Rating: M

Pairing: Zim/Tak, Dib/Zita

Author's Notes: Well, what can I say? Since a lot of my fans are practically BEGGING me to continue the wacky adventure of When Your Word comes Tumbling Down, I figured I'd might as well get started as soon as possible. I know you all hated the fact I ended the story right as it was getting good. But PLEASE don't slaughter me! I just thought that was a good place to end it. Because it was shown that Zim and Tak ended up getting to Mirikia safely, and it ended with you all getting a glimpse of what Dib and Zita ( Now a couple ) are about to face. But don't worry, Albert Roy Hartmann is there for them.

Okay, down to the summery of what is currently happening in this story. It is 6-7 years in the future, making Dib and Zita around 18. Don't know their actual ages, but lets just say they're 18 at this time, m'kay? They're fighting a war against their Irken invaders, with the help of other small, but affective guerilla-type resistance groups across the world.

As for Zim and Tak… Well, you all are about to find out. So sit back, relax, and get ready for the Madness Rollercoaster. Starting in 3.… 2.… 1.… HERE WE GO!

Chapter 1: War Changes Everything

"War… It changes people.

Six years ago, my planet was invaded by an alien race known as the Irkens. I was just the owner of a pizza place at the time. But back in my prime, I was known as "Hell with Legs" by my men. I fought in one of the deadliest wars in Earth's history… World War II.

Me? I was just a private at the time. But the skills I brought into battle made me a legend to my enemies. While my men called me "Hell with Legs" as a funny nickname, the Nazis had a more serious name for me. They called me "Der Lodernd Teufel" which means "The Blazing Devil" in German…

Yeah. I was something else in my youth.

But now, at the age of 78, I don't know how much more of this I can take. My heart gave out last year, which naturally, would've been the thing that would've finally done me in. But luckily, Dib foresaw my heart condition earlier on, and had invented something for me in advanced. It was basically a Pace-Maker on steroids. It saved my life... And with the advanced alien technology Dib had learned over the years, he claims it'll last longer that I would. I laughed and said, "If this thing can last longer then I could, than I'm gonna be around for a LONG time."

But, all joking aside, I stick with my first statement. War DOES changes people. Looking at Dib and his fiancée Zita now, and remembering them from when I first met them… I tell ya, those two little snots really cha…"

"Yo! Old man! Dib is looking for ya!"

Albert Roy Hartmann ( Sorry I said Roy Clay Hartmann in first story. Will correct ASAP ) sighed as he placed his journal on his nightstand beside his bed, and looked up at the 18 year old Zita…. Which, after looking at her again, only proved what he was writing down to be true.

Zita changed dramatically over the years. She was 19 years old, and stood at a good 5'7", which was damn near taller than he was. She still had her spiky purple hair from 6 years ago… but that was almost the only thing that stayed the same. Her face was flawless, which was impressive, since she was fighting in a war. Her face had lost every ounce of baby fat, leaving only the beautiful face of a young woman in its place.

Her body had matured as well. She had grown into a D-cup, which attracted unwanted attention from most of the guys in her squad. But, with Roy around to keep them in line, nothing was likely to happen. She wore an military grade bulletproof vest, which, after Dib made modifications to it, was now able to protect her from Plasma blasts from enemy weaponry. Overtop that she wore a purple jacket, since purple was her favorite color. She also had on a pair of baggy blue-jeans, which complimented her long, elegant legs. And, finally, she had on a pair of black combat boots.

Roy looked at Zita and sighed. "What does your boy-toy want me for?" He asked, laying back down on his bed. "Do we have new recruits that need training? Because if so, I too tired right now to do it."

Zita smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "My "boy-toy" needs you to come and join us on the next mission debriefing. Seeing as you're one of the most experienced soldiers here, you should be there to hear the plan. And no," she answered, turning to the door, "I'm being put in charge of training new recruits." Hearing this made Roy shoot up in his bed. He was replaced as instructor? "Since I'm the second best at hand-to-hand combat and weapons handling, I'm in charge of training now. Neat, huh?"

She let out a girlish giggle before she stepped outside.

Letting out another tired sigh, the old man reached down, picked up his journal, and finished.

"Anyway… Yeah, they've changed a lot over the years."

In the Debriefing Room….

With help, the secret underground base was upgraded over the years. Now it was nearly FOUR times larger than what it used to be. It wasn't easy, but with the help of rescued humans, Computer, and Irken plans, it was able to be done without getting discovered by the Irkens.

In the middle of the Debriefing Room was a large, circular table, where sat Dib, Zita, and Roy. Amongst them were fellow soldiers, whom they rescued from slave labor. There was Dominic "Scopes" Lopez, Yen "Bushido" Tuo ( Pronunciation: T "ow" ), Jessica Laurence, Clarence Morphis, and Ronald "Fuse" Hartmann. These weren't all of them, mind you. These were just the best of the best in the resistance group. The total body count was around 1,200 soldiers, who were all at the mess hall.

Dib stood up and cleared his throat.

He was no longer the small, paranoid, big-headed kid he was six years earlier. Now, after six long years of fighting, he was changed both physically, and emotionally.

He stood at a whopping 6' even, having gone through a serious growth spurt a couple years back. Like Zita, he kept the same hair style from when he was a child. But his other changes were too dramatic to ignore. He was, in Roy's opinion, in the best physical shape he'd ever seen a 18 year old in. His arms were long and muscular, but not enough to be considered "ripped" like you see in exercise commercials. He wore a vest similar to Zita's, and wore a trench-coat over it, similar to the one he wore as a child. But, unlike the old one, he went ahead and tore off the sleeve to this coat, displaying his muscular arms for all to see. He was also wearing a pair of black cargo pants, and a pair of black combat boots.

"Okay everyone," he began, in a new deep voice ( result of puberty ), "I'm not going to lie to you." Whenever Dib said that phrase, nothing good ever followed. "The resistance groups in Japan, Africa, Germany, Canada, Russia, Alaska and Jamaica are holding out fine, thanks to their unique landscapes. But the resistance groups in France, Greece, and the majority of the states aren't having as much of luck. They say the Irkens are more effective there because the weather is so mild."

Over the course of the years, it was discovered that Irkens weren't used to blazing hot or freezing cold climates. Heat from the sun dehydrates Irkens faster than humans, meaning they can't stay active for too long. And the snow affects them in two ways. One: They aren't used to freezing cold temperatures. And two: Snow melts into water, which is basically Kryptonite to them.

"We're lucky because we're going through a heat wave at the moment," Dib continued, getting up from his seat, "but it won't last forever. The Irken technology we've sent to the other resistance groups across the world can only compensate for so much. We need a new plan, and fast."

At first, there was silence.

But after a few seconds of thinking, Yen Tuo stood up.

Yen was Japanese, and was a direct descendent from a Japanese Samurai clan. He was 19, a few months older than Dib, and stood at 5'7". He had just black hair, which he combed back to give him the "Blast-back" hairdo. He wasn't all that muscular, but what made him unique was that he was fast. He was a fast runner, fast and accurate shooter, and with a sword, he was unbelievable. That's why he was nicknamed "Bushido" which means "Way of the Warrior" in Japanese.

He, instead of plasma resistant armor, wore a lamellar Samurai chest plate ( Think of Snowman from Blade 2 ) with a Katana sword attached to his side. He also wore a pair of black cargo pants and a pair of black combat boots.

"They should target leaders," he suggested, in a heavy Japanese accent. English wasn't his first language, so it was hard to form a smooth-flowing sentence. But Dib knew what he meant. When a vast area of land in conquered the Tallest would assign a "leader" to that area. While officially, the Tallest ruled Earth. But with the large land space, he needed enforcers to keep the people in check. So, they assign war veterans and famous scientists to "rule" over states and countries. "When the leaders are killed, the rest panic."

Hearing this, Dominic stood up.

Dominic Lopez was of Mexican descent. He was 21, stood at 5'8" and had long black hair. He was built a little like Yen, but had a little more muscle to him. He was rescued a year earlier from a slave labor camp outside of the city, and had been with the resistance ever since. The reason they called him "Scopes" was because he was an excellent sniper. With a handgun, assault rifle, sniper rifle, or even a simple slingshot, he could land a hit on practically everything.

"I understand what you're tryin' to get at, Yen," he assured, "but that won't do it. The leaders over there are nothing more than figureheads. They die, the Tallest would simply replace them. It's the Tallest we need to target. We kill them, and then the panic will set in." Yen nodded, understanding Dominic's point.

Then, Ron Hartmann stood up.

Dib and Zita were surprised to discover that, after rescuing a group of escape workers from a labor camp two years back, one of those kids was actually Roy's grandson, Ron Clay Hartmann Jr. He was 18, stood at 5'7", and had dirty blond hair, which was shaven into a buzz-cut. He also had, believe it or not, dark reddish facial hair ( I do, actually. It's weird ) which he had done into Chops. He earned the nickname "Fuse" because he was fond of explosives, specifically grenades. You name it, Ron could blow it up. He had on what his grandpa was wearing. Vest, camouflage jacket, cargo pants, and combat boots.

"Yeah, that's gonna be easy," Ron stated sarcastically. "Just kill the Tallest? We have a better chance at breaking into Fort Knox with credit card." When taking into consideration of how heavily guarded the Tallest were, it did seem too early to be planning a mission like that. But Ron continued. "Don't get me wrong, it IS possible…. Just not with the manpower we have now."

That, for Dib, was an understatement. The Irkens outnumbered the total number of resisting humans 5000 to 1...

Before anyone else could say anything, Computer came down from the ceiling. "Pardon me master," it began politely, getting everyone's attention. "But it seems that squad 32 has returned from their scouting mission, and brought back two humans who were able to escape their labor camps… They claim to know you."

'They claim to know me?' Dib thought. "Very well. Thank you Computer. Please, send them to the Debriefing Room."

"As you wish, master." Computer retracted back into the ceiling, leaving the others silent.

"… We'll continue this discussion after we inspect these two," Dib continued, sitting back down in his chair, before letting out a frustrated sigh. "We still need to determine how we can assist the places in need of help without exposing our location." The others nodded.

Zita could tell Dib was running low on energy lately. So, she stood up, walked to Dib, and sat down across his lap. As Zita placed a gentle kiss on his neck, Ron and Yen snickered and started making "kissy-faces" at the two. Ignoring the two guys ( Well, ignoring them while flipping them the finger ) Zita smiled and rested her head against Dib's shoulders.

"You okay, babe?" She asked.

Smiling tiredly, Dib nodded. "Yeah…. I guess six years of war is finally taking its toll on me," he answered, wrapping one arm around Zita's waist. He leaned back as Zita snuggled up to him. He heard the door to the room open, but he was finally relaxed and didn't want that to change at the moment.

Until….

"Hello son. My, he's grown a lot since we last saw him, hasn't he?"

"…. Whatever…."

'Th-those voices..!' Dib's eyes snapped open when he heard the familiar voices. 'C-could it be..?' So he looked at Zita, who had a shocked look on her face. Then finally, he looked up and saw two people standing in front of the doorway.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw his father and sister, standing mere feet in front of him after six years.

"D-Dad! Gaz! You're alive!"

Meanwhile, on Planet Mirikia….

"Come on, you bloody weaklings! Keep up! Left! Left! Left, right, left!" Another day, another five mile march through the deep jungles of Mirikia. The group of 25 Mirikian recruits, carrying 150lb weights on their backs, gasped and struggled to keep up with their instructor, who was about five or six steps ahead of them and carrying a 200lbs weight on her back.

Tak turned to the others, with a cocky grin plastered to her face. "Come on! You guys aren't gonna let a girl show you up again, are ya?" She taunted, turning around and marching backwards, further showing off in front of her trainees.

Tak had changed a lot since she left Earth with Zim six years earlier. Now, after going through a growth spurt, she stood at 5'10", which was impressive, even by Irken standards. She wore a Mirikian Commander uniform. It was similar to an Irken Elite uniform, except it was more maneuverable, didn't have a face guard, and weighed less, while providing the same amount of protection.

She earned the rank of Commander after five years of training in the Mirikian military. Because of the training she did to become a Invader, she had a edge over the rest of the recruits at the time. But even so, she had to work hard and struggle to get where she is now.

She looked back and saw that she was slowly widening the gap between her and the others, signifying that they were too tired to even attempt to keep up. Tak sighed. "Okay, fine you wimps," Tak growled, stopping dead in her tracks. "If you all are sooooo tired, we can take a 15 minute break."

In a loud, collected sigh of overwhelming relief, the entire group of 25 Mirikians fell to the ground simultaneously, gasping for breath.

Tak walked off a few feet and sat on stump, leaving her 200lb weight behind.

When she was gone, Grogish, one of the new recruits, sighed. "Man, what is with this crazy chick?" He asked, thinking he and the others were out of hearing distance of Tak. Tak's antenna twitched when she heard this, but pretended not to hear it. "I mean, come on. 1000 push-ups? Five laps around the obstacle course? 2000 pull-ups? Five mille marches through dense jungles? When are we going to learn about anything good?"

"Yeah," agreed Smafa, another Mirikian recruit. "What good will this be again Irken scum carrying Plasma Rifles, Electro-Cannons, and Black-Hole Grenades? This is totally pointless…. Plus the fact our instructor is a Irken female with anger issues."

"Okay, cool it Smafa." The Mirikian female turned to Hatito, a Vortian who joined the Mirikian military the same time as Zim and Tak did. The others turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Look, I've been around just as long as Commander Tak has been, and she isn't as bad as her temper implies. She's only frustrated because her mate Zim is off on a meeting on the other side of Mirikia."

Hearing this, Tak couldn't help but speak up. "Stop talking about my personal life before I make you guys do a TEN mile march tomorrow!" At this, all of the Mirikian gasped in surprise, having been found out by their commander. Hatito, on the other hand, chuckled and sat against a tree, knowing fully well Tak wouldn't really do it, even if they kept talking.

But Tak had to admit, they were right…. About her being frustrated Zim was gone, that is. He's been at that meeting for two weeks now, and wasn't scheduled to get back for another three weeks. And she couldn't go visit him because she has to train recruits. She was stuck.

'Damn it Zim,' she thought, 'why does this stupid science meeting need to take five fuckin' weeks?' But, honestly, Tak should've expected Zim would be busy as well. After all, he was now one of Mirikia's best scientists. That kind of title must also mean he'd be busy too. But still…. Tak wanted Zim back… she missed him….

When 15 minutes have passed, Tak took a deep breath and stood up. "Okay maggots," she announced, "pack your crap together. We're headin' out in…!" Suddenly, her headset started beeping, signifying she was receiving a call from base. 'For the love of,' Tak thought bitterly, reaching up to her headset. "Jintaki, for the last freackin' time, I. AM. SORRY. FOR. EATING. THE. LAST. DONUT! Can we please just drop it?"

There was silence on the other end, followed by Zim's voice. "… You ate Jintaki's last donut, huh? Serves him right! That glutton eats way too much, anyway."

"Z-Zim!" Tak smiled and her antennas shot up at the sound of Zim's now deep voice. "I-I thought you were still at the meeting!" The recruits listened as the once aggressive and harsh voice of their commander suddenly turned soft and sweet.

"Yeah, well, I'm coming back earlier than expected," he assured, causing a large grin to spread across Tak's face. "After two weeks here, I know my inventions will be too much for the others to handle. So I just left them a long note, telling them how they worked and to call me if they were the best. So I'm expecting a call soon… Hey, if you're not busy, you wanna spend the rest of the day together?"

"Yeah, of course," she answered enthusiastically, ending the transmission between her and Zim. She turned to the others, who were smiling at her, trying not to laugh or giggle at what they've heard. "Change of plans, maggots! We're heading back to the base!" She grabbed her 200lb weight, turned, and tossed it on Grogish. "You're carrying my weight for that "crazy chick" comment earlier." Then, before the Mirikian could even have a chance to say anything, Tak was off in the other direction, heading straight towards the base.

At the Base…

"Ah, Zim, welcome back," General Hickash greeted with a salute, as Zim exited the VOOT. "I trust the meeting went well?"

After six years of living on Mirikia, Zim had changed the most. Once, he was considered one of the smallest Irkens in history. But now, he stands at 6'3", taller than the Tallest! He also had a little more muscles than most Irkens, but not anything too much. He was wearing a long white lab coat, that went down below his kneecaps, with his Mirikian uniform underneath. His voice was a little deeper, after going through the sudden change in height.

Saluting back, Zim smiled. "Thank you, General Hickash," he replied, "it's good to be back." The general smiled, and the both stopped saluting. "I tell you, you Mirikians are lucky me and Tak joined the war against the Irken Empire with you. The other scientists' inventions were…. Lacking, so to speak…. Oh, by the way, how has Tak been since I've left?"

Hickash chuckled. "Heh…. Well, she sure has been acting…. Differently since you've left, that's certain." Hickash went on telling Zim about how frustrated she's been acting towards her recruits and fellow commanders since he went to the meeting.

"So where is she?" Zim asked.

"That depends," the general answered. "She was in the middle of her five mile march with some recruits. When did you tell her you were back?"

Zim looked at his watch. "About three minutes ago…"

"Oh, in that case," Hickash replied, looking at his watch, "she should be here in 3.… 2.… 1.…"

"ZIM!"

All of a sudden, Tak flew in out of nowhere and tackled Zim to the ground, straddling his waist and pinning his arms down, smiling down at him mischievously. "Hey," she said happily.

Zim smiled up at her. "Hey…. Did you miss me?" He knew that was a dumb question, which was answered by a passionate kiss from Tak. 'I guess that answers that question,' Zim thought, moaning into the kiss. Watching this unfold, General Hickash couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

'Wow, I just had a flashback from six years ago,' he thought, remembering the first time he saw these two… which was when they were making-out, not knowing him and the rest of the military staff were watching.

Breaking the kiss, Tak smiled and laid atop Zim, not caring Hickash was there. "Yeah," she replied softly, "I missed you."

Bringing an arm on her back, Zim smiled. "I can see that." Tak sighed pleasantly and snuggled into Zim's hard, muscular chest. Zim himself had to admit, between this and a science convention, he'd choose this every time. He looked down at Tak with a smirk and raised eyebrow. "Were you off on a march or something?"

Tak looked up. "Yeah, I was. Why? Do I smell bad?"

Zim smiled and shook his head. "Not at all…. But your recruits over there look a little sweaty and winded. That kinda tipped me off." Tak turned, and indeed, all her recruits ( Minus Grogish ) were standing behind General Hickash, tired, sweaty, and either thinking this was a sweet moment, or either trying to keep themselves from laughing.

As Zim and Tak got up and started walking away, General Hickash stopped them. "Oh Zim, Tak, wait," he called out.

Tak sighed, fearing that their day together was about to be squashed. "Oh come on, Hickash. Is it really important? Because me and Zim were planning and spending the rest of the day together. Can't you just get someone to cover for me this once? I'll owe you."

Hickash shook his head. "It's not about training recruits or anything obtaining to science. It's something Elder Gleek thought you two would be interested in hearing…. Something about Earth…"

"Earth?" Zim and Tak asked simultaneously.

To be continued…

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! How was that? Was that a comeback or what? I said I'd deliver, and here it is! So eat up! Hahahaha! So, this was just to give you all a taste of what's to come. Dib, Zita, and the rest of Earth is left to fight back the Irken Invaders, and they were struggling. But what is this? We have some new soldiers, it seems. And, as you read, I've added myself as a character. Sorry, I couldn't resist. But wait…. Professor Membrane and Gaz are ALIVE? YAY! Happy days! And things are looking up for Commander Tak and Head Scientist Zim, huh? Yeah, it is AWESOME! But now, it looks like they are about to hear more about everyone's favorite invaded planet more will be answered shortly. Please REVIEW, and don't forget to inform me of any mistakes I've made in this chapter. I hope to hear from all of you soon. PEACE! YA-HOOO! HERE WE GO AGAIN! XD