A/N: When you haven't posted in a while because life...

He doesn't know where the dark figure came from.

All he knows is that it's familiar somehow, the rounded eyes with tired rings. Golden, honey brown that darkened with moods, an impossible temper, some sort of odd crooked smile… all very similar. He supposed, though, that it was possible to have more than one mixed nutbag in this godforsaken planet. Especially one that talked about yet another like the others… the good ones that might not kill you for looking at them funny.

No, not true.

HE never killed anyone, choosing instead to go through trouble enough to attempt to fix him. In fact, he was similar to several figures in the bot's clouded mind, almost behind a smokescreen but he did remember them. After all, he did love the three of them very deeply. It wasn't like that was very clear with anyone, apparently, in this world, but he felt like it was enough.

Enough so that he believed that one would come back to him.

In the meantime, he watched from his perch on the Van-his small, metallic form pressed against his current friend's thin, reedy body-the sicklier boy coughing slightly into one hand, the machete in his fist gleaming under the moonlight.

Zim's body ached as he rose from his glass coffin, the sharp edges of the glass scratching against his newly formed and sensitive skin. He shuddered slightly, wincing at the puncture wounds it made. It felt almost like when dull human claws would-

No, not going down that road.

"Z?"

The slim figure tensed, his new body's muscles acting just as the old ones would have. Suddenly, he was plastered to the ceiling with his PAK legs, holding his breath as he watched the furry child-smelly that had just invited himself into their lives wander into the room. A shiver of pleasure wracked Zim as he saw the familiar scared rabbit look he enjoyed on so many faces settle on Xion's. The stupid Vortian scrambled to the broken glass, holding a piece of the shards in his claw, the Irken holding back a gag as pink slime dripped from it, covering grey claws. Icky, icky gross…

"Z!" Xion squeaked, looking all around the ship's foyer except up. "Z?! What happened? Where are you?!"

For Irk's sake, how hadn't this Vort gotten himself killed yet? Did the Dib-thing not teach it to fend for itself or even know how to be quiet for once in it's pathetic life? Honestly, how was this meant to be his replacement?

Zim smirked, his magma eyes narrowing to slits as he lowered slowly to the ground behind the little 'goat'. Yes, that's what Vortians looked like, those inferior mammals humans kept in their 'petting zoos' until they outlived their purpose of being fluffy meat sacks. And just like those useless goats, this one had outlived its purpose, now that Zim was back. He raised a single, deadly PAK leg over his head, aiming straight for the thing's neck. A mercy kill, if you will. His bare feet touched the floor-reminding the Irken immediately of two things…

One, he was naked.

And two, no boots meant no traction on the slippery, icky, gooey floor he suddenly found himself on.

"AGGGGGHHHUHHH!"

Xion jumped about a half a mile, not even thinking when he turned to lash one of his hooves out to assault his attacker. Bone connected with newly formed flesh, the former crushing the latter's windpipe as soon as he hit the floor. An unbecoming hiss escaped the Irken's throat, his face flushing teal as he met his replacement's eyes.

"Who th-" Xii hissed, eyes wandering to the magenta eyes that suddenly seemed very familiar, emerald skin that had three distinct claw marks over a black symbol and down further- "EW! Gross, dude! Why the heck are you naked?!"

Xii scrambled backward, sticking out his tongue in a very familiar fashion to Zim as he wiped his hoof on the carpet as if the goo was fine compared to skin. Zim raised one antenna, one eye squinting in confusion. This Vortian really had no self-preservation, did he?

"I am naked, stupid Vort, because I have been REBO-"

"Oh, sweet! So you can talk! Huh. I was expecting you to sound much meaner than you do," The Vortian blinked, the green eyes never leaving the magenta ones, his own eye squinting. "'Course I was expecting you to be smaller, too…"

"Eh?"

He… he couldn't be serious, could he? This Vortian was faced with certain doom and yet it didn't seem to bother him at all! Zim set his jaw as memories of a certain raven-haired boy was flooded into his memory banks. He couldn't let this failed experiment shake him! Zim had a mission to do: find his Dib. Other stuffs could wait for later when he had time to do… other stuffs.

And no one-especially this little replacement was going to ruin that.

"Well, I mean… Irkens can grow to at least five foot two and I'm only a little guy, like… four foot somethin'? And I can imagine that Z's only like… two inches taller than me? Yet, you're about-what-five three?" Xii bent down in a fighting position, putting up his fists. "Either way, I can take you. Teacher is six foot, you know…"

Zim raised his antennae a little higher, before it dropped down into its own fighting position, "Ugh. How does Dib-human put up with you?"

"How about you come and find out? Unless you want to give me back Z… " A cocky smirk, one that Zim couldn't quite place but seemed vaguely familiar. "Streaker?"

"There is nothing to give back," Zim growled. "Brat."

Two very different sounding hisses came from both sides as they came at each other, claws and teeth bared-

His new friend stood over him soundly, panting hard as warm fluid dripped from the machete. A large part of his side was coated in the same stuff, too, making the formerly black shirt stick to the noodle boy.

"So…GIR…," His friend spoke with a soft voice, no matter how riddled with thorns it appeared to be. "How 'bout a Cherry Brainfreezie?"

A/N: A cookie to whoever guesses who GIR's new friend is!