Disclaimers: I do not own Invader Zim

Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading and please review!

(Back with Zim…)

It had been a very long day and it was about to get a lot longer.

After Dark Booty and the others had found them, Dib and Zim were allowed the rest of the day off in order for the team to have time to adjust to the facts.

And the facts were obvious: There was another player in this game! And Zim had a pretty good idea who it was!

There was only one individual he could think of that would have run down old invader tech, and the nerve to challenge him. "TAK!" He allowed her name to escape his lips. That wretched female didn't know when to quit and her shenanigans could have just ruined everything! This of course explained why Zim's already long day was about to get longer. As an active soldier it was Zim's duty to report the presence of any enemy of the Empire to the Tallest immediately!

Zim sighed as he prepared himself to give his report to the Tallest, it was already the end of another crazy week so naturally he would start with the good news first. Besides after all the craziness that had been this week Zim was sure that if he didn't give the Tallest some sort of good news they would surely strike him down where he stood. "Computer call the Tallest." He ordered as he readied himself in front of the transmission screen.

"Calling the Tallest." The computer said it's usual boring tone.

Moments later the transmission is answered, and Zim's eyes widen as he sees that there seems to be a celebration going on aboard the Massive.

Red is singing and dancing while Purple throws doughnuts out to the surrounding soldiers.

"Ah Zim!" Red exclaims as he notices him on the transmission.

"Is Tallest Purple actually sharing his snacks?" Zim asked looking worried. "They're poisoned right?"

"What?" Red asked, then laughed. "Oh, I get it you're joking, you're funny."

"I am?" Zim asked, he was obviously being very serious.

"Well surely you've heard." Red exclaimed over the chaos.

It was then that Zim could hear the masses of Irken soldiers cheering. "All Hail Irk!" Over and over, and over again. He smiled. "I'm assuming Operation Impending Doom 2 has had its first Victory." He laughed.

"You mean no one called you?" Red looks out raged. "Okay who ever I told to call Zim, throw him out of the air lock!"

Zim winced as a scream is heard. "No, I tried no one answered!"

"Uh sir I've been out." He tried to tell Red, but it was too late.

"Serves him right." Red scoffed.

"Hey is that Zim?" Purple asked coming into view. "Zim I'm so glad you're here to celebrate, finally those horned beast will stop looking down on us and start looking up with fear."

"Horned beast?" Zim asked.

"No one told him." Red whispered to Purple.

Zim suddenly got an uneasy feeling. Why was it that he felt as if he was not going to like what they had to say?

"Goody!" Purple sang. "That means I can tell him."

"Tell me what!" Zim asked, coming off rather snappy, and for good reason. There was only one horned race on Operation Impending Doom 2's hit list.

"OOOO! Someone's eager!" Purple laughed, obviously miss placing his snappy mood for pouting. Zim didn't like being the last one to know any big juicy news, which is why Red, and Purple always made sure to keep him posted. After all, even they were afraid of Zim's temper, oh yes everyone said the Tallest were bad, but Red and Purple secretly thought Zim was much worse.

"Purple just tell him already." Red urged.

"Oh, right Larb just conquered Vort this morning!" Purple revealed.

His world shattered…it shattered into little, tiny pieces.

"C…Conquered?" He muttered; barley able to utter the single word. "It's…gone?"

"Gone?" Red asked. "Heavens no, as unbearable as they are they've got technology and big brains."

"Yep." Purple chimed. "So naturally we enslaved them."

Zim seems to sigh in relief. "Oh well thank heavens the little twerp did it right!" He said, just barley remembering to stay in character. "I'm surprised he managed."

"I know!" Purple exclaimed. "Our little Larb outsmarted our closest Allies! We trained on their planet, and they still didn't see this coming."

Zim felt like a noose was slowly tightening around his neck, Vort…Lard Nar's home had been enslaved. How could he have forgotten that they too were on the list of planets to be under cease? And how could he stand ideally by and let it happen.

It was as if he had betrayed him all over again.

"Anyway, you called?" Red asked drawing him out of his thoughts.

"Oh yes." Zim said, trying to remember what it was he called about. "Oh, right I have started processing materials for you, I will be sending the first batch by the end of this coming up week."

"Perfect!" Red praised. "See Purple I told you he'd get back on his feet all he needed was the proper rest."

"Well good." Purple said. "Cause while the Vorts where defeated, it took several days to quiet down any rebel forces."

"So, they were expecting you?" Zim asked.

"No this was something they had planned for years." Red informed him. "Ever since Tallest Myuki was in power."

"Yes, had they known that Larb planned to strike this week they might have won." Purple added.

They might have won!

If Zim had known, would he have warned his old friend?

Of course not, besides, he didn't even have the means to locate or warn Lard Nar (not anymore). That and the Vort Scientist was supposed to be dead, his people would kill him if he showed his face. No, there was nothing he could have done to stop this, this was what his people did. They destroyed everything in their path, they took what wanted and Zim was in no position to change that.

'And I don't want to.' Zim lied to himself. No, it wasn't a lie. He had learned his lesson. But had he really?

After all wasn't he doing the same thing with Dib? No, it was worse with Dib, Lard Nar had been a friendship. He and Dib had let that ship sale away forever ago!

"Anything else?" Red ask obviously reading the look of despair on his face. "You look worried."

Zim nodded. "I hate to ruin the fun." He said. "But I have reason to believe a traitor is hiding out on Earth."

"A traitor?" Red asked. "Of Irk?"

Zim nodded. "The Irken defective, Tak I believe she is here." Yes, it was best to tell them now and feed them his lies. That way if it really was Tak and she tried to contact the Tallest. Anything She told them would be discredited on the spot.

Everyone gasped at the mentioning of the Defective Tak's Name. She was famous for being the only defective in history who had ever eluded the Tallest's wrath. A title of fame that should be going to Zim, and him alone.

"Zim." Red said firmly. "Are you sure?"

Zim took a deep breath and nodded; it was the only person it could be. "I'm sure." he told him.

"Finish your mission." Purple ordered. "And Zim?"

"Yes my Tallest?" Zim asked.

"Let nothing, and no one stand in your way." Purple concluded.

"Get rid of her." Red added.

Zim saluted firmly. "Consider it done!"

"Good!" Red said darkly, before lightening up and said. "Now stay and celebrate with us!"

"Yes please." Purple agreed. "You really need to learn to enjoy your efforts."

Zim shook his head politely. "Sorry my Tallest much to do and so little time."

"That's our trooper." Red chimed. "But you'll die looking old at this rate."

"Old and boring." Purple added. "That's what I'm putting on your memory plaque."

Zim laughed. "And I'm putting 'Impossible to please' on your, both of yours." He teased.

Red laughed. "He knows us so well." He says to Purple.

"Good thing we know him too right Zim." Purple asked.

Wrong, they didn't know him at all, they only knew the Zim he wanted them to see; but then again that was the point.

Zim smiled. "Yes my Tallest, well I have much work to do so..."

"Yes, yes go have fun being boring!" Purple whined. "Just get some sleep!"

Zim smiled knowingly. "I will most certainly will try." He lied.

"Trying is not doing." Red lectured.

"I know." Zim said smugly and ended the transmission.

it was quiet in the Lab after that; however, it didn't stay that way for long.

"Lard Nar..." Zim couldn't help it, he fell to his knees feeling sick, and weak. He thought these feelings were gone, and they had been…they had been gone.

Zim looked at his reflection on the reflecting surface of the metal walls of his base and was stunned to actually see tears rolling down his face. "What's happening to me?" He asked, though it's already pretty clear. "What is this feeling that I'm feeling?"

Regret...

Yes, that's what it was, an overpowering feeling of regret that ate at his insides and made him want to roll over and die.

"I told you it would only get worse." The computer said, it's voice echoing around the lab. "But I can make it better."

"How?" Zim asked.

"You know what you must do." The computer said.

Yes, he knew, but the act still scared him so, still he had no other choice at this rate. This regret hurt so bad that he was actually tempted to go out and search for Lard Nar. Just to make sure his old friend was okay.

Friend, yes he still saw him as a friend, and that was why this needed to be done.

"Computers prepare the reprogramming sequence." He ordered without hesitation, and rightfully so. Dib had woken this part of him up inside, and he had to silence it.

Why?

Because he was an Irken, and this was the choice he had made long ago. he turned his back on Lard Nar and committed crimes that no one would forgive.

Not Lard Nar... not even Dib...

So naturally Zim didn't even flinch as the computer hooked its tentacles to his PAK to begin the long process. "Do it." he ordered.

The computer obeyed and seconds later Zim was shut down in order for the Irken program to be rebooted.

His last thoughts were of Lard Nar, and where his old friend might be right now. Did he know the news of his people?

Zim hoped not, because that would make him sad, and he didn't want Lard Nar to be sad.

Too bad the universe hated Zim, if not for him asking, maybe fate would have granted this small request.

(Back with Lard Nar...)

Pain…

He thought his days of feeling it were over, he thought that the universe had decided he had, had enough.

He thought wrong!

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this." A Vort Scientist known as Trawl was saying on over the ship's transmission. Trawl was a distant cousin of Lard Nar, he was also the informant for the Galactic Alliance, or he was.

Now he was known as Prisoner number 777 of the enslaved planet known as Vort.

"Look I can still feed you information, but for now on don't tell me who you are with or where you are going." Prisoner number 777, Trawl was saying. "If they find me out I can't guarantee that they won't find a way to force me to spill."

"We understand your position." Annabel answered for her dear friend, who was no doubt still processing the news he had just heard. "And we appreciate that you are still willing to help us."

"I will do my best." Trawl assured her. "But I might have to stay quiet for a while until this whole rebel mess clams down-."

"Just tell me one thing." Lard Nar spoke suddenly, his voice but a whisper. "You told us rumor is that Zim is on Earth, have you confirmed that?"

"You're going there!" Trawl looks stunned. "Cousin please be reasonable! If the Tallest find the enemy that close to their jewel; the Earth! There will be hell to pay."

"Just tell me." Lard Nar ordered.

Trawl nodded. "It's been confirmed, the traitor is also believed to be there."

"Two Irkens?" Richard asked out loud.

Annabel's breath caught. "No one tell Sari." She warned.

"She'll find out soon enough." Richard said.

"Doesn't matter." Trawl said. "One Irken is already too much." He looked to Lard Nar fearfully. "You are leading those good people to their deaths."

"No." Lard Nar said. "The AI's are more than a match for them, they'll protect us, and besides… "He looked to Annabel knowingly. "I'm going to try and reach him."

Annabel's eyes widen in shock.

"Reach Zim?" Trawl is floored. "He's not the child you use to know."

"Perhaps." Lard Nar seemed to agree. "But I have to try…"

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Trawl said, and then softened. "Please be careful, you are the only family I have left."

"I know." Lard Nar said, his voice shaken. "I will be fine, you just focus on not getting caught, I'll deal with the rest."

Trawl nodded. "Peace be with you." He added.

"And you." Lard Nar said, before the transmission ended.

"What change your mind?" Richard asked. "About Zim."

"I told you I would try." Lard Nar said as they continued on their journey, thanks to a number of worm holes that they hadn't expected to cross they would now reach Earth's moon with in six or seven days or so.

"But you look more hopeful." Annabel said smiling.

"I am." Lard Nar admitted. "I'm not sure why, but the closer we get the more I feel like everything will work out. I can't explain it, I just know."

And he did know, the closer they got to Earth the more he could feel him, he could feel the presence of his old friend Zim. However, it was not a presence of ultimate power and evil as he had feared. No it was the feeling of warmth and wonder that his young friend always carried with him.

He couldn't explain it, but he just knew his young friend had come back to them, and more importantly to himself, and they had to reach him. Before something changed that.

With that thought fresh on his mind he pressed down several controls trying to make the machine go faster, The old Zim, his long-lost friend might be the only hope they have of stopping them now.

Lard Nar's only hope was that they could convince him in time…

-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!