Warnings: Yaoi and adult language!
Disclaimer: I don't own Invader Zim. I'm not making money off of this. I don't own the Tallest, though Fab, Orange, and Fuchsia were created by me.
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Chapter Ten: Between A Rok And A Hard Place
Purple rubbed his wrists, weakly, as he walked through the dank caves. He had long since left Rok in the depths, who he suspected was still looking for the 'nacho monster'. After feeling he was far enough away from the Irken, Purple had used his alien utility backpack to free his arms and legs. Hours had passed since then, though his wrists still felt sore from the unneccesary tightness of his bonds.
With a depressed sigh, Purple trudged through the gloom in search of an escape. His eyes were slowly growing adjusted to the dark, making his journey easier but still unpleasant. Though he could now make out the floor and walls, he could also make out bizarre salamander-like creatures scrambling along every surface. They would stop, occasionally, to glare at him with seemingly blind eyes of white. The entire situation was unnerving.
Purple shivered slightly and continued to walk, despite the numbness of his muscles.
"I suppose what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger," he muttered, in an attempt to sound cheerful. "But I just don't want anything to kill me,"
Time seemed to drag on as Purple made his way through the disturbing maze of stone, untouched but watched by everything he came across.
It was almost as if they were curious, as opposed to threatened by him.
Purple's antennae drooped slightly.
"Just wonderful...," he grumbled. "I've got an audience,"
As the violet-eyed Irken trudged along, the sticky foot salamander creatures followed him. They paused to blink at him, clinging to the rock with the pads on their feet, and flickered their light pink tongues. Purple ignored them as best he could, though he wondered how long he had before the creatures turned vicious.
Purple slumped his shoulders with a sigh.
"I wish Red where here," he muttered, for the hundredth time.
At that moment, a flash of light caught Purple's eyes. He paused and blinked, turning to stare at the source. He could barely make out a set of ancient stone steps, hidden by the darkness and shadows. The steps led upwards to what appeared to be a small hole in the cave.
With a sudden surge of hope, Purple darted over to the steps and climbed them with surprising speed. As he ascended the steps, the light grew brighter and Purple found himself forced to shield his eyes with his claws.
When Purple arrived at the top of the steps, he found himself staring out a hole leading to a small cliff. With a confused blink, he stepped through the hole in to the bright sunlight. Once the sunspots died down, Purple found himself standing far above the jungle. He could see the canopy for miles, stretching out like a thick green carpet. Purple found himself staring in awe, eyes taking in the sheer detail and color.
"Beautiful...," Purple blinked. "From up here... you'd almost forget that everything in it wants to eat you!"
Slowly, Purple walked further away from the hole in to the open. He paused and blinked. In the far distance, he could almost make out an object with a familiar metallic glitter.
If he hadn't known any better, Purple would have sworn it was a ship from the Armada.
"It can't be... can it?" Purple muttered, squinting to get a better look.
"Maybe it is... maybe it isn't...,"
Purple jumped, his alien heart lodging itself in his throat, as he snapped about to stare. Rok glared at him, fully visible as he stood just outside the hole in to the cave.
"... But it doesn't matter," Rok continued, as he clenched his claws and slowly walked towards Purple.
Purple stared at Rok, eyes wide.
"... because you're screwed,"
-----------------
"No,"
"Aw, come on! Just a peek!"
"NO,"
"I just want to see! Just this once!"
"NO!"
"I won't bite," Red smirked. "I'm saving that for Purple,"
Fuchsia flinched, then glanced at Red with a disgusted glare as he continued to walk along the mountain trail.
"I did not want to hear that. And I am NOT like Purple in every area, so there's no point in checking! Especially there!" Fuchsia snapped, blushing lightly.
"But how would you know? Have you seen it?" Red tilted his head.
"Well... no...,"
"So you wouldn't know!" Red beamed. "But I have... so that makes me an excellent judge!"
"... I don't care! I am not going to let you-!" Fuchsia screamed, whirling to shake a claw at Red..
"Dropped your guard!" Red growled, as if he were in some sort of duel. Fuchsia squeaked in surprise, then yowled as Red lunged at him.
"H-HEY! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING FOR PURPLE!" Fuchsia yowled. "Stop it! STOP!"
Red beamed and sat on Fuchsia's waist, opening the front of his shirt to peek inside. Fuchsia yowled in protest and squirmed, trying to close it back up.
"Hn, you're right," Red muttered. "You're different. You're not as lithe as he is,"
"GET OFF OF ME!" Fuchsia shrieked, his cheeks a brilliant crimson. Red stood up and cracked his neck, totally oblivious to the other Irken's murderous gaze as he closed his shirt. Red continued down the trail as Fuchsia fumbled to his feet, dusting himself off and muttering darkly.
"Still, I wonder," Red mused. Fuchsia glanced at him, suspiciously.
"... Wonder?" Fuchsia repeated.
"... What would a threesome be like?" Red pondered.
"... ... ...," Fuchsia's cheek twitched as a vein appeared on his forehead.
"Might be rather interesting," Red grinned. He noticed Fuchsia glowering at him and laughed.
"You're doing this to get a rise out of me, aren't you," Fuchsia glowered. "You're just trying to get me to react!"
"Yep," Red purred. "I love how you react. Though, Purple is much cuter when flustered. I guess you can consider yourself my outlet until we find Purple,"
"...," Fuchsia sulked. Red chuckled and shook his head.
"We'll find him," Red continued, glancing skyward. "And I'll kill anyone who hurts him,"
"... You like saying that a lot," Fuchsia glanced at Red.
"What? Kill?" Red blinked. "It's the truth. I will. I've killed many Irkens before, and I'm not afraid to kill more if they hurt what's mine,"
Fuchsia's eyes popped out as he began to sweat.
"Killed...?" he repeated, weakly. "You've actually...?"
"Of course," Red eyed Fuchsia, oddly. "You mean you've never killed anyone before? Not even during training?"
"Training!?" Fuchsia stared at Red.
"... Do you even know how to use those weapons of yours?" Red stopped to face Fuchsia.
"... ...,"
"... Huh," Red blinked.
"... It can't be that hard!" Fuchsia grunted, defensively. "Just aim and pull the trigger, right?"
"... If your target doesn't move," Red smirked.
"...,"
"Heh, cute,"
"What's so cute about it!?" Fuchsia demanded. Red was about to answer when a scream rippled through the air like a shockwave. Red tensed, his eyes widening, as Fuchsia glanced about in a panic. "That... that sounded like...,"
Red's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"... Purple...,"
"What are we...?" Fuchsia squeaked, glancing around. He yelped when Red's spider-like legs suddenly extended from his pack.
"Stay here," Red barked, then whirled about and disappeared around the corner of the mountain trail.
"Ah...?!" Fuchsia blinked. "Stay...,"
Fuchsia paused and glanced around as the jungle seemed to come alive, drawing closer to the Irken as every second passed. Fuchsia blinked repeatedly, baffled, as thousands of eyes stared at him hungrily.
"... here?"
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Purple yelped as he hit the ground, barely able to prevent himself from falling over the edge as the rocks cut him. He had a large black eye, so large and painful that he was unable to open his right eye. He quivered in pain and curled up, resisting his body's attempts to retch up blood.
He fumbled to get up but collapsed, his body far too exhausted. He yelped when Rok kicked him on to his back, then pressed his heel against Purple's chest.
"Now then," Rok growled. He leaned over, digging his heel in to Purple's chest. Purple squeaked in pain and grasped the foot, weakly. "Where were we?"
Rok leaned closer, smirking, as Purple glared at him.
"...,"
"Speechless?" Rok inquired, mockingly.
Purple's eyes narrowed and, with surprising strength, kicked Rok in the stomach. Rok fumbled back, gasping, as he hunched over. Purple took Rok's moment of distraction as a chance to scramble away.
However, he couldn't get far before Rok recovered. WIth an angry growl, Rok lunged and kicked Purple in the side. Purple squeaked, then gagged as blood splurted out of his mouth. Purple's claws shot to cover his mouth as he twitched, painfully.
"Stubborn!" Rok spat, kicking Purple once more in the back. Purple fell forward with a pained whimper, his entire body twitching. Purple curled up, eyes snapping shut as tears threatened to fall.
"Red...," he whispered, voice choked with blood. Rok growled deeply.
"Just shut up and-,"
Rok broke off with a scream, clutching his face as blood oozed from two long slashes running from brow to chin. He hunched over, yelping, as blood nearly blinded him. Numbly, Purple opened his eyes and blinked.
"PURPLE!"
Purple's eyes widened drastically and he sat up, his condition momentarily forgotten. A shadow hovered over him, spider-legs and all. The wounded Tallest could only stare in disbelief as Red descended in to view, face covered with concern for him.
"Red...," Purple muttered.
"Purple... I've found you... and...,"
"RED!" Purple cried, lunging upwards to wrap his arms around Red's neck. "You... it's you... for real...,"
"You're hurt...," Red whispered, his arms gently looping around Purple's waist. Purple glanced up at him, dazed, and let out a weak laugh. He continued to laugh even as his legs gave out, nearly collapsing. Red caught him and held up close with a yowl, dropping to his knees to hold the limp Purple. Purple blinked, unseeing, and cracked a smile.
"... Red...," Purple rested his head against Red's chest as his eyes slowly drifted shut. "Red... ...,"
Red blinked, then held Purple in a protective hug when he realized that the Irken was no longer conscious. Red's eyes narrowed darkly as he saw the blood on Purple's robes and mouth, as well as the large welt over his right eye. Rage filled the fiery Irken, who slowly turned to fix Rok with a gaze so poisonous that the jungle itself seemed to quiver in fear.
Rok blinked through the blood, painfully, as he turned to meet Red's gaze. He recoiled, shakily.
"... My... Tallest...?"
Red's eyes narrowed to mere slits as he bared his teeth in a vicious snarl.
"You... will... suffer...,"