Chapter 5: A Surprising Ally

He continued to make his way through the narrow, muddy tunnel. He was tired, soaked, filthy and fatigued from the hour long army crawl, though continually driven forward by the rebel's rumors of a human servant inside the palace. He, as the leader, must go in investigate and save said human if one is present. A fat rat ran out from the left side of the mud tunnel splashing him then with a chilling squeak continued to the mud of the right side of the tunnel. In recoil, he simply exhaled in disgust, scythe hair dropped, only to be flipped back.

Nothing scared him anymore, why would it, he's seen so much anguish, torture, blood, loss, and even betrayal by a few now deceased rebel members, killed at the hand of the Irken lord he detests so much. His family... his father killed as a tribute to the outdated tallest in his place, his sister was lost 40 years ago, he thought of as dead also had only his strength, health and rebel army to keep anymore.

Over the years their existence has gone off the radar by the Irkens, so they've been in less danger, they steel food and grow some in their base garden, its hard though underground, the bugs eat away at their produce and what's edible is slim so stolen food goes as far as 80% of what anyone eats.

Dib, though sometimes a few others tag along, is in charge of rescuing survivors and slave of the Irken conquest. He found a few stupid classmates from forever ago that didn't believe him, they begged for forgiveness and safety, he didn't even want to give them a wave goodbye for the pain they caused his youth, but he thought of what his parents would want so he allowed them to join.

A dim light came into view, at first he thought it was his exhaustion playing with him but soon the dib light became brilliant and he found himself in a wine cellar of something. There were many bottles with varying Irken symbols describing the contents he couldn't hope to decipher, then he saw it, in the most beautiful wine cabinet in the room, adorned on ever bottle in the cabinet, was his symbol.

"ZIM..." he stated coldly at the monster that ruined his world and life. he herd a gasp come from behind him... a female voice by the sound of it, he stiffened at the knowledge not only was he not alone but caught with the chance of endangering the rebels.

"Dib?!.. i-is that you?" pleasantly familiar, accented voice rung behind the shock struck man.

"t-Tak?" he stuttered out. There was a click... sounded like the removal of the safety from a gun from Dib's experience

"Don't move..." she stated "Tak" he stated again in shock his repetition of her name gave her a chill

"I had h-herd you were killed at the hands of Zim... that all the rebels were d-destroyed by his best army..." she stated varying in tone.

Dib scoffed, of course that smug bastard would give credit to himself for the false demise of him and resistance, fool. "Tak, the rebels are fine... how did you remember me after all these years?"

"I could ask you the same thing If I didn't already know." Dib blanched. "My ship recorded your ever word, what you said about me... I couldn't forget that, I couldn't forget you."

"Tak, please... lower your gun." she did. "why do you continue to serve the one that has wronged you repeatedly all your life, why to you continue to fight for him!?" Dib asked stepping closer "Those who don't obey die." she responded. "You'll die anyway, he'll kill you anyway, I've seen him do it! Tak you don't have to anymore." "I know what he does Dib, I've seen it also, but the reality is if I disobeyed alone in the perimeter I'd be ambushed and held in the vile Earth Ocean without protection till by flesh burned off!"

"That's just it Tak...you're not alone... Not anymore." He hesitated at the hatred for the Irken kind, what they'd done but she...she was different and on that realization his pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers, to his surprise she settled into it immediately, They both had though of it since they met, now it was a reality just as real as the danger.

They simultaneously pulled away only for Tak to gasp in a remembrance. "Well let's start here, with your sister, she's here, with HIM, and probably in danger."