Dlbn: Hey there everyone! Time for another update of Iz Moth! And yes, I did get the title of this chapter from a song. Digital Cookie if you know who it's by. ;) I was going to update yesterday, but I crashed at like 8 at night into my bed and slept until 9 this morning, so yeah…Oh! And Zim and Dib meet next chapter! One of my favorite scenes to write, personally. ;)
Nbld: Review Corner: Thank you to Moth Mask, Darkdagers, Invader Ang, and suckishLEMONADE for reviewing! Digital Zim-shaped cookies for all!
000
Dib pushed open the door to The Mask later that night. There were a few more people inside than the night before, but still no one fascinating. Dib adjusted his mask and checked his voice amplifier, thankful to find that both were working the way he wanted them to. He stepped around a couple making out by the front door and inched through the dance floor, partly dancing his way through the crowd. The bartender smiled at him.
"Scouting again, hey, Moth?" He asked.
"I feel like a drinker during the week." Dib sighed. "The usual."
The bartender passed over the brown drink. "Made it when I saw you step through the doors."
"Am I that predictable?" Dib took a seat on a stool.
"On weekdays." The bartender shrugged. He wiped down the bar counter with a less-than-clean rag. "On weekends, I don't know what to do with you."
"There's always a crowd on the weekends." Dib said. "I find better people come on the weekends. More stuff to do."
"Maybe someone will show up and you won't expect it." The bartender said. "Blonde teen, my 5 o'clock."
"Huh?"
"What can I get for you?" The bartender asked.
"Peach martini." A male voice from Dib's left answered. "Hey."
Dib looked over. "Hi." He smiled.
The guy next to him was a, obviously, bottled blonde and his eyes were a darker shade of honey than Dib's own. His mask was white.
"Keith." He said, offering his hand.
"Moth." Dib responded.
"Moth?" 'Keith' wondered.
"Have you ever heard of a movie called 'Moth Man'?" Dib asked.
"Oh, yeah. I watched it in science class once."
"It's my favorite movie." Dib flushed a bit. "That's kind of where I got it from."
"Oh, cool." Keith smiled. "You're pretty cute when you blush."
"Thanks." Dib laughed. "Come here often?"
"Yeah, whenever I can. You?"
And so, the usual conversation Dib held with people he met in gay clubs began.
000
Zim started up his ship as soon as the cockpit shut with an audible hiss. He had his laptop and a couple of suitcases in the storage part of the ship. For now, he'd just fly over to Krill's. He wasn't supposed to be leaving until the morning, but he had warned Zim that he may be called in earlier. Zim knew it was only a short term thing and he wasn't even considering Krill and him anything but a casual hookup until later, if there was a later. It wouldn't be a shock if Krill had to leave without saying goodbye. If that was the case, Zim would just go out to one of the unmarked planets he'd gotten the locations of from the government database. His mother wouldn't look for him there. His dad had told him it was okay, so why was he being punished? It was his father who hadn't told his mother first. And besides, couldn't his mom understand how hard it was for him to find any gay guys who would talk to him, let alone take him out to eat and kiss him? Zim's ship picked up in complete silence and flew over the City. Krill lived on the outskirts, but Zim's best customers were out there, so he knew where to go. Once Zim found the right address, he cloaked his Voot Runner and landed outside the house. He hopped out and shut the ship before walking to the door. Zim took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. A ruby eyed Irken that wasn't Krill opened the door, smiling.
"Hello?" He asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Zim rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I've got the wrong address. I'm looking for Krill."
"No, you've got the right place, but the wrong time." The man said. "I'm Spleen, his roommate. He got called to the station about ten minutes ago, so he's long gone. I can give you the number to the base, if you want."
"Oh, no, I don't want to bother him." Zim responded. "If you talk to him, just tell him Zim stopped bye, please?"
"Sure thing, sir." Spleen nodded and smiled. "You want me to have him call you?"
"No, I'm gonna be outside the calling area for a while, so I won't get it." Zim responded, which wasn't a complete lie. "Just tell him I was here and good luck."
"Will do." Spleen confirmed. "You want to come in for a moment?"
"No, I really have to get going." Zim said. "Mission for mom. Gotta go pick up some stuff from Callnowia that's too large to ship."
"Where is your ship? Or did you walk?"
"No, it's right there." Zim pointed and deactivated the cloaking device. "It's old, but it gets the job done."
"Yeah." Spleen laughed. "I'll let you be on your way, then. Good luck on Callnowia."
"Thank you." Zim held out a hand. "Nice to meet you."
"You, too." Spleen shook it. "Quite a handshake for someone so young."
"Young? I'm 16."
"I know." Spleen said. "That's young. Me and Krill are almost 30."
Zim's antennae fell. "You are?"
"I'm sorry." Spleen said. "How old did he tell you he was?"
"He didn't. But I didn't think he was. Neither of you guys look it."
"Thanks." Spleen smiled at the compliment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to drop the ball like that."
"It's fine." Zim said. "Thanks for all your help."
"No problem."
"Oh, and if anyone asks, you never saw me, oaky?"
"Uh…sure."
Zim left for his ship with a smile. When he heard the door shut behind him, he opened it and climber in before taking off.
000
The coordinates in the system were a bit outdated, Zim had to admit, but they got him there within the span of about three months. He had installed a teleporter into the ship that he had made as well as a system that took coordinates and used them in autopilot. Since the ship was old itself, it didn't have the autopilot, he had had to make and put one in himself in order to get anywhere that he wasn't familiar with. It had been easy, since he made stuff like that all the time, but if Galactic Systems pulled his ship over for any reason and detected the items, he'd have more trouble than just being grounded and not allowed out to see Krill. Zim sighed and looked out of the windshield. A blue and green planet was in front of him, standing out amongst the stars and black sky. Zim did a scan of the planet with another one of his illegal items and discovered that while the air was breathable, but there was water on the planet, a substance that Irkens were deeply allergic to. Zim shivered at the thought. He'd have to make some type of water-resistant product to survive. He'd pick another planet, but it was the only inhabited one. The files had said that a red one he had passed was inhabited, but the planet wasn't when Zim got to it. The files were really outdated, considering that. Zim's scan of the planet in front of him showed that there were indeed life-forms, but it didn't say if any were sentient. Still, it was a risk he'd have to take. He cloaked himself before zooming down to the planet. The sky and atmosphere sped past him as he descended, hoping to the Irken gods that the cloaking device covered himself as well, unlike the one that had been installed on a military weapon called the Megadoomer. It was a chance he'd have to take for now. He ran a scan and camera set on the area to find beings that talked. Hopefully they spoke a language he understood. The camera would help him to decide which clothing styles to pick and what eyes and other accessories he needed to blend in. He wasn't an Invader, but he was pretty damn good at their job, if he did say so himself. Once Zim found a place that looked suitable enough for a house, and thanked the Irken gods that it was dark, he landed his ship. Zim stepped out of it and pulled out a sketch pad. He flipped through the pictures the camera had printed out when he landed. Some of them were of houses, so he slid them into the pad. Once a design came on the screen that he liked, Zim pressed a button on the side. The pad turned into a drill, which whirred to life before he dropped it into the ground. After a few minutes, a house was formed and Zim stepped inside. His Voot Runner had gone up into what appeared to be an attic, so it was well hidden from prying eyes. Not being an Invader, he didn't have a computer programmed into the house. He'd have to settle for doing things on his own and making his own security system.
"Well, this doesn't look too bad." Zim said to himself. "Not good enough to be an Invader yet, my ass." He snickered.
The walls were pale and the floor was hardwood. Zim took off his shoes and socks and felt the cold floor under his feet, a feeling he'd loved since he moved into Tallest Miyuki and Spork's palace. He sat on the dark couch against the back wall and flipped through the photos of people. They were a mix of skin tones, eye colors, and strange stuff coming from the top of their heads, which looked like multiple antenna. He sighed. Picking something out wouldn't be easy, but he had to do it if he wanted to survive on planet 456. Once satisfied, he pulled a watch from his pocket and fiddled with it. He couldn't put in the entire photos with parts that he liked, because the watch would take the entire photo and not the parts. Once satisfied, Zim snapped the watch on his left wrist. He hit a red button and was covered in a white light. Once the light was gone, his appearance had changed from an Irken to whatever the native species was. The antenna things were a deep chestnut brown, his eyes were a pale green and his skin was pale peach. His clothes, however stayed the ones he had worn to come over consisting of jeans and a dark t-shirt. Now all he needed was clothes and he'd be set. He stood and walked deeper into his new home to get a look around.
