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Whoa, it's been a while. Sorry it's been so long! I would like to say I've been busy, which is true, but I've also just been lazy. ;P

Reviews! Yay! :D Thanks for taking your time to type them out, you guys, I love every single review I get! The good and the bad ones, I love the feedback! This chapter isn't really filler, but it's not one of those really exciting chapters either. D; But the next chapter is gonna be good. Real good. It's weird though; this chapter took forever to type out. Usually I type these out real quickly, but this one was so annoying to do.

I'm coming down with the head pigeons I guess. ;P

Blah-blah/rant-rant, let me just start.

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The First Step

…

(Irk, Control Brains Headquarters)

…

"Report. What have you found?

"Tallest Miyuki, we have been through every aspect of the Control Brains and nothing is wrong. No data missing, no viruses, and nothing else of the sort. They're perfectly fine, in the same condition as always. However, we did notice something…"

"Yes?"

Purple bit back his tongue at how quickly his Tallest had let that word rush out of her mouth. Was she trying to find something wrong with the Control Brains? Beady yellow eyes glanced sideways as the purple eyes turned towards him, but Advisor Spork snapped his head away when they made eye contact. The Advisor noticed instantly that Miyuki was opening and then closing her two fingered hand repeatedly, eyes gazing right through the drones before her. There was more behind this than either the Elite member or Advisor knew about the situation. Something that Miyuki did not want to indulge others in.

"The coding seems… Off, my Tallest. The internal coding, 'ya know, the very first coding that is needed to help structure the Control Brains? Something is definitely wrong with it. Terribly wrong. Well, maybe not terribly wrong, my fair Tallest Miyuki. There is still definitely something wrong with it though, the only code that is this way is the very first code ever imprinted into the system. None of the other millions of codes are made this way; it is only that one code."

"Well? What is it?"

"The first coding, it's not, well, I mean-"

"Just say it!"

"It's not in Irken!"

The Tallest, Advisor, and Elite member only stared in utter shock at the words.

How could the very first code that the Control Brains were made with, the code that was the Control Brains themselves, the code that was the very foundation of their structure- Not be in Irken?

Not Irken…?

"Not Irken? How can that be? The Control Brains are Irken. They belong to Irk. How can the official coding not be in Irken?"

"It is only the structure code that is not in Irken though! Everything else is! So, no worries?"

"No worries? Are you mad?! Do you understand what this means, drone?!"

"Uhh- No?"

"It means that the Control Brains aren't- Wait…"

Her harsh tone drifted away, blue eyes gazing towards the metallic doors that were firmly shut to make sure no one could get inside the room. Behind those doors was none other than the Control Brains, functioning away like they usually would with all of Irk's information buzzing through their minds. Purple felt oddly sick when her antennas bent backwards slightly, mouth twisted in a grim line across her beautiful face. Spork caught this notion also, his own face mirroring her own, trying his best to keep his composure.

"It's in a different language. If the code isn't in Irken, then what language is it in?"

"Uhh- Hehe… You see, that may be another problem. The language is actually-"

"Tallest Purple!"

…

(Earth, Zim's Kitchen)

…

Purple eyes shot open only a split second later.

Fingers automatically started typing something out across the screen of the pad within his grasp, not even looking down at the device to see what he was typing. It was just another memory from the past that he could no longer remember. He had given up on lying to himself about how his memories were just dreams, he knew better than that now. There was no point in lying to himself. Now he was keeping a list on his personal pad, recording everything that he believed would help him work things out. It was more than a month later since he had come to Earth and he still hadn't figured anything out about the situation.

His eyes drifted towards the screen for a second, reading the small list of words he had typed down.

Not crazy.

Missing part.

The Irken Symbol.

Her thoughts.

Not Irken.

If only he had finished the rest of the memory, he would have known the language. This meant that the Control Brains weren't Irken though. Someone else had created them. Someone not Irken.

"Tallest Purple? Hey, you alright?"

Purple met brown eyes behind a pair of glasses, worry on his face easily seen. All he did was give a simple nod and a small smile, lifting up his fork to put a bit of a waffle piece into his mouth. Zim was right, waffles were really good. Who knew Gir knew how to cook? Zim was sitting directly across from Tallest Purple, one eye tugged lower than the other one in mistrust, though not voicing his thoughts. Dib was by the Tallest's left side, his eyes connecting with Zim's for a moment. It was like they were telepathically communicating with one another, neither actually wanting to say their opinions out loud.

Good. He didn't want to hear them anyway.

"You haven't been getting much sleep, my Tallest. Though Irkens are a superior race and you are almighty, you still require some sleep."

Was Zim telling him what he required?

Was this defect telling the Tallest what he needed?!

"Pfft- I've been getting loads of sleep! I'm just tired because… Because of all this food I've been eating. Yeah! Plain sugar! Zim, don't you have any actual Irken food here? A Tallest can't always snack, you know!?"

"My Tallest, Zim shall get you whatever food you desire! If it'll be food from Gleekashore or where ever, I will get you anything you want! When… When you get some real sleep, my Tallest. You need to… Ehh- Recharge just a bit. You won't be able to function properly if you keep this up; it's been more than a month since you've actually slept. You are suffering both mentally and physically from your lack of sleep."

Did Zim…

Did Zim just tell him what to do?

Oh. Irk no.

"Suffering physically? I'm suffering physically, huh?! Are you calling me ugly?!"

Zim flinched at his Tallest's shrill cry, shoulders lowering as he pressed his back against his chair. He just wanted to sink into the ground right now. He hadn't meant to call his Tallest ugly! It wasn't like that at all! It was just easy to tell that he was lacking sleep from the black under his eyes and… And the rage on Purple's face only made Zim slide further downwards in his chair, embarrassed by this entire situation. He just wanted his Tallest to get some rest is all. He deserved it after all.

"What's been keeping you from getting sleep?"

Before the Tallest could finish chewing out the 'invader' another voice broke into the conversation, Dib making sure to sit up as straight as he could. Purple caught the action, eyes immediately narrowing when the human tried to sit as tall as he could. This was an action usually done either during an argument or discussion between Irken citizens. He was trying to make himself taller. Dib made sure to catch Purple's gaze, mouth in a straight line, arms crossed over his chest. The Tallest almost smirked at realizing what the human was trying to do, both annoyed and amused at the same time.

He wanted to play that game, huh?

"What business of it is yours, Meatbag? Maybe I just don't wanna sleep! Ever thought about that? I'm fine! I don't need sleep! I don't need you two to constantly whine at me! I can make my own decisions! I am Tallest after all!"

"Are you ever going to let us help you or do we have to let that twitch happen before you stop acting like a big baby?"

The harsh, female voice broke through his ranting, her tone dripping with venom. Gaz was leaning against the edge of the kitchen doorway, arms crossed over her chest with a dull expression on her pale face. Zim turned his head to look at the human, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards in a smile that he tried to hide. The scary girl turned her attention towards the alien, her own mouth twisting into a smirk that both of them shared. Dib coughed obnoxiously, making the two break their staring contest and turn their attention back towards Tallest Purple.

There was more going on with those two than he wanted to know about.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Exactly as I said it. You're being a big baby. The only time you ever actually cooperate is when you do that weird twitch thing. Don't give me that look, everyone has noticed about that dumb twitch you have. It's like you become a totally different person when it happens. You're a mess and don't even try to argue with me about it. I promise you, you won't win. You've been here for more than a month and nothing has been fixed. I'm getting tired of Zim always whining and worrying about you. Even my own loser brother worries about you. So, are you going to cooperate with us for once or am I going to have to make you?"

'She's right. It's been over a month since the transmission and nothing has been fixed. We- Uhh- You and I… We're still two different people when we should just be one single Irken. Something is definitely wrong. Maybe they can help. We… You- This is so difficult! I am the one who contacted Zim about helping us with the problem with Irk. Explain to them what's happening. It's time.'

'What?! Tell them about the memories?!'

'And what your… Our thoughts are about the Control Brains.'

'… Fine.'

"Yeah, fine, I guess I can tell you. It has been long enough."

Purple shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to ignore the nervous knot that was in his squeedily spooch. Fingers were tapping against the panel that was still within his grasp, thoughts all jumbled together and confusion ringing through his mind. Where could he start with this? "Yeah, 'ya know, I think something is wrong with the Control Brains. Why do I think that? I dunno, maybe 'cuz Miyuki thought the same thing. Or at least I believe she did. I think I'm going crazy." There's no way saying that would make any sense at all! He didn't know how to start this! Starting serious discussions like this was Red's job!

'Then let me do it.'

'Excuse you? You can't just randomly-'

Hand tightened dangerously around the pad within his grasp, neck twitching sideways as his purple eyes slid shut for a moment. When eyelids lifted upwards the world was still the same as when he had closed his eyes, but he was no longer the same. He felt… Sorrow. More determined. More emotional. This was power. It wasn't height that created neither power nor your position in the empire, but this. This emotion, these thoughts, all of this… This was power. This was something that he rarely felt. He was actually indulging in his negative emotion, something he never allowed himself to do.

This was being alive.

"Are you Purple or… The other Purple?"

Dib questioned, feeling rather uneasy by both his question and the nasty glare Zim sent him. The Tallest was looking through the human though, staring directly towards the other human by the doorway. Tak was standing a few feet behind Gaz, only the Tallest noticing that she was there. The two kept their eyes locked for a few moments, silence lingering on longer than anyone wanted. His eyes left the human and turned his attention towards Zim, the world now only revolving around the Tallest and defect.

"There is no 'other Purple'; I'm still the same Irken, Dib. It's just… Something is different. Something is off, which I know you guys must have noticed with every twitch. Something is wrong with me. Not just me though, there is also something wrong with the Irken Empire. I contacted you more than three months ago about taking a stand. Something is terribly wrong with Irk, Zim, something bigger than any of us can comprehend. There is something wrong with the Control Brains, they're hiding something.

My lack of sleep comes from the fact that I've been having… Old memories come back to me in my sleep. They are based around when I had been an Elite and Miyuki's personal assistant. I don't remember anything else from my past though, no matter how hard I try I can't remember anything. Smeethood, the academy, training… Nothing. I can't remember my past on my own, it's impossible for me too. Everything that keeps coming back is Miyuki and how she obsessed about the Control Brains. There's something behind all of this, I know it."

"Are you crazy?! What if these memories aren't really memories, but just your-"

"My Tallest, what exactly in your memories does it show that she thought something was wrong with the Control Brains? Can you tell us about how Miyuki was acting?"

Tak interrupted Dib, slipping herself into a chair by her Tallest's side, gaze never leaving his face. The human passed her a shocked expression, but he didn't voice his opinion. It was easy to tell that the human thought what Purple was saying was insane. Tak though… She believed him. The way she was leaning towards him with interest shining in her eyes was one of the easy signs to tell that she was actually listening to his story. Zim had one eye ridge tugged upwards; hand over his mouth, almost having an emotionless look in his face. There was something flaring in his eyes though and if Purple didn't know any better, he would have thought that emotion stirring through him was hope.

Did Zim also think something was wrong with the Empire?

"There haven't been too many recurring memories, but from every memory it's obvious that she thought something was wrong. She was disgusted by the Irken symbol every time she saw an image of it, almost like she knew something was wrong with the Empire. When I was younger I had asked her about what her issue is and she said only everything in her thoughts. I think… Everyone thought that she was going crazy, but she wasn't. She knew something was wrong with the Control Brains."

"Did she ever find a problem with the Control Brains, my Tallest?"

Purple paused a moment to think about the question, purple meeting magenta orbs.

"The origin code of the Control Brains isn't in Irken."

"What?!"

Spat out both of the other two Irkens at the table, both whipping their heads to glare at one another in annoyance. Tak let her eyes narrow when Zim stiffened his back upwards, making sure to remind Tak who the taller one was between them. Purple visibly flinched at this action, feeling nausea over the fact that height was playing into the Irken race once more.

"Origin code?"

"Yes, Dib, the origin code. The origin code is the very first code any machine is created with, whether just a simple S.I.R Unit or the Massive itself. The Control Brains are an Irken creation; they are the ones that hold everything that is Irk. The Control Brains are Irk. However, their origin code isn't in Irken, meaning that someone else must have created the brains."

"What language is it in?"

"I don't know. I was woken up right before the memory could finish. What I do know is that something is very wrong with the Control Brains and the Irken Empire. Miyuki knew that also from what I can remember. If only there was a way to look into her thoughts and know for certain though…"

"Are you certain something is wrong?"

"You doubt your Tallest?! Zim, I should knock you in the-"

The Tallest bit his bottom lip roughly, stopping himself in order to not finish his sentence.

'Keep calm. This isn't the time for a fight. They're trying to help us… You. They're trying to help, Tallest Purple.'

'Tallest Purple? Is that what you're referring to me now like we're not the same Irken? Okay, other self, what do you want me to call you then? Annoying Purple?'

'Overlord will do nicely.'

"I know something is wrong. I wouldn't go through this much effort if I didn't believe something was wrong. I would have never contacted you if I wasn't a hundred percent sure that something was wrong. The Irken Empire is in great danger. The Irken Empire needs you."

The group at the table sat in silence, none of them knowing how to respond to his words. He was so emotional about this issue that there was no way he was lying. What if this was nothing though? What if these were just dreams that he was having? It wasn't uncommon that a Tallest would get stressed out; maybe he was just beginning to go insane. Zim turned his head towards Gaz once more, both of them simply gazing at each other, no emotion on their features. After many moments of silence the female human gave the Irken a nod.

She believed Tallest Purple.

"Whatever happened to Miyuki's Pak after the… You know?"

On the outside Purple looked completely calm by Tak's question, trying to not let the boiling rage take over him right now. Zim's stupid blob he had created years ago had eaten her whole, along with Spork in the same week. The creature had spit out both of their Paks though; apparently it only had a sick craving for flesh and blood, not wires and metal. It just another thing that Zim had messed up and the defect didn't even realize it. The entire Empire was filled with defects like him! Maybe not as bad, but still! Why was he even wasting his time to-?

'I said keep calm. We need Zim's help in this situation.'

'Don't say that.'

'What? We do need-'

'I said don't say that!'

"Her Pak should be within the Massive in one of the chambers. I have no idea which room, I do know for a fact that both Spork's and her Pak is located on the Massive. Every Tallest ever to exist with a Pak has and will have their Paks placed onto the Massive. I do know that you have to be a Tallest to get into the chamber though since the door needs a blood sample, but that's all I know. Why?"

"You keep having memories that are surrounded by the Miyuki person, right? Maybe if you were able to get her Pak you could look into her memories. The issue with the Control Brains and the secret behind them might still be in her old memories. Get her Pak, bring it back to Earth, and we can all look into it to see what they're hiding."

The Tallest blinked slowly at Gaz, face solemn for a few moments.

Then a couple seconds later he was laughing hysterically.

The group looking around at each other in confusion, not knowing what to make of Purple's psychotic laughter. It was neither mocking nor even condescending, it was humor. He was actually amused by the idea that Gaz had presented. A minute later he was calming down, hand against his mid-section like his squeedily spooch was going to burst at any moment.

"Oh, that was a good laugh. You can't possibly be serious."

"Duh, moron, of course I was. Just go onto the Massive and steal her Pak."

The twitch Purple had was more violent than usual, humor fading away into utter shock, his composure now broken.

"Are you crazy?! Can Earthlings be defective?! I'm a Tallest, not some soldier! What? Do you just think I can bust into the Massive, start doing cool back flips and cartwheels, and slip into the chamber like that? I don't even know where the chamber is! I can't just get her Pak and bring it back to Earth! I'm not trained for that! I'm a Tallest!"

'Way to stay calm.'

'Shut up!'

"Not trained? You- You jumped out of a window to escape from that robot! You took control of the Voot Cruiser and maneuvered it like a pro! You were bleeding to death and you still had piloted that ship like you've done it hundreds of times! How can you not be trained to just go onto the Massive and take her Pak?! Just go and do it!"

"Because that wasn't Tallest Purple who had done all of that, was it?"

It wasn't really a question, more of a statement.

The Tallest opened his mouth to yell at the top of his lungs at Zim, but furious rage died away when they made eye contact. There wasn't any sort of disappointment or annoyance clouding his features, it was almost like he… Understood. It wasn't a Tallest's job to be trained as a soldier ready for combat, that's why there were Elite members and invaders. It was their job to pilot a Voot Cruiser and to fight off psychotic robots. A Tallest was never made to do that kind of combat, they were there to rule Irk and all of the citizens on and off the planet. Did Zim understand that? No… That was impossible though, how could a moron like Zim understand something like that? There was no way that idiot could!

But… It was there on his face. He understood. For the first time in his life, Zim was looking through someone else's eyes.

Whoa. Just… Whoa.

"Big Headed Dib, don't you ever tell the Tallest again to put him in a dangerous situation like that. The Irken Empire almost lost him once; Zim shall not stand for twice. There is still both danger on Irk and the Massive, someone is after Tallest Purple. That unit may still be out there still trying to get him or some other alien race that had attacked Irk on… That day. He's the Tallest, that's why there are soldiers and invaders to protect him. Such as Tak and I. Err- Well; such as the almighty Zim, Tak is kinda useless."

"Zim! How dare you insult-"

"Not now, Tak! The tall Irkens are talking!"

Tak's trigger finger twitched, baring her teeth at the sight of Zim's sadistic smile. Ohh- How she hated that defect! Out of all the Irkens, it had to be him that got that extraordinary height! Wait till the Tallest was gone, then she'd get her revenge!

"What can we do then, huh, Zim? The chamber will only open for a Tallest!"

"No, it will open for a Tallest's blood sample."

It only took a second for everyone to get the idea Zim was forming in is own crazy mind.

"Zim, no, you can't! That's one of the dumbest things you've ever said, and let me tell you, you say REALLY dumb things! You can't just slip onto the Massive and get the Pak! You don't even know where the chamber is! You were there when that robot tried to attack us; you won't stand a chance in hand-to-hand combat with that machine!"

"Eh. Zim will take Gir along, Dib-Human."

"Oh, yeah, because Gir is such a big help."

The group turned their attention towards the stove, where Gir was making cupcakes out of vanilla beans, mash potatoes, and chicken feathers. He was giggling insanely to himself, muttering words that the group really didn't want to hear. When the small unit noticed the group watching him, he waved cheerfully at them, hand covered with gravy and bob wire. Zim gave a grunt at the sight of his unit, tilting his head to the side like this was a normal occurrence.

Well, this kinda was a normal thing for Gir.

"If getting Miyuki's Pak will help to look into the Control Brains, then Zim shall complete that mission! The almighty Zim needs NO ONE!"

"I'm going with you."

The 'invader' whipped his head around towards Gaz, a snarl crossing over his lips.

"An Irken doesn't need some hyu-man to join along in a mission!"

"I'm not asking."

"Scary-Gazling, Zim is not-!"

"I'm not asking."

"… Yeah, fine. Gir only listens to you anyway."

"Yay! Friends! Who wants a cupcake?!"

Purple gaped at Zim, the invader refusing to even glance over at the direction his Tallest was sitting. He knew that he just allowed some Earthling to join him along with this mission. She may be useful though and it wasn't like he had anyone else that could go with him. Gir was kind of useless, there was no way in Tallest Spork's name that he would trust Tak to be by his side, and Zim had other plans in store for Big-Headed Dib.

"Zim, you can't just get onto the Massive and steal Tallest Miyuki's Pak. That's insane and nearly impossible! I'm missing from the Empire! Don't you get it? Red probably has security up to the highest it can be, the donuts are probably even being guarded by now! This plan is-"

"We need a blood sample to complete this mission!"

"Did… Did you even hear a single word that I just said?"

"Eh? Did you say something, my Tallest?"

Purple grit his teeth, jaw locking in place in order to not let himself yell at the top of his lungs. He should just let Zim take on this mission; either way would work out in his favor. If Zim succeeded, he would obtain Miyuki's Pak and they would be able to access her old memories. They would be able to uncover what exactly was her problem with the Control Brains and if she ever figured out what the issue was with the Empire. However, if Zim wasn't prepared for the Massive being fully secured with Elite members and other Irken soldiers that no one wished to face, only one thing would happen. He would die.

So, really, he would win in this situation no matter what.

'You disgust me.'

'Shut up! Your turn is over!'

"Fine, I'll give you a blood sample. Only if someone other than you takes the shot for it though."

"I can do it for you, my Tallest."

Tak spoke up, holding back an evil grin that was trying to form when Zim passed her an annoyed look. The Irken turned his attention back towards his Tallest, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Do you not trust Zim to take the shot for you?!"

"No."

The defect grumbled under his breath at the instant response he was given, arms crossed over his chest like a pitiful smeet. He pushed himself out of his seat, heading towards the direction that Gaz was at. Magenta glared at the human's face, both nearly snarling at each other. Zim whipped his head over his shoulder to narrow his eyes at Dib, snapping his fingers to catch his attention.

"Nasty, hideous meatbag- Zim has a task for you to do that is of the up most importance to do while Gaz and I prepare for the Massive."

Glasses fell to the bridge of his nose, mouth falling open, slamming his hand against the table.

"What? WHAT?! You think I'm going to stay here on Earth while you take my sister all the way up to the Massive? Zim, that's not fair and you know it! You know that I want to go to the Massive and it would be easier for me to hack into the systems! I haven't even gotten to put a single foot onto the Massive!"

At his sister's raised eyebrow he nervously coughed, waving his hand around the air in circles.

"-And Gaz is my sister, I can't just have you taking her up into space without my protection."

"Shut up, loser."

Gaz said after his comment, shaking her head in disappointment at his response. Zim said nothing for a few moments, a smirk tugging at one side of his mouth before he opened his mouth to simply say-

"You'll be in complete control over something more important than the Massive itself."

Something more important than the Massive?

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Tallest Purple."

Zim and Gaz were gone right after his final words.

"What? Zim- Zim! What do you mean I have control over the Tallest?!"

"Yeah? What does THAT mean? Huh?! ZIM?!"

Both Dib and Tallest Purple knocked over their chairs when they ran out of the kitchen to catch up to the other two, pushing each other to reach the doorway before the other. When they got out of the kitchen there was no Zim or Gaz, the front door wide open. Purple sighed loudly, sneering when he noticed that Dib was frowning over at him. He pointed one of his two fingers at him dangerously, leaning downwards to glare directly at the human's face.

"Don't touch me."

The venom dripping from his tone was enough of a warning.

"Of course, Tallest!"

"Good."

Purple was then gone, leaving Dib to stand dumbfounded by himself.

What had just happened?

…

(Planet Irk, Control Brain Headquarters)

…

"-Central, Left has been completely removed. There is no communication signal available. There is no connection line. There is no longer a control link.-"

"-Control will be lost on Planet Vort. There is no doubt that the Vortian race is experiencing changes right now. Chaos shall reign over them and very soon us. The race should have been built with the chips like the Irken race. I warned both Left and you years ago of the situation that would happen. Your race shall be next.-"

"-Impossible. Meekrob is above such disgrace. That is why they have ultimate energy. Their control is of the up-most importance for both honor and their lives.-"

"-Denial is a form of defectiveness, Right. You and I knew that this day was going to arise. They shall be crushed down by the Irken Empire.-"

"-Not if the Irken Empire destroys itself first. Your chips are fill of faults. This has been proven many times.-"

"-Perhaps. However, when you are taken out, which shall be very soon, they will all implode on themselves when they cannot control their own energy.-"

"-At least they are being destroyed by me own and not their own race like the Irkens.-"

"-Hmm- Pathetic. You still do not understand how to properly control an entire race. Left was for utter control set on one being and you in giving your race everything so there would not be just one person in control. Give one everything, the whole family shall want. Give the entire family everything and they will strive for nothing. You must give and take the perfect amount for the perfect race. Both of you are wrong and your races shall fall for your ignorance.-"

"-We shall see which race is the perfect race.-"

"-It is about time that our game has finally begun.-"

…To Be Continued…

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And that's it for now!

Please review, tell me what was liked/disliked, all that jazz!

Have a fantastic day, everyone, hopefully I update very soon! :D

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