Gaz sat, stunned. Why had he taken off the duct tape so carefully? In fact, why had he taken it off at all? What was his motive?
She looked at Gir, who was offering her a rubber piggy. She stared at him coldly, but he didn't give up. Ignoring him, she looked at Zim in the driver's seat. He had started up the ship and was now driving somewhere. He seemed like he knew where he was going.
"Hey, Zim," she said, trying to get his attention.
"Yes?" he glanced over his shoulder for a second and agnowleged her, then turned back to look at where he was going.
"What now?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you kidnapped me, and now you're taking me somewhere. What's the deal?"
"Hmm..." he thought for a moment. Gaz was dumbfounded. He seriously had to think about it?
"Well," he continued. "I did come here to destroy your empire, but I believe I've lost that chance."
"Uh, yeah."
"We have some unfinished business to attend to, then I'll probably return to Earth to prepare for my second try."
"Second try? So, even after failing and letting me know you're still alive, you're still going to come back? You know, I will step up the security and kill you as soon as possible next time."
"Yes, Zim knows. However, have you ever known me to give up before?"
"No, I guess not."
They sat in silence for a while. Gir still hadn't given up and was now nudging Gaz in the side with the pig. She pushed him away a few times, but he kept coming back, so she gave up.
"So," she started again. "What do you mean by 'unfinished business?'"
"I'll explain when we get there."
"Get where?"
"You'll see."
Gaz was beginning to get agitated. She noticed that he wasn't like he was the last time she had seen him on Earth.
"You've changed a lot, haven't you?"
"Yeah, I guess so. 1,000 years is plenty of time to change, don't you think?"
She didn't reply. Gir was still nudging her with his stupid rubber pig.
"Will you quit it?" she burst out suddenly. Gir paused and looked at her, then extended the pig towards her.
"Ugh, Zim, tell your freaking robot to stop sticking his stupid pig in my face."
"I'm afraid that will do no good," he said, trying not to laugh. "He's probably just as persistant as I, maybe even more."
Gaz sighed. "Fine, I'll take your stupid pig." Gir grinned as she hesitantly took the pig from his grasp and sat it in her lap. Gir took another pig from his head and started dancing with it.
After a moment, he looked at Gaz expectantly.
"No way," she said coldly.
He started screaming insanely. Gaz just punched him in the side of the head, and he fell asleep, cuddling with his piggy.
"Well, he certainly hasn't changed."
"No," Zim replied. "I suppose not. You never really get used to it, either."
They rode in silence for a while longer. Gaz noticed Zim was taking in her empire. Irk hadn't really changed too much, except there was probably more buildings, and instead of the Irken symbol, there were skull symbols exactly like the one on her pendant.
It was the same pendant she had as a child on Earth. Neither of their fashion senses really changed. Their clothes had grown with them, and never got dirty or worn. Why fix something that isn't broken?
The ship started slowing down as it neared some trees.
'Trees?' Gaz thought. 'That's wierd. This planet barely has any nature.'
She examined the trees with interest. They weren't exactly like Earth trees. They had pitch black leaves and dark red trunks. The leaves were shaped like big ovals and were each about the size of her fist. The branches of the trees were similar to those of Earth branches, but each tree had several more than the average Earth tree.
Zim came to a full stop at the edge of a huge clearing in the middle of the forest and pressed a button on the ship's dashboard.
"We're here," he said as he climbed out and examined the only nature his home planet had to offer. "Welcome to the Safe Zone."