Part I

A lot can happen in a thousand years, and sometimes a flashback is a good way to go. This is one of those times.

Zim's fist sped towards the door, then hesitated just before it hit. He looked back at his faithful robot servant, who urged him on.

Zim grimaced, then his face grew angry. He kicked open the door and walked in uninvited. He hated that he had to do that.

Because now, he was in enemy territory.

His rival, Dib, was sitting on the couch, his hand hovering an inch above the phone receiver on the coffee table. His face was...wet, for some reason.

Then, Zim realized. He had been crying.

Crying.

He had the urge to laugh, but knew this was not the time and place. He swallowed his laughs and cleared his throat.

"Dib-human," he said without emotion. "I need to use your lab."

Dib looked at him, then looked away.

"Yeah, okay."

Zim stiffened. Had he just willingly let his greatest enemy take advantage of his own technology.

"You... are not going to make me leave?"

Dib scowled. "There's more to my life than you, Zim."

Zim looked at him questioningly.

"Well... I admit not as much more as there should be, but still more!"

Zim was reluctant to help the human filth, but there was something somewhat disturbing about his behavior.

"Er..." he hesitantly stepped towards him and patted him on the head quickly.

Dib looked at him strangely.

"Are you trying to...comfort me?"

"Your...depression disturbs Zim." he straightened. "Now, tell Zim what is wrong so that you may feel better and I can defeat you properly."

"Well..." Dib looked at the phone, as if willing it to ring. "I've put out signs with a picture of Gaz on them. I don't know where she is! Dad's taking us out for pizza tonight. Gaz never misses a dinner with dad!"

Zim pondered for a moment. He thought of the skid mark he had seen in the front yard.

"Have you checked the garage, perhaps?"

"Yeah, but she wasn't there. The only weird thing was..." his eyes widened in realization.

Duh!" he smacked his giant head. "She took Tak's ship! How did I not think of that? But... where could she be?"

"I'm sure she'll be back in time for dinner." Zim walked to the back of the room. Dib stood up.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

Zim looked at him over his shoulder.

"What do you mean? You said Zim could use your lab!"

"DID NOT!"

Zim turned abruptly.

"YOU LIIEEE!"

He smiled internally. There was the filth he knew and hated!

"What do you need my lab for, anyway? You have your own!"

Zim scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.

"I...er...kind of...you know...blew it up?"

Dib looked shocked, then started laughing.

"How...how did..you manage..to...to blow up your base?" he said in between laughs.

"Just the bottom half!" Zim said defensively. "And it was an inexplicable accident!"

"Inexplicable?" Dib asked after he had sobered up a bit.

"Well... I got mad at Gir-"

"EEEEEEEE!" Gir's voice screeched happily from outside.

"-and there was a flash of light, and all my equipment was shattered into a million pieces that not even I, the almighty invader Zim, could piece back together!"

Dib thought.

"Hmm... why don't you try getting angry again? Uh, outside." he added quickly.

Zim walked outside and looked around. He turned to Gir.

"Gir! Make me angry."

Gir just sat there, staring at a butterfly.

"GIR! THAT WAS AN ORDER!"

Dib gasped. Zim was glowing green, and the more he yelled, the greener he got. Dib ran up and kicked him in the shin, which was the only place he could reach now that the invader was so tall.

He turned to Dib and glowed brighter.

"HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Dib jumped back, partly because of Zim's wild glare, but mostly because Zim's green aura actually burned.

"Okay, Zim," he said soothingly. "Calm down. It was just an experiment. I just need you to calm down."

Zim's aura dimmed a bit and his glare turned into an irritated stare.

Dib observed him, like the paranormal investigator he was.

"Alright, Zim, I may need to do some tests on you..."

Zim growled and his aura grew brighter again.

"Woah! Woah!" Dib held his arms out, trying to calm the alien down. He slowly reached his hand down to reach into his pocket. He pulled out a medical needle and hid it behind his back.

"It's okay, Zim. Everything is going to be juuust-" he suddenly pulled out the needle and threw it at Zim. It landed on his chest and stuck.

"ARGH!" he growled. In his panic to get it out, he accidentally pushed the plunger and injected the liquid into himself, which wasn't really his smartest move.

His aura faded and he wobbled a bit. Dib smiled triumphantly, then noticed that Zim was already starting to steady.

"Whoah," he muttered. "How could it possibly wear off so fast?"

Before Zim could fully recover, he pulled out three more needles and stuck them into his arm, injecting them all at the same time.

Zim wobbled, then passed out.

Dib knew that usually, he would be exited to tear the alien scum apart piece by piece, but this time was different.

This time was for science.

Note: Yay! Cliffhanger! Don't worry, I would usually switch to Gaz next time we do a flashback, but I'll do part 2 next time! Of course, there will be a few chapters in between them, but it'll be here!