Disclaimers: I do not own Invader Zim

Author's Note's: Alright everyone we are almost done with this book! Hurray! Anyway I plan to stop with 25 chapters and continue posting for the series in May (I haven't started the last book yet and need to do so.) So until then please check out my other Invader Zim story Help! My Boyfriend's an…Alien?!

BTW: I just realized how long that story is getting! It's at 28 chapters and it's nowhere nears done, it may be the longest story I ever wrote!

Anyways, thanks for reading and please review!

(Back with Maz…)

[Location: Science Division]

{Time: 09:00 hrs.}

Anticipation built up in his spooch as he approached the first check point.

This was it, the day he could win it all! The throne, the power, father's respect, Zim's defeat, the Dib, it all could be his. However, it was also the day that he could lose it all, for a moment fear takes over at the thought of failing; for he knew what that meant.

DEATH!

There was no coming back from that, and yet he knew one day it would come to this. The moment he opened his eyes for the first time and saw his older brother he knew this would happen. He knew one day he would have to kill him to get what he wanted, but he took the easy way out.

He allowed his brother to leave thinking the problem would fix itself, but it hadn't. Zim had come back to take what was rightfully his and in the end Maz should have known. He should have known it would come to this. He should have known that Zim would wake up and one day realize his dreams of being a soldier was just that. A dream, a dream that could never be a reality, at least not for long.

Yes, this was his fault, and now Maz had to clean up his own mess.

Gaz watched from the first check point as everyone came filing in for the work day. So far no one had shown up without an Access Card, but she still looked at each person very carefully, and made sure no one acted out of character. She knew the Scientist here very well since her and Dib hung out here a lot when they were kids, and their dad never got new workers.

A rather large man walked up to her looking as disinterest in life as he usually did.

Doctor Ravenscroft was what Gaz would call a face stuffer, because he always had something stuffed in his face. She noticed the box of doughnuts in his hand, but strangely he is not yet eating one.

"Doc what's up?" Gaz asked as he handed her his card.

"That's doctor!" He snapped. "Doctor Ravenscroft!" he began to mumble on and on about why go to school for so long if no one respects your title? It was the usual response for the Doctor, and Gaz felt herself relaxing. "Sorry I forgot." She told him, though she did not look sorry at all.

She wasn't, and Maz could tell, still he was pleased that the girl was none the wiser. Yes, he knew who this was, this was Gaz, Dib's sister unit and she was just as intimidating as Zim's reports stated. He watched her scan his card knowingly. Luckily he had managed to find some videos on the Doctor's computer, turns out the guy had been spying on the Dib's father for years. He even had footage of what went on in the Division, which was why he knew how the man acted around his coworkers.

He opens his box of doughnuts and starts eating one. "Well hurry up I haven't got all day!" He snapped, being sure to spit a little bit of doughnut on her face.

Gaz growled inwardly, and wiped the crumbs off her face. It was that face stuffing slob alright. So she scanned his card and gave it back to him. "Watch it!" She warned.

Doctor Ravenscroft grunted at her before walking by, and she watched him go.

Something nibbled at her, telling her something was off, but she couldn't place it. So she shook it off thinking her brother's usual paranoia was infecting her.

Maz smiled wickedly as he walked down the hall to "his" office. This was too easy, but he made sure not to celebrate just yet. Zim could be anywhere, perhaps he was pretending to be someone too, if so then he had to keep this act up at all times. He wouldn't want to slip up when his goal was in his grasp.

He entered the office and sat down at the desk before setting up his spy bug robots, it turns out these things were designed for the military, and even had mini weapons to use in order to defend themselves, the spy bug even looked like a real bug. The one Maz had chosen for the job was a scorpion, with a stinger that could shoot lasers. He turned it on, and gave it its orders, and moments later it walked off the desk and under the office door to go retrieve the data from The Information's Vault.

Now the only thing to do was wait.

He looks around the desk, and notices a picture of the doctor in front of him, but something is different about this picture.

The doctor is wearing glasses!

Maz cursed lowly, how could he forget the glasses?

Wait, did it really matter?

No one had noticed the slip up so far so why worry?

He relaxed then, and continued to look busy as he waited for his bug to be done gathering the information he needed. Once done he would send the bug to his ship to download all the knowledge it collected and send it to the Massive.

Then he could worry about phase three…

(Back with Zim…)

[Location: Science Division]

{Time: 10:00 hrs.}

Timing was everything…

Zim gripped his weapon tightly to his chest as he hid in the secret passageways within the walls of the Science Division. He had to be patient, Maz had always been a stickler for making him wait.

Why?

Because if Maz had a weakness so did he, and Zim's weakness was simple, he lacked patience. So much so that even the thought of waiting for the action to begin would drive him mad. So naturally Maz would wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and….

"THIS IS KILLING ME!" Zim screamed.

"Zim." Dib whispered, even though the secret hallway was soundproof. "Patience."

"Don't tell me what to do Dib stink!" Zim snapped.

Dib smiled, dating Zim was a lot like hating him; they still called each other names, and fought over everything. The only difference was instead of ending in death it ended in well other stuff. His face heated up at the thought.

'No focus!' He reminded himself 'Now is not the time.' He warned himself.

Zim growled lowly as he saw those cheeks of Dib's blaze red with blush, it made his lower regions…no he was not going to think about his undisciplined lower regions. Not now, Maz could already be here and Dib was nothing but a distraction. And yet he refused to let the child leave his side for he feared Maz would steal him away forever. Just the thought of his brother touching what was his made him see red. So naturally he would keep the Dib beast close no matter how annoying and/or cute the redness of his face was.

Zim shook his head, 'I did not just call him cute.' He growled again. 'Focus you idiot, before you get us all killed.'

Dib bit his lip, worry was starting to set in for both of them. It was almost lunch time now and no one without an access card had showed up to work today and no one was absent either. All the workers were here, and no one acted out of the ordinary. Still he could feel it, they both could...Maz was here! Somewhere in this building the enemy was plotting, waiting…and they had nothing to go one, no leads, not even a single clue. "Where is he?" Dib asked out loud.

"Now look who's impatient." Zim snickered.

"Can it Space boy." Dib warned.

"You can it." Zim hissed.

They were in the walls of the Information's Vault waiting for Maz to strike, Professor Membrane had taken it upon himself to guard the Weapons Vault, said he had a little surprise waiting for the alien.

No one knew what he meant by that, but he looked confident enough so they all left him to it.

"He's toying with us." Zim hissed.

"Zim stop acting like a child." Dib whispered.

"Zim is no smeet!" Zim retorted angrily. "You are a smeet!"

"Wait so smeet means child?" Dib asked.

"Are you just now getting that?" Zim snapped.

"So this whole time you have been calling me a kid!?" Dib shouted, he was somewhat outraged by the discovery.

"Compared to me you are a kid!" Zim reminded him.

Dib wanted to argue, but he knew Zim was right, the guy once bragged about living several of his Earth life spans. "How old are you Zim?"

"I'm 159 Irken years." Zim answered, never taking his eyes off the room in front of them. They were behind a one way mirror, which allowed them to see into the Information's Vault, while those in there only saw their own reflection.

Dib looked at Zim in disbelief that was pretty old…

Zim shook his head, he could tell the boy that 159 years on Irk was only like 22 on Earth, but then Dib might not think he had to listen to him. Yes, on Earth age meant power, not height. Dib would listen to Zim because he was wiser, older, and meant to be listened to.

"Wow that's really old." Dib teased.

Zim growled. "Shut up."

Dib snickered. His initial shock dissipated as he remembered Irk moved around its sun faster than Earth did, so Zim was only 22 Earth years old. 'Nice try space boy.' He thought with a laugh.

"Focus Dib, the enemy could be anywhere." Zim reminded him.

Dib nodded, and took a deep breath through his nose as he stared out the one way mirror trying to calm his buzzing nerves. This was the time to be serious, not fool around, still it was easy to forget his nerves when he was bickering with Zim.

Suddenly Zim's antenna twitched and he stiffened.

Dib knew what that meant, Danger! However, when he looked around the room he saw nothing!

Zim could see nothing either, but he did his best to ignore what he saw, and pay attention on what his instincts were trying to tell him. He closed his eyes.

"Zim?" Dib whispered.

"Quiet Dib." Zim insisted. "I'm listening."

Dib nodded and waited scanning the room with his eyes once more.

Zim bit his lip, he was in a sound proof room which would make hearing hard for even the most advance Irken, but Zim had always had better senses then most. He listens more intently, and sure enough it works, he can hear the hum of the computers inside the room, he can feel the vibrations of little feet…wait no one was inside the room, so no one should be walking.

Zim's eyes snapped open as he scans the room again, he still sees nothing.

"Zim?" Dib asked.

"There is something in the room." He said.

"Where?" Dib asked.

"I don't know." Zim admitted. "It sounded small like a bug."

"It's probably just that then." Dib said. "Still we might want to look just in case."

Zim nodded, as Dib pushed a button on the wall beside him which opened a secret door for them to step out of, they do and suddenly they're in the room.

"Do you still hear it?" Dib asked.

Zim listened carefully, but the walking has stopped, he shakes his head, and begins to look around.

Dib looks under a few desk, but can't find anything out of the ordinary. "Nothing." he says.

But Zim isn't so sure, he closes his eyes again, he can't afford to mess this up if Maz got away with even the slightest thing he was screwed, they all were.

The information in this room was vital, his father could have a big advantage if he knew all the locations of the enemy bases. It was an advantage that he could not afford him to have. Still he could not find what was setting off his senses.

In the end Dib is the one to see it first.

The Information Vault was really one big room with large old fashion hard drives that storied the sensitive information. Nothing else set in the room except for a few desk for the random occasion that someone needed to work with the data on the drives. Nothing was allowed to leave this room so they would be forced to do their work here. However, Dib notices something else in the room, a black scorpion was on one of the hard drive ports.

At first this didn't strike a cause for alarm, scorpions were becoming a common pest in his home town, and it was possible that one why have gotten in. However, his eyes widen as he notices the bug is actually hooked into the hard drive. Dib stiffens, Bugs don't have USB ports, at least not real ones, he moves to detach it from its perch and that's when all hell breaks loose.

Several things happen at once; First, Zim notices Dib's behavior and turns, catching the culprit in seconds. Two, the Scorpion spy bug detects the threat and raises its tail. And finally; Three Dib gets the air knocked out of him as Zim tackles him out of the way just before the boy is hit with a blast of yellow light.

The Scorpion fires another laser blast at the enemy as it continues to download the information it needs. Forcing Zim and Dib to scramble for cover, flipping a desk on its side as a makeshift shield.

"This is insane!" Dib exclaimed as he tried to fire his blaster at the bug, but it surprises them by creating a force field around itself. "Nothing will go through!" He screamed.

"Keep trying!" Zim ordered as he began to fire too, "Maybe we can weaken the shield."

Dib supposed it was a good enough try as any, and he continued to fire, ducking behind the table every now and then to dodge the enemy's lazars.

Zim followed his lead, doing his best not to panic, this was obviously the work of Maz, leave it to that coward to bring a robot in his place. "Oh that spineless worm!" He shouted as he ducked for cover, for one little bug, this scorpion sure did pack a punch. The table was slowly becoming wood shards, and Dib and Zim had almost lost their heads twice now.

"Dib, Dib?" A voice said over the COMM link, it was Gaz. "Dib? What's going on?"

"It's Maz he got in somehow!" Dib shouted as he fired some more.

"What that's impossible." Gaz yelled over their battle. "I checked everyone myself."

"Well then you missed something." Zim hissed, as a shot grazed his shoulder. "Because he is kicking our asses."

"I don't get it how did it!" Dib yelled. "How did he even get a hold of a robotic Scorpion anyway?"

Gaz froze, she had been running towards the Information's Vault to help her brother when his words hit her hard. "Did you just say robotic scorpion?" She asked, feeling her blood run cold.

More sounds of battle could be heard over the COMM link, finally Dib answered. "Yeah why?"

"Oh I am so stupid!" Gaz said, turning around as she pulled out her own weapon.

"Gaz what happened?" Dib asked as he ran for a new table and flipped it on its side just in time to spare his life. The first table is nothing but saw dust now, and Zim must also flip a table for protection.

"Zim was right, I missed something." Gaz admitted as she head over to her Target.

"What?" Dib snapped. "What did you miss?"

"Dib only one scientist here has bugs that can download information." Gaz said.

Dib gasped. "Doctor Ravenscroft!"

"I knew there was something up with him." Gaz said. "And now I remember, the guy can't see his own hands in front of his face he's so blind."

"So?" Dib asked.

"He wasn't wearing his glasses this morning!" Gaz shouted as she reached the hall of Doctor Ravenscroft's office.

"That worm knew about the access cards and assumed the identity of one of the workers here to throw off suspicion." Zim hissed. "He's better at this then I thought."

"Gaz I know what you're doing." Dib shouted. "You can't face him alone!" he knows reasoning with her is useless. Gaz was always the one to strike out on her own, she wasn't afraid of gang members or loan sharks, and druggies. But this was no thug, this was an Alien menace who was a lot smarter than they thought he was. A monster who was winning this fight, without even trying, all while making his brother look like a joke.

"I can handle him Dib." Gaz said quietly as she reached the door. She places her communicator on silence and burst in gun blazing to see…

NOTHING!

"He's gone!" Gaz shouted as she turned her communicator back off.

"Gaz get out of there now!" Dib was screaming.

"He's a coward he'll attack you from behind." Zim's voice warned.

But his warning comes a little too late, Gaz has just enough time to notice a large shadow on the ground beside her own. It creeps closer to her like a spider hunting prey, and despite her tough girl attitude, nothing can save a girl who was too hasty to start a fight.

Maz strikes without hesitation, whacking the girl in the back of the head with one of his PAK legs. Thankfully he had heard the commotion from down the hall and planed an ambush. He had been hoping it would be his brother, but it would appear that scorpion packed a bigger punch then he thought.

"Gaz! Gaz!" Dib yelled over the COMM link. "She's not answering!"

Maz smiled at the franticness in his voice, the boy cared for his sister unit dearly, and he could use this to his advantage. He scoops the girl up and makes his escape, he's not worried about the bug, if it survives it will meet him at his ship, if not then there is always plan B.

"Gaz!" Dib yelled again.

"Irk this isn't working!" Zim shouted. "Doesn't this thing have any weakness?"

"No it's basically indestructible." Dib said as he gave up on his sister. He had more important stuff to think about. He could only hope that she was alright, and not…no he would not let his mind go there, he had a job to do.

Zim growled as another blast just barely misses him. "I'm sorry Dib but there is only one other option." He says.

Dib's face contorts. "Yeah like what?" He asked.

"This!" Zim said and aimed for the target.

But it's not the scorpion he's aiming for, no this time he aims for the hard drive. His logic is simple, and he really wonders why he didn't think of it sooner. NO DRIVE, NO DATA.

Dib follows his lead in an instant, and soon the drives are bursting into flames, as they explode all over the room. The two allies take cover behind what's left of their tables as the fire alarms go off around them.

Zim can hear people screaming, racing to get out, Maz may be among them trying to escape in the commotion. Oh how he would love to chase him down right now, but he still had one more matter to settle. "Dib where's the bug?" He asked.

Dib chances a look over his hiding spot. "I don't see it." He said standing up. "Maybe we blew it up."

"I thought you said it was indestructible." Zim said as he got to his feet as well. He senses no enemy threat, so he allows himself to relax, knowing Maz was most likely long gone by now. 'The coward.' He thought.

"I said it's basically indestructible." Dib corrected him. As he began to move out into the open.

Zim's antenna twitches and he has seconds to react. "Dib! No!" he screeched, practically throwing Dib to the floor just as another blast comes straight for his head.

"Did you have to throw me?" Dib complained, his head throbbing, he was also sure he could taste blood in his mouth.

"I wouldn't have had to if you'd just pay attention, Keep this up and you'll get us both-,"

A loud blast cut Zim off as he was struck in his upper shoulder and went straight through. Dib watched in horror as Zim was tossed like a rag doll and slammed into the nearest wall.

"ZIM!"

Chapter End Notes:

And another one of those cliff hangers you love so much!

Anyways, Thanks for reading and please leave a comment. (If you want!)

The Next update will be soon.

So until then this is Emily Signing off…