward as if too impatient to wait on the lunch hour.

Zim shot up. "That must be it!" he exclaimed, feeling like he was finally on to something.

Confused, Tak glanced up from her work station. "What must be it?" she asked, annoyed.

Scowling back at her, Zim swung his head around. "None of your business!" he retorted, casting her a nasty glare. "I've just uncovered why the humans would choose a hog creature to represent their favored pizza establishment is all."

Tak crossed her arms patronizingly. "Why bother explaining it to me if it's none of my business?" she asked.

Stunned, Zim whipped his body around. "I-...you-..." he stuttered, trying to get the words out. "You don't just-"

Enjoying watching him trip over his words, Tak smirked. She always found it amusing whenever he struggled to explain himself. Deciding it would be rather fun to take advantage of the opportunity, she moved in closer.

Zim felt his pulse quicken as she approached. He stood paralyzed, watching her every move as she pretended to inspect the glass in front of him. She circled enticingly, causing him to hold his breath as he dared not move a muscle.

Swallowing hard, Zim continued to restrain himself as she got closer. He didn't understand why, but he had a sudden urge to reach out and touch her. His pulse was beating a million miles a minute, and her close proximity was making it impossible to ignore the temptation. He knew what she was trying to do to him, but he wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.

"So you're trying to figure out why humans use pigs as mascots?" she asked, bringing his mind back to focus. "What use is that?"

Zim snapped out of his daze and shook his head. "You dare question my genius?" he stiffened, raising an arm to explain. "This hog demon is obviously some form of warship to the humans and since they seem to love pizza so much, there must be some sort of connection to their primary food source."

"You think pizza is their primary food source?" Tak questioned with a disgruntled look. "You're joking right?"

"I do not joke Tak-beast," Zim replied proudly. "Such careful observation is critical of an invader. Not something I would expect YOU of all people to understand."

Insulted, Tak's smirk faded. "You're even not a real invader! At least I would be competent enough to know what planet I'm on before trying to destroy it!"

"You've destroyed nothing!" replied Zim, throwing his clipboard to the ground. "You couldn't even conquer Earth after years of planning!"

"That was because YOU got in the way AGAIN!" Tak stiffened her fists and took a few steps closer to him. "If it wasn't for you, and an INCONCEIVABLE amount of bad luck, I would have had this planet stuffed with snacks by now and you know it!"

"I cannot be so easily defeated!" Zim retorted, folding his arms across his chest. "Especially not by you, Tak."

"Don't be ridiculous! You only defeated me because you got lucky. I could take you on anytime, anywhere! Just name it!"

"Pfft. Unlikely since I have elite training and superior knowledge of Earth. I will always have the upper hand!"

"YOU'RE EXAMINING PIGS!"

"DO NOT QUESTION MY METHODS!"

Zim's smiled faded as the memory passed. Despite Tak's vengeful attitude, he really missed her. He could still picture her gleaming eyes boring into him, warning him not to push his luck. Those same eyes that promised an immanent death now only reminded him of the gaping loneliness he felt inside. He hated that she was gone, and he would have done just about anything to have her back.

Mind still wondering, he thought briefly about what life would have been like if she stayed, just the two of them living out their lives together as fugitives on Earth. If it hadn't been for the smeet, they likely would have lived like regular humans. He envisioned them spending time together in his labs, and working diligently side by side while installing some new upgrades or maintenance around the base. He pictured them lying next to each other on his roof at night, gazing up at the stars, wondering what the rest of their kind were up to.

The fantasy filled him with a pleasant warmth.

Getting lost in thought, another memory gradually eased into his mind:

He watched as she set up her stance in the center of the room, the digital scenery of an Irken dueling ring fazing in behind her. They were in his simulation chamber and had decided to spar to see who possessed the better skills in the fit of an argument.

Tak stared back at him confidently while he readied himself for an attack. She took off and moved swiftly, but he was able to clearly see her path. He blocked the first strike and then the second, but eventually she managed to land a few hits. The programming in the chamber absorbed most of the impact, leaving only the simulated feeling of the blow, but it still affected his pride.

He hadn't planned on letting her get in a single strike at all.

After a few more minutes, neither of them made much progress. They kept their distance from one another and it was only until after their frustration peaked that they drew closer. Tak eventually managed to wear him out enough to pin him to the ground. She held him in a choke hold, and Zim struggled to break free, but her technique was solid. The countdown started and a small wave of panic passed over him.

He hadn't foreseen a scenario in which he could lose.

In one last ditch effort, he looked back into her eyes, reaching his arm up to softly rest his hand on the back of her neck. She froze at the touch, not expecting such a gesture. It felt like he was about to caress her.

It was then that she realized her mistake.

Taking his chance to turn the tables, he had her pinned in seconds. He held her to the ground, trapping her in a chokehold of his own. The counter timed down to zero, and to her disappointment, the contest was over.

Releasing his grip, he allowed her to stand.

"You cheated," she spat between breaths.

Zim smiled crudely. "In a real battle, you must be prepared for anything," he retorted, referring to his specialized training. "I simply took advantage of my opponent's weakness. You would have been wise to do the same."

"Oh, is that so?" Tak added. Taking in a deep breath, she straightened her posture and began approaching him seductively. "Well then, maybe the battle isn't quite over yet. Don't you think?"

Zim felt his antennae twitch as she approached. She circled around him, creeping in closer with every step. The space between them began to grow smaller and smaller, and eventually he found himself staring at her face to face.

Forcing the thoughts from his mind, he squeezed his eyes shut. It was foolish to dwell on such memories. If he was going to survive, then he needed to forget her entirely. Daydreaming about their time together wasn't helping. Even if she did manage to survive on Irk, she would likely be imprisoned after her trial or left to rot on some other miserable, filthy planet. She was never going to return.

He needed to move on.

Invaders need no one.

He tried telling himself that, but he knew it was all a lie. He repeated the mantra over and over in his head, hoping for it to stick like it did back in the academy. But the more he tried process it, the more his mind fought to accept it. He didn't want to forget her, not after all they had experienced. And even though the memories plagued him, erasing her from his database would be an even more of a hassle. She was far too integrated with his psyche to dispose of at this point, and deleting her would mean deleting everything from the past year.

It would be far too cumbersome.

Invaders needed no one. So why was it so hard to let her go?

Suddenly the computer's voice chimed in from above. "Sir, incoming transmission from Tak's ship."

Zim nearly jumped out of his chair.

"Tak?!" he shouted, sitting upright. "Well what are you waiting for?! Put it through!"

The scratchy sound of dismantled audio filled the chamber, and to his great relief, Tak's voice managed to buzz through the speakers.

"Zim? Zim? Are you there?"

He practically pounced forward toward the screen.

"Tak? Tak! It's me. Zim! Are you alright? Have you made it back to Irk?!"

There was more static as the message struggled to come through.

"Crash landed...Earth. Need-"

There was a brief zap of static before the message cut out.

"Tak!? Tak? Tak!"

Zim pounded on the screen repeatedly, trying to get through.

"Computer! Reconnect me to her ship!"

"No connection available."

"NO CONNECTION?" Zim felt the sweat drip down his neck. "Then lock onto her last coordinates! Hurry!"

He waited impatiently as the computer did as it was told. After a few more beeps, it spoke up.

"Coordinates locked. But seriously Zim, there's no way Tak could have-"

"The local park?!" Zim's antennae perked up as he turned to run out out of the chamber. "She'll be discovered for sure!"

The computer words went unheeded as he dashed on toward the elevator.


Meanwhile, somewhere in deep space:

"I see. So that is your reasoning behind returning to Irk."

Tak's ship processed the wealth of information it had been given as it's master stared mindlessly out the main cabin window. Tak had spent most of the trip explaining how she had wound up at Zim's base, and with his smeet, and it hadn't exactly been a pleasant conversation. The ship hadn't taken it well and now she was dealing with the repercussions.

"Unfortunately it's the only other option I have," she explained, staring off in the distance. "If I don't return, the smeet could end up killing me from the inside out. I would prefer to avoid that if at all possible."

"You deserve it," the ship replied harshly, earning a nasty look. "Allowing that egotistical moron anywhere near you is equally disgusting as it is violating. How could you even think of doing that with someone like him?"

Tak frowned. "Look, I know the whole thing is hard to imagine, but I could do without all the insults."

"HARD TO IMAGINE?" The ship's interior glowed a barrage of colors. "It's impossible! The idea of it is revolting! How could you even allow yourself to be close to him? Him?! Out of all people?!"

"I never said I was proud of it," Tak explained, casting her gaze off with a frown. "But he did have some redeeming qualities too. Not that I'd expect you to listen."

"That's an understatement," the ship grumbled in disgust. "I would rather gouge my circuits out with a spigelfork."

"Look, can we just drop it?" sighed Tak, trying to ignore her embarrassment by looking away out the window. "There's nothing you can tell me that I don't already know and this conversation is only making me feel worse."

The ship's lights cooled to a calm blue. "Fine. Very well."

A calm silence fell between them, and for a long time the only thing that could be heard was the gradual hum of the engines.

Eventually the ship decided to continue the interrogation.

"Have you decided to dispose of it?" it asked curiously.

"If by IT, you mean the smeet, then no," spat Tak, a little insulted. "I have already considered the ramifications of destroying it, but have no intentions of doing so."

The ship seemed to catch on to her affronted undertone and switched to a calmer state.

"I see," it hummed, processing the information. "I understand where you're coming from Tak, but you have to remember, the smeet will still be half his. Are you sure you can stand another ZIM running around? Could you bare the thought of the destruction it could cause? And what about your career? Don't you still want to become an invader?"

Tak fell silent not knowing the correct answer. She had no idea what would happen with the smeet. Having Zim's DNA in the mix meant the child could be another fluke of insurmountable chaos, or even worse, a careless defective causing massive destruction. She would constantly be blamed for its upbringing, and her reputation would be forever shattered.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted , her voice dropping a bit lower. "I just want the whole thing to be overwith as soon as possible."

The ship glowed another series of colors as it continued. "Look, it may not be the best course of action," it said calmly, "but maybe you should consider outing Zim as a donor."

Tak's antennae perked up. "What? Are you insane? If they were to discover-"

The ship cut her off, "Listen, if you were to them that Zim was alive, then maybe they would spare you and imprison him instead. Or better yet, kill him. Wouldn't that just be the perfect way to extract your revenge? The icing on the cake for ruining both our lives?"

Tak felt her composure deflate. "You're the one who's after revenge. I just want to focus on what lies ahead."

The ship's interior switched to a suspicious orange. "Wait. Don't tell me you actually CARE about him?" it asked repulsively.

Tak fell silent and a light blush formed on her face.

The ship gasped.

"But he took away our future! He destroyed our lives!"

Tak ignored the protests and continued to stare out the window. The ship flashed various colors and let out it's sounds of frustration.

"Oh you have got to be joking," it answered, making obvious sounds of disapproval. "You're a former shell of the Irken who once built me you know. You should be ashamed of the person you've become."

Tak scowled in return. "Then maybe I should upgrade your personality interface so you cooperate better," she suggested.

The shipp's cabin returned neutral state. "No, please. Anything but that!"

"Then shut it and fly my to Irk!"

The ship did as it was told and fell deathly quiet. Some time later, Tak let out a mischievous smirk.

"You know, he wasn't as bad as you might think," she said with a playful undertone.

The ship made a series of gagging noises and they continued on their course.


When Irk finally came into view, Tak felt an overwhelming sense of admiration. She gazed out upon her home world, thoroughly impressed by the sheer power and sophistication her species possessed.

The planet itself was a massive pink and red swirl, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Irken ships, and around the large cities cruisers carried cargo to and from the main por. On the outer rims, smaller vessels zipped by here and there, carrying on with their daily routines. Not one of them payed the slightest attention to a rogue, lone Irken ship flying through the center.

Tak pressed a button on the console and established a connection with the main docking platform. Correspondingly, a soldier popped up on screen.

"Identify yourself," he commanded.

Tak did her best to try and straighten out her posture. "Irken service drone Tak," she responded, issuing a salute. "Requesting clearance to land at the main hatchling facility. I was informed I could be assisted with my condition."

"Your condition?" The soldier gave her a strange look. "Only authorized personnel are allowed near the hatchling facilities service drone. What business do you have in that sector?"

Tak felt her confidence shatter. "I uh...I'm carrying a smeet."

"A smeet?" The soldier's face suddenly morphed to confusion. He glanced around at the inside of her ship. "Where is it? I don't see it anywhere."

"It's um...inside me," Tak said awkwardly, looking away.

The soldier blinked a few times before reaching an arm up. "Hold on a moment."

Tak waited while an upbeat tune played throughout the loudspeakers as she was put on hold. Eventually the soldier popped back on screen.

"Irken service drone Tak. You are hereby ordered to land at the following coordinates. Upon exiting your ship, you will be escorted to the proper location and required to remain inside the hatchling facility until further notice. You are to venture nowhere outside of the approved zones unless instructed to do so and will follow commands promptly and effectively. Failure to comply with these terms will result in imprisonment and or death. Is that understood?"

Tak swallowed hard. "Yes sir."

The soldier nodded promptly. "Very well."

Suddenly the ship began to descend into the planet's atmosphere and Tak surrendered the controls as the auto pilot took over. It guided her to the correct location and she breathed in a sigh of relief in completing the first step in her plan.

Taking the opportunity to look out the window, she gazed at the vast skyline below. Her home world was beautiful, and as far as she could see, sophisticated buildings lined the horizon, dwarfed by even higher skyscrapers. She speculated in awe as the intricate foundation of the pre-planned grid grew larger and more detailed as she drew closer, and there were streams of Irken ships lining the cities, carefully zig-zagging in between buildings while guided by an intricate traffic lighting system.

It was far more impressive than she ever imagined.

As she cruised by the massive buildings, a strange sense of admiration washed over her. It only then she realized just how powerful their race actually was. They were THE presiding civilization, the dominate species ruling all others, and this planet, this centerpiece that controlled it all, was the seat that supplied that ever growing machine.

She stared out at the impressive landscape while another unsettling feeling began to overtake her. She suddenly felt misplaced, like she didn't belong there anymore. She knew she was as Irken as anyone else, but she was an outcast now, an outlaw. She would no longer be accepted as one of them, and any hope of integrating into the life she once had was almost certainly an impossibility.

Her ship continued to venture far outside the city and on to a secluded area where it descended to a massive underground complex. Out of the building's center stuck a large, metallic, cylindrical-like spire, surrounded by what looked like the shape of a giant radar dish. Tak thought it kind of reminded her of a giant flower found back on Earth. Perfectly suiting for a hatchery facility.

She looked around at the sides of the building and took in the surrounding details. Encompassing the perimeter were dozens of massive metal tubes, each one digging straight into the ground. She figured they were used to draw up power from the planet's heated core. The facility itself was heavily guarded, and the only way of entering was through a small, ring-like platform that hovered several miles above the entrance.

The ship parked itself on the platform and Tak stepped out along with her trusted SIR unit. She was greeted by two large soldiers, both of whom were carrying electrically charged spears. One of them held up a bio-scanner and took note of her name and information.

"Irken service drone Tak. Sector five, dash C."

She held her breath as they scanned her file. Once the scanning was complete, the soldiers proceeded to handcuff her and urged her onward.

Wearing pitted frowns, they guided her toward the elevator. Their grip was strong, and she did as they commanded, but they seemed to have a general irritation about them, like it was the end of their shift after a long day of work. She decided it was best not to agitate them.

The elevator descended at a rapid pace and brought them down to the interior of the facility. Once inside, it came to a stop, and the soldiers stepped off the platform. They shoved her through a long entryway and into a large chamber where nurses and other medical personnel hurryingly strode about. Each one of them carrying a holographic panel of while studying it profusely, and they walked at a brisk pace, as if the outside world was of little concern to them.

Tak glanced around the room in amazement. The facility was far more advanced than she realized. She had expected the scene to be more chaotic, like the time she was rushed to the emergency ward after a severe incident during training. This was tame by comparison, and there wasn't even any yelling as she urged on down the halls.

Eventually they entered the interior part of the sector and the soldiers dumped her off in the middle of a dimly-lit, magenta colored room. They shoved her down to her knees and grappled her wrists to deactivate her handcuffs. Once they were done, they left almost as abruptly as they entered.

Massaging the area where her cuffs had rubbed in, Tak stood up and glanced around the room. She recognized it immediately as some sort of incubation chamber, one specialized in holding specimens that couldn't survive on their own. Lining the walls were thousands of glowing abiotic sacs, each one containing an Irken smeet smaller than average size. They looked to be in a dormant state, and glowed warmly as their chambers supplied them with nutrients necessary for survival.

She took a step forward, curious to see them up close.

They were so fragile and underdeveloped, far weaker than anything she had ever seen before. She was about to reach out and touch one of them when a booming, feminine voice chimed in above her.

"My, my, my. It's been a while since I've last seen you here my dear."

Tak whirled around, posing ready to strike. She had anticipated some sort of battle, but to her surprise, there was nothing but a large control brain suspended high in the air.

"Who are you?" she asked, feeling uneasy . "What is this place? Why was I brought her?"

"I suppose it's only natural for you to question your whereabouts my dear," the control brain replied, answering in a warm grandmotherly tone. It's colors glowed a rich magenta hue as it spoke. "You were such a small, fragile thing the last time you were here."

Tak cocked her head. "The last time I was here?" She looked around the room, trying to make sense of it all. "You mean, I was brought here before?"

"Why of course! This is where all natural smeets are born my dear, or after they've been delivered here on Irk."

Tak glanced around the room in confusion. "I don't understand," she stated, looking up at the brain. "If what you're saying is true, then that means...I was raised here? By you?"

"No. Not exactly."

The control brain changed to a cooler shade of blue and carried an accent very similar to her own.

"You see, newborn smeets are not in the same as those who are tank bred. Unlike smeets that are grown in the facility, you, along with many others, had to be kept in a special incubator and cared for until you were grown enough to enter training."

"But why go through all the trouble?" asked Tak, trying to process what she was hearing. "Why bother keeping us alive at all? Aren't natural borns considered weaker and more worthless than the others?"

The control brain let out a hearty laugh. "Oh no, on the contrary my dear. Natural borns are a very special rarity. They must be cared for and nurtured, just the same as any other Irken smeet."

Tak paused and took a moment to look around. "But that doesn't make any sense." She desperately tried to understand the situation. "What purpose do we have for existing? If we were so speical, why did everyone else treat us so poorly?"

The control brain glowed again. "Naturally conceived Irkens are more genetically diverse and gifted with stronger immune systems than those who are tank bred my dear," it replied warmly. "They tend to possess hidden talents and are usually far healthier than those grown in the facility. Other Irkens are ruthlessly competitive and will do just about anything to get ahead. Are you surprised they tried to cutting you down before you could outperform them?"

Tak fell silent, processing the information. If what the control brain said was true, it would explain the talents she possessed that her fellow trainees simply did not. During training, she had been far quicker on the uptake, quicker with her reflexes, and even got sick less often. It only made sense that they would try to cut her down before she could outdo them.

"And what of my donors?" she asked, hoping to find out an answer. "Is there any record of them?"

"If they didn't leave anything behind, then there wouldn't be anything left to follow up on," answered the brain indifferently. "Most donors choose to leave their young here and return to to their lives in the Empire. It's the most logical choice."

Tak bowed her head in disappointment. She would have liked to find out who her own biological parents were, but she knew she was pressing her luck as it is.

"So what happens now?" she asked, ignoring the overbearing, nagging thoughts in the back of her mind.

The control brain continued. "The medical staff are preparing your surgery as we speak. When the time is right, they will move you to the next room. But for now, you will be granted access to a private chamber to relax."

"Relax?" Tak fidgeted uncomfortably. "How am I supposed to relax?"

She wasn't given an answer. Instead, she looked around and rubbed the side of her arm for comfort. "And this procedure," she asked, fidgeting nervously. "Is it painful?"

"You talk like you have a choice in the matter my dear."

Tak's expression faltered and she looked down at her belly. She wondered what would become of her smeet once it was removed. And what of her own life? Would she be discarded like an empty vessel after it was born?

"What will happen to me once it's removed?" she asked directly, hoping to receive a positive answer.

"The smeet will be placed in an incubation chamber, much like these here. You, however, will be transported to Judgementia where you will be expected to stand trail. After the verdict, you will be allowed one last opportunity to see the child before reporting for duty."

One last opportunity? Tak felt her heart sink. Did that mean they still planned on deactivating her? Or perhaps they were going to dispose of her another way, after she was found guilty at the trial?

Her mind begin to race at the possibilities.

"Do not worry my dear," the brain said, detecting her insecurities. "You are far more valuable to Empire alive than dead. My colleagues will grant you a merciful verdict."

Tak tried to force a smile, but she did not feel reassured. At the very least, they would send her back to Dirt, and then what? Would they allow her to retake the test? And what would happen to the smeet while she was gone? Would she ever get the chance to see it again?

She shook her head, forcing away the thoughts.

No. I can't lose focus now. One problem at a time.

Snapping back to reality, she watched as the nursing staff entered and enclosed the space around her. They approached like worker ants, each ready to take and lead her to her new quarters. She went with them as cooperatively as she could and followed them through the corridor where she found a resting place prepared for her.

She forced down a nervous gulp as they led her to her awaited fate.


Meanwhile, back on Earth

Zim landed the Voot just outside the park and scrambled out. After activating the ship's cloaking device, he rushed to scan the area.

Where is she? She must be here!

Off in the distance he noticed a group of bystanders surrounding something interesting. They seemed to be staring with intense curiosity.

He felt his panic rise.

"Outta the way! Move it!" Shoving aside as many of the smelly humans as he could, he made his way to the center and immediately dove into the massive pile of dirt. He began clawing his way through the pile of rubble, hoping for any sign or indication that she was alive.

"Tak? Tak?!"

There was a collection of murmurs as the people around him watched him dig. Some commented on his strange outfit. Others wondered what he was up to. And some just flat out lost interest and left.

Ignoring the bystanders, Zim did his best to keep on digging. He did find it strange that there were no ruminants of her ship or any artifacts from an Irken craft laying about, but he was too determined to find her to care. If there was even the slightest chance she was in trouble, he was not going to risk losing her a second time.

Eventually, he cleared enough of the dirt away to notice a small, spherical device wedged in the very center. It was roughly the size of a tennis ball and donned a shiny, metallic surface.

"Wait a minute," he muttered, picking it up to examine it. "This is no distress signal. It's a-"

Too late.

Before he could react, a series of metal restraints sprang out from the device. They latched onto his arms and legs and restrained him like a net capturing a wild animal.

He struggled a bit to escape before collapsing to the ground. Unable to move, he soon found himself completely at the mercy of the onlookers.

"What is this?!" he grumbled, twisting every which way. "Who is responsible this? For disabling Zim?!"

For a moment, he thought that maybe Tak had betrayed him, that perhaps she had made one last ditch effort to take him prisoner. But before his mental state could devolve into that line of thought, the infamous Dib stepped forward from the crowd.

"Ha! Take that Zim!" the boy shouted, towering over the Irken. "You should know by now ot not underestimate the capabilities of us humans."

Zim narrowed his eyes in disgust. "Dib. I should have known. You horrible stink beast. What have you done with Tak?!"

"Tak?" the boy looked back at him in confusion. "I don't know where Tak is, but I did manage to combine her audio files from her ship to create a fake message with my computer. Pretty stupid of you to fall for it Zim. It must have been the oldest trick in the book!"

The boy stepped closer while Zim stared at him venomously.

"Man, I never dreamed it would work THIS well though," he continued, admiring his catch. "I should have tired this MONTHS ago. It would have been so easy!"

Zim struggled a bit more to escape his binds. "Like I would ever fall for such a mediocre trick such as that human," he spat, still wiggling to escape. "I am going to get out of here and when I do, I will carve your insides out and feed them to my robot."

"What are you talking about Zim?" Dib questioned, looking down at his enemy. "You're already caught right now! How could you possibly fall for it any more than this?"

"No device can hold me prisoner," Zim replied, confidently struggling a bit more against the restraints. He tried to bust out his spider legs, but when he was unable to break free, he looked back in embarrassment.

"Um, this seems a bit more...complicated than I imagined."

Dib smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's right Zim. I've caught you fair and square. And you know what else? I know it was YOU who stole Tak's ship!"

Zim scowled at the boy. "Insolent fool! That ship was never yours to begin with!"

"Was too! I was the one who found it!"

"Just because you found something doesn't mean it belongs to you, you stupid human!" Zim shouted back impetuously. He continued to struggle against his bindings in an effort to break free.

Dib snorted in return. "Like you're one to talk Zim! You came to Earth with every means to conquer it. How is that any different than what I've done with the ship?"

"That's an entirely different matter stink beast!" Zim shouted, continuing to battle against his restraints. When he realized there really was no hope of escape, his tone grew more serious.

"Let me go Dib-worm. I've already told you, I no longer have any desire to bring destruction to your world."

The boy frowned and shook his head. "Sorry Zim, but you're not getting away that easily. I told you I was going to capture you and now that I've finally got you, the world is going to see I was right all along!"

He stepped forward, straddling the Irken as he pulled out the old pair of handcuffs.

Zim's eyes went wide.

"Unhand me you filthy stink-beast!" he shouted, desperately trying to get away. "Don't you dare take one step closer! Or you'll suffer the wrath of Zim!"

Ignoring the protests, Dib continued his approach.

Zim began to panic.

"Alright Dib. You win," he muttered, changing up his tactic. "Unhand me now and we can call this whole thing even."

The human gave him a wrinkled, disgusted look and pinning the extraterrestrial to the ground. He grabbed Zim's arms and wrists and struggled to get the cuffs around them as the Irken trashed about vigorously, making it as difficult as possible. Eventually the boy won the battle, and Zim could feel the cold steel clamp down around his bony wrists.

Dib stepped back and breathed heavily. I did it! I finally did it!

Panting, he stood up to admire his work.

"Hey everyone! Come see a real live alien! Right here! Right now! Right before your very eyes!"

The group of onlookers gathered curiously and eyed the spectacle.

"That ain't no alien!" yelled a middle aged man.

"Yeah! Where's the antennae?" shouted another woman.

Dib held a finger up. "He may not look like one with this disguise, but if I were to remove...THESE!"

Zim felt his body jolt as Dib ripped away his wig and contacts.

The audience let out a unanimous gasp.

"I...I can't believe it! A real live alien!"

"He's right! The boy was telling the truth!"

The audience erupted into a capering murmur, and Dib felt a rush of excitement as they took in the sight. "Yes! This is what I've been saying all along! This is what I've been trying to tell you!"

The bystanders continued murmuring amongst themselves and while the commotion erupted, Zim felt his mind slowly drifting in and out of consciousness. He tried to hold on as best he could, but he knew it was a loosing battle. His vision was already starting to fail him, and his strength was being sucked dry, like a giant, powerful leach draining all the bloody from his system.

The last thing he remembered was being shoved face first into the ground before completely blanking out.


Hours later

Zim awoke in a cold sweat. He sat up and looked around the room, realizing the grim circumstances in which he found himself.

He was no longer in the sun-lit quarters of the park, but imprisoned in the walls of a dark, confined lab.

"What is this?" his voice echoed against the cold, barren walls. "Where am I?"

He held his head up in an attempt to collect his bearings, but from what it looked like, the humans had imprisoned him in some sort of indestructible cube. It was transparent and surrounded by various observation decks, designed to be examined or watched from all angles. He stood up and stepped forward for a closer inspection.

It seemed to be made of glass, but after a closer look, he could tell that the material was fused with some sort of hardened polymer. It was meant to be unbreakable.

Just like a prison cell.

"This is the Swollen Eyeball, Irken scum," Dib announced, emerging from the darkness.

The Irken wheeled around to see his long time rival staring right back at him.

"Dib," he spat, his voice deeper than even before. "So this was all your doing. I suppose you must be quite pleased with yourself."

The boy wore an arrogant smirk and took a moment to properly examine the container.

"I guess you could say that," he sneered, dropping his gaze back to the Irken. "I did manage to catch YOU after all."

Zim took a moment to look around the room and noticed there were various tools lying around and positioned in a way to easily get a hold of if he got out of hand. They didn't look friendly and appeared to be designed to bring him a lot of pain.

He glanced down at his chest, noticing his PAK had been sealed with a bold metal latch. It wrapped around his body entirely, engulfing his midsection. He pulled on the latch, hoping to pry it free, but without any success, he quickly gave up.

"There's no use trying to escape Zim," Dib added, stepping forward. "I made sure the members of the Eyeball knew every way to keep you contained. Looks like all those years of study finally paid off huh?"

Zim's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Dib-stink?" he asked directly, uttering the words with a hint of venom.

Dib ignored the question and continued to stare back at his rival.

"I told you Zim," he explained with a cocky tone, "I'm going to expose you for what you are, and this time the entire world will see. The Swollen Eyeball is about to go live with your broadcast and soon everyone will know just who, and WHAT you are! They'll know about your plans to conquer Earth, and that I was the one who stopped you."

Zim's eyes narrowed. "I already told you Dib stink, I have no plans to conquer Earth."

"And you expect me to believe that?" Dib asked skeptically.

Zim fell silent for a moment. "Yes," he answered, lowering his voice.

Dib stared straight into his enemy's eyes, searching for any sign or inkling of trickery. He was curious. There was no sign of animosity, but it wasn't like Zim to be so civil. And it certainly wasn't like him to shut up so quickly. Obviously he had some kind of plan in mind, some way to trick him into letting him go.

"And what of Tak's ship," Dib questioned, continuing the interrogation. "That was just coincidence too huh?"

"What I speak is the truth Dib-human!" Zim shouted desperately. "It is true I reunited Tak with her ship, but I only did so so she could return to Irk! She was in great peril and would have died without my assistance!"

"Died?" Dib paused, his face scrunching up in disbelief. "Yeah right Zim. How stupid do you think I am? You really think I'm going to fall for that sorry excuse?"

"It is the truth Dib-worm!" Zim repeated, staring straight into him. "Not that I would expect you to believe it with yoru filthy mind. All you dirty Earth creatures ever think about is your stupid TV and stupid hot hogs with your POINTY HAIR!"

"I don't even like hot dogs," stated Dib bluntly.

Zim threw up his hands. "You can't even begin to comprehend the significance behind the matter at hand Dib-stink! What I did for Tak was for her own good, and that's all you need to know. Besides, I must get back to my base before Gir destroys my precious work station!"

Dib crossed his arms skeptically. "You think I'm really going to fall for that made up sob story Zim? Come on. How stupid do you think I am?"

"If you're that upset about a ship Dib-worm, I can assure you I can get you another," Zim enticed, staring at the boy coldly. "All I need is for you to-"

"No." Dib held his arms at his sides. "Forget it Zim! You can lie to me all you want, but I'm not going to fall for it this time! I'm done dealing with your tricks!"

"There are no tricks, Dib-beast! Only the help of Zim! Tak's life was in danger and I-"

"Tak would never ask for help from you."

The Irken shup up immediately and Dib realized that he must have struck a chord. There was a long pause before the Irken responded.

"Fine then," he said, his voice dropping sullenly. "I suppose there's no convincing you."

He turned his back to the boy and made his way to the other side of the chamber where he rested his shoulders against the wall. He pressed his back firmly to the edge before sliding to the floor. "Go about and do as you wish human. I simply don't care anymore."

Dib watched as the Irken slumped in defeat. Was it possible that Zim was telling the truth? Had he really given Tak her ship in an effort to save her life?

Dib shook his head. His mind was playing tricks on him. Zim was just trying his best to weasel his way out of things, just like he always did. He was not about to let the Irken slip away one more time.

"Listen Zim," he shouted, stepping forward, "I've been waiting my entire life for this moment, and I'm not about to let you screw it up. I've wanted to prove to the world I've been right all along! I'm sick of everyone treating me like I'm crazy. Sick of hearing them say that I'm insane. All the news stations on TV want to interview me and people are asking questions about how I did it. Even my dad is paying closer attention. Everyone is finally seeing me for who I am and on top of that, I will no longer have to deal with the likes of YOU."

The Irken held his glare while the human pointed a small, grubby finger at him.

"The autopsy is in a week. See you then, space jerk."

Zim watched as Dib backed away from the container and turned to take his leave. The Irken's eyes followed coldly as the boy strode off into the darkness.


Author's Note: Whew! That was a lot of story to cover! I tired my best to make Irk as believable as possible without providing too much detail on what the planet looks like as a whole. I feel like the series never really got a chance to fully explore the Irken home world and it's a real shame as I'm sure a lot of fans would have really liked to see what it looked like. There's still more to come, but I can't promise how quickly I'll update since this is such a critical turning point in the story. Wouldn't want to take a wrong turn somewhere and flush all of my hard work down the drain! As always, let me know your thoughts! Till next time!