Potatoes4Eva
Chapter 27
My brain has turned to mush. Eh.. Uh... I mean... Mush of...DOOM. Tak and Membrane... Whoa. Just... Wow. The whole reason she thought she was completely human was because the Professor went all "LOOKIT ME I'M A SCIENTIST" and brain-washed her to save the world! Hey... Maybe Dib really IS his clone. 3 Nothin' like a bond between Father and Son (not that I would know; I'm a girl that sees her dad twice a month :P).
And for the daily quote thing: YOUR DREAMS ARE SO AMAZING, I'D EAT NOTHING BUT RAW VEGETABLES FOR... AN HOUR (I was gonna say 'year', but vegetables are gross) JUST TO BE SUCKED INTO YOUR BRAIN TO WATCH YOUR NIGHT TERRORS AND DREAMS LIKE TV. Yeah.
OooooOoooOOOOoooOoOoOoOoooh, I wonder what'll happen next.
I will have a video made in your honor if you want to see what goes on in my head at night and send it to you.
cheddarbiscuit
Chapter 27
... How did I miss two extra updates? And did I forget to review a chapter?
... Wha... What's going on? What do you *mean* it was the Professor?
... OH MY GOD I AM NEVER LEAVING THIS COMPUTER AGAIN.
(not really, though.)
LOL. It's not your fault, the first update was a surprise update, because I wanted space in my Document Manager.
Invader Johnny
Chapter 27
Well Prof. Membrane surprised me here, its the first time I read a fic where he is shown to NOT be ignorant.
Shame Tak was the first to know that and not Dib.
Invader Johnny Signing Off.
I always like trying things not a lot of people have done. There's always the chance that it's not going to come out right, but, at least I broke new ground, right? :)
R1NGmasterJ5
Chapter 27
Woah, that Membrain thing really caught me off guard.
About the TVTropes thing: Yeah, the second I read that response, I knew it should be the page quote.
About the fanfic-help thing: Thanks. I'm trying to get the characterization as canon as possible, as I have...plans. Also, as it's a fic that involves itself, I'll make sure to reference this series as one of the good fanfics that the characters come across.
About the vote: I was a bit annoyed I missed it, but once I saw the chosen fic...it gave me a sense of pure anticipation. I can't wait.
(Also, my iPod's autocorrect has been fighting with me for this whole review. Among other things, it tried to change "Membrain" into "Memebraun", and "second" into "disco".)
Aw, thanks! The iPod thing, I cannot help it, I had to laugh. Autocorrect is a demon spawn of technology.
Doodoo, peanuts.
Confusing title, no? But I like what's in limbo.
BENDY THINGS. :D
. . . .
Bad joke, I know.
Sorry for the late update, I've been painting this picture for my sister all day yesterday AND today and I JUST finished it. If you want to know what it is, look up "umineko bernkastel" and you'll see who it is. I created a picture of her sitting in a chair, in a lavish room with a couple of the umineko-themed chess pieces behind her and IT WAS SO HARD, but it looks pretty good. You probably won't find the painting, as it isn't online, but my sister's anime-obsessed friend wants it to be his profile, so you never know. You might find it sometime later.
Enjoy!
Chapter 28
"Not Lost But Not Found"
"It just came in now, sir. I took the liberty of printing them out for you, to briefly overlook before your meeting."
Zim took the papers, eying them, red eyes scanning quickly over the several pages. Skoodge waited in front of him obediently, patiently, as always. It took only a few moments for Zim to figure out where immediate alterations would be needed but he'd obviously have to go into more extensive research about the Pill when he had more free-time. However, this was priority.
He scowled.
That meant less time with his wife.
"Problem, sir?" Skoodge questioned, misreading his suddenly cross face.
"Eh?" Zim glanced up from the papers and shook his head. "No, thank you, Skoodge. I'll call you again when you are needed. By the way, though, do you have any idea where Gaz might have run off to?"
"The last place I saw her was in the gardens, sir." Skoodge replied, thoughtfully. "Would you like me to locate her for you?"
"No, no, I can do it myself." Zim insisted, lifting his wrist as he began fiddling with the dials on her tracker. "You are dismissed for the day, Skoodge. I will locate you if that changes."
"Yes, sir!" Skoodge saluted, bowed, and then walked off.
Zim saw three blips, like always, and honed in on the nearest one with a smirk. Indeed, Skoodge was right; Gaz was still in the gardens. Figures she would be exploring out there for some time. Thankfully, as she'd promised, she was not in the maze, however, she was relatively close to it. Zim very much doubted she'd go inside but with Gaz, you never knew. He chuckled and headed outside.
If he was going to be busy for a while, he was going to ensure she was as well.
It didn't take long (thanks to his tracker) to locate her.
Gaz was watching the armies set up their tents on the lower, rougher terrain. The nicer grounds were up on flat, soft ground before it jutted down into a cliff-side and led to the terrain normally reserved for horses. Her brow rose curiously as not many of them seemed quite so zombie-like anymore. They all wore red military uniform, the Irken symbol on each of their tents.
"Strange. I would've thought you'd prefer a different view."
She had her elbows on the railing, glancing over her shoulder to look at him, her hood still up, with a partially-visible smirk. "No better view then this one."
He eyed her purposefully, returning the smirk. "I would have to agree on that."
Gaz rolled her eyes, but there was still a hint of humor there as she looked back on the grounds. "They don't look quite so inhuman anymore."
"The solvent is sinking into the systems now," Zim explained, approaching her. "The side-effects are dissolving, but their purpose remains. They will function, appear, and react like they used to, but they are now wholly loyal to Zim."
"I wonder what their families are doing," Gaz commented, optimistically.
Zim chuckled. "Eventually, I'll arrange family visits of some sort. But for now, they'll have to survive without it."
"Mm," She agreed, nodding, watching them line up into rows as they began drills of some sort. "I'm sure they've never felt so-."
Gaz cut off as Zim gripped her hips abruptly, pressing her against his front.
"I'm going to be very busy for a while, to get the Pill prepared." He purred in her ear, lifting a hand to brush against her face as he guided her away from the railing. His other hand lifted to her torso, straightening her so her back was fully against his chest. "And I wish to spend some quality time with you with you while I can."
Gaz smirked again. Then grimaced shortly after. "The sooner you finish, the sooner I meet the Tallest."
"Don't sound so glum about it. It's an honor the Tallest want to meet you at all."
"I'm not exactly look forward to it nonetheless," Gaz muttered, defensively.
Zim chuckled as his hand slipped under her cloak, resting on her ribs, just below her breasts. "Any way I can perk up your mood?"
"Not out in the open," She replied, bluntly, in a warning tone.
Zim chuckled, slipping his hand out from under her cloak and wrapping his arm around her waist, leading her back towards the castle.
"Very well." He said, clearly amused. "We will finish this inside."
"You'd think I'd be sore by now or something," she commented dryly.
Zim laughed, "Clearly we're doing something wrong, then. I'm sure I can have you sore by tomorrow morning, if you'd prefer."
She flicked his antenna, rolling her eyes. "You're insane."
He grinned at her. "Glad you noticed."
"It could work." Agent Dark-Booty admitted, nodding his head.
Dr. Membrane scowled at Dib. Or at least, he gave him a look of disapproval. It was hard to tell when the majority of his father's face was covered.
"I don't like the idea of kidnapping my own daughter." He stated, apprehensively. "Besides, it's far too risky."
"No," Dib shook his head in argument. "Tak's done it before."
"I'll need an update on his positions and defenses." Tak corrected. She had been given ample time to recover and was sitting down next to Dib now, the two of them on the same page for once. "I'll also have to fix the flaws I left in my old system-cracker, but it could work. I'd still only be able to give you half an hour though."
"Not enough time," An agent argued. "Who knows what kind of traps he has waiting once we break past his shield?"
"That's just the thing," Dib insisted. "When we broke in, he didn't have so much as a single guard! Zim's arrogance in his downfall; he doesn't think we'd have the technology available to break in in the first place."
"What if he learned from his mistake?" Someone countered. "Our latest update informs us he's training troops in there. We'll be unable to get in and out in that small amount of him. Not to mention your sister kept a few tricks up her sleeve."
"Tricks?" Tak's brow rose at Dib's uneasy look. "What kind of tricks?"
Dark-Booty directed their attention towards the large television screen in the room. The lights shut off and a film played.
"We got this off of airport security." He explained, darkly, shooting Dib a look that the boy wilted at. Tak looked between them curiously before turning her eyes to the screen.
Dib paled. It was Gaz. On the plane.
He closed his eyes, hearing everyone gasp as no doubt Gaz used her powers, like he remembered.
Many would think it strange he wasn't paying attention to this rather important piece of information that would attribute to his ultimate plan in retrieving her. But in Dib's mind, it made perfect sense to ignore her 'special abilities', to pretend like they didn't exist. So long as they didn't exist, he could continue to pretend that his sister was the same, normal, bitter sibling he loved. With these powers she was . . . closer to a weapon than a person. Dib couldn't handle thinking about his sister that way and so that's why he chose to shy away from that side of her.
As far as Dib was concerned, it didn't exist.
If he looked like an idiot refusing to acknowledge the existence in his sister, so be it.
Tak's eyes were wide, blinking rapidly. That was in a human? Well, she'd give that much to Zim, he certainly knew how to find the a powerful female for a mate, even if she was a human girl.
"Now," Dark-Booty gave Dib a look just as he reopened his eyes. "Do you mean to tell me you didn't know about that ability of your sister?"
"She got it from an incident a few years ago, the one with Iggins, and that's all I know." Dib grimaced, shuddering. "Honestly, it's all I wanted to know."
Tak wore a look of impression as the lights turned back on. "Certainly a powerful little thing."
"Why don't we just throw water on her?" Someone suggested, although nobody was quite sure if it was a joke or not. At the mention of water though, Dib saw Tak shudder out of the corner of his eye and smirked a little out of habit.
"Is no one concerned with the fact her kidnapping would only ensure our murder?" Dr. Membrane demanded, in angry disbelief. "I saw the way the Invader looked at my daughter when I attended their wedding. It was made very clear to me by how protective he was of her at that time that should we attempt something like this, he'd massacre the entire world before we got close to her."
"Gaz is almost as arrogant as he is!" Dib argued. "Zim is never able to keep her from fighting for herself."
"Even still, that seems to be worse." Another agent contradicted, frowning. "You say Invader Zim seems to have an unbelievable amount of arsenal in his PAK, but he's not quite the best hand-to-hand fighter. However, we've no idea of your sister's potential since you never paid attention to her extra abilities, and have nothing to go off of besides your extreme fear of fighting her. At least with Invader Zim we've got something to go off of. The Swollen Eyeball isn't willing to risk the chance that even if we got past Zim and reached the girl we're kidnapping, we'd all be burned to death. It's a suicide mission!"
"I agree completely." Dr. Membrane agreed. "I've seen bits of what my daughter can do. She's trained herself; she learns with watching. Gaz is more deadly then even she knows, threatened or otherwise. I'll admit, I too did not know about this power of hers. But that only proves we shouldn't do this."
"Well then we need someone on the inside." Tak insisted, cutting in, since that topic was getting them nowhere. "Not myself, even if I'd be the most resourceful in finding out Zim's weakness, since Zim and Gaz would never believe that, but someone who Gaz trusts, since Zim will doubtless agree to anything she says."
Dib snorted. "Gaz doesn't trust anyone besides me, Dad, and Zim."
Tak contemplated, thinking over her time spent as an ignorant human but still in the human girl's presence. Then her eyes lit up and she smirked at him. "You are right, she doesn't trust anyone besides Zim and you two."
Dr. Membrane's brow rose. "What are you trying to say?"
Her eyes were venomous a moment as they flicked to him, but no one noticed. Her smirk broadened as she looked at Dib.
"I'm suggesting a surrender with a conflict of interest."
Gaz was sitting on the counter. Skoodge had been working on the opposite side of the room as Zim but after some time, he'd left, to go work on one thing or another in the manufacturing lab. Obviously, she was sitting on Zim's side, her legs over the edge as she watched him work. Zim glanced at her, wondering if she was reading the Irken lettering this was written in. She wouldn't be able to understand the terms that were used but still, it made him secretly pleased that she could read it at all.
"Curious to see what's going inside of you?" He teased, watching her.
Gaz glanced down at him before her eyes flicked back towards the screen, speaking quietly so that Skoodge, though in the other room entirely, with the door shut, could not hear her, resisting a smirk. "Sounds like what you said on our wedding night."
Zim's eyes widened before narrowing, glaring at her. "It's hardly fair to say such things like that when Zim is unable to touch you."
"You aren't unable to touch me." Gaz corrected, careful to keep her face unreadable. "You're just too busy to touch me."
"Regardless, it's cruel."
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It was funny and you know it. Stop being so whiny, you sound like Dib, a few weeks after I ate his Haunted Gummy Bear Collection."
"Well maybe if you had taken the proper seat I wouldn't be so irritable." Zim said insinuatively, pausing in his work to eye her fully.
Once again she glanced down, eying him, before finally letting herself crack a smirk as her eyes returned to the screen. "Mm, no, I'm perfectly comfortable right here."
Zim scowled at her, hissing barely loud enough for only her to hear. "You are such a tease!"
Gaz resisted a smirk. "I'm surprised you even know what that means. Most of your knowledge is PG13."
He eyed her purposefully, giving her a look. "As of recently, that has changed quite a bit, hasn't it?"
She rolled her eyes, hugging her knees loosely against her chest. "Ha ha. So what changes are you making to the formula?"
"I'm enabling it so that it's non-specific enough to be able to conform to your system," Zim explained, not looking up from his work as he spoke.
Gaz's brow rose. "It's normally that targeted?"
"*Quite the contrary, actually. The Pill was originally designed to conform around quite a few species, the ones most appealing to the Tallest, since it's normally only them who use it. Although the possibility of a Tallest mating with a less common race was noted upon the Pill's manufacturing, which is why the Pill is so easy to make modifications to. Regardless, these species were all relatively close to the Irken anatomy. You, however, are human-."
"Meaning I have no compatibility with the Pill." Gaz amended, thoughtfully.
Zim nodded, smirking at her briefly. "That's correct. There's never been a union such as ours. Your systems are built nothing like the other races the Pill is used to working with. The human body, as you well know, is immensely sensitive. I'm simply programming the Pill to accept your systems while putting in enough information so that your weak insides don't have a negative reaction to it, like mistaking it as a threat and attacking it before it can perform its purpose."
"So," Gaz's eyes narrowed as she processed the information. "You're making it non-specific enough to accept my race as a user, but . . . detailed enough so that it'll work in my body without any negative reactions?"
"Not particularly detailed, mind you," Zim corrected, but made no objections to the rest of her summary. "It won't care about race, gender, traits, or anything like that; just that you're human."
"Sounds complicated," She muttered, scowling at the formula.
"Completely," Zim agreed. He shook his head, frowning a bit as he reread the information on the screen. "It's lucky that Irkens are taught in all fields of expertise before being assigned a mission. I don't think I'd trust anyone but myself with this task."
Gaz smirked at him. "You don't think anyone else is competent enough?"
"No other Irken has the same knowledge of the human body as I do; no joke intended." He added, as an afterthought. "I wouldn't have believed anyone to be capable of creating a safe enough synthesis."
"How overprotective of you," Gaz commented dryly, smirking at him.
Zim childishly stuck his tongue out at her, briefly, pausing from his work as he scowled at her. "One would think you'd be more grateful about how meticulous Zim is about your safety."
"One would also think you'd know better by now," Gaz retorted smugly. However she let her legs fall back over the edge of the counter, getting up and sitting herself on his lap. "However, you aren't exactly the brightest person in the world, so I'll let you have your moment."
"You are well aware I'm capable of going far more than a moment." Zim retorted, smiling, placing his hands loosely on her waist. Then his grip tightened as his brow rose. "Or need I remind you of what I can do?"
Gaz snickered, resting her head under his chin, wrapping her arms around her chest. "Shut up and work."
"It's going to be rather hard to focus with the new seating arrangements."
"Hey, you asked for this." Gaz insisted, pulling up her head to give him a look before replacing it.
Zim sighed, readjusting their position so he could continue to work comfortably, pressing her closer against him so that he could get closer to the keyboard. After a moment though, he just replaced his hands around her, his PAK extending thin, sharp, protrusions that often acted as hand-substitutes for Irkens. "It seems I ask for a lot of things that compromise me in the end."
"I'd say that's a valid statement."
Zim smiled to himself, rubbing her back with his hands as he worked with his appendages. He felt her slowly relaxing against him, her body not quite as awake as it had just been.
"Are you going to fall asleep on me?" He mused, curling a strand of her hair around his finger.
She huffed and some of the tension in her body returned. "No."
Zim chuckled, running his hands through her hair gently. He was perfectly fine with her falling asleep now, if she was tired enough. She'd gone far too long mentally unstimulated and he was well aware human minds grew tired when they were bored. So after his public conference in the morning (he'd had one this morning as well, begrudgingly wishing everyone a 'Happy Halloween') he'd be arranging for her to be properly entertained while he was busy creating her Pill for tomorrow.
It was probably getting dark now, he noted, glancing at the clock. He resisted a shiver, not wanting to alarm Gaz. He grimaced at the thought of all those insufferable, horrible little worm-babies dressing up in costumes far uglier than their real faces. Then they went around, waddling their ever-growing little bodies from house to house, being rewarded by being fed more, disgusting little treats. If Zim had the chance to again, he'd pass out poisonous treats instead of barring up his house again.
The thing that pulled him from his train of thought, waiting for the computer to load and run it's scenario, was the gentle sigh as Gaz relaxed entirely on his lap. He couldn't help but smile down at her, gently stroking her hair, knowing she had fallen asleep. It was sort of funny to him that in an environment that normally called for strict attention, his wife had fallen asleep.
Wife. Such a strange word to him, but one that made a warmth fill his chest, making him content.
"Computer," he stated, quietly, so as not to wake his wife. A beeping responded. "Project live image of the outside events on the Viewing Screen."
He rolled his chair back, towards the larger screen behind him. Gaz shifted in her sleep, but thankfully, still did not wake. Zim waited patiently, completely content as he held her sleeping form in his arms. When the image projected, he scowled at the sight of the children, body tensing with revulsion as they flocked the streets outside the castle, ugly little faces peering curiously through the gates before they were hurried along by their guardians. However he relaxed himself again when Gaz once again squirmed subconsciously, holding him just a bit tighter.
"Silly little Gaz," he murmured, kissing her head softly, stroking her face with one finger. "How did I bring myself to part from you?"
Of course, he received no answer. He turned his attention back to the screen, trying to understand the insanity that was the human culture.
"Uh, s-sir?"
Zim craned his head around, turning his chair halfway, moving as little as possible. He spoke aloud, but at a careful volume. "What is it, Invader Skoodge?"
"Your computer messaged your formula to me after it had a successful run. I looked it over and deemed it appropriate. The Delivery Service told me to ask if you'd like to manufacture the Pill, or if you would like them to do it. They need to know whether or not to send you the appropriate supplies."
Zim pondered this. Sure, he was able to write the recipe, but physically make the thing? Zim had never been good with building things from scratch. After a moment he shook his head.
"No," He said, glancing down at Gaz's sleeping form. "Send it to the Technicians and tell them to use the usual protocol upon sending the package."
"Very well, sir," Skoodge bowed and left the room again, back into the lab.
Gaz made another noise in her sleep, a small little sigh. Zim glanced down at her, wondering if she'd wake up if he brought her to their room to sleep more comfortably. Not that he was uncomfortable, but he'd heard that if humans slept in a strange position in their sleep, they woke with stiff or sore muscles. Obviously, he did not wish that on Gaz, but she was a light sleeper when it came to being moved and he didn't want to wake her either.
It was Zim's turn to sigh. "You are trouble even when you are unconscious."
As if in response, her mouth twitched, towards a smile.
A bit of a short chapter.
Because it's a filler chapter.
GAH, I FEEL LIKE ALL OF THESE ARE FILLER!
And like Zim and Gaz's plot right now is just to be adorable together.
BUT NOT FOR LONG! NEXT CHAPTER, YOU ALL WATCH OUT, CUZ I'M RE-INTRODUCING A DYNAMIC!
"See what I did right there? Don't do that."
-My sister, driving me home from a doctors appointment.
Clearly, she canot drive (and I hope she reads that, too, because she just became aware of my oddly popular story)
Till then!
