Skoodge: avatarjk137 does not own Invader Zim. He only owns Kloof, Reapir, and the Gamethrall.

avatar: damn, he's as fast at doing disclaimers as he is at Invading planets. If I knew more of his character, I'd have put him in the fanfic.

Skoodge: I try.

Chapter 8

From the Jaws of Defeat…

"GIR! Your repairs are almost complete!" Zim had replaced Gir's left eye, and was almost finished welding shut the large gashes in the crazy robot's back and legs.

"That's tooooo bad." Gir was channel surfing on two different TVs as he lay on the operating table, a remote in each hand.

"Kloof is so powerful, and his REAPIR Unit is following in his footsteps! His big, greasy footsteps!" Zim paused, unsure of what to do next. Dib controlled Reapir, Gaz had those… things that she could do, and Kloof was probably coming back to Earth sometime soon. Zim's power was still growing (he had since gained Powers #8 and #6: immunity to water, and superIrken agility and speed), but he was also still on the verge of death. He could simply keel over dead in the middle of a fight with Dib. "I have decided! As SOON as Gir is repaired, I will attack MEMBRANE LABS! MWahahahahahahhahaaah!"

"YAYYY! Monologue!" Gir squealed.

"Yes, Gir, a MONOLOGUE!" Zim raved triumphantly. "Attacking Membrane Labs will cause that FILTHY Dib-rear to counterattack, forcing him off of his home turf! In addition, I can take the best Earthian technology to CONQUER this hideous AAAUURRGGGHHH!" Zim twitched as another electric shock ravaged his small, green body. He slowly got up, moaning in pain. "Conquer… hideous… planet… even… faster. COME GIR! Uhhhh, COMPUTER!"

"What is it now?" the Computer asked, totally worn out with Zim's ridiculous requests.

"Where is Membrane Labs?"

"Coordinates 42-137-29."

"And where is Minimoose?"

"He's in the closet. He's scared of Gaz."

"UGGHHH! Who isn't! That MOOSEY little coward!" Zim fumed, pulling out the new Rational Cannon the Vortian prisoner scientists had so nicely sent him, and slinging it over his shoulder. He grabbed Gir, and tried to jump into his own shadow. It didn't work. "COMPUTER!"

"Leave me alone."

"Computer, why can I not jump into my own shadow?"

"Well, you aren't casting one," Computer informed him.

"WHAAAT? Why not?"

"You are currently giving off a faint light from every inch of your body. Thus, you cast no shadow of your own."

Zim looked at his gloves, his boots, his chest. It was true, he was faintly glowing. "Huh. That's weird. COME, Gir!" Zim dragged them into Gir's shadow instead. Outside, atop Zim's house, Reapir's head jolted up, and he dashed off for Dib's house.

Tak giggled with delight as she finished setting up her ship's targeting systems. What a day! I killed Kloof, that horrible TRAITOR, and even with the damage he did, I still finished the mirror rig to destroy Earth! She looked up, and wasn't surprised by several ships floating around hers. She had used her mental powers to kidnap two Planet Jacker crews and was using them as the labor to build and repair the extensive mirror network. They weren't hard at all to control; normally she could only control 5 people at once, but these guys were so thick-headed that she could handle 8 without so much as a minor headache. She could even maintain a mental link with Mimi.

Tak sighed, impressed with her own ability to multitask. The hard parts are over, she thought as she put on an air helmet and floated into her base hidden under the false moon. Now for a snack, then I'll ring up Zim so I can see his face as the planet falls apart around him. As Tak stepped thru the airlock and removed her helmet, she began to giggle again. The giggling progressed to mad, maniacal laughter, which went on for several minutes.

Suddenly, she stopped laughing and snapped into a crouch, as if listening for something. Odd, she wondered, I lost my link with Mimi. Maybe the Jackers are starting to resist. She walked into the break room, and opened the fridge. She jumped back and pointed into the fridge, her mouth frozen in a silent scream. Mimi's head sat atop a large silver platter in the middle of the top shelf, cherries artfully spaced around it on the plate. A small sprig of parsley was on top of the expressionless metal head. Tak slowly unfroze, and an expression of pure rancor crept across her face. "YOUUUU!" She turned around and pointed at Kloof, who had calmly been leaning by the water cooler, eating a candy bar.

"I've been in here since before you came in."

"WHAT DID YOU DO, TRAITOR! AND HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!"

Kloof tossed the wrapper for the candy bar into the wastebasket, and missed. "Damn." He turned to Tak. "Do you like what I did with Mimi? I got a 'perfect' in dramatic effect at INVADER Academy, too." He began to laugh like a mental patient again.

End of Chapter

Kloof finds his past at Invader Academy hilarious, for some reason. Anyhow, next chapter: conflict with Tak, and Gaz is being creepy.