Author's Notes: Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Yours Truly, RoxieDivine :)

Episode 1 - The Madness (Part 3)

(Back with Rachel…)

[Location: Westville High school]

They should have known Gaz would start with her…

After all they were all friends back in the day, Gaz, Zim, Mark, James, Dib and herself.

They should have known Gaz would seek her out, and try to use their old friendship as an outlet to find the resistance.

And yet her presence had caught them off guard.

Rachel forced a fake smile, she couldn't have Gaz suspecting that she had anything to do with the rebels. Speaking of her fellow rebels also shared forced smiles, she was surprised that none of them had ran.

It was relief considering that they had just got back all 25 plus members a few weeks before. It was strange, no one knew who attacked the water factory but the event seemed to re-spark the fire that all the rebels felt before the deaths of those scientist. The need to stop the oppression of the Irken race at all cost.

Even if it meant trampling an old friend, or in Joey's case, an old love interest.

"Hey Rach what's up?" Josh said as he and his brother arrived at the great oak where the rebels gathered every day for lunch. Of course he feels the urge to kick himself the moment the words leave his mouth.

And for good reason.

Gaz gives him a questioning look.

'Dib use to call Rachel, Rach for short.' She looked at the boy more closely.

Could this be her brother?

"Oh this is an old friend of mine Gaz Membrane." Rachel said, nervously. "Gaz this is Josh and his twin brother Joseph." She said introducing them. "They moved her shortly after the great war."

Gaz looked the boys over closely, yes they were twins, she could see that, but she knew Zim had high tech disguising technology so she looked past their features to their personality.

"Hi I'm Josh." Josh said trying to give a kind greeting.

Joseph does not follow his lead. "So what is she doing here?" He knew he was being rude, but he didn't care. To be honest he was rather bitter that Gaz stabbed him in the back. He thought she was different from his people.

He was wrong, she was after her own self-interest just like them.

"Joey be nice!" Josh hissed.

"Why?" Joseph snapped. "She's a minion how nice can she be?"

His words stung, but Gaz pushed them aside she's been getting a lot of that treatment from her fellow humans ever since she arrived three months earlier. It didn't bother her much, she was use to people looking at her differently.

"Joey Gaz is an old friend of mine." Rachel insisted giving him a clear; "What is wrong with you" look.

She see what it is in an instant.

It's over between them, the thing that he gave up everything for was now against him, and it cut him deep.

He was hurting.

Rachel knew what she had to do.

"But that's not why you are here is it?" Rachel asked Gaz.

Gaz stiffened, and suddenly the circle of kids she was surrounded by felt more like a cage. The mood had changed. "Rachel I…"

"No I know what happened, you really think the cadets, and the soldiers wouldn't brag about how they used you as bait for your brother!" Rachel yelled. "How could you do that?"

"They promised to spare him, to forgive him for everything. They even said my dad could get his job back at the lab, and he could come home to us. " Gaz yelled, deciding it was best to be honest. It was always easier with Rachel when you were honest. "I just want my family back!"

Joseph's eyes soften, perhaps he had been selfish before, besides it was best for them to cut if off now, after all it wasn't like he could stay once this war was over.

No the humans would want them all gone.

"Well I don't know where he is!" Rachel snapped. "So if you only came over here to pick my brain and cause him grief then go elsewhere!" She cried. "Because Dib was my first friend ever, he was my friend when I was a penniless nobody and I will not betray him."

The guilt washes over Gaz in waves, and she suddenly can't take it.

How could she.

How could she barge over here and demand her to sell her brother out!?

"I'm sorry." Gaz said. "I just had this crazy idea in my head that we could all still be friends." She turns to leave.

James grabs her shoulder. "If you're looking for friends than you can stay." He promised.

Mark nodded. "The truth is we missed you Gaz."

"He's right we've been worried sick about you." Rachel agreed. "Wondering what could have happened to you."

"We're all friends here." Josh agreed.

"All of you?" Gaz asked, it was strange the circle no longer felt like a cage, but like people again. It was like this group breathed as one being.

"The cadets can be pretty harsh." Kathy said. "Large groups like this seemed to keep the bullies at bay."

It made since, besides Gaz was sure the teachers had already suspected this group before after all Mark, James, and Rachel use to hang out with Zim, and her brother.

Surely they already eliminated this possibility.

And yet she couldn't help but feel like this group had been through far more together then just cadets who bullied them around. A group this tight, a group that breathed as one like this meant they had been through far more.

She looked to Josh he wear glasses like her brother, and even had a similar way of carrying himself. Confident, caring, yet overanalyzing even the slightest of details. She could read this all just by the way the boy stood before her.

But if this was Dib then who?

Gaz looked at the twin more closely he was glaring at her still, but the glare was softer. So he wasn't completely heartless, no it was just possible that he really hated backstabbing minions.

Which was true, part of Joseph cover was to treat minions with hostility, after all several had ratted him out to Cadet Scamooch. Who in turn would get him fired from his job, but after seeing him hang out with said cadet so often willingly, and appearing to be enjoying said company many of his fellow classmates would assume he was past this form of hostility.

And he was.

Joseph Campbell had changed his view about minions. Zim on the other hand never hated them, it was simply a part of his cover, and he understood they were just trying to make it in this new world. No Zim was not giving her a hard time because she was a minion.

He was giving her a hard time because he was bitter.

And it's not having a good effect on making Gaz not suspect him.

If anything Joseph's behavior reminds her of how Zim felt when his people betrayed him.

He would give his fellow Irkens the same bitter look he was giving her now.

Could this be it?

Certainly she hadn't found them this easily.

"So Joey is it okay if she stays?" Rachel asked.

Joseph allowed his eyes to meet with Gaz's, he sighs, and suddenly his demeanor changes. He goes from being royally pissed to being openly optimistic. She knows this routine it like Zim's always forgiving nature. Always handing out second, third, and even fourth chances to those who have done him wrong.

She knows this devotion.

She knows that look, always accepting, never judging.

A look that always made her feel warm all the way to the tip of her toes.

"I guess I could give you a chance." He said, the smile on his face is genuine and real.

She knows this smile, she feels the sparks that it never ceased to give her.

"Gaz uh?" He asked offering a hand.

Gaz takes it, and feels the kinetic energy between them. "Yeah my parents always came up with the strangest names." She said returning the smile, she almost sure of it now.

This was him, she had found Zim.

The bell sounds around them and suddenly their hands break apart.

"We'll I better go." Gaz said.

"I'll walk with you to class." Rachel said.

"Really?" Gaz was stunned.

"Yeah sorry for the hostility I guess I let the gossip get t me." Rachel said. "The cadets were making you out to be a bad guy and I forgot to give you a chance." She explained. "That's why we formed this group, they try to manipulate you, get inside you're heads, you know?"

Gaz nodded she knew the feeling, after all every cadet knew who she was.

She was the lover of that traitor Zim, the defect. And they offend teased her for it.

"Bye." Joseph her sheepishly.

Gaz smiled, he never could stay angry at anyone long. That was his weakness, Zim was too forgiving. "Just let me go speak to Cadet Tak first, make sure she's okay with it."

Rachel nodded, and they watched her go.

Mark snickered. "You're such a softy." He teased Joseph.

"I never could stay mad at her." Joseph admitted.

"What now?" Josh asked. "I mean you heard her they're holding my life over her head to manipulate her."

"We know." James said.

"We thought as much." Jamie agreed.

"But for now we can do nothing but watch our backs." Mary added.

"So why let her in?" Amanda asked. "She might figure us out, you heard her she'll do anything to get her family back."

"She's safer in arms reach." Joseph said. "The truth is the Tallest will figure us out eventually, they're not stupid. Sooner or later they will connect the dots with or without Gaz, and they'll come for us."

"And when they do?" Keef asked.

"The closest one to her will grab Gaz and we'll disappear into the depths of the ocean." Joseph answered.

"What about our parents?" Kathy asked.

"Them too." Joseph assured them. "We can't allow the enemy any leverage."

"Then it's settled we're coming out of hiding." Mark said.

"Yes." Rachel agreed.

"To do what?" Steven asked.

"To find out who ordered that attack." Josh answered. "Someone attacked that factory, probably to let us know that we were not alone in this battle we need to meet them somehow."

"How?" James asked.

"Simple." Joseph answered. "They called out to us with a big bang, so we'll answer back with a big bang of our own."

"You think they'll get the message." Kathy asked.

"Yeah how will they know it's us?" Josh asked.

"You know the second water factory?" his brother asked.

They all nodded.

Joseph smiled. "We're gonna blow it up…"

(Back with Tak…)

"You think it's them?" Tak asked Gaz as she came back over to her.

Gaz nodded.

"I suspected as much." Tak admitted.

"What now?" Gaz asked. "They're trying to keep me close I think they know they'll have to make a run for it soon."

"Let them." Tak assured her. "I'd rather they snatch you up and got you out of harm's way if the need arises."

"And the Tallest." Gaz asked. "We've promised them results."

"Simply we'll tell them it's likely that Zim and Dib don't go to school." Tak said. "Just the other rebels that you don't know. It'll be a dead end."

"They won't be happy." Gaz said the obvious.

"No, but they will find another use for you, I'll make sure of it." Tak promised.

Gaz nodded, and rushed back over to Rachel. "She says it's cool."

Rachel smiled. "Then get a move on." She teased. "And start talking we've got a lot of catching up to do!" Her smile was forced.

Gaz could tell they were afraid that she'd choose to save her brother over their friendship, but Gaz knew better.

The Tallest never kept promises. They'll do the same thing they did to Zim, they will praise Dib for his valiant efforts, and then they will kill him.

'Not on my watch.' She thought, her eyes falling on Josh. 'I just got him back and you're not taking him away from me.'

'Not again…NOT EVER AGAIN.' She vowed, and it was a promise she planned to keep.

(Back withy Mia…)

[Location: top floor of the abandon skyscraper.]

{Time: Midnight}

She had not expect such a quick response…

But to her amazement that evening she had set up the transmitter and dialed in the code only to see Lar Nar was waiting on her.

"Aw Mia I have great news." He said.

"You spoke to your friend?" Mia asked.

"Yes he said that if Zim wishes to speak to you than he will give you a sign." Lar Nar said.

"What kind of sign." Mia asked.

"You'll know it when you see it." He assured her.

"Is that all they could give you?" Mia asked, sounding annoyed.

"Be patient, the recent betrayal has them warry to meet anyone new." Lar Nar informed her.,

Mia nodded. "I understand. I will wait for the sign."

"Cheer up Mia, Zim is not one to keep his allies waiting." He assured her once more. "You're bound to see it soon."

Mia hoped he was right, Zim needed to know the truth.

And she would tell him.

No matter what.

Episode 1 - The Madness (Part 3) END!

Author's Notes: Tune in next week to find out what happens next!

Thanks again for reading and please review!

Yours Truly, RoxieDivine ;)