The first thing Zim became aware of as his dizzy head began to clear was the absolute blackness. It crept around him in a dim cloud of intoxicating gas. He lifted his head, staring into nothingness. The ground beneath him was cold and rough, not like the smooth floor of his base. Where was he? Had the explosion thrown him somewhere?

He could be lying in the middle of the street, fully exposed to any human that wandered by, he realized in a jolt of shock. Zim sat bolt upright, breathing hard as he stared into the darkness. Something poked into his side.

GIR really messed up this time, Zim thought angrily. Touching the one button on his new device labeled "Do Not Press Me." The explosion had thrown him from his feet into… into… the Gods only knew where! "GIR!" Zim cried, his voice echoing in the darkness. "GIR!" No response. "He probably blew himself up again," Zim sighed.

A light extended out of his pod, dangling down in front of his face. It came on, lighting the area so brilliantly that Zim let out a high-pitched whine and covered his ruby eyes with his gloved hands. Slowly he fanned his fingers, letting a bit more light in at a time. When his eyes had adjusted, he dropped his hands to his sides.

He wasn't lying in the street and he certainly wasn't inside his base. He didn't even seem to be on Earth anymore. Tall gray and purple buildings loomed up on either side of him, stretching skyward in s-shaped forms. The buildings looked battered. Some kind of war had happened here.

The noise of falling concrete alerted Zim to dive sideways as a huge section of one of the nearby buildings crashed less than inches from his boots. Zim lay on his side in the street, staring at the spot where he'd just been. Another few seconds and he would have been Zim pancakes. Not a pleasant thought, but it had to be better than those horrible waffle things GIR had cooked for him. He crawled to his knees and then back onto his unsteady legs.

Zim looked back and forth. Not a living form was in view as he looked down the darkened road. A dry wind blew past, ruffling his antennae. He absent-mindedly reached up and brushed them back into rod straight position.

Zim did the only thing he could think of. He stared walking. Walk long enough and he had to find something recognizable, right? Heck, he'd even settle for one of those "You are here" maps.

He was nearly run over by the young Irken female brushing past him, her heavy metal boots thudding on the rough pavement. Her breath came out in deep gasps from her heaving chest. She turned back, staring at him with one eye enlarged.

"Yes, yes, stare at the amazing Zim and… Tak! I should have known you had something to do with this!" Zim growled, pointing an accusing finger at her.

Confusion sparked in Tak's deep purple eyes. "Do I… know you?" she asked, scratching the side of her head near the wire stuck in it. She was unmistakable, even if she had traded her purple uniform for an identical one in blue.

"She went this way!" a deep voice shouted. Tak gasped, taking a step back. Her hands were out, the fear on her face plainly visible. She whipped her head back and forth, her body shaking.

"Please, please hide me!" she begged, throwing herself at him and digging her fingers into his uniform.

"You ask Zim for help?" Zim sneered, pushing her away. She gave him another confused look before dashing off down a side alley.

Two black-coated enforcers skidded around the corner, their heavy bodies making noises like stampeding rhinos. They stared down at Zim, though the height difference was not that great. Zim rubbed the side of his head in confusion. They didn't normally allow such short Irkens to become enforcers.

"You see a girl around here?" one asked, his voice gruff.

"Nevermind her, why aren't you wearing the standard uniform?" the other asked, pushing his associate back.

"Standard uniform? This IS the standard Invader uniform!" Zim cried.

"Invader?"

"What the hell is an Invader?" the other one asked.

Zim's eyes darkened in rage. "How stupid are your brain meats to not know of the superior class of Irkens that are invaders?" he growled.

"You've got a lot of attitude for a little guy. You'd better watch your trap and get back in a standard uniform before we haul you in."

"You shall not touch Zim!" he cried, leaping back and extending his silver spider legs. The two enforcers looked at one another before one of them shot a golden disc, much like a CD, at Zim. He didn't have time to move before it struck the side of his head. A shock of electricity raced through his body. He fell onto his side, his legs dangling like streamers behind him. "What have you done to me?" he shrieked, trying to move. His body wouldn't respond. "Unhand Zim! When the tallests hear of this indignity…"

"Tallests?" one laughed. "Yeah, Spork is gonna love this one. Honestly, why are there so many nuts now a days?"

"Spork?" Zim asked. His vision had become blurry, turning the towering but broken buildings into simply a smeared mass of purples, blues, and blacks. Two yellow moons shone above in the night sky as the clouds parted to reveal them. Irk, he realized. He was back on Irk, but… Spork was dead.

This was his last thought before he passed out.

=

Zim became aware that he was in great discomfort as he slowly began to come too. His arms were pulled sharply behind his back, forcing him to lean far enough forward that even the slightest attempt at walking would have sent him sprawling on his face.

A thick metal chain was attached around his neck, leading up and into the ceiling. Two metal wires coiled under his armpits, supporting his weight as he was lifted off the ground just far enough that only the tips of his boots brushed the floor of the cell when he kicked them. Some kind of device was clamped onto his ID pack, but he couldn't turn his head far enough to see it.

Looking down, he realized he was wearing his usual uniform, but in a dark blue with lighter blue sleeves. What in the name of the slaughtering rat people? Blue was such an icky color! It contrasted with his eyes, not flattering at all. "Who dares touch the clothing of Zim?" he screamed, his voice echoing off the walls and out into the deadness of empty space.

"It's the standard uniform," a voice replied. He looked to his left to see Tak sitting on the floor of the cell beside him. One of her eyes looked like it had been blackened, and she was holding her arm at a strange angle. "I'm surprised they didn't catch you earlier for being a deviant."

"Deviant? Zim?" he asked. "Obviously, you know nothing of what you speak. When the tallests hear about this!"

"Oh, he'll hear it all right," a cold female voice smirked. Zim and Tak looked up to see a tall, scrawny, purple-eyed female with antennae down to her knees smiling at them. She was dressed in the blue uniform with what looked like part of a black trench coat with large shoulder armor. It cascaded down to her ankles, where it met with shiny black vinyl boots. Vinyl gloves missing the index and last finger ran up her arms and met with the short sleeves of the coat. She had a grin like a combination of ice and sheer cruelty. "You're both set for trial before almighty Spork tomorrow morning."

She turned around, letting her cape-coat ruffle out behind her, and clicked off down the hallway, swishing the switch in her hand. Tak shuddered. "Spork's enforcer, Violet. Most pleasant Irken you'll ever meet, eh? If Spork decides that you're to be punished, she'll be the one administering it. She's head of his torture chambers, and from what I've heard, his bed chambers as well."

"What is going on here?" Zim shrieked. He felt like his mighty brain meats might explode and splatter all over the dark red walls. "Invaders don't wear this disgusting color, and Spork is dead!"

"We only wish he were dead. He's done terrible things to the Empire, our uniforms are the least of which." She looked up at him, the chains on her antennae clanking as she lifted her head. "My name's Tak. I'm sorry if I don't remember you. You said your name was Invaders?"

"No, no, no! Has everyone but Zim suddenly gone mad or developed rot of the mind?"

She looked away from him. "They said the insanity virus was spreading. I didn't believe it."

"Insane? You dare call Zim, future master of the human stink-beasts, insane?"

Tak shook her head and simply looked away. They passed the time in silence punctuated only by occasional shouts and grunts from Zim as he thrashed in his chains.

"I'm probably going to die tomorrow," Tak suddenly interjected.

"Huh?" Zim asked, surprised by the noise.

"I'm a rebel against Spork's Empire. The minute he sees me, he'll have Violet slice off my head. If the rumors are true, he might even watch her drink my blood."

"Why would you rebel against an almighty tallest?" Zim asked, tilting his head to the side. He was horribly confused. One obeyed their tallest no matter what the consequences. Such was Irken life. You didn't simply decide you were going to go against them. They were as close to living Gods as one could get.

"You obviously aren't from around here. Look at what he did to the Empire! The great cities of Irk are in ruins as he and his 'chosen ones' cavort here on the Massive. He's made agreements with alien races allowing them to ravage Irk, sucking up the resources and enslaving the inhabitants at will!" A tear dripped from Tak's left eye. "I watched my best friend Tenn dragged away by her antennae, screaming and kicking the whole way. They left me behind because I had a broken leg at the time. They said I was worthless." She looked sharply at Zim. "I can't sit by and let such a monster rule, even if it costs me my life!"

A dropping noise broke the tension. Both Zim and Tak jerked as best they were able to, turning to the hallway. Beyond the bars, a short and bulky form flashed them a brilliant grin. "Get yourself into trouble again?" a familiar voice jeered.

"Skoodge!" Tak cried happily, reaching her arms out. He nodded, lifting a large cylinder out of his ID pack and holding it in the direction of the bars.

"Get as far back as you can, this place is gonna BLOW!" Skoodge crowed, pushing down hard on the button labeled "flames away." Within mere seconds, the bars were melted down into puddles on the floor. Zim, unfortunately, was also looking a little bit crispy around the edges.

"Oops," Skoodge said as he blushed. He pulled a device from his back pocket and aimed it at them. Their chains vanished in a flash of blue light. Zim landed flat on his bum with a cry of dismay.

He looked up to see Tak running to Skoodge, throwing her arms around him and letting him spin her around. They paused, staring into one anothers eyes. Zim's jaw nearly hit the floor along with his butt. It couldn't be… could it? Well, nothing else was making sense, so why not Tak and Skoodge? Sure.

"Come on, we've got to hurry before the guards find out that the security system has been hacked."

"Too late," Violet shouted, throwing open the door. Her coat flailed behind her as she took a defensive position, launching an electronic net at the three.

Zim grasped a piece of molten metal off the ground and hurled it at the net. The net wrapped around it and fell to the ground. Tak reached over and grabbed Zim's arm right as Skoodge fired up his rocket pack, blasting the three into the rafters.

"After them!" Violet pointed, smacking and kicking her enforcers. "Yes ma'am!" they cried, pursuing the three across the pipes and ceiling beams. Noting that they were running perfectly in sync with one another, Violet slapped her forehead in frustration.

"How much further to your ship?" Tak panted to Skoodge.

Skoodge looked shyly at her. "Would you believe I forgot where I parked it?"

"What?" she cried.

"This way!" Zim shouted. "This laundry chute will take us to the docking bay. I can hot wire something when we get there."

"I thought you weren't from around here."

"Are you kidding? I know the Massive like the back of my hand."

Violet and her enforcers paused. "Wow. They slid down the chute straight into the metal working shop. They're either very smart or are very suicidal." She looked down and kicked her enforcers. "What are you standing there for? Get them! They're a threat to our tallest!"

"But it's the metal shop…"

She reached down and grasped them by their heads, simply throwing them into the chute. Once they were gone, she leaned against the wall and let herself slide into a sitting position. She looked down at her gloved hands. "By the Gods of Irk… what have I been forced to become?" she asked into empty silence.

"This is not the docking bay!" Tak screamed, running on the conveyor belt for all she was worth. Behind them, the enforcers continued to attempt to fire at them, but it wasn't all that frequent because they were running for their lives as well. The huge furnace at the end of the belt flamed up every time another piece of scrap metal went into it.

"It's not my fault they've changed everything on my since I was last on the Massive!" he shrieked, breathlessly running. He'd tried to extend his spider legs, but they'd failed. Skoodge's rocket launchers wouldn't fire either. Nothing electrical seemed to work in the bowels of the metal shop.

Except the enforcer's lasers, or course, Zim thought as he jumped to avoid having his ankles fried off. "Anybody got a plan?" Skoodge asked.

"Give Zim a moment! His great brain meats will…"

"You're the one that got us into this" Tak cried.

They all fell to the ground when the conveyor belt suddenly stopped. The two pairs of moaning, twisting bodies lifted themselves slowly up, lifting their eyes to the control panel. Zim cried out; Tak and Skoodge grabbed one another.

His pale blue eyes stood out from his equally pale green face. His long blue robe ruffled down to his ankles, where black boots peeked out from beneath the robe. His straight antennae were slightly shorter than those of the average male Irken. His thin arms were crossed over his chest, making his body position match the anger in his eyes.

Violet ran up the stairs behind him, her ample chest heaving as she fell to her knees before him, bowing. "I'm sorry, my tallest. I was in the process of apprehending them. I-"

She was cut short as he slapped her across the face with the back of his hand. "I don't pay you to be an idiot," he said darkly. In one smooth motion he hopped over the control balcony and landed heavily on the conveyor belt. He grinned at the two frightened rebels and the defiant Zim. "So, two rebels and an Irken struck with the insanity virus. Nice, nice," he commented.

"You're a fraud!" Zim cried, pointing at Spork. His hands were clenched into tight fists. The sound of the material crackling could be heard. "I don't know who you are, but the real Spork is dead."

Spork looked sideways at him. "Oh, how I enjoy the rants of the insane. I know the perfect punishment for you… Violet!"

"Yes, my tallest," she said, standing back up. The side of her face had a red streak visible on it where he'd struck her.

"Send this crazy one to Delphi."

"Zim will be sent no where!" Zim cried, leaping back. He wasn't able to complete his jump before one of Spork's legs lashed out, striking Zim on the side of the head. He fell back onto the belt, skidding across it and tearing open his uniform. A few drops of his blood splattered across the sandpapery brown surface. An eager grin spread across Spork's face as he studied the trail of blood. Zim tried to rise back up but found his aching limbs wouldn't cooperate.

He turned his attentions back to Skoodge and Tak, who were being held by the enforcers. "As for you two little lovers… there are so many fates worth than death I could choose for you, it gives me Irk bumps to think about them!" He turned back to Zim. "You," he said, pointing to Zim and then to the two. "Choose which one dies."

"Huh?" Zim asked, sitting up and holding his bleeding arm with his other hand.

"You heard me right. Choose which one dies," he said, pointing to Tak and Skoodge. Both wore expressions of absolute horror on their faces.

Zim shrugged. "Their lives and deaths mean nothing to Zim. Why should I care which one you kill?"

Spork laughed hard enough to nearly double himself over. "I like you!" he smiled through his joy tears, patting Zim on the head. "You have the right attitude, kid. If you weren't so insane, you'd have gone far in my empire. But the time is not for attitude, the time is for choosing."

"Well… I guess I really don't like Tak."

Her eyes widened as she gasped. "But I've never met you!" she cried as both enforcers put their lasers to her head. "What did I do to you?"

"But Skoodge is so fat and ugly…" The lasers moved. "I'd just kill them both," Zim shrugged. "Best to have both when you can't decide."

"I couldn't agree more," Spork answered. "Funny, though. If you'd nobly said that I should kill you instead of them, I would have let you all go. Now I'm not sure what to do. If I didn't like you so much, I'd just kill all three of you. Violet!"

"Yes, my tallest."

"It's your call. Kill them all or let them go?"

"I will execute them myself," she said, standing up as tall as her spine would allow.

"Very well," Spork nodded, jumping back up onto the platform with the aid of his hover-belt. "Take care." As he brushed past her, he grasped her antennae and whispered, "I'll be waiting for you."

The enforcers aimed their lasers at the gathered three. A red dot appeared on each their heads as Violet pulled out her own laser. Her claws twitched for a moment as she handled it, almost as thought it were a dirty object. She was a torture master, not an executioner, she thought in disgust.

Zim looked at the enforcers, a crazy gleam forming in his eyes as a plan formed in his brain. "Say, I have the insanity virus, right?"

The enforcers looked at one another. "Yes?" they said, confused.

"I'm still contagious!" Zim cried. "ACHOO!"

The enforcers screamed, dropping their lasers and running. "Germs, germs!" they shouted, thrashing around like someone had dropped hot metal down their pants. Zim did a tuck and roll, grasping one of their lasers in each of his hands. When he unfolded, he had both lasers aimed at Violet. Two dark red dots appeared on her green head. A single red dot appeared on Zim's head.

She smirked. "We're at a stalemate I see. Unlike most anyone you're going to find around her, I value my honor. Go," she said. "Run for your lives and don't come back. Next time I see your faces around here again, I won't hesitate to kill you."

In Skoodge's ship, Skoodge and Tak glared at Zim. "I planned it all out! Really!" Zim cried. "Do you doubt Zim's incredible brain meats?"

"No," Tak replied shortly.

"Then can you take these handcuffs off me?" he asked.

"Not until we get to Delphi."

"Delphi? Isn't that the crazy planet?"

"What better place to hide a rebellion? Our leaders are there. They await our surveillance reports on the condition of Irk."

Zim settled back. His head felt like it was going to explode, splattering blood and brain all over the walls of the tiny Spittle Runner. He rubbed his closed eyes as best he could with chained wrists. What the heck was going on?