A/N: Sorry this chapter took me a bit longer than the previous ones, but I was having a major case of writer's block. However, I've finally been able to work through it.

Also, thank you to everyone who has reviewed and read this story so far. Your interest means so much to me, and it motivates me to write more each time. Thank you!

Suddenly, a strange bird whooshed down out of the air, landing on Dib's shoulder. Her feathers were a pastel pink, and her eyes were a deep, rich green. Her eyes also resembled Zim's in their unnatural manner of lacking pupils or irises and, instead, being one solid color. She had a rather large head and quite a small body—with such tiny wings that Dib began to wonder how she managed to fly properly. The bird's beak and feet were a pale shade of green, and to top it all off, a peculiar looking appendage protruded from the top if her head.

"Spoofy!" Rin called out affectionately, immediately rushing to Dib's side to pet the creature's head.

It had only been a few days since Rin's crash landing on Dib's lawn, but they were quickly starting to become friends. She talked to him every once in a while during recess, and he'd already filled her in on his suspicions about Zim. He was happy—but not overly shocked—to learn that Rin had felt the same way, confirming that Zim was definitely an Irken; apparently, his scent was unmistakable, as well as many of his mannerisms and, of course, his appearance. It was comforting to finally find someone who saw through Zim's crummy disguise, even though she still declined from Dib's offer of becoming his partner.

Apparently, she was afraid that conspiring against Zim would make him pay far too much attention to her—and eventually figure out that she wasn't exactly human. The last person she wanted informed about her "unearthly" origins was Zim, which, while being completely understandable, was quite annoying. Dib had finally found someone who believed him, and they didn't want to help. He couldn't exactly tell Rin that Zim wouldn't harm her, either, because that was a blatant lie; if Zim didn't mind destroying a race that never did anything to him, he would have no problem hurting an enemy.

Dib just wished there was some way to convince her that she could fight Zim without becoming exposed. He couldn't tell her there wasn't a risk, but there was also no guarantee Zim would ever find out anything. The only thing he could do was keep trying, hoping that she'll eventually give in and say yes.

The bird on his shoulder began to nuzzle up against his ear, drawing him back into the present almost immediately. "I'm guessing you know what this thing is?" Dib asked Rin as he tried shaking the animal off.

The bird jumped from Dib's arm and settled down in the middle of Rin's cupped hands. She stared up at Rin with her large green eyes in wonder, looking more adorable than words.

"Her name is Spoofy," Rin explained as she tried to keep her voice low, just in case anyone—namely Zim—happened to be eavesdropping. "She's the Anadolian equivalent of a bird."

"What's that thing poking out of her head?" Dib wondered, stepping closer to Spoofy and craning his neck to get a better view.

"It detects the vibrations let off by sound waves, as well as any other type of movement in the air. However, it can also serve as a weapon of defense—meepies generate electricity naturally and can concentrate the current into the tip of their antennae," Rin replied casually, continuing to stroke her pet's head.

"They're called 'meepies'?" He tilted his head to the side. "That's kind of . . . weird."

"Actually, it's a reference to the sound they make; Earth birds chirp, while Anadolian birds . . . well, they 'meep.'"

Dib stood there staring at Spoofy for another moment, trying to burn the image into his memory. He'd never seen something so surreal, and who knew when he'd be able to see it again. He would've pulled out his camera and snapped a picture if he wasn't so certain that Rin would go berserk.

"Anyway, what are you doing here, Spoofy? It's unlike you to defy your master's orders," Rin asked her pet in the utmost serious of voices.

The animal burst out in a series of "meeps," which completely evaded Dib but was as plain as any normal language to Rin. She nodded her head here and there, and once the meepie was finished with her explanation, Rin looked back to Dib, her expression tense and frustrated.

"I was wondering why she came here; she's actually supposed to be back at my house, protecting it from any intruders." Rin sighed. "However, it seems there's a breach in my security system. She's discovered some sort of alien device implanted deep within the walls of my house, which has succeeded in shredding a few rather essential wires. I'm going home to check it out."

"Right now? In the middle of a school day?"

"I'll see you again tomorrow, Dib. Don't look so heartbroken," she said with a playful smile. "Now, I really must be going. This doesn't sound too serious, but I don't need it to escalate into anything, either."

Dib watched as Rin ran to the other side of the playground before jumping the fence gracefully, with no visible effort whatsoever. She looked back briefly, probably to make sure she wasn't being pursued, and then took off, her meepie following close behind her. He sighed; he understood she had a crucial problem to take care of, but things were just starting to get interesting. He'd just uncovered something more about Anadolia and its inhabitants, but Rin ran off before he could ask any questions. Sure, he'd see her tomorrow, but it seemed like a bit long to wait . . . especially if he ended up accidentally forgetting something important he'd meant to bring up.

"Oh well. I guess I'll go do mean things to Zim," Dib said with a shrug, looking back to the tetherball pole to see if the alien in question was still being suspended.

Dib thought back to the beginning of recess with a smile. Zim had attempted to play to play tetherball with another student only to fail quite miserably—when the ball returned to him, it smacked him across the face and somehow sucked him in toward the pole. The rope wrapped around him until he was plastered to the side of the pole, much to his apparent annoyance. The kid behind the prank began laughing, then walked up to Zim and kicked him in the shin, causing Zim to grit his teeth and call the child something derogatory regarding his race.

I wouldn't be surprised if he was still hanging there, Dib thought as he tried to suppress a fit of laughter. When he didn't see him—as disappointing as that was—he simply proceeded to glance around the playground, knowing Zim couldn't have gone too far.

However, much to Dib's surprise, he couldn't find him anywhere. It was unlike Zim to leave early without warning, as he actually followed most of the rules, but then again, there had been a few times when Zim had skipped out for some reason or another. Still, it was a little fishy for both Rin and Zim to be missing at the same time. After all, he'd just seen Zim not too long ago, and as soon as Rin left, he seemed to disappear.

Dib frowned. "Something tells me this isn't just a coincidence."

Abruptly, Dib heard a dull flapping noise in his ear, followed by a short "meep." Looking over, he saw a pink meepie currently hovering at eye level, her big green eyes fraught with worry.

"Hey, you're Rin's pet, aren't you?"

The meepie began to panic, going off on some sort of rant consisting only of the word "meep." Dib, being a human, didn't grasp a single thing the creature was trying to translate to him and grew quite frustrated.

"I don't understand you," he said and began to turn away when the creature screeched.

Looking back, he watched as the birdlike animal held a twig between her feet and scrawled the words "save Rin" out into the dirt. When she'd finished, she dropped the stick to the side and twirled back around to Dib, flapping her wings frantically and reciting "meep" over and over again.

"Rin?" Dib gasped. "Oh, no! My worst fears have been realized—Zim's got Rin, and he's probably running all sorts of sick tests on her! I must go to her rescue!"

He began running off in the same direction Rin had went earlier, leaving the meepie in his dust to wonder at the curious human. All she'd said was that her master was sending out a distress signal from somewhere in the city and had requested that help be sent immediately. Spoofy had only recruited Dib because she'd smelled his scent on Rin earlier and figured he was a friend. Who was this Zim person?

Suddenly, Dib was before Spoofy again, slightly out of breath. "Which way do I go?"

Rin woke up groggier than ever and felt a painful throbbing sensation near the back of her head. Her eyes were strangely heavy, as if she hadn't slept in years, but she couldn't get back to sleep—a sickening smell had invaded her nostrils, similar to the stench of spoiled meat, and didn't seem to want to leave. She tried holding her breath, but when the smell still didn't go away, she decided it was best to open her eyes and figure out what was going on.

What she saw caused the breath to catch in her throat. Various pipes and wires lined the ceiling, and around the room were a few liquid-filled containment chambers. If she looked directly in front of her, she could see a large monitor surrounded by a few smaller ones, seemingly suspended in the air, and a large control panel with many complicated buttons. She tried to get up in order to better inspect the place, but quickly found that her movement was very much restricted—she was strapped to some sort of examination table that seemed to be positioned in the middle of the room.

It was all too familiar—the technology, the language inscribed on the controls, and the various symbols flickering past on the monitor before her. It was a part of her life that she'd hoped to block out completely—now, it was staring her straight in the face, unabashed and as frightening as ever. Everything about the room screamed Irken, and she could only hope she was imagining it.

"Why, hello, Rin. It's good to see you've finally awaken."

Rin watched as the undisguised Zim jumped onto the examination table and nearly straddled her, keeping a few inches between their bodies as he placed his legs on either side of hers and his hands on the outside of each of her shoulders. She knew he only did so to get the best view of her possible, but it was still very uncomfortable . . . especially since the pungent aroma from before seemed to be emanating from his body. However, she knew it was probably best not to let on about her disgust—she'd learned from past experience that most Irkens were malicious and violent, and Zim was probably no different. The last thing she needed to do was upset him.

"What am I doing here?" she tried to sound calm and collected, but her voice ended up cracking mid-sentence.

"You're probably wondering what you're doing here," he said in a self-satisfied tone.

Rin cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, I am . . . or I wouldn't have asked."

He still seemed oblivious. "Well, are you curious?"

Rin squirmed; she couldn't take much more of his inattentiveness . . . or that awful odor. She had to let him know, even if it meant putting her life on the line. "Um, I don't mean to be rude, but that smell is making it really hard to concentrate. You stink . . . like rotting meat."

Much to her amazement, he didn't seem offended, but confused. Then, his face lit up as he had an epiphany—digging deep into his pocket, he unearthed an old, moldy sandwich, which was undoubtedly the source of the sour smell. The bread was covered in fuzzy white and blue speckles, and the middle of the sandwich was composed of a gigantic mass of green and brown stench.

"I forgot I had that in there," he admitted, dismissively throwing it to the ground.

Rin then watched as Zim's robot, G.I.R., quickly snatched it up and consumed of the repulsive sandwich, making her stomach heave upward as he chewed with his mouth open and coughed as he tried to swallow. When he was finished, he licked his lips and wiped his mouth on his arm, making Rin wonder how a robot could act so revoltingly.

Zim gripped the sides of Rin's face and forced her to look at him, her reflection staring back at her from within Zim's large magenta eyes. "Now, pathetic human, listen closely as I explain to you the finer points of my plan. You will tell me all you know about the Dib-worm, or you shall suffer the immense pain of having hair grow on the outer layer of your eyeballs."

She gulped. "You could actually do that?"

"Oh, I could do a lot of things to you. However, watching you gripe in agony as your eyeballs become infested with thick, scratchy hair will be the most fun." He grinned brightly before grimacing. "Now, tell me everything—everything!"

She smiled uneasily. "Couldn't we avoid this entire altercation by having you ask Dib about whatever you want to know?"

"Insanity! I'm not looking for trivial little details—I'm out to uncover his deepest, darkest, ugliest secrets . . . secrets to aid me in destroying him!" He sighed. "I've tried asking him before, but he refuses to tell me anything."

"Well, you shouldn't waste your time asking me, either. I just moved here, remember?" She shrugged. "Besides, even if I did know something, I wouldn't tell you."

He laughed. "You poor, misguided child—protecting the Dib-human out of love is foolish and quite unnecessary. I was only giving you the chance to tell me yourself out of common courtesy; I have plenty of other means by which to extract the desired knowledge from your inferior, human brain juices. I will get what I want, and if that involves ripping apart your skull and physically sucking the intelligence out of you, then so be it."

She decided to ignore the threat clearly stated in that sentence and, instead, focused on something far less serious. "Wait a minute . . . did you just falsely accuse me of being in love with Dib?"

His face went blank. "Huh?"

"You think I'm in love with Dib?"

"Why else would you bother protecting him?" he asked with a shrug.

She sighed. "Can't a person refrain from selling someone else out without being accused of an ulterior motive anymore?"

He blinked.

"Fine," she muttered. "Let's just say I'm returning the favor and leave it at that. Now, can I please go home?"

"Absolutely not!" He fiercely grabbed the strap that held Rin in place and tightened it until she could barely breathe. "I told you I would find out what I want to know. After I'm done squeezing the smart from your brain, I shall use you as one of my test subjects. First, however, I'd like to try out one of my newest creations."

He jumped down from the examination table and began rummaging through a small pile near the room's main control panel. "Now, where did I put that vial of 'fuzzy eyeball' fluid? Ah, here we go . . . now, all I need is a syringe of some sort . . . ."

Rin began to struggle against her restraints, her heart rate increasing tenfold and forehead coated in a cold sweat. She had to get out of there, but her straps wouldn't budge. She'd almost forgotten how impressive Irken technology could be, probably from so many years of going without it. However, this was one time when she could've done without being reminded—especially with a maniacal Irken invader ready to bring a whole new level of agony into her life.

Just remain calm, she told herself. You can get through this—all you have to do is reason with him. Irkens can be fairly agreeable when they want to be.

She took a deep breath. "Before you inject me with your hair-inducing concoction, I think you'd benefit by knowing I'm probably not your best choice for a test subject."

"You're probably right. Still, I've been running low on female specimens, so you'll have to do," he responded as he slowly turned around to face her, with a syringe full of some strange, bubbly, yellow liquid in his hand. "Now, try not to squirm around too much. The reaction will take place much faster if I get this directly into your femoral vein."

She gulped. I think it's time to start rethinking that whole 'reasoning' plan.