A/N: Okay guys just a warning… things are about to get very dark and I know people these days are sensitive so be prepared for some gore! I feel horrible for what I put my poor Zim through but it is necessary. Thank you for reading I love you guys for even giving my stories the time of day!

The two foes went topside to open the door for Membrane. Zim was apprehensive not knowing exactly how he would react now so he armed himself before letting him in. There was a dreadful silence as the two stared at each other. Membrane was hard to read but Zim looked ready to attack if need be. Luckily a little purple moose floated over to Membrane to ease the tension, causing an on looking Dib to sigh in relief. "Nyah?" he squeaked

"Oh I remember you! You helped me save the earth! You adorable creature!" Membrane cooed as he pet the little moose, before staring back at Zim. "So it really is true… the florpus and everything else that happened weren't hallucinations… I apologize this is all so new to me… I'm still trying to process everything" he explained. He looked at Dib who was all singed and battered then looked at Zim "I assume you did this…" he accused.

"IT WAS MY FAULT DAD! I shot at him so he fried me in self defense!" Dib shrieked scared his Dad might do something drastic now. "He helped me recover…. He could've left me to die" he said weakly

"It was tempting…" Zim said darkly under his breath. His arms crossed and antennae back.

The Professor sighed "Zim! I don't know you enough to hate you but I do not trust you! However like it or not we're family now!" he declared with a thunderous volume that even shook the base. Zim stared at him wide eyed not expecting that. "I don't know what the future holds but I do know that we need to face it together… ALL OF US!" He shouted as he held his hand out to Zim. Zim was very confused to say the least! Dib picked up on this.

"He wants you to shake his hand, he's declaring a truce" he informed.

Zim snarled, seeing the tall professor before him extending his hand to him triggered Zim. His eyes glowed red again as repressed memories of his former leaders flooded his brain. "YOU ALREADY RULED HE'S DEFECTIVE!" "You're not even an Invader, you know? The Tallests LIED to you! Your mission is just a big lie!" "It's not stupid…. It advanced!"

Zim growled and slapped Membrane's hand away "Zim needs NO ONE!" he snapped. "Take your huge headed son and leave! I have business to tend to!". Visions of Membrane and Dib working together now flashed before Zim triggering him more "Don't worry son! I've got your back!"

Dib now agitated yelled at the alien "Hey! We're trying to help YOU! You're lucky my Dad's even here to help after EVERYTHING you've done!" he ranted. Membrane put a hand on his son's shoulder to calm him. Zim stormed off and threw Gir at the two scythe haired men in irritation.

"You guys look like TWINS!!! Except you don't smell like cheese like dis one!" Gir shouted with glee. Dib shoved the little robot off of him and went to chase after Zim but his father stopped him.

"Just give him a moment son, call it intuition but I think this is just as hard for him as it is for us" he spoke softly. Dib grunted but knew his father was right but still old habits died hard.

"But WE'RE WASTING TIME! HE'S WASTING TIME! I wouldn't even care if it wasn't for Gaz! I'd let the stupid cockroach die!" he ranted.

"Master isn't a roach silly big head! If he was I would have eated him by now!" Gir happily screeched then proceeded to open his mouth that was full of roach corpses. Dib and Membrane both shudder in disgust!

Zim locked himself in his elevator during all this, lost in his thoughts. He subconsciously pulls out the skull necklace gifted to him years ago that was in his pocket.

{Flashback to 3 years ago}

Zim was summoned to the massive by the tallests for investigation. Investigation for what? He did not know. All he knew is he was slightly relieved he wasn't being summoned to Judgementia. He was accompanied by two tall Irken elite soldiers that had their weapons drawn on him. They entered the control room where Red and Purple were waiting for him.

"Well it's about time you got here Zim! You have a lot of nerve!" Red's voice dripping with venom.

"The audacity of a DEFECTIVE purposely trying to be a tallest!" Purple screamed pointing his claw at Zim.

"Wait! I'm not trying to be a tallest! Zim has simply"

"Silence you incompetent FOOL!" Red's voice echoed. "I've had ENOUGH of you! Can you even fathom all the damage you've caused to the Irken Armada?!"

"Of course he can't he's too STUPID! I bet none of this is even sinking in is it Zim?" Purple mocked and poked at Zim in the chest. Zim stood silent and blank.

"Nope it's not sinking in!" Purple yelled

"What do you expect from a DEFECT?" Red sneered.

Zim's eyes shifted nervously around the ship, looking for any kind of opening, any kind of distraction he could use to escape if the need arises.

"But now Zim! Trying to become a Tallest against the will of the control brains? That's even worse than the florpus incident!" Red explained.

"Did you really think you would get away with it? You don't think other smaller Irkens have tried this before?" Purple grilled before smacking himself in face "Oh I forgot your stupid! Haha!" he laughed.

"Again… My Tallests this change in my height was unexpected! I assume being on my assigned planet so long has" Zim tried to explain but was cut off from laughter.

"Hahaha! I haha I keep forgetting you actually think hahaha that you're still an invader!!!" Red cackled and held his stomach from laughing so hard.

"Haha Your "assigned" planet that we didn't even know existed! Hahaha!" Purple was laughing so hard he had tears forming in his eyes.

Zim's vision began to blur, their voices seemed faint and lightly echoed as his heart beat out of his chest! He felt as if he was drowning inside of himself as he stared at the leaders he's idolized for so long mock and degrade him… again. It didn't even feel real.

"Hahaha Oh man at least he's always good for a laugh right Red?" Purple nudged but Red was no longer amused.

"No Purp! We have other servants for that! Zim! The joke has gone on far enough! And since we can't have an official assassination without the control brain's permission we'll just have to torture you instead" Red declared

"Be grateful Zim! We're letting you keep all your GARBAGE technology! Besides torture is good for you… builds character!" Purple snarked.

Zim still stood blankly barely even able to breathe as the guards took him away to the torture labs.

"Oh guards make sure you take him to the extra special torture lab! We want to watch while we eat our snacks!" Red ordered.

Zim and the guards entered the lab in which four tall hooded Irkens just got through torturing another small Irken and the whole thing was being broadcasted. It was Invader Skoodge , he was in a comatose state as he was dragged away.

"Ahh I guess that's all for Invader Skoodge! Guess he'll think twice before trying to claim he conquered Blorch am I right?" the announcer asked a crowd of Irkens behind him. Something in Zim snapped as if running on pure adrenaline he began to fight back with ferocity! His PAK legs shot out knocking back the two guards who just narrowly missed him with their lasers. The four hooded Irkens charged at him but he managed to knock two back while biting one in the neck drawing blood and fending the other off with his claws!

"Whoa Ladies and Gentlemen! Guess Zim isn't gonna accept his punishment without a fight! The Tallests won't be pleased!" the announcer reported

Red and Purple watched on their screen and Red started to get mad but Purple held him back. "Don't worry about it Red! Do you really think someone as lame as Zim is going to get away?"

"He has dumb luck! I don't want any chances!" Red replied.

More Irken soldiers flooded the room and surrounded Zim and they picked him up and slammed him unto the operating table where Skoodge had been previously and strapped him in. He continued to swipe with his PAK legs until they were cut off with Laser powered saws!

"Uh oh folks! Try as he might he just can't get away! He's really pissed off the Tallests! Anyone wanna bet how long he will last before he begs for mercy?" The announcer asked the crowd who was now laughing.

One of the wounded Hooded Irkens Zim had bitten shocked him with a prod before he gutted him with a scalpel. Zim fought to hold back his screams but in vain! The torturer continued dragging the blade across his torso. Another of the four torturers poured some liquid into the wound making his insides sizzle as he screamed in pain. The crowd of Irkens laughing as the light from Zim's eyes diminished.

"Reactivating" Zim sprang back to life gasping for air as the cruel Irkens chuckled. This time they sliced him down the middle of his chest exposing his rib cage.

"Hold on Folks the Tallests are gracing us with their presence via monitor from the Massive!" the announcer proclaimed as the monitor appeared with the two smug faced Irken leaders looking at Zim.

"We have some ideas for this little thorn in our side!" Red smirked

"I think it would be funny if you break one of his ribs and played with his ribcage like a xylophone!" Purple squealed with delight!

The torturers did as they were told as Zim wailed but the laughing crowd was even louder, again Zim slipped away.

"Reactivating"

Zim was zapped back to life again as his tormentors were sealing his wounds… only to make more.

"Rip out one of his eyes! And… and make him eat it!" Red eagerly suggested

"WAIT no make him CHOKE on it!" Purple perked up!

"Reactivating"

"Rip out his squeedlyspooch, jump rope with it, and then reattach it" Red ordered.

"reactivating"

"Damn for a defect, he's got a powerful PAK huh? Maybe we should take it?" Purple suggested but Red shrugged

"We can't! If the control brains knew they'd deactivate US!" Red remarked. "Alright this was fun but I am bored now! Send this Defective Food Drone back to his dirt planet!" Red ordered. The guards removed a beaten and battered Zim and threw him into his Voot Cruiser.

It was about 3 in the morning by earth standards. Zim had just crashed his Voot Cruiser into a empty and desolate park. He emerged from the fiery smashed vehicle weak and exhausted. Not even wanting to move but knowing he had to as he sensed someone watching him. "That's all I need right now! The Demon seed! I don't have any strength left to fight!" he thought to himself as he struggled against the ground trying to lift himself up. Gaz had seen the crash from across the park bench she was sitting on, knowing exactly who it was therefore not really afraid she walked in the direction of the destruction. There she saw him on the ground struggling and she called out to him "ZIM! Come on get up I'll help you!" she ordered as she held her hand out to him. He ignored her and still tried in vain to pick himself up. "Come on Zim I know we're not exactly friends… but I can't leave you like this!" she exclaimed. He was unresponsive and she kneeled beside him, slowly she reached out to him but he flinched! "What happened to him? He isn't insulting me, or boasting about how he doesn't need help, he's being way too quiet" she thought to herself as she looked closer at him. His eye was bloodied and bruised, his antennae were bent and possibly broken, his legs were possibly broken as well since he couldn't get up. "Okay Zim if you wont let me help you, lets use your PAK legs! Or maybe call Gir" she suggested.

"…...away"

"What was that?" she asked

"Just GO AWAY!" He shrieked. She got up and dusted herself off while looking at him with pity, she decided that was the real reason he wanted her to leave. The last thing he wanted was an inferior life form pitying him.

"Fine! Stay there then! Stay there and burn to a crisp for all I care!" she shouted and began to walk away. She looked back to see the fire from the Voot spreading and Zim still on the ground. "Why do I even care? Why do I feel compelled to do anything for this bastard!" she argued with herself. She kept walking forward and again looked back he moved slightly now but didn't get very far before the entirety of the Voot exploded. "Damnit!" she cursed as she ran back to him and picked him up. He was heavier than she thought and she struggled to get him away from the area before someone came. He was barely conscious at this point the will to fight her was gone. She managed to hide them behind an abandoned building before she sat him down and sat beside him out of breath. He was hunched over in pain and it caught her eye. In the past she herself had caused him physical pain but he was a tough guy and recovered quickly but this was different. "Zim…. What happened? You finally piss off the wrong person?" She laughed awkwardly while trying to touch his shoulder. He jumped back hurting himself "aaah!" he groaned in pain.

As if things couldn't get any worse thunder was heard followed by small droplets of rain. It was a small drizzle but enough to make the alien whimper but before a drop could hit him Gaz draped the coat she was wearing over him. He stared at her weary eyed in confusion, her golden eyes usually cold and dismissive were warm and comforting.

"Why?" he asked with pain in his voice

"Why not?" she answered "Guess I'm not as evil as I thought" she laughed. He looked away from her "Can you walk Zim? Have your legs healed yet?" she asked. He had told her before that Irkens have the ability to regenerate, which was true however in his case, his body was regenerating slower due to all the trauma he had endured. He shook his head. She sighed knowing they were stuck then. "Hey Zim reach into my pocket and grab my phone! I'll get us a cab!" she requested. He wasn't paying attention and just stared blankly ahead. "Zim snap out of it! Let's go home before the storm gets worse!" she demanded.

"just go without me" he was barely audible.

"What?"

"Just go! Leave me here! I have no desire to go back!" he snapped.

She growled and snapped back "ZIM GET MY FUCKING PHONE! CALL A FUCKIN CAB! AND YOUR COMING HOME WITH ME YOU DUMBASS!!!" she screamed as a fiery purple aura surrounded her.

Zim snarled and reached weakly near her pocket to retrieve the cell, feeling strange as his eyes caught sight of her hip bones, a small blush appeared on his green cheeks.

"You don't even need to call actually… just use the app and they'll pick us up!" she said seeing his nervous face. "It's dark out, the driver won't see you don't worry" she assured him. He did as he was told and 10 minutes later they were picked up by an elderly driver who probably shouldn't have been allowed to drive. Gaz made sure she covered Zim as best she could from the now hard downpour. They slowly made their way inside. During the trip one of Zim's legs healed which made it easier for Gaz to get him out once they got to her house. Once inside Zim was tensed up again and shivering. Gaz got a towel and dried herself off before trying to approach him again. "It's safe you know? Dib and dad aren't even here, they haven't been for a while" she said softly and went to touch his cheek but once again the alien flinched. It made Gaz's stomach turn to see Zim so defensive, so unstable, so unconfident this isn't like him at all. "I doubt you want to stay in Dib's bed but there's dad's…" she started. He refused to look at her scared to see that warm look again that stirred something in him, what that was he didn't know. "Or my bed… I can sleep on the couch" she offered. He sighed

"Just go away… just get away from me… stop this" he thought to himself still refusing to look at her. Gaz was never one to back down she made him look at her "I don't know what happened tonight…. But I… I… know something did" she trembled as she looked at the disheartened Irken "I know that you don't have anyone besides your robots to talk too but I just want you to know that…. Despite our past bullshit….If you ever feel like you need someone to be there for you…. I will be there" she claimed awkwardly blushing furiously. She wasn't used to opening herself up like this. Zim's eyes seemed to light up for the first time that night with a slight glimmer of hope. Gaz wasn't used to this at all, she had never felt empathy for anyone before this. She left and came back with blankets for Zim which she softly but forcefully covered him with. The warmth and softness of the blanket soothed him she walked him to her room and sat him on her bed. "I know you said Irkens don't sleep but I think you should, besides the storm is only getting worse and there isn't anything else to do" she spoke softly. He nodded exhausted from everything that's happened and laid down on her pillows and closed his eyes. She left content that he had finally relaxed and went to change into something warm. She came back and despite telling Zim she'd sleep on the couch she felt compelled to stay by his side. She got on the other side of the bed and held him close to her as she fell asleep.

The next morning Zim woke startled only seeing an arm around him which triggered him and he pounced on Gaz! "What's the meaning of this! What are you trying to pull!" he screamed as he held her down.

"Zim! Stop it! Calm down before I make you calm down!" she threatened. He growled and released her before turning away from her. She grumbled and rubbed her wrists where he grabbed her surprised at his strength. "Sorry Zim… I should've known that would startle you… but you looked like you needed someone" she explained.

"Zim is sorry too… but Zim needs no one especially not you little Gaz!" he griped still avoiding her gaze.

"I'm not buying it Zim…. I know what it's like to be alone and that you actively try to push people away so you avoid getting close to them" she replied

Zim fidgeted at that "Well I suppose I should thank you for your assistance I'm all healed now so I'll be taking my leave" he hastily stated and made his way towards the door before Gaz stopped him.

"I think your full of it! However my offer still stands if you change your mind" she starts to take off her skull necklace "This is the only thing besides my game slave that has any value to me….I want you to take it!" she takes his hand and puts the necklace in it.

"Why would Zim want such a useless trinket?"

"It's to remind you, when you feel like you don't have anything or anyone worth living for… you'll always have me" she smirked her hand still in his. As she began to pull her hand away, he subconsciously pulled her hand back to his not wanting to let go. She looked at him curiously before embracing him. He flinched but not as severely as before, she touched his arms making him relax slightly. He sighed deeply before putting his arms around her "Has she always been so warm? Has she always this nice? What are we doing right now? " he wondered to himself.

{Back to the Present}

"I have to apologize to the stupid humans! There is far too much at stake now…damnit!" Zim thought as he looked upon the necklace.

"That was stupid! Go back and let them help you idiot!" the computer scolded.

"Since when do you care computer?" Zim smiled as he put the necklace back in his pocket.

"Uhhh I don't! I'm simply pointing out what a stupid decision you've made!" he answered

"You're right computer…take me back to them" Zim sighed. The computer did as he was told and Zim approached the two humans he had previously dismissed.

"I apologize for my outburst Professor! I accept your truce!" Zim apologized

"I'm glad now let's take a look at your PAK! Do you have a lab?" Membrane asked

"Oh man Dad ! Prepare yourself for another shock! He's got a whole damn base underground" Dib answered for him.

"Yes yes come along humans! Let's get this over with… WAIT! MINI MOOSE!" Zim ordered

"Nya!"

"Go to Gaz and keep an eye on her! Check her vitals every hour and report to me any changes immediately!"

"Nya"

"Okay NOW we can go the to labs!" Zim declared.

A/N: Sorry for another filler chapter but I couldn't make it easy for Zim to trust Membrane! I tried to convey my own personal experiences with panic attacks into this piece but I'm not sure if I did a good job or not let me know Another thing I felt was important to show was that Zim wasn't always the doting boyfriend he is today it took A LOT of work! Anyways once again I can never thank you all enough for reading my stuff and I'll hopefully see you next chapter.