Episode 12: Where Loyalties Lie

Episode Summary- While Zim converses with the Ancients, Red continues his downward spiral into madness causing everyone to fear for his remaining sanity and their own lives. Meanwhile, as Jamie continue to find weakness in the Prison on Zec, Dib and the others converge to kidnap their fellow Renegades who are still under house arrest.

Disclaimers: I Do Not Own Invader Zim

Author's Notes: Okay guys here we are again, my hope is to finish this season by the end of October! So let's get started.

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

Yours Truly, RoxieDivine :)

Episode 12: Where Loyalties Lie (Part 1)

(135 years ago)

Location: Irk

"Move it! Move over! I can't see!" Young Cadet Zim growled angrily as several tall students stood in his way. At the moment he along with the remaining Shews had just completed their final exams, and the main holo-screen that stood within the great hall of the Irken Academy was now displaying their final scores. These scores where very important because they would be used by the brains to decide their role within the Irken Empire.

This of course, explained Zim's urgency. After stepping down as an Amon, Zim had entered the Academy later than the rest of his peers. Meaning he had to work very hard to catch up with them. Which he had, but despite all his hard work, and several praises from his instructors he feared it would not be enough to help him stand out from the rest. And he had to stand out, for tomorrow the brain would be judging them all and if he was less than extraordinary the brain might mark him as…defective!

It was single handedly his greatest fear, he knew deep down something was different, but as long as he could keep it hidden from everyone else everything would be ok. However, none of that mattered if he couldn't see his final score!

"If you've already seen your score could you get out of the way already?" Zim screamed.

No one paid him any mind.

Man, it was times like this that he really regretted stepping down.

Suddenly Skoodge pushes his way through the crowd of students behind Zim. "Zim thank Irk I made it." He gasped, exhausted.

Zim smiled, as his good friend stands beside him, yes they were still friends. True, Zim had only hung out with him to begin with because it angered Red and Purple, but after he stepped down as an Amon Zim found himself coming right back to Skoodge.

Why?

Simple, he was the only person from his old life he still had, all the other Amons had moved on without him, and all the other Shrews that were now once again his peers had forgotten he even existed. So, in order to have someone to talk to, and brag to he found himself back with the pudgy fool, and to his surprise he could say without a doubt that, he actually like him.

Sure, Skoodge was annoying, but he was also a good listener, always had his back in a jam, and most importantly He had his uses. For example,…

"Skoodge, I must barrow your height!" Zim exclaimed.

"Say what now?" Skoodge asked.

Zim however took no time to explain. Instead he climbs onto Skoodge back in hopes of seeing over the crowd.

"What do you see?" Skoodge asked hopefully as he strained to keep Zim up right.

Zim groaned. "Nothing! They are still too tall!" He huffed.

"What are they doing?" Skoodge asked.

"I don't know, they're just standing there, wait let me see if I can hear anything." Zim strained to hear, but everyone was yelling and trying to talk over the other. "Not sure." Zim muttered. "Something about…the high score…" He strained to hear.

"Do you see who got the high score?" A voice broke through the masses.

"No way! How did that pipsqueak out due me!" Tenn hissed.

"Some pipsqueak made the final score!" Zim exclaimed.

"It has to be one of us." Skoodge said. "We're the only ones who qualify as a pipsqueak" He said proudly.

Zim smiled, he had never been so proud of that inferior word.

"Hey no hard feels right?" Skoodge asked.

Zim nodded his agreement. "Of course, if you somehow managed to get the highest score than you deserve my loyalty." He winked jokingly, to let his friend know he was teasing.

Skoodge laughed. He was very thankful to Zim, ever since he left with the other Amons fitting in with the other Shews had not come easy for him. Now that Zim was back he had someone to talk to again, sure Zim was unreliable at times, and used him for stupid things like a step stool for instant, but deep down he knew Zim was his friend.

"Now let's find out our score shall we?" Zim said as he jumped off of Skoodge.

"How?" Skoodge asked. "You've been screaming for them to move forever."

"We just need to say the right words." Zim explained and then exclaimed out in a loud voice. "Hey pipsqueak coming through!"

The students before them turned to look at them, and upon seeing them, they parted for two friends to pass.

Zim's smile widen as he and Skoodge walked through the rows of students, they reached the holo-screen. Zim could hardly contain his excitement as he looked at the top of the list…

Cadet Zim

He couldn't believe it! He had done it!

"Congratulation Zim." Skoodge said, staying loyal to what he had said before. True he was a little bumbed that all of his hard work hadn't got him on top, but as a good friend should be he was genuinely happy for Zim.

"Oh, it's nothing." Zim waved it off, noticing Skoodge's obvious disappointment. "I'm sure you're not too far behind me." He looked down the list expectantly.

Skoodge also looks, but as he gets further and further down the list his hopes drop.

Finally, he sees it, right there at the very bottom…

Zim sees it too and just like that the world seems to shift.

"How does someone manage to get a score that low?" Cadet Tenn laughs openly. "Man, not only is he short but he's dumb too."

Several other cadets laugh their agreement.

Skoodge looks to Zim, his best, and only friend expectantly. Zim had always defended him, but this time Zim says nothing. "Zim…" He says hopefully.

Zim looks back at the holo-screen, and then back to his friend, his thoughts are written as plain as day on his face.

"Zim please…"

Zim turns and walks away, leaving his once good friend behind, in a sea of laughter.

"Of course, he dumps you." Another cadet says to Skoodge. "Who would want to be associated with someone as dumb as you?"

Zim hears the insult, but keeps going, he can't afford to be associated with an obvious defective, not when he had so much to lose. His life was finally going right, and he couldn't let Skoodge ruin it now.

It was a decision he would soon learn to regret.

[Present day]

(Back with Zim…)

He had always known that it was coming, still it shocked him when it was voiced out loud.

After Miz's bombshell about the defectives Zim and Scamooch were lead to a large stone round table. Once seated Zim was imminently under fire, not by actual arsenal, but questions. And the First one was like a machine gun to the chest.

"What are your plans for Irk?" Razor asked.

His plans?

Zim is floored, and for good reason; he hasn't thought that far ahead. His sole focus has been freeing Earth from the Tallest, and the quickest way of doing that just happened to be challenging them for their place over the Empire.

Razor nodded as if understanding and just like that another question flies.

"What do you hope to learn from us?" Miz asked.

Zim struggles to respond, he had spent so much time obsessing over whether or not they would accept him that what he hoped to learn had never crossed his mind. He wanted to kick himself, here he was with his Ancestors, Irkens who supported him 100% and had so much knowledge to give, so much experience to share, and had nothing to give them.

Nothing to show that he had given any of this any real thought or effort at all. Still he knew he had to give them something, so he decided to answer honestly.

"I had hopped you'd show me a better way, a way of living that wouldn't require the suffering of the many for the success of the few. That you'd stand by my side and help me be a Tallest that irk deserves to have, one that treats others equally; whether they be Amons or Shews, or of another race entirely."

Miz nods, her smiles tells him that she is pleased with his answer, but instead of getting a break. Zim was bombarded with yet another inquiry.

"How do you plan to give back to the races that our people have wronged?" It was Miha who spoke this time. As always she looks hopeful. "There are many refugees here who need new homes, somewhere better than this desolate rock."

Again, Zim has not thought this far ahead. He thought he'd make things right, but never knew how he would even begin to try. The Earth still had the ability to harbor life, it wasn't too far gone. He could easily give it back to the humans and help pick up the large amounts of trash that had fallen from Zec and had grown into heaps over time.

But what about the planets that the Tallest had purged and turned into parking lots, or giant factory supply lies? Those planets had been robbed of any possible stability for life, even if they could plant crops and trees, it would take hundreds of years, maybe even thousands for them to be worth living on.

"I see." Miha gets the picture. "You don't care, all you care about is Earth."

It was a harsh statement, but it didn't make the words any less true.

"Do you even want this?" Tulu asked, his voice holds no malice. The male Amon looks genuinely concern for the younger Amon before him.

This causes Miha to correct herself. "He's right." She admitted. "We never once asked if this was even what you wanted."

"Has anyone?" Smoot snapped.

"Smoot." Miz warned.

"No I want to know." Smoot demanded. "Did anyone ever ask you if this was what you wanted?"

Zim couldn't bring himself to answer, but he doesn't need to, the answer is written on his face.

For a long moment there is silence.

Zim tries to explain. "They all say they need me." He reasoned. "Tak, Goalit, the Irken Rebels, they all expect me to take my place as an Amon and…"

"Clean their mess." Mucoid shook his head. "Some things never change." He chuckles slightly despite the heaviness of the mood.

"You must understand this isn't your fault that things ended up this way." Miz assured him.

"If I hadn't of stepped down…" Zim began.

"You stepping down is what saved your life." Razor told him, "Had you of stayed the Tallest would have killed you. They already saw you as a threat when you were an Invader, imagine their oppression had you of stayed."

Zim knew he was right, still he couldn't help but feel as if things could have been better if he had made better choices in the past.

"Perhaps we are asking too much of you." Miz concluded.

"What do you mean?" Scamooch asked. "Taller Zim is the greatest Irken soldier I have ever seen."

Smoots nodded. "But that's the problem." She reviled.

Zim looks confused.

Miz elaborates. "There is a reason why the Tallest chooses the Taller, as well as a pupil." She explains. "They do this to guide them, to instruct them so if they survive the change they will know how to lead their people. They were groomed for the position, you Zim were not. Even as an Amon you were trained to be a soldier, whether it be as a General or as an Invader, you were never taught to be the Tallest."

"Well he's all we got." Scamooch argued. "Since it's obvious you lot don't plan to do a thing about it."

"Scamooch!" Zim smacks the cadet over the side of the head, the gesture is kind but firm. "You do not speak of your Ancestors in such a way."

"Why?" Scamooch asked. He looked to Miz. "If you hated the way we acted, one of you could have easily forced the Tallest to step down and replace them. So why didn't you!"

Miz stood, "We have watched over you." She explained. "Our place, our purpose was always to guide, never to lead."

"Then perhaps we should do this correctly." Razor stated.

"What do you mean?" Miz asked.

"To thrust the position upon him with a lack of know how could spell disaster for our race, if he wishes to be Tallest; one of us should lead by his side." Razor explained. "This will allow him to have a partner with the experience to lead our children into this new and unknown era."

"You mean rule together?" Zim asked. "Like Red and Purple?"

Scamooch notices he looks almost relieved, like a big weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

Razor nodded, "As rude as the child is, he is right." He admitted. "He could have just as easily challenged them, or even Myuki."

"So why didn't you?" Scamooch challenged, he doesn't like being referred to as 'the child' or rude for that matter.

"We are against violence of any kind." Mia explained. "Unlike the Tallest, the Beast within us is docile, in fact some of our eyes no longer glow." She reasoned.

Zim suddenly understands. "The beast mellows out with age."

Razor nods. "I have managed to hold on to mine, but even I am too old to fair in a fight with two young healthy Amons."

"Only Smoots is young enough." Miz explained. "But like many of the Top Twelve She never developed a beastly form."

"So we really are the only ones?" Zim asked Razor.

Razor nodded. "Yes, sadly the great beast within Miz has passed on, it has been nearly 300 years since her eyes last glowed."

Understanding feels Scamooch, and he feels a rush of shame. "I'm sorry I didn't know the Beast could disappear."

"It happens to all of them eventually." Smoots explained. "True we could challenge them for their crimes, and force our rule over them, but…"

"Then you would be no better than us." Zim answered the obvious. "You'd be just one set of dictators replacing the last."

"Exactly, but for you it is different. You have the beast inside you, and several Shrews support you as their future Tallest." Miah reasoned.

"But if this isn't what you want." Smoots circled back to the real matter at hand.

"It's true, no one asked me." Zim admitted. "But I am prepared to fill the role, it is the only way to end this war once and for all, and as you pointed out I am the only capable Amon for the job."

"Then only one question remains." Tulu said softly. "Which one of us will stand by him?"

(With Invader Skoodge…)

(Location; Zec)

He was not happy about this…

No, he was not happy one bit.

Invader Skoodge growled inwardly as he recalled the events that had led him to this moment. Yesterday, at about noon the former Invader Zim had attacked the Castle on Zec and escaped off world. No one knew why he had left or where he was fleeing, but thanks to the ship's tracking technology they knew he had touched down on a deserted asteroid which was rotating the Canopus of Alpha Carinae. Again, why Zim was there was beyond their understanding, but Skoodge didn't really care why.

No what he cared about was the fact that he was here cleaning up their mess again! Skoodge had delivered Gaz to the Tallest and was supposed to be living a life of luxury for a job well done, but no because the Tallest couldn't handle a bunch of kids, and a handful of defective Irkens he had to come out of retirement and clean up their mess.

And it was all that traitorous Zim's fault!

He shook as hatred filled him, many believed that he and Zim were friends, in fact some of his fellow soldiers who were accompanying him and Tallest Purple on the journey were already convinced that Skoodge would betray them the moment they caught up with the ex-invader. Sure, none of them said as much to his face, but he could hear their hush whispers and see their suspicious glances.

Yes, it was no secret that they already saw him as the enemy, but they would not have the pleasure of knocking him off his perch of newly found power. For you see he knew the truth, Zim never saw him as a true friend, or even a companion. Skoodge had been nothing more than an underling, someone who would prance around him and look at him with awe, and tell him how amazing he was.

Skoodge had stood by Zim as a loyal and close friend for years, and how did Zim repay him? He didn't, instead he decided to act as if their friendship never was, after the academy Zim no longer acknowledged him at all, only speaking to him in order to throw an insult his way.

Skoodge never understood why Zim had given him the cold shoulder, one day they were fine, but after Zim scored the highest on the final exam, everything changed. Zim was labeled as an Invader, and Skoodge, well he was dumped into the invader program so the "real" Invaders didn't have to get stuck with the "undesirable" assignments.

Zim had hung him out to dry, and Skoodge had repaid his friend's treachery with his own act of treason. By giving Gaz to the Tallest, Skoodge had even the score in his own eyes. Taking credit for Zim conquest of Earth had simply been the icing on the cake. Now he was at the top, the greatest Invader Irken history, and now Zim threatened to ruin everything all over again.

Not this time, Zim had his chance and he ruined it. His time to shine was done, now it was Skoodge's turn. He stood tall (as tall as someone of his short stature could muster) as Commander Diaz walked up to Tallest Purple.

'No, ex-commander.' Skoodge reminded himself. The top twelve had all been forced to step down after they had failed to stop Zim's escape.

"My Tallest, I was hoping to offer my assistance." She said respectfully, keeping her unpatched eye low and to the ground. "I know Tallest Red is displeased with my outburst, but I can't stand by and do nothing as one of my leaders leave without any real protection."

Tallest Purple looks relieved by the offer, and nods his agreement before gesturing to Skoodge. "Skoodge will also be accompanying me." He explained.

Diaz craned her neck to look down at him. "Never heard of yah." She spat.

And there it was, the lack of respect.

He had given the Tallest their greatest bargaining chip against the Renegades, and this was how they repaid him. Heck, if Zim hadn't treated him so wrongly he might have been tempted to join the cause just so he could spit in all their ungrateful faces.

Tallest Purple does nothing to help, instead he gestures to the small drone beside Diaz. "And who is this?"

"This is my personal drone Zag." Diaz answer gesturing to the small Irken female beside her.

Gaz felt the need to strangle the former female commander, ZAG? It was literally her own name spelled backwards; what idiot would fall for that? Who didn't keep up with their own drones? Could anyone just walk up and say, "Yeah I'm drone number whatever" and get away with it? Apparently so because Purple doesn't even bat an eye.

Skoodge however is not afraid to ask the question that is of most importance. "And you need a drone why?"

Diaz looks at him as if he has just thrown acid in her face. "I may no longer be a commander, but I am still of a higher rank then you. I have earned the privilege of a drone, unlike you, a half-pint who is riding the coattails of someone else's success!"

She was so blunt and to the point that Gaz had to stop herself from laughing. Her hatred for Skoodge ran deep, he was the monster who had imprisoned her in the first place, and she had already promised herself that she would get even.

Skoodge would die on this trip.

"Enough." Purple exclaimed. "We must go, before Red…" He doesn't finish, and for the first time Diaz notices just how dependent Purple was of the other leader. It only solidifies her fears that Purple cannot be convinced to turn against his partner.

"Let's go Zag." Diaz orders Gaz as they begin to board the awaiting ship where the rest of the soldiers are waiting departure.

Gaz follows silently doing as Diaz had previously instructed. Her orders were to never speak, her voice would give her away.

Skoodge growled once more as he followed suit, Zim was going to die for this and he was going to make sure of it.

Episode 12:Where Loyalties Lie (Part 1)END!

!