Episode Summary: Joseph finds a wounded Scamooch on the side of the road and decides to do the right thing. He helps the cadet and ends up saving him from certain death. The entire ordeal causes Scamooch to question the ways of his people, and whether they were right to take over the Earth.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading and please review!

Episode 10: Friend or Foe (Part 1)

(Yesterday...)

He couldn't believe this was happening!

After all his efforts and hard work, he was about to get publicly demoted, and humiliated in front of all his peers.

Cadet Scamooch watched as the Tallest floated down to address the masses.

"People of Irk!" Red declared over their cheering voices. "We have some troubling news."

Silence greeted those words...

"Are beloved Captain Koi, and our future successor was struck down by the enemy!" Red continued.

"And sadly, he lost the fight." Purple cut in.

The masses went into an uproar, demanding that someone avenge Koi's death!

"My fellow Irkens please!" Purple called over them. "Please…Koi would not want this!"

"No, he would want us to soldier on." Red agreed. "With that said, we have one more matter to come clean about..."

This was it!

This was the moment his life would be ruined forever!

"We were not completely truthful about the Amons, and the Virus that overtook them." Red admitted. "The truth is none of them made it."

The crowd gasped.

"Yes, this is true, even Scamooch was just a lowly Shrew following orders in Succeeding Koi until a solution was found."

Cadet Scamooch cringed as the truth was finally revealed, he bowed his head in shame as more up roars were made.

"Lier!" one Irken yelled.

"You mean we sucked up to you for nothing!" Screamed another.

"Now my fellow Irkens we must not blame Cadet Scamooch." Red advised over him. "He was only following orders."

"Our orders." Purple agreed. "We did not want mass panic."

"We had planned to tell you the truth when a solution came to pass!" Red cut in. "And it has!" he held up a vile of something up for all to see. "Behold the Ancients have blessed us with a stronger strand of Amon DNA one they assure us will be immune to the virus."

The masses suddenly cheered at his words and rejoiced; realizing all was not lost.

"Yes, all is well again." Red assured them. "And soon a new class of Amons will be born."

Everyone cheered for the good news well almost everyone for Cadet Scamooch only shivered in fear.

Why?

Because he could see several angry faces staring back at him, and those faces made it pretty clear to him that this was not good news for him.

No, it would appear his troubles had just begun...

(Present Day)

Joseph ran as fast as his legs could carry him; he needed to get home, and he needed to get there now! Of course, it would decide to rain on the one day he forgot to put on a coat of paste! And the wind was only making matters worse. Joseph cringed as said wind blew the rain right into his face as it threatened to blow away his umbrella, which was his only source of protection.

'Some protection' he joked as he gritted his teeth to keep himself from screaming out in pain.

He kept running as the water droplets fell all around him, several Irkens drove by; their vehicles splashed more and more water on him each time they passed. He knew they were doing it on purpose, and he cursed them all under his breath.

Oh, how he hated them, every last one of them!

He was in such a rush to get away that he nearly missed it, but even though the rain was deafening, Joseph could still hear the cries of agony as it rang out around him. The wind was whipping all of his senses in all different directions, but even if he didn't know where it was coming from, he could still smell blood. And it wasn't human.

Another scream of pain filled the air, as clear as day now. His eyes found the source of the screams and his blood boiled over. He could make out a group of Irken Cadets 6 or so, each of them were wearing space suits of some kind, to shield them from the rain. The Cadets were taking turns as they abused some poor innocent victim mercilessly.

The sight sent him into a fit of rage, and not because their victim was a helpless human. No, it was far worse; their victim was one of their own!

One Joseph knew all too well.

Joseph dropped his umbrella and charged!

Cadet Scamooch knew why they were doing this; it was simple really. They were all tired of sucking up to him; no, they wanted to be better than him. He knew one day it would happen; in fact, he was surprised that it hadn't happened already. He braced himself as another blow from Cadet Rene's boot connected with his side.

The pain was unimaginable; Cadet Scamooch found that he could no longer see anything in front of him.

Suddenly the torture stopped as his own attackers began to scream as a force Cadet Scamooch couldn't see attacked them.

He heard the sounds, but he could not make them out, He could only smell Irkens around him. Then he felt the ground vibrate as the Cadets ran in fear.

Cadet Scamooch didn't blame them for being afraid; in fact, he may have even felt sorry for them if they had not just tried to kill him!

For his savior reeked of danger, a kind of danger that made his blood run cold.

"It's okay…" a deep dark voice hissed. "You're safe now." it assured him as he felt someone pick him up gently. The voice sounded familiar to him somehow, but Cadet Scamooch couldn't place where.

He felt safe though, and it wasn't long before he gave in to all the pain, passing out in his rescuer's arms.

Zim held Cadet Scamooch in his arms closely as the rain stung his skin. Nowhere was safe from its touch. He knew he had to get them both out of the rain or Cadet Scamooch would die. Zim forced the sense of despair to leave his mind; he had to keep moving for Scamooch!

(Back inside the School...)

Principal Razi was running late, and it was all because of this rain. She did not trust her suit to protect her, and because of this she had missed the last bus to Zec; and with this constant downpour it would appear that she would be stuck here all night.

"Is anyone in here?" A voice filled the halls. "Please we need help?"

She knew that voice! Principal Razi ran out of her office and into the hall to see... "Joseph, oh my Irk what happened?" She asked as her eyes fell on Cadet Scamooch who he was fighting to carry in his arms.

"I don't know…" Joseph was breathing heavily "I was on my way home from work, he was just lying there on the ground."

Principal Razi could tell the boy was terrified. "Did you see anything? Was anyone around him, or even close?" she continued to question him as she took Cadet Scamooch in her arms and rushed him to the school clinic. The school nurse left hours ago, but every Irken knew the basics of medical first aid. She just hoped she knew enough to save him, or at least enough to keep him alive until more help came.

"I don't know..." Joseph spoke franticly "I only saw him..." he didn't want to lie to her, but he also knew as a human it was not his place to accuse a Cadet. Besides once Cadet Scamooch woke up he would tell her what he wanted her to know…

'That's if he wakes up.' Joseph could feel the dread seeping in. he knew it was bad; the Cadet's skin was boiling from the rain, and bruises from the beating were beginning to show. He wasn't the only one who noticed.

Principal Razi saw them, and her temper rose to newer heights. "This was no accident!" she said as she laid the Cadet down on an empty hospital bed. She turned to Joseph. "You swear to me, that you didn't see anything?" she asked.

Joseph suddenly found it too painful to meet her eyes; he turned away his gaze falling on Scamooch…

The Cadet wasn't breathing!

"Is he going to be okay?" he asked his voice was barley a whisper.

Principal Razi's eyes softened she could tell that he was scared, but at the same time she could also see that he was hiding something. "I'm not sure..." she decided that it was best to be honest with him. She was surprised to see him flinch; the boy looked like he was on the edge of tears. "You want to help him?" she asked.

Joseph nodded; of course, he wanted to help him, even if Cadet Scamooch made his life a living hell that didn't mean he deserved this.

"Then help me, we need to get him as dry as we can." Principal Razi ordered. She began to peel away his wet uniform as she spoke.

Joseph grabbed a towel off a rack and began to dry the Cadet's left arm. He tried not to look at the horrible condition of his skin, but it was impossible to ignore. The smell of blood invaded his sent glands making him sick to his stomach. He tried his best to ignore it as he continued his work.

"Okay keep it up; I need to see if I can get someone down here to help!" Principal Razi rushed out before he could answer.

Joseph knew she wouldn't get a hold of someone in time, and it wasn't her look of despair that gave it away. He knew from experience just how bad water could damage an Irkens skin. And once it got past the skin it didn't stop there, it would then be absorbed by his organs. His organs would then begin to shut down as the water caused them to dissolve.

If he was going to make it Joseph had to do something now!

Zim took off his disguise and reached into his PAK. He knew Principal Razi could return at any second…he had to hurry! He could only hope that his cure would work; Zim pulled out a needle full of a blue liquid, it was a prototype really; one he had never tried on a real Irken before. In theory it was supposed to cause all the water in the body to evaporate once it entered the blood stream. Zim had created it soon after he discovered what happened when his people came in contact with water. He knew if he was going to save the Cadet he couldn't take the time to think this through. So, without much thought he stabbed the needle into the Cadet's skin and injected its contents into the blood stream.

Zim stored the needle back into his PAK and turned his disguise back on, waiting for the slightest sign of change. He held his breath; if it worked the change in the Cadet's health would be evident any second now, but it would still take several hours for every trace of water to leave his body.

Zim let out a sigh of relief as Cadet Scamooch took in a ragged breath; he checked the Cadet's vitals. His squeedlyspooch was thumping weakly, but it was steady.

'He's going to be okay.' Zim smiled as he picked the towel back up and continued to dry the Cadet's skin. "You're going to be okay…" he whispered "I promise I will never let anything hurt you again." he vowed as his eyes glowed red with rage.

How could they? How could they have done this to one of their own?

Zim remembered a time when there was honor and loyalty among Cadets. A time where they always watched each other's back and defended each other from all forms of danger. He touched his left antenna absently. He remembered how Red and Purple had pushed their own hatred for him aside and helped him in his time of need.

Had his people really changed that much; so much that they had forgotten the meaning of loyalty and brotherhood?

Had his people really gone so astray that they would nearly murder one of their own; and for what? He already knew the answer to that question, and it made him sick! This was all about power; his people had become so power hungry that they would do anything to ensure their status. They would do anything to become one more person higher in the Irken social ladder. Even if that meant killing one of their own!

This was the Tallest's doing, they had led the Irken race down this dark murderous path.

'The monsters!' Zim growled as his anger boiled over sending him into a blinding rage of madness.

"They will pay, they will all pay!"

(Back with Dib at the Dome...)

He was late…

Three hours late; Dib paced the room back and forth waiting. 'Where is Zim?'

The team had all agreed after the weapons raid that today would be the day that they regrouped.

So where was he!?

"He isn't coming is he?" Mark asked, breaking the silence; capturing the attention of all the members of the resistance.

"He's hiding something!" Katlyn cried.

"Yeah how do we know he didn't tell the Tallest about the raid!?" William agreed.

The renegades shouted their agreement all around him.

All but the top five who bit their lip in worry, ever since yesterday rumors of the Irkens getting information from an unknown source had spread like a wildfire, and as expected the majority suspected Zim to be their mole!

"Besides, you must admit he's acted more than a little strange!" Robert shouted.

Dib reached for the book that was hidden in his coat pocket. He had been studying the history of the Worthy Ones for several nights now, but he stopped himself. Ever since their encounter with Koi Dib had secretly expected that Zim too was an Amon, but he highly doubt that telling everyone Zim might have the ability to turn into some rabid beast would even help Zim's case. "Listen to me all of you!" he demanded. "We would be nowhere close to where we are now without Zim."

Silence greeted these words and not because Dib was wrong. No, it was because no one wanted to admit that he was right!

"Zim has gone against everything he has ever known. Yes, he caused this, but that was a mistake! He's trying to fix it! Do you think it's easy for him? Uh?" Dib asked "Do you think it's easy for him to go against everything and everyone he has ever known? No, it's not easy, but he is still doing this, and he is doing this because he knows it's the right thing to do!"

"Then where is he!" Audra demanded "You can't deny his behavior has been beyond suspicious!"

"I'm sorry Dib, but Audra is right…" Rachel spoke with a heavy heart. "I feel we have no choice but to consider the fact that Zim may be going astray."

"Rachel, come on you can't be serious! Zim would never go back to them." Dib yelled.

"He would for Gaz…" James said the obvious.

"Now I know I'm not one to defend Zim." Mark said, "But I know he would never fall for such an obvious ploy; The Tallest would kill him the moment they got the chance. He knows that there is no hope for him to be accepted back into the collective."

"Well you can't deny that something is up." Gretchen yelled. "And when he leaves us in the dark like this we cannot help but suspect the worse."

"She's right!" Rachel's tone was hollow as she spoke. "Dib, I'm sorry, but we must consider the possibility, and act upon it. For the safety of the cause, and to insure the freedom of the human race the Irken known as Zim will be tried for treason against the Resistance!"

The Renegades all around them shouted their agreement.

"Please give me more time, I know there is a logical none betrayal reason for all of this!" Dib shouted over them. "Please I just need more time, PLEASE!"

Everyone grew silent as the renegades all looked at one another as if thinking it through. Then one at a time they each nodded their approval.

"It is decided." Rachel exclaimed "Dib you will be given until the next meeting to find some source of proof that Zim is still trustworthy. If you cannot do this, then we will have no choice but to prosecute him."

"But that's only three weeks I need more time!" Dib begged.

"The decision has been made!" Jamie declared. "Take it or leave it!"

Dib bowed his head in defeat "I understand."

(Just outside the briefing room...)

Gir backed away slowly, the SIR unit had been ease dropping from behind the crack door, and he had to admit things weren't looking good for his master.

"This is getting out of hand!" The Dome computer brain spoke the obvious. "If they turn on the master now, then it will send him into a world of madness that he will never escape."

Gir was shaking with every word "We'll lose him..." fear began to wash over him in waves.

"We must tell them!" The computer brain urged.

"We can't then they'll turn against him for sure." Gir swallowed his fear, it didn't go down easily. This wasn't going well; at this rate the master would be forced into a world of insanity.

The computer brain seemed to be thinking the same thing. "You know what we must do if it happens." It said gravely.

"We can't!" Gir whined.

"We must! Irken law demands it!" The computer brain whispered harshly. "If a worthy One goes Rogue it must be executed!"

Tears filling Gir's eyes "I can't do it. He's my master, he's all Gir has in this world..."

"If he loses the battle, he will no longer be the Zim we knew, he will be a mindless beast that will kill and devour all in his path. Is that what you want!?"

"No..." Gir whispered weakly.

"Then if the time comes we must do what is necessary. It's what the Master would have wanted."

Gir knew the computer brain was right he puffed out his metal chest boldly. "I'll do it!" He said as his eyes glowed red. "If the Master loses the battle I will put him out of his misery." Gir vowed.

"Are you sure?" The computer Brain asked.

"If he goes rogue then I must!" Gir's red eyes narrowed. "For the sake of the mission, the Master must die!"

-To Be Continued