Invader ZIM © Jhonen Vasquez/Nickelodeon

Tak breathed a sigh of relief as she approached the Skool Lunchroom.
The hours spent in class seemed like forever with all the stares she got.

Tak hoped her Hologuise wasn't glitching on her.

As she passed through the doors, she saw dozens of human children gathered at tables,
all trying to eat questionable looking substances that was suppose to be food.

Dib was nowhere to be seen..not that it mattered. He was practically avoiding her.
Instead, Tak grabbed a tray and got in line to get some 'food'.

By the time she was next in line..Tak cringed at the scoop of mush that was given to her.
Even slaves of the Irken Empire ate better food than..whatever THIS stuff was!

Exhaling sharply, Tak turned and walked towards the tables.
Her eyes searching for Sid (or, even GAZ, if things got that desperate.)

but, as usual..eyes followed her.

"TAK!" called out a voice. "OVER HERE!"

Tak looked, and smiled upon seeing Sid waved to her.
she sprinted over to his table, and sat down beside him.

"How was class?" asked Sid.

Tak responded with a sharp growl. "horrible..everyone stared at me like I was a-Well, you know."

"Don't think too much of it." said Sid. "They probably just recognized you from before."

"Dib was no help.." continued Tak. "he acted like I wasn't there."

Sid's eyes briefly turned red as he growled at this..
but, they then returned to their normal blue as he exhaled, trying to calm himself.

"he's probably just..more focused on Zim. Those two have a thing."

Tak looked at Sid. "What kind of thing?"

"a thing where they can't stop killing each other." said Gaz, as she walked over to Sid and Tak.

Tak smirked. "I can see how we were friends, then."

Sid shrugged. "well, then..maybe there's hope." began Sid.
"Perhaps you two can mend your broken friendship with your mutual hatred of Zim."

Tak then rubbed her head. "I don't know how much longer I can take this.."

"What?" asked Sid.

"Feeling the way I do about certain people..yet, not knowing why." answered Tak.
"I feel so empty..like a vital piece of me is missing."

Gaz took her eyes from her GameSlave 4, and looked at Tak.
Sid then palmed his chin, stroking his upper lip with his finger as he pondered.

"I..wish I knew what to do." said Sid. "but, I don't know how to fix you.
Most of the memory files on your PAK were beyond recovery."

Tak began to sulk. "I hate feeling this way..But, I suppose it's better than being brain de-"

"AH!, EH-EH!" Gaz made noises at Tak, prompting her to silence. "ix-nay on the bray-day.."

Tak raised an eyebrow at Gaz. "what?"

"don't mention that word around SID.." spoke Gaz, her voice shushed.

"It's okay, Gaz.." spoke Sid. "I'm..okay with it. Really."

Gaz looked at Sid. "You sure?"

"yeah." said Sid. "no sense fussing over what I can't change."

Tak looked at Sid again. "Okay with what?"

Sid exhaled as he looked at Tak. "you..know that my mom was killed, right?"

"yes."

"well..before she died, she..fell into a coma." began Sid.
"she pretty much became a living vegetable..and, so was helpless when-"

Sid then fell silent.

"oh..I see." said Tak. "i'm sorry..no one should have to die like that."

"It's okay..I'm starting to move on from it." said Sid.
"I'm beginning to accept that even if I was there..it wouldn't had change anything.

"No. I am serious." said Tak, sternly. "That was no way for someone to die.
Your mother should've been given an honorable death in combat. Whoever killed her was a coward."

"ALRIGHT, Tak. You've made your point. DROP IT." said Gaz, in a warning tone.

"my apologies." said Tak. "I didn't intend to-

"It's fine, Tak..I get what you mean." said Sid, no trace of disdain on his face. "thank you."

Tak managed to smile..THEN, a group of kids approached.

a girl with very long, dark hair. a boy who was either buff, or wore a puffed up shirt.
a girl with protruding teeth with braces. a boy with bright orange hair, and wearing a headband.
a girl with spiky, purple hair, and another girl with long, blonde hair and a Gaz-like glare.

"Can I..help you guys?" said Sid.

"Scram, loser. we're here about TAK." said Jessica.

Both Tak and Gaz glared at the rude girl. "What do you want?"

"We're curious what happened to you is all." said Zita, who was nicer.

"YEAH!, we seem to remember you going to school here once, and then just DISAPPEARED!" exclaimed Poonchy.

Tak darted her eyes, unsure how to answer. "I, uhh.."

"Wasn't your dad the owner of the Weenie Factory?" said Chunk.

"I think it went out of business!" said Gretchen.

"Yeeeah, it did. What happened with that?!" asked Sara.

Tak sunk in her seat. "I, uhh..w-would rather not discuss that."

Sid sighed, then rose up. "hey..could you guys give Tak some space, please?"

"Hey, BUTT OUT, DWEEB!" snapped Chunk, the 'other' school bully. "Why's it any of your business?!"

"Yeah!, what's it to you?!" chimed in Jessica, JUST as rude.

Sid's eyes turned from it's normal blue, to red..he then grabbed Chunk,
and miraculously lifted the unusually buff kid up into the air with one arm.

Tak gasped, shocked at seeing Sid so angry. She had NEVER seen Sid like this before..

..unlike Gaz.

Sid balled up his fist, looking ready to punch Chunk.

..only to then lower him back down, his eyes returning to blue.

"because.." began Sid, his tone softer. "she's my SISTER."

The already silent group looked awestruck. "uhh..HUH!?" exclaimed Poonchy.

"Adopted." said Gaz.

"Ohhhh.." said the group in unison.

Sid sighed. "Look. There is a good reason why Tak doesn't want to talk about that day."

"We're luh-listening, Sid." said Sara, still rattled at Sid's brief rage.

Now it was Sid's turn to sweat. "umm..well, see..uhh..
There was an..an Accident at the Dee-Licious Weenie Corporation.." began Sid.

"See, there was..this UNTESTED sauce, see! yeah..there was a BAD reaction.
Some 'idiot' left the heater on, and it...exploded. Killed EVERYONE..including Tak's dad."

The skoolkids had their jaws slacked open.

Sid then pulled Tak close, hugging her with his arm. "Tak's been homeless all this time.
I found her..took her in, and now she's my adoptive sister..(sternly) SO STOP BUGGING HER."

Zita then walked over..and, took Tak's hand. "I am SO SORRY, Tak. I-WE didn't know."

Sid released Tak, feeling she was safe now. Tak then breathed a sigh of relief,
and looked to Zita with a fake smile. "I try to block out the memory."

"We'll never speak of it again. I promise."

"Umm..Wait." began Gretchen. "I could've sworn I saw that factory transform into a space ship."

Tak winced at this.

"Oh, umm..THAT was a side effect of the untested sauce." began Sid.
"Everyone who consumed the sausages with the sauce on them were prone to vivid hallucinations."

"Hmm..that DOES make sense." said Chunk.

"Again..Sorry for your loss." said Zita, to Tak.

Tak smiled weakly. "thank..you."

With that, the group turned and departed. Tak then looked to Sid..and, gave him a hug.

"thank you, sid..you really saved me just now."

Sid smiled as he pulled Tak away to look at her. "you're my sister, now..I'll always look out for you."

Although she tried to hide it..Tak became emotional.

"you know..I'm glad I failed my mission on this planet." began Tak.
"I'd never forgive myself if you died because of something I did."

"It's okay..I forgive you for nearly destroying the world." said Sid.
"You didn't know anything else other than the next mission. It wasn't your fault."

Tak nodded, then looked down. "I pity my fellow Irkens..who are still so ignorant."

Sid sat down with Tak. "did you..have any friends back home?"

"My culture don't have a word for what you call "friend." said Tak.
"but..there was ONE that I liked: Her name was Tenn, and I recall us being classmates.
we studied together, trained together. we were..I guess, what humans would call: "besties."

"Do you remember what happened to her?" asked Sid, genuinely interested.

"I do remember her graduating, and being assigned as an Invader." said Tak.
"after that..I do not know. we lost contact, and..that's when my memory gets fuzzy."

Sid looked at Tak. "for your sake..I hope Tenn is okay."

Tak nodded. "me, too."

"hmm.."

Sid and Tak looked to Gaz. "What is it, Gaz?"

"I've been thinking.." began Gaz. "about Tak, and her damaged memory files."

"You have an idea on how to restore them?!" chirped Sid, hopeful.

"yeah. it's a long shot, but..it MIGHT work." said Gaz.

"I'm ready for a long shot." said Tak. "What is it?"

Gaz looked at both Sid and Tak, a serious look in her eyes.

"After Tak was first defeated..for some reason, her ship crashed in my backyard WITHOUT her." began Gaz.
"Since then, Dib's been working on it, trying to use it for his own needs. MAINLY to fight Zim."

"While Tak should get her property back, I don't see how that-"

"SID..part of why my brother is having such a hard time with the damned thing,
is because the ship's A.I. is based on Tak's own downloaded personality." said Gaz.

Sid took a moment to ponder this. "wait..so, Tak's ship THINKS like Tak?"

"It thinks like Tak USED to think..Before she lost her memories." stated Gaz.

Tak then looked at Sid. "you don't suppose..Do you really think that-"

"I don't know..but, we can't ignore the possibility." mused Sid.
"If your ship's A.I. is based on your brainwave patterns..it MAY hold copies of your old memories, too.

..And, if so. Then, we could easily restore your damaged memory files,
by replacing the corrupted date with your ship's alleged copies that may still be intact."

Tak actually smiled with joy. "then..the solution to everything is only a few blocks away!"

"assuming Dib lets us." said Sid.

"He won't." said Gaz. "He's thinks it's HIS ship, now."

Sid scowled. "Not for much longer it won't."

Tak looked to Sid and Gaz. "So, what's the plan?"

Sid stroked his chin, brooding on a strategy. "Dib will never let is near it for any reason."

"Who says we ask him?" spoke Gaz. "I could tie him up for you."

"Too risky." said Sid. "Dib's a wily character, and could break free if given time.
And, we need all the time we can get if we are to do this right."

"Then, we wait until dark..when Dib is asleep." suggested Tak.

"Fine. But, just to be safe..I'll slip some Nyquil in Dib's soda." said Gaz.

"Okay..we have a plan" said Sid. "Dib won't like it..but, it has to be done."

Gaz breathed out, then put her GameSlave away. "meet me later tonight..i'll call you when I'm ready."

"We'll be ready." said Sid.

Gaz nodded, then got up and walked away.
Tak then looked at Sid, and placed her hand on his shoulder "it'll work..it has to work."

Sid breathed out. "I hope so..because if it doesn't, I don't know what else we can do."

[End of Part 13]

[Author Notes]

I hope the smoking gun regarding Tak's Ship relating to Tak's amnesia wasn't TOO obvious.
(I am sure SOME readers figured I might try doing this, but thus far, it seemed nobody caught on.)

Anyways, this chapter's purpose was to give some cover story regarding what happened to Tak from her one episode
(which given the intelligence of the "Skoolchildren", is plausible enough.)

Nickelodeon Fans MIGHT notice something familiar about Sid's story.

I also showcased Sid's own recovery period, with him nearly going into rage mode,
but consciously choosing to repress his more manic impulses, and control his emotions.

He's not 'cured', so to speak. But, it's better than before with Torque (Chunk got off easy.)

And, I name dropped minor character, Invader Tenn (as I also like her.)