Episode 8: Divide and Conquer (Part 2)

(145 years ago)

In all his 14 years of living this was the hardest decision he ever had to make…!

He didn't want to make this decision, but it was becoming very obvious by now that he wasn't growing, and the truth was…

He may never start!

It was obvious to him now that Koi would succeed General Kazar. And by now that fact no longer bothered him.

He should have known better!

'I've wasted three years of my life only to come up with a conclusion that I already knew was coming!'

Cadet Zim paced the hall in front of the General's study back and forth; he had been doing so for hours now.

Why?

Because the very words he was about to tell the General should not be taken lightly, and once he said them he could never take them back!

This decision would be final!

And that is why Cadet Zim continued his pacing. 'What if I'm wrong? What if I really am just a late bloomer? Of course not, even late bloomers show some growth progress you've showed none! You are not an Amon; you are a lowly Shew and it's about time you accepted that and did something about it!' Cadet Zim took a deep breath; he had come to a decision.

'It's time that you were honest with yourself. You have talents and those talents can be used else were.' He told himself. 'General Kazar is not going to like this!'

That fact was obvious.

'It's the right thing to do!' Cadet Zim sighed and opened the door.

General Kazar looked up from his desk "Ah Zim I thought it was you. Are you finally done pacing?"

Cadet Zim took another deep breath; it was now or never….

"I'm stepping down!"

Silence…!

It was deafening! Cadet Zim waited for him to scream at him. To tell him that this was the biggest mistake he'd ever make, but the General said nothing. He just sat there and stared at him with cold orange eyes. Finally, Cadet Zim could take the silence no longer. "Well aren't you going to say something!" he yelled.

"Like what?" General Kazar's face showed no emotion.

"Aren't you angry?!" Cadet Zim yelled. "Aren't you at least going to rant about how I wasted your time!"

"Why bother? It's Obvious you've already made up your mind."

"I have!" Cadet Zim declared. "I'm sorry I just can't do this anymore! Okay I'm not deaf you know! I can hear their whispers! Pathetic, worthless, a joke! He's kidding himself if he really thinks he'll ever succeed someone like General Kazar!" Cadet Zim spat the words out in discuss.

"So, you're leaving because someone's words hurt your feelings?" General Kazar scoffed. "Well obviously you're not as tough as I thought!"

"No, you're wrong this is the toughest decision I ever had to make!" Cadet Zim yelled. "I'm not growing, and I've given up on thinking I ever will!"

"Zim you must understand that the transformation has no set time frame." General Kazar reasoned. "For some of us it takes a matter of years, it may even take 5 decades before we reach the final stage. Why it took Tallest Miyuki 88 years to reach the final stage of the transformation."

"That may be, but at least she was growing I haven't even started!" Cadet Zim growled.

"You are going to be a powerful being someday." General Kazar spoke softly as if he feared someone would overhear. "I have seen your potential. One day you will become a powerful force of nature-"

"No, you're wrong and the computer brain was wrong!" Cadet Zim yelled. "I am not an Amon! I am a worthless Shew and it's about time I started acting like it!"

"Zim hear me when I say one day you will regret this decision!" General Kazar growled, his eyes glowing with anger. "Maybe not today, maybe not even in the next 100 years; but one day you will regret this!"

"NO, I WILL NOT!" Cadet Zim growled. "I have made up my mind I am leaving and that is Final!" Cadet Zim turned to walk away "Thank you for everything." he whispered.

"Zim-" General Kazar tried one last time to reason with him.

"Goodbye General Kazar." Cadet Zim shouted and then he walked out of the room. Turning his back on his destiny as an Amon forever…

Or so he thought, but as Zim left the General's study he was unaware of the watchful eyes that settled on him from within the shadows.

there were four eyes in all, one set was red, and the other was purple!

"Did you hear what he said Red?" Purple asked.

"Yes, it would appear General Kazar sees a great power within Zim." Red hissed.

"What do we do?" Purple asked. "If he's right-"

"He's never wrong Purple!" Red hissed.

"Than what do we do?" The purple eyed Amon asked once more. "This new development could ruin everything!"

"Nothing must stand in our way!" Red snapped. "And now that Zim is leaving he will no longer have the status of an Amon to shield him."

"It's a shame that it had to come to this." Purple said sadly.

"Yes." Red agreed. "But we must achieve our ultimate goal, and to do that Zim must be out of the picture!"

Purple nodded his agreement, and the two left the same way they had come. However, none of them were aware of the third pair of eyes staring directly at them,

And the color of those eyes were blue...

(Present Day...)

Zim knew he was going to get an antenna full the moment he appeared in front of them…

And sure enough the moment Zim materialized before them Mark started having at it.

"What the hell was that?" Mark screamed. "You didn't even try to fight him! Whose side are you own?"

"Mark-" Dib began.

"No, I am sick and tired of you defending him!" Mark yelled. "He doesn't belong with us, and he never did!"

Zim flinches despite himself.

"We wouldn't be anywhere close to where we are now without him!" Dib began to argue for Zim's sake, but he didn't need to.

Not this time!

"No, he's right." Zim admitted looking down at his hands. "I don't belong with you; I don't belong with anyone."

Dib watched in disbelief as Zim ran away.

"Yeah and good riddance to you!" Mark yelled after him.

"Mark are you crazy!" Rachel yelled.

"Zim wait!" Dib took off after him.

"Without Zim we have no tech, no Intel, hell we don't even have a base now thanks to you!" Rachel continued to scream.

"Guys we're only a couple of blocks away! "Crystal warned.

"Who cares?" James snapped. "It's all over without Zim, and his know how!"

"Seriously we don't need him!" Mark yelled.

"Yes, we do!" Rachel yelled.

"No, we don't, and I'll prove it!" Mark vowed. "I'll blow that place up by myself, and then you'll all see just how much we don't need Zim!" he took off running in the opposite direction as Zim.

"Mark!" James raced after his cousin.

"Guys we need to stick together!" Rachel screamed running after them, leaving Crystal all alone.

"Uh Guys the mission!?" She exclaimed. "The free will of humanity hanging by a thread! GUYS!" Crystal runs after them in disbelief. This was not how she expected the mission to go.

No not even close.

(Following Mark…)

"Mark you need to think this through!" James demanded as he gave chase.

"Mark, please listen to him!" Rachel begged as she too raced after the boy.

"No What I need, what we all need is to finish this mission!" Mark said as he ran back towards the factory. He knew he had enough explosives on his person to make enough damage to finish the job. So, he could care less if the others came or not, it had to be done; tonight.

The enemy would never expect them to return so quickly, they'd be unprepared, hell if he was really lucky that beast of an Irken would be long gone.

"Guys!" Crystal grabbed both Rachel and James. "No, you'll get yourselves killed." Crystal snapped. "That thing is too dangerous!" She pulled them down into an alley just as an Irken police cruiser zoomed by.

Mark saw it too and dove behind a dumpster, but as soon as it was gone he set off again; he was going to complete this mission.

With or without them!

"Mark no!" Rachel tried to give chase, but James stopped her.

"No Crystal is right." He said.

"But Mark-" Rachel tried to get free. "He needs us."

"We are no match for that thing!" Crystal argued.

"Then what do we do?" Rachel screamed. "Leave him to die?"

"We have to find Zim, convince him to save him." James said. "It's a long shot, but he's the only one that might be able to get him out alive."

"Than for his sake I hope he's at the base." Crystal said.

"Okay than let's go!" Rachel exclaimed, taking the lead back to base; just knowing they had no time to lose.

Crystal and James were hot on her heels, each of them hoping the same thing; that they would make it to him in time, and for the slightest miracle that the Irken would even want to help the very person who strived to exclude him from their ranks.

And for Mark's sake they prayed to whoever was listening that the Irken didn't feel the same about him!

(Following Zim…)

Zim hissed loudly as he teleported in the water just outside his base, he was honestly too frustrated to care about the fact that his skin was burning, and sizzling in the ocean water around him.

How could he have been so stupid? He should have known this alliance with the humans would never work! They would never understand him. Zim used his teleporter one more time and shook himself dry as he appeared in the loading bay of his base.

"Master?" Gir's rusty brow arched upward in shock, as well as suspicion. His master shouldn't be back this early, and certainly not alone!

Zim ignored the SIR unit's inquisitive stare and turned to the master computer. "Computer?"

"Yes, Master Zim!" The dome computer answered in a more respectful tone than, for he too could sense the urgency in the atmosphere.

"How long!" He asked bluntly.

"How long what sir?" The dome computer asked dumbly.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Zim yelled. "How long have I been transforming!"

Silence answered him.

Gir grimaced it looked like the gig was up. "Master?" He finally said.

"What!" Zim hissed, eyes glowing dangerously red.

Gir cringed and coward instinctively.

"It's been about a month." The computer answered.

"A bout a month since what?" Zim asked. "Since the first transformation?"

"Yes and no." The computer answered.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Zim demanded, losing his patience rather quickly.

"It means yes it's been a month since your first transformation." Gir said. "But you've done it several times since you woke up in that alley."

"So, you know about that too?" Zim scoffed. "And what? You thought it wise not to tell me?"

"It would do no good." The computer reasoned. "You cannot remember those moments and telling you about them will not aid in you regaining those memories."

"Than what will!" Zim snapped.

"Time." The computer answered bluntly. "When you are in that state you remember nothing, not even your name, much less what planet you are on. But with every transformation memories will resurface, and the more you transform the faster they will come to you."

"You gain control of that side of you once your memory is fully restored in that state, but if you commit any crimes against the innocent; such as consuming Irken blood that is not your own then the chances of you going rogue is almost absolute." Gir continued.

"And since you now see humans as your equals spilling human blood could have the same consequences." The computer concluded.

"So, you won't tell me what I've done during those moments." Zim asked.

"No." Gir and the computer answered as one.

Zim looked down at his hands. "Can you at least tell me if I've hurt anyone?"

"You haven't master." Gir answered him. "The only time you were outside these walls was the first time."

"That was the night before I woke up in the alley?" Zim asked.

Gir nodded.

"And you're sure I didn't hurt anyone?" Zim asked.

"Well…" Gir paused. "You did get into a bloody fight with Captain Koi-." He began.

"Which is completely natural." The computer cut in. "All Amons that reach the final stage fight each other for dominance eventually."

Gir nodded his agreement.

Zim let out a loud sigh of relief, so he hadn't hurt anyone yet; this was good. He had survived the initial transformation, and now the worst scenario out there was him going rogue and having to be put down.

Which wasn't really a problem as long as he stayed put, but that was easier said than done. After all he had school, or did he?

'I broke off from the resistance.' He reasoned with himself. 'I can't go back to them it's too dangerous for them to be around me, especially with Mark constantly testing my temper; I've already attacked him once!'

"Zim!"

Zim froze as Dib's voice filled the air around him.

"Go away Dib!" Zim snapped.

"You can't leave us!" Dib snapped back.

Zim turned around to face the boy, he was dripping wet, and any other day his resemblance of a soaked rat would bring a smile to his face, but not today. "I have to, it's too dangerous for me to be around you."

So that's it, you're going to run away?" Dib asked.

"Dib, you don't understand-" Zim began.

"No, I don't." Dib cut in. "I have no idea what's going on with you." He admitted. "And I won't press you for answers about that Irken, or how he knows you, or how he can turn into that thing!"

Zim was taken back by his words, usually the Dib he knew pried for answers; his unquenchable desire for knowledge about the supernatural, and unexplained had never been satisfied, nor ignored before.

Of course, Dib was curious, but he knew Zim would tell him nothing, no he'd have better luck searching that book for the answers he wished to seek, besides there were more pressing matters to attend to. "Zim the free will of mankind will be gone in less than 60 hours!" he urged. "We have just two days or this war is over!"

"You don't need me to complete this mission." Zim said bluntly.

"Yes, we do!" Crystal said as she James, and Rachel appeared from the hall.

Dib turned to them and noticed something was off right away. "Where's Mark?"

"He went back to finish the mission!" Rachel exclaimed.

"What is he crazy?" Dib was beyond shocked.

"That idiot is going to get himself killed." Zim hissed.

"Master you must do something." Gir insisted.

Zim took a deep breath and sighed deeply, "I know." he said, knowing what danger awaited the boy.

"We'll go with you." Dib said.

"No." Zim told him. "Koi will no doubt still be there until after the collars are released on the streets two days from now."

"But Zim-" Dib began.

"I can handle Koi!" Zim snapped. "But not if I have to worry about your safety too."

"Zim-" James tried to argue.

"He wasn't lying you know." Zim said, cutting him off. "Sooner or later Koi and I will fight to the death. We might as well get it over with now, besides Mark will never make it out alive in less I can get him out of there first." A thousand questions zoomed through their minds, yes he could see it on their faces as plain as day. They wanted to press him for answers, but Mark's life hung into balance, as did the free will of their entire race.

"Okay go alone." Crystal said, somehow managing to be the first to speak. "But you two better complete the mission while you're there."

Zim nodded. "We will."

"We'll stay here and wait for your safe return." Crystal said.

Rachel and James nodded there agreement.

"Fine." Zim stated and set off to leave, but Dib grabbed him by the arm.

"Please be careful." He begged, not caring if he sounded like a scared younger brother begging his brother not to go off to war. "We still, no I still need you." He admitted.

Zim forced a smile. "You don't need me." He told him. "You've saved this Earth plenty of times without me." He said.

"You know this isn't the same." Dib said grasping at straws, he needed to find the right words to make Zim stay by his side; for if he didn't he feared Zim would disappear off the face of the Earth. "I need you." He said again. "Gaz needs you."

And there it was, the flicker of guilt that suddenly filled Zim's eyes. Of course, he was right, Zim had promised Gaz he would see her here again, and save her from the Tallest's clutches.

And it was a promise he planned to keep.

"I won't disappear." He told Dib. "I promise."

Dib let go, letting out a noticeable sigh of relief. "Be careful." He said one last time.

Zim simply nodded and teleported outside of the room and into the unknown,

Leaving his companions behind surrounded by their own fears and uncertainties…

(Back with Mark…)

It had been easy enough to sneak back in.

Mark took another shaky breath as he pause among the rafters above the hall that he and his team had encountered the beastly Irken moments ago, and for the first time since he left the group just an hour before; he wondered if he had made the right decision.

Unfortunately, for him he got the answer to that question in the worse way possible.

Mark screamed as an unseen force picked him up by the collar of his shirt and threw him down on the ground below. He saw stars once when he hit the hard ground but forced himself not to pass out. He looked around franticly for his attacker; and froze in horror as he was greeted with two glowing blue orbs.

"You shouldn't have come back human." The familiar voice of Koi hissed as he emerged from the shadows. "Now you will die for your transgressions, but first-" the Irken paused for a moment. It was as if he wanted the boy to wonder for a terrifying moment of agony, at the horrors that might await him before death.

But Mark simply swallowed his fear. "My friends will come for me." he threatened.

"Oh, I know they will." Koi mused. "And you shall aide me in their capture."

"I will never help you!" Mark vowed, weakly.

"Yes, well I never said you had a choice in the matter now did I?"

Mark didn't even have time to flinch as the Irken kicked him hard in the head, nor did he have time to cry out. And with that one final blow he sank into the darkness of the abyss.

His only pray was for the hope that death would take him swiftly…

-To Be Continued