Announcements shall be at the end of the chapter... enjoy...

Chapter 17: PREPARE TO DIE!!!

Caline gathered herself to her feet, taking a deep breath and looking over to Zim, standing there. Looking so hurt, so betrayed. Caline's antennas fell to the back of her head, taking a step forward and opened her mouth to say something but Zim's eyes pierced through her so sharply she found it hard to do so. Forgetting about what she was going to do, her mouth closed and her foot reached the ground instead of reaching forward for that step Caline wanted to take so badly.

"You lied..." Caline heard a voice breathe. She snapped her sight to focus on Zim, and he just stood there, staring at her. His read eyes so sharply seen, squinting right at her. "Zim I'm sorry!"

"Why did you do it?"

"She has something lodged in my head, it makes me do as she says..."

"What an excuse!" Zim grunted and turned around.

"But it's true!"

His head lowered, why was she doing this to him. Out of rage, he jumped in the air and twirled around facing Caline, his mechanical legs shot out and caught him when he landed. The mechanical legs did as commanded, and they put him in a position to where his face was even with her's. Caline gripped herself and stood her ground, showing no sign of fear although she wanted to. She was a bit scared, seeing though that it was obvious he was a good match. Out of all the things Zim has been through, paying Caline back shouldn't be nearly as hard as it were to Dib. Caline sighed, taking her eyes off Zim to grab a moment on to what happened to Salem. Since Dib's part in the mission failed, he just went home with a wolfhound at his feet. Caline missed Salem. Zim, on the other hand, found no mercy for Caline what so ever... As soon as her eyes trailed off, one of the legs mounted to his back whipped up and made a painful strike to her stomach. Caline yelped and flew back into the wall, her vision just a small blur for a short moment. Regaining consciousness, Caline stood up and dodged the next whip. Zim had never been so angry and right before her too. Usually it was Gir whom had caused Zim's tantrums, but Zim would rather Gir be safe at home right now... but he wasn't. A block of wood flew up by Caline, a sleeping dog rose it's head. Zim stopped the lashes of anger whipping at Caline to give Gir a glance. But then, as Caline ran to the opposite side of Gir, she jumped and dived under a large piece of metal. The reason she did that was because she cared for Gir as well. And she didn't want him hurt... Zim growled at Caline's attempt to run, but she didn't want to hurt Zim. Even though his rage forced him to hurt her. Zim whipped the metal across the dome and pointed a lazer at Caline's head, the high pitched charging sound strengthening. Caline gasped and leaped out of reach of the lazer, basically out of its way. Zim blasted it, barely hitting, close calls right at Caline as she ran around dodging the blasts.

"ZIM STOP! I know you're mad and hurt but-" a blast had cut her off and she flew across the room, a direct hit.

"But what..." Zim growled as he shot at her again. But on that blast he purposely missed and hit the wall right next to her head. Caline had a big gash where she was hit, heaving for breath and holding the gash she looked up at him. "But I know... I know how you feel... I know how hurt you are, how betrayed."

"YOU LIE!" Zim said throwing another blast. Caline tripped at the shake that blast made to the dome. Caline had enough. He wouldn't budge if she said it to him. Her anger grew, so largely grew. Why couldn't she convince him? Why won't he listen? She WAS sorry. Caline got tired. Tired of running. Now hiding under a huge pile of junk, Zim held his gun at the ready to shoot. But a little sound made him stop. A small little crunching sound that didn't end. Slowly walking towards the pile, Zim was thrown back by a huge blast that came from the pile. As all the junk flew everywhere, Caline leaped out and twirled in the air, landing with one hand on the ground, and one knee barely touching. Her mechanical legs spread out and she back flipped from the ground, her mechanical legs catching and helping her land. As Caline stood, her black eyes locked on Zim's, that purple shine brightening. Zim gathered himself up, looking at her. He felt her anger, and she felt his. They were pinned into this fight. Caline growled, her legs lowering she leaped into a charge on her own two legs and ran as fast as she could. Then, when she reached Zim who was preparing himself for the hit, she jump kicked him in the squeedly spooch and her mechanical legs reached up and flung her to the wall, where she jumped off that and landed on one hand, her head raised and looking at Zim who was knocked to the wall, looking back at her with that one look that always made her slow down. His eyes wide, he looked at her. That grace she had when flinging around. It wasn't bad... Zim's eyes suddenly shunned that surprised look and his eyes narrowed with a smile as his mechanical legs came from camouflage to reveal themselves wrapped around Caline's feet. Caline gasped as she was gripped, and pulled from the ground hanging upside down. Struggling and kicking, she frantically moved to try and free herself, but they were rapped so tightly. Zim laughed a small chuckle as he watched her struggle.

"You will answer my questions, why were you in my lab two months ago, and how did I know it then but not now..."

"You don't remember do you..." Caline murmured as she stopped struggling at the thought of his question.

"Hm?"

"That's right... Monique gave you the mind wipe..." Caline murmured again. Zim looked at her, the arms lowering, but then he stopped.

"I wouldn't have fell for something so easily... as her tricks for the likings of her. You probably made that up! You're not such a good liar now that I know most of your resources." Zim said as he threw Caline to a wall. Caline didn't have time to catch herself, she hit the wall hard and fell to the ground. As Zim just stared at her, her side heaving up and down as her lungs desperately heaved in and out for breath, he just stared at her. "How pathetic..." he said, still staring down at her.

Still... she seems to be out of shape to finish the fight. I hope I didn't hurt her enough to KILL her... wait, what am I saying?! She needs to die, she's nothing but a weapon to destroy the tallest!

"CALINE, PREPARE TO DIE!!!"

Caline's eyes opened when she found Zim, holding one of the sharp legs over her body to slam it down into her insides and kill her. With that realization, her legs flew up and wrapped around Zim tightly like a python. Lifting him off the ground, she stood up and walked towards him, but the arms staying in place so when she walked he would be moving with her. Zim struggled and kicked, one of Caline's mechanical legs wrapped tightly around his so he could jab her while she spoke.

"Your victory won't be so easily achieved, Zim..." she said as she dropped him to the ground. Her legs retracting and lying there limp on the ground she stood.

"Even though you don't remember, we HAVE met before..." she continued with her small story, "But then again I might as well not finish... you don't seem to be interested in the truth!" Caline's arms flew up and grabbed the ceiling, pulling her up and holding her there. Zim did the same as they both hung at an even hight. "I'm interested in the truth! You just can't tell it..." Zim said, as he flung himself forward and tackled Caline from her spot on the ceiling. Caline's back hit the wall with a hard thud as did the back of her head. But it didn't damage the chip... the chips flashed in her pack and her head, stopping Zim in his tracks to wonder why there was a flash in her pack and between her eyes. Caline's eyes widened as the chips flash started to fade, then suddenly stopped. Her body pulsed, Zim heard the pulse and her body seemed to vibrate each pulse as it goes by. Th-thump... th-thump... Zim's eyes widened as he watched hers. The outline of her eyes grew green and, as if it were water leaking into her eyes, turned them green as well. Zim took a step back as her eyes began to look around, then caught sight of him and narrowed. Locking him in range. Zim's antennas fell back, knowing this wasn't good. Caline wouldn't hold back as much now... now that the chips were triggered to Dib's command. They skipped the rule of three days... they skipped the part where they were on the massive... the chips went strait to 'the next time he's in sight, he's dead'. Zim could hear Renlia's laugh. That's when he knew... he knew this was her doing. He did this to Caline. But Zim wouldn't stop now. He had to survive the spell of Caline's wrath in order to get to Renlia. And right now... Zim didn't care what he did to her, as long as she was dead. She had betrayed him, and that's what Zim knew for his reason to fight her. Caline charged him, her mechanical legs shot out and began running for her, so she could gain speed. Zim jumped out of her way, but Caline grabbed his foot as the legs skid and she fell, dragging him with her. When she was on the ground she flung him into the wall and stopped the skidding by standing up on her own legs. Zim hit the wall, but it didn't hurt him much for now. Right after impact on the wall he jumped up and hung onto the ceiling like a few minutes ago. He had to move fast. And so did she. Caline was still Caline... just forced to kill him. As they jumped, glided, and skit around the room, Caline chasing Zim around, he began to grow weary. This could last a while... Zim began to realize. And with that he suddenly stopped, Caline tackled him from behind and they began exchanging hits, bites, scratches and blasts. Caline's mechanical legs wrapped around Zim, just like before. Zim's head lagged a bit as he tried to regain his breath. Caline stood, heaving for breath as well, but her head held high.

"Look hard, Zim. I know you can remember. LOOK! Back in the lab, when Monique had asked you to go to the circus. Back when you and I were like best friends. Look!"

But what they both didn't know, was that Gir was watching this whole time. From when his little head arose, he had been hiding behind a small pile of wood.

"I remember..." Gir squeaked, gaining their attention.

"I think..." he said, turning to his side and raising one of his little stubby arms to the tongue of his costume. "All I remember is... is that Caline took me to get... TACOS!"

Caline looked at Gir, he's been so scared of the fight he can't be as stupid as he use to. Gir didn't want Zim to die. Neither did he want Caline to go... Zim didn't know this, and while Caline wasn't looking, one of his mechanical legs broke free of her grip and shot right through her. Gir winced and covered his eyes, Caline looked down at what has been done. Zim smiled narrowing his eyes. Out the other end of her body the large mechanical arm wiggled teasingly. But Zim looked into her eyes, watching them grow back to black and purple, it all came back to him... It was all right there before him. The past flashed before his eyes from the moment he met Caline on that stupid planet. If he never went there, this never would have happened. Realizing what he had done, seeing that she didn't mean to betray him like this when he remember Monique's explanation on what was going on... he retracted the leg back into his pak in the blink of an eye. Caline smiled and then fell over, as did her legs setting Zim free. Zim fell to the ground, looking at Caline, how she lie there in a pitiful position, taking her final breaths.

"Well done Zim..." Renlia said as a side of the dome opened. Two Meekrobians ran in and picked Caline up, shoving a device in her mouth to keep her breathing.

"You've done something I thought you wouldn't do... But then again you had help..." Renlia turned to Gir who sat there staring back at her. "Take that thing to the dungeons... I'll find a better use for it later." she commanded and looked over at Zim. "You on the other hand, will be put through a training test. Once so great on this planet that you'll have to die... to live." she smiled.

"What?"

That made no sense to Zim what so ever. But Once said he just stood there. "The dome will be locked as soon as we walk out. I'll be back later to put you to the test. Toodles." was what her voice said before it trailed off and the door slammed shut. They had taken Caline... Gir... and now Zim was all alone. What had he done? Why had he done that?! Zim stood up and screamed out of anger, throwing his fists to the walls and kicking the ground. Gir's going to die... Caline's going to die... The one's who stood by his side, the only ones who stood by his side are going to DIE. Falling on his knees, Zim looked at the floor. His eyes filled with tears as hit the floor with his fist one last time...

I'm sorry to say, but this is the LAST chapter for this story. Not to get all upset though, there IS a sequel, so don't be afraid. I think I'll call it Barbed Wires. And once you read it, you'll find out why.

Ta, ta for now!