A/N: Oh My Word! The reviews for the last chapter are just AWESOME! Thanks guys: memmek10k, Kaylee Or Something, Madiphan99, Zerg170, Kazehana23, Halfinsane-HalfMental (I like the name, LOL!), LittleEnglishLass, FanFicNewb, and of course the mega awesome OMG review of Power Taco! Remember! In the next election for evil supreme overlord, vote Taco! He's got Gir's endorsement!
Another note. Whenever I'm pondering about Zim blazing through the opposition in the Assault Walker, I sometimes listen to Rihanna's song "Shut Up and Drive" to get my brain in the right gear. The lyrics are surprisingly fitting in that context so I think of it as Zim's Walker Devastation theme song. My fav is the one on YouTube under "DATR - Shut Up and Drive."
This is a larger chapter and previously. Figure 28 pages. But its important. It was not easy to write as I am not really inspired to write action scenes. Hope it all works for you guys!
Oh, before I forget again. Team Dragon's Fang donated by Zerg170 and Team Proper Villains by Power Taco. Thanks!
Gaz opened her solid amber eyes and groaned as her alarm clock buzzed at the crack of dawn once more. It quickly stopped as she hit it with her emergency mace. The still green girl groggily dropped the spiked medieval weapon back under her bed and swung her feet under protest on to the carpet. Gaz dragged her feet on autopilot, gathered her pile of clothes and stumbled into the bathroom to repeat yesterday's morning routine.
The shower took longer as getting up this early two days in a row right after a skool week never helped to cause one to feel perky. But the hot water and steam helped to bring Gaz to her some of her senses and relaxed muscles. She then finished, and brushed her teeth free of morning breath. As she reached for her uniform, the two black metal necklaces briefly caught her eye and she quickly shoved them in a pocket before anything could happen to them, such as getting dropped and lost down the toilet.
Gaz felt good as she pulled on her Invader uniform, feeling the two weights in the pocket. She had actually felt bad about forgetting lately and it really felt good to accomplish her goal of finally remembering. Or was it more about not letting Zim down this time after all he had done for her these past two weeks? Or perhaps it was getting clear of those slave collars, if that's what they were. Zim hadn't actually said they weren't. Whatever it was, it was way too early in the morning for such complex thoughts. Shoveling breakfast into her mouth was a more suited activity for her now semi-awake state.
Zim pulled up to the curb in his Voot Cruiser as Gaz stood waiting in the front door of her house. She called out a good-bye to her still mostly asleep brother, closed the door and ran over to climb into the waiting spacecraft. The girl greeted Zim as she climbed inside next to him and strapped in. Zim handed her a set of goggles and several pages of notes.
"What are these, Zim?" she asked after taking the offered items as the Cruiser took off into the sky.
"Zim has compiled a report of some of the new features found in the game's new version. It includes visuals as well. It has a few noteworthy things that looks promising. You must review quickly and begin familiarizing yourself during the flight."
Gaz ignored the part about how she "must," and quickly read the list Zim had compiled and pulled on the goggles. A display of recorded game visuals appeared before her eyes. Oh yes, this does look promising, she thought. Not much in Zim's area, but I can make use of this. Halfway through the flight she pulled out her GameSlave 3, loaded in her new CWZ II: Online game and began to test out possibilities as Zim flew on.
They repeated their parking routine as they had the day before, let Gir out of the trunk, and entered the convention center. As she was still playing on her GameSlave, Zim led Gaz through the light crowd and up to a row near the central platform where the virtual cockpit stations were located and they took their seats in the reserved section. An attendant stopped to check their GameSlave ID numbers to make sure that they were in fact Team Impending Doom before moving on.
They didn't say much of anything. While Zim had all night to check out the new version, Gaz had only the last fifteen minutes of the flight and the walk inside. He didn't want to ruin her concentration now that she could focus without the distractions of a tilting Voot Cruiser or needing to evade collisions in the slowly growing crowd.
While Gaz worked out her own examination, Zim contemplated quietly. It was not something he did very often, or ever really, but there was little else to do as he sat there ready to shoo off those who would interrupt his Gaz-partner's concentration. It was just a game contest and nothing really important, and yet it was. He felt a sense of accomplishing something and was content in the here and now. Zim had overcome several tricky obstacles in adapting human gaming technology first with the GameSlaves and then duplicating the gaming stations under his base in Gaz's Gaming Den. But that wasn't a primary contributing factor in itself. Not really. It was just inferior human technology and fairly simple compared to Irken tech.
Defeating his human foes on the cybernetic battlefield was pleasant, but that wasn't really it either. Winning this contest in itself wasn't such a big deal to Zim. Well, winning anything was a big deal, but that wasn't the primary reason why he was doing this. After all, he wouldn't have joined this event on his own.
Zim looked at the not-ugly Irken looking girl seated next to him. This was her event. Her contest. This was something she wanted. Zim's feeling of accomplishment came from all the support he had contributed toward her goal, for somehow her goal had become his own. Their successes and all they had done, not just here in the convention center but even more importantly all they had done the previous two weeks resulted in satisfaction for Zim. Because it meant something, not so much for himself, but for his remarkable partner.
He wasn't doing this for his mission, his race, or even for his Tallest. Zim was doing all this for his Gaz-partner, and that's all there was to it. He would do his best to give her victory today because it would bring her joy, which she had precious little of in her life. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring. His mission was still active and Gaz would have no part where his mission was concerned. But he sincerely valued the partnership they had forged. The alien never had anything like it before. So the here and now was all that mattered in Zim's current contentment.
Zim had learned a great deal in the past two weeks. Much more than he could comprehend at any one time. So the momentary pondering ended before it could enter more uncomfortable territory, and Zim continued as the self-appointed guardian of Gaz's concentration so that she may learn the new features and know how to implement them when the time came.
Often when Zim got into the Walker, Gaz seemed to fade into obscurity because she would often set the alien up so he could wreck mass havoc. Admittedly it was his specialty, and Gaz was good at what she did as well. But while hogging the spotlight was a good thing according to Zim's ego, he also wanted his Gaz-partner to be able to show how remarkable she truly could be too. Perhaps she could find something suitable. After all, a Human who could come to be seen as a worthy and valued partner to an Irken Invader like Zim was indeed something to behold.
Today was the main event. Technically it was an elaborate commercial to promote the new Combat WarZone II: Online by the corporation. But the crowds didn't care that their thirst for the new product was being intensified. What they cared about was that only the best gamers around got to play on computer setups like the ones being used today, the kind most could only dream about. What would take place in cyberspace would be displayed up on the big screen projectors for the crowds to gawk at, envy and admire. While there was no real prizes, the bragging rights were enormous and everyone present could witness the titans strive to claim who was really the best.
An announcer stood up on the platform before the seated crowd. "Gamers and Gamies, may I have your attention. The Finals will be starting momentarily. All teams please be seated in the reserved section before the main platform. When your team is called forward you will have five minutes to step forward to configure and test your control system before the round begins. Each team will need to win three of five games to qualify for the next round. The winner of the CWZ Finals will receive a trophy in the form of this fruitcake my mother made in 1962. And just a reminder that using fruitcake as projectile weapons is a violation of the Geneva Convention. That is all."
Gaz powered down her GameSlave and took a deep breath. Her nerves were steadily increasing. She looked over at Zim who looked back in return. "Has the Gaz-partner ingested too many butterflies this morning?" the red eyed alien asked.
"What are you talking about?" Gaz asked in puzzlement.
Zim pointed at her tightly clasped hands. "You are showing signs of performance related anxiety. You humans often say this is caused by butterflies in your stomach. Perhaps you need a vomit inducing device? Zim can obtain a picture of the Dib-stink as a worm-baby."
Gaz faced her partner with one of her looks. "Zim, that's just a figure of speech." Then she saw the slight smirk on his face. "But you already knew that."
She softened her face. Sometimes Gaz could forget that Zim wasn't the idiot he could appear to be at times. Especially when he deliberately played on his alien perspective. "It just hasn't hit me until now that so many people are going to be watching us up there."
A green Irken hand reached over and momentarily placed itself over two green human ones. "They are nothing. All humans combined cannot add up to one Gaz-partner. ZIM would not trade his Gaz for your whole world."
Gaz brought a hand up to her mouth when Zim said that. It was not something she had been prepared to hear. Of course she knew what her partner was really trying to do, show her that it didn't matter how many people were watching at the moment. That she had nothing to be concerned about. She would be fine as this was only pre-stage jitters. It was what Zim hadn't realized he had said that got to Gaz.
She knew Zim very well now, and had always known that the alien's mission was everything to him. He would never give up in his assigned duty nor betray that duty. But while Zim did not realize it, he had just stated that if someone presented him with the conquest of Earth on a silver platter if only he would turn over Gaz, he would not deal. In fact, Gaz could well imagine what Zim would actually do in response based on Zim's own past actions just for interfering with the mission. Such a person would spend the rest of their life lamenting the complete destruction of their plot against Earth and the resulting desolation of their existence.
The alien may not have comprehended the meaning of what he had stated, but in those words Gaz heard the unmistakable ring of absolute truth. Zim had just said that Gaz was worth more to him than his mission.
Gaz wasn't sure what to do with this. Never before had anyone thought that about her, or at least really meant it. In fact most of the people in her life was the exact opposite, especially her own family who constantly abandoned her for the sake of personal obsession. So she just patted a hand over the one Zim was resting on her own and gave him a sincere smile of appreciation. "Thank you, Zim."
"Anything for the Gaz-partner," he replied, and Gaz knew Zim meant it. "Now let us get our AMAZING BRAINS in the game."
That sounded like a good idea to Gaz right now. There were some things she was just not used to dealing with. After all, most of her experience was in inflicting doom, not spreading around warm fuzzies. Zim, showing his trademark lack of sense continued. "Have you examined the new VTOL aircraft interface? Zim knows from past experience that you are a natural pilot."
"There are some possibilities," Gaz replied thankful for the diverted topic. "But I won't be able to see infantry under tree cover as well. It will be a challenge to balance what we need on the ground."
The announcer then spoke out over the loudspeakers. "Teams Drinking Buddies and Angry Housewives please report to the stage."
Zim and Gaz turned to watch the start of the show.
"Next up will be Teams Simulated Posers and Impending Doom. Please take your stations."
Zim and Gaz walked up onto the platform behind five people dressed stereotypically in the various cliques often found in hi-skool and took up stations at the far ends of the double U-shaped arrangement of computer systems. They faced their game systems backs toward each other, able to see their partner in the reflections of the blank display monitors. Gaz handed a moist wipe over her shoulder which Zim took also without looking back. He wiped down his headset, threw the wipe into a nearby trash can, pulled the headset over his head and tucked his antennae into the earphones.
Zim adjusted the microphone positioned in front of his mouth. "Com check. One, two, three."
"I read you clear," Gaz's voice sounded in Zim's earphones.
They began resetting joystick, throttlemaster and mouse buttons for their preferred hotkeys and other commands. The mouse was only used for plotting locations and waypoints on the minimap, but Zim and Gaz rarely used these. The joystick and throttlemaster would be the primary control interfaces. Before each of them was a keyboard, which was also useful at times, and the fifteen display monitors arranged three high forming a semicircle around each player to give a one hundred eighty degree view of their cybernetic environment.
"Wind confirms ready."
"Whirlwind confirms ready."
"Understood," said a nearby network controller. "Team Impending Doom standing by." The controller would log out once the round was initialized so he could not inadvertently feed information to either side. He was there just to get things started. "Team Simulated Posers standing by. Startup in thirty seconds."
The two players sat back-to-back intent on their displays.
"Twenty seconds. Controller logging out. Good Hunting."
Displays came to life, with a spawn-in timer counting down.
"Desert map," Gaz called.
"How do you want to handle this?" Zim asked.
Gaz had been acting as a sort of loose command-and-control unit for the pair so far during the convention. This was to help Zim hold back so as to keep the opposition from learning about their strengths and weaknesses. But now in the Finals, every team and a few thousand people watching, and their first environment being a desert map, that sort of control function was no longer required.
"I'll follow your lead, Zim. Recommend ending this fast."
"Understood, Gaz-partner. Requesting initial fighter cover. Start with a Combat Air Patrol over my position, loaded with air and tank busters and try to keep up. We don't know what they will come out with first."
Their avatars spawned into their base courtyard and the two took off running to the airfield. Zim hopped into the nearest VTOL craft, selected the fastest loadout which was the default setting, and climbed into the sky. Gaz took another fighter, selected the homing missile package and waited the seven second package delay. Then she rose up and took off after Zim.
She could see Zim's fighter up ahead. His voice sounded in her ears. "Approaching waypoint. Zim sees two Scouts on the horizon bearing zero-two-seven heading south in a standard initial forward sweep. Figuring enemy has not reviewed the new features. Gaz, make strafing run on Scout party. Setting collision course with enemy airfield. Bailing out now."
Zim's fighter made a new turn, then a tiny figure in the distance appeared falling from the plane and opened a parachute twenty yards above the Walker. Gaz made a tight turn and punched in the afterburners. She found the two scouts and opened up with her single heavy Gauss autocannon. A stream of tracer rounds reached out to the two vehicles below.
"Scouts are damaged, and are falling back."
"Understood, Zim is on the move. Can you get a damage assessment on the enemy airfield? Be mindful of the new defenses."
Gaz flew her fighter to the other base. As she approached she saw two rocket trails from a pair of missile batteries reach up and impact Zim's abandoned aircraft. It tumbled out of control and slammed into the ground before it reached the base perimeter. "Negative impact on airfield. I see two missile batteries and an unknown number of railgun pits on the defense perimeter. Two tanks parked by the batteries."
"So they are not as uninformed as we would like. Send me coordinates of airfield. We must remove their air support element for Zim's plan to work."
Gaz used the mouse to ping the location on her minimap as her aircraft flew a screening pattern over the opposition's side of the map. "Coordinates sent."
Two of the new icons on the bottom of Gaz's HUD flashed and began countdown reset clocks lasting over five minutes. "Can you distract those batteries for thirty seconds?" Zim asked.
"Will do," was Gaz's response as she banked her fighter around and dove straight at the first missile battery. A targeting symbol lined up on the parked tank next to it, calculating a firing solution, and a steady tone sounded in her headset. Gaz fired an ATm and rolled up and away as another two missiles soared upward searching to connect with her aircraft.
A feminine computer voice sounded in her ears. "Paratrooper transport approaching drop zone." Gaz made a hard rolling bank, dodging one missile, then another. Two more missile threats blinked on her warning display. "Orbital strike zeroing in on target zone."
The Scout GEV's reached the base and must have been exchanged for APC's as two new streams of tracer fire began tracking Gaz's fighter. She jettisoned flares to spoof first one missile, then another. "It's getting really crowded up here, Zim! Completely defensive."
Just as she finished speaking, a series of red streaks began to rain from the sky onto the opposing airfield. After five seconds the VTOL Fighters began to explode. Then a large aircraft flew over Gaz's. It too reached the airfield and began dropping a quad of friendly NPC's onto the airstrip.
A string of rounds rang in Gaz's ears as they hit her fighter and a missile slammed home an instant later. The last missile was drawn off by another burst of flares. "Gaz, fall back to base and return in the bomber. Zim is now ranging on their perimeter."
Gaz broke off and rushed out of the zone on full afterburner as low to the ground as she could manage, maneuvering around hills. She passed Zim's Walker as it began punching out unguided missiles in a ballistic arc toward the enemy batteries. "I'm fine," she told Zim. He hadn't asked how she was holding up.
Naturally Zim misinterpreted the comment, since was a bit busy. "No, you were great. Zim would have been shot down immediately. You're on fire by the way. Make sure to select cruise missiles as your secondary ordinance package. Keep fragmentation bombs as primary."
The girl ejected over their base. The jet was badly damaged and there was no sense in saving it. She jumped into the larger Ground Attack Bomber and selected the new ordinance packages. During the delay countdown, she began to think that all these new features was serious overkill for five-man teams. No wonder the new title was CWZ II: Online. It would be enough for twenty man teams. But it did make Gaz smile. When it came to overkilling things, Zim was an expert. The smile disappeared when she remembered how that he could only be fully capable when riding in a Walker.
Zim examined his display. He was trading missile fire with the hostile batteries up ahead. His unguided missiles were more powerful and had area effect damage while the incoming ones were homing ATm's. They were much lighter and could be spoofed by his decoys, but he was running out of those. Gaz's voice spoke into his headset. "I'm back in the air, but this thing maneuvers like a pregnant yak. I hope I don't meet up with any of their fighters because this thing would be easy meat against their guns."
He checked his displays. "The opposition is stretched thin at the moment. Their fighters are still respawning and they are still trying to clear the area of the NPC's that dropped in. Can you lock your laser designator on these defense batteries and dump your cruise missiles onto them? I'm running out of decoys." Zim began to move forward once more.
Gaz reached over with one hand to the mouse and pointed a designator cursor onto the first target and pressed the launch button on her joystick with the other one. It was a bit awkward as the mouse and joystick were both on the right hand side. She would change that on the next game. "Missile one away. Two away."
The pair of large cruise missiles dropped from the circling bomber and dropped low over the terrain as they sought out the laser painted target. The missile battery exploded a moment later. The second vanished in a ball of fire eight seconds later. "All cruise missile expended." Gaz reported to Zim.
She watched as Zim moved in on the rest of the perimeter defenses, demolishing the unmanned railgun pits that were in PPG range as he walked through. Hostile tanks began to roll out to meet him. Zim continued to press forward in the Armored Walker, launching first ATm's and then opening up with PPG fire as the range fell.
Zim focused on one tank then another as they exploded. Gaz called out to him, "Enemy transport over head. Dropping paratroopers into their base as reinforcements."
"It does not matter. Gaz, fall back now." Another tank exploded as a another missile impacted his Walker along with more PPG fire. A warning alarm began blinking. Zim looked around his display as green energy fire began to fall from the sky. "Orbital strike. Zim is taking damage."
"Can you back away? Get out of the fire zone?" Gaz asked as her bomber flew away.
"Zim is moving forward. Be prepared to begin circling over the enemy base."
Zim moved forward once more. The Walker's armor was taking moderate damage, but the missile system would not last much longer. He toggled up the indirect fire computer system, rotated the torso as the Walker moved unstoppably forward, and launched two more rockets before the hostile missile batteries could respawn and intercept them. A last tank fired several more PPG blasts at Zim before it too exploded under a hail of PPG fire.
A bright flash of white light broke over the opponent's base, and two mushroom clouds rose up over the landscape. "Gaz-partner. Move in over the base courtyard and carpet bomb anything that spawns in."
"Understood. On the way."
Gaz's bomber flew over Zim's smoldering Walker and circled the base like a vulture. Four large bombs dropped from its belly. More explosions rocked the base and then Zim's blackened Walker stepped into the courtyard and opened up its four autocannons with their stupendous two hundred rounds per second.
With a spawn camping Armored Assault Walker blazing through their base and a heavy bomber circling overhead, the Simulated Posers wisely logged out.
Game Over screens popped up, and the two partners blinked their eyes, removing their headsets. The audience was applauding. It was probably a new record for the fastest a game was won during a Finals session.
Gaz reached back around her and patted Zim's arm. "You did good, Zim. That was real good. One game down, two to go. Ready to do it again?"
Zim turned around to look at Gaz and grinned.
The green dog hung on to the saddle that was strapped to the bucking pig yelling "Weeee hooooo!" as the pig tore across the fenced area of dirt before the crowd. The judges were flipping through their rule books. It seemed that there was no rule saying a dog could not ride a pig in a rodeo, and it seemed that dog was setting a record of some kind. No one really knew which record for it defied all reason, logic, and sanity to fit any category whatsoever, but he seemed to be doing very well. The other bulls in their pens were snorting, rooting for the pig of course.
The morning rounds were over, and so was the lunch break. The Crapola's, Crimson Shields, Drinking Buddies, Imbalanced Brainmeats and Simulated Posers had all been defeated by the Angry Housewives, Dragon's Fangs, Impending Doom, Proper Villains, and Razor Squadron.
Razor Bravo and Delta were hauling Alpha and Charlie over to some cots at the First Aid station. Echo was tailing the group. "You two just had to order the sushi, didn't you?" Echo asked. "Didn't I tell you that ordering raw fish from a hot dog stand was a bad idea?"
Alpha, clutching his stomach, left Bravo's supporting frame and kneeled over a garbage bin. Alpha and Charlie were then helped to some empty cots. Apparently there were others who had tried that particular sushi as well for more cots were filled with groaning people.
Delta looked at Bravo and Echo. "So what are we going to do now? We're down two men and the second stage of Finals will start soon."
Alpha leaned up and called a first aid attendant. "Excuse me? It seems that you've poisoned some of your final competitors, and our team is not that happy about your lapse of inspecting the vendors for public safety. So unless you want your sponsor to have to deal with the press after I make some phone calls…" he paused to throw up some more. "I suggest you get one of your officials over here. Now."
The attendant rushed off. "Sorry guys," Alpha told his teammates that were still standing. "I'll see what I can do to fix this." With that he began scanning the competition rules flyer.
Zim and Gaz were wondering around the convention center finishing their lunches when they heard the call over the loudspeakers. "Team Impending Doom. Please report to the main platform. Impending Doom to the Platform."
The pair just looked at each other as they made their way to the platform. An official and three young men wearing Razor Squadron uniforms were standing there. The official walked up to Zim and Gaz. "Impending Doom?" he inquired.
Gaz grunted an affirmative. It would not do to let Zim take the lead right now. His ability to even pretend to show respect for any Earth authority was at best non-existent. "What's this about?" she asked, ignoring the Razors.
"Well, one of our vendors inadvertently gave some of our visitors and contestants food poisoning. We're taking care of it of course, but two of our finalists were also effected. There are rules concerning substitutions, but the Razor's leader has 'suggested' a more convenient possibility. And less embarrassing for the sponsors. I'll leave you to discuss the matter, but should you come to terms it will have the convention's support." With that the official turned and walked away.
"Just what is this?" Zim demanded.
"Well," Echo began, scratching his neck. "We're down two guys and we don't want to forfeit and subbing in random people from other teams never works at this stage. You're under strength too. So we were thinking about joining forces. We thought being allied together would bring us both up to full strength."
"And why would we agree to this?" Gaz asked with some hostility. They were tough enough by themselves. "It's not like we need you."
"Oh, we know that. We ran across you early yesterday." Echo motioned to Zim. "Whirlwind took us all out in a few seconds for ganging up on you. Nuked Alpha and Charlie just to teach us a lesson. We've tried to keep an eye out for you two even since."
"Yeah," said Delta, "it's not hard to see he's military, black ops sort of thing."
"SPIES!" Zim pointed and shrieked in a hushed tone. "How DARE you try to learn ZIM's secrets! You will face the WRATH of…" Gaz slapped the side of Zim's head.
"Don't mind him," Gaz tried to explain. "He, uh…"
"Say no more." Echo waved is off. "After effect of wounds from an explosion or some snafu* that never happened, right?" He discreetly pointed to his own nose and ears, then wiggled his fingers.
Gaz's eyes widened as she realized that he was referring to Zim's Irken features. The lack of ears, nose and three fingered hands.
Echo's voice lowered to not draw attention, seeing that a set of brass knuckles had materialized in the Girl's hand. "We don't mean to intrude or anything, but he's needed reconstructive surgery, right?"
"Umm, right." Gaz replied. It wasn't everyday that a cover story for Zim fell into your lap. Then she couldn't help herself. "They had to take lots of shrapnel out of his brain too."
"Hey!" Zim protested, which earned a mild slug on the arm from Gaz. He scowled back in return.
"We even think your slogan is great," Bravo spoke up, trying to put the pair at ease. Getting into his service and injuries had obviously touched a nerve.
"Slogan?" Gaz asked.
"Yeah. It's been going around the convention. 'Sow The Wind, reap The Whirlwind.' Very clever. Some guy is even turning it into bumper stickers. Getting popular with the husbands."
Bravo continued. "Yep. We think its great how you, Wind, watch over your guy here and how Whirlwind is protective of you. Don't see many mutual partnerships like that anymore."
Neither Zim nor Gaz knew what they were talking about. It seemed the Don't Mess With Gaz attitude had almost taken a life of its own. But that was fine with them.
"So, what do you two say? You may be able to win the whole thing by yourselves, but can you really say you couldn't use some backup?" Delta asked.
"Let me talk with my partner first," Gaz told the three men, and pulled Zim away.
"Zim is not happy with this development. Zim partners only with the Gaz-partner."
"Yeah, I know. But there are only two more rounds left, and with all the new options available, we'll be in serious trouble if the other side can secure the Walker before we can. Everyone has seen how we've done it so far, so it will be a challenge from now on."
"But Zim does not like teaming up with the humans!" the alien exclaimed.
"It can't be worse than the occasions when you've had to work with Dib."
Zim shivered, mumbling "The horror, the horror," like a drama queen.
"Plus I'm human, Zim, in case you've forgotten. And you've done more than team up with me. You've taken me in as your partner."
"Yes. Zim does forget, Gaz-partner."
Gaz's mind paused for a moment. "You what?"
Zim looked at her. "Zim has been forgetting that you are human."
Gaz looked her costume over. It wasn't that good. Zim correctly ascertained what she was thinking. "When Zim looks at his Gaz-partner, he can no longer see a Gaz-human. Zim can now only see you as yourself. Species is a non-factor with you and only you."
Gaz couldn't help but give Zim a squeeze. This was a major step for Zim, not just in his perception but in actually admitting it out loud. "Thanks, Zim. Coming from you, that's probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me before."
The girl let Zim go before he could respond by trying to escape the momentary embrace. "So," she continued before Zim could say something stupid and ruin the moment, "we let these guys back us up?"
Zim just shook his head. "Very well, Gaz-partner. Zim agrees to this very temporary arrangement."
The two walked back over to the three Razors. "Fine," Gaz told them. "But there are some rules and things to keep in mind." The three men nodded. The green girl had an obvious command presence.
"One. We don't work for you. You're the ones backing us up. Two. Don't get in our way. Three. You come along with us at your own risk. He," motioning to the alien beside her, "does not always discriminate between friend and foe when he really gets going."
The three Razors looked at each other and came to a silent consensus. "I think we can live with that."
"Good. My name is Gaz. This is my partner Zim." The five took their seats, with Zim taking one on the end of the row beside Gaz, separating him from the unwanted humans.
Delta asked the new allies "So what's you're strategy? You've made it clear you want us to back up what ever it is you're doing."
"It's pretty simple from now on. Secure the Armored Walker and get Zim inside ASAP. After that we make it up on the fly."
Up on the platform teams Angry Housewives and Proper Villains were called up.
The round was nearly over and it looked like the Proper Villains would win. Alpha and Charlie had returned, but were still obviously in no shape to take part. Alpha leaned over and handed Gaz a card.
"Here. My family's home number is on the back. Most of us in the service know it can be difficult sometimes to watch after a soldier who's seen action. If you need someone to talk to feel free to call my wife anytime."
Gaz took the card not knowing what to say. These guys seemed to exist in a world of their own imagination.
The announcer walked back up to the platform as the previous contenders departed the stage. "And the winners are the Proper Villains. Next up will be unusual. Due to unavoidable circumstances we have two teams that are short a full squad. Therefore we will allow them to join up to form a single five-man squad. Therefore Team Dragon's Fang will be up against the joint teams of Impending Doom and Razor Squadron. All teams please come to the platform now."
The Dragon's Fang unit were dressed in all black jump suits with gold piping, and they were not looking happy. Not that they could rightly complain. After all, it was now five verses five.
Zim and Gaz took their customary places at the end of the U-shaped formation of computer systems for their squad. The three Razors took up the three middle positions. They checked over their controls and made adjustments.
"Wind confirms ready."
"Whirlwind confirms ready."
"Bravo standing by."
"Delta standing by."
"Echo standing by."
Gaz spoke into her microphone, "Team Impending Doom is ready and standing by."
The controller on the other end responded. "Understood. Impending Doom standing by." A few more seconds went by. "Team Dragon's Fang standing by. Start up in thirty seconds. Good hunting." With that the controller signed off.
Displays came to life and spawn timers counted down.
Gaz called it out. "Forest map. Possible villages. Echo with me on CAP. The rest will meet Zim at the Walker."
Clipped acknowledgements reported back. Five avatars spawned onto the cybernetic battlefield and all took off running. Gaz hopped into the nearest VTOL Fighter and took off immediately with Echo taking off after a few seconds having selected a modified ordinance package that included several AAm's along with the standard default selection. The two flew as fast as they could to cover the area around the Walker while the rest caught up.
Zim drove out on a Scout GEV followed by the slower Rocket Main Battle Tanks of Bravo and Delta. Gun MBT's had been left behind as the autocannons of the Walker could more than deal with any infantry they came across.
Gaz, having taken off first, was ahead of Echo and saw the Dragon fighters up ahead. "Two bandits bearing one-six-four. Looks like they have the same idea we do." She pushed forward on the throttlemaster, increasing the afterburners to full thrust.
"Understood," Echo said. "If you don't slow down, I can't cover your back when you reach their engagement range."
"Whatever. Just keep them busy."
Gaz raced out to the Dragon fighters. Two missile warnings flashed. Gaz rolled past one missile then slid over another as they passed head-on while she dropped flares the whole way. One enemy fighter passed beneath her while the second slowed down to open up with guns.
Gaz manipulated controls on her throttlemaster, shutting down the left side engine and swiveling the VTOL's primary jet exhaust ducts forward. The unbalanced forward thrust put the aircraft in a spin and the speed dropped. Tracer rounds swept past her canopy. As the nose of her aircraft came around, Gaz put a slight roll into the maneuver, bringing the wing's surface area against the simulated airflow. This dropped the airspeed dramatically as well as altitude as the fighter spun around faster.
Echo called out. "Two AAm's on Bandit one."
Gaz didn't say anything, her full concentration on her maneuver. She restarted the left engine, swung the thrust ducts back into position lighting the afterburners, and brought the nose of the fighter up. Two unguided air-to-ground fragmentation rockets dumbfired up from her aircraft as the second enemy plane passed overhead.
Rockets designed to damage or destroy opposing ground forces with high explosives for area effect rather than direct impact damage do not have a positive influence on the aerodynamic qualities of any aircraft they hit. There was no time to eject, and the surprised pilot was now respawning. In fact, the effected aircraft did not ever hit the ground. It was just gone.
Even through the insulation of her headset, Gaz could hear the crowd go wild.
"Dang, girl," Echo sputtered as he maneuvered his own fighter into an attack position against the first Dragon jet and fired the heavy autocannon. "I've been flying Harrier jump jets like these for a living, and I've never even heard of any maneuver as insane as that!" He fired a third missile.
Gaz mumbled a thanks as she swung the fighter around and boosted back toward Echo and the fist Dragon fighter. It was flying low and fast, dumping flares.
"Bandit one going down," Echo reported in. "I see a chute. Target is on the ground."
"Zim is still thirty seconds out."
"Looks like he's going to get the Walker first," Echo continued, trying to get a bead on the speck of a figure down below.
"Oh, no he's not!" declared Gaz. She hit a button and ejected from her aircraft. As the parachute opened and stabilized, she swung out her sniper rife and found the figure running toward the Walker. She switched to scope view took a steady aim and fired.
The player did not enter the Walker, and began his respawn cycle.
As Gaz landed with Echo circling up over head on CAP, she could hear the crowd chanting "Wind! Wind!" She ran for the Walker.
Zim's voice sounded in her headset. "Zim is glad his Gaz-partner has finally shown them how much she can shine."
Gaz began to blush. Over the past two days Zim had several opportunities to strut his stuff. But he was glad she could now have her moment to shine in front of everyone. Gaz entered the Walker for the first time. "Walker is secure. Moving to you now, Zim."
The Walker began to move with Echo providing air cover overhead. Zim drove up in his Scout with Bravo and Delta's tanks coming into sight. Zim entered into the Walker.
"I can take the Scout back to base for another vehicle," Gaz volunteered.
"Gaz-partner, stay. We probably won't get an opportunity like this again."
"Stay? To do what?"
"Drive for Zim," the alien nearly cooed.
Navigation, missile decoys, electronic warfare systems, and a host of advanced system displays came alive as the Walker switched to dual-pilot mode under Gaz's fingers.
Over at Zim's station, the alien's PAK functions surged as it often did at times like this. Zim was no longer conscious of the control interfaces of the joystick, throttle and the rest. They were as an extension of his own limbs. Controlling the Walker was as natural as moving his own body.
As a Dragon armor column crested a hill and into view, Zim activated advanced ECM modules, and several false sighting reports pinged on the opponent's minimaps.
Gaz moved the armored monstrosity forward as Zim brought up every tactical system available. Enemy fired unguided missiles at their position. As missiles flew at them and Gaz charged the unit forward, Zim raised the weapon arms up and the autocannons began to fire. Incoming missiles began to explode as they were shot down.
For the first time in CWZ history, the Armored Assault Walker began to function at it's full potential. For Zim and Gaz, it was like a twisted version of heaven.
While Gaz dodged missile fire and called out targets for Zim to engage with ATm's, PPG fire, and then autocannons as the range closed through medium, short, then to point-blank, the three Razors followed at a distance watching in awe as the Doom Team ripped the armor column to shreds. Bravo covered his microphone with his hand and spoke quietly to his comrades. "Guys, we had no idea. When they said they didn't need us, they really meant it as an understatement."
They left the stage with the crowd cheering. Zim gave Gaz a puzzled look while onlookers nearby hollered out various forms of "way to go!" She moved closer to him so she could hear.
"Zim does not understand this crowd."
She leaned closer to direct her voice to his antennae, which were nearly curled back around his head due to the noise. "They are amazed at us. Me and you. They appreciate what we have displayed. They respect and value what it means. Our performance inspires them to make a big show of it like this."
Zim looked intently into Gaz's eyes as they walked to their seats and a single tear crawled down his cheek. Somehow Gaz knew what was happening. On some level, Zim was trying very hard right now to not realize something. Something like the difference between how this crowd was receiving him and his one accomplishment, even though it wasn't technically real, and those of his own people with all his accomplishments and abilities based in reality. Another crack opened in the heart of Gaz Membrane.
So Gaz gave him her support. With a warm smile, she wrapped around him one comforting arm and held his hand with her other hand. When they reached their seats she let go, for Zim could always compose himself very quickly. That ego of his helped. Or perhaps it was more of a defense mechanism.
The announcer eventually quieted the audience. "Gamers and Gamies. That was very exciting wasn't it? The final round is next. There will be a fifteen minute break. Thank you."
"Zim? I'm going to head to the ladies room," Gaz informed her alien. "It's almost over and I don't want to fight the crowds when everyone else is getting ready for the flight home."
"Zim will provide you with an escort."
The two headed away. Once they were out of earshot, Bravo turned to Delta. "Still think they're twins?"
"Uh, is it too late to change my bet?" Delta asked. Echo laughed.
It took nearly ten minutes for the line to the ladies room to crawl forward. Once inside, Gaz did her business, and then washed her hands in the sink. As she dried off her hands and checked herself in the mirror, she felt a weight shift in her pocket. Gaz reached down and pulled it out.
Two Irken slave collars. At least she hadn't dropped them somewhere on the convention center floor during the day.
A lady next to her saw them and exclaimed "Oh! Those look so nice. So exquisite!"
"Yeah, I guess. A friend lent them to me, and I'm trying to remember to give them back."
"A special friend I take it, to even lend anyone something like those."
Gaz didn't comment on what kind of special Zim was. He was a category all of his own, but special all right. Special as an idiot. Special as a klutz. Special as a protector. Special as a friend. Special as a partner. Special as…
"I mean just look at those gems! Are they real?"
The lady's comment drew her attention to the gem-like features, which she hadn't paid attention to before. One was green, the other was red. A red so deep it was almost purple.
"I like the purple one. Kind of goes with your hair. Perhaps you can trace the design and have a jeweler make another one." With that the lady left.
Gaz put the green collar back in her pocket, looking at the purple one. The black metal was woven into a near wicker look made up of bands much wider than ordinary thread, but still looking delicate. It looked like it was meant to circle around the neck and form a V near the two collarbones of a human. In the V was the gem-like sphere.
It actually looked decent, and perhaps she could have someone duplicate its appearance. Gaz held it up with two hands to hold the front of the wide necklace up to her neck, careful not to actually put it around herself. She was just curious to see if it would be a good look to invest in later.
Actually, it did seem to go well with her hair, and even matched her skull necklace in some fashion.
Of course Gaz did not know that the color codes meant something important. Green meant the safety was on. That deep red meant the collar was armed and dialed in with a specific DNA code.
The two ends snapped around her neck on their own and linked with an audible CLICK. Gaz felt heat at the clasps, not enough touching her skin to burn fortunately, and the smell of fusing metal filtered into the air around her head.
Gaz's eyes were the size of dinner plates, and she couldn't help but think some rather bad words in her head.
There was an Irken slave collar permanently fastened around her neck. Gaz tried not to panic. Zim would not see me as a slave. I'm too much his partner now. He sees me as myself, not what species I am. I'm important to him. He would help find a way to remove it. Right?
Gaz shook her head to clear her thoughts. First things first, the competition. After that they could take care of this. And if Zim wasn't motivated enough, Gaz was very good at motivating people. She tucked the collar around her neck into her uniform, hiding it from view and walked back out into the convention center.
Back at the base, Computer guarded Zim's place against nobody. No one wanted in. Seemed like everyone, including Dib, was on some sort of vacation. It was boring.
Then a signal came in. Well, this is a surprise, the computer thought. It looked up relevant codes in the archives. It hadn't heard of anything like this in a long time. It found the correct forms. The other end of the paperwork would take some doing, a challenge, but not impossible. The computer hadn't had a challenge in a while.
It filled out the Irken forms, got them ready to send off, and sent out a few emails with other forms. This would take over an hour, even for the computer, but the internet was such an amazing tool. You could get just about anything done on it nowadays. An email was sent out. But there was one thing it could not do on its own. Computer did not have an actual body after all. A satellite communication channel was opened and detailed instructions relayed.
Gir stood still as he received his instructions. This was important. The most important ones he had ever been given. Even he knew he needed to not fail in this task. He turned to his new pig friend. "Sorry, piggy. Gir has to go take care of an important errand for master."
Pig grunted, and Gir gave him a big hug. "Don't be sad. This will make master soooooo happy!"
Gir turned to look over his shoulder at pig as he ran away as fast as he could. "Be sure not to be bacon!" he called back.
Pig grunted his promise, then hightailed it for the petting zoo. He would be safe there. And fed. Fed so much.
It took twenty minutes, as they had been on the outskirts of the city, but he eventually found the right kind of vending machine. It wasn't too difficult to actually locate one, they were virtually everywhere in this city. The robot still in his dog disguise inserted a five hundred dollar chip into the slot, and retrieved the item.
Gir took off once again to await his master by the Voot Cruiser.
They had won the first two games against the Proper Villains, but at the beginning of the third they had launched all their aircraft in an unanticipated maneuver and disabled the Walker before Doom and the Razors could finish securing the area. It had been a jungle map as well, and the Proper Villains had settled into a guerilla warfare style campaign with only infantry. It had been a seesaw of ambush and counter-ambush for nearly thirty minutes before the game timer finally ended with the Villains in the lead by two player kills.
Zim leaned back to speak to Gaz, covering his microphone with his hand. "Gaz-partner, are you alright? You seem distracted."
Gaz only stared at her blank displays, but her hand automatically went up to that infernal collar hidden under her uniform. "Yeah, I'm okay. It's just been a long day." Now was not the time to openly discuss other things.
A tone chimed on her wristwatch. Who would be calling now of all times? she asked herself. Gaz pressed a button, and Professor Membrane appeared on the display.
"Dad?"
"Daughter! I just heard the news. Congratulations! My girl is so grown up, almost out of college…"
"Hi-skool, Da-"
"and of course you have my permission," he interrupted, not listening. "The paperwork is already sent out. And when you are ready I've got a nice job here at the lab as head of security. If only your brother would gain his sanity and turn to REAL SCIENCE! He could have a good position here too. When I get back home you'll have to tell me all about it. I should be back in two…"
An explosion flashed a bright light into the display. "…make that four months. Good-bye daughter!" And the display blanked back to show the time.
Delta, seated next to her had been watching. "That was your dad?" he asked.
Gas just nodded, torn between wanting to scratch her head in puzzlement, cry, or just mace something really good.
"Your dad is Professor Membrane? Your Gaz Membrane? Wow, he's like famous and everything. What's it like having him for a dad?"
Gaz's head snapped around to fix him with a look that inspired unpleasant feelings, even in a Royal Marine from England. "You probably have a better idea than I do," was all she said in a near snarl.
"Uh, right," was all Delta had the courage to say. Sometimes it was safer to mind your own business.
The controller came on over their headsets. "Game initializing. Startup in thirty seconds. Control logging out."
The two teams waited together. They were not happy about losing the last game, and Gaz in particular was very, very not happy. At least she had finally gotten her father's permission to come to the convention. It was almost over, but at least her dad had given her that much.
Displays flickered to life. An urban environment. Zim grinned. Everyone else groaned. The spawn timer counted down.
Everyone had the same thought. This is it.
Well, everyone except Zim. Because Zim just had to be different.
"Spawn in as Heavy Infantry or Snipers. All units go for full air strike, maximum firepower," Zim ordered.
Confused confirmation was relayed back. The requested ordinance packages would delay their takeoffs, and they needed to race the Proper Villains to the Walker ASAP.
They spawned in and the five avatars raced to the airfield.
Zim and Bravo jumped into the two Ground Attack Bombers and loaded up cruise missiles for both primary and secondary weapon racks. The rest hopped in the VTOL Fighters and selected double rocket pods.
"Are you sure about this, Zim?" Gaz asked what everyone was thinking.
"Yes, Zim has a plan. No time to discuss."
The fighters took off first, then a few seconds later by the bombers. They formed up in a loose formation with the fighters in the lead, and flew toward the Walker.
Echo the fighter jock was in the lead plane. "I see them, just like last time. Heavy airstrike group. Primary targets?"
"Your primary target is the Walker," Zim coolly instructed.
"WHAT?" They all gasped. Gaz was the first to recover. She was used to Zim being, well, Zim after all. "Uh, Zim, the other side is targeting the Walker to cripple it, remember?"
"Yes they are. And like last time they will have snipers to pick off any engineer that tries to repair it. Instead we are going to help them destroy it completely."
"It will take fifteen minutes for it to respawn," Bravo reminded everybody.
"And when it does, I will be directly underneath," Zim replied. He sent instructions to his PAK setting a timer for fifteen minutes with two and one minute warnings.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Bravo said in the other bomber. The other side was nearing engagement range. "Cruise missiles in range."
"Hold fire until the fighters open up. Bombers remain at standoff range. Bring up your laser designators," Zim commanded.
Laser targeting systems began painting the Walker.
The bombers of the Proper Villains fired cruise missiles. All four impacted. Another four launched. Then their three fighters began firing unguided rockets two at a time.
Then Echo and the fighter element entered missile range. They were carrying double of the weapons types the other side was firing into the Walker. Twelve rockets fired at once, then a half a second later eight cruise missiles, then eight more. The bombers were empty and headed back to base. Twelve more unguided rockets fired from the fighters.
The massive salvo of their first twenty missiles slammed into the Walker, which was already under more precise rocket fire from the Villains aircraft. They just wanted it crippled after all. Then in the next four seconds the second volley of twenty missiles hit. Then another twelve two seconds after that. In six seconds the unmanned Walker was hit by fifty two missiles just from Teams Doom/Razor.
As you would expect the Walker went up in a giant explosion. The Villains were taken by surprise. Fighters from both sides turned to engage with guns in a confused, disorganized and brutal dogfight. Zim had watched the Walker go up and started his PAK's countdown. He hopped out of the bomber in his Heavy Infantry rig and took off for a Scout GEV with Bravo.
The fighting quickly turned into a building-to-building search-and-engage sort of brawl. Urban environments were really ugly places to place a battlefield. There were so many windows and hiding places to shoot from. Heavy casualties mounted, even friendly fire cases on both sides as players had only a split second from sighting another player entering a room suddenly and recognizing them as friend or foe. Trigger fingers on infantry versions of the Gauss Autocannon, with its 50 rounds per second, were much quicker than brains. However, only one player had a PAK with a countdown timer feature.
Gaz was pinned down in the city park by a sniper. Her avatar was crouching behind a boulder. All around her was open space. "I'm pinned down in the park at golf-four. Request assistance."
They were scattered all over the cityscape. One by one the Razors confirmed they were too far away and also under heavy fire.
One voice however was different. "Zim is on the way. Give location of sniper."
Gaz pinged the location of the building on the minimap. "Okay, this building. Fifth floor, third window from the left looking south."
"Understood. What is your range to the building?"
"Five hundred sixty yards. Why?"
Gaz could hear the grin in Zim's voice. "No reason. Take a position behind the rock bearing two-nine-zero. You have six seconds to comply."
The girl changed positions quickly, earning another sniper shot ringing against her boulder.
Zim came into range, came around a corner to get a clear shot and fired.
Villain Green crouched in the window to take another shot at the pinned sniper below. It was like shooting fish in a barrel with a cannon. It was only a matter of time until this Wind broke and ran for it. Villain Black was approaching from the left side in a blind alley to the front of Wind. Then they could move on to other prey. These opponents were tough, and smart. But the Villains were holding. If they just kept doing this sort of fight they could win.
Movement caught his eye and he moved his scope over to see what it was quickly. He didn't want to lose sight of Wind for long. In his scope he saw for a spit second a very large missile fill his vision and his whole one hundred eighty degree display system went white. Then a respawn timer counted down. Below was a message scrolling at the bottom informing him how his avatar had met it's fate.
Villain Green destroyed by a head shot with Tactical Nuke 1 from Whirlwind.
Gaz's screen flashed white, but her character was saved from the splash damage by the boulder. The whole area was flattened. "You nuked a single sniper?"
"In the face. Oh yes, do not mess with Gaz-partner."
The Razors just chuckled to themselves. Reap the Whirlwind just took on a whole new level of meaning, and the entire audience could see as it played out on the big screens.
Gaz just watched as Zim's newly respawned Walker came into view, blasting everything in sight with it's twin Phased Plasma Guns. As energy weapons, they didn't run out of ammo. And one of the new things about CWZ II: Online Zim had learned was that many obstacles such as trees and buildings could now be effected by heavy weapons or demolition charges.
Gaz ran under Zim's Walker as he walked around the town. If an opponent took a shot, Zim didn't look for location of the sniper. He just opened up his PPG's and blew out the bottom floor of the whole building he was in. And being on a top floor of a collapsing building was unhealthy. Being in the lower floors was much worse.
If an opponent didn't take a shot, Zim blasted the building anyway. If there was no one in the building, well Gaz would have some place to snipe from. Unless Zim chose not to take chances. He did like to be thorough.
The cityscape was quickly being demolished one block at a time. The Razors quickly joined in with their own Gun MBT's. Now a swath three city blocks wide was being blasted to rubble as they made their sweep. This was just too much fun.
Unless you were a Villain. They couldn't retreat to their base and try to hold a defensive line either. Not with one nuke left in that cursed Walker.
Even with another ten minutes of stiff resistance to go, the result was not in doubt. That last nuke was going to be used on somebody.
They had said their goodbyes to Razor Squadron, had their picture taken for posterity, showered with congratulations by the crowds, and Gaz received their fruitcake prize. The two were now walking back to the Voot Cruiser.
"Thank you, Zim. For everything you've done." Gaz tucked her arm into Zim's as they walked together into the parking garage.
"It has been a pleasure for Zim. Zim hopes there will be a next project very soon."
"You mean that?"
"Of course. Just because we have completed our conquest here does not mean Zim no longer wishes to be a partner with Gaz."
Gaz didn't know what to say, but she felt the same. "Well, my Gaming Den is still under your base, so I'll still be around quite a bit I think."
"Yes. This is pleasing to Zim."
Both of them were very happy at that moment, but Gaz also had reason to be apprehensive. She didn't want to wreck things, not this moment. But as the front of the Voot Cruiser came into view, she couldn't put it off any longer. Gaz took a deep breath as Gir opened the Cruiser's canopy and stepped out.
"Zim, I have a bit of a problem I need your help with. Some trouble really."
Zim stopped in his tracks and looked at Gaz with concern. "That does not sound pleasing at this moment. What is this trouble?"
"Don't laugh or be angry," she warned. Gaz pulled the collar around her neck from under her uniform and into view.
Zim didn't react at first. Then he began to snicker. "I said don't laugh, Zim. Now get it off me. Right now!"
The alien waved her off. Gaz was now starting to get angry. "Zim warned the Gaz-partner that the collar cannot be removed once the clasps are fused. Not without fatally damaging you."
"I don't care. Find a way. Get this slave collar off me now, Zim."
Zim laughed harder. "Slave collar?" he tried to get out.
Gir handed Gaz a piece of paper and a pen. It looked official. Probably from the convention, but Gaz was not in the mood, and a bit preoccupied at the moment to read it. She just signed it at the indicated place and thrust it back at Gir.
"Dang it, Zim!" Gaz was rapidly losing her cool and going into doom mode. "I am NOT your SLAVE!"
"No, no your not. Never." was Zim's reply as he collapsed to the ground holding his sides. He signed the paper Gir thrust at him without looking as was his habit and returned it.
"Well, if you aren't motivated enough, I will make you," Gaz threatened. She stepped forward, pulling the second collar out of her pocket.
Zim stopped laughing. He was still on the ground. "Gaz, what are you-" he suddenly found himself with a mouthful of collar.
"Eat it, Zim. Eat it good," Gaz growled. She was past thinking at this point. Right now all she understood was that non-compliance brought doom.
DNA analyzers did not care if the sample was of blood or saliva. It just needed a source. The green sphere in the collar turned deep red.
The collar was pulled from the alien's mouth. His eyes went wide as they tracked that gem-like sphere. "Gaz-partner! Be careful! It's armed!" he tried to warn her.
But she wasn't listening to anything right now. Nor was she watching Gir slip something into a scanning slot in the computer system of the Voot Cruiser.
Gaz loomed over Zim in full doom mode. She slammed that collar down on Zim as he watched in shock. When he had obtained those collars, he was just looking for a tracking system. He never imagined this would happen!
The two ends snapped around his neck and the scent of fused metal drifted into the air. Gaz pulled Zim upright and released him. Zim's eyes went wide as the sphere in Gaz's collar flashed to a clear white.
"There. Now you're my slave too. So now you have to get these things off," Gaz declared.
Zim collapsed back down, sitting with his back up against the Voot Cruiser. "You don't understand anything! They aren't slave collars. They aren't even Irken! They're from Judgementia!"
This brought Gaz back to her senses. Somehow she had the feeling she had just made a grave miscalculation. She looked at Zim as he held his head in his hands. He looked very lost in this new predicament.
Gaz knelt down before Zim. "Zim, I'm sorry. I panicked, and have been holding it in for a couple of hours. I just lost it." She looked at Zim's collar. The gem was white. Not green or deep red.
The gun cameras on the Voot Cruiser had been recording the entire episode.
"Zim, talk to me. I'm realizing I just did something stupid."
"You THINK!" Zim nearly yelled. He was really upset. Or in shock. It was hard to tell the difference.
"Zim, please. What are these, really?"
Zim let out a breath of what could almost be described as surrender. "They're from Judgmentia. Even Irk abides by their legal rulings."
Gaz started to get a bad vibe about where this was going.
"These aren't slave collars. They are bonding necklaces."
"You mean, as in prisoners?" Gaz asked, perhaps in hope.
Zim gave out a cut off laugh, lacking humor. "Not bondage. Bonding. And the white indicates the final step in the process. We've been registered in the official records back home."
Gaz was not understanding. Or maybe she didn't want to at this point. But whatever it was, it didn't matter here on Earth. It wasn't part of the galactic community. Right? But there was something else.
"Gir!" she commanded.
Gir rushed forward in his dog costume and stood before Gaz at attention, saluting. His were eyes red. "Yes, Mistress! I obey!"
Great. Now he's doing it too! she thought. The robots eyes beneath the costume eyes faded back to blue. "Gir, what did you do with that official looking paper?"
"I scanned it for Computer, just like he asked. It has been transmitted to the proper clerks. I just finished framing it between armorglass. See! Isn't it purrdy?"
Gaz took the framed item and looked at it. She let out a final gasp and nearly dropped it. But instead she collapsed next to Zim. It was official all right, but not what she had assumed.
State of Nevada
Recognizes this
License of Marriage
between
Zim Membrane and Gaz Membrane
Zim just looked at her with blank eyes. He looked like he was in shock. Gaz knew the feeling.
"Zim," Gaz wearily requested. "Please tell me we did not just elope."
* SNAFU = Situation Normal: All Fouled Up.
A/N: And so ends phase two of Don't Leave Me. The next chapter will begin phase three and the pace of the story should pick up from here. This point is where I have been aiming at since before chapter 1. If you go back to the story summary, this is what I was talking about!
Yes, I realize I don't know what an actual License looks like. I had to imagine one. Just go with it.