Episode 9: Defective

Episode Summary- Judgment Day has arrived! Will the Tallest's ingenious plan to figure out who the members of the resistance work? Meanwhile Crystal devises a plan to get caught by the Irken Police.

Disclaimers: I Do Not Own Invader Zim

Author's Notes: Okay guys I know it's been forever; this virus has hit my area hard and I had to go without internet for a while due to no work. But we are finally back!

Hope you guys are staying safe out there, please enjoy!

Yours Truly, RoxieDivine :)

Episode 9: Defective (Part 3)

(Back with Jamie…)

She knew she was supposed to get caught, but the instinct of self-preservation had gotten the best of her.

"Sis why are we running?"

Jamie turned to see her sister, Mary beside her. She wondered if it was her real sister, or just the computer playing a cruel trick on her. She knew it was most likely the latter, but she still felt the sense of relief that her presence brought.

"We can't run from the Irken police!" Mary yelled.

"But they're framing us for something we didn't do!" Kathy screamed from the other side of her.

"And running makes it look like we have something to hide!" Mary argued back.

Again, Jamie questions why she ran, because Mary was right, running did make her look guilty. Sure, the plan was to get caught, but running, running made her look weak, like she was too afraid to face this! She was about to become temporary Commander of the resistance! She shouldn't be running; she should be fighting!

Jamie stopped then, even as fear consumed her. All her life she had wanted for something more, an adventure, a since of escape from her boring average life. Okay, so an alien invasion wasn't what she had in mind, but it was what fate had chosen to throw her. Here was that chance, the opportunity she had asked for. The chance to show the world what she was made of, to go down in history as a name remembered. A chance to not fade away into the abyss of time and space, a chance to say:

I WAS HERE!

She willed the blaster to appear in her jacket pocket, and she allowed her hand to wrap around it. If there was one thing this defective test reminded her of it was dreaming. Being a lucid dreamer herself Jamie could shape her dreams any way she wanted; it made her an obvious candidate for getting caught. This is because it would allow her to bend the world around her, to create a scenario the left no room for interpretation. It gave her the power to make it painfully obvious that she was a member of the resistance!

"Jamie don't be reckless!" Kathy screamed back to her; they had stopped only a little ahead of her now.

Jamie doesn't listen she knows the answer now. These girls were not her real sisters; Kathy would never point out that something was irresponsible. As a child she would most likely act irresponsible herself. No, this was the computer brain giving her a chance to conform, to submit to the Irken power. She would not take it though. For over 2 years now she had swallowed her opinion down like a grotesque mouthful of the worse thing imaginable. She had sat under the thumb of Irken tyranny for far too long, and now that she could finally break free. To get to say at the top of her lungs what she really wanted to say.

Even if she wasn't meant to get caught, nothing could stop her at the moment.

She was at the point of no return.

She pulled out the blaster, giving herself no time to second guess her decision and with a war cry worth of her defective Irken brethren she fired!

(Meanwhile, at the Principal's office…)

They couldn't believe what they were seeing…

Right before their eyes a student had pulled out a blaster and had firing upon the oncoming Irken soldiers.

Principal Razi was stunned. Jamie was perhaps one of the kindest and soft spoken children of the student body at Westville High. And yet here she was, shooting at her fellow Irkens.

"It worked!" Purple exclaimed. "We did it! We detected a member of the resistance!"

"Congratulations my Tallest." General Kazar praised as he entered the office. His attention immediately went to Commander Reed.

His rival was currently sitting in a classroom where the cadets were currently taking their own version of the test. There's was simply the test used to weed out defective Irkens, and since no Irken was supposed to be defective their exam should have been rather short.

However, one Cadet was still hooked up.

It was Scamooch!

For a moment General Kazar regrets misleading Zim, Scamooch had once been his pupil, if he was caught it might put him in a bad light. Still he needed to see this, he needed to know if Zim's way was truly for the best. He would not let Zim's feelings for the humans cloud his judgment, if defective thoughts truly made them weak then Scamooch was about to prove it.

Scamooch's state soon attracts everyone's attention.

"Hey that cadet isn't done yet!" Purple declared out loud.

"Hey, isn't that your old pupil?" Red asked Kazar.

General Kazar forced a smile. "Yes, my Tallest, no doubt the brain is over whelmed by his brilliant mind."

Commander Reed openly smiles, the expression makes Kazar want to recoil into himself. His rival would never be please in less something was going his way.

"Oh, he's clever alright." Commander Reed mussed. "In fact, he's so smart he managed to fool us all." He transferred the feed from the computer brain to the main screen.

What they all saw caused everyone to gasp in unison.

(Back with Scamooch…)

It was the strangest thing, but Scamooch found himself in the middle of the underwater dome. This was strange because he hadn't ever been there. However, he knew about it thanks to his time within Zim's body. Zim's Pak had all of Zim's memories on it, including the Dome! Still, even though he knew all of this, he had yet to actually go there.

He couldn't help but wonder if that was because he had yet to earn the trust of his fellow rebels. The thought made him angry, they trusted the other Irken rebels with ease! Yes, Zim had told Scamooch about the other Irken rebels, of how they had bravely proven their worth in their assistance with the Irken Worshipers!

A mission he had been denied to join!

Commander Reed laughed openly now as Kazar slowly pieced together what happened. The Cadet was no doubt thinking of Zim just before the test began. So, the Computer brain was now aware of the fact that Zim had contacted the child.

"It would appear our favorite cadet has made some very dangerous friends." Commander Reed jeered. "Do you know where he is at right now?"

Oh, General Kazar knew exactly where the child was. He had never seen it himself, but he knew Zim must have had a secret base somewhere. And no doubt that was exactly where Scamooch was now! "What has the brain revealed to you so far?" He dared to ask.

"A lot." Commander Reed revealed. "His thoughts are no secret to the brain." He explained. "Apparently a freak accident caused the cadet and Zim to switch bodies."

Kazar tried not to show any recollection of this. If Scamooch remembered that day now he would remember that Scamooch had saw him when he was stuck in Zim's body. He would reveal to the others that the three of them had talked openly about Zim replacing the Tallest! Again, the general regrets this decision, but it's far too late to pull back now.

However, there might be one hope.

If he could warn Zim somehow, before it got too out of hand he just might minimize the danger and save his own skin. But to do that he'd have to admit to his once pupil that he had made a mistake thus giving Zim the chance to say: "I told you so!"

The general had never had to admit he was wrong before…and to do it now, it made his skin crawl. Still, if he did nothing they would all be exposed, and everything they worked for; all that they had risked would be for nothing! However, if he stepped out now it would surely tip off Reed that something was up, especially if Zim showed up moments later.

The realization that he could do nothing hit him hard at that moment. He had no power to stop the train wreck that was about to take place. All he could do was hope that Zim would notice the cadet's absence from the gym before it was too late.

"So, you're telling me we had Zim perfectly helpless and stuck in a Shew's body and we didn't even know about it?" Red's voice sounded obviously disappointed.

"Talk about a miss opportunity." Purple reasoned. "We could have killed him no problem."

"And Scamooch would have gained higher status for his gained height." Reed added. "So why didn't he turn himself in? Or at least tell us about the incident?"

"Perhaps he wanted to earn their trust?" Kazar insisted, trying to save the Cadet the best he could. "By keeping their secret, they may have begun to trust him, and revealed more secrets to him."

Red's eyes lit up at those words. "What a clever idea." He mused. "Reed take control of the brain and pose as Zim." He instructed. "Let's see what we can learn from our clever little spy."

Panic threatened to take over Kazar at those words, but again he could do nothing, nothing but the one thing an Irken had never had to do before…

Hope!

'Come on Zim.' He pleased inwardly. 'Notice something, and hurry!'

(Back with Joseph…)

He knew something was up the moment the cadets stated filing in to the gym and Scamooch was not among them.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who picked up on it.

"That little brat sold us out!" Mark hissed quietly.

"It's not his fault." Rachel reasoned. "We didn't prepare him."

"If anyone should be to blame it's Kazar." Josh growled, equally as angry. "I told you we couldn't trust him!"

"And now all of our careful planning is about to be for nothing!" Mark added.

"Relax." Joseph hissed, but even as he said it he knew they were right, their carefully thought out plan was falling apart. If they all got caught they would surly lose Kazar's support and their ticket into the palace. He needed to do something, and he needed to do it now, but doing anything would expose him! Yes, he had no doubt that the gym was being watched, if anyone made a run for it they would be stopped at once!

Still doing nothing would spell out certain disaster.

He had but only one option, if he willingly exposed himself to save Scamooch then he would save the others. However, this was not a decision he could make on his own, by exposing himself he also was exposing Josh. Joseph looked to his brother and without him breathing a word Josh knew what the look meant.

They had discussed it, what would happened if they were ever discovered prematurely, and what they would do to avoid capture. However, this was different, if they followed their previous plan and simply disappeared now, using their teleportation devices Scamooch would be left alone. And once the Tallest discover that Scamooch didn't plan to tell them anything he'd be labeled a traitor! A defective who would then be sentenced to death!

Josh tried to weigh the pros and cons before giving his answer to Joseph. If they sat and did nothing Scamooch may reveal everything to the brain, but he may not. Scamooch may be able to convince the brain that he was spying on them for the Tallest and only knew very little about the Renegades. If that was the case and Zim and Dib exposed themselves now all their work to get into Zec as Scamooch's minions would be for nothing.

Still, if they exposed themselves now as long as they didn't get captured, and Kazar wasn't found out as well, they'd still have a way back on Zec. And if Scamooch wasn't strong enough to fool the brain then they'd all be exposed before the day's end.

Heck they could all be exposed now!

He knew there was only one thing to do. He looked to Mark for reassurance.

Mark gave him a single nod. He knew what to do if they were found out, during their practice of the defectives test him and James had come up with a plan. They'd bug out, grab their families if they could and seek refuge at the dome.

THE DOME!

Rachel realizes it almost instantly, if the brain discovered the dome then everyone would be in danger. Their only hiding spot would be exposed to the enemy, there would no longer be a place to run and regroup. And thanks to the existence of Irken worshipers the fact that they were underwater wouldn't make them untouchable.

Their only advantage was that no Irken would think to look underwater! If they lost that now it would be all over.

The five leaders of the Renegades shared a knowing look, they had all come to the same realization, they had to pull the plug on this and get Scamooch out of there…NOW!

Joseph's eyes narrowed; they had made up their mind. Sure, the other members of the Renegades might be thrown off by the sudden change of plans. But the one thing that kept them in this war was the fact that they could adapt so quickly to change. Their world had been rocked into one episode of chaos after another, and it would do it once more.

"We're behind you 100 percent." James assured him. "Whatever you decide."

Joseph nodded and whispered into his communicator. "We're pulling the plug, be ready."

Crystal stiffened at the order. "What do I do?"

"Things will go as plan." Joseph assured her. "We just need you to try and save the other's early, for a distraction."

Understandment filled her, she knew who to try and save thanks to the practice tests, everyone who had a high chance of failing had stayed together in the gym. This was supposed to make it easier for Crystal to try and save them, but it was also supposed to make it obvious to the enemy that they were indeed rebels.

Having all those who failed the test standing together would assure them that they had gotten all of the rebels at their school.

Oh, how wrong they would be.

Crystal wasted no time braking through the glass of the gym skylight and swooping down towards her friends. Chaos erupted around them as alarms sounded and Mark had to resist every urge to help his friends as Irken soldiers began flooding the room from every direction. No doubt they were prepared for this exact scenario.

"Joey hurry!" James urged.

"Get to Zec." Joseph told hid brother. "Hide there."

"No, I'm going with you." Josh insisted.

"If you don't go now you may never get up there!" Joseph spelled out the obvious.

"Then that's a risk I am willing to take." Josh declared. "We both him into this, so we both need to get him out."

Joseph nodded. "We'll use my teleporter to get to him." He advised. "That way we can use yours to get out."

Josh nodded and looked to the other three one last time. If the Tallest ever figured out that these three were friends of Dib and Zim before the invasion they'd be in danger, and they might not be there to save them.

"We knew what we signed up for." James said as if reading his mind.

"Well be find." Mark insisted. "Now go!"

Josh nodded, and his brother grabbed his arm, and with a tap to his communicator they were gone.

(Meanwhile back with Scamooch…)

He wasn't surprised when Zim appeared before him, he was surprised though, that he wasn't confused by his presence.

"Scamooch where are we?" Zim asked him.

Kazar couldn't help the fear that was creeping in, Reed wasn't wasting time trying to be a convincing Zim, he was just going right into questioning the child.

"What do you mean?" Scamooch asked. "We're at the Dome." He said thoughtlessly.

The dome?" Red asked.

"It must be a dome shape structure!" Purple realized. "Hurry do a search for all dome shaped buildings in the area!"

Soldiers were racing around him in the Palace doing as he asked. Some search computer data bases while other searched through folders of paper documents.

"And where is that exactly?" Zim asked Scamooch.

Now Scamooch was really confused. "Why are we even here?" He questioned. "Weren't we just at school."

"Did he just say we were at the school?" Red asked.

Principal Razi wasted no time, she pressed the intercom button and declared. "Zim is on school premises disguised as one of the students. Do not let anyone leave!"

"Principal Razi." A soldier's voice spoke from the intercom moments after she had. No doubt he was using the intercom set up in the gym. "A Rebel broke into the gym and tried to take a group of students up and out of the Skylight with her."

"Those must be the Renegades!" Purple praised. "We got them!"

"Not yet!" Red yelled. "I want you to do a head count, no one leaves until Zim is found!"

"Commander Reed keep him talking." Purple urged Reed. "We need more information before someone tries to pull him out!"

Reed thought for a moment, his Tallest had a point. He need a question that would get the child thinking. Right now, the cadet was caught up on why he was no longer at school. If he could get him to think about something else it wouldn't matter if he didn't say anything, as long as he thought it….

"Scamooch that is not important." Zim assured the cadet…Reed smiled as the perfect question came to mind. "Where is Dib?"

"Dib?" Scamooch asked. "He's usually with you." This was so strange why wouldn't Zim know where Dib was? They lived together for crying out loud! "You didn't see him before you left Zec?"

It was as if Tallest Purple forgot how to breath. "Zim has been on Zec!"

Scamooch shook his head, why had he asked that? They had just been at school, besides Dib and Zim always left home together. Dib would never go anywhere without telling Zim, and Zim would not be okay with Scamooch being in the Dome without him knowing.

Hoe did he even get here in the first place!

Reed smiled as he picked up on the subtle clue embedded in those thoughts. "Dib and Zim always leave home together." Reed repeated, but since he's still hoked up to the brain, Zim is speaking the same words as well within the simulation.

"What?" Scamooch asked. How did Zim know what he was thinking?!

"If they lived somewhere else you would say 'Dib and Zim always leave their home together'." Zim continued to reason. "But you said home! Which means you three live together!"

"That makes no sense." Kazar reasoned. "Scamooch lives in the barracks with the other cadets."

"But he house in Zec." Razi reminded him. "He bought it for his minion…" She stopped as she realized where Reed was going with this.

"Which means that Dib and Zim are really Joseph and Joshua Campbell!" the Simulator Zim laughed wickedly.

Scamooch gawked in amazement as Zim transformed into…"Commander REED!?"

"Yes, Scamooch well done." He praised in a mocking manner. "You have been so helpful, thanks to your efforts Zim's secret identity has been exposed."

"But how?" Scamooch yelled. "I demand you to tell me what is going on this instant!"

"Why don't you remember?" Reed taunted. "We're at school, taking the exam."

"Exam?" His confusion was growing more now. He shook his head and tried to remember the last thing that happened before he was here! He was sitting in homeroom, He remembered Commander Reed had told them…

"The Defective Test!" He exclaimed.

"The fact that you know the true name for this test is all the proof I need, tell me Scamooch. How long have you been conspiring with the enemy?"

"I…" Scamooch tried to think of a way to spin this in a good light. "I was only spying on him for the Tallest."

"You're lying." Reed growled. "Your every thought is open to me. Now tell me you else is there and I'll see that you are spared."

"What?" Scamooch asked.

"There must be more." Reed reasoned as he advanced towards the child, his PAK legs shout out at the Cadet, barely missing him. "There is no way a defective like Zim and a bunch of humans are wining this war on their own. There are other Irkens helping them!"

Scamooch fell back in utter fear, and began crawling away backwards. "I…I don't know…" He tried to say, but he was cut off.

"DON"T LIE TO ME AGAIN!" Commander Reed screamed as the Pak leg striked to make another blow.

It heads straight for the cadet, but instead of hitting it's mark the child disappears.

"What the?" Reed takes off the head gear that allows him to override the computer brain, just intime to see a student kick him squared in the face.

"I'm sorry." Scamooch gasped out as he forced the computer brains tentacle from his forehead.

Principal Razi and the others watched as the scene played out before them. The computer brain performing the test know laid on the floor with a large hole in its center. The missing chunk laid beside it with claw marks indenting the metal.

Like it had been ripped out!

"I didn't know!" Scamooch was still pleading with the student that stood over Reed.

"You!" Reed growled at the well dressed boy before him. "It's been you all along, Zim!"

Joseph Campbell smiled at his words, but it wasn't a normal one. No, this smile was so wickedly twisted that only an Irken could managed to make it. "Took you idiots long enough!"

"You're through!" The fleet commander declared.

"No one coming to recue to you." A boy who looked identical to joseph said, appearing at the door.

Reed smiled, despite the situation he was in. "You must be Joshua, or should I say Dib!"

Dib scoffed as he turned off his disguise. "The fact that you know this changes nothing!

"He's right." Joseph agreed removing his own disguise. "You won't live to tell."

Reed couldn't help the fear that overcame him at the sight of Zim's true form, as a fully realized Amon, the Irken traitor could easily make good on his promise to kill him. "Won't matter." He revealed. "This session was and still is being broadcasted live before the Tallest!"

"The Tallest!" Scamooch exclaimed, however he was the only one who looked surprised.

Reed picks up on this instantly but he's not quite sure what this means.

Zim smiles towards the cloaked spy drone as it reveals itself to them. "Hello my Tallest." He teased. "I hope you are enjoying the show, and I hope you don't think this over." He growled.

Reed shook visibly as Zim's eyes glowed red, and his body twisted and shifted into a monstrous beast.

"Because My followers are all around you." Zim hissed. "They are closing in on you like a Pack of hungry flor beast, both human an Irken alike, they are right under your noses." He growled. "Your crimes against them are great, so much so that they blur the lines of our differences, and unit us together as one force. We are tiered of your insolence and we will stand for it no longer, you will answer for the damage you have caused to this world, and all other's like it! Its people, my people will get the retribution they deserve! So, know while you may have won this day my people are out there, watching…waiting…and when you least expect it I will be there to finish the war that you started!"

Reed couldn't help but flinch as Zim used his powerful claws to slash the drone into pieces.

Red was so angry that his own eyes were starting to glow too, as were Purple's.

"Someone get him now!" they screamed in unison!

Soldiers from all over the school started closing in on them.

"We have to go now!" Dib exclaimed grabbing Scamooch and throwing him over his shoulder.

"But what about Zim?" Scamooch yelled.

"He'll catch up!" Dib yelled as he tumbled with his communicator preparing to use the teleporter once Zim was ready.

Zim took a deep breath, and allow himself to shift back to his regular form and moved to leave.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" Reed asked.

Zim stopped and turned his face slowly to look at him. "You a superior soldier, and fleet commander?" He asked as if the very thought of killing him sickened him. "Why waste such talent on death?" He reasoned.

"You'll never convert me!" Reed declared.

"Convert?" Zim laughed. "You think I converted the others? Haven't you been listening? The Tallest did this t themselves.."

"Lies!" Reed screamed.

"The only ones who lie to you are the Tallest themselves." Zim revealed.

"You will not use your defective disease to confuse me like the others!" Reed swore, getting to shaking feet. He had never this afraid for as long as he could remember."

"Don't believe me?" Zim asked. "Then ask the Tallest what really happened to all the worthy Smeets." And with those final wards he left him there, fearfully standing in the corner of the room, like a scared child.

"Come back here and face me!" He demanded

Zim ignored him, he meant what he said, Kazar might hate him for it, but Reed was more useful alive. Let's go." He told Dib as he came into view.

Dib breathed a sigh of relief as a message appeared on his communicator. "Rachel and the guys bailed, there safe."

Zim also sighed in relief. "Good."

"I'm sorry…" Scamooch who was still flung over Dib's shoulder tried to apologies again. "I failed you."

"No you were unprepared." Zim reasoned. "He pulled a fast one on us." He added, as he thought of Kazar. "Something he will answer for later."

"What now?" Dib asked. "Where do we go from here."

"The Dome." Zim answered. "Where Scamooch and I will leave immediately."

Scamooch gave him a weird look.

"If we don't get off world now, we may never get another chance, and I will never find the Ancients."

"Do you think Kazar has one ready?" Dib asked.

"He better or I'll kill him!" Zim vowed. "Now let's go, we haven't much time!"

Dib nodded and grabbed ahold of Zim, and press the teleporter button just as the soldiers came into view.

And in seconds they are gone!

(Back with Jamie…)

She hadn't expected the Test to end so abruptly, she also didn't expect to be thrown to the floor and cuffed the moment she opened her eyes.

"Jamie Rogers." The Irken Soldier that cuffed her stood over her with a look of supreme authority. "You are under arrest for conspiring against the all mighty Tallest!" She was forced to her feet then, and hauled away towards the gym.

Chaos flooded the halls around her as Soldiers searched every inch of the school.

Finally, she was thrown into the girls locker room where the other captured rebels were being held. Crystal, Brian, Jack, Elisabeth, Diana, Amber, Gwynn, Victor, Katlyn, Robert, William, Thomas, Audra, Steven, and finally her sisters. It was a lot more then what was originally planned, heck it was almost all the human Rebels! Her expression makes the soldier holding her smile. "By the look on her face I'd say we found them all." He said to the soldier who had already been in the room keeping watch.

"No Boz says we're missing three other students." The soldier revealed. "But we got most of them didn't we little girl." He glared at Jamie knowingly. "Not so tough now are you?"

Jamie resisted the urge to fight back as he forced her to line up with the rest of them.

"You okay?" Mary asked her sister.

"I'm fine." Jamie assured her. "You guys?"

"Could be better." Mary admitted.

"My cuffs are too tight." Kathy complained.

Mary kicked her.

"I mean I'm fine." Kathy corrected herself.

"Just got orders from Zec." Another soldier said as he entered. "We're moving them to the prison for unregistered humans on Zec now!"

The first soldier, the one that brought Jamie here smiled. "Guess your little plan didn't work."

"Yeah you kids thought you had it bad before, just you wait, cause you just lost what little rights you still had!"

Jamie tried to hold in her smile as they were taken away. She knew she should be afraid, but she couldn't help the sense of relief that washed over her. Because despite the little hiccup of their leaders being exposed, everything was fine, they were all on their way to Zec…

Their ruse had worked perfectly and everything was going according to plan!

Episode 9-Defective (Part 3) END!