CHAPTER TWELVE
Small Ship

"So... where exactly are we going?"

Tak hissed, glaring back at him. "We have barely been flying for five hours, human. A little quiet should not be so much to ask, even of you."

"Hey, five hours is a long time! I'm bored back here, and cramped, and all I asked was where we're going. I need something to think about." That, preferably, bears little or no relation to white. He had to wait some time, but eventually Tak relented with an exasperated growl.

"Mallaria."

Dib waited some more, but apparently there wasn't going to be anything else forthcoming without more prodding. "And...? Why are we going there?"

"I answered your question, human. Shut up and go into rest mode or whatever it is."

"It's called sleeping, and I'm not tired. C'mon, Tak, you're barely even doing anything. Is it really that hard for you to just talk to me?"

"Yes. Yes it is."

Dib shifted a bit, trying to get comfortable. All he succeeded in, though, was earning another glare from Tak. It was hard to remember why he'd tried so hard to convince the Irken to bring him along when he was cramped, sore and, above all, so very horribly bored. There wasn't really anything to do back here except think, pester Tak, or stare at the back of her head.

He idly tried to pretend it was the back of Zim's head, but sighed when he realised the antennae ruined the effect. Zim's antennae didn't curl, and Dib wrinkled his nose at the image that presented itself with that thought. No. Curly antennae were so very not-Zim. He imagined Zim with his proper antennae instead, straight and fine. They were so strange – obviously, no human had anything like it – and yet on him, they looked right. Well duh, Dib. They're meant to be there. Idiot. He idly wondered what they felt like...

Blushing faintly, he pulled his mind off that track with all due speed. That was the problem with being a teenager. Hormones always meddled in everything. Instead, he turned to the control board. Carefully manouevering around the Irken, he pointed to part of the display.

"What's that do?"

Honestly, after getting his hands on Tak's ship, he knew what most of the controls did already. Tak wasn't to know what had happened to her ship after she'd had to abandon it, though, so she didn't know that.

Tak turned to glare at Dib again, so fiercely he was mildly surprised when he didn't burst into flames.

"It ejects you from the ship. Go on, meat-baby. Press it. I dare you."

"Liar. This ship isn't designed for two of us. There's no reason to have an eject for a second passenger."

"If you think you know so much, why don't you tell me what it's for?"

Dib yawned and settled back in, pulling his arm back. "Actually, I'm pretty sure it's the thruster."

He couldn't help but smirk at the dance of emotions that played across Tak's face. First, her eyes widened in surprise, which was quickly replaced with grudging admiration, and even more quickly with the narrowed eyes of suspicion.

"How do you know that, human?" she demanded.

"Why should I tell you anything, Irken? You certainly don't feel like enlightening me about anything."

Tak growled and took another tack. "Well, why did you ask me if you already knew the answer then?"

"Because I'm..." Dib blinked, his brow furrowing as he tried to remember what he'd been about to say. Black prickled at the edges of his vision, and thoughts seemed to swim in his head like he was seeing them through a film of water. Vague and blurry. Where was he...?

The last thing he saw was Tak frowning and rolling her eyes at him.

Have a... really not very good chapter. Distraction abound and my steam is running a bit low, especially now I have a book handy all the time again now (or more, an eReader) and am thus not forced onto my laptop. Updates are definitely slowing down, but don't worry, I won't stop in the middle or anything. There's not really enough of it left for that to happen :P Hopefully things pick up again soon.

*hides the Neverwinter Nights behind her back and looks innocent*

And yes, we'll get a bit of a look at the mental institution again, but probably only part-chapter this time. That's where the most interesting stuff will be happening for a bit while Tak and Dib are flying around. Unless Tak gets annoyed enough to strangle Dib, perhaps :P Or order Mimi to do it. But that would cut the fic unfortunately short. So I'll try not to do that.