S02 EP05: The Hideous New Girl Returns
Episode Summary: Tak is back and is set on putting her plan into motion. Unfortunately, her efforts to make herself convincing are making the lives of her new allies miserable. Can the rebels handle her relentless torture, or will they break under the pressure? Find Out Now!
Author's Notes: Episode 5 here we come! I would love to thank you all for reading and ask that you please review.
Yours Truly, RoxieDivine
(7 ½ Years ago)
[Location: Irk]
Failure…
It wasn't something the Tallest took lightly, and Tak knew that she had been lucky to be banished. After all, she knew there was much worse things the Tallest could have done to her.
The Irken Female stepped out of the elevator with a heavy sense of depression surrounding her; she had just been banished by the Tallest. Not that she blamed them, they had ordered her to get rid of Zim, and she had failed. Yes, she knew this would not be a pleasant punishment, but Tak had been determined to face her leaders, nonetheless.
Tak shook her head and stop as she was met with two separate paths. She knew both would lead her to the outside, but the one to left was much longer than the one to the right, and if she wanted to catch the last Galactic taxi to Food Courtia before it left her she knew she had to hurry.
'I'll just take a short cut through the downloading Chamber.' she told herself half-heartedly.
Tak took the path to her right and ran into the downloading Chamber. As soon as she enters the room she wishes she hadn't.
An awful smell greets her.
"What is that awful stench?!" She screeches and stops dead in her tracks as she comes face to face with the source.
It's a large basket full of young Smeets, and Tak could tell that some of them had been dead for weeks; while others still smelled warm. But the stench of death could not hide the truth from her.
The dead Smeets where no ordinary Smeets!
They were Amons, every last one of them were worthy Smeets and they had all died the same way; they were all disconnected from their PAKs.
"Disconnecting an Amon is punishable by death!" Tak gasped as she realized in an instant who the culprits must be; there was no way the Tallest didn't know about this.
'The monsters! There killing the competition!' Tak realized as the smell began to make her sick to her stomach.
'I must do something!' She told herself. 'These Smeets have a right to live! This is treason to our people!'
'What can you do?' Her fear challenged her reason. 'You know what the Tallest would do to you if they found out that you saw this.'
Tak trembled as the fear soon took over her very being, and before she knew it she was running for the safety of the outside world. Wanting nothing more than to get as far away as possible.
It was a decision that she would soon come to regret.
(Present Day)
[Location: Earth]
"Class settle down, settle down!" Mrs. Bean's tried her best to calm her class down.
It was easier said than done!
Joseph rolled his eyes and tried his best to burry himself in his textbook, it wasn't easy. As always the Irken Cadets were busy making some human's life miserable, and the unlucky human of the day just so happened to be Mark.
"Owe!"
Joseph gritted his teeth as Mark screamed in pain again, he wanted to help, he did, but he had just got his new job at the restaurant down the street yesterday and he didn't want to lose it. He knew Cadet Scamooch was watching him closely just waiting for an excuse to make his life even more miserable then Mark's. And after the stunt he and his brother Josh pulled on him last week with Principle Razi; Joseph couldn't really blame him. Besides, why should he care about Mark? The guy hated him anyway, and only tolerated him because they had the same group of friends.
"Ow!" Mark screeched again as another electric current coursed through him. 'Those stupid Irkens, and there electric shooting bugs' Mark glared at the back of Joseph's head in pure fury. Why was he just ignoring him? Why didn't he do something? 'The cowered' Mark growled inwardly.
"Please make them stop." Joseph mouthed the words to Cadet Scamooch hopefully, but he knew what the answer would be.
"Are you going to finally give me what I want?" Cadet Scamooch asked in a whisper.
"Never!" Joseph growled and cringed as Mark yelled in pain for the eighth time. He hated them, he hated them all! Why did he and Mark have to be in the middle row of the class? Why couldn't they be by the door? Of course, he knew the answer to that, Cadet Scamooch, this was all his doing; it was always him!
"I said that's enough!" Mrs. Bean shouted once more over the chaos.
Mark breathed a shaky sigh of relief as the Irken cadets stopped their torture and slowly, but surely the class settled down.
"Now as I was saying." Mrs. Bean continued. "To celebrate overcrowding in Schools, a new Cadet will be joining the class."
Cadet Scamooch snickered as the humans on the further side of the class groaned in obvious annoyance. His eyes narrowed on his target, the human Joseph was still hiding behind his textbook trying to ignore him, but it's hard to ignore someone that's in the desk right beside you.
"Class this is Cadet Tak give her the respect she deserves." Mrs. Bean gestured towards the door as the new cadet enters.
Tak took a deep breath she knew seeing 'HIM' again wouldn't be easy, and she highly doubted that Dib told him about her involvement in the resistance. She walked into the classroom and stood by Mrs. Bean who continued to speak.
"Tak, if you have something to say, say it now, because after this moment, I don't want to hear another sound from you!" Mrs. Bean snapped.
"Hey, my name is Tak." Tak looked around the room as she spoke, Dib hadn't told her what disguises he and Zim had been wearing, but after hating him for so long she was sure she would know Zim just by looking at him. "I look forward to learning alongside my fellow Cadets."
Joseph looked up he knew that voice his eyes suddenly widen as they met with Tak's 'TAK SHE'S HERE!' his mind was screaming, and he wasn't sure why; but he just knew this was all Dib's doing. 'No it's all Josh's doing' he reminded himself. He had to refer to Dib as Josh during the day even in his own head or he may slip up and call him Dib out loud, and that would be a mess.
Tak's eyes narrowed at Joseph thoughtfully could this be him? This smartly dressed human boy definitely was looking at her as if he knew her, but there was no way the idiot Zim could pull off this act, and his stupidity had nothing to do with it. Good disguise are not; you would think someone would think:
'Hey that kid acts a lot like an Irken...'
Right?
Tak looked at Joseph more closely there was no way this was Zim. Zim was loud, and loved the attention, this human looked like he was about to die on the spot, and she was only looking at him.
Joseph wanted to die, he wanted to scream in her face and say, 'Stop staring at me!' Surely someone was noticing her behavior. He looked around the room, but no one seemed too noticed at all.
"Tak why don't you share with your fellow Cadets what you will be contributing to our society when you finally graduate." Mrs. Bean continued.
"I'm going to be an Invader!" Tak tried to sound proud of this, the truth was she had once dreamed of becoming an invader, but now her peoples ways were no longer something she could take pride in. Everything She thought she knew to be true was a lie. 'They are lying to us all!' she thought bitterly as her eyes fell over each one of the Irken cadets in the room. She noticed that some of them looked impressed with her choice to become an invader. As they should, after all not all Irkens became invaders, some became food drones, or just ordinary soldiers. Invaders were the ones that went on secret missions and discovered all their enemies' secrets. To be chosen as an Invader was the highest honor a Shew could receive.
"Alright Tak please take your seat, Cadet Rene you will show Tak around the school; and get her acquainted."
"Yes Mrs. Bean." Cadet Rene, one of Cadet Scamooch's stuck up 'friends' stood up as he spoke. "It would be my pleasure to show a fellow Irken the ropes."
Mark wanted to gag did this guy always have to suck up to the higher-ranking Cadets? He watched as the Cadet Tak took her seat by Cadet Rene. He noticed that Cadet Tak was looking at someone behind him. Mark turned around to face the front of the room and came face to face with Joseph! He noticed almost Immediately that he was looking at Tak and not him.
'He knows her!' Mark realized. Then his eyes widen 'does she recognize him?' Mark cleared his throat and Joseph turned back around.
"Alright class today's lecture is about the history of the Pinwheel Galaxy." Mrs. Bean said starting their daily lesson.
Joseph rolled his eyes, the Pinwheel Galaxy fell under the Irken rule long before Earth and now much of the galaxy was in ruin, due to the over harvesting of the planets' resources. Would the Earth, and its galaxy soon meet the same fate? He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't. This was all his fault! How could he have been so blind? How could he have allowed those above him to control him so easily?
The Irken machine had bred him into a mindless drone that obeyed without question. It had taught him to take from others weaker than him without a second thought. Never once was he allowed to think for himself or choose his own path.
Joseph stole a look at the young Cadets to his left, and then looked away as a wave of pain washed over him. He knew that defending the Earth was the right thing to do, but at the same time he wished it didn't have to be this way. Gaz had opened his eyes to the truth, their love was living proof that they weren't as different as they thought. He wished he could make them all see that this constant fighting was pointless, but how?
Of course, he knew there was one answer, but he refused to even think about it. Sure, the Tallest were cruel, but Zim refused to kill them. Yes, they had treated him like dirt, but he had always considered them as his friends, and he couldn't help but hope that he could make them see the light; to show them the errors of their ways. The dome computer brain may think they are a lost cause, but Zim refused to give in so easily.
Joseph sighed, he wish Gaz was here, she'd know what to do. She'd tell him to suck it up, to do what he had to do no matter what everyone else thought about it. She'd tell him to be a man and grow a backbone; Joseph smiled. He missed her, he missed her so much it hurt to think about it. So of course he tried not to, but sometimes the feeling was too great. Joseph reached into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the skull necklace that was hidden there. He knew it wasn't smart to carry it around, but he couldn't let go of it. It was all he had left of her, the only thing of her's that he had to hold close. It gave him hope that one day he'd see her again and get to hold her once more.
The bell sounded drawing him out of his thoughts, he had done it again. Zoning out till the end of class had become a bad habit of his lately. Joseph silently thanked his lucky stars that he was always days ahead of all his classes. He had to be after all taking care of his brother and working two jobs gave him little free time to do anything else.
Joseph got up from his desk silently, and filed out of the classroom, and made his way towards the check-in line. The check-in line is where all the humans would get their chips scanned and their paperwork checked by the Irken police. Every hour without fail every human in the city went through this seemingly stupid ritual. Even when they were asleep the spy drones would scan them to check and see that they were where they were supposed to be; when they were supposed to be!
He knew it was all because of the Renegades, their last stunt had made the Tallest boil up with rage. Somehow they had managed to deliver the stolen food to several needy families last week without a single student missing from school. It blew the Tallest' theory of the culprit being students from Westville completely out of proportion.
Joseph smiled of course he knew it was really Gir that had delivered the food all by himself, but the Tallest didn't know that. And with no proof of said detail they had no choice but to withdrawal most of their soldiers out of the school to look elsewhere. Finally, the resistance had enough room to breathe; So much room that training was to continue tomorrow night.
Joseph took his place in line and was immediately trapped under the glaring eyes of Mark.
"You" Mark growled in a harsh whisper. "Are you trying to get us figured out?" He asked.
"What are you talking about" Joseph gave him a look as he checked to see if there was anyone listening to their conversation.
"That Cadet, Tak!" Mark went on in a low whisper "You know her; don't you?"
Joseph rolled his eyes "Yes, she's the one I told you all about. You know the one that nearly turned Earth into a bowl of snacks. The one I stole the hot dog stand from and turned into my secret base. The secret base that is now our HQ." The whole time he spoke his eyes searched for danger, they were supposed to stay in character at all times. Then again Mark was never the one to follow orders; especially orders that Zim had given!
"That's her?" Mark asked.
"Yes, and I have no doubt Josh asked her to be here." Joseph went on.
"Why would he do that?" Mark asked in disbelief.
"To spy on the Tallest for us, and to keep an eye on Gaz." Josephe answered. "After she failed to defeat me, the Tallest had her banished, she might want to get even. Beside Tak is the only other Irken he knows." Joseph explained.
"Can we trust her?" Mark asked.
"I don't know. She may want to get even with the Tallest for banishing her, but she could just as easily be trying to gain their favor by winning our trust." Joseph said. "Either way, don't go spreading this around to the others." Joseph warned.
"Why?"
"Because I don't know for sure if he is the reason why she's here it could just be a coincidence that she happened to show up." Joseph said.
"Fine" Mark agreed with a growl "but I won't stay quiet for long."
"Next!" An Irken police officer called out.
Joseph walked through the scanner without a second thought. The scanner checked his chip and scanned for any weaponry. Then the scanner beeped, and a green light flashed on, this meant he was 'clean'. Joseph then proceeded to the Irken officer who checked his paperwork.
"He's good" The Irken officer handed Joseph back his papers and cried out again "Next!"
Mark walked through the scanner; his eyes narrowed on Joseph as he proceeded to his next class.
The Irken Zim was hiding something; he was sure of it, and he wasn't the only one in the resistance who thought so. Since day one the alien had grown more and more distant with every passing day. He acted as if his mind was only half there, and the other half, well... it was god knows where! And even though the Irken seemed to be acting normal lately Mark could tell there was something the Irken wasn't telling them.
Dib, on the other hand never seemed to doubt Zim, he even trusted him enough to share the same house as him; but Mark wasn't so trusting. He knew something was up with Zim, and he knew that the robot Gir knew what that something was. He wanted answers and he would get them!
One way or the other…
(Back With Josh)
He knew it was coming the moment he saw him. Josh gritted his teeth as Cadet Scamooch took him by the collar and shoved him into the nearest locker.
"Poor, poor big-headed Josh." Cadet Scamooch jeered "All alone, and without your big brother to protect you."
Josh fought the urge to fight back; Zim had been teaching him and all the other Renegades the ways of Irken combat since day one, and he knew that he would at least be a match for the Cadet. After all Cadet Scamooch was still learning himself, but he also knew that more trouble than good would come out of it. Why? Because there was only one person that would teach a human how to fight back; and that would be Zim. The Irken police would Immediately think he was a part of the resistance. Then it wouldn't take long for them to figure out the rest of Josh's secrets.
"You know it would be in your best interest to convince your brother to take me up on my offer." Cadet Scamooch continued.
"Why or else you'll beat me up, and get me in trouble for the rest of my school career?" Josh asked as Cadet Scamooch pushed him harder into the locker. "If that's all you're gonna do then bring it. I can take anything you dish out!"
"Really anything?" Cadet Scamooch asked.
He regretted it the moment the words came out, but it was already too late. Cadet Scamooch had picked him up with the mechanical arms from his PAK and carried Josh to the boy's bathroom.
"I believe this is a classic form of torture that you humans use on your fellow students." Cadet Scamooch said as he walked into a stall and stuffed Josh's head into the toilet. Then making sure to say clear of the water he flushed.
Josh tried not to panic Cadet Scamooch had beaten him several times before, but this was new. He realized that the cadet probly didn't want to leave evidence of his crime. In a way it made sense, after all it was just last week that the cadet found himself in Principal Razi's office. And even though she had made Josh and Joseph stay outside her door during the lecture the principal was yelling so loud that Josh heard every word. He knew Cadet Scamooch would be in a lot of trouble if it happened again.
'So, this is his new tactic. Great just my luck!' Josh thought as his lungs began to cry for air!
Finally, Cadet Scamooch let go of him, allowing Josh to breathe.
"Either you tell Joseph to reconsider my offer, or next time I'll forget to let you breathe." Cadet Scamooch warned.
Josh sunk down to the floor of the stall gasping for air as Cadet Scamooch walked away. He waited until he heard the sound of the swinging door, only then did he allow the tears to start flowing down his cheeks. He hated Scamooch with every fiber of his being; in fact, he'd even dare say he hated the guy more than he had ever hated Zim. And that was saying something!
He allowed the tears to continue running down his face as he the most unfortunate of souls sat broken in the mist of utter despair. He froze as he heard the bathroom door swing open once more.
Had Scamooch come back to torture him some more; he cringed as a shadow appeared in front of his stall; this was it! He could tell that his misery had only just begun.
"Josh?"
Josh let out a sigh of relief he knew that voice, he knew it all too well. "In here…" he sighed as he pushed open the stall door.
Joseph braced himself for what he was about to see. The moment he saw Cadet Scamooch leaving the rest room labeled 'FOR HUMAN MALES ONLY' he knew what had happened. Of course, Cadet Scamooch just shrugged as he walked past. After all a swirly would leave no markings of abuse of any kind, and with no proof Principal Razi could not prosecute him.
Joseph winced as he saw the wet and soggy Josh on the floor of the stall. Tears freshly coated his face, and even though he tried to wipe them away, Joseph still caught a glimpse of them. The sight of those tears filled him with such rage, such anger!
Josh looked up to see that Joseph's eyes were glowing red. He had seen this happen a few times before; but never had he seen those red eyes shine so brightly that he could see them through his disguise. He knew something was changing about Zim.
What? He wasn't sure, but he was sure it was something of great significance and when the Irken confessed to growing several inches overnight it only confirmed his suspicions all the more. And the stranger his behavior became the more convinced Josh became of the fact that something was indeed going on with his old foe.
Joseph forced himself to calm down, it was happening again! He knew he needed to make a new serum and soon before he ended up attacking someone in a fit of rage. He had already done it twice, and he knew that a third strike would do nothing but increase the distrust that his human comrades displayed towards him. He looked away from Josh thinking that he might calm down if the source of his anger was not directly in his line of vision. It seemed to work; he could feel the rage as it slowly left him. Of course, he knew by now what was happening. At first it was just the headache and the increased appetite, but after the discovery of his increased height, he knew he could no longer deny the facts.
The change had begun, but that wasn't the worst of it! He knew that the chances of him surviving were slim to none, and that most Amons die within days of their first migraine. And the fact that he had survived so far did little to calm his fears. Joseph shivered at the thought of Josh waking up to find him dead. Or worse, Joseph himself waking up to find that he was covered in Josh's blood! He knew it was possible after all his temper had already proven to be lethal more than once.
"Are you okay?" Josh asked hopefully, he knew that Joseph would lied to him before he even asked, but he asked anyways. He could tell that whatever was going on with him was very hard on him. Zim needed to know that someone was on his side, that someone did trust him, needed him.
"I'm fine." Joseph lied as he began to help him up.
Josh allowed him to help him to his feet, at least his eyes were back to normal.
"You have some explaining to do. So, you better get your story straight" Joseph began. "Because Mark has already figured it out, and he won't stay quiet for long."
"What are you talking about?" Josh asked obviously clueless.
"I'm talking about TAK! I know you're the only reason why she would be here." Joseph snapped.
"That's she's here?" Josh tried to pretend he had nothing to do with this, but he could tell that Joseph wasn't buying it. He sighed "Okay I admit it; I called Tak."
"Dib!" Joseph growled in frustration his eyes glowing red once more. "Are you crazy? We can't trust her! Irken females are deceitful creatures who will stab you in the back the moment they get the chance."
"She's our only way to Gaz; we have tried everything else!" Josh whispered. "Listen I know you are not the best of friends, but she told me she had a reason to betray the Tallest."
"Did she say what it was?" Joseph asked trying to get his anger back under control.
"No but she did say that the Tallest have corrupted the Irken race. Do you know what she could have meant by that?"
"No" Joseph admitted as his anger finally subsided, his eyes once again showed icy blue. "You should have discussed this with all of us, or at least with me. Most of them can't stand that one Irken is in the group, and now you've added another one."
"I know, but you know as well as I do that our best shot at getting to Gaz is to have someone inside." Josh pointed out the obvious.
"I know, but they might not see it that way." Joseph reminded him. "After all most of them only want to defeat the Tallest. Gaz is our responsibility, and if they see us putting our own interest before the cause they may overthrow our command."
Josh winced; he hadn't considered that.
"We should go before we're late." Joseph moved to leave.
"Zim be honest with me." Josh's whisper was so quiet Joseph almost didn't hear it. "Promise me you're okay."
Joseph turned and forced a smile "Everything is fine." He lied.
Josh watched him walk out the door, and a shiver ran down his back; and for good reason.
The words did not reach his eyes, his expression was one of pained sorrow and fear. Zim was scared, and it was evident. Dib had known something was wrong, but Zim seemed to be getting better. Still, his confessions of his increased height and that it held significant amongst his people kept nagging at him. And now that his eyes were glowing even through his disguised it was obvious that he could no longer ignore the urge to take even more risky measures to find the answers.
'But where can I go to get the answers I'm looking for?' He wondered. Then the answer came to him 'The Forbidden Section of the Library of course!'
The Forbidden Section was a part of the School Library that was full of books for 'IRKEN EYES ONLY!' The section was sealed off from the rest of the Library by a wall of bars, but it was also left unguarded. He knew it was a risk, but he also knew it was the only library that was not located on Zec that was full of volume after volume of Irken encyclopedias.
'There has to be something that will explain what is happening to Zim.' Josh thought as he ran out of the restroom and raced off to his next class.
He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't see Mark, who had been hiding behind the door, he had been ease dropping on them the whole time. His eyes narrowed; Dib had brought her here! This could ruin everything! He had to warn the others.
Josh, who was still oblivious to Mark's spying, couldn't help but think that Zim's behavior and symptoms was some kind of side effects. Of what? He was not sure, but after the constant mood swings, increased hunger, and added growth; Dib couldn't help but think that it sounded like symptoms to him. but symptoms to what? Again, he wasn't sure, but if he was sure of one thing it was this…
If he didn't find some answers, and fast Zim would be kicked out of the resistance!
'I'm going tonight.' he finally decided as he made his way into his next class and sat down in his seat.
The Renegades won't be meeting at the Dome again until tomorrow night, which meant he had only tonight to find some answers. He decided that he'd wait till Zim had drifted off to sleep before he set off on his quest. He knew this was dangerous, but he also knew that he had to get to the bottom of this.
After all, Zim…No, the world itself depended on it.
(Some Time After Third Period…)
Rachel flinched as an Irken Cadet bumped into her while stepping on her toes. She dropped all her books on the floor as the pain climbed from her toes, and up her left leg.
"Watch it pest" the Cadet yelled.
"I'm so sorry ma'am" Rachel bent down to pick up her books, so she could avoid the Cadet's eyes. She had never seen this Cadet before.
'She must be new.' Rachel thought.
"Cadet Tak are you alright Ma'am." a Cadet that Rachel knew all too well stepped in.
"I'm fine Rene, this pathetic excuse for a life form just needs a new pair of eyes is all." Cadet Tak answered.
"I'm very sorry ma'am." Rachel repeated as she stood. Her eyes still on the floor, she knew that if she could see her foot that it would probably be dark red. She also knew then that the new Cadet had done it on purpose, and she was going to have a bruise; that was for sure.
"Well, you should be!" Cadet Rene spoke venomously. "Such disrespect is not acceptable."
"Of course," Rachel agreed as she swallowed her pride. "I promise it won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't." Cadet Tak warned as she and Rene walked away.
Rachel dropped her books and made a bee line for the girl's bathroom. Never in all her life had she been picked on before. Even when she was a moneyless geek, she had never been picked on by anyone. She just wanted to disappear.
James saw her coming from a mile away, he dropped his own books, and stopped right in front of her path. Rachel crashed into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. "Bad day?" he asked.
"The worst!" She cried on his shoulder.
"What happened?" James demanded. He hated seeing her like this, it broke his heart.
"It was that new Cadet Tak" Gretchen said as she opened her locker that was located beside them. "I saw the whole thing, and look she did the same thing to me after first period."
Rachel and James looked at Gretchen's bruising foot in shock.
"The monster!" James growled.
"I knew she did it on purpose but doing it multiple times! That's just despicable!" Rachel cried.
"And you can all thank Josh for it too!" Mark said as he appeared from behind the open door of Gretchen's locker.
"Wait what did you say?" Rachel whispered.
"Dib had her come here to help us spy on the Tallest." Mark explained.
"Without telling us anything?" James was ticked and it showed.
"I heard him admit it to Joseph myself." Mark told them.
"Wait he didn't even tell HIM!" Rachel was shocked. "Okay tell us everything." She ordered Mark. "And don't leave anything out."
Mark told them every word he heard, and when he was done the other three were shocked by everything he had said.
"I can't believe it but I'm with Joseph on this." Mark went on.
"Yes; he should have discussed it with us!" James agreed.
"Listen lets go find Joseph, and the others; and decide how we're gonna handle this." Rachel said, taking charge. "We have four minutes 'till lunch." She said looking at the clock. "We'll split up and gather everyone under the Great Oak tree where we can discuss this safely."
The other three nodded their agreement, and they all went their separate ways. And even though they tried not to allow it the doubt was beginning to settle in.
Could they really trust Dib? Or was his trust in Zim spreading to the rest of his kind?
(Back with Josh…)
Josh knew what was coming the moment he sat down at their usual spot under the Great Oak tree. It was a nice sunny day out, and most of the humans, like always, had decided to eat lunch outside so that they could escape the Cadets and their traitorous minions. And maybe, just maybe they'd get to have a peaceful lunch for once.
"You should have told us about her." Gretchen looked at him crossly as he sat down.
'Well, that dream just went down the drain.' Josh joked to himself.
"She's right man, what if she's a spy?" James agreed.
"Guys I know HER okay," Josh whispered as the group formed a circle around him. He suddenly felt like a cornered animal with no way out.
"It doesn't matter." Rachel whispered harshly. "There are five leaders in this group, and I heard that you didn't even tell HIM!"
He knew of course that 'HIM' meant Zim, and a sense of regret immediately washed over him. Here he was saying he wanted to let Zim know that he could trust him, but how could he? How could Zim trust him when he had made this decision without him? Without any of them!
"We are a team." Kathy reminded him of the obvious. "And when you do something like this, it cripples the whole team!"
"How can we trust you when you do things like this behind our backs?" Mary asked the obvious question.
Josh bowed his head in shame because he knew that she was right, how could he have been so rash. He himself hadn't even been 100% sure at the time that it wasn't a trap! If it had been a trap he could have been killed on the spot. And worse it could still be a trap, sure Tak sounded sincere; but Zim said it himself. Irken females were deceptive creatures. She could be playing them, and if they suffered for this it would be all his fault!
"We need to know we can trust you to make better choices in the future." Mark spoke sternly.
"He's right you know," Joseph said as he appeared from behind the tree. "You cannot make the decisions of the entire group on your own. That is not how we run things here." he reminded him.
"I know, and I'm sorry, but-" Josh began.
"Sorry as you maybe; this decision could end up stabbing us all in the back." Joseph interrupted him as he glared down on him harshly.
"It won't, I promise." Josh assured him. "We can trust her."
"I hope your right." Joseph spoke more softly as he sat down beside him. "Tak hasn't been making it easy on any of them at all today."
"She's only doing what everyone else is, it's the only way she'll fit in with the rest of the Cadets." Josh told him.
"I know but this is not something we need right now. We need to know we can trust each other." Joseph eyed Mark as he spoke. "Distrust has been the first planted seed to every downfall of every great resistance that has ever gone up against the Tallest. Sending someone in to gain our trust, it's exactly what they would do."
"I didn't give her any names or our fake identities." he told all of them. "She knows nothing I promise."
"Well let's make sure it stays that way." Joseph warned.
Josh watched as the rest of the group began to settle down around them and began eating their lunches. He knew the last thing he needed to do was make them angry, and he knew that he should be more careful about his decision making in the future, but at the same time he was still determined to find answers.
'I'm still going tonight' he decided. There had to be answers in The Forbidden Library he was sure of it.
Joseph eyes fell on a flash of movement that he caught from out of the corner of his eye. He turned and his eyes narrowed as they fell on Tak.
She was busily talking to Cadet Scamooch, and as she gestured towards him. Joseph knew this was going to be a problem.
"I think it's time we had a little talk with Tak." he whispered catching everyone's attention in the circle. They all nodded their agreement, even Josh had to admit they needed to get a few details straight.
"We'll catch her before she boards the bus to Zec at the end of the day." Joseph told them his eyes fell on Mark once more as he spoke. "We'll find out once and for all if we can trust her."
(Several Minutes after the Final Bell…)
Tak walked down the empty hall with a sense a gratefulness within her. Finally, after a day of two shadows she had got rid of Cadet Rene. 'Man was that guy annoying or what?' At least she only had one suck up to worry about Cadet Scamooch had over 40 of them. She wasn't sure she could manage that so easily.
Tak froze as she looked behind her, she felt like she was being watched, but there were no drones in the halls. Which made sense, after all the students; and cadets were boarding their buses. So why did she feel like she was being watched? Her questioned was soon answered as five lockers appeared to open by themselves. Five hooded cloaked figures appeared from the empty lockers.
The Tallest Figure took off his hood. It was Zim!
Tak nearly fell to her knees at the sight of him; his height nearly made her knees buck. For it was in that moment that she realized without a doubt that Zim was a Worthy One! She had never realized it before because of his lack in height, but now she could see it as clear as day, and with it the truth! He was possible competition for them, and when Zim wouldn't die on his own the Tallest decided to get rid of him all together.
Dib couldn't help the shiver that ran down his back at Tak's reaction. The Royal guard had acted the same way when they saw Zim during their raid for the Caboose weeks earlier. Not that he could blame them. He looked at his old foe in disbelief, even though Zim had told them he was taller now it still caught him by surprise. And he could tell that the other three leaders were staring at Zim as well.
No doubt they were all thinking the same thing.
Why were only so few Irkens really tall; while the others were not? What cause them to be different, and why did it mean they were in charge? It couldn't be just because they were taller.
Could it?
Dib wasn't so sure, but he did know one thing. These questions only reminded his fellow Renegades just how little they knew about Zim and his race.
"Why have you come here?" Zim asked Tak gravely, his eyes glowing red.
Tak shivered; she couldn't help but wonder if he knew what was happening to him. Was he even aware of the change that was already taking place inside him? Was he really so stupid that he couldn't see it, or had he simply given up hope that it would ever happen? She wasn't sure, but she was sure of one thing...
If Zim's eyes were already glowing whenever he got angry, or frustrated then it was already far too dangerous for the other Renegades to be around him.
They were all in danger, and none of them knew it!
"Why have you come here?" Zim repeated. His voice was a harsh hiss, and Tak knew that she had to be careful about what she said. To say the wrong thing now could send him over the edge, and it was obvious to her that he was hanging by a thin thread of control. One that could snap at any moment.
"Dib summoned me, he asked for my help..." Tak began.
"Why are you really helping us." one of the cloaked figures behind Zim snapped. "What reason do you have to betray your own?"
"They are killing them Zim" Tak whispered softly.
The hooded figures looked at Zim as she spoke. Her words made Dib shiver under his cloak; he could actually feel his bone marrow cringe in fear. "Killing! Tak who are they Killing?" he asked.
"The Worthy Ones." Tak answered, her eyes never leaving Zim's. "They are killing them Zim, all of them! I saw the bodies, the Smeets weren't even a few hours old." Tak was shaking now as she remembered the day it happened. She had been banished by the Tallest and that's when she saw it. A room full of bodies of young Smeets. She could tell just by their sent that they were freshly born Worthy Smeets, maybe only a few hours old; if that! She had ran then, disgusted with what she had seen.
She had sworn she'd never go back... that was until Dib had summoned her.
"What is she talking about?" another one of the hooded ones asked, it was a girl's voice.
"Yeah Zim what are Worthy Ones?" the one beside the girl asked.
"Leave us all of you!" Zim ordered suddenly.
"What!?" one of the figures asked obviously furious. "You want us to leave! Why so you two can plot against us?"
Tak cringed at the words, Distrust; it was already growing like a weed among them, and she knew her's, and Gaz's plan would only make those weeds grow taller.
"Zim?" Dib looked at him in disbelief and he wanted him to leave!?
"There are something's about my kind you shouldn't know." Zim told them. "Your kind would only fear us more, you wouldn't understand." He said as his eyes fell on the one who had accused him of treason.
Dib nodded he knew Zim was probably right, and besides, he wasn't going to get anything out of him. Not when he was in this state. "Fine we'll go."
"The hell we will!"
"Zinger please" Zim hissed using Mark's code name for his own protection. "Please just go…" his hiss had turned into barely a whisper.
Mark growled; he was obviously upset at Zim for demanding a private audience with Tak. "Fine but I will expect a good explanation later." He said as he walked away.
The other 3 figures followed suit, but Zim did not speak until he was sure that they were gone.
"Are you sure?" He finally asked her.
"Yes, I know what I saw, and every one of them bared the scent of a Worthy One." She assured him.
"Then we have no choice, this is a serious crime." Zim hissed. "The Tallest have broken the oldest, and most sacred code of our people." His voice cringed in obvious pain.
"You know what must be done." Tak told him, "You know what you must do!"
Yes; he knew what had to be done, and he knew he was the only one that would be strong enough to do it.
"The punishment for their crimes is irreversible they will fight you, and they will not go down easily. But you must defeat them. For as long as they are around our people will be enslaved by the fear of their rage."
He knew every word she spoke was true, and even so the very thought of what he had to do filled him with an overpowering sense of pain. He knew that there was no other way. The Tallest had corrupted their people and had tainted the Irken name with the blood of their own!
"They must be stopped!" Zim growled.
"Their hunger for power has become too great. You have to kill them Zim, it's the only way to stop them for good." Tak told him.
"I KNOW THE LAW!" Zim shouted. "But..." he said more softly "You must promise me that Gaz will be out of harm's way by then."
"I can make that happen." Tak assured him. "But you must be honest with me Zim. Can you hold out that long?" she asked fearfully. He knew exactly what she was talking about, she could see it in his eyes, he knew what was happening to him, but it was obvious he could no longer control it, and his answer only proved her suspicions.
"I don't know" Zim admitted. "I can't even guarantee I'll survive."
(Back with Josh half an hour later)
Their walk home had been a silent one.
Mark, and the others had managed to catch the last bus home, but Josh had decided to wait on his brother; swiping a staff key from a Janitory Drone as he walked by.
The blue-eyed Irken hadn't even noticed the swipe, and once Joseph finally emerged from the school the two brother's shared a look but said nothing as they began their walk.
Josh wanted to ask Joseph what his and Tak's private talk had been about, but he soon decided against it; after all something told him Joseph wouldn't tell him anyway.
Of course, things didn't get better when they got home.
"I'm going to bed." Joseph snapped climbing up the stairs.
"What about dinner?" Josh dared to ask.
"You can cook can't you?!" was his brother's only reply.
Josh sighed; he could tell Joseph was ticked off about the news Tak had shared with him. He just wished he could help. He began to gather up some food for dinner, and that's when he spied the sleep aid on the counter. He knew Joseph only took it when he found it impossible to sleep, but he also knew that he needed him to sleep tonight more than ever!
He decided that he would have to spike his brother's food with a sleep aid in order to sneak out unnoticed. He didn't like the fact that he had to drug Zim, but he couldn't risk the chance that he'd wake up in the middle of the night and find him gone.
(Following Joseph)
Joseph paced his room back and forth as the anger surged threw him.
How could they! How could they kill their own people? And not just anyone, but Worthy Smeets: the future of Irk!
He wanted to scream, after all he had done to delay their fates, swearing that they could change. Red and Purple just had to go and commit the ultimate crime!
"This is unforgiveable" the Dome computer's voice erupted from his communicator. "You must put them down before they extinguish what is left of the Amon breed!" the computer demanded.
He knew the computer was right he had no choice, this was treason at its highest degree, but he also knew that he was not strong enough to fight them; not yet.
The Dome Computer seemed to read his mind. "You must stop resisting the change otherwise you will die before you can bring the Tallest to justice."
Joseph knew the computer was right, and even though he was afraid he nodded his agreement.
The time for running was over.
"Hey bro, dinner's ready." Josh's voice said coming from behind his close door. "I know you said you were going to bed, but I brought you some anyways."
Joseph was about to send him away when his stomach growled loudly.
"You should eat." The computer Brain told him. "You need the strength." He warned.
Joseph nodded and opened the door.
Josh held out a bowl of mac and cheese.
Joseph forced a smile and took the bowl. "Thanks." He said.
Josh nodded and watched as Joseph closed the door.
Joseph took a spoonful of the mac and cheese. It tasted off, but he ignored it and finished the bowl off in a matter of seconds. The room suddenly began to spin around him, and he stumbled to the bed. He almost doesn't make it but manages to hit the sheets before he passes out.
Josh opens the door slowly and walks over to him. He shakes the boy slightly but receives nothing but an annoyed moan. Josh nods to himself appearing satisfied with the results, and after tucking his brother in he turns off the lights. Then, after gathering some much-needed supplies; he leaves the house. Not knowing that what he has just done would have serious consequences.
Serious consequences indeed…
(Following Dib…)
Dib turned off his disguise, pulled on his invisibility jacket and race towards the school using the night vision on his glasses to make sure he didn't blindly run into an unsuspecting spy Drone. Part of Dib had been tempted to turn back the moment he had stepped out the door, the other… well if Dib was truly honest with himself he'd admit that the other part of him was terrified of what he might find. But Dib forced himself not to stop running until he reached the school. He swiped the key card he had stolen into the card reader at the front door and rushed in.
Dib didn't stop to catch his breath, but quickly made his way to the Library as fast as he could, he needed these answers, and he needed them now! He unlocked the library door with the staff key and opened the door slowly searching for spy drones, after he was sure that there wasn't any; Dib hurried in and closed the door. The Forbidden Section, Dib shivered as he walked up to the door. It looked like the door of a cell.
'Which is where you're gonna be if you get caught!' he warned himself.
Dib looked around one more time for drones, then he used the key once more to open the door. The bar door creaked open, and Dib froze, but nothing happened. He ran in and closed the door again; just in case! Dib looked around to find himself surrounded by shelves, and shelves of books. Dread washed over him; he had no idea what he was looking for. So how could he even begin to know where to look? Suddenly Dib remembered their meeting with Tak earlier that day.
"Why are you helping us?" Mark's demanding voice rang through his memory loud and clear.
"They are killing them Zim!"
Dib remembered how Tak's words had made his very bone marrow cringe in fear. He also remembered what he himself had asked her.
"Killing; Tak who are they Killing?"
"The Worthy Ones" Tak had answered "They are killing them all!"
Dib also remembered how Zim's eyes had glowed red with anger at her words. It may have nothing to do with whatever was going on with Zim, but it was all he had to go on. Dib knew little Irken, but luckily his communicator had a translator. He turned it on and scanned the titles on the books looking for anything about the Worthy Ones.
It was book number 5 on the eighth bookshelf from the door, it was titled.
"Irken History volume 12: The Worthy Ones"
Dib opened the book to the first page and ran the translator over it. Then he placed his headphones in his communicator and pressed play. Dib listen as his communicator played the words he just scanned in English.
"Since the Beginning of time The Irken race has always been divided by two different breeds;
The Amons and the Shews…
And from the beginning of time the difference is obvious to us all.
The Shews being a lesser breed then the Amons barely grew taller than three to four feet, and are lucky if they receive anything but a gutter job. For ten years they remain in a locked training room drilling away through training simulation after training simulation. Knowing all too well that even though they may spend their first ten years alongside the Amons of their class, it will not remain this way for long.
The Amons; being a purer breed of Irkens, and more superior then a Shew have been known to reach an astounding six to even seven feet tall! And soon break off from the lesser Shews of their class when they are chosen by a mentor to serve a greater purpose. Some of them became commanders of their own fleet, or the General of the entire Armada.
These Amons or 'Worthy Ones' as they are sometimes called, are superior for one reason and one alone.
They have the potential to become what most of us can only dream of…"
Dib paused his communicator, he thought he heard something. He listened harder… nothing. He sighed a sigh of relief and continued the play back.
"These Worthy Ones have the potential of becoming a Tallest!"
So that was it…
The Tallest were killing off Worthy Ones, meaning those who had the potential of replacing them, and that's why Tak wanted to stop them.
Dib froze as he heard the noise again; someone or something else was definitely in the room. He stuffed the book in the large pocket inside his jacket; he had no choice but to take it with him. Even if it turned out to have nothing to do with Zim, the enemy was murdering their own, and that had to count as some kind of crime…
Right?
'Maybe' Dib thought to himself hopefully. 'If we're lucky we could use this to gain more Irken allies'
Dib crept to the bar door slowly and looked around the room. He froze again as the source of the sound zoomed by; it was a Spy drone!
Dib ducked behind a shelf as the drone began to scan the books on the other side of the bars. He knew the drone couldn't get in here without a key, but if it scanned in his direction it would detect him and even if he got away, the Irken police would check to see if anything was taken.
'And once they saw that a book was missing…' He gulped at the thought. There would be nowhere he could hide. He'd be putting everyone at risk, and Zim would demand to know what was taken. And somehow Dib knew that if Zim and Tak wanted him to know about the Worthy Ones, then they would have told him when he asked, but instead Zim had said.
"There are some things about my kind you shouldn't know. Your kind would only fear us more, you wouldn't understand."
There was more to these Worthy Ones then the fact that they could become Tallest, and Dib was determined to figure out what.
Dib knew there was only one way to dodge the drone, but Zim had told him to only use it under extreme emergencies.
'I'm about to get caught!' he told himself. 'If that doesn't count as an extreme emergency then nothing would' he flipped the disguise dial on his communicator to the option labeled…Irken!
The Spy drone swept across the room to the farthest side away from The Forbidden Sector; it stops as it picks up the sound of a creaking door. It turns and its Light sweeps over an Irken Janitor Drone who was pushing a cart of books. "Stop… Identify yourself drone." The spy drone ordered.
The blue eye Irken blinked once, then twice, and then finally said "Sir Janitory Service Drone Number five, two, eight reporting for duty."
The spy drone scanned him, the Irken was clean. It then scanned the tray of books he had been pushing along. "What are you doing with these books?" it asked him.
"Sir, I am simply putting them in their rightful place, it is my job to finish restocking the shelves if the humans fail to do so." The Janitory Service Drone answered respectfully.
The spy drone felt no sense of alarm, after all this Janitory Service Drone did match the description of the one he claimed to be. And besides, what he was doing was a reasonable task for a Janitor Drone to perform. "Very well carry on!" The Spy drone spoke before zooming out of the Library and out of sight.
Dib waited until he was sure that he was alone before he turned off his disguise. He then took the book from the Forbidden section off the cart and made a run for it. He didn't slow down until he made it to his front door. He had dropped the staff key in the middle of the Math and Science wing which was on the opposite side of the school. It was also as far away as possible from the Library when it came to being on the second floor.
Dib rushed inside his house so fast that he missed it, and he was lucky that he did for the very sight of it would have made him pass out cold in fear...
For there on the roof of the house, right above the door that he just walked in. Was a muscular silhouette with two large glowing red eyes! The creature who had been hunched over on all fours forced itself to its feet and stood. Taking in the night air along with Dib's sent.
Dib's sent is familiar to him though he knows not why. The Red-eyed beast growls and jumps off the roof of the house and runs into the darkness of the night.
(Back with Gaz)
She was running, running in a dark void and all she could see was red. She continued to run as she listened to her own staggered breathing, which she could barely register over the sound of her own heartbeat hammering in her ear drums.
'Where am I?' The words echoed around her. 'Who am I?'
Gaz froze as a metallic building appeared before her revealing her reflection.
Only it wasn't her, no it was a large muscular and green creature. Its clothes were ripped to shreds, pieces of what was left of the fabric hung around its body. But the one thing about it that made her heart stop, was the Monster's two large glowing red eyes!
'What am I?' the words echoed around her as the monster touched his hand to his reflection. It was as if it didn't understand, or perhaps it couldn't believe that this was him. As if it were seeing its own reflection for the first time.
Then suddenly his expression changed from confusion to anger as it took its large fist and shattered the metal turning his reflection into a thousand pieces.
A loud unearthly howl filled the air.
Gaz woke up with a start gasping for air. 'What was that?'
'A Dream?'
She wasn't so sure; it had felt so real, like she was actually there. But she wasn't there, so it had to be a dream.
'Right?'
Gaz shook her head unsure, her dreams had never been very vivid, but this one was. There was something different about this dream but what? She wasn't sure and she refused to stay up all night dwelling over it. Gaz forced herself to close her eyes again and try to get more sleep.
Another howl filled the air, and Gaz jumped to her feet. Had she dozed back off again, or was that real? She strained to hear; the howl had sounded distant. As distant as the sirens that she would sometimes hear from the town below.
Had it came from the streets of her own hometown? Or from the depths of her own imagination?
She listened harder, and just when she thought she was going crazy she heard it again.
A loud unearthly howl that made every one of her bones shake with fear.
Gaz pinched herself hard, she flinched in pain; she was a wake. Which meant that howl was real!
Gaz shivered as a since of fear that she had never known before washed over her and consumed her completely. She didn't know how, but she knew that it was the monster from her dream, and she knew what it wanted because she had felt it herself. And what she had felt under the creature's anger and confusion was one thing and one thing only.
The unmistakable hunger for raw flesh!
She shivered as the beast howled once more. This was bad, and she knew it. Somehow she knew this creature would be the end of them all!
(Back with the Beast!...)
He was running, running as fast as his feet could carry him, as a world as red as blood filled his vision. He didn't know why he was running or where he was running to, he just knew that he had to find it! He didn't know what it was, but he could smell it and whatever it was, it was dangerous!
As he continued to run he could hear his staggered breathing, which he could barely register over the sound of his own spooch beating.
'Where am I?' The words echoed around him. 'Who am I?'
He froze suddenly as a metallic building appeared before him revealing his reflection.
Only it wasn't him, no it was the beast, the monster that was trying to take over him! A large muscular and green creature with large red eyes! Its clothes were ripped to shreds, pieces of what was left of the fabric hung around its body.
'What am I?' the words echoed around him as the monster touched his hand to his reflection.
Then suddenly in a fit of rage the beast took its large fist and shattered the metal turning his reflection into a thousand pieces.
He turned as a loud unearthly howl filled the air but all he saw through his own red tented vision was two large glowing blue eyes! With one sniff of the air the red eyed beast knew it was the thing he had been tracking, the danger; he had found it!
The blue-eyed beast crawled on all fours towards him. Its own green body barely covered by its tattered clothes. He was obviously a male and around the same age as the red eyed beast before him.
The beast with the red eyes gave a low warning growl followed by a loud hiss. 'Don't come any closer.' He warned the other.
The blue-eyed beast chuckled darkly and charged!
(Back with Zim)
Zim jumped up screaming as he woke up with a start!
He half expected to find himself in bed waking up from a horrible nightmare; but to his shock, and utter surprise he was in a dark alley. And worse still he found that he was covered in Irken blood!
The blood was not his own…
End Notes: What are these Beasts that have invaded Dib's hometown and what dangers to they bring to the resistance?
Tune in next time to find out!
As always I thank you for reading and ask that you please review.