Disclaimer: I do not own the Tallests, but I do own my brain... no matter how small it is XD

Sorry I havent been updating in a while, but I haven't had much inspiration. I already had this chapter writeen out on paper, so I am going to post it up online. Don't expect it to be updated TOO soon, I have about half of the next chapter written and I am lookign for inspiration... maybe the episode of Zim that's on tonight will help.

Purple quietly strummed his fingers over some computer documents that he was given to read. He sighed in boredom as he moved from one useless question to another. It wasn't like he would ask Red for his help either.

Red. He was an enigma all on his own. It had been a mere year since they had ;earned that their roll of being the Tallest would be divided down the middle. It was that day that his life became hell and he spent every waking moment looking around corners and staying silent as he walked down the corridors of the Massive.

Purple groaned and set aside his hand-held computer and leaned back in his chair. He pulled a clawed hand up to his eyes to wipe away the sting of boredom. He needed a break... badly.

Purple stood up from his over-sozed chair and made his way to his closet, hovering a graceful two inches above the ground. He fumbled through his wardrobe, picking out a casual set of robes and changed into them. He looked himself over in the mirror, his robed hung loosely against him in comparrison to the restricting ceremonial and formal robes. They were painted in dull greys that inhanced the color of the vivid violet of the trim and his eyes. He looked at the reflection of his face... only a year had gone by since it all began, yet he was already showing the signs of strain. He ran a thin finger over his face and sighed... he had been losing too much sleep in the past few weeks, more than he had been before. Red had become more persistant and agressive in trying to rid himself of the other Tallest.

Purple spun around as he called the command to turn off the lights to the changing area of his room. He looked around his dull room and took himself out of the door, he was sure to look both ways to make sure that nothing was flying towards his head. Only a few days earlier, Red had sent an assassin for him in that very spot... lucky for him, he had ducked at just the right moment.

He shuttered visibly at the memory, lockign his door with a voiced password and heading for the closest cantina. He could really use a drink right about now.

Purple made his way past guards. He regarded their composure and the honored look in their eyes. he made no movement to suggest that they were equal to him in any way. Instead, he maintained majestic superiority all through his short journey. Over the past time that he had become a Supreme Tallest, not even Red could make him feel inferior. Well not usually anyway. Purple growled through his teeth at another memory of his co-ruler.

****

It had been a normal night, and they were done with a late meeting. Purple had made his way back to his quarters with a strange feeling that he was being watched. Whenever he would look around him, he would see nothing. He walked into his room with a false security and went to take a soak in his cleansing gel. As soon as he was int he cleansing room, his feet felt the ground slip right from under them and he landed unceremoniously on his butt. He was so angry at the Irken whose laughter ignited and was hear from his sleeping chamber, that he tried to get up without even taking care od the gel on the floor. He had fallen three times that night... and it hurt too, so he decided to get a little bit of revenge. He began spreading rumours of his co-Tallest... those rumours spread like a wild fire. All over the Massice were talks of Red's sluttish actions. There was so much talk, that it even got Red to believe that he had broken the sacred laws of having only one life-mate. The thing was, he couldn't remember anything, because the night in question, he had gotten drunk.

Red had found out about two days later that it was all rumoured, no one could prove the sayings one way or another. Purple knew that he had made a grave mistake as soon as he saw the fires of realization in Red's eyes.

That same night, Red had taken Purple into his own room with false apologies. He had drunken a blue liquid that Purple had not recognized. That's when things got bad.

No matter how much Purple had pleaded, Red wouldn't stop. Red had strapped him down against his will and hit him. He screamed at him about how it all didn't matter anymore... how he would make Purple share his cruel fate.

****

Purple closed his eyes, still remembering. He remembered how Red shredded his robes.... he remembered how he cried and begged for him to stop. And then he remembered the laughter that chilled him witht he feeling of icey-hot flame. That was when Red had let him go... That was when Red had thrown the bottle of the non-alcoholic beverage at his tattered body. Purple had struggled to hide himself, and to hide his tears. Purple felt so violated, so angry at Red, even though Red never finished the job. Even though Red never touched him where he exposed. Even though Red did stop before it was too late. That night Red had told him how much pain he caused by the rumours, and how he deserved the fear that Red gave him, then he was ordered to get out. That was how Purple knew that the assassins from a ew days ago were Red's men.

He ventured further towards his destination. He looked around at drunken Irkens who decorated the small cantina. Some of them were at a point where they were passed out in puddles of their own throw-up. Purple grimaced, wishing there was another cantina close to his home. He walked to the bar and ordered a strong drin. He looked over around him once more, spotting a familiar face int h crowd, sitting at a lonely table in the back corner.... Purple looked back towards the bar tender, "How long as Tallest Red been here?" he asked with curiosity after noticing that Red was one of the Irkens passed out drunk, slung over a table. He didn't really have a reason to ask, it was more of a conversation starter.

"He's been there for about two or three hours."

Purple raised a non-existant eyebrow and took a swallow from his drink. It would be so easy for him to kill Red right now and get everything over with... to get his own life on the safe side. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. It was against the Irken Code of Honour. Going after him when he couldn't protect himself would prove nothing to himself or to the others around him. "Well get him out of here, he'll scare away all of your customers."

"Yes, my Tallest." The bar tender called in a stretcher by pressing a small button on his chest.

"Don't worry about it, I'll take him to his room myself." Purple held back a grin... it was time for him to get his revenge... he'll be able to get into Red's room and get his own ideas of revenge.

After his drink, Purple got to his feet and walked over to look at the sad sight of the fellow Tallest laying in his own spit. Purple almost felt sorry for him, but cursed his empathy just moments after. He picked up the Tall Irken and carried him with ease to his room. Red was a lot lighter than he expected, he knew that Red was on the thin side, but he also knew that Red had military experience. When he got to the room, the guards let him in with his "good-intent". When he got inside, he layed Red onto his bed and went to his closet. He noticed a box in the corner, and with curiosity taking over, he opened the box.

The first thing that he saw put a grin on his face. He took a brilliant pink dress from the box and set it aside, plans for revenge sprouting up in his head. Images of Red being teased and tormented because of his "crossdressing-secret" amused Purple greatly. As he looked back into the box, he picked up a photo. It was a picture of a lady Irken holding a little boy.. they looked like they had just been through hell and back. Across both the lady's skin and the child's lay bruises. Purple set the picture down and lifted up another. they were bruised again in the second, and the third.. fourth.... fifth... he couldn't find a picture of the lady or the child without cuts and bruises painting them over. Purple heard a rustle in the bed next to the closet. He quickly folded the dress and returned it to the box and its normal state. He stepped out of the closet and slowly made his way towards the door. He knew Red was the boy in the picture... he had Red's carnation eyes... It somehow made him want to forget the whole idea of hurting Red further. Perhaps maybe he could even request a truce.

Red's eyes opened slowly and darted their heated gaze directly at Purple. Purple stepped back, he was almost uncaught too.... if only Red had been asleep for a few seconds longer... 'What the hell are you doin' in my room?"

Purple gave a sudden squeak at Red's booming voice,,, then he looked down to the ground in attempts to find a reasonable answer... "I was just taking you back to your quarters, you were drunk."

Red threw him an untrusting glare as he sat up in his bed, holding one hand over his face for a few seconds. He glared more, someone had been in his closet. His room was more than a little untidy and cluttered, but Red knew every detail of it. He crossed his arms over his chest, "Going to borrow robes?"

Purple squeaked once more with the accusation, his mind raced as he tried to come up with a logical reason for the disorder. "No... your robed smell strongly of liquor and I was going to set aside clean robes for you, we do have a meeting to attend in a few hours."

"Oh that sounds really nice of you..." Purple sighedm relieved, "Where's the robe?" Uh-oh, caught again.

Purple fidgeted slightly but held his head up high, "I didn't like any of the ones you have in there, so I was going to tell one of the servents to get you one appropriate for the occasion."

"You're a bad lier..."

"No I'm not."

Red snarled a bit, showing his sharp teeth, then grinned. "Alright then. If you hare my attire so much, you can go shopping for me. It should be easy, we're about the same size."

"Purple glared from his place at the door, "I'll do no such thing!"

"Yes you will... or I'll tell the guards that you came in my room with malicious thoughts."

"You have no proof."

"I have cameras."

"I was just looking at your clothes!"

"Really, well we'll see about that,"

"Are you blackmailing me...?"

"Only if you have something to hide, my dear Tallest... Red's grin seemed almost mischivious as he sat in his bed. Purple didn't know whether he should be avoiding guilt or not. All he did was look through Red's box. It wasn't like he was doing anything bad. He didn't want to be blackmailed though. As he though, he looked around Red's room. His eyes sat against a photo near Red's bed. He turned his head to the side and walked closer, not paying any attention of Red backing away from him. He reached down and picked up the framed photo, It was the same lady and child as before...

Purole jumped when the photo was snatched out of his hand. He glanced up at the fiery pink eyes. "Who is that lady and the child...?" Purple knew who it was, but he wanted to make sure... to know more, perhaps to hear the stories behind the bruises.

"Oh if that isn't obvious... it's me and my mum, but what's it to you?" Purple watched Red look at the photo. He watched as Red's expression became distand, as if he was in his own world and all that mattered was that picture.

"What happened? There's bruises all over you and here, were you attacked?"

Red's look returned to normal and he glared at Purple once more, "I said, what's it to you?"

"Just curious. I don't know anything about you, mayube we should try to talk to eachothre... and perhaps refrain from using assassins."

"You have assassins after me? so that was you?!"

"What? I don't use assassins!"

"Well someone does, and I don't trust you as far as I can throw a piano."

"I'm telling you, I don't use assassins. I brought it up because I was attacked by one of your assassins a few days ago."

"Don't you dare try to accuse me! I don't use assassins either."

Purple blinked a few times, "It wasn't.. you?"

"So... someone wlse is trying to get rid of the both of us... and the whole time I thought it was you..."

"Yeah... hey! Don't change the subject like that! Who attacked you and your mother?!"

"You never give up, do you?"

"Nope. That's why I am a good Tallest."

"Don't be so flashy around me, I am a Tallest too, you know..."

"Don't change the subject!"

"Fine..." Red grumbed to himself and crossed his arms over his chest again, "I don't want to talk about it."

"You're impssible!"

"I know, that's why I make a good Tallest too."

Purple gave him a cool glare..

"Now.." Red was cut off when his antennae quirked at an odd sound... his eyes darted around the room, as did Purple's... "Gas! Hold your breath!"

Purple did as he was told and ran to the door... he punched in the open command... nothing happened... He looked over at Red, Red had gotten himself into his anti-atmosphere suit to get oxygen... Purple didn't have one. He stared at Red... his lungs aching for air.

Red watched as Purple's eyes went out of focus and he fell to the ground. Red walked over to the other Tallest and glared down at him, "Moron." He liftend him up to his feet, holding his breath as he took off the helmet simulator and put the collar around Purple's neck, turning it back on. While he let Purple breathe in clean air, he held his own breath. He typed in his password to his secret back room and pulled Purple along behind him. He was thankful for the air locks between the rooms... he had it made for an occasion like this. He never realised how much work it was to move someone when there was no air to breathe.

When Red got into the small room with Purple, he panted for air and took off the helmet simulator from Purple. "Damnit... why didn't I just let you die?"

Red finished catching his breath and he listened to the commotion going on in his room...

"Where are they?! I thought you said both of the Tallests were in here, I don't see either of them!"

"I saw them both! I swear I did!"

"Let's get out of here."

Red's eyes narrowed to slits in concentration... he'd heard those voices before, but he couldn't come up with a name or a face. "Who are they..." he growled in his throat, coming back to his senses when he felt a stir at his side. Sounds of coughing filled the small room. Red watched Purple cough and sputter, fighting to breathe, "The gas isn't in here, we're safe for now. It's probably clearing out in there too."

"Gas? What happened...?" Purple felt dizzy. He leaned against the wall of the small room. His eyes stung and his throat felt raw. His head was unclear and images around the room seemed to melt and merge together like a giant hot-pot.

Obviously you weren't lying when you said you weren't trying to use assassins on me. We have a couple of bastards on the inside. I don't know anything else except the voices. But they were trying to kill us both.

"Who would want that...?" Purple's antennae hung limply at the sides of his head, his eyes were closed as well... his face was a few shades lighter than normal. He looked as though he'd pass out at any moment.

"Be happy they didn't use the gas we use during war. You could have been coughing up burnt bits of gnul(irken equivalent of a lung? Yes it is lung spelled backwards) by now. And how should I know what they're thinking. Maybe they want a new Tallest... or maybe they're spies from another race." Red moved to the side, giving Purple some room to breathe.

Purple nodded his head slowly and then it hung over infront of him loosely. He had lost consciousness once more, his body not ready to breathe in just yet. Red sighed and moved himself up and away from the wall. He paced around the very small room, back and forth, his head ducked down so it wouldnt scrape against the ceiling. His mind was swarming with thoughts of revenge. No one has the right to attack a Tallest, his offenders would not live for much longer. The voices rang through his head like they were on a tape-recorder... if he ever heard those voices again....

He heard a small grown and a gasp for air, followed by more intense coughing. He looked down at Purple... 'Great...' he thought to himself, 'the only person I can trust now is my own worst enemy.' Red kneeled down beside the other Tallest and shook him by the shoulder softly, "Hey, get up, we have to get out of here." But to no prevail, Puple remained in a state of unconsciousness. Red groaned and picked up the limp Irken. Purple was very light... all though he expected as much. His breathing was very faint... he'd have to goto the hospital just to be safe. Red opened up the small door to the small room and ducked further in order to get out. As he expected, the gas had already cleared.

Okay... I am evil.. yep that's where I decided to leave off the first chapter.. I didnt want an incredibly lengthy chapter.... I didnt really want to have to type THAT much either... but the next chapter is partially finished.. who knows, I may get inspiration.

Well tell me what you think. Did you like it? Should I continue?