Author's Notes: OMG I am so excited! I can't wait for you to see Tak's plan unfold. Your mouths are seriously going to drop. But for those of you who already figured it out…Shhh…no spoilers! ;) And with that said, on with the show!

(Back with Zim…)

He wasn't surprised to see Lard Nar (who is now in his human disguise) waiting for him as he stepped out of the elevated at the ground level of Warehouse 13. The Irken however had abandoned his disguise. After all what was the point?

The Vort looks ready to speak, but the Irken gives him no time; choosing to push pass him as he presses a button on his watch. By doing this he has sent a silent command to his Voot placing it on Autopilot. As he exists the Warehouse, the Voot takes off from his home and lands just outside.

The Irken wastes no time getting in.

Lard Nar looks defeated.

"Well?" Zim hissed.

Lard Nar looks confused.

"Get in." Zim ordered rolling his eyes.

Lard Nar smiled as he got in the seat behind the cockpit.

"Don't look so smug." Zim snapped. "She told you to follow me." He said as if it was obvious. "So, if you're going to spy on me, you might as well stay where I can keep an eye on you." This mission was so sideways now he had half a mind to cut his losses and go into hiding for a year or two.

It wouldn't the first time he had done this. The invaders called this tactic 'Going Dark'! It was a method that required them to lay low until the enemy thought it was safe to let their guard down. This of course would require Zim to stay hidden, which meant he could not risk being discovered by sending a report to his leaders.

This was why he hesitated.

The last time Zim went 'Dark' was during Impending Doom 1. The Irken had faked his death which allowed him to join the Rebellion that rose after Impending Doom 1 was completed. Zim, had discovered that many planets were surrendering in order to distract the Irkens. All the while some of their comrades were gathering forces with other races; building an army that could overpower the Armada if it had been allowed to grow.

Thankfully Zim had caught on to their plans and stopped it, and while he had received a hero's welcome upon his return, his leaders were not thrilled.

Of course, Purple had been relieved to see Zim was indeed still alive, but Red was furious that he had left them in the dark of his plans. Even if that was the point of going dark in the first place, absolute secrecy was key in order to pull it off, something the Tallest had shown to hate.

"You should never keep secrets from your leaders." He remembered Red's lecture like it was given just yesterday. If he went Dark now, he'd have to admit he had royally screwed up. And Zim's spotless reputation would not survive the embarrassment.

"You should tell him the truth." Lard Nar said, getting straight to the point.

"Why haven't you told him?" Zim snapped.

"Not my place." Lard Nar answered simply.

"Just like it's not your place to tell the rebels that I'm really Miz and you plan to convert me and use me against my people." Zim hissed.

"And I'm sure you've told your leaders everything." Lard Nar said slyly.

Zim growled but held his tongue. "Let's just get there before Dib manages to get himself killed." He urged.

Lard Nar did not miss the urgency. "You do care about him…don't you?"

He knew he should say no, but Zim didn't have the energy to fight at the moment. "Does it matter?" He asked simply. "I have my mission."

"You can pretend all you want, but I know it's different with him…Dib means more to you." Lard Nar whispered.

Did he?

Zim thought on that for a moment. Was Lard Nar, right? Did Dib mean more to him then the mission? What if Zim was really keeping quiet for Dib's sake? If the Tallest knew how bad this was, they'd wipe out all members of the rebellion and the Swollen Eyeball. Dib's life would be in danger, and just the thought of that made him see red.

He shook his head; this boy was messing him up inside. Or at least that was what his programing would say if it was still here.

"All your life you've done what that program told you to do." Lard Nar said as if reading his thoughts. "Don't you think it's about time you made your own decisions?"

"I did once, remember." Zim hissed. "We rebelled and your comrades paid for it."

Lard Nar was stunned, could it be possible that Zim had been blaming himself for that all along? "Zim…" He began.

"If we had just conformed, they'd still be alive." Zim reasoned. "Yes, Vort would have still been enslaved…eventually but they would still be alive…and you…" Zim paused. "You'd still have a home to go to."

Lard Nar couldn't deny his reasoning, chances are, had they have done just that. Then all Zim had said would have come to pass. "But could you have lived with yourself?" He argued. "I know I couldn't, I can't stand by and do nothing as others suffer…I don't know how you can."

"Easy." Zim answered. "I don't watch."

"Your time of turning the cheek is over." Lard Nar lectured. "Don't you realize what will happen to your race if you don't help us change their ways?"

"The AIs will use their weapon to wipe us out." Zim said without missing a beat.

"So, you know then." Lard Nar sighed. "Don't you care?"

Zim took a deep breath as they landed in the center of downtown. "Maybe my race deserves what's coming to them." He reasoned. He jumped out of the Voot pooped open. "If we split up, we'll find Dib faster." He reasoned. And without waiting for Lard Nar to answer he took off.

The Vort is floored, Zim saw no flaw in the AIs eradicating his own race. With such facts being brought to light…how were they ever going to convince Zim to follow his destiny?

(Back with Dib)

He couldn't believe how blindly trusting he had been!

Was he actually about to bring a stranger to the Swollen Eyeball's HQ?!

Dib eyed Bill more closely as they raced back towards downtown, news of the monster now known as Ultra-Peepi was all over the radio. Was this man really Zim in disguise? Had he created Ultra-Peepi to cause a distraction just so he could get him alone?

And if so, why?

Dib couldn't imagine why Zim would want to be alone with him. The alien made it very clear he wasn't planning to kill him or harm him in anyway. Sure, he had tried to fry his brain and make him stupid, but that was then. Dib would like to think they had grown a little since then. Like perhaps they had advanced from enemies to a sort of frenemy status. Still could Dib really say that for sure? Who was to say what the monster was really planning?

What if all of this was a way to trick Dib into showing Zim where their base was located.

'And I basically told him.' Dib realized. This was bad and he knew it. Sure, he didn't tell him which warehouse, but he had said the docks and that was enough; he was sure of it. An intelligent being like Zim would find it in a day or two tops.

"Looks like you were right to turn us around." Bill said as they screeched to a stop just as they entered downtown. Several people were running through the street screaming. A giant hamster beast (Ultra-Peepi) can be seen causing damage to public property as he rips up trees and buildings and chews on them.

Dib wanted to confront Bill, to demand him to reveal himself for who he really was, but Miz's instructions took dominance over his mind. He had to get away from Bill! "If we split up, we'll cover more ground."

Bill hesitates, confirming Dib's suspicions that he is this man's target. But ultimately, he nodded and turns, taking off towards the beast.

Dib watches as he leaves waiting for him to be out of site before taking off in the opposite direction. He had to find Miz, he said he would catch up, so he had to be around here somewhere. He hoped he was okay. Unfortunately, his worry caused him to pay little attention to what was going on in front of him.

Causing him to smack right into the very person he thought he was running away from.

"Do you humans ever watch where you're going?" Zim hissed as he cradled his now throbbing cranium.

Dib bit back a yelp. "Zim!" He shouted. "You have some nerve showing your face after the stunt you just pulled."

"What?" Zim hissed. He had little patience for the child's games at the moment.

"Anything you'd like to confess?" Dib asked gesturing to the raging overgrown hamster.

Zim laughed "Don't be silly only an inferior idiot would go to such extremes."

KA-BLOOOEY! Another building went down as Peepi rampaged through the city. On the TV screens in an electronics store, the news showed a broadcast entitled "6 Breaking News- Live "Ultra-Peepi"."

"Experts are still baffled over the origins of Ultra-Peepi, the giant mutant hamster now ravaging the city." The reporter smiled stupidly. "BUT they all agree, he's just fuzzy wuzzy adorable, isn't he? He sure is!"

SHA-KOOOOM!

"AAAA!" Ultra-Peepi had just crushed the news studio. Then he picked up a school bus that was parked outside the Museum as the driver ran for his life just in time to avoid being eaten…BUT he was able to see Peepi take a building with a tower sticking at the top and use it like a tooth pick, rubbing the middle of his buck teeth with it.

"Oh, look! He's using the building like a toothpick!" One woman said, pointing.

He dropped the tower pick he was using and turned to look at some jets that were flying at him…dropping the remains of the bus on the lady. OW. Ultra-Peepi frowned, crouched down on all fours, and then launched his mechanical foot right at the jets, knocking them out of the sky!

"And I am supposed to just take your word for it?" Dib snapped.

"Aren't you the one who said you thought we grew an understanding after the whole being sucked inside your head?" Zim asked,

"You tried to trick information out of me!" Dib yelled.

"No, I haven't been with you all day!" Zim hissed. "And even if I had that's my job!"

Dib's eyes widen, he had known Zim long enough to realize he wasn't lying. "Then who was…Bill…"

Oh no!

'Today, you're going to see things that are going to change the way you look at the world. Keep your eyes and your mind open…'

Bill's words flashed inside his head like a neon light, and that's when the truth hits him. He had the right idea, Bill was an Irken; just not the Irken he thought.

"Tak…" He whispered.

Zim snickered. "She's relentless I'll give her that."

Dib can barely breathe. "I told her…" He realized in defeat.

Zim suddenly looks alarmed. "What did you tell her?"

"The base…she…knows…" Dib is too out of it to realize he's confiding with the enemy.

Zim's eyes widen, Sure he had known Dib had been on his way to the warehouse when he text him the warning, but he hadn't realized the kid had told his companion where they were going directly. Suddenly, he realizes one of his only advantages over his competition had been taken away from him.

If Tak found the base, she could deliver the Swollen Eyeball and the Rebels to the Tallest. By revealing Zim's lies, and succeeding where he had failed, she would disprove her defective label and be rejoined into the collective. Where she could then reveal the truth of what really happened between her and Zim all those years ago.

He would be exposed, and when the Tallest found him neck deep in too many lies to count, deprogrammed…well he might as well be as sitting duck.

There was no easy way to put it. Tak had won this round.

The human known as Bill laughed as he came to the same conclusion Zim had in a matter of seconds. He had doubled back to follow the Dib, hoping to continue his original plan and expose Zim to Dib, but now he had a better idea.

Bill touched his watch, and his form gave way to reveal Tak, she had been disguised as Bill all along. "Thank you, Dib." She mused. "Now I finally have a way back into the collective."

And more importantly a way to seal Zim's doom!

(At The Edge of Town)

Meanwhile, the military had converged on the city, and inside a tent a general was looking at a model of the town and a model of Peepi that were situated on a table before him.

"GRRR! I don't care what the blazes it wants, I just want it stopped!" The general snarled.

A solider saluted. "But SIR! I couldn't fire a missile at that fooby little face. Could you?"

All of the other soldiers in the tent shook their heads. No, they couldn't.

Suddenly the colonel who had been interpreting some code from the radio stood up. "Sir! I've just intercepted a communication from one of our men on the other side of the city! We think we know where he's going!"

(Back with Zim…)

As much as he wanted to run and catch up with Tak, and silence her before he could cause any trouble; he had a mess to clean up first. With or without help.

And by the look of Dib, he guessed he wouldn't be getting much help at all.

"GIR, come get me." Zim said into his communicator.

"Yes, milord!" GIR's voice answered.

FWOOSH!

GIR, zoomed up on his jets, stopping right next to Zim, who hopped onto his back and began to fly away.

"Hey, wait!" Dib called out finally snapping out of his state. "Promise me you're on our side this time!" He begged.

Zim circled back around, hovering before Dib.

"I know not of sides, Earth stink, but just this once I agree with you. The hamster must be stopped."

Dib tore his hair. "NOOOOOO-oh. Wait…yeah, good!" He smiled. "Go on!"

Zim rolled his eyes but smiled before he took off.

Dib found the smile on his face widening. Yes, it would appear they had grown. With that thought in mind he decided to take off after him. He wasn't sure he could be much help with no weapons against a beast 100 times his size, but he had to try.

Anything to make up for his mistake.

Meanwhile Ultra-Peepi continued to make his way towards his target…the Pellet Plant...even though a bunch of tanks were guarding the front.

"Ready unit seven, fire on my mark." The commanding officer raised his hand. "Three... two..."

Then Ultra-Peepi got close enough.

"Oh, just look at him!" Typical, overwhelmed-by-cuteness response.

SMUSH! There went a tank!

But THEN Zim's voice projected out through the air. Gir had flown him back to his Voot and now he spoke via a megaphone system that he'd installed decades before.

"Peepi! Peeeepi!"

Ultra-Peepi turned to see a large, fake hotdog from a hotdog shop hanging below the cruiser by way of tractor beam.

"The weenie tempts yoooouuu!" Zim snag out. He had stolen the fake dog on his way over. The plan was to lure the beast out of the city in order to minimize damage. Once done he could shrink the animal with the same technology, he had used to shrink himself when he went inside of Dib. After that he would remove the device from the hamster that caused him to grow while eating. It was a straightforward plan.

One that should be easily executed.

"RAAAARRR!" Ultra-Peepi ran at the hot dog flying the Voot Cruiser around the tanks, Zim allowed Ultra-Peepi to chase after him.

The soldier who'd BEEN in the smashed tank popped his head up.

"I'm okay!" He said happily, giving everyone a thumbs up. "I'M OKAY!"

SMUSH!

"Still okay!"

"AAA!" The commanding officer shouted. "Now we're being attacked by giant weenies. Get the weenie! Get it!"

The tanks began to fire on the cruiser and missing. A lot. Luckily Zim had made it to the carnival and had put the giant hotdog into a Ferris wheel…it was being used as bait. The Voot Cruiser launched two metal disks that puffed out like balls, then rolled to the Ferris Wheel. Using mechanical arms to latch onto it and lift it above the ground. Jets then sprung from the metallic balls, ready to ignite as the giant hamster made his way towards the Ferris wheel.

"Yes, Ultra-Peepi…" Zim hissed, rubbing his gloved claws together. "Yes, Ultra-Peepi, yes! Obey!"

He walked through a roller coaster, came closer…then began EATING the wheel.

"ARGH! BAD PEEPI!" Zim snapped. "Don't eat the wheel! Wouldn't you like a juicy hot dog instead?"

More Tanks pulled up.

"Okay, let's try and go with the hamster this time, we gotta use this stuff on something!" The soldier from before said.

Dib ran over to them, arms flailing around. "Don't attack! The alien is trying to get rid of the hamster! Don't interrupt his plans!"

The soldier rolled his eyes and did the "crazy" gesture with one finger. "The boy's crazy. Put him in one of them crazy buckets!"

Some soldiers ran up to Dib and placed in a metal container that covered all but his head as the tanks fired on Ultra-Peepi, who was holding the Ferris wheel under his arm. Pressing a button on the control panel, the thrusters on the metal balls that were attached to the Ferris wheel ignited and sent the Ferris Wheel up into the sky.

"No time to spare!" Zim hissed. "Fine, Ultra-Peepi! You had this coming!"

Quickly maneuvering around Ultra Peepi, diving and ducking and using all his skill, he launched the last two disks out, and they swelled up into balls that attached to his neck. The mechanical arms extended and soon they were tying around Ultra-Peepi like a collar.

FA-WHOOOOOOSH!

The thrusters activated, and Ultra-Peepi went soaring into the air while everyone watched.

"Well not the original plan, but what harm can he do in space?" Zim asked himself as he landed his Voot. He flipped his dial on his watch for a decent disguise, he decides to pretend to be one of the soldiers.

The general walks over to the unknown craft cautiously. "Pilot identify yourself." He demanded.

Dib, who was still stuck in the "Crazy Bucket", watched as the hatch to the Voot opened and a soldier appeared.

"Sorry general." The soldier reported. "The president Man thought this Experimental craft would provide a clever decoy to lead the beast out of the city."

"Well I'd say he's out." The General joked. "Well done soldier." He turned back to the others. "Well we're done here. Men roll out."

Dib hopped over to Zim who is still in a disguise as the soldiers departed.

"Whyyyyy?" A sniveling, brown-shirted child asked, tears dripping from his eyes.

Dib frowned. "Ya wanna know WHY!? Because aliens tampering with our life forms is dangerous and ends in pain-" Dib wailed as Zim suddenly kicked him to the side and Dib rolled away…right into a cotton candy machine. "Seriously? I thought we were making head way!" He yelled.

"Because when you create a giant monster of doom, no matter how cute, you have to…" He tapped his lip thoughtfully. "You have to... I dunno…lemme try again." He cleared his throat. "Heh-hem…something meaningful."

The child just sniffled some more.

"But stop sniveling, little worm monkey." Zim insisted. "Ultra-Peepi will live on... out there... in the stars." He said, waving his hand dismissively before taking his leave.

Dip struggled to get free when suddenly Gaz along with Lard Nar and Peg appeared.

"Need help?" Peg asked.

"Please." Dib begged.

Peg pushed the red button on the outside freeing him.

"Thanks." He said. The asked, "Where have you guys been? You missed all the action."

"We were with our mentors for Career day." Gaz growled. "Like you were supposed to be."

"I was." Dib said. "Mine turned out to be an alien." He revealed.

"Oh no." Peg gasped. "Zim!" She guested.

"Worse, Tak." Dib answered. "Who'd you guys get stuck with?"

Suddenly a black limo pulled up and the front window rolled down to reveal the man Dib had seen his sister with before. Then the back window rolled down to reveal.

"The President Man!" Dib exclaimed. "He looked to Peg hopefully. "You're going to be the president?"

"No, I followed his secretary around all day." Peg answered.

Dib felt his gut wrench, if it wasn't Peg then that meant…He looked at his sister fearfully.

Gaz smiled, her evil smile. "That's right, one day I will rule this country, and then you will all pay!" She vowed darkly as she and Peg got in the limo before it drove away.

Dib simply watched as it left, not even caring to try and flag them down for a ride home.

Why bother? Even if he managed to stop Zim and Tak there was no stopping Gaz.

Yep, either way the world was Doom!

-To Be Continued