Invader Tak (DATR)

Chapter 11

It was nighttime at the park. The two sat on a hill and watched the stars under a clear sky. Dib still had this strange feeling for her, but he tried to keep it under control. So far, it had been difficult for him. The same went for Tak; she couldn't shake her feelings for the human boy, even though she was an invader tasked with taking over his planet. A part of her didn't want to follow through with it, but disobeying the orders of the Empire would be betraying her leaders. She couldn't betray her race, her people, because if she did, she would be deactivated the moment they caught her. She had to remember that she was an alien, and he was a human. But did that really matter at this point, from one species to another?

Dib noticed the long silence from her and decided to ask what was on her mind. "Is everything okay? I feel like something's troubling you. It's always good to talk about what's eating you up inside."

She looked at him. His expression showed that he wouldn't get upset or be judgmental. She then shifted her gaze to her legs, sighed, and let everything out. "I think I have these weird feelings for you, but I can't describe what they are. I just feel this way whenever I'm around you. It feels like there's love in the air. Every time I'm around you, you make me happy." She turned to look at him. His expression was one of relief and joy, glad that she wasn't bothered by his presence.

He decided to tell her what was weighing on his mind. "I have these weird feelings too, like what you just said, but mine are mainly about you. I feel like I'm falling for you, but I can't describe the intensity of these feelings. This might sound weird, but... breathing in and out... I think I like you more than just as a friend." His cheeks turned bright red as he spoke.

Her reaction to his confession was as he expected. She smiled, overjoyed that he felt the same way. She moved closer to him, gently touching the top of his hand and petting it softly. He felt his heart pounding with love. He, too, moved closer, their bodies now shoulder to shoulder. She then whispered into his ear, "If you want, we can be more than just friends."

"Like boyfriend and girlfriend?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, like that. So, what do you say?" she asked.

He thought about it. It was now or never. He quickly responded, "Yes, I would love to be more than just friends. I want to be boyfriend and girlfriend."

Tak was so happy that she jumped into his arms, wrapping herself around him as they rolled around in the grass, laughing and giggling. After they stopped, they lay down together, watching the stars and holding hands. During this, Dib had one question on his mind about aliens, so he decided to ask, "Do you believe that aliens are real? Because I think there's some intelligent life out there."

She tensed slightly at the question, but fortunately, he didn't notice. She answered, "Well, think of it this way: there might be some out there. Maybe you guys haven't found them yet, but I doubt they'll ever have the technology to fly to this planet. But I think it'd be kind of cool."

He looked at her, then turned his gaze back to the stars. "What do you think they look like?" Another question that bothered her, but for a different reason—she was an alien in disguise. Not wanting her silence to be noticeable, she answered, "Well, they're definitely not human, I'll tell you that. But I'd like to think they're friendly. Not all of them would be bad. But what would you do if an alien was friends with you right now? How would you handle that?"

It was a risky question to ask. He sighed. "Well, if it wasn't going to invade my planet, I wouldn't kill it. I wouldn't dissect it. But if it was evil... to answer your question, if it was my friend, I'd spare it. I'd want to explore the stars, galaxies, and outer space with it. If it was like me—ridiculed by society or anything like that—I'd still be its friend."

She nodded and moved closer, hugging him.

Back on the Massive... The Tallest were laughing at Zim's dismay as he was dragged away from his leaders. "Did you see the look on that defective's face?" Purple asked, tearing up from laughing. "Yeah, I did! There's no way he can get out of this one!" Red replied, laughing along.

Back on Earth... Dib gave Tak his number as he walked her home. During the walk, she appreciated having someone who was in her shoes—someone to talk to, someone who understood how lonely she felt. Now she had that person, her favorite human, Dib. When they finally reached her house, she opened the gate, turned her gaze toward him, and said, "I had a great time with you today. We should do this more often."

"Agreed," he said as he approached her, giving her a hug and kissing her on the cheek. She was taken by surprise, but before he could pull away, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips against his. They kissed for a minute, then stopped, blushing at each other before saying their goodbyes, exchanging "I love you"s.

The next day, Sunday, they didn't do much other than text and call each other. Dib went about his usual routine, watching Mysterious Mysteries, while Gaz, annoyed as always, left him alone in the living room.

Meanwhile, at Tak's house, Mimi was concerned about her mistress developing feelings for her enemy. But Tak argued with her companion. "Mimi, I'm not going to tell you again—he's not my enemy, at least not yet. If it ever comes to that, then so be it." She slumped onto the couch, her curled antennae pinned against the back of her head.

"My mistress, aren't you forgetting that you're on a mission? You need to stay focused. I'm just worried about you. I don't want something bad to happen to you," Mimi said.

"I know, but these feelings are already overwhelming me. And it feels... good. I know Irkens aren't supposed to feel anything—no love, no emotion. We're designed only to invade and take over, no expressions allowed. Otherwise, we'll be deactivated. I can't let that happen. My leaders must never know what's going on with me." Tak sighed, frustrated.

Incoming transmission from the Tallest.

Tak's purple eyes widened in horror, realizing she'd forgotten to call her leaders back. She gulped and said, "Relax, Tak, relax. Just be how you normally are."

"Don't worry, mistress," Mimi reassured her. "Everything will be fine. Just don't let them notice anything suspicious."