Time was a difficult thing to predict in space, as any good science fiction fan would know. But Zim let himself assume that the space station, being so close Earth, was still working by Earth time, which meant three hours passed before Dib came to see him.

"Zim, what the hell!?" He yelled, barging into the brig. "You conquered Earth, what are you doing driving a delivery craft and getting yourself captured!?"

Zim's antennae perked up and one eye narrowed, he was confused. "Is that worry, anger, or some other kind of odd Earth emotion?" He asked.

"It's... CONFUSION!" Dib yelled. "How could you of all people possibly have ended up in a place like this!?"

"Did you ever think it was maybe because I wanted to?" Zim asked, smirking up at Dib from his position on the ground, crossing his legs straight out in front of him. The picture of smugness.

"Wanted to?" Dib asked before gasping. "You're being tracked! You led the empire to us!"

"Wrong again, Earth smell." Zim said, cackling. "My pak is jammed. The only thing it's doing right now is keeping me alive."

"Why does that make you happy?" Dib asked, looking confused now more than ever.

"I don't expect you to understand the complexity of Irken government, Dib-stink." Zim said simply, waving a hand.

"Complex?" Dib asked, scoffing a little. "Your rulers are just taller than everyone else. What's to understand?"

"See, your puny human mind just can't keep up." Zim said, sighing as though he felt bad for Dib.

"Whatever." Dib said, rolling his eyes. "Maybe I was just wrong. Maybe you ended up here because you really aren't anything special. Just lucky."

"While I am quite fortunate I AM special." Zim said, suddenly scowling. He held the look before smirking once more. "Maybe when I get out of here I'll tell you all about it."

"You aren't getting out of here, space-boy." Dib said, allowing his own lips to twist up in a smug look. "Not without your pak. Those bars are made of steel and there are guards positioned at every entrance and exit, including the trash bin."

"You say 'space boy' like it's an insult." Zim said, laughing a little. "But you seemed to have forgotten that you were driven into space yourself. 'Space-boy'."

Dib pouted angrily before leaving, letting Zim's echoing cackle follow him from the brig.

(break)

Zim waited a week, patiently eating the crap they fed him and the daily interrogation he got from Dib.

"Why are you here?"

"What are you planning?"

"Why haven't you escaped yet?"

On and on that human would go. It's like he didn't know HOW to stop!

Finally, day eight and at lunch time the guard came, no lunch.

"You're wanted for questioning, bug." The scrawny guard said, scowling at Zim like he always did.

He opened the cell and Zim walked out of the brig behind him, waiting until the brig door was shut and locked before kicking the back of the man's legs, sending him to the floor.

"Help! HELP!" He screamed, but Zim quickly silenced him with a kick to the back of the head and grabbed the keys.

He found the one to his cuffs and released himself. Unfortunately there was nothing he could do about his pak and he had to pull himself up to the air vents with his own hands. The feat was much more difficult than he previously thought and he hung there for several minutes before being able to get it. Once in though he crawled along his belly searching for the living quarters.

Having no sense of direction was hard when you were trying to find your way in pitch black with only spots of light along the way. Thirty minutes into his search someone finally noticed he was gone and sounded the alarm.

Thirty minutes later he found the living quarters, Dib hanging around outside his door. He was obviously waiting for the irken.

Zim cursed. The element of surprise was gone and he'd have to face Dib head on. He hated that! Dib always won when the element of surprise was lost!

No, Zim told himself. Not this time! I have something to fight for now!

He righted himself and kicked the vent out, dropping down to the floor only a little ways away from the human.

"It's about time Zim."Dib said, smirking. "What, did you get lost?"

"Silence human!" Zim yelled, glaring.

Dib turned, opening his door and motioning Zim in. "Come on Zim."

"Do you think I'm STUPID?" Zim asked, cackling.

"Yeah, but that's not the point." Dib said with a smirk. "If you want to fight me get in here. If you want to fight Dad's guards go ahead and stay out here."

Zim grit his teeth. Dib was right. He could hear the guards coming. Instead of just walking in though he charged at Dib, tackling him into the room and the door shut behind them automatically.

Dib grunt as he fell to his back, the wind knocked out of him. Quickly though he recovered his bearing, bringing a fist up to knock Zim in the face. Then again, trying to get the irken off him.

Zim wouldn't have it, he grabbed the arm and threw a punch to opposite way, nailing Dib in the temple and breaking a lens on his glasses.

"You ruined my life!" Zim shrieked, punching at Dib again and again.

Did brought his free hand up to protect his face, the other wrenching from Zim's weakening grip and returning with a punch to the stomach. This stunned Zim enough for Dib to push himself out from under the invader and kick at his face.

Zim fell back with a heavy grunt and Dib took this opportunity to grab a weapon. His sister's bat.

"How did I ruin your life!?" Dib yelled. "You're the one who took over my planet!"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Zim yelled, pulling himself up. He rushed at the human, not even bothering to plan his attacks anymore. He wanted to hurt Dib, he didn't care where or how, he just wanted the human to know his pain!

Dib preempted the attack, striking Zim in the side with the bat. Knocking the irken into his bed.

Zim bounced, landing on his butt next to the bed and kicking at Dib's feat, sweeping them out from under him.

Dib fell back onto his tail bone, yelping in pain. He quickly though scrambled to his knees, but Zim was already up and rushing at him once more. So the human held the bat out like a spear, the irken running into it. The bat stabbed him in the chest and the cracking noise that ensued had the human flinching. Something was broke.

Zim gasped and took a few steps back, holding a hand to his chest. It hurt to breath and spots were dancing before his eyes.

Before Zim could recover and attack again Dib stood and swung the bat, hitting Zim on the side of the head.

(break)

Zim laid there for a moment. He wasn't really 'knocked out', not really, but stunned. He groaned and picked himself up, growling in pain as fire shot through his chest. He fell back.

"So, gonna tell me how I'M the one ruining your life?" Dib asked, sitting on his bed, bat still in hand.

"Not ruining." Zim gasped, moving a hand to feel his chest. "Ruined. I have no life anymore."

"Ok, so how is that my fault?" Dib asked. "You took over my planet. You enslaved my entire race."

"No, not me." Zim said, squinting his eyes at how painful it was to breathe.

"Not you?" Dib asked, standing in outrage, but keeping his voice down in case the guards came looking.

"No." Zim said, shaking his head. 'I had nothing to do with that. The Tallest came and took it on their own. Then they had me locked up and put on trial."

"Trial?" Dib asked, suddenly intrigued. He sat back down to listen. "What for?"

"Lots of things. But that's NOT THE POINT." Zim growled, glaring at Dib. "No. The point is if you hadn't gotten in my WAY and I had BEEN the one to conquer Earth I wouldn't have been put on trial! They would have forgiven me!"

Dib was silent. Zim wasn't a hero?

"Now I have NOTHING!" Zim was yelling now, despite the pain. "I was seconds away from being ERASED! And it's ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Dib felt... somehow... sympathetic to the alien.

"Zim," He said, climbing to the floor and pulling the alien up.

"Ah!" Zim yelped at the pain in his chest. He quickly tensed, waiting for what was surely the ending blow, but it didn't come. Instead he felt warm arms wrapped around him and he was hulled up.

"What are you doing?" The irken asked, eyes wide.

"Getting you to the med ward." Dib said, arranging Zim so he was leaning against the human's side and supporting him.

"Why?" Zim asked, suspicious gaze on the human.

"Because you're hurt, obviously." Dib said smartly.

"Quiet human, you know that's not what I meant." Zim barked, but didn't argue anymore than that. Dib was right, he was hurt, and just this once wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. He couldn't afford to.