Chapter 4 Power Lost

Dib's eyes opened and he found the world shooting lightning, it didn't take him long to realize he was dreaming. As he walked he saw two orbs of light transform into the two Meekrob that had been his mentors. "What's going on?!" Dib yelled at them because of the lightning and thunder claps, they said something but he couldn't hear, "What?!" Then a lightning shield generated around them muffling out the noise. "You must deliver a message to Zim," said one instantly, "he needs this message," said the other. Dib looked confused, "What is it?" they both spoke as one, "Choices are louder then violence," then they disappeared as the whole atmosphere turned red, "Wait!" Dib called out but it was too late.

As Dib fainted Tak shook him rapidly "Wake up Dib!" Then X grinned, "Aww looks like Tak's boyfriend is sleepy from the tower's Meekrobian counter frequency." As Byron ran at her with an axe X slipped inside, Tak grunted as she aimed her pistol firing deep at his shoulder. He roared swinging his axe knocking Tak across the room, As he raised it over his head Tak grabbed the handle and pulled it out of his hands. As he turned to get it Tak swung with the blunt end knocking him unconscious. As she dropped the axe she turned back to Dib and threw him over her shoulder, "Come on Dib...if you are gonna make me work through this you better not have a hangover when you wake the Hell up!"

As Gaz rubbed her head behind Zim as they took cover behind some crates from oncoming pistol fire. Zim then raised over the crates aiming his rifle mowing down a few workers but then ducked down behind the crates. "What do you mean you lost your powers?" Gaz stammered, "I don't know, I feel like my heart just skipped a beat. I can't...focus," then one man threw a grenade over the crate and Zim pushed Gaz out of the way, "MOVE!" the explosion knocked a few crates their way. "We need a miracle," Zim muttered. In the mess hall the workers finally rearmed themselves with more pistol ammo and began to flank closer. Then they heard a shot from behind and a worker fell, there stood X in the doorway. "Oh...hello...what are we having today? A little Irken Military grub works fine for me!"

Zim then heard the sound of pistols firing but not at him, he looked over the cover to see all the workers dead. "What happened?" Gaz asked. Zim turned back to her,, "I don't know...stay here," Zim reloaded his rifle then slowly got up and walked into the mess hall, blood of his enemies was everywhere, and the bodies were scattered evenly. As he took a step in, a metal tray was thrown into his face and Zim fell down. "Zim!" Gaz cried stepping to him as he was holding his head on the ground, then X entered, "You know I expected you to react more to a very obvious trap, Zim F for effort and results! That's not gonna look good on your progress report." As X crouched down to pick up Zim Gaz jumped into the air and round house kicked his face, such abilities was unlocked with her special watch made by 777. As he got up he aimed his pistol and tried to shoot her, but she dodged every shot as she sent a punch right into his hand as he blocked it.

"You have strength, and heart I'll give you that, but you will not be able to beat me," as she swung her other fist around he caught it, undoing the watch and stuffing it in his pocket. Gaz gasped as he pushed her down, "No power now, you are the reason Zim has defected, you will die now." He raised his pistol to her head before Zim dove at him tackling him to the ground. "Run Gaz!" Zim yelled before X pushed him off of him, Gaz ran back to the closet while Zim and X fought against the serving bar. Zim's throat was grabbed and then X held him down as he grabbed the knife. "I promised Red I wouldn't kill you...i didn't promise him I wouldn't hurt you," as he was about to strike the knife down into Zim's chest. Zim grabbed a metal pan right next to him on the ground and whacked X in the head causing him to collapse into a supply closet. As Zim got up he grabbed a knife from a table and held it in a combat style. Then X came out rubbing his head, but then saw Zim and copied his motions, unfortunately his knife was much bigger.

As X stood up, "Please Zim, you must understand why we are doing this," Zim growled back, "I know, to create a new empire! I heard this before, from the same nut job who thinks he is a god!" X swung his knife forward narrowly missing Zim, however he swung sharply back at him and struck him in his hip, Zim yelled in pain as he then took the knife, sticking it into X's chest and twisting it. X cried out in pain as well, the blood poured out of him like he was just a water balloon. X then kicked Zim on to the floor and growled as he gripped the handle the pulled it out, his blood splattered across the room. As Zim got up X tackled Zim through two sliding doors into a very small room, as Zim got X on the ground he began to punch his face while X managed to block most hits. What they didn't know was this was an elevator and it was headed right for engineering. As the door opened there were many Irkens startled as X kicked Zim off of him, as they ran away Zim crawled to a tool box hoping to find a nail gun, or perhaps a mini-drill.

"I will not kill you Zim," X began, his face was dead serious with little expression, "I will break every bone in your skeleton, I will cripple your legs, I will flood your lungs with your own blood, and I will violate your mind till sanity is missing, Zim managed to grab a hold on the tool box's handle but he couldn't lift it, he was too weak, "I will rip your heart out and let guilt devour you...starting with Gaz-," Zim then gripped tightly on the tool box and swung it around knocking X off of his feet on to the floor. Zim was just as surprised as X was, he touched the side of his face and looked at it to see his own blood, as he stumbled back up Zim roared the cry of a dangerous beast as he swung again right into X's kneecap, X yelled out in pain as his kneeled grabbing it, then Zim swung the tool box over his head right on to X's head knocking him to the floor. Zim was breathing like a wild animal but then stopped, he dropped the tool box and looked at X. He was still alive but unconscious, he had blood on his face and forehead as well as 4 teeth scattered on the ground. "What am I?" Zim asked himself as he looked at his own hands, "This...this is...this...this is Red..." he told himself looking to the tool box, he was far too weak to even lift it, so how was that possible.

"Zim? Are you there?" Zim pressed his COMS, "Yes?"

"Are you alright I'm here with Gaz who told me everything,"

Zim looked to X's body and said, "Yeah, he's not gonna be a problem anymore,"

"Where are you?"

Zim looked around, "Engineering, you?"

"I'm on the bridge, got a perimeter in place. I haven't heard from Tak or Dib yet."

Zim stood up and opened the tool box to see a wrench, a mini-drill, ripper, and a welders torch, unfortunately no nail gun, "I'll go check it out, Zim out,"

Tak staggered through the hallways with Dib over her shoulder, fortunately for her she had not encountered anyone since Byron, she pressed a button next to a door leading into what appeared to be a Lounge for workers. Tak grunted as she hefted Dib on the couch, as Tak opened the fridge to see if there was any supplies Dib might need she activated her COMS, "Hello, this is Tak calling in hello?" Nothing but radio static, "Damn," she looked back over to Dib, "Perhaps there are supplies in the-," then she was cut of as she saw in the doorway, an Armored Irken wearing a gas mask with two swords in their sheaths on his back. Tak didn't think twice as she aimed her pistols at him, he responded however doing nothing, he just stared at her.

"If you know what's good for you you will walk away and say you never saw us," after what seemed like forever he spoke in a Darth Vader distorted voice, "Well well well, its a coincidence to meet you here Tak, I say it's been a long time," Tak's face twisted in confusion, "Have...we met before?" He nodded, a bit of hissing came out of the mask which Tak could only guess was chuckling, "Yes...you remember me as well...perhaps I will tell you who I am very soon...that is if you can survive the huge target Red has painted on your head for me." Tak gritted her teeth as she held up another pistol, "Never asshole!" More hissing came from his mask as he took out a sword twirling it professionally in a single hand, "So be it."

He ran at her swinging the sword upward slicing the fridge behind her, actually penetrating the door past the metal covering. She rose up making a swift strike to his shoulder, grabbing the area he dodged two more punches and caught one punch in his hand. Very fast and careful he grabbed a single finger and bent it, Tak shrieked in pain as he kicked her onto the floor. As he was about to grab her again she twirled around, drew back her foot to her stomach, and launched it out into his chest knocking him back out the doorway.

Tak staggered to her feet, gritted her teeth, and bent her finger back into place. "This isn't right," she thought as he walked back in, "I know these moves," she thought as he gave punches and kicks at Tak who was able to block, catch, and deflect. As he sent another hist at her she caught it more but the strength pushed her head back into the glass cabinets leaving it cracked and bloodstained, then he backed off and chuckled. "Well, you've improved, but I've always been better...remember him Tak?" Tak's finger teased the trigger of her gun in it's holster, "Rember who?"

He chuckled again, "Black, your pathetic, weak lover." She gasped as he chuckled louder once more, "oh yeah I've always known, I've been watching you the whoooole time, I saw your last mission together," he put two fingers on the chin of his mask, "what did he ask you to do? Become an invader," he laughed full volume now, Tak was breaking down, tears in her eyes but she felt the angry side of her Irken genes affecting her, her hatred for Zim was now on the masked Irken. "I was right next to your team, the whole time you guys didn't suspect me, my job was to watch Zim...but I couldn't help but...indulge on your romance's fall." Her hand clenched tightly, her face was red in sorrow and anger, "Who are you?"

He walked a little closer, "Well if you really want to know?...I'm the one who technically killed Black. It hit her like a brick wall to the face, she felt like she was falling now, in a deep black pit of solitude. Tears were streaming down her face ,"Well you know...who cares," he replied as he looked towards Dib taking out a sword holding it to his neck, "You did happen to find a replacement boyfriend, too bad he isn't Irken, perhaps you would have stayed if he was-" She struck his mask knocking it off his face, he gasped turning around quickly to hide his face, as she ran to him, he stuck a syringe in her neck, falling back she tripped backwards to the floor, pulling the syringe out she read the label: HALLUCINAIGN.

She gasped as she tried to stand up but only fell to her feet again, using her arms she pulled her self up to the counter, and looked at the Irken. She was seeing things in his eyes, like tiny fires, his antenna were that like wriggling worms fresh out of dirt. But it wasn't just him, it was the whole room moving around, finally she grew tired and fell on her back, he out the mask back on and spoke, "Very soon Tak...very soon..."

IM BACK! Did you miss me? Anyway I wanted to say to many fans im sorry that I did not upload in a while, many problems, but i've never forgotten this Fanfic, in fact i've had plenty of brainstorming time to create some ideas!

Anyways be sure to review!