Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.

"...smeet help us find the Tallest?"

"You'll see, idiot. Everything shall go according to plan. In fact, my plan is already underway. Those morons should be coming for him soon. Is everything ready for our 'guests'?"

"As ready as we can be, captain."

"Well, double-check everything then! This is the closest we've been to capturing them! Any failure will not be tolerated."

"Alright, but if- I mean when we succeed, what will do with the brat?"

"I dunno... sell him as a slave, use him for target practice, throw him out the airlock for all I care!"

"Aye-aye, ma'am... one more question."

"Fine, just hurry up!"

"Should he be awake yet?"

Zim's cracked eyes could only make out shapes and shadows, he was so exhausted. One of the blurry figures, the captain, approached with rapid speed.

"Blast! Get more sedatives- put him back under! We can't risk anything going wrong!"

A sharp pain flowed through Zim's arm. The Irken smeet hissed at the sensation, which seemed to please his captor. A pair of purple eyes -far crueler and meaner than his mother's- was the last sight his brain could absorb.

"Good night, sweet prince..."

The four heroes traveled by taxi to their destination. Red considered the means of travel 'mundane' and didn't stop complaining until Purple threatened to throw him out and make him run the rest of the way. Obviously, the counterpart Irken was tense from the sheer worry. He sat curled up, not physically responsive to anything, other than looking up when Gaz occasionally told the taxi driver where to turn. She remained as cool-headed and neutral as ever. Dib just prayed nobody got her angry.

And the young human himself?

Dib watched out the window, attempting to ignore the chaos behind him. His mind was on Zim; the way the alien had stared at him when his hand collided with the others soft cheek. The sensation was still flowing through his arm.

Gaz poked him roughly in the arm, "We're here," The Membrane Science Facility was the largest of it's kind. Pristine white buildings and a large white dome. A perfect place to hide a ship if you were on a planet of morons... which the Irkens kind of were. Sure enough, just out of sight behind the domed building sat an Irken warship, it's name written in strange lettering on the side.

"The Obscure?" Dib translated.

Red rolled his eyes, "Obviously Zim and this... boy hadn't just been pranking each other. Just how much do you know?" He eyed the human child curiously. Dib backed away a few steps.

Gaz and Purple completely ignored the two idiots. They instead analyzed the ship. Gaz used the computer. Purple could tell just by looking at things.

"Hmm... no heating... the engines aren't even on..."

"Not to mention the lack of any outer defenses or interior blockades."

"Somebody wants us to come in, don't they?"

"Probably."

Red looked away from Dib, "So this is a trap?" Purple sighed, but nodded at his partner. The other Irken began pacing just out of sight of the ship's security cameras, "I should've guessed something was up. As I said before, they're using Zim to get to us! You take the humans and get out of here: I'll try to get them to release Zim," The red-eyed Irken made his way towards the front of the ship, but was stopped by a three-finger hand and a steely gaze.

"No," Purple shook his head, "We've been through so much... whatever we do, we do together. That's what we agreed on!"

"I am NOT letting you put yourself in danger!" Red snapped, trying to tear himself away.

"Um, guys?"

"Well, I'm not letting YOU sacrifice yourself like this! There has got to be a better way!"

"Guys!"

"I can't think of any other way! Unless you've got something, we're stuck!"

"HEY IDIOTS!"

Both Irkens turned to Gaz, who stared at them, annoyed, "What?"

"Dib's already gone in ahead. Won't be too long now," She motioned to an open duct, just out of view of the security cameras. Within the ship, Dib crawled forth, determined and deadly. He looked back at the sound of voices, then continued forward.

"Don't you worry, Zim. I'll have us out of here before you know it!"

Sorry this took so long. Procrastination, writer's block, other stories, etc.