Chapter 12 – A Hunter's Task

Saturday at last. Zia's mood was visibly better than it had been since the egg had been conceived. Also, a close-to-time energy boost had her up and about and making breakfast much to everyone's surprise.

"What's all this about?" Zim asked as he came up to the kitchen through the toilet.

"I don't know," Zia said, as she set the table, "I'm just really energized today!"

APU watched her nervously, "Mistress, are you sure all this movement is good for the egg? I mean, too much strain might--"

"Oh, I'm fine," Zia assured him, "Would you mind reaching the syrup? My metallic-legs won't lift me anymore," she shrugged sheepishly, "I tried. They broke."

APU sighed and used his jets to reach the shelf where the syrup was, and brought it down to Zia's waiting hands.

"Thank you," she said, and put the bottle on the table.

Then GIR rushed into the room, "GOOD MORNIIIIIIIING, HOUSE!! Do I smell waffles??"

Zia giggled, "Yes, GIR. They should be ready in a few minutes."

"Yay!" GIR said, and then patted Zia's belly affectionately, "Hi Babies! You're comin' out today!"

Zim's eyes widened, "You're due today, aren't you?" he realized.

"Mm-Hmm," Zia nodded, bringing a large plate of waffles over to the table, "And I feel great for some strange reason. Well, eat up boys! I'm sure we've got an interesting day ahead of us!"

GIR hopped into his chair and grabbed a fork and knife eagerly. Zim shrugged, decided to just go with the flow, and sat down as well. APU sat, but didn't eat – just like robots were supposed to. Zia pulled herself into the last chair with an effort, and beamed at them all proudly. Then breakfast began.

* * *

Up on the moon, the sleek maroon colored ship lifted up off the dusty ground. As it started towards Earth, the sun glinted off the sides, bringing out the name Wraith Shadow etched on the silver stripe on the right side.

* * *

Afternoon dragged on, but Zia's spirits were still high. But she was getting restless being shut in the house. She tried watching TV like she had every other day for the past two weeks, but found she just didn't have the patience for it. So she wandered down to the repair bay and fixed her broken spider-legs – which didn't take very long at all.

By mid-afternoon, she had settled down in the lab and was going over the data that the Tallest were coming to retrieve, knowing she shouldn't worry, but worrying all the same. As she was scanning the information for a third time, Zim came up behind her and cleared his throat.

Instinctively, she shut of the data projector and it snapped back inside her jetpack. "Yes?" she asked, turning to face him.

"I, um…was just wondering," Zim said, tugging at his collar, "Would you like to get out of the house tonight? Maybe get something to eat that isn't take-out?"

Zia grinned, "Are you asking me out to dinner?"

"Yes," he gulped.

"I'd love to," she said. She moved to stand up winced.

"Are you ok?" he asked urgently.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," he put a hand on her back, "Just got up a little too fast. That's all."

"Ok then," he said, and took her arm, "Let's go."

* * *

"Mistress, I don't approve of this," APU said, "You're too close to term to be going anywhere without me." He had stopped Zim and Zia on their way out the door. GIR stood behind him, tugging on his arm, trying to get him to lay off.

"I'll be fine – I promise," Zia said, "Besides – if that probe droid comes back, it'll come here first, won't it?"

"Yes," APU said grudgingly.

"So…you'll have an opportunity to take it out before it can gather any more data," Zia said, "Then maybe we can figure out where it's been coming from."

APU sighed, "Very well, Mistress. But know that I'm only staying here because it's against my programming to disobey you. I don't like this. Not one bit."

"Stop worrying," she said, "We'll be back before you know it."

And then she and Zim left, shutting the door behind them. APU folded his arms disapprovingly. GIR stopped tugging on his arm and went to watch TV.

Zim and Zia were barely two blocks away when the shadow of the Wraith Shadow loomed across the neighborhood, creeping slowly towards the base.

* * *

It was six-thirty when they first heard it. It was a soft thumping sound on the roof. APU jerked his head up, and even GIR glanced around, confused. Before either of them could do anything, the front door was blasted in by a huge explosion!!

Both robots hit the deck, as debris flew over their heads. They looked up as the smoke cleared. The bounty huntress stepped through the doorway, a cruel grin tugging at her lips.

APU leapt to his feet. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. GIR ducked behind him, frightened.

The bounty huntress put a hand to her chest, "Of course, how rude of me. I am Shyra Jasten, proud member of the Bounty Hunters Guild."

"I only needed you name," APU said quickly, accessing all of his weaponry, "So I can tell my Mistress who it is I've killed."

Shyra laughed, "You sure talk big for such a little thing. But enough talk. It's not you I'm interested in you. Where's your Mistress at?"

"You'll never know!!!" APU shouted, opening fire on her.

In a blur of motion, Shyra whipped out what looked like a baton made of energy and spun it expertly between her fingers. The energy bands absorbed the laser blasts as quickly as they came.

While still spinning the baton in one hand, she pulled a small detonator from the sleeve of her other arm, and flung it at APU. He redirected his fire and reduced the detonator to ashes, but not before it exploded on contact with his lasers! The blast sent him sprawling backwards, and GIR rushed to hide behind the TV, still terrified.

Shyra took a few steps forward, pocketing the baton and pulling a blaster out of a holster on her thigh. "Not bad, short stuff," she said, "But not good enough."

APU stood back up just as the roof was blown to bits! He was thrown against the floor as the fragments rained down on them. Shyra looked up and grinned. ZS-567 floated down through the huge opening in the ceiling. "Nice fireworks, no?" She said, "My little probe droid is a genius when it comes to correct placement of thermal detonators. He knows just how to make the perfect 'boom'."

She petted ZS fondly, and just seconds later, the droid was blown away by a volley of APU's lasers. Shyra ducked behind the couch, which APU, in his fury, began blasting to smithereens. He slowed to a stop after a short while. "Drop your weapons and step out from behind the couch, with your hands up," he said.

Shyra's blaster came sailing up over the couch and skidded across the floor, landing at APU's feet. Then she stood up, hands above her head, and stepped around to the front of the couch. "GIR," APU said, "Get a detainment chamber."

GIR ran off through the kitchen.

APU turned back to Shyra. "Some all powerful bounty hunter," he said.

"You got me," Shyra said, suppressing a smirk, "I know when I've been beaten."

APU barely had time to note her sarcastic turn before she'd whipped another detonator from her sleeve and hurled it expertly at him. He blasted it quickly, but as he did, a second one hit him in the side of the head!

He stumbled backwards, and when the smoke cleared, a piece of his head was missing, as was the top right half of his body. His right arm lay limp on the floor beside him. He cocked his left arm's guns, and opened fire again.

Shyra danced expertly out of the way and hurled yet another detonator at him. This one hit him straight on and he was thrown backwards violently. She crossed the room to where he lay in pieces, picked up her blaster and holstered it. "Stupid robot," she said.

Then a high-pitched scream pierced the air around her. She jumped, startled, and looked around. GIR was standing in the kitchen doorway, holding the detainment chamber over his head, screaming at the site of APU blown to bits!

"You!!" she cried, and before she could pull out her blaster, the little should-be-SIR unit had hurled the huge container at her. It pinned her, facedown, to the floor. "You little pest!!" she screamed, "ZS!! Get this thing off of me!!"

As ZS floated over to assist her, GIR gathered up APU's pieces into his head, and began running off, still screaming.

Shyra growled in frustration and took quick aim at him and pulled the trigger of her wrist laser.

Out in the front yard, the mini-blast hit GIR, and blew his right arm off. Whimpering, he picked it up and ran off into the night. He knew what he had to do: he had to find Master and Mistress – and FAST!!