Author's Notes: So now that I've left you on a cliff hanger for a while I'll press on. But I warn you there are more cliff hangers to come.

Boredom…

It had an easy time settling into Zim's brain and staying there for what felt like forever. 'It's official.' He thought. 'School is a waste of time.'

His statement couldn't be truer, and the perfect example was standing before him right at that very moment. Right there on the board was a simple math equation about the triangularization method. Well, it was easy for Zim that is, but the kid standing in front of the class was taking forever to figure it out!

And their teacher Mrs. Walter was no help at all! She just stood there staring the poor boy down as he tried but failed to get the right answer.

'Why teach them something they will never need to use?' Zim wondered. 'Now as an invader calculating the origin of a blast from an enemy weapon would make this method useful.' He admitted. 'But humans would rarely see a need for this.'

He shook his head, it was a wonder that the humans had survived this long, they were idiots.

Well…all but Dib.

And just like that the Irken found his thoughts drifting to that big headed boy once again.

'How does he know these things?' he wondered. 'Is he really that smart or did someone teach him?'

He wasn't sure, but Zim couldn't help but feel excited about it all. What if someone had taught him?

What if there was a secret organization of alien hunters out there, keeping Earth safe?

Zim hoped so, after all if there was that meant that maybe this mission wouldn't be as boring as he previously thought.

A bell sounded, piercing through his thoughts, and Zim had to force himself to hold in a hiss. His superior Irken hearing made these ringing bells sound almost deafening. However, he was sure he'd get used to it in time.

"Alright class, I expect you all to know how to do this come Monday!" Mrs. Walters snapped as her students filed out of the room.

Zim followed the crowd and found a smile slip on his face as Dib came into view.

Dib smiled back; it was nice to have someone happy to see him. "You ready to go?" he asked as his new friend stopped in front of him.

"Yeah, just let me drop a few things in my locker." Zim answered.

"Ok." Dib agreed and followed Zim to his storage unit.

'No locker.' Zim corrected himself as he stopped in front of it. 'Humans call them lockers.'

"So how did you come across this alien transmission?" Zim asked as he dumped all his books and closed the locker door.

"Well, I've always known aliens were real." Dib answered as they began to walk down the hall. "I mean it's like you said we can't be the only ones."

"Mm." Zim agreed, as the boy started to ramble. Usually, ramblers would earn a punch in the face from Zim, but not this one. When Dib rambled, he did it in a way that captured his full attention, though Zim couldn't explain why?

"Anyway, everyone thought I was crazy." Dib went on. "But I already told you that, what I didn't tell you was I swore to find proof!"

"I see." Zim said, the corner of his lips slipped into a smirk. This child had more than a little fire in him, and Zim liked that in an opponent. Still Dib was just a child, and Zim, well Zim was 159 years old. So, hoping a child would give him the challenge he desired was like the Irken allies hoping they were exempt from their total universal domination.

In other words, it was a waste of time and energy.

"So, I made a few modifications to a space transmitter I had found at the junk yard." Dib went on. "I then went up to my roof every night and hooked it along with my PC up to our satellite dish in hopes of hearing something, and six months ago I actually did!" he stated proudly.

"And you understood it?" Zim asked. As they existed the school and started down the street towards what Zim assumed was the direction of the boy's home.

"Yeah." Dib answered. "Wait why?"

"Well wouldn't an alien race speak an alien language?" Zim asked. His hopes were starting to die now, he should have known it would be a hoax. After all the children would have to have an impressive machine to translate alien languages for him automatically, and the kid was only what seventeen? There was no way he was that smart.

"Well, they did." Dib answered. "I had my transmitter on low settings, and I think it actually translated their speech into something I could understand."

"Really?" Zim asked. His hope rising once more, and for good reason. Zim had many foes in his life as an invader, but they all had their flaws. Dib on the other hand was passing all his expectations with ease. Which only verified to Zim just how pathetic his past foes really were. After all this was a child, an impressively intelligent child? Yes, but that was besides the point.

"Yeah, I mean I heard a lot of stuff out there every night, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it." Dib admitted. "So, I started fiddling with the many nobs on the machine and finally I got something besides gibberish to come through."

Zim could feel his antennas perking up in interest, and it frustrated him to say the least. 'Why can't you be older?' He wanted to scream. 'I finally found someone interesting enough to be my foe and he's practically a Smeet!'

Why did the universe hate him so much?

Why couldn't fate give him what he wanted just once!?

"Anyway, here we are." Dib said, stopping in front of a large home.

Zim's eyes widen. "You live here?" he asked.

"Oh yeah my dad's kind of loaded." Dib admitted sheepishly.

'Loaded?' Zim looks confused for a moment, then his eyes seem to spark with realization. 'Oh, he means rich!' Zim realized. 'They have lots of monies, that's what he means.'

"Is that okay?" Dib asked fearfully. 'This kid doesn't have a label for rich kids, does he?' he wondered. 'I sure hope not because that would ruin everything!'

"No, it's fine." Zim assured him. "I just feel under dressed is all..."

"Oh, don't worry." Dib said with a laugh. "We don't have a butler or anything like that." He assured him as they entered the home. "Most of the money is used for dad's inventions, and Gaz and I get a pretty big allowance. See." He said, showing off an ordinary living room. "It just looks fancy on the outside."

Zim smiled. "So, where's this transmitter?" he asked hopefully.

"Dib?" Gaz and Peg, who were sitting on the couch; were stunned to see Dib standing in the doorway with another kid.

"Gaz, Peg!" Dib exclaimed. "This is my friend Miz." he said proudly.

"S'up." Zim said.

The girls just looked at him in disbelief.

"And he likes the supernatural too!" Dib continued to gloat. "And I found him all by myself!"

Gaz couldn't believe it; her brother had found another space nerd! It was almost unheard of, and for good reason. Humanity had given up on space a long time ago since they never found anything out there but well space! So, to find another alien enthusiast was like finding the needle in the haystack.

Finally, Peg found her voice. "Well to each their own." She spoke. "Right Gaz?"

"Yeah." Gaz said. "Now you can stop bothering us." She added, just barely remembering to be her usual indifferent self.

"Cool well, Miz and I are going to look at that alien transmission I told you about." Dib said as he started up the stairs.

Zim followed him up, and into a pretty tidy bedroom.

"Okay here it is!" Dib said pulling out the transmitter.

Zim took in the device with awe. Sure, it looks primitive, but if one were to look past the old timey looking radio façade. Then they would see a device far more advanced than anything humans were supposed to be capable of. 'Perhaps I have underestimated them.' Zim thought. 'Maybe, the humans have survived this long because of people like Dib. Maybe, the smart ones keep them from dying off.'

Dib gave him a questioning look. Miz hadn't said anything, and he was beginning to realize that his new friend had a noticeably short attention span.

Zim notices his look and forces himself to focus. "Well don't keep me in suspense!" Zim exclaimed. "Play it!"

Dib laughs and turns the device on. "Okay the signal was bad, so you can't make out all the words." He explained. "But this is what it sounds like in English." He pressed play.

Zim held his breath as the recording played.

"The universe will be ours for the taking...It's only a matter of time…" Zim's eyes noticeably widen, that voice it sounded familiar.

"Miz you, okay?" Dib asked.

"Play it without the translation." Zim ordered.

Dib looks confused. "You sure? It just sounds like a bunch of clicks, and hisses-"

"Dib play the original!" Zim snapped.

"Ok, ok." Dib did as he was told.

The recording played again, but this time it was just as Dib said it would be clicks, and hisses. Unfortunately, it was just as Zim feared, for you see he could understand it!

It was Tallest Red's voice; he was speaking in the Irken native tongue. It was his closing words from the Great Assigning.

And somehow this child had gotten it!

Zim seems to look at Dib with a new light, and for good reason.

This child was the real deal! all evidence had pointed towards that conclusion already; but now there was no denying it.

"Miz?" Dib asked.

His voice snapped him back to reality, but it was too late.

Dib has registered the shock on his face, as something familiar. "You've heard this language before, haven't you?" he asked.

Zim wanted to rip his own eyes out, how could he have let his guard drop so easily? 'Think of a lie now you idiot!' He screamed at himself. He nodded. "When I was in Egypt, I had created a similar device." He said. "And I also got something, and it sounded very much like that." He said pointing at the transmitter. "Clicks and hisses."

Dib was amazed. "What do you think it means?" He asked. "Do you think these aliens are really thinking about taking over the whole universe?"

Zim shrugged. "I don't know." He said, before growing more serious. "Listen Dib who else have you told this too?"

"Just my sister." Dib answered.

Zim gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh, and my partner." Dib added.

"Your partner!" Zim exclaimed.

"No, it's okay." Dib assured him. "I get it, if the alien race in question here ever found out we heard them, they might try to silence us for good." He said. "But my partner is a professional, he's been doing this a long time; we'll be safe."

Unfortunately, his words did little to calm Zim. 'His partner is a professional?'

'He's been doing this a long time!'

'I must tell the Tallest, NO! They'll pull me off the mission if they see me baffled like this. They'll think I can't handle it!'

Zim took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 'You wanted excitement.' He reminded himself. 'Well, you got it!'

"Miz?" Dib asked.

"Sorry it's just I had hoped to never hear those sounds again." He lied. "I had hoped you had found some hoax on the internet."

"Miz what happened in Egypt?" Dib asked. "What aren't you telling me?"

Zim bit his lip; he knew there was only one way out of this. He had to weave a lie so believable that this partner of Dib's will have no choice but to let him into their inner circle. Once there Zim could find out just how many he was dealing with. Oh yes, he knew there had to be more than just Dib and his Partner. 'I was right. There's a whole secret society of them, still watching the stars.'

It made sense, after all there were tales of explorers going into this area of space, and never returning. Was this the reason why?

Did they stumble upon Earth, only to be taken down by this secret organization?

He wasn't sure, no one was: about 50 years ago this part of space had been labeled as a death trap! No one dared to come here, but Irkens who often patrolled the area looking for signs of what could have happened to the missing explorers. But this Milky Way as the humans called it, was vast, and showed no signs of intelligent life, no it wasn't until that probe that the humans had sent out, that the Irkens knew that intelligent life even existed in this void.

"Miz?" Dib asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Look I know we just met, but you can trust me."

Zim sighed. "After I accidentally overheard this transmission, this thing came for me." He whispered.

Darkbootie felt his heart in his throat as he listened intently to the conversation through his spy bug, which sat upon Dib's wall.

Was it possible?

Was he looking at a person who had seen an alien…alive?!

Sure, Darkbootie had seen people he thought were aliens, but the only real aliens he saw were ones that were already dead and kept in area 51! Back then alien ships or UFOs were sighted often, but there had been no confirmed UFO sightings for over 50 years now.

Was it possible that this boy had his own close encounter?

If so, he'd be the first known human to have done so in half a century.

'Perhaps that's what I was sensing earlier.' Darkbootie thought. 'Perhaps the kid has a right to be eager to get to the bottom of this.' He wasn't sure, something about the child screamed danger, he couldn't explain it, but it was like some internal instinct told him to keep a close eye on this one.

Of course, said danger could be that the kid has some alien trying to kill him! Yes, that warranted some concern, even more than some.

"What did this thing look like?" Dib asked.

Zim knew he'd have to give him something, he had played the enemy spy before, and there was a way of doing things. Take his last mission for example, the rebels didn't just accept anyone into their ranks, you had to of have experience battling an Irken, and you had to have information to share. Meaning to be accepted by them, Zim had to reveal some of the Empire's secrets. And now it would appear he'd have to do the same here. "He was tall, and emerald, green." He began. "His eyes were like blood red, and he had antennas." he went on, describing his own true form with ease.

"Like a bug?" Dib asked.

Zim nodded.

"Did he say anything?" Dib asked. "Like, why he was after you?"

"He spoke, but I couldn't understand him." Zim said. "I assumed it was about what I had overheard though."

"Is there anything else?" Dib asked hopefully.

"He wore a uniform, kind of a pink color, and his weapon had this symbol on it..." Zim went on.

Dib's eyes widen, his face showing a sense of hope. "Hey, do you think you can draw the symbol?"

"I can try." Zim said, grabbing a pencil and paper off Dib's desk.

Dib watched as his new friend began to draw some black alien looking skull that was triangular with rounded, oval eyes.

Pride buzzed through Zim as he drew the Irken insignia, yes this was his way in. If he gave the humans just a little insight, they'd gobble it all up, and he'd be one of them in no time. "It was something like that." Zim said as he finished.

"How did you get away from him?" Dib asked, as he took the paper staring at the symbol, the symbol of a race far more intelligent than he.

"My dad had befriended an archaeologist who had shown us the ins and outs of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Tourists weren't allowed to enter, but my dad's friend was able to sneak us in. I led him there and lost him in the maze." Zim explained. "The place was so full of booby traps I assumed he thought I fell victim to one of them, because I never saw him again."

"But what if he thinks you're still out there? Do you think he's still looking for you?" Dib asked, fear snaking down his spine.

"Maybe." Zim answered. "That's why I was so determined to hear this." He said pointing to the transmitter. "I haven't seen him since I lost him in Egypt five years ago, and I was afraid that if this was the real deal that he might show up again."

Darkbootie stroked his chin thoughtfully, the boy's story was believable enough, and it was easy to get lost in those pyramids if you didn't know your way around. Did that mean there was a dead alien in the Great Pyramid of Giza? Maybe, of course he could have escaped, and thought the boy was dead, or perhaps he was unable to relocate him.

"Well, we'll be okay." Dib assured him. "My partner seems to know a lot about these things."

"Can I meet him?" Zim asked hopefully.

"I'd have to ask." Dib said. "And it could take a while since I have to wait for him to contact me."

Zim nodded and glazed over at the clock. "Wow it's getting pretty late." He said aloud.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Dib asked.

Zim didn't like the fact that a potential enemy would know where his base was, but he really didn't know how to get back from here. So, he had no choice but to agree. "Thanks, I live down on Maple."

Dib nodded, "I know that road." He assured him, and moments later they were making their way out the front door and down the street.

Darkbootie followed them the whole way, he had to be sure before he gave Dib the okay to recruit the child.

After all, if they trusted the wrong person…it could spell out the end of the world!

End Notes: Ok just a heads up there are a few bomb shells in the next chapter, yes, I tell you this knowing that you'll have to wait a week to find out. I know that makes me evil but oh well.

So, until then as always this is… Emily signing off :)

-To Be Continued