Some Purple/Red action coming up – but nothing serious. Just enough to keep
the plot moving. My first attempt of anything like that.
Disclaimer: Me No OWN ZIM!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
The Purple Tallest sat on his bed in the royal suit. Partially propped up by a pillow, he looked through some files on how the universal domination was going.
So far so good, he thought, not much resistance from any front. It seems the element of surprise, coupled with overwhelming military force, was the perfect recipe for total domination. He sighed. It was almost too easy. He felt somehow… unfulfilled at their progress.
Not to mention the premonition he was getting. Something about the sector lists… felt somehow familiar. Something struck him as he and Red were sorting them out. At first it was a gentle nagging, but it had escalated into a full-blown irritation in the back of his mind. Somehow it was prominent, he knew it. He had a meeting with the counsel the other day, and hadn't mentioned it, but now he wished he had. It was beginning to intrude on other matters–
Purple gasped as he felt something brush his leg. He raised the files up over his head to see that Red, who was sleeping in his lap, had stretched and touched his thigh with his hand. Purple sighed in relief when he saw this. Red folded one arm over his chest, and laid the other flat on the bed, extended towards the headboard. Purple smiled and peered over the rims of his reading glasses. Red was inconceivably handsome while he slept. Purple had had time to change when he got back to his quarters, as he was in a bathrobe now, tinted various shades of violet. Red on the other hand, worked himself so hard that when he got back to had simple plopped down on the bed, rested his head on Purple's lap, and fallen asleep immediately. Purple wished he wouldn't do that. It couldn't have been good for him.
Red's chest rose and fell as he took in breath and then released it. Purple was amazed that they had ever gotten together. It was risky and not a wise career move when you were in a high political position. But what the hell – they were the Tallest, weren't they? They could do whatever the hell they wanted. And no one in their right mind would blast them for it, or risk punishment.
They nagging crept back into Purple's mind. He thought about all he had accomplished – the universal invasion, the good economy and his relationship with Red. He had an eerie feeling that it might be in jeopardy. Without knowing it he reached out and grabbed Red's shoulder, pulling him closer.
"Mmm…" Red made sounds as Purple's sudden movement woke him. He lazily opened his eyes. "Well…hello there. What's with the sudden affection?" said Red, tracing the back of his hand over Purple's chest. When Purple just looked at him with fixed gaze, Red's half-linden eyes opened fully with concern. "Pur, what is it?"
Purple suddenly snapped out of his reverie and put the files on the bedside table. "Um…nothing." He turned to pick up a novel to read, but stopped when he felt Red grab his other hand. He took off his glasses and faced him.
Red was now sitting up, looking at him with a worried expression. He squeezed Purple's hand briefly before speaking.
"Purple, what's wrong?"
Purple tried to shrug it off. "I said nothing. I was just thinking and got… distracted." But Red wasn't buying it. He cocked an eyebrow and gave Purple a look that said, 'you can't lie to me, I can read you like that novel over there'.
Damn you Red, he thought, damn you and your powers of penetration. I've been hanging around you too long.
Purple sighed, figuring he might as well tell his lover and partner about what was on his mind. He leaned back against the pillows and crossed his arms.
"I just…" he trailed off a moment, to look around the room. "I just have this weird feeling. I don't know way but… you know the lists for domination?"
Red nodded.
"Well… something about one of the lists made my nervous. Something was just well, familiar about it. I had this huge feeling of De Javoo when I hit this one sector – on the natural resource list. It made me shiver, and I thought about all I would loose if this operation didn't go properly." He looked at Red.
"That's what's bothering me. I know it sounds stupid, but I… well…" he sighed, feeling very vulnerable at the moment. "Worry."
Purple didn't know what he was expecting from him, but what Red did was not it. Instead of consoling Purple, as he thought, Red leaned forward and kissed Purple gently on the mouth. His hand scaled up Purple's chest until it reached his shoulder, and pushed him down so that his head was on the pillow instead of his back. He broke their kiss and looked into Purple's eyes.
"I'll always be there, you know that. And if anything does go down I'm not leaving your side. Why would you worry about something so obvious?"
Purple stuttered for a moment, not finding the words. He finally just sighed. "I don't know. But I do."
Red smiled out the side of his mouth hand kissed Purple again. Purple finally submitted, wrapping an arm around Red's neck and responding with his lips. Red commanded the lights off in the brief moment he moved from Purple's lips to his neck.
The lights went off and the blinds moved back, revealing a floor-to- ceiling, wall-to-wall window. Outside, the Irkin city was alive with light and movement. Purple gazed at it in a sense of awe before gasping as Red latched on to his neck. Red remained there a few moments, before releasing and nuzzling Purple. He sighed and laid there, his head on the spot between Purple's neck and shoulder. He held Purple's opposite shoulder in his left hand. Despite the fact he was lower on Purple, the position was dominating. He spoke softly, as Purple stared up at the ceiling.
"I love you, Purple."
"And I love you."
"Why do you worry like this?"
"I told you I don't know."
"If you don't know then why are you frozen under me?"
Purple realized that his entire body was tense. He tried to relax but it didn't help much. He finally he let out a sigh. "I guess I'm just not in the mood, right now." Red growled in mock frustration.
The nagging was back. Purple slowly slide out from under Red, and stood at he window with his hands clasped behind his back. Red gripped the sheets where Purple had been.
Staring out into the city, Purple felt a sense of tired curiosity. What was their purpose in life? The dominating, the expansion – did it have a point?
I and the ones before me had strived to build this city, he thought. All these people going about their lives… do they ever wonder? Do they ever worry about what lies ahead? No. All they can see is the next battle and the next win. That's all that matters to them. They're perfectly content with being on the winning team, and never questioning.
He couldn't remember the last time one of the counsel members had objected to one of his or Red's decisions. He sighed deeply as he pondered the spineless 'yes' men.
Red got up and walked towards him. He slid his arms around Purple's waist and rested his head on his shoulder so that his lips just barely touched Purple's neck.
"Come back to bed," he said softly. Purple just sighed. He might as well, but not as Red implied. "Fine," he said, giving in. "But you're not getting any."
Red chuckled as Purple pulled away from him and slipped under the sheets. He followed suit and snaked his arms around Purple.
"I'm serious," pushed Purple, "Not now."
Red chuckled. "I know, I know." He kissed the back of Purple's neck, then pulled him closer and settled in. "Now, sleep."
Purple though of protesting, but finally just got comfortable. He was too tired to battle and the closeness did feel good. After a few moments, he felt Red's breathing achieve the slow, deep rhythm of sleep. And after a few more minutes, he felt his own eyelids become heavy until he fell unconscious.
* * *
Dib lay sprawled on his bed, staring up at the ceiling in thought. The early morning sun splashed through a glass on his bedside table and shot little rainbow around the room. Dib had been up all night working with Zim and Gaz. About an hour ago, just before dawn, him and Gaz said that they had to sleep. He could hear her snoring across the hall, because both her and his doors were open. He, on the other hand, couldn't sleep.
Zim had refused to rest, even though his clothes were soaked in sweat and his mind was visibly frazzled from all the work and designing. He was driving himself so hard. He must hate those 'Tallest' people so much, thought Dib. Only hate pushes an intelligent person like Zim over the edge.
He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and turned his head towards the door. He saw Gaz's hand hanging off the edge of her bed, and the various band posters hanging on her walls. His view of this was intercepted when Zim passed in front of him and walked into her room. He walked past her, to the twin bed across the room. He then fell face-first onto the bed, and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Poor Zim, thought Dib. He used to loathe every fiber of his being, but now he was seeing a side of Zim he wouldn't have guessed existed. As he watched Zim sleeping, after an almost endless span of time working, Dib felt the urge to help rise. He would try his damnedist to fight the evil, and to liberate both Zim and the human race.
Dib wondered how much Zim had gotten done last night. He got up, and began to trek down the stairs.
He yawned widely as he carefully stepped down the stairs. There was no light, so he strained to see the steps. He felt the floor level out under him, and searched the wall for the switch. He found it, and flicked it upward.
At first the sudden light hurt his eyes, and he yelped. After rubbing his eyes, and cleaning his glasses, he slipped them back on looked up. And what he saw took his breath away.
The ship, which had been little more than a metal skeleton last night, was almost done. The haul was almost completely attached, and the cockpit was already fixed with a glass windshield. The ship was modeled like a bigger Vootcruiser, made for several people on a long-term journey. Dib could see that the interior was not in, but that would be relatively easy compared to the framework. Through the windshield he saw no captain's chairs, or any other luxury features. But the ship itself was magnificent. Dib gazed up in utter amazement and wonder as his childhood dream of riding in a spaceship was being manifested before his eyes.
Dib ran up the stairs and spun around the corner into Gaz's room. He then shook Zim to wake him.
"Zim…ZIM!" Zim reached up with one hand and tried to bat whatever was waking him away. Dib pulled back while Zim lashed out, then grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "ZIM!!"
Zim's eye's opened sleepily, as if they were carrying massive weights. "Wha…what?"
"Its amazing! I can't believe you did all that in one night! I really underestimated you, I mean-"
"…Dib…"
"-I never thought an alien race could be THAT ahead technologically-"
"Dib…"
"-It's like I've woken up in some future-"
"DIB!!!" Zim finally screamed. He shot up, and grabbed Dib by the collar. Despite the fact they were contacts, a malevolent fire burned deep in Zim's eyes. He raised his lower lids, and narrowed his brow as he grit his teeth.
"Now listen," he began, in a soft tone that made Dib want to crawl into a hole and die. He could feel Zim's breath on his face. Zim's hands curled around Dib's shirt to tightly that it was hard to breath.
"I have been working since nine o'clock LAST night. I designed, assembled and tested everything. I've been going on bitter coffee and adrenaline for over twelve hours. Now if you think I give a flying FUCK about what you have to say right now, you obviously don't know me as well as I give you merit for. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" He tightened his grip on Dib's collar.
Dib nodded carefully. "Good," said Zim. He released his grip on him. Dib fell to the floor. He landed on his ass, and when he looked up, Zim was already back to sleep.
Dib inched away, pushing with his heels. He got to the door and closed it. He felt that he had never been closer to death.
* * *
Gaz awoke to the sound of snoring. She raised her head to find Zim in the bed across the room, snoring loudly. She growled, picked up the pillow from beneath her head and flung it at him.
It made contact, and woke him. He growled as he looked up at the assailant who had dared wake him.
Him and Gaz made brief eye contact, before she sighed and bundled up the comforter under her head. Zim growled as he laid his face back into his pillow.
Zim did not feel the need to lash out at Gaz. She had worked almost as long as him, and had hit him only because SHE was trying to get some sleep. He was still mad she hit him, but it was soon over with and he could resume-
He caught a glance at the clock before he felt back under. It was already noon. He had slept three hours, but he couldn't sleep through the entire day.
He tried to sit up, but his body wasn't cooperating. It was heavy with sleep, and exhausted from last night. He tried to get in the frame of mind that it was HIS body, and he could command it to do whatever he wanted. But Zim had learned long ago that human anatomy was very stubborn. Even his, that was just marginally human, was incompetent and would only bend to it's own desires.
Zim finally managed to get an elbow under himself. He tried to get the other one up, and when he thought it was, he put more weight on it. This turned out to be a bad move, because as soon as the arm experienced the extra effort, it gave out. Zim rolled off the bed and landed with a THUMP on the ground.
It wasn't as bad as it could've been. The pillow Gaz had thrown broke the fall somewhat. If fact, it was actually comfortable enough for Zim to slip back under. But he resisted, and after a few minutes, managed to stand up.
At first it was shaky, but he managed to open the door and get down the stairs into the living room. After his blood began to circulate, he began to wake up more. He stretched as he found Dib sitting on the couch, watching a taped episode of 'Mysterious Mysteries'.
Dib turned to face Zim. "Well good morning, Zim. Did you sleep well? I wouldn't want you to kill me or anything."
At first Zim had no idea what he was talking about, but than a fleeting memory of Dib waking him surfaced, and he sighed in recognition. "As best as possible, currently. I need some food."
Dib turned back to the TV and jut his thumb towards the kitchen. Zim followed in that direction and opened the fridge.
There was nothing. The entire fridge consisted of some leftover beef, a half-eaten sandwich and an empty carton of orange juice. Zim grumbled and closed the door.
He went to he pantry, but had little success. There was a can of tuna, but it had expired two years ago. There was a mousetrap in the corner, with a mouse skeleton caught in it. Zim closed the pantry and leaned against the counter, frustrated and tired. He sighed and combed his fingers through the blonde hair on his head.
He was about to call to Dib, and order him out for food, when he spotted the pot of day-old coffee on the table. He stared at it hard, before running over and draining it of its contents.
Dib looked over at Zim as he plopped down in a chair. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, and for the longest time Dib thought he had gone back to sleep. But he finally spoke.
"We need a plan." He said simply. Dib blinked, but did nothing else. "We need a plan in order to beat them. We probably can't outsmart them, and we sure as hell can't overpower them, so what can we do?" He told, more than asked. He whipped a hand over his face and then sat up. He looked at Dib levelly. "What?"
Dib stirred uncomfortably. "I don't know." Zim got up and separated to blinds with his fingers, peering through the window onto the street. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well we can mess with their information. Maybe they'll miss Earth altogether." Dib implied. Zim shook his head and continued to look out the window. "No. Even if they do miss Earth, they'll be back eventually. You don't understand the Tallest; they're set on conquering the entire universe. Eventually they will find Earth, rich in natural resources, and kill every living thing here. It would be delaying the inevitable."
Dib looked down at the floor. "Well I guess that shoots down my idea of telling them that this planet has nothing of value. I thought that with all the pollution and human intervention, this planet would be pretty useless."
Zim removed his hands from the blinds and placed them on his hips. "You only say that because you've never been to another world. Earth is pretty rich, considering. Useless compared to what it once was? Yes. Useless compared to everything else out there? No. This planet has huge deposits of natural uranium. Unrefined uranium is very rare around the home galaxy. They'll take readings of Earth before they make their first move, and by then they would have already sensed the massive quantity of it. By then it will be too late, because they'll fight for the planet no matter what."
He sat back down. "We have to get to them before they're close enough to take readings. Only then will we have a chance to route their efforts. We must somehow convince them that Earth isn't worth the trouble."
"But you said they were the most powerful Empire in the universe! How much effort could it take to conquer one small planet?" Dib asked. Zim was becoming angry at Dib's pessimism, but it was a logical question. He though for a moment.
"We could exaggerate certain features. Like the depletion of natural resources, or the human population… But they've taken down tougher races than humans. Compared to a slaughtering Rat person, a human is a lap dog."
"…Oh, yeah, thanks." Said Dib, crossing his arms. Zim shrugged. "It's true."
They heard a noise from the stairwell, and turned to see Gaz coming down. She yawned and rubbed her eyes as she collapsed onto the couch. She put her feet up in Dib's lap, and he began to protest.
"Get your feet off me."
"No."
"Gaz!"
"What? It's my couch just as much as it is yours. Go sit somewhere else if I'm bothering you."
"I was here first!"
"Oh, Yeah?"
"Yeah!"
A fight began to ensue. He tried to push her feet off, and she kicked him. He tried to hit her, but she socked him in the stomach. This went on for a few moments until Gaz wiped out her switchblade, and pointed it at Dib's throat.
"Gaz," said Dib in a whining tone, his hands shielding his throat. "Put that away, it's dangerous!"
Zim had to laugh at the sibling rivalry. He was about to tell them to knock if off, when he was struck with a brilliant idea.
Gaz kept the blade at his throat, and they began to bicker. Zim hushed them as the idea came to him.
"Shh… You guys! I think I may have it," they turned their heads to meet him.
"Dangerous," he said, nodding his head in thought. At first it was slow but it increased in speed as the thought materialized. "We could somehow convince them that this planet is dangerous. I mean, remember how horrified I was when I first got here?" He asked. Gaz nodded. "Yeah, like when I saved Dib's ass, and we went to Bloaty's? God, you ran so fast." She laughed and Zim smiled with a nod.
"Exactly. And the water. This planet has rain, which will burn the skin of any Irkin that steps foot outside in a storm. I, luckily, have humanized my metabolism. If it weren't for that, than I wouldn't have survived that storm last night."
"Don't forget our food!" ventured Dib. "Meat burns too."
Zim got up and looked at them. "We'll have to hammer out the kinks later, but I think we may have a plan."
* * *
Several hours later, down on the construction platform, the three gazed up in awe at what they had created. It was done.
Zim stood in the middle, Gaz at his left, and Dib on his right. The light shone down on the craft like it was a divine creature. Evey curve, flat and crevice marked an achievement in engineering, and hope for mankind. They marveled at what alien and human alike had collaborated to make.
"Wow…" said Gaz, a little breathless. There was a smear of grease on her check, and her hair was messed from the work. They had all done manual labor, despite the fact Dr. Membrane's robots had helped. The robots did heavy lifting, hauling and shaping, but they had to weld, maneuver, and test themselves. It had finally paid off, and the craft in front of them was magnificent.
Dib was speechless. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide. Zim smiled as he looked up at it. It was all he could have hoped for. This thing would fly, and that was good enough. It's interior and controls were modeled after his old Vootcruiser, and was modified to house three people for several months. It would be sufficient in their efforts.
"Well," said Zim after the general impact of the craft had hit. "We will launch in two days. That gives us forty-eight hours to gather supplies, fuel, and to prepare for what lies ahead. You two should mentally prepare before we go, going on an extended journey like this can be nerve racking. Even for beginner Invaders."
He began to walk away. "Wait!" cried Dib. "Where are you going?"
"To pack," Zim replied without turning around. "I need to get ready too. I'm gonna be flying that thing. You two should each bring about a weeks worth of clothes, and anything that will remind you of home. This journey is going to be harder on you than me."
* * *
Zim twisted his key in the lock, and swung the door open. He saw the house was in disarray. He hardly ever cleaned, and GIR hadn't done anything thing since Zim had left him last night.
Zim found GIR in the kitchen, looking for something. His head, which had been in a cereal box, popped out when Zim cleared his throat. Pieces of cereal flew every which way as he threw the box and ran up to Zim.
Zim hardly had time to react before GIR leapt up and squeezed his neck.
"HI MASTER! Where have you been? I can't get any food!" Zim took it that GIR had eaten all the food they had and was just bored because there was no more. He sighed and pat GIR on the back.
"I missed you too GIR. Now come on, we have to pack."
GIR looked at Zim. "Where are we going?"
"We're going on a trip, GIR. We're going… home."
GIR jumped out of Zim's arms and stood on the table, his arms up in the air. "YAY!" "NO, GIR!" Yelled Zim abruptly. GIR turned towards Zim. "We're not going back to live, we're going to fight. They want to destroy the Earth, and me, you, Dib, and Gaz are going to stop them."
GIR just stood there for a moment. "OKAY!" he said finally, and ran off somewhere. Zim shook his head and walked into the bedroom.
He grabbed his basketball duffel bag, emptied it, and left it open on his bed as he looted through his closet. GIR sat on the bed, kicking his feet, as Zim tossed various pieces of clothing into the bag.
"What's gonna happen?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as he watched Zim rummage through his stuff. "I don't know exactly, GIR. But let's take this one step at a time. We're going to pack, get ready, and then we're going over to Gaz's house to spend the night. From there we will prepare until launch." He zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Do you want to bring anything?"
GIR gasped, then latched on to the TV in front of Zim's bed. "Scary Monkey Show!!!!"
Zim pried him off the screen and carried him out of the room. "Sorry GIR, no scary monkey for a while. You're just going to have to learn to live without any TV."
GIR sucked in a long breath before he screamed. Zim quickly covered his mouth with his hand and dragged him to the door.
"Come on, we need to go."
He stood GIR up and began to dress him in his puppy suit. Zim had a feeling that he was a mom dressing his little kid up for school. He zipped the zipper up to GIR's chin, and then grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Are you going to behave at Dib and Gaz's?" he asked. GIR stuck his tongue out in thought, then nodded vigorously and gave Zim a thumbs-up. "Good."
He opened the door and ushered GIR outside as he pulled on his jacket. GIR reached behind his head, and pulled the puppy mask over him. Zim opened the car door, and they both hopped in.
He started the car, and took what could be his last look at his house. He wondered if he would ever again have a lazy Sunday morning at home. Sitting in the living room, watching TV with GIR. The early light dancing over the walls and furniture, giving the entire room a relaxing, serine feel. Zim wondered if he would ever again experience that feeling of peace.
He reluctantly put the car in reverse, and back out of his life.
Disclaimer: Me No OWN ZIM!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
The Purple Tallest sat on his bed in the royal suit. Partially propped up by a pillow, he looked through some files on how the universal domination was going.
So far so good, he thought, not much resistance from any front. It seems the element of surprise, coupled with overwhelming military force, was the perfect recipe for total domination. He sighed. It was almost too easy. He felt somehow… unfulfilled at their progress.
Not to mention the premonition he was getting. Something about the sector lists… felt somehow familiar. Something struck him as he and Red were sorting them out. At first it was a gentle nagging, but it had escalated into a full-blown irritation in the back of his mind. Somehow it was prominent, he knew it. He had a meeting with the counsel the other day, and hadn't mentioned it, but now he wished he had. It was beginning to intrude on other matters–
Purple gasped as he felt something brush his leg. He raised the files up over his head to see that Red, who was sleeping in his lap, had stretched and touched his thigh with his hand. Purple sighed in relief when he saw this. Red folded one arm over his chest, and laid the other flat on the bed, extended towards the headboard. Purple smiled and peered over the rims of his reading glasses. Red was inconceivably handsome while he slept. Purple had had time to change when he got back to his quarters, as he was in a bathrobe now, tinted various shades of violet. Red on the other hand, worked himself so hard that when he got back to had simple plopped down on the bed, rested his head on Purple's lap, and fallen asleep immediately. Purple wished he wouldn't do that. It couldn't have been good for him.
Red's chest rose and fell as he took in breath and then released it. Purple was amazed that they had ever gotten together. It was risky and not a wise career move when you were in a high political position. But what the hell – they were the Tallest, weren't they? They could do whatever the hell they wanted. And no one in their right mind would blast them for it, or risk punishment.
They nagging crept back into Purple's mind. He thought about all he had accomplished – the universal invasion, the good economy and his relationship with Red. He had an eerie feeling that it might be in jeopardy. Without knowing it he reached out and grabbed Red's shoulder, pulling him closer.
"Mmm…" Red made sounds as Purple's sudden movement woke him. He lazily opened his eyes. "Well…hello there. What's with the sudden affection?" said Red, tracing the back of his hand over Purple's chest. When Purple just looked at him with fixed gaze, Red's half-linden eyes opened fully with concern. "Pur, what is it?"
Purple suddenly snapped out of his reverie and put the files on the bedside table. "Um…nothing." He turned to pick up a novel to read, but stopped when he felt Red grab his other hand. He took off his glasses and faced him.
Red was now sitting up, looking at him with a worried expression. He squeezed Purple's hand briefly before speaking.
"Purple, what's wrong?"
Purple tried to shrug it off. "I said nothing. I was just thinking and got… distracted." But Red wasn't buying it. He cocked an eyebrow and gave Purple a look that said, 'you can't lie to me, I can read you like that novel over there'.
Damn you Red, he thought, damn you and your powers of penetration. I've been hanging around you too long.
Purple sighed, figuring he might as well tell his lover and partner about what was on his mind. He leaned back against the pillows and crossed his arms.
"I just…" he trailed off a moment, to look around the room. "I just have this weird feeling. I don't know way but… you know the lists for domination?"
Red nodded.
"Well… something about one of the lists made my nervous. Something was just well, familiar about it. I had this huge feeling of De Javoo when I hit this one sector – on the natural resource list. It made me shiver, and I thought about all I would loose if this operation didn't go properly." He looked at Red.
"That's what's bothering me. I know it sounds stupid, but I… well…" he sighed, feeling very vulnerable at the moment. "Worry."
Purple didn't know what he was expecting from him, but what Red did was not it. Instead of consoling Purple, as he thought, Red leaned forward and kissed Purple gently on the mouth. His hand scaled up Purple's chest until it reached his shoulder, and pushed him down so that his head was on the pillow instead of his back. He broke their kiss and looked into Purple's eyes.
"I'll always be there, you know that. And if anything does go down I'm not leaving your side. Why would you worry about something so obvious?"
Purple stuttered for a moment, not finding the words. He finally just sighed. "I don't know. But I do."
Red smiled out the side of his mouth hand kissed Purple again. Purple finally submitted, wrapping an arm around Red's neck and responding with his lips. Red commanded the lights off in the brief moment he moved from Purple's lips to his neck.
The lights went off and the blinds moved back, revealing a floor-to- ceiling, wall-to-wall window. Outside, the Irkin city was alive with light and movement. Purple gazed at it in a sense of awe before gasping as Red latched on to his neck. Red remained there a few moments, before releasing and nuzzling Purple. He sighed and laid there, his head on the spot between Purple's neck and shoulder. He held Purple's opposite shoulder in his left hand. Despite the fact he was lower on Purple, the position was dominating. He spoke softly, as Purple stared up at the ceiling.
"I love you, Purple."
"And I love you."
"Why do you worry like this?"
"I told you I don't know."
"If you don't know then why are you frozen under me?"
Purple realized that his entire body was tense. He tried to relax but it didn't help much. He finally he let out a sigh. "I guess I'm just not in the mood, right now." Red growled in mock frustration.
The nagging was back. Purple slowly slide out from under Red, and stood at he window with his hands clasped behind his back. Red gripped the sheets where Purple had been.
Staring out into the city, Purple felt a sense of tired curiosity. What was their purpose in life? The dominating, the expansion – did it have a point?
I and the ones before me had strived to build this city, he thought. All these people going about their lives… do they ever wonder? Do they ever worry about what lies ahead? No. All they can see is the next battle and the next win. That's all that matters to them. They're perfectly content with being on the winning team, and never questioning.
He couldn't remember the last time one of the counsel members had objected to one of his or Red's decisions. He sighed deeply as he pondered the spineless 'yes' men.
Red got up and walked towards him. He slid his arms around Purple's waist and rested his head on his shoulder so that his lips just barely touched Purple's neck.
"Come back to bed," he said softly. Purple just sighed. He might as well, but not as Red implied. "Fine," he said, giving in. "But you're not getting any."
Red chuckled as Purple pulled away from him and slipped under the sheets. He followed suit and snaked his arms around Purple.
"I'm serious," pushed Purple, "Not now."
Red chuckled. "I know, I know." He kissed the back of Purple's neck, then pulled him closer and settled in. "Now, sleep."
Purple though of protesting, but finally just got comfortable. He was too tired to battle and the closeness did feel good. After a few moments, he felt Red's breathing achieve the slow, deep rhythm of sleep. And after a few more minutes, he felt his own eyelids become heavy until he fell unconscious.
* * *
Dib lay sprawled on his bed, staring up at the ceiling in thought. The early morning sun splashed through a glass on his bedside table and shot little rainbow around the room. Dib had been up all night working with Zim and Gaz. About an hour ago, just before dawn, him and Gaz said that they had to sleep. He could hear her snoring across the hall, because both her and his doors were open. He, on the other hand, couldn't sleep.
Zim had refused to rest, even though his clothes were soaked in sweat and his mind was visibly frazzled from all the work and designing. He was driving himself so hard. He must hate those 'Tallest' people so much, thought Dib. Only hate pushes an intelligent person like Zim over the edge.
He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and turned his head towards the door. He saw Gaz's hand hanging off the edge of her bed, and the various band posters hanging on her walls. His view of this was intercepted when Zim passed in front of him and walked into her room. He walked past her, to the twin bed across the room. He then fell face-first onto the bed, and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Poor Zim, thought Dib. He used to loathe every fiber of his being, but now he was seeing a side of Zim he wouldn't have guessed existed. As he watched Zim sleeping, after an almost endless span of time working, Dib felt the urge to help rise. He would try his damnedist to fight the evil, and to liberate both Zim and the human race.
Dib wondered how much Zim had gotten done last night. He got up, and began to trek down the stairs.
He yawned widely as he carefully stepped down the stairs. There was no light, so he strained to see the steps. He felt the floor level out under him, and searched the wall for the switch. He found it, and flicked it upward.
At first the sudden light hurt his eyes, and he yelped. After rubbing his eyes, and cleaning his glasses, he slipped them back on looked up. And what he saw took his breath away.
The ship, which had been little more than a metal skeleton last night, was almost done. The haul was almost completely attached, and the cockpit was already fixed with a glass windshield. The ship was modeled like a bigger Vootcruiser, made for several people on a long-term journey. Dib could see that the interior was not in, but that would be relatively easy compared to the framework. Through the windshield he saw no captain's chairs, or any other luxury features. But the ship itself was magnificent. Dib gazed up in utter amazement and wonder as his childhood dream of riding in a spaceship was being manifested before his eyes.
Dib ran up the stairs and spun around the corner into Gaz's room. He then shook Zim to wake him.
"Zim…ZIM!" Zim reached up with one hand and tried to bat whatever was waking him away. Dib pulled back while Zim lashed out, then grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "ZIM!!"
Zim's eye's opened sleepily, as if they were carrying massive weights. "Wha…what?"
"Its amazing! I can't believe you did all that in one night! I really underestimated you, I mean-"
"…Dib…"
"-I never thought an alien race could be THAT ahead technologically-"
"Dib…"
"-It's like I've woken up in some future-"
"DIB!!!" Zim finally screamed. He shot up, and grabbed Dib by the collar. Despite the fact they were contacts, a malevolent fire burned deep in Zim's eyes. He raised his lower lids, and narrowed his brow as he grit his teeth.
"Now listen," he began, in a soft tone that made Dib want to crawl into a hole and die. He could feel Zim's breath on his face. Zim's hands curled around Dib's shirt to tightly that it was hard to breath.
"I have been working since nine o'clock LAST night. I designed, assembled and tested everything. I've been going on bitter coffee and adrenaline for over twelve hours. Now if you think I give a flying FUCK about what you have to say right now, you obviously don't know me as well as I give you merit for. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" He tightened his grip on Dib's collar.
Dib nodded carefully. "Good," said Zim. He released his grip on him. Dib fell to the floor. He landed on his ass, and when he looked up, Zim was already back to sleep.
Dib inched away, pushing with his heels. He got to the door and closed it. He felt that he had never been closer to death.
* * *
Gaz awoke to the sound of snoring. She raised her head to find Zim in the bed across the room, snoring loudly. She growled, picked up the pillow from beneath her head and flung it at him.
It made contact, and woke him. He growled as he looked up at the assailant who had dared wake him.
Him and Gaz made brief eye contact, before she sighed and bundled up the comforter under her head. Zim growled as he laid his face back into his pillow.
Zim did not feel the need to lash out at Gaz. She had worked almost as long as him, and had hit him only because SHE was trying to get some sleep. He was still mad she hit him, but it was soon over with and he could resume-
He caught a glance at the clock before he felt back under. It was already noon. He had slept three hours, but he couldn't sleep through the entire day.
He tried to sit up, but his body wasn't cooperating. It was heavy with sleep, and exhausted from last night. He tried to get in the frame of mind that it was HIS body, and he could command it to do whatever he wanted. But Zim had learned long ago that human anatomy was very stubborn. Even his, that was just marginally human, was incompetent and would only bend to it's own desires.
Zim finally managed to get an elbow under himself. He tried to get the other one up, and when he thought it was, he put more weight on it. This turned out to be a bad move, because as soon as the arm experienced the extra effort, it gave out. Zim rolled off the bed and landed with a THUMP on the ground.
It wasn't as bad as it could've been. The pillow Gaz had thrown broke the fall somewhat. If fact, it was actually comfortable enough for Zim to slip back under. But he resisted, and after a few minutes, managed to stand up.
At first it was shaky, but he managed to open the door and get down the stairs into the living room. After his blood began to circulate, he began to wake up more. He stretched as he found Dib sitting on the couch, watching a taped episode of 'Mysterious Mysteries'.
Dib turned to face Zim. "Well good morning, Zim. Did you sleep well? I wouldn't want you to kill me or anything."
At first Zim had no idea what he was talking about, but than a fleeting memory of Dib waking him surfaced, and he sighed in recognition. "As best as possible, currently. I need some food."
Dib turned back to the TV and jut his thumb towards the kitchen. Zim followed in that direction and opened the fridge.
There was nothing. The entire fridge consisted of some leftover beef, a half-eaten sandwich and an empty carton of orange juice. Zim grumbled and closed the door.
He went to he pantry, but had little success. There was a can of tuna, but it had expired two years ago. There was a mousetrap in the corner, with a mouse skeleton caught in it. Zim closed the pantry and leaned against the counter, frustrated and tired. He sighed and combed his fingers through the blonde hair on his head.
He was about to call to Dib, and order him out for food, when he spotted the pot of day-old coffee on the table. He stared at it hard, before running over and draining it of its contents.
Dib looked over at Zim as he plopped down in a chair. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, and for the longest time Dib thought he had gone back to sleep. But he finally spoke.
"We need a plan." He said simply. Dib blinked, but did nothing else. "We need a plan in order to beat them. We probably can't outsmart them, and we sure as hell can't overpower them, so what can we do?" He told, more than asked. He whipped a hand over his face and then sat up. He looked at Dib levelly. "What?"
Dib stirred uncomfortably. "I don't know." Zim got up and separated to blinds with his fingers, peering through the window onto the street. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well we can mess with their information. Maybe they'll miss Earth altogether." Dib implied. Zim shook his head and continued to look out the window. "No. Even if they do miss Earth, they'll be back eventually. You don't understand the Tallest; they're set on conquering the entire universe. Eventually they will find Earth, rich in natural resources, and kill every living thing here. It would be delaying the inevitable."
Dib looked down at the floor. "Well I guess that shoots down my idea of telling them that this planet has nothing of value. I thought that with all the pollution and human intervention, this planet would be pretty useless."
Zim removed his hands from the blinds and placed them on his hips. "You only say that because you've never been to another world. Earth is pretty rich, considering. Useless compared to what it once was? Yes. Useless compared to everything else out there? No. This planet has huge deposits of natural uranium. Unrefined uranium is very rare around the home galaxy. They'll take readings of Earth before they make their first move, and by then they would have already sensed the massive quantity of it. By then it will be too late, because they'll fight for the planet no matter what."
He sat back down. "We have to get to them before they're close enough to take readings. Only then will we have a chance to route their efforts. We must somehow convince them that Earth isn't worth the trouble."
"But you said they were the most powerful Empire in the universe! How much effort could it take to conquer one small planet?" Dib asked. Zim was becoming angry at Dib's pessimism, but it was a logical question. He though for a moment.
"We could exaggerate certain features. Like the depletion of natural resources, or the human population… But they've taken down tougher races than humans. Compared to a slaughtering Rat person, a human is a lap dog."
"…Oh, yeah, thanks." Said Dib, crossing his arms. Zim shrugged. "It's true."
They heard a noise from the stairwell, and turned to see Gaz coming down. She yawned and rubbed her eyes as she collapsed onto the couch. She put her feet up in Dib's lap, and he began to protest.
"Get your feet off me."
"No."
"Gaz!"
"What? It's my couch just as much as it is yours. Go sit somewhere else if I'm bothering you."
"I was here first!"
"Oh, Yeah?"
"Yeah!"
A fight began to ensue. He tried to push her feet off, and she kicked him. He tried to hit her, but she socked him in the stomach. This went on for a few moments until Gaz wiped out her switchblade, and pointed it at Dib's throat.
"Gaz," said Dib in a whining tone, his hands shielding his throat. "Put that away, it's dangerous!"
Zim had to laugh at the sibling rivalry. He was about to tell them to knock if off, when he was struck with a brilliant idea.
Gaz kept the blade at his throat, and they began to bicker. Zim hushed them as the idea came to him.
"Shh… You guys! I think I may have it," they turned their heads to meet him.
"Dangerous," he said, nodding his head in thought. At first it was slow but it increased in speed as the thought materialized. "We could somehow convince them that this planet is dangerous. I mean, remember how horrified I was when I first got here?" He asked. Gaz nodded. "Yeah, like when I saved Dib's ass, and we went to Bloaty's? God, you ran so fast." She laughed and Zim smiled with a nod.
"Exactly. And the water. This planet has rain, which will burn the skin of any Irkin that steps foot outside in a storm. I, luckily, have humanized my metabolism. If it weren't for that, than I wouldn't have survived that storm last night."
"Don't forget our food!" ventured Dib. "Meat burns too."
Zim got up and looked at them. "We'll have to hammer out the kinks later, but I think we may have a plan."
* * *
Several hours later, down on the construction platform, the three gazed up in awe at what they had created. It was done.
Zim stood in the middle, Gaz at his left, and Dib on his right. The light shone down on the craft like it was a divine creature. Evey curve, flat and crevice marked an achievement in engineering, and hope for mankind. They marveled at what alien and human alike had collaborated to make.
"Wow…" said Gaz, a little breathless. There was a smear of grease on her check, and her hair was messed from the work. They had all done manual labor, despite the fact Dr. Membrane's robots had helped. The robots did heavy lifting, hauling and shaping, but they had to weld, maneuver, and test themselves. It had finally paid off, and the craft in front of them was magnificent.
Dib was speechless. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide. Zim smiled as he looked up at it. It was all he could have hoped for. This thing would fly, and that was good enough. It's interior and controls were modeled after his old Vootcruiser, and was modified to house three people for several months. It would be sufficient in their efforts.
"Well," said Zim after the general impact of the craft had hit. "We will launch in two days. That gives us forty-eight hours to gather supplies, fuel, and to prepare for what lies ahead. You two should mentally prepare before we go, going on an extended journey like this can be nerve racking. Even for beginner Invaders."
He began to walk away. "Wait!" cried Dib. "Where are you going?"
"To pack," Zim replied without turning around. "I need to get ready too. I'm gonna be flying that thing. You two should each bring about a weeks worth of clothes, and anything that will remind you of home. This journey is going to be harder on you than me."
* * *
Zim twisted his key in the lock, and swung the door open. He saw the house was in disarray. He hardly ever cleaned, and GIR hadn't done anything thing since Zim had left him last night.
Zim found GIR in the kitchen, looking for something. His head, which had been in a cereal box, popped out when Zim cleared his throat. Pieces of cereal flew every which way as he threw the box and ran up to Zim.
Zim hardly had time to react before GIR leapt up and squeezed his neck.
"HI MASTER! Where have you been? I can't get any food!" Zim took it that GIR had eaten all the food they had and was just bored because there was no more. He sighed and pat GIR on the back.
"I missed you too GIR. Now come on, we have to pack."
GIR looked at Zim. "Where are we going?"
"We're going on a trip, GIR. We're going… home."
GIR jumped out of Zim's arms and stood on the table, his arms up in the air. "YAY!" "NO, GIR!" Yelled Zim abruptly. GIR turned towards Zim. "We're not going back to live, we're going to fight. They want to destroy the Earth, and me, you, Dib, and Gaz are going to stop them."
GIR just stood there for a moment. "OKAY!" he said finally, and ran off somewhere. Zim shook his head and walked into the bedroom.
He grabbed his basketball duffel bag, emptied it, and left it open on his bed as he looted through his closet. GIR sat on the bed, kicking his feet, as Zim tossed various pieces of clothing into the bag.
"What's gonna happen?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as he watched Zim rummage through his stuff. "I don't know exactly, GIR. But let's take this one step at a time. We're going to pack, get ready, and then we're going over to Gaz's house to spend the night. From there we will prepare until launch." He zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Do you want to bring anything?"
GIR gasped, then latched on to the TV in front of Zim's bed. "Scary Monkey Show!!!!"
Zim pried him off the screen and carried him out of the room. "Sorry GIR, no scary monkey for a while. You're just going to have to learn to live without any TV."
GIR sucked in a long breath before he screamed. Zim quickly covered his mouth with his hand and dragged him to the door.
"Come on, we need to go."
He stood GIR up and began to dress him in his puppy suit. Zim had a feeling that he was a mom dressing his little kid up for school. He zipped the zipper up to GIR's chin, and then grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Are you going to behave at Dib and Gaz's?" he asked. GIR stuck his tongue out in thought, then nodded vigorously and gave Zim a thumbs-up. "Good."
He opened the door and ushered GIR outside as he pulled on his jacket. GIR reached behind his head, and pulled the puppy mask over him. Zim opened the car door, and they both hopped in.
He started the car, and took what could be his last look at his house. He wondered if he would ever again have a lazy Sunday morning at home. Sitting in the living room, watching TV with GIR. The early light dancing over the walls and furniture, giving the entire room a relaxing, serine feel. Zim wondered if he would ever again experience that feeling of peace.
He reluctantly put the car in reverse, and back out of his life.