The Night Slayers
Chapter 2: Setting up Shop
Johnny's knuckles turned white as he gripped the handle of his knife angrily. What fucking right did this thing have to disturb his home, his private property? He'd kill the son of a bitch, just like he killed ALL the assholes that crossed him.
The Night Slayer's thoughts were radically different than Johnny's. He didn't think of just bloodlust in a battle; if there was anything he was taught in his training was to keep calm at all times. Keeping your cool wasn't just a useful skill, it was a virtue, and failure to uphold any virtue was a nice way to sentence yourself to death, at least in the Night Slayer's line of work.
Johnny's patience finally gave in, and he charged the night slayer, his knives drawn.
The Night Slayer was almost hypnotized by the human's quick, cat-like reflexes, graceful in there own way, yet still showed the amazing amount of hate and strength built up inside him. He was even more surprised when it was the human who drew first blood, his knife making a clean slash across the Night Slayer's chin.
This brought the Night Slayer back to his senses, and he drew his knives as well. Johnny continued his quick movements, the blades of the knives seeming to be nothing more then flashes of flickering gray light, a dance of seemingly unstoppable death.
And the Night Slayer parried every single blow, not one of them slipping through his shield.
Johnny cussed to himself. Whatever this thing was, it was just as proficient as he was. Whatever was going to happen, he had to make sure he could hold out.
MEANWHILE……..
Gaz's eye began to twitch madly as Pepito had actual began to cling to her leg as she walked home. Why couldn't he just leave him alone.
"Please! I swear to God! I may be the Antichrist, but I can see that we're perfect for each other!" Pepito said, seeming to actually beg.
"Why….can't……you…..just….leave me……….ALONE!" Gaz shouted, causing some of the birds in the trees near them to fly off and scatter.
Pepito let go of his grip on her leg, and shook his head. "Don't you understand?" he began. "I'm the Antichrist. And whatever I want, I MOTHERFUCKIN' GET!"
The poor birds, it seemed, just couldn't get a break, and this time the ones a few blocks over flew away to find a place to go that would provide them with at least a bit of solitude.
Gaz glared at him for a moment and then threw her head back., pretending to be offended by Pepito's comment, though in reality she really could have cared less.
The other three people walking with them had remained relatively quiet throughout the whole ordeal. Zim and Dib had kept their mouths quite shut, even seeming to have put their petty squabbles away as not to face Gaz's wraith. Squee had pretty much tried to block everything out. He'd have to tell Shmee about Pepito's dilemma; maybe he'd know what to do.
In Squee's mind, Shmee was the smartest and wisest person there was. If there was only one thing Squee knew was guaranteed, it was that Shmee would always be there to guide him. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he woke up one day and Shmee wasn't there. Squee was quite certain that if that happened, his whole world would fall apart.
Zim was lost in his own little world of thoughts, which was the one thing that kept him from arguing with Dib some more. Only one thing had been on his mind other then the possible death at the hands of a Night Slayer.
That one thing was a possible angel of light (at least, she was to him) who happened to have the name of Gaz. He didn't know why, but he seemed to recently have some sort of fixation on the girl. Had it been at some earlier time, he wasn't sure if it would really mean that much to him, and he probably would have been disgusted at the mere thought of it. In love? With a disgusting human? Who was his arch-enemy's sister? BLASPHEMY AND LIES!
At least, Zim would have thought so earlier. But he actually felt some sort of bond between the girl. It may not be true love though.
At least not yet, but maybe someday it would spark into that. He needed someone to cling to, someone to provide support. And if the person his emotions seemed to flow to was Gaz, so be it. To tell the truth, he really did believe he had what was called a crush.
And he began to dream. Of a future, of hope…..
Of love.
Dib was totally unaware of his nemesis' thoughts, focusing on his own. Gaz…..and Zim? Could that even be possible? Seemingly, they both had feeling for each other. If it truly was love, Dib supposed he'd have to support it. Not for Zim, but for Gaz.
Gaz was already in her own world of total darkness and despair, and he didn't really want to further that by trying to tear her away from the one person she seemed to have feelings for.
But still………Zim? Who could really love Zim? Certainly, she could do better. Dib looked over at Pepito, who now seemed to be trying to grovel for forgiveness from Gaz. Dib grimaced. Maybe it WOULD be better if Gaz stuck with Zim.
And so the kids continued their march, the only sound being made from them being their foot drops on the concrete and Gaz and Pepito's seemingly endless argument.
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Another ship continued it's way towards the sphere known as Earth, another alien visitor preparing her way for a visit with her 'friend' Zim. He had caused her so much pain and annoyance in the past, and she would make sure he get his back in spades.
Tak would see to that.
Oh yes.
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The two blades whirled in a constant show of power, perfect dances of death that easily would have killed any other opponent.
Yet, neither Johnny nor the Night Slayer seemed to have the upper hand, at least not yet. But the battle had begun to wine down, and it was obvious both combatants had begun to become exhausted. Their knife slashes begun to become less powerful in force, their strength draining from their bodies.
And that's when Johnny had let his guard down, his knives no longer being able to keep up with the constant assault of the better nourished and much healthier Night Slayer. The Night Slayer brought his knee up to Johnny's stomach, connecting with a sickening crack and knocking the wind out of Johnny. Johnny keeled over some, and the Night Slayer clasped his fists together and brought them down onto Johnny's skull, rendering him unconscious. The Night Slayer increased his grip on the knife handles, preparing to deliver the killing blow to the human.
Yet he couldn't. Never before had he met such an opponent, never before so a challenge. It would be a true crime to kill one such as him.
He approached the door his opponent had arrived through, and peered down.
His was no where near ready for the site that awaited him. All around the room, people chained to walls or put in torture devices. A chamber of death, famine, and disease. A smirk crossed the Night Slayer's face.
He picked up his opponent's body, which was surprisingly light, and hauled him down to the dungeon.
Zim greeted his arrival at his home gratefully; glad to finally be away from the argument between Gaz and Pepito that had the potential to become quite violent.
He immediately stood still as here heard the dull clang of metal in his kitchen.
His antenna began to twitch nervously as he approached the kitchen, bracing himself for what he might see.
It was GIR, looking down at a pan he had just dropped.
Zim growled with some anger, as well as a sigh of relief mixed into it. "GIR! What are you doing?"
GIR turned around to look at him, and smiled as goofily as he could. "I'm making Popsicles!" he screamed in his high pitch little voice, quite usual for such small creatures.
"What do you mean you're making Popsicles GIR? You can't do that with a pan." Zim said, still annoyed from getting so frightened.
"Uh huh!" GIR retorted, picking up the pan and showing to Zim. "See?"
Zim did see, as the pan now had multiple colors imprinted into, the result of melting Popsicles inside a pan. "GIR! You just ruined a perfectly good cooking utensil! What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Cock a doodle do!" GIR said happily, blissfully unaware that he had actually done something wrong.
Zim frowned, and headed down to his laboratory.
At that moment, GIR remembered something. Something very important. "Oh yeah master, you're cousin came to visit today. He's waiting down in the whatchamacalit for you."
But Zim was already out of hearing range.
Johnny C. slowly began to open his eyes, his head dully thumping at a slow rate. He wasn't even sure his eyes where open, because the first thing he saw was complete darkness.
Finally, his eyes adjusted to the minimal amount of light in the room. "Shit….." he cussed silently to himself, hardly being able to believe what he knew had happened.
He was in his basement, shackled to one of the walls. His faced contorted into a vicious grimace, which grew as he heard the snicker of the person next to him on his left-hand side. "Well, look who's here." The man said. "If it ain't our gracious host, skinny fag man!" The man had obviously been trying to turn out laughter from some of the other prisoners, and failed miserably.
Johnny turned to the man, seething but unable to punish the man for his misdemeanor. The prick had a butch cut of his egg-shaped head, almost looking like an incredibly ugly hawk with his pointed nose. He wore a "Marilyn Manson" T-shirt and black pants. Obviously some fucking goth wannabe.
"Listen, unless you want me to rip your lungs out like you deserve, you'll shut the hell up!" Johnny said, his anger rising with each passing moment.
The wannabe goth made a sound of amusement and annoyance before he replied to Johnny's threat. "Oh, and how in the hell are you going to do that? You're in chains, just like all of us you stupid motherfucker!"
Johnny was silent for a moment, his grimace become wider. The goth just continued to keep on his stupid shit eating little smile on his crude face. His smile quickly diminished as Johnny himself got a wide grin on his face and began to laugh. "What the fuck is so funny fag?" the goth asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Hahahahah…Y…You don't…hahaha…don't get i..hahahaha! it, do you?" Johnny said, bearly able to contain his fits of laughter.
"Don't get WHAT?"
"Y..ahahaha! You think that hahahahahah! That I'm trapped in here with hahahahahahahahah! With you! B…hahaha But get this hahahahaha! I'M not trapped in hahahahaha! In here with you! You…hahahaha! YOU'RE trapped in here with ME!"
And the room was silent except for Johnny's echoing laughter, a constant reminder to the prisoners that even now Johnny C. still had them where he wanted them.
Gaz immediately sat on the couch as she and Dib arrived home, happy to finally be away from Pepito. She clutched her head for a moment before she picked up her GameSlave 2 and began to play. God, what a day! First, she had to hear Dib immediately launch into Zim with accusations. She knew Zim was an alien, but Dib really needed to give the poor kid a rest. And then there was Pepito, who had been following her around all day, totally lovestruck. At least he had the good sense to leave her alone inside her own house.
Then, of course, there was Dib's accusation that she had a crush on Zim.
Her? Have a crush? BAH! She didn't have a crush on Zim! She knew she didn't!
………Didn't she?
Her train of thought was broken as she heard the "Game Over" music begin to play, and she silent cursed herself. She had totally forgotten she was playing.
"Gaz!"
"Yet another lovely interference…" Gaz muttered softly to herself as Dib came up to her.
"I'm going to go spy on Zim now." Dib told her, as he finished putting on the face part of his black camouflage suit over his head, covering everything except his eyes. (You know what I'm talking about; the suit he wore in "Nano Zim" when he got into Zim's house.)
"Why do you even bother telling me this? It's not like I care." Gaz said. This had been going on as a daily routine for weeks.
Dib shrugged. "I guess I just like having somebody to tell what I'm going to do to." He said, his voice slightly muffled under the black cloth. "Besides, there's something very wrong with Zim recently." He said, talking more to himself then to Gaz. "Something's gnawing away at his nerves, and I plan to found out what." And with that, Dib dashed out the door towards the path to paranormal victory.
Gaz just looked at her brother run down the street before returning her gaze to her GameSlave 2. "Geek." She muttered to herself.
Zim sat at his chair in front of the main computer screen, reviewing all the data he had found on the planet. Hadn't he done a good job as an invader? Why? Why was this happening to him? What had he done to disappoint the Tallest so?
He immediately stopped dwelling on this as a pair of hands gripped around his neck and pulled him out of his seat, stopping the precious flow of air to his brain and holding him in midair. Zim tried to scream, but nothing but more of the air he needed issued from his mouth. He flailed wildly, kicking as hard as he could towards the attacker's "private" area, and making his fingers curl a little, allowing him to claw at the intruder. One of his hands obviously did enough pain to make the intruder scream and let go of his grip on Zim, dropping him to the cold, hard steel floor.
Zim tucked into a roll as he hit the ground, and recovered as fast as he could. His blood ran cold as he saw that his worst fears were true.
A Night Slayer, presently rubbing his forehead where a scratchmark now was, was right there in his own laboratory. He raised his cold black eyes at Zim, looking as if he could peer into Zim's soul. Zim began to back away, but was stopped as his back his the cold, hard instruments of the panel on his computer. The Night Slayer didn't make a move, his eyes the only thing following him. "You're a fool, you know that child?" the Night Slayer said, his voice no louder then a low whisper, the perfect reflection of his voice, which sounded to Zim like the crack of ice.
"What is it I did?" Zim asked. "Before I die, I want to know what it is I did to displease the Tallest so much as to resort to this? Didn't I do good on my mission?"
"Your mission?" the Night Slayer said, sounding more like snicker then actual words. "This whole thing was a setup. You were never on any real 'mission'. The Tallest just gave you this assignment because they were hoping you would somehow get lost in the void of space and die, so you would finally leave them alone."
Zim couldn't believe it. His eyes were beginning to fill again with the things humans called tears. It was a trick? His whole mission was nothing but a trick? Why would they do something like that?
iBastards…./i
He didn't understand why the Tallest would be so cruel, to play around with his sense of duty like that and then send this killer to eradicate him.
iI won't die this way…./i
Zim braced himself to fight his enemy, though he knew he only had a minimal chance of success against someone as skilled as a Night Slayer.
iI'll fight to the end…../i
The Night Slayer obviously seemed to know what it was Zim was thinking, and he drew his knives. Yet another fight this day, yet it probably wouldn't be as rewarding as the one he had had earlier with the human.
iI'll go down like a true invader./i
Then Zim did the unexpected….
He jumped off one of the ledges on the laboratory platform.
The Night Slayer was shocked. He was sure the child was going to try to fight him, to actually try to go down like a true Irken Invader. He put his knives back in there sheathe and began to walk out. He supposed he had misjudged the boy's character.
Right when he got onto one of the many bridges in the laboratory, he tripped and slammed face first onto the bridge. He immediately got up to see what he had tripped over.
It was a metallic, spider-like leg, joined by three others and a young irken attached to the pack they sprang from. The Night Slayer snickered yet again. The child had obviously sprang them up when he knew he was out of view of the Night Slayer and then carefully crawled back up to confront him. "You do know you have a small chance to defeat me, but a very good chance to die at my hands, don't you?" the Night Slayer said.
"I know." Zim replied. "But I can try to win."
And with that Zim used the robot leg to swing himself up onto the bridge. The Night Slayer shook his head. "A pity." The Night Slayer said. "If you didn't have so many faults that the Tallest have seen, you could be an excellent addition to the Night Slayers."
"And why would I want to join you?" Zim said, his voice as harsh a growl he could muster. "To do away with every single moral I have to just go and kill people outright?"
The Night Slayer's brow furrowed. "You make it sound as if death isn't necessary."
"That's because it isn't." Zim said. "There are times when it's needed, but not always."
"A war isn't a war without casualties." The Night Slayer said. "You knew you'd have to kill the people on Earth to conquer it if this really was a true mission, don't you?"
"I….know." Zim said. "But it wouldn't be like you. I don't get pleasure from the thought or act of killing things like you do."
"You have quite a mouth child." The Night Slayer said, his mouth forming a grin. His own pack opened, and his spider-legs came out. There was only one difference between the Night Slayer's and Zim's spider-legs were that the Night Slayer's legs had knife-like blades on them. "Don't take this TOO personally child. I only serve my 'masters'." He said, a smile still across his lips as his legs quickly scuttled towards Zim quickly, one of his legs going under Zim's and sweeping across them, sending Zim tumbling to the ground on his back, the legs of his pack pointing up, leaving Zim defenseless.
Zim immediately retracted the legs into his back and made a dash for one of the elevators. He had to get to one of his laser weapons he had higher up in the laboratory.
The Night Slayer quickly anticipated his actions and scuttled in front of him, his regular irken arms grasping his knives and holding them outward, preparing to strike when he came close enough. Zim came still dashing towards him, not hesitating a bit. 'He's going to try to bowl me over.' The Night Slayer thought. He immediately dug the metal legs into the floor, giving him extra balance. Zim came right up to him…..and then crouched down into a slide, going right beneath the robotic legs.
Zim had almost made it to the elevator when one of the legs came and struck at him, catching the back of his leg and biting into his flesh. Zim ignored the pain and gritted his teeth, getting into the elevator and started it up just in time as two more legs slammed into where the elevator once was.
Zim sighed and leaned back against the back of the elevator, his back sliding until he was in a sitting position. When the elevator finally reached its destination, Zim got out as quickly as he could and rushed towards one of the assorted laser weapons he had there. He picked up the one he had the most experience, a simple laser pistol, and prepared for the Night Slayer to have finished scaling the wall. There were only two noises he heard while he waited; the sound of the Night Slayer's metallic legs digging into the wall so he could climb it, and the flush of a toilet, meaning yet another person had entered the lab. The next thing he heard was the sound of his own body hitting the steel floor. He immediately spun out of the way as a leg slammed where he once was, cursing himself for being stupid enough not to think that he would come up behind him. Zim immediately aimed the laser pistol at the charging Night Slayer and fired, the beam hitting his chest. The Night Slayer reeled back for a moment…..
And continued his charge, unscathed.
Zim avoided yet more thrusts to the ground by the metallic spider legs, yet he knew he couldn't keep this up.
Suddenly, the Irken stopped his assault, and jumped onto one of the far walls, seemingly trying to hide. 'What the hell is he doing?' Zim thought to himself.
His question was soon answered as the elevator came up yet again, this time holding two people in it. Well, one person and a little robot in a dog costume. "Look master! Mr. Dib came over." GIR said happily, smiling at the thought of that he had done a good thing. Dib just gave Zim his usual smirk.
Zim growled at the arrogance of his opponent. "I have no time for you today Dib."
"Oh, and why's that?" Dib said as he went over to the display of laser weapons. "Are you….building an army of robots in dog costumes!?" he screamed, pointing to GIR as an example of a soldier in the "dog robot" army. GIR just smiled and waved at him.
"You wouldn't understand Earthling." Zim said. "But there's something very important I'm in the middle of."
"Earthlings…." Another, new voice said, echoing through the laboratory. "So that's what this race is called."
Dib was surprised as another irk came from seemingly nowhere, landing on the metal floor with his metal spider-legs, which he retracted and turned to look at the boy.
Dib snarled. "So they've sent backup, huh Zim? Even with two of you, you won't win."
"Oh yeah, this guy's my backup Dib." Zim snorted in disgust.
Finally, the other Irk spoke up. "Tell me, Earthling, what do you call those who kill on your planet?"
Dib raised an eyebrow, and was immediately disturbed by the other irk's presence. "We have different names for them, but I guess one of the most common ones is murderer."
"Murderer." The taller irk said, the word rolling around on his tongue. "What a charming little word." He turned his head towards Zim, yet continued to talk to Dib. "Let's say I kill this boy, Zim, under orders given to me by my superiors. Would it be justifiable? Or would I be a so- called 'murderer' for my actions, actions I take just to follow my master and for my honor?"
Dib was growing more uncomfortable around the taller irk by the minute. "I….I don't know. Why are you asking me this?"
"Because I wish to understand this race. So many of you are so seemingly different, even though I've only met two of you." The taller irk smiled. "You should leave, little earthling. This is none of your concern. If you wish to get involved and help this child, you too shall die."
Dib was taken aback. "You're….you're going to kill him?"
"Is that so shocking after the question I just asked you?"
Dib wasn't sure how to respond to what this creature had just told him. He had wanted to turn Zim in, which would result in him being killed, but his own race would actually send an assassin to kill him? He didn't have a problem with the thing killing Zim, except for…..
iGaz…….../i
Gaz was…..happy around Zim, something she rarely ever really was. He'd help Zim….for Gaz's happiness. "I'll fight you, alien scum." Dib told the taller alien.
The Night Slayer was surprised. He hadn't expected such a young earthling child to actually challenge him. He supposed that, whether child or adult, earthlings would fight. "You would die for someone you don't care about?"
Dib didn't answer until Zim turned towards him, his face askew in a look of confusion. "I don't care about him." Dib said. "But I know someone who does." Zim's face immediately lit up with understanding, his lips forming the words "Thank you."
The Night Slayer sneered. "If that's truly what you want." He quickly reached for something behind him, and pulled out a small black orb and threw it to the ground, creating an explosion that threw Zim into one of the laser weapons and almost sending Dib over the edge of floor, quickly being able to grip onto the side of the edge and quickly pulls himself up.
When he finally righted himself, he saw the Night Slayer standing over the prone body of Zim, his knives drawn. Dib began to dash towards the Night Slayer, put was stopped as a small, gray robot slammed into it, sending the Night Slayer skidding backwards. "You hurt master Zim!" GIR squeaked out angrily. "You're not a nice person!"
"Get off me you little pest!" the Night Slayer said angrily, grabbing the little robot and flinging him off of him.
GIR crouched into a roll and got back up, readying his weapons and aiming them at the Night Slayer. "You're a big meany!!"
GIR never got to fire a single shot, as a knife quickly found it's way into his head, and his body collapsed.
Annoyed, the Night Slayer came up to the little robot and took the knife out. He picked up its small, unmoving body, and threw him over one of the ledges, his body only making a very soft and low 'thump' as it his the ground below. He turned towards where his targets where, and immediately cursed himself.
They were gone, escaped while the little robot had distracted him.
At the bottom of the laboratory, GIR tried desperately to stay on line, his eyes flickering on and off. He sniffed softly and said "Bye bye Master Zim." And then his eyes flickered out for good and GIR's once cheerful, color-filled world became a dark world of silence, except for the heavy footfalls of the Night Slayer.
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Well, that's the end of Chp. 2. I know I'm going to get flamed for what I've just done, put let me tell you that I DO like GIR. The reason he was 'killed' by the Night Slayer was to make the Night Slayer even more despicable. So please, tell me what you think.
Chapter 2: Setting up Shop
Johnny's knuckles turned white as he gripped the handle of his knife angrily. What fucking right did this thing have to disturb his home, his private property? He'd kill the son of a bitch, just like he killed ALL the assholes that crossed him.
The Night Slayer's thoughts were radically different than Johnny's. He didn't think of just bloodlust in a battle; if there was anything he was taught in his training was to keep calm at all times. Keeping your cool wasn't just a useful skill, it was a virtue, and failure to uphold any virtue was a nice way to sentence yourself to death, at least in the Night Slayer's line of work.
Johnny's patience finally gave in, and he charged the night slayer, his knives drawn.
The Night Slayer was almost hypnotized by the human's quick, cat-like reflexes, graceful in there own way, yet still showed the amazing amount of hate and strength built up inside him. He was even more surprised when it was the human who drew first blood, his knife making a clean slash across the Night Slayer's chin.
This brought the Night Slayer back to his senses, and he drew his knives as well. Johnny continued his quick movements, the blades of the knives seeming to be nothing more then flashes of flickering gray light, a dance of seemingly unstoppable death.
And the Night Slayer parried every single blow, not one of them slipping through his shield.
Johnny cussed to himself. Whatever this thing was, it was just as proficient as he was. Whatever was going to happen, he had to make sure he could hold out.
MEANWHILE……..
Gaz's eye began to twitch madly as Pepito had actual began to cling to her leg as she walked home. Why couldn't he just leave him alone.
"Please! I swear to God! I may be the Antichrist, but I can see that we're perfect for each other!" Pepito said, seeming to actually beg.
"Why….can't……you…..just….leave me……….ALONE!" Gaz shouted, causing some of the birds in the trees near them to fly off and scatter.
Pepito let go of his grip on her leg, and shook his head. "Don't you understand?" he began. "I'm the Antichrist. And whatever I want, I MOTHERFUCKIN' GET!"
The poor birds, it seemed, just couldn't get a break, and this time the ones a few blocks over flew away to find a place to go that would provide them with at least a bit of solitude.
Gaz glared at him for a moment and then threw her head back., pretending to be offended by Pepito's comment, though in reality she really could have cared less.
The other three people walking with them had remained relatively quiet throughout the whole ordeal. Zim and Dib had kept their mouths quite shut, even seeming to have put their petty squabbles away as not to face Gaz's wraith. Squee had pretty much tried to block everything out. He'd have to tell Shmee about Pepito's dilemma; maybe he'd know what to do.
In Squee's mind, Shmee was the smartest and wisest person there was. If there was only one thing Squee knew was guaranteed, it was that Shmee would always be there to guide him. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he woke up one day and Shmee wasn't there. Squee was quite certain that if that happened, his whole world would fall apart.
Zim was lost in his own little world of thoughts, which was the one thing that kept him from arguing with Dib some more. Only one thing had been on his mind other then the possible death at the hands of a Night Slayer.
That one thing was a possible angel of light (at least, she was to him) who happened to have the name of Gaz. He didn't know why, but he seemed to recently have some sort of fixation on the girl. Had it been at some earlier time, he wasn't sure if it would really mean that much to him, and he probably would have been disgusted at the mere thought of it. In love? With a disgusting human? Who was his arch-enemy's sister? BLASPHEMY AND LIES!
At least, Zim would have thought so earlier. But he actually felt some sort of bond between the girl. It may not be true love though.
At least not yet, but maybe someday it would spark into that. He needed someone to cling to, someone to provide support. And if the person his emotions seemed to flow to was Gaz, so be it. To tell the truth, he really did believe he had what was called a crush.
And he began to dream. Of a future, of hope…..
Of love.
Dib was totally unaware of his nemesis' thoughts, focusing on his own. Gaz…..and Zim? Could that even be possible? Seemingly, they both had feeling for each other. If it truly was love, Dib supposed he'd have to support it. Not for Zim, but for Gaz.
Gaz was already in her own world of total darkness and despair, and he didn't really want to further that by trying to tear her away from the one person she seemed to have feelings for.
But still………Zim? Who could really love Zim? Certainly, she could do better. Dib looked over at Pepito, who now seemed to be trying to grovel for forgiveness from Gaz. Dib grimaced. Maybe it WOULD be better if Gaz stuck with Zim.
And so the kids continued their march, the only sound being made from them being their foot drops on the concrete and Gaz and Pepito's seemingly endless argument.
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Another ship continued it's way towards the sphere known as Earth, another alien visitor preparing her way for a visit with her 'friend' Zim. He had caused her so much pain and annoyance in the past, and she would make sure he get his back in spades.
Tak would see to that.
Oh yes.
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The two blades whirled in a constant show of power, perfect dances of death that easily would have killed any other opponent.
Yet, neither Johnny nor the Night Slayer seemed to have the upper hand, at least not yet. But the battle had begun to wine down, and it was obvious both combatants had begun to become exhausted. Their knife slashes begun to become less powerful in force, their strength draining from their bodies.
And that's when Johnny had let his guard down, his knives no longer being able to keep up with the constant assault of the better nourished and much healthier Night Slayer. The Night Slayer brought his knee up to Johnny's stomach, connecting with a sickening crack and knocking the wind out of Johnny. Johnny keeled over some, and the Night Slayer clasped his fists together and brought them down onto Johnny's skull, rendering him unconscious. The Night Slayer increased his grip on the knife handles, preparing to deliver the killing blow to the human.
Yet he couldn't. Never before had he met such an opponent, never before so a challenge. It would be a true crime to kill one such as him.
He approached the door his opponent had arrived through, and peered down.
His was no where near ready for the site that awaited him. All around the room, people chained to walls or put in torture devices. A chamber of death, famine, and disease. A smirk crossed the Night Slayer's face.
He picked up his opponent's body, which was surprisingly light, and hauled him down to the dungeon.
Zim greeted his arrival at his home gratefully; glad to finally be away from the argument between Gaz and Pepito that had the potential to become quite violent.
He immediately stood still as here heard the dull clang of metal in his kitchen.
His antenna began to twitch nervously as he approached the kitchen, bracing himself for what he might see.
It was GIR, looking down at a pan he had just dropped.
Zim growled with some anger, as well as a sigh of relief mixed into it. "GIR! What are you doing?"
GIR turned around to look at him, and smiled as goofily as he could. "I'm making Popsicles!" he screamed in his high pitch little voice, quite usual for such small creatures.
"What do you mean you're making Popsicles GIR? You can't do that with a pan." Zim said, still annoyed from getting so frightened.
"Uh huh!" GIR retorted, picking up the pan and showing to Zim. "See?"
Zim did see, as the pan now had multiple colors imprinted into, the result of melting Popsicles inside a pan. "GIR! You just ruined a perfectly good cooking utensil! What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Cock a doodle do!" GIR said happily, blissfully unaware that he had actually done something wrong.
Zim frowned, and headed down to his laboratory.
At that moment, GIR remembered something. Something very important. "Oh yeah master, you're cousin came to visit today. He's waiting down in the whatchamacalit for you."
But Zim was already out of hearing range.
Johnny C. slowly began to open his eyes, his head dully thumping at a slow rate. He wasn't even sure his eyes where open, because the first thing he saw was complete darkness.
Finally, his eyes adjusted to the minimal amount of light in the room. "Shit….." he cussed silently to himself, hardly being able to believe what he knew had happened.
He was in his basement, shackled to one of the walls. His faced contorted into a vicious grimace, which grew as he heard the snicker of the person next to him on his left-hand side. "Well, look who's here." The man said. "If it ain't our gracious host, skinny fag man!" The man had obviously been trying to turn out laughter from some of the other prisoners, and failed miserably.
Johnny turned to the man, seething but unable to punish the man for his misdemeanor. The prick had a butch cut of his egg-shaped head, almost looking like an incredibly ugly hawk with his pointed nose. He wore a "Marilyn Manson" T-shirt and black pants. Obviously some fucking goth wannabe.
"Listen, unless you want me to rip your lungs out like you deserve, you'll shut the hell up!" Johnny said, his anger rising with each passing moment.
The wannabe goth made a sound of amusement and annoyance before he replied to Johnny's threat. "Oh, and how in the hell are you going to do that? You're in chains, just like all of us you stupid motherfucker!"
Johnny was silent for a moment, his grimace become wider. The goth just continued to keep on his stupid shit eating little smile on his crude face. His smile quickly diminished as Johnny himself got a wide grin on his face and began to laugh. "What the fuck is so funny fag?" the goth asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Hahahahah…Y…You don't…hahaha…don't get i..hahahaha! it, do you?" Johnny said, bearly able to contain his fits of laughter.
"Don't get WHAT?"
"Y..ahahaha! You think that hahahahahah! That I'm trapped in here with hahahahahahahahah! With you! B…hahaha But get this hahahahaha! I'M not trapped in hahahahaha! In here with you! You…hahahaha! YOU'RE trapped in here with ME!"
And the room was silent except for Johnny's echoing laughter, a constant reminder to the prisoners that even now Johnny C. still had them where he wanted them.
Gaz immediately sat on the couch as she and Dib arrived home, happy to finally be away from Pepito. She clutched her head for a moment before she picked up her GameSlave 2 and began to play. God, what a day! First, she had to hear Dib immediately launch into Zim with accusations. She knew Zim was an alien, but Dib really needed to give the poor kid a rest. And then there was Pepito, who had been following her around all day, totally lovestruck. At least he had the good sense to leave her alone inside her own house.
Then, of course, there was Dib's accusation that she had a crush on Zim.
Her? Have a crush? BAH! She didn't have a crush on Zim! She knew she didn't!
………Didn't she?
Her train of thought was broken as she heard the "Game Over" music begin to play, and she silent cursed herself. She had totally forgotten she was playing.
"Gaz!"
"Yet another lovely interference…" Gaz muttered softly to herself as Dib came up to her.
"I'm going to go spy on Zim now." Dib told her, as he finished putting on the face part of his black camouflage suit over his head, covering everything except his eyes. (You know what I'm talking about; the suit he wore in "Nano Zim" when he got into Zim's house.)
"Why do you even bother telling me this? It's not like I care." Gaz said. This had been going on as a daily routine for weeks.
Dib shrugged. "I guess I just like having somebody to tell what I'm going to do to." He said, his voice slightly muffled under the black cloth. "Besides, there's something very wrong with Zim recently." He said, talking more to himself then to Gaz. "Something's gnawing away at his nerves, and I plan to found out what." And with that, Dib dashed out the door towards the path to paranormal victory.
Gaz just looked at her brother run down the street before returning her gaze to her GameSlave 2. "Geek." She muttered to herself.
Zim sat at his chair in front of the main computer screen, reviewing all the data he had found on the planet. Hadn't he done a good job as an invader? Why? Why was this happening to him? What had he done to disappoint the Tallest so?
He immediately stopped dwelling on this as a pair of hands gripped around his neck and pulled him out of his seat, stopping the precious flow of air to his brain and holding him in midair. Zim tried to scream, but nothing but more of the air he needed issued from his mouth. He flailed wildly, kicking as hard as he could towards the attacker's "private" area, and making his fingers curl a little, allowing him to claw at the intruder. One of his hands obviously did enough pain to make the intruder scream and let go of his grip on Zim, dropping him to the cold, hard steel floor.
Zim tucked into a roll as he hit the ground, and recovered as fast as he could. His blood ran cold as he saw that his worst fears were true.
A Night Slayer, presently rubbing his forehead where a scratchmark now was, was right there in his own laboratory. He raised his cold black eyes at Zim, looking as if he could peer into Zim's soul. Zim began to back away, but was stopped as his back his the cold, hard instruments of the panel on his computer. The Night Slayer didn't make a move, his eyes the only thing following him. "You're a fool, you know that child?" the Night Slayer said, his voice no louder then a low whisper, the perfect reflection of his voice, which sounded to Zim like the crack of ice.
"What is it I did?" Zim asked. "Before I die, I want to know what it is I did to displease the Tallest so much as to resort to this? Didn't I do good on my mission?"
"Your mission?" the Night Slayer said, sounding more like snicker then actual words. "This whole thing was a setup. You were never on any real 'mission'. The Tallest just gave you this assignment because they were hoping you would somehow get lost in the void of space and die, so you would finally leave them alone."
Zim couldn't believe it. His eyes were beginning to fill again with the things humans called tears. It was a trick? His whole mission was nothing but a trick? Why would they do something like that?
iBastards…./i
He didn't understand why the Tallest would be so cruel, to play around with his sense of duty like that and then send this killer to eradicate him.
iI won't die this way…./i
Zim braced himself to fight his enemy, though he knew he only had a minimal chance of success against someone as skilled as a Night Slayer.
iI'll fight to the end…../i
The Night Slayer obviously seemed to know what it was Zim was thinking, and he drew his knives. Yet another fight this day, yet it probably wouldn't be as rewarding as the one he had had earlier with the human.
iI'll go down like a true invader./i
Then Zim did the unexpected….
He jumped off one of the ledges on the laboratory platform.
The Night Slayer was shocked. He was sure the child was going to try to fight him, to actually try to go down like a true Irken Invader. He put his knives back in there sheathe and began to walk out. He supposed he had misjudged the boy's character.
Right when he got onto one of the many bridges in the laboratory, he tripped and slammed face first onto the bridge. He immediately got up to see what he had tripped over.
It was a metallic, spider-like leg, joined by three others and a young irken attached to the pack they sprang from. The Night Slayer snickered yet again. The child had obviously sprang them up when he knew he was out of view of the Night Slayer and then carefully crawled back up to confront him. "You do know you have a small chance to defeat me, but a very good chance to die at my hands, don't you?" the Night Slayer said.
"I know." Zim replied. "But I can try to win."
And with that Zim used the robot leg to swing himself up onto the bridge. The Night Slayer shook his head. "A pity." The Night Slayer said. "If you didn't have so many faults that the Tallest have seen, you could be an excellent addition to the Night Slayers."
"And why would I want to join you?" Zim said, his voice as harsh a growl he could muster. "To do away with every single moral I have to just go and kill people outright?"
The Night Slayer's brow furrowed. "You make it sound as if death isn't necessary."
"That's because it isn't." Zim said. "There are times when it's needed, but not always."
"A war isn't a war without casualties." The Night Slayer said. "You knew you'd have to kill the people on Earth to conquer it if this really was a true mission, don't you?"
"I….know." Zim said. "But it wouldn't be like you. I don't get pleasure from the thought or act of killing things like you do."
"You have quite a mouth child." The Night Slayer said, his mouth forming a grin. His own pack opened, and his spider-legs came out. There was only one difference between the Night Slayer's and Zim's spider-legs were that the Night Slayer's legs had knife-like blades on them. "Don't take this TOO personally child. I only serve my 'masters'." He said, a smile still across his lips as his legs quickly scuttled towards Zim quickly, one of his legs going under Zim's and sweeping across them, sending Zim tumbling to the ground on his back, the legs of his pack pointing up, leaving Zim defenseless.
Zim immediately retracted the legs into his back and made a dash for one of the elevators. He had to get to one of his laser weapons he had higher up in the laboratory.
The Night Slayer quickly anticipated his actions and scuttled in front of him, his regular irken arms grasping his knives and holding them outward, preparing to strike when he came close enough. Zim came still dashing towards him, not hesitating a bit. 'He's going to try to bowl me over.' The Night Slayer thought. He immediately dug the metal legs into the floor, giving him extra balance. Zim came right up to him…..and then crouched down into a slide, going right beneath the robotic legs.
Zim had almost made it to the elevator when one of the legs came and struck at him, catching the back of his leg and biting into his flesh. Zim ignored the pain and gritted his teeth, getting into the elevator and started it up just in time as two more legs slammed into where the elevator once was.
Zim sighed and leaned back against the back of the elevator, his back sliding until he was in a sitting position. When the elevator finally reached its destination, Zim got out as quickly as he could and rushed towards one of the assorted laser weapons he had there. He picked up the one he had the most experience, a simple laser pistol, and prepared for the Night Slayer to have finished scaling the wall. There were only two noises he heard while he waited; the sound of the Night Slayer's metallic legs digging into the wall so he could climb it, and the flush of a toilet, meaning yet another person had entered the lab. The next thing he heard was the sound of his own body hitting the steel floor. He immediately spun out of the way as a leg slammed where he once was, cursing himself for being stupid enough not to think that he would come up behind him. Zim immediately aimed the laser pistol at the charging Night Slayer and fired, the beam hitting his chest. The Night Slayer reeled back for a moment…..
And continued his charge, unscathed.
Zim avoided yet more thrusts to the ground by the metallic spider legs, yet he knew he couldn't keep this up.
Suddenly, the Irken stopped his assault, and jumped onto one of the far walls, seemingly trying to hide. 'What the hell is he doing?' Zim thought to himself.
His question was soon answered as the elevator came up yet again, this time holding two people in it. Well, one person and a little robot in a dog costume. "Look master! Mr. Dib came over." GIR said happily, smiling at the thought of that he had done a good thing. Dib just gave Zim his usual smirk.
Zim growled at the arrogance of his opponent. "I have no time for you today Dib."
"Oh, and why's that?" Dib said as he went over to the display of laser weapons. "Are you….building an army of robots in dog costumes!?" he screamed, pointing to GIR as an example of a soldier in the "dog robot" army. GIR just smiled and waved at him.
"You wouldn't understand Earthling." Zim said. "But there's something very important I'm in the middle of."
"Earthlings…." Another, new voice said, echoing through the laboratory. "So that's what this race is called."
Dib was surprised as another irk came from seemingly nowhere, landing on the metal floor with his metal spider-legs, which he retracted and turned to look at the boy.
Dib snarled. "So they've sent backup, huh Zim? Even with two of you, you won't win."
"Oh yeah, this guy's my backup Dib." Zim snorted in disgust.
Finally, the other Irk spoke up. "Tell me, Earthling, what do you call those who kill on your planet?"
Dib raised an eyebrow, and was immediately disturbed by the other irk's presence. "We have different names for them, but I guess one of the most common ones is murderer."
"Murderer." The taller irk said, the word rolling around on his tongue. "What a charming little word." He turned his head towards Zim, yet continued to talk to Dib. "Let's say I kill this boy, Zim, under orders given to me by my superiors. Would it be justifiable? Or would I be a so- called 'murderer' for my actions, actions I take just to follow my master and for my honor?"
Dib was growing more uncomfortable around the taller irk by the minute. "I….I don't know. Why are you asking me this?"
"Because I wish to understand this race. So many of you are so seemingly different, even though I've only met two of you." The taller irk smiled. "You should leave, little earthling. This is none of your concern. If you wish to get involved and help this child, you too shall die."
Dib was taken aback. "You're….you're going to kill him?"
"Is that so shocking after the question I just asked you?"
Dib wasn't sure how to respond to what this creature had just told him. He had wanted to turn Zim in, which would result in him being killed, but his own race would actually send an assassin to kill him? He didn't have a problem with the thing killing Zim, except for…..
iGaz…….../i
Gaz was…..happy around Zim, something she rarely ever really was. He'd help Zim….for Gaz's happiness. "I'll fight you, alien scum." Dib told the taller alien.
The Night Slayer was surprised. He hadn't expected such a young earthling child to actually challenge him. He supposed that, whether child or adult, earthlings would fight. "You would die for someone you don't care about?"
Dib didn't answer until Zim turned towards him, his face askew in a look of confusion. "I don't care about him." Dib said. "But I know someone who does." Zim's face immediately lit up with understanding, his lips forming the words "Thank you."
The Night Slayer sneered. "If that's truly what you want." He quickly reached for something behind him, and pulled out a small black orb and threw it to the ground, creating an explosion that threw Zim into one of the laser weapons and almost sending Dib over the edge of floor, quickly being able to grip onto the side of the edge and quickly pulls himself up.
When he finally righted himself, he saw the Night Slayer standing over the prone body of Zim, his knives drawn. Dib began to dash towards the Night Slayer, put was stopped as a small, gray robot slammed into it, sending the Night Slayer skidding backwards. "You hurt master Zim!" GIR squeaked out angrily. "You're not a nice person!"
"Get off me you little pest!" the Night Slayer said angrily, grabbing the little robot and flinging him off of him.
GIR crouched into a roll and got back up, readying his weapons and aiming them at the Night Slayer. "You're a big meany!!"
GIR never got to fire a single shot, as a knife quickly found it's way into his head, and his body collapsed.
Annoyed, the Night Slayer came up to the little robot and took the knife out. He picked up its small, unmoving body, and threw him over one of the ledges, his body only making a very soft and low 'thump' as it his the ground below. He turned towards where his targets where, and immediately cursed himself.
They were gone, escaped while the little robot had distracted him.
At the bottom of the laboratory, GIR tried desperately to stay on line, his eyes flickering on and off. He sniffed softly and said "Bye bye Master Zim." And then his eyes flickered out for good and GIR's once cheerful, color-filled world became a dark world of silence, except for the heavy footfalls of the Night Slayer.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Well, that's the end of Chp. 2. I know I'm going to get flamed for what I've just done, put let me tell you that I DO like GIR. The reason he was 'killed' by the Night Slayer was to make the Night Slayer even more despicable. So please, tell me what you think.