Episode Summary: Tensions begin to rise as the Tallest double their efforts to hunt the members of the resistance, and it begins to become evident that not all the new recruits can handle the pressure. Meanwhile after being the main victim of another one of Zim's violent rages Dib takes it upon himself to investigate in hopes to find the cause of the Irken's bizarre behavior. Will the Renegades learn to pull themselves together? Or will this war be over before it can even begin?
Author's Note: Thanks for reading, please review!
Episode 3: Suspicious Minds (Part 1)
(149 years ago)
Cadet Zim took a deep breath and held it in as he and Cadet Skoodge dump out of a porthole and into a mechanical clearing between two levels. Cadet Skoodge breathed heavily; they had been running for some time now and the short chubby cadet was beginning to have second thoughts about coming here in the first place.
Cadet Zim on the other hand was overjoyed about the fact that he had managed to sneak out of that training room of a prison in the first place. To think it took him 10 long years to decide to do it! 'I should have done this years ago!' He thought as the rush of their thrilling escaped coursed through his veins like a liquid fire! 'This is the most thrilling thing I've ever done!'
"We're almost there Skoodge! Can't you feel it, you fool!?" Cadet Zim yelled with excitement. He had never felt so alive in all his life.
Cadet Skoodge on the other hand had never felt so afraid in his life, but he forced a smile and said "I do! I do! I am feeling it too-day!" he exclaimed just as happily as Cadet Zim had felt.
Suddenly the two froze as a security droid leaps into the room and stares them down.
"Quick, Skoodge, Name that machine." Cadet Zim demanded as he hid behind the fatter Irken defensively.
Cadet Skoodge thought for a moment, taking his time, as if the whole ordeal was some quiz that he had been given all day to finish "A dermis prowler security droid." He finally answered.
"Good." Cadet Zim praised his friend and smiled an evil smile. He knew all he had to do was stay still and the droid wouldn't see him. As for Skoodge, well Cadet Zim had an ingenious plan for him! "And how do they function?" Cadet Zim continued to question his friend as he stayed hidden behind him.
"Detects motion, Homes in, Hurts a lot" Cadet Skoodge answers once more.
"Good work Skoodge!" Zim praises and the he picks the fat Cadet up and throws him down a corridor and the robot is instantly after him. Skoodge dodges the robot, causing the robot to slam into various pieces of machinery. Each lunge causes more and more damage causing several alarms to go off.
Cadet Zim ignores it and quickly ascends a ladder he was almost there. 'Just a little closer' he told himself as he pressed onward still.
"It's gonna catch me! It wants my brain!" Cadet Skoodge screamed from somewhere down below him.
Cadet Zim gives Cadet Skoodge the thumbs up, though he was not really looking down at him. The explosive damage resumes below Cadet Zim as the robot pursues Cadet Skoodge. "Excellent work, Skoodge!" he praised once more as he poked his head out of the surface side of the porthole.
"Freedom!" he gasped, as he took in the world of his race for the first time! Wow he never knew that Irk was so big, so bright, and so... noisy? "Hmm... A pitiful world, just waiting for me to make it great!" Cadet Zim's smile turns into a frown as a loud boom from below distracts him.
Skoodge blasts screaming out of the hole, still being chased by the robot; Cadet Zim shakes his head, smiling once more at freedom!
There is another series of booms and then the world is plunged into darkness, he had done it again. Cadet Zim had screwed up, and just like before one of the guards took the full blame.
He appeared in front of Cadet Zim and seemed to come out of nowhere. The Irken Guard took the young Cadet Zim into his arms and carried him back to the training room leaving Cadet Skoodge to walk… or rather limp behind them.
"If anyone asked I forced you out here Sir." The guard told him with a shaky voice as they entered the training room. He sat Cadet Zim down beside Cadets Red and Purple who were busily eating their lunch.
"So how'd it go?" Cadet Purple was shocked to see the two had been carried back in by a guard as if nothing had happened.
Cadet Zim grinned wickedly as he remembered what the guard had said. "He snatched us up and took us against our own free will; Right Skoodge?"
Cadet Skoodge nodded his agreement as he takes his own seat beside Cadet Zim but spoke not a word as they all continued their meal.
Cadet Red's eyes narrowed; it would appear getting rid of Zim was going to be harder than they thought.
'No matter,' he'd assured himself. It would appear that they would need to do better. Either way he would be successful after all it was instinct. He was stronger, he'd survive longer, and he knew it.
Yes, he knew that he and Purple would make it, and Zim wouldn't. And nothing could change that.
They of course would try to beat Zim fairly, and if that didn't work they would beat him with their fist. Either way Zim would lose, after all he couldn't keep up much longer.
The Cadet would be gone in a month's time...
He couldn't have been more wrong!
(Present Day)
He knew this was a bad idea the moment that he tried it...
And yet he did it anyway.
But in his defense at least for once he was obsessing over family and not an Alien, or some other paranormal thing for that matter. Dib Membrane locked himself in the bathroom and entered a number into his communicator and said a silent prayer. He didn't like the fact that he had to hide in the bathroom every time he wanted to make a classified call, but it was the only private place in the house. And he didn't want any spy drone to pick up on his private calls especially this one.
"Dib what are you doing contacting me?" Tak's voice erupted from the communicator and even though it was, but a whisper Dib could tell she was angry.
"I was hoping for a status update on Gaz" Dib knew he sounded desperate and why shouldn't he after all this was his sister they were talking about.
"I don't know" Tak's voice answered slowly.
"You don't know! What do you mean you don't know?!" Dib had to keep himself from yelling just in case a spy drone was somewhere in the house.
"Look all I know is she's somewhere in the Tallest Palace a place that mind you I have no business being in." Tak answered rather harshly.
"So how are you going to get to her?" Dib asked.
"I'll think of something, my first priority is to get on their good side. Perhaps then I can convince them to put her on my watch."
"Would they do that?" Dib asked hopefully.
"Usually the Tallest would not give the job to a cadet but since I am far older than most and have a bad history with Zim. They might see me as the perfect candidate."
Dib cursed under his breath as the sounds of loud sirens filled the air.
"Dib what are you doing contacting me on an unsecure line?!" Tak hissed.
"It is secure!" Dib cursed again as loud banging could be heard coming from the front door. "We make calls like this all the time." He assured her as he looked through the curtains of the bathroom window. His eyes widen as the sight of five guards met his line of sight, "Tak I have to go" he told her in a harsh whisper.
"Call me back the moment you get a free chance." Tak ordered venomously.
"Yeah sure" Dib answered half-heartedly. Was it his imagination or did Tak's voice just sounded as if she was concerned for his wellbeing?!
"I mean it worm if you don't call me in the next 24 hours I'm gonna think you've been found out; and then I'm gonna bolt for my own safety got it!"
Dib couldn't help the smile that found its way to his face. Of course it was his imagination after all why would Tak care about him? And since when did he start imagining that she did? Did he want her to care about him? Did he care about her?
Dib didn't know where these questions were coming from, but he knew all too well that he didn't have time to dwell on them now. He shook his head and forced himself to push the thoughts away into the back of his mind and whispered, "Got it!" before hanging up and running to the safety of his room.
Zim's eyes snapped open as a loud pounding sound vibrated down his antennas.
"This is the Irken police open up now!"
Zim cursed and quickly jumped out of the bed only to fall to his knees as a hot flash of pain engulfed his spine. He forced himself to his feet and tried his best to ignore the pain; it was easier said than done. He had been meaning to address the problem, but with the heat of the Renegades latest mission still boiling over his head he found it impossible to get to the Dome and ask the Computer Brain to diagnose him. In all honesty he had been hoping that the problem would correct itself, but sadly it would appear that things where only getting worse. Zim gritted his teeth and turned on his disguise if Dib had been there to see him he would probly scowl at him for taking it off in the first place; but the Irken could honestly care less. He ran out of his room and collided headfirst with Dib.
The two fell back onto the floor dazed.
"Why are you up" Zim or rather Joseph snapped harshly as he pushed the human off of him in discuss. His eyes widen as he caught sight of his communicator glowing. "Why do you have your voice caller on? Where you just making a call?!"
Dib gave a nervous laugh as he turned the voice caller off and flipped on his disguise.
"This is your last warning open this door now!"
Joseph gave the boy beside him his best "Your in big trouble" glare before running past him and ran down the stairs where he ran straight to the door and opened it at once; bowing respectfully. "Sir may I help you?" his voice was as respectful as possible considering the situation at hand. 'I swear if Dib's stupid midnight call is the reason why they're here then I will not hesitate to rip his throat out.' He thought bitterly.
"Yes, we are here to do an inspection. Are you the head of the house?" The Irken soldier glared him down expectantly and for good reason, only the head of the house was supposed to address any Irken visitor that may find themselves at a human's home.
"Yes Sir" Joseph answered as he came to attention. "Our mother and Father are...no longer in the picture." he tried his best to appear sadden by this, but the guard seemed to care less either way.
"Step aside filth" A second guard pushed past the first. "I don't have all night!" he snapped.
Joseph did his best not to growl at the guards shameless disrespect, sometimes he found it hard to stomach the treatment his fellow Irkens displayed towards him in his disguise; not that they treated him much better than himself either. The boy steps to a side obediently and allows the soldiers to inspect the house.
A spy drone follows behind them scanning everything in sight.
"Sir may I ask what you are searching for?" Joseph asked respectively as he rubbed his temples. That annoying skull splitting migraine was coming back at full swing and he was finding it hard to ignore. 'Great out of all times you have to flare up now' he scowled at the migraine as if it would make a difference. Of course it doesn't, Joseph sighs silently to himself as his question goes completely unanswered. 'Why am I not surprised?'
"Sir the scanning is complete." The spy drone stops to report to the second Irken officer.
Joseph can tell just by looking at the Irken that he is the commanding officer of this particular squad.
"Report findings" The Commanding Officer orders his eyes never leaving Joseph.
"There are none sir; the house is clean." The Spy Drone reported.
Of course Joseph was not surprised by this answer, after all the only suspicious thing in the house that would cause any alarm would be the secret door in the kitchen that led to the cleft where a certain pair of robot doubles where being stored along with a caboose full of stolen food! Lucky the secret entrance was carefully shielded with a scanner scrambler of Zim's own design rendering it completely invisible to the Spy Drone.
"Very well it would appear you have nothing to hide." The Commanding Officer said as he eyed Joseph knowingly. "Or at least nothing we can find. After all, all you humans are guilty of something. Isn't that right worm?" The Irken glared him down expectantly.
Luckily Joseph knew exactly what he was dealing with, the guard expected him to lash out at the obvious and blunt accusation he just made. Thus earning him the next 24 hours in confinement to endure a thousand or so interrogations; but sadly Joseph would be giving the jerk no such luck. "Yes sir" Joseph answered respectively. "After all everyone knows us humans are pathetic, filthy worms who don't deserve the space we take up!"
"Are you mocking me?" The Commanding Officer asked getting right up in the boy's face.
'Yes' the boy told himself 'Of course I'm mocking you I mean seriously even without my disguise I tower over you!' Of course Joseph didn't say any of this in fact he wasn't even sure where the sudden pride for dominance even came from!
'What the Hell is going on with me!' Joseph wanted to scream his fury into the heavens, but instead he forced himself to bow his head submissively and answered respectively "Of course not Sir. I may be a worm, but I would never stoop so low as to treat someone as worthy as you in such a way."
'Worthy ha him?! What a joke the guy isn't even worthy to kiss your boot much less deserve the respect you're dishing out so willingly. What kind of Amon bows to a lowly Shew anyway where's your pride Worm!' Joseph flinched as a sharp stabbing pain sliced its way into his brain. He forced his inner demons to silence themselves as he followed the guards back to his front door; it wasn't easy.
'What is going on with me?' the boy wasn't sure, he hadn't referred to himself as an Amon in years, not since he stepped down and that was 145 years ago!
"Well aren't you going to open the door for us worm?" The Commanding Officer snaps Joseph out of his thoughts.
Joseph silently cursed himself and opened the door and bowed respectively. "Thank you Sir it was an honor for me to have you in my home."
"I'm sure it was." The Commanding Officer chuckles as he and his squad head back for their vehicles.
Joseph watches them drive away; the Officer laughter echoed in his mind causing his temper to boil over. 'Who does he think he is?' The boy thought venomously. 'Laughing at me: that worm! I should rip his throat out that will teach him not to treat a superior like some common filth!'
"Man, that was a close one." Josh said as he appeared behind him giving out a loud sigh of relief. "And for a minute there I thought they had picked up on-"
"Who were you talking to?"
Josh flinched and for good reason, his brother's voice may have sound as sweet as honey, but he could already feel the deadly sting that was sure to follow.
"I said: WHO WERE YOU TALKING TO?!"
Josh stumbles backwards as Joseph turns around to face him at what seems like lightning speed. The boy's eyes are blazing red and there is a look of pure rage on his face. Josh tried to back up only to find that he was already being slammed against the wall.
"Tell me now Worm!" Joseph's growl is almost animal-like.
Josh shivers obviously scared out of his mind. "It was no one okay!" he lied.
"You're Lying!" Joseph snapped as he grabbed the teen by the collar of his shirt!
"No really I didn't have time to make the call okay! The sirens sounded off before I could, I swear." Josh knew he was lying through his teeth; but something told him that if the Irken found out that he had been talking to someone who tried to destroy him…well let's just say the boy didn't imagine that playing out so well.
Joseph narrowed his eyes at the boy in front of him suspiciously and Josh could actually see the wheels turning in the older twin's mind as he thought it over. Finally he pushed him away and said "Whatever; just get out of my sight!"
Josh practically crawled away, not even trying to mask his obvious fear! He got to the stairs and stumble up them in a clumsy mess in hopes of getting to his room as fast as possible. Once there he closes his door quickly and dives into his bed were he quickly hides under the covers.
Meanwhile Joseph stands where he left him as still as a statue, he blinked once, and then twice while taking several deep breaths. 'What the hell did you just do?!' his mind was screaming. 'You almost strangled him; you could have killed him! Did you not swear to protect him with your life? What would Gaz say if she saw the behavior you just displayed?! She wouldn't be able to stand the sight of you!' Joseph fell to his knees as the guilt washed over him like waves.
'What has gotten into me? That's the second time I've almost completely lost it!' Joseph looked up towards the stairs. He suddenly had the urge to apologizes he forced himself to his feet and rushed up the stairs to his brother's room.
Josh freezes as his door slowly creeps open; he peaks through his blankets fearfully.
"Please, I'm sorry." Joseph whispers his eyes; now dark hazel, can't even bring themselves to look at him. "I have no idea what came over me please forgive me."
Josh sighs in a momentary sense of relief "It's fine Zim I understand you were worried that my call might have jeopardized the mission. And it's late; you're sleepy, of course you're going to snap." But even as Josh's words sounded perfectly logical in the back of his mind the boy was fearful that this outburst was the cause of something more sinister.
'This is the second time he's lost control like this.' Josh reminded himself. 'And what's up with those red glowing eyes?'
"So are we good?" Joseph asked pulling his brother away from his thoughts.
"Uh yeah we're great." Josh said with a reassuring smile.
Joseph smiled too, "Well I guess we better get to bed." he yawned and turned to go.
"Yeah…" Josh agreed still a little shakenly despite his best efforts.
Joseph stopped and turned back around suddenly "Who were you about to call any ways?" he asked casually as if the entire ordeal downstairs had never occurred.
"What?" Josh asked dumbly.
"The call you told me you never made it cause of the police. So who were you going to call?"
"Oh uh Rachel…" Josh lied dumbly still fearing that the truth could spike another weird tempered episode. "You know to ask if the heat had died down enough to start passing out the food; but I guess the inspection answered that for me." he laughed uneasily, but Joseph didn't seemed to notice.
Instead he laughed as well. "Yeah well hopefully the food doesn't rot before we get to pass it out cause that would really tick off Mark!" Joseph chuckled at the thought.
"Yeah tell me about it." Josh agreed. "Well good night bro…" he said as he turned towards the wall away from the door.
"Goodnight and sweet dreams." Joseph says and closes the door behind him.
Josh turns back towards the door with his usually inquisitive look plastered on his sleep deprived face. 'I need to find out what's going on with him before it becomes a problem!' He pulled out a notebook and pen from under his pillow and began to write down some notes.
Subject: Zim
Cause of investigation: Strange and somewhat bizarre behavior.
Behaviors include: increased hunger, constant complaining of a headache and violent mood swings.
Comments: Subject Zim's behavior has spiked into an unexplainable fit of rage for the second time in the span of one week. The first was with Mark an encounter that nearly caused the boy to be strangled to death. My encounter was less violent, but I can't help but think that is because Zim simply hates me less than Mark, and as his hunger intensifies so does his temper! And I can't help but fear that this is only the beginning of something terrible…
Josh stopped midsentence and rubbed his temples yawning as a strong wave of fatigue washed over him. He really wanted to continue his notes, but he also knew that he really needed to get some sleep. He tucked his notebook and pen back under his pillow 'There'll be plenty of time to investigate Zim's weird behaviors tomorrow…' he thought as he allowed himself to surrender to some much-needed sleep.
Completely and utterly unaware of the fact that his thoughts would prove to be right…
In more ways than one!
-To Be Continued