Disclaimers: I do not own Invader Zim

Author's Notes: Chapter 39 and still going strong. But seriously how long is this book going to be? I wanted to get at least all of season 1 into this first story, but with all this plot and these twist and turns I may have to swing for a two parter for book 1. What do you guys think?

Shout Outs: To all my readers who both Followed and Favorited this story! Thanks for reading and please review!

(Back to Zim…)

[Present Day]

He couldn't explain it, but he had the strangest feeling he was being followed.

Zim risked the obvious display of weakness, and looked over his shoulder for what felt like the fiftieth time today.

NOTHING!

This was maddening, as an Alpha; Zim always had a sixth sent about things, the most obvious one being that someone was watching him.

AND YET!

Dib gives his boyfriend a weird look as he watches him look over his shoulder yet again! Yes, his boyfriend! Dib allowed his heart to flutter at the thought, if only for a moment. He and Miz had been dating for almost a week now and things couldn't be going better.

Sure, they hadn't kissed again, but holding hands had become an almost regular thing. Almost being the key word.

Dib frowned as Miz slipped his hand out of his and stuffed both in his pockets, or rather Dib's. Yes, Miz was wearing Dib's trench coat, in fact now days he was wearing it more than Dib himself. Which was fine with Dib, it was the stupid holding hands rule he couldn't stand!

It wasn't a real rule as much as an unspoken one, but when Miz felt like they were being watch he would always retract his hand. At first Dib didn't notice it, and then when he did he accepted it as first week getters. However, now Dib was beginning to think that Miz was ashamed of their relationship.

Still, despite this small hiccup things had been going well. Miz had surprised Dib with breakfast from McDonald's Saturday morning. Where they spent hours goofing around at the restaurant arcade before finally ordering a late lunch.

Dib thought the funniest part was the fact that Miz couldn't get over the fact that the place was two stories tall. He demanded that they see every inch of the restaurant just to insure him it was all part of McDonald's. This is of course was how they found the arcade on the second floor which surprised Dib. The place had been here for years and Dib never knew the small room full of old games existed.

Most of the games were broken, but Miz defeated Dib 8 times in Dance Revolution, 5 times in Street Fighters 4, and beat the highest score in Sugar Rush; 3 times in a row. Finally, Dib had no choice but to bow down before Miz and declared him king. An act that Miz found most amusing.

After getting kicked out of the Arcade for game hogging, they bought two veggie burger meals and ice cream before heading back to Dib's. They had spent the rest of the day playing video games and bouncing off theories about Zim.

All and all it had been an amazing first day for them as a couple. Sunday, they caught a movie, and as promised Miz paid for the popcorn. The movie however turned out to be a total bust. It took 30 minutes for Miz to declare his boredom; causing the boys to sneak into a different movie all together. Of course, Dib freaked out about getting caught the whole time. Still, it was worth it, the second movie: Darkest Minds was a total hit and he and Miz spent the rest of the day obsessing over what super power they would have if only they could.

Again, another successful day! However, once Monday rolled around things got back to normal. They went to school and walk each other to class. Miz saved him a seat at lunch and they ate together with Gaz and Peg. After School they hung out at Dib's and helped each other with their homework or obsessed over Zim. Yep a normal day, just like any other day. Which lead to just another week, except for one thing: Miz was his boyfriend, and said boyfriend was playing hide and seek with their hand holding.

Which brought Dib back to his current annoyance. "Seriously?" He asked Miz knowingly.

Zim was only half listen, as his senses stretched in search of the enemy. He shouldn't be worrying; any real invader would fear nothing. However, Zim was not any ordinary invader. He had enemies! Yes, as much as he liked to say all the foes he ever faced died, that wasn't always the case. Every now and then Zim met an enemy that he couldn't knock down.

Enemies that swore they'd finish the job one day as he fled their grasp…

Yes, he knew this feeling, all of his enemies left a lasting mark on him. Some of them were visible to the naked eye. Others were mental wounds that only he could see and yet, it was the invisible ones that hurt the most.

"Miz you're not even listening to me." Dib's voice broke through his thoughts effortlessly.

Zim shook it away and continued his search, his senses never failed him before. He looked around, and got a strange feeling as his eyes fell over a small bush.

Dib watched as his boyfriend's demeanor changed from a since of paranoia to star crazy, he knew this expression. The stern serious look on his face seemed to mirror his cool calculated movements. And once he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a laser sword he knew this was serious.

"Is it Zim?" He asked pulling out his own sword.

Dib could never get over how portable these deadly weapons were. The blade was no more than a laser light strong enough to cut through the strongest of metals. However, when the blade was off it only the hilt of the sword remained. Dib's father had adopted the idea of this weapon from the Star War's Lightsabers and had made millions turning a piece of fiction into reality.

"Not sure." Came Miz's answer as they drew closer, and closer, and…. NOTHING!

Miz growled in annoyance something had him on the frits today and he couldn't figure out what!

Dib strangely found a smile slipping on his face, Miz wasn't ashamed of their relationship, he was afraid. Zim could disguise himself as anyone, and it was obvious now that Miz was simply afraid of what the enemy would do with this kind of information. He grabbed his boyfriend's hand and his smile widen as Miz returned the gesture. "It's going to be okay."

Zim found those words strangely comforting, if only for a moment. 'Maybe I'm just paranoid because I'm committing Taboo.' He thought. Yes, that had to be it, Zim was afraid that someone who mattered would find out about Dib. All of his surviving enemies were light-years away still licking their wounds like the wounded beast they were. "We should go." He said.

Dib allowed Miz to drag him away from the scene and more importantly away from the enemy of Zim's that wasn't busy licking her wounds.

Tak breathed a sigh of relief as they moved away, she had forgotten how sharp Zim's senses were. Had she of not moved back from the bush moments ago she would have most certainly had been caught. How could she have been so careless? Had she already forgotten his sharp intuition?

Tak found herself tracing the scar once more, she had gotten it because she underestimated her opponent. She shook her head, NO! She would not make the same mistake again. This was a mistake that the old Tak would make, and that Tak died on Conventia 138 Years ago….

(Conventia, the Convention Hall Planet, 138 Years ago…)

[Operation Impending Doom 1: The Trials!]

{Back to Zim's POV}

Zim blinked his eyes rapidly as the scene around him returned to that of the testing area. His peers cheered loudly around him.

"That was amazing." Skoodge admitted running up to him. "I can't believe you overcame all of your trials in the first go. That's never been done before!"

Several more of their peers ran up to him, all of them expressing their aw. Usually, the newly graduated cadets would have several practice trials with Veraicon before the real thing. However, Zim had just completed his in-record timing.

"I bet you have the highest score in history!" Splenk said. "Man, if only Red and Purple could see you now."

Zim smiled at the commit, now that Red and Purple had left the Invaders for the Officers Academy Zim had started to leave their shadow and was now making a name for himself.

"Well done Zim." Tallest Myuki praised as Veraicon printed out his score. "A perfect score, not that I'm surprised."

Everyone cheered their approval, everyone but HER!

Tak's eyes narrowed as Tallest Myuki addressed them as a whole. "Now that Zim has given you all the perfect example of how Veraicon works we'll have a short recess. Use this time to think of a strategy, search your inner selves." She explained. "If you can guess what Veraicon will throw at you then you can strategies a response." With those final words she took her leave.

"Did you know what she was going to throw at you?" Tenn asked Zim almost instantly.

"Of course, he did." Tak blurted out before he could answer.

Everyone turned to look at her, somewhat stunned by her outburst.

"Think about it." Tak said moving forward to stand before her new enemy. The other cadets parted like the Red sea. Tak was known for her temper, and you never wanted to be on the receiving end of that. "He consorted with the enemy, got them to believe he was one of them." She glared at him with so much anger he thought his skin would begin to boil under her gaze.

"What are you saying?" Skoodge asked.

"Are you all blind!" Tak snapped. "Veraicon was test Zim like he was the enemy!"

Zim flinched despite himself, he had let his guard down when his peers had cheered at his success, but perhaps he had not been as successful as he thought.

"He earned the enemies trust; how do you think he did that?" Tak asked, she didn't wait for an answer. "He sold our secrets for their trust!" She shouted. "Veraicon has revealed him for what he really is!"

"But he past the trial." Skoodge pointed out.

"Yeah." Tenn agreed. "If he was a traitor Veraicon would have seen him for what he was."

"A traitor!" Splenk concluded.

It wasn't often Irkens defended each other, but Zim had just won all of their favor, and no one could deny the facts. And the facts were simple no one escaped Veraicon's judgement, in fact the only thing that would probably have a chance at tricking her was…

Tak's eyes widen, and Zim watched in horror as the look in those wide purple eyes changed from anger to disgust. So much in fact that Zim was sure she would vomit at the sight of him. He knew that look far too well. This was the look an Irken gave when they just found out for the first time that they were looking at a defective!

"Your just jealous that you finally have some real competition!" Zim finally seemed to find his voice. It was strange, but even after Lard Nar he still considered himself different from the rest of them. Yes, no matter how hard he tried to act like them; he was not one of them.

In fact, the only time he seemed to find acting like a real Irken easy was when his secret of being a defective was on the verge of being found out.

"Jealous?" Tak actually gaged at the word. "Of a thing like you?"

Zim looked out of the corner of his eye to see Veraicon retreating out of a port hole in the celling of the testing area. This was good, with Veraicon gone now Tak could say the word and everyone would just scoff at her. Now if Veraicon had been present she may rethink Zim's reactions to her test.

Still the threat was not completely over, once Tak took her trial Veraicon would see her thoughts. She would learn Tak's discovery of his true-self. And Zim could not allow this to happen.

'It's time I teach "too smart for her own good" a lesson she won't soon forget.'

Zim formed a look of disgust himself, and looked down on her in a way he knew would get under her skin. He had to discredit her here and now. If she just didn't show up when it was her turn, then that would be suspicious. But they'd still allow her to plead her case. Zim had to make sure she never got a chance to tell her story.

"Defectives only cares about self-preservation."

Zim's heart ached at those words, his time with Lard Nar had proven these words to be true. All that history they build together. Their friendship, their time spent together. It was all powerless against this one fact.

A defective would always look after themselves first, and they would do anything to keep their secret out of the light.

Including Murder!

"Sounds like you're just trying to create a ruckus." Zim said darkly. "Maybe you're hoping it will get the trial postponed."

"Why would she want that?" Sprout asked. She was one of the females that graduated with Tak.

"Isn't it obvious?" Zim spat in Tak's face. "She's a defective, why else would she be trying to create fault in me?"

Tak was floored by the accusation. This disgusting defective meant to discredit her claims by calling her one as well? As if anyone would believe that she was one of those malfunctions.

"You're the defect!" She screamed.

Splenk laughed. "Defect?" Everyone joined in his laughter.

"If that were true Veraicon would have killed me." Zim snickered. "Unless of course, you know of a way that defectives can cheat the system without tipping Veraicon off."

Everyone gasped around her, and it is in that moment that Tak realizes her mistake.

Zim had been cheating the system for years, the way Veraicon had tested him suggested the Control Brain was suspicious of Zim's loyalty. However, not even she, one of the main 3 Control Brains could prove her suspicions, even Tallest Myuki praised him.

By speaking out all Tak has done is expose herself to the enemy!

"Now if you excuse me I'm finished with my trial." Zim pushed past Tak making sure to knock her to the side as he did. "Good luck defective." He scoffed. "You're going to need it."

Tak screamed in rage as she hit the floor, how dare he knock her down, and how dare he call her that! Tak stomped after him in a fit of rage, she no longer cared what they thought of her, all she cared about was getting even.

Her escort back on Vort always said her anger would one day be her own undoing. If only she had listened.

Zim smiled wickedly as he walked through the maze of the testing facility, he could hear Tak behind him; closing the gap. He rounds a corner and found a dead end leading to a garbage shoot in the wall. He smiled. "Perfect."

Tak follows him around the corner only to see that he has disappeared. "What?"

Zim climbs down the wall on his PAK legs and slipped behind her; boxing her in. "You should have kept your mouth shut."

Tak whorled around to see the Smaller Irken male had boxed her in, his PAK legs at the ready. When an Irken's PAK legs were out in such away, looking more like daggers then legs it meant the Irken was planning to fight.

To the death.

"So, I was right you are defective!" Tak hissed.

"No, you are." Zim hissed back. "And when you fail to show up to your trial everyone will think so too."

"You idiot the security will see everything." Tak shouted.

"Security?" Zim laughed. "Look around Tak, I chosed this hallway for a special reason."

Tak looked around the hall and felt her spooch leap into her throat. It was empty, not a single security drone in sight.

"A little-known fact security drones don't see the need in guarding dead ends. Even ones with garbage shoots since nothing can survive the shredders at the bottom!"

"You can't be serious." Tak shouted.

"Dead serious." Zim assured her as he closed in.

"You aim to kill me?" Tak asked stunned.

"And you didn't plan to kill me?" Zim asked. "Or perhaps you had hoped Veraicon would do it for you. Is that it Tak are you too squeamish to do the deed yourself?"

Tak looked around for a way to gain the advantage. She had thought Zim was an insignificant fool, a defective who had just been lucky. However, she had forgotten one thing, unlike her Zim had killed to keep his secret hidden before. "You killed them, so no one would doubt you." She realized. "You had full intention to betray us!" She yelled. "You just got cold feet!"

"You're a smart one." Zim admitted. "Too bad you're too smart for your own good." 'Too smart for my own good.'

"you're right I did think about it." Zim admitted. "In fact, I almost did betray you all."

"So, what stop you?" Tak dared to ask.

"The same thing that motivating me to silence you now." Zim mused. "Self-preservation." He readied to strike and Tak found herself backed into the open garbage shoot. "I've worked my whole life to get where I am now." Zim growled. "And I'm not going to lose it all because some female thinks she can out smart me."

"Some female?" Tak snapped, her PAK legs coming out instantly. Tak had never been in real fight before, as a respected Alpha female fresh out of training she had never known the hardships of battle.

Zim however had felt the fist of bullies for years before Red and Purple saved him. As a short Alpha Zim never had any respect he didn't earn through sweat and blood.

It was obvious who would win this battle, but like all females Tak was stubborn, she would go down fighting.

And Zim admired her for it.

And so, without an ounce of hesitation, Tak readies herself and delivered a deadly blow.

It would be the first of many…

To Be Continued

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter as always; I thank you for reading and ask that you please review!