Chapter 19
Still In There
The next few moments stood still like a dead planet lost in the mist of the stars. Standing in front of Zim and company was Rogue, with the deepest, most coldest look within her purple sharp eyes. Her face remained totally emotionless. She stood with one arm stretched out, pointing at Zim.
"Prepare yourself." She spoke. "You will all soon meet your demise."
"...Rogue." Zim said, almost in a low whisper. "You can't mean that!"
Next to Zim, Gir stared at the female Irkin abit oddly. He took a few short robot steps towards Rogue. He got about half a foot away, stopping like he was sencing something bad. Something scary.
"Rogue..? Are you feeling all good?" The little SIR asked.
The now dark looking Irkin slowing and quietly lowered her pointed hand to Gir's question. She glared down, not saying a word. Gir just showed his sweet smile towards her.
"........you piece of junk."
Like a flash, Rogue suddenly kicked the SIR with such force, the poor robot skidded across the floor, between Dib and Zim, hitting the far end wall!
"Gir!" Zim called out to his SIR. But he didn't move. His normaly bright blue eyes suddenly grew dim, and shut off.
Shocked by this, Zim got up off the floor and faced Rogue, who was just smiling evilly by her own act.
"Who's next?" She asked coldly.
"Well Zim, are you surprised?" A familier voice boomed from all around the room. One of two familier voices. Suddenly a huge view screen came down from the ceiling behind Rogue. On the glowing screen were Red and Purple.
"So, how do you like our new and improved Rogue, Zim?" Purple continued. "Faster, meaner, and completely under our command!"
She needed a major attitude adjustment." Red added. "She's been a bad girl, so we punished her by taking something away from her."
"What do you mean?!" Zim shouted at the screen.
"Her free will, of course." Red answered. "You see, she was born in a way so she would have the same strength and fighting skills as a highly advanced battle droid, but at the same time, have a mind capable of thinking on it's own."
"So by just REMOVING her will to think..." Purple said. "...she immediately becomes a 100%, fully functional, top-of-the-line-"
"SHUT UP!!!" Zim suddenly yelled, not wanting to hear anymore of it. "You sick PIGS!! CHANGE ROGUE BACK!!!"
"Sorry, but we couldn't care less about what you think!" Purple said. The Tallest shot a grin at the male Irkin that just made the rage surge within him. Unable to hold it back, Zim suddenly lunged towards the viewing screen. But he didn't get far.
The split second he was in the air, Rogue jumped up to intercept him, and before he could even blink, he felt a cold folded fist slam into his jaw. The power of the blow threw Zim backwards, landing right next to his burned out SIR. The pain was so great, it crawled from his jaw down to his neck. It felt like his lower skull was in pieces.
"Ooooo, nice shot, Rogue." Red said clapping his large hands. The cybrog Irkin turned to the screen and bowed on one knee.
"I serve only you, my Tallest." She said.
"Of course you do." Purple said with a smrik. "And keep it up. We want a good show here." He then reached over off view screen and grabbed a bag of popcorn.
"That's right." Red said. "And remember what we told you..." He grabed a handful of popcorn from Purple. "...kill him slowly."
"I shall obey." Rogue said clearly. She stood back up and slowly turned away from the screen.
Zim stumbled to his feet, holding onto his now half swollen face. Adjusting his eyesight, he could see Rogue walking closer towards him. In the background of her, the Tallest watched on, grinning from unseen ear to unseen ear.
It was beginning to gear up into something nasty in the huge room. The sheer look in Rogue's eyes seemed to pierce right through Zim.
At that moment, Dib felt like now was a good time as any to try and make a run for it. The door was only about fifty feet away. And Rogue was too into Zim to really notice him, right?
The paranormal invastigator bit his bottom lip and made a beeline to the door. He went past the cybrog as fast as he could, but...
Dib was only five feet away from escaping when he felt a force hit him from behind that was like getting hit by a 8-wheeler truck. His body slammed into the door, denting it slightly. He then suddenly felt his trench coat being yanked, and he was face to face with Rogue's left laser gem, glowing and ready to fire!
"Hey Rogue!" Red's voice suddenly caught Rogue's attention. "We want you to get rid of Zim FIRST! You can zap that spike-headed "thing" after that."
"My apologize, my Tallest." Rogue said. She let go of the Dib. The blow of her bodyblow attack then caused the boy to pass out, right in front of the door.
Turning back to Zim, who was trying to get Gir up and working again, the female Irkin approached him. Zim looked up towards her, stopping his work on Gir and stepping back as she got closer.
"Rogue, listen to me!" Zim said, closely watching her face. "The TALLEST are CONTROLING you! Your NOT thier SLAVE!"
Rogue deploted her metal legs and rosed high above Zim. She looked down at him like a spider spotting a fly. The way the lighten was at that moment made Rogue look like a giant black widow.
"I have my orders." Rogue said in a emotionless tone. "And those are to slowly kill you for my Tallest's amusement."
"Rogue, I...I don't want to hurt you! I don't NEED TO! Zim said. "And you don't have to fight!"
"Who said anything about fight?" Rogue said, lifting a metal leg to step forward. "Unless you think you have a chance."
"Highly doubt it!" Purple shouted from the screen in the background.
Zim turned his head to give a death glare to the Tallest, but that was Rogue's cue. She began by firing a swam of laser beams towards him! In quick reflex though, Zim immediately shot out his spider legs and leaped up high to dodge them. No sooner he did so, Rogue was already in front of his person with gems burning red! In a last second, sort of desperate move, Zim grabbed her arms away from the gems and yanked them straight upwards. The beams fired to the ceiling, bringing a piece of it crashing down.
The two landed on thier metal legs. Rogue pursue to Zim the moment she landed. He quickly dodged to the right, she followed his move swiftly and pulled another punch to his face. Before he could recover from that, Rogue closed both fist together and nailed him right in the side. Zim stumbled and fell to the floor, grabbing onto his two new injurys.
"You don't even TRY to strike back." Rogue hovered over him with her shadow. "What a weakling you are."
"Yeah! You hear that, Zim?!" Purple shouted. "Your WEAK!! WEEEEAK!!"
"Shut up, will you!" Red said.
Ignoing thier sideline remarks, Zim got himself up again, not sure if he could stand on his own two feet. His metal legs trembled slightly as he lifted back up. Sure enough, Rogue was ready to go for another bout.
"Weak." She repeated. "To me, your just a sick dying beast waiting to be put out of it's misery. I will bring my Tallest great gratitude and joy by disposing you!"
"But Rogue,..." Zim cluched to his side as it surged with pain. "What about how they used you before? They lied to you countless times! Don't you remember that?"
The look on the cybrog's face suddenly drew slightly confused. "What ARE you talking about, you fool? Sounds to me like YOUR the lier."
'What?...Did they erase her mind too?' Zim thought. '...No, NO! Sh-she's not the Rogue I knew anymore! Curse you, Tallest....!' Suddenly, in a brust of tears, without thinking he shouted out, "CURSE YOOOOU!!!"
"DIE, ZIM!"
Swiftly and in a blur, Rogue ran forwards towards Zim, her metal legs stunk straight out like pairs of knives. She ran right into with Zim.
..............
Zim was now on his back, his extra legs sprawled out under him. Rogue stood over him, her legs still holding her up.
Zim's whole body was feeling numb. His eyes were shut tight, not even sure if the numbness meant-
A sharp, overwelming pain suddenly over took his right shoulder. The Irkin immediately tightened his muscles and held back a cry of pain. Slowly, he slightly turned his head to his right and opened a eye.
Of all four of Rogue's spider legs, one was stabbed into Zim's shoulder. His eyes opened fully in horror, seeing his darkish green blood beginning to raise from the wound.
Zim shut his eyes again, thinking that for sure, Rogue was about to use her other metal legs in a similar manner. But nothing else was happening. Rogue wasn't moving or saying anything. Zim released his eyelids once more to see why.
Strangely, the female Irkin's face was showing the upmost of confusion. She suddenly withdrawled away from Zim and recalled back her extra legs, still looking puzzled. Zim slowly lifted up, not without feeling a mess of pain from his stab to the shoulder. He just stayed quiet, not understanding why Rogue didn't....
"What happened...?" Rogue suddenly asked outloud. "My aim...it was perfect! That attack was supposed to go straight to you chest! Wh-what interruped it!?"
The moment after she said that, her face frozened into a blank state. Her eyes just stared off into space.
"Rogue..? Ugh!" Zim stood up holding his right shoulder.
Rogue's eyes met Zim's. There was another short slience.
"......Zim?" Rogue suddenly blured out. Her voice sounded normal.
The male Irkin's eyes widened to this. But then...
"ROGUE! IRK TO ROGUE!!" Red's voice boomed, causing Zim to jump abit. "You do what WE SAY! WE are your MASTERS! WE COMMAND YOU TO DESTROY ZIM NOW!!!"
"YEAH, GET ON WITH IT!" Purple added loudly.
"Rogue, wait! Don't listen to them!" Zim said. "Your still in there, are you? It's me, ZIM!"
But it was already too late. The Tallest's words already had thier effects taken place on Rogue. Her attitude and look changed back to dark.
"The Tallest's word is law. The death of Zim is NOW at hand!" Rogue said really creepy like. With saying that, she began to bring the wrists and palms of her cybrog hands together. (FOOTNOTE THINGY: If you all remember the flashback in Chapter 9, you'll KNOW what she's doing!)
Injured and still bleeding, Zim hasn't seen whatever Rogue was doing before. But whatever it was, he got a really bad feeling from it already. He carefully watched to find out.
Meanwhile, the Tallest started to whisper about something back and forth. Something to the effect of:
PURPLE: "Uhh...hey, is it smart for her to go ahead with that?"
RED: "Are you slipping? We lowered the power in her gems, remember? The damage won't be enough to destroy the ship, but that's less to say for Zim." (Grins)
PURPLE: "Oh yeah...." (Grins too)
RED: "There isn't going to be anything left of him in a few minutes!"
Back to the true matter at hand, Zim watched in wonder as Rogue's hands and wrists slowly fused, the wires and circuits in them connecting to each other as one!
"What IS this?!" Zim said with a forced stare.
Rogue suddenly brusted into a creepy evil laugh, enjoying Zim's obliviousness to what she had in store. "You should see yourself right now!" She said. "You look even more helpless, more weak! It's PERFECT! Just the way you should look before you die!"
The fusion of her hands was then completed, reveling to Zim for the first time Rogue's pulse cannon! The two gems from before have now fused into one huge gem, and the barrelhole of the cannon was the size of a softball! With a small smirk, she began to power up.
"I wouldn't even try to run if I were you." Rogue said. "Besides, I doubt you'll get very far with that injury."
Zim knew she was right, but he wasn't ready to give up. His mind raced like crazy as Rogue was nearing to fire.
"Countdown to pulse cannon..." Rogue then announced. "Ten...nine..."
Zim franticaly looked around, but there wasn't a thing to hide behind or block with or ANYTHING! 'LAST SECOND PLAN! LAST SECOND PLAN!!" That thought ran over and over in his head.
"...two...ONE...SAY GOODBYE!!!"
The pulse cannon hummed loudly, and fired a beam that caused the whole area to tremble like a earthquake! The beam's light lit the room up like day! Zim could only see this HUGE light coming right for him!
The power of the blast blew a hole the size of large doorway right through the wall and into space.
"YES! YES! DID YOU SEE THAT!? WHOOO, BULL'S EYE!!" Red cheered out.
"THAT WAS THE BEST DEATH IV'E EVER SEEN!!" Purple shouted out.
Rogue lowered her pulse cannon and grined widenly. The cannon then slowly unfused itself back to normal. With a turn to the view screen, she set her sights on the Tallest.
"Are you pleased, my Tallest?" She asked.
"Oh YEAH!!" Purple said with a huge smile. "THAT was GREAT!"
"We are VERY pleased, Rogue." Red said, feeling great. "You've done your job well!"
"No more ZIM! YEEES!" Purple continued.
The tall ones went on with thier cheering, not watching something that was peering out of a small hole in front of the blasted out hole. Zim was still shaking abit from such a close call. Within the mere moments before the bright beam was to destroy him, he formed his laser from his metal legs and blasted a escape hole in the floor beneath himself and fell in! He took this hiding time to good use. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a small box, looking alot like a first aid kit, to treat his wound. He cleaned it, pull some kind of cold gel on it, which stun, and then wrapped it.
He then put the kit away and paused a moment to think something over. 'Her face...and her eyes...that one point, she was back to normal! But the Tallest...the TALLEST! The sound of thier voice alone got her under thier control again. She's trapped in her own mind!' Paused again. '...If I could just get her away from them. I could snap her out of thier acursed mind trick! But how?'
Zim peered back out of the hole and saw the Tallest still looking happy, thinking he was dead. He then looked over and saw Rogue walking towards the Dib monkey, who was still out cold.
'I have to get her out and away from this room!' Zim thought.
But then, almost on cue, the atmosphere in the huge room was starting to feel ABIT windy. The hole in the wall exposing the outside of space had finally started to have a effect. Like a big vacuum, the hole made the area loose all it's pressure and began to suck anything out!
Zim immediately grabbed to the edge of his hiding hole as pieces of loose wall and other stuff flew by him, almost smaking him in the head.
"Uh?? What the- ZIM!?" Purple said, spotted the Irkin hanging on for his life.
"ROGUE! ZIM'S STILL ALIVE!!" Red called out to the cybrog.
The suction caused Rogue to grab onto something as well. Hearing Red, she also saw Zim, and grew angry.
Zim's SIR, Gir, was still out as his metal body started to drag going towards the hole. But a flying piece of scrap metal suddenly beaned the little robot in the head, rebooting him back on. Still dragging along the floor, he just looked around blissfully.
"GOOD MORN'IN!!!" He squeeled.
"Gir! Hang on to something!" Zim called out.
The robot then realized the suction, and clamped into the wall with one of his hands like a claw. He waved in the air like a little metal flag.
Just then, something caught the blue eyes of the SIR zooming by him, getting sucked up. It was a still fanted Dib.
"FLYING DIB!!" Gir cried out. He then, being the sweet little robot that he is, stretched out his free hand and grabbed the Earthling's back of his trench coat before he got out in space.
Right then and there, Dib FINALLY woke up. He thought he was dreaming at first, till a piece of junk whacked him in the head.
"OW! Jezz, that-, hey, wait a minute..WHAT THE-!?!! He clinged himself to Gir's stretched arm. "WHAT'S GOING ON!?" He looked around and saw Zim still hanging on, and Rogue using her claw-like robot fingers to dig into the floor in order to get closer to Zim. "He's been FIGHTING her?" Dib said to himself.
Rogue grew closer to the other Irkin, wanting to make SURE that this time, he'll STAY DEAD. Zim saw her coming, but was too busy trying to save himself. He was the closest to the hole, making it nearly impossible to pull himself in!
"KILL HIM ALREADY!!!" Both Red and Purple shouted out.
Rogue lifted a glowing laser gem, aiming towards Zim. It hummed loudly. But before the blast could take place, behind her a loose peice of wall suddenly gave way, the suction making it airborne, it came up and hit Rogue in the back of the head. The speed of the impack knocked her out cold. Her grip loosened and she began to head out for space!
"NO!" Zim quickly freed his left hand and grabbed Rogue's hand, saving her. But his remaining arm suddenly started loosing it's grip. His shoulder was still giving him alot of pain.
"Can't...hold..-"
Zim's hand then slipped away, and both Irkin's went flying out in space! Zim immediately activated his air bubble and quickly did the same for Rogue. They continued to float farther from the Massive, the whole time, Zim gripped tighter to Rogue's hand.
~"HEY! That ain't fair!" Purple shouted out. "We can't see her rip him apart now!"
"Calm down, we can still see them." Red said, abit ticked himself for that matter. He glanced down and brought up another one of those floor control panals. (Geez, their EVERYWHERE, huh? ^-^) Pressing one button, he activated a steel door that lowered from the ceiling and blocked off the hole, finally stopping the vacuum. And with another button, a hologram screen flashed up with a pictures of several little pod looking things, numbered 1 through 10. Picking up a mic on the panal, Red spoke into it saying, "All viewing pods spread out and search around the Massive." The screen bleeped a few times, and then spilt into ten smaller screens, each one showing where the pods were outside the ship.
"Those things better find them quick, or we'll miss the good part!" Purple grumbled.
Meanwhile, the Tallest didn't noticed two things missing from the whole situation. After the hole was sealed, Dib was able to sneak out of the room, with Gir following like a lost puppy. They were now in the hallways again, luckly with no soldiers in sight this time. The boy carefully walked and turned the corners, but Gir just clanked his little legs while he walked.
"Will you cut that out!" Dib whispered at the SIR. Gir just cocked his head to one side at him. "WHY are you following me?!"
Gir gave it a short thought. "...What??"
"Get AWAY FROM ME!" Dib snapped.
Gir frowned a little. "Why?"
"Because....! You...I..JUST GO AWAY!"
"But..." The robot gave his most sad look to him. "Master is out in space with Rogue, and I feel all bad about it."
"I could care less!" Dib said. "Don't you get it? Your "Master" and me are enemys! So YOU shouldn't be following me."
"Where are YOU going?" Gir asked, still not moving.
Dib lowered his big eyes. "I'm "going" to find a way OUT of here."
"How?" Gir asked again, this time smiling.
"There has to be some escaping pods or something on this place, right?" Dib said. He turned to walk away from Gir, but was stopped again with another question.
"CAN you FIND them??" The SIR smiled even more, like it was all a game.
"HOW hard can it be?!" Dib asked.
"This is the MAAAASSIVE!" Gir cooded loudly. "It would take you FOREEEEEEEVEEEEEEEEER."
The Earth boy's face changed with that now in mind. He saw JUST how big the Massive was on the outside. Plus, by the time Rogue was done with Zim, the whole crew of the ship could go after him like before, with no Zim or Rogue to save him for a sick, twisted reason. He turned to the nearest wall next to him, stared at it for about a good two, three minutes, and began to slam his head againest it continuously.
"ALRIGHT!!" Gir shouted, and joined right in, hitting his head harder then Dib. But then, the boy stopped with a new thought.
"Hey wait! Zim and Rogue have that ship! But, it's back on thier planet!" He tried his best not to freak just yet. "But...if Zim wins to Rogue....Rogue is too strong! She could of already killed him. But if he's still alive, if he beats her, then....." He suddenly stopped his outloud thinking in realizing something that kind of made him feel sick. ".....I HOPING ZIM DOESN'T GET KILLED!!" This lead to a few more head slammings. (^0^)
~In space...~
Zim finally was able to position himself, and with that, he let out his jetpack to maintain control. Rogue was still unconscious, but breathing thanks to Zim's quick thinking. They were now pretty far from the Massive, far enough for the viewing pods to not see them at lease. But the male Irkin's main concern right now was the one he was still gripping his hand to. He pulled Rogue in closer to himself. Just as he did that, the feeling Gir explained earlier started to take surface again. Zim sort of jump to it this time. All he did was bring her closer, to see if she was going to be okay. That too was making him more red.
He suddenly shook his head, and went to see if Rogue was fine. The back of his head now had a huge bruise, but her breathing was good. He then took a look at her face. He didn't noticed till now that there were some cuts. Must of got them when she was fighting off getting sucked out.
"Rogue? Can you hear me?" Zim said. She didn't respond. 'What if..what if when she wakes up, she...' Zim thought about the possibility that the Tallest could still have a hold on her. But they were far from them now. Hopefuly, that was all it would take to bring her back. Betting on that, he tried again.
"Wake up, please." Still no respond. A painful feeling suddenly hit Zim's chest. A sad feeling, that what if...
"PLEASE...wake up..." The feeling taking over, he took his free hand and brought it up to her face. The air bubble blocked it only by a centimeter, but it felt like a mile to Zim. He wanted to touch her face, hoping that would open her eyes. He removed his hand, and grasp to Rogue's other hand, and held it as tight as the other.
"Open your eyes.."
Tears began to form in his eyes. He blinked them away, but they just came right back. All he wanted was to see Rogue looking back at him. At that moment, he didn't care about anything else but that. It hurt.
The next few minutes tricked by like hours. But then, Zim saw a sign of movement on Rogue's face. His face light up, his tears dried up. She was coming to! He let go of her hands, and she automatically let out her jetpack. She hovered in front of him, but her head remained looking downwards. Zim thought maybe she was just regaining her thoughts.
"Rogue! It's me! We're outside the Massive, and the Tallest are looking for both of us! We have to think of something!" Zim said. But Rogue didn't make a sound. "Are you...do you remember anything?" He asked.
She finally rosed her head. Her face...it wasn't right.
"..Tall...est...my...Tall-...Zim..get...Zim...the Mighty...Tall..." Her words were shaky and quick. And her eyes were dim and shaded.
"Rogue??" Zim was uneasy to see her like this. Something wasn't right with her at all! "That blow to the head..." He remembered what the Tallest said eariler about her brain being mostly made of cybrog and robotic parts. It scrambled her abit!
"Kill....the...obey...Zim..is....must..." She continued to talk in that manner. It was unbearable for Zim.
"Rogue! Snap out of it!" Zim reached out and shook Rogue hard. He stopped and looked into her eyes. She looked back at him, in a emotionless slience. But then they widened abit.
"Do you know who I am?" Zim asked, not leaving her sight. She stared back at him, not saying anything at first.
"Your..Zim.." She said in a normal tone of voice. But as soon as she worded that out, her face changed. Her eyes narrowed more, they grew dark, and she was looking too much like before. Zim wasn't ready as she then lunged at him, and wrapped her hands around his neck. She began to squeeze, slowly but tightly. Zim grabbed onto her wrists, trying to break free. He gasped and turned red in the face as he started to loose all his air.
"The Tallest! I MUST do as they say!!" Rogue shouted out, in a piercing, screeching tone.
Zim struggled, but the more he did, the more she squeezed. He just looked at her, and thought, 'They really do have you now, don't they? You can't help it. You don't even know "me" anymore. But...' He opened his mouth to speak. "...I...don't..hate you....for what your...going to do, Rogue..."
Just then, when he looked at her eyes, to his surprise, tear began to flow from them! But Rogue wasn't showing any sign for crying. They rolled down her cheeks like little rivers. Zim stared at her face, and then, she spoke again...
"Z-Zim! Help...me! Pl-please!"
The voice was her's, it was the true Rogue, the Rogue Zim knew.
TO BE CONTINUED...........
*RogueStar*: This chapter was one that I had thought up before I even started this fic! What do you all think? The next chapter, if I'm right, is gonna be the LAST chapter!! NO, REALLY! But there's NO WAY I'M GONNA TELL YA WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN!!! HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! You all are just going to have to WAIT!! But really, what did you all think of this chapter? I had the way Rogue acted, the way Zim acted, all thought out WAY before! And to pV: You've been the best reader for this fic, girl! I bow to you and your fic, which I'm hoping to see more soon! I hope you liked this, and the last chapter that will be writed and posted as soon as I get more work done on Final Fantasy Eds. I'm surprised the readers of that one haven't been sending me hate mail telling me to get more done on it! (*LAUGH*) So anyway, I'll see you all in the next, and LAST chapter of Project Rogue some time in the future! LATER! ^-~
The next few moments stood still like a dead planet lost in the mist of the stars. Standing in front of Zim and company was Rogue, with the deepest, most coldest look within her purple sharp eyes. Her face remained totally emotionless. She stood with one arm stretched out, pointing at Zim.
"Prepare yourself." She spoke. "You will all soon meet your demise."
"...Rogue." Zim said, almost in a low whisper. "You can't mean that!"
Next to Zim, Gir stared at the female Irkin abit oddly. He took a few short robot steps towards Rogue. He got about half a foot away, stopping like he was sencing something bad. Something scary.
"Rogue..? Are you feeling all good?" The little SIR asked.
The now dark looking Irkin slowing and quietly lowered her pointed hand to Gir's question. She glared down, not saying a word. Gir just showed his sweet smile towards her.
"........you piece of junk."
Like a flash, Rogue suddenly kicked the SIR with such force, the poor robot skidded across the floor, between Dib and Zim, hitting the far end wall!
"Gir!" Zim called out to his SIR. But he didn't move. His normaly bright blue eyes suddenly grew dim, and shut off.
Shocked by this, Zim got up off the floor and faced Rogue, who was just smiling evilly by her own act.
"Who's next?" She asked coldly.
"Well Zim, are you surprised?" A familier voice boomed from all around the room. One of two familier voices. Suddenly a huge view screen came down from the ceiling behind Rogue. On the glowing screen were Red and Purple.
"So, how do you like our new and improved Rogue, Zim?" Purple continued. "Faster, meaner, and completely under our command!"
She needed a major attitude adjustment." Red added. "She's been a bad girl, so we punished her by taking something away from her."
"What do you mean?!" Zim shouted at the screen.
"Her free will, of course." Red answered. "You see, she was born in a way so she would have the same strength and fighting skills as a highly advanced battle droid, but at the same time, have a mind capable of thinking on it's own."
"So by just REMOVING her will to think..." Purple said. "...she immediately becomes a 100%, fully functional, top-of-the-line-"
"SHUT UP!!!" Zim suddenly yelled, not wanting to hear anymore of it. "You sick PIGS!! CHANGE ROGUE BACK!!!"
"Sorry, but we couldn't care less about what you think!" Purple said. The Tallest shot a grin at the male Irkin that just made the rage surge within him. Unable to hold it back, Zim suddenly lunged towards the viewing screen. But he didn't get far.
The split second he was in the air, Rogue jumped up to intercept him, and before he could even blink, he felt a cold folded fist slam into his jaw. The power of the blow threw Zim backwards, landing right next to his burned out SIR. The pain was so great, it crawled from his jaw down to his neck. It felt like his lower skull was in pieces.
"Ooooo, nice shot, Rogue." Red said clapping his large hands. The cybrog Irkin turned to the screen and bowed on one knee.
"I serve only you, my Tallest." She said.
"Of course you do." Purple said with a smrik. "And keep it up. We want a good show here." He then reached over off view screen and grabbed a bag of popcorn.
"That's right." Red said. "And remember what we told you..." He grabed a handful of popcorn from Purple. "...kill him slowly."
"I shall obey." Rogue said clearly. She stood back up and slowly turned away from the screen.
Zim stumbled to his feet, holding onto his now half swollen face. Adjusting his eyesight, he could see Rogue walking closer towards him. In the background of her, the Tallest watched on, grinning from unseen ear to unseen ear.
It was beginning to gear up into something nasty in the huge room. The sheer look in Rogue's eyes seemed to pierce right through Zim.
At that moment, Dib felt like now was a good time as any to try and make a run for it. The door was only about fifty feet away. And Rogue was too into Zim to really notice him, right?
The paranormal invastigator bit his bottom lip and made a beeline to the door. He went past the cybrog as fast as he could, but...
Dib was only five feet away from escaping when he felt a force hit him from behind that was like getting hit by a 8-wheeler truck. His body slammed into the door, denting it slightly. He then suddenly felt his trench coat being yanked, and he was face to face with Rogue's left laser gem, glowing and ready to fire!
"Hey Rogue!" Red's voice suddenly caught Rogue's attention. "We want you to get rid of Zim FIRST! You can zap that spike-headed "thing" after that."
"My apologize, my Tallest." Rogue said. She let go of the Dib. The blow of her bodyblow attack then caused the boy to pass out, right in front of the door.
Turning back to Zim, who was trying to get Gir up and working again, the female Irkin approached him. Zim looked up towards her, stopping his work on Gir and stepping back as she got closer.
"Rogue, listen to me!" Zim said, closely watching her face. "The TALLEST are CONTROLING you! Your NOT thier SLAVE!"
Rogue deploted her metal legs and rosed high above Zim. She looked down at him like a spider spotting a fly. The way the lighten was at that moment made Rogue look like a giant black widow.
"I have my orders." Rogue said in a emotionless tone. "And those are to slowly kill you for my Tallest's amusement."
"Rogue, I...I don't want to hurt you! I don't NEED TO! Zim said. "And you don't have to fight!"
"Who said anything about fight?" Rogue said, lifting a metal leg to step forward. "Unless you think you have a chance."
"Highly doubt it!" Purple shouted from the screen in the background.
Zim turned his head to give a death glare to the Tallest, but that was Rogue's cue. She began by firing a swam of laser beams towards him! In quick reflex though, Zim immediately shot out his spider legs and leaped up high to dodge them. No sooner he did so, Rogue was already in front of his person with gems burning red! In a last second, sort of desperate move, Zim grabbed her arms away from the gems and yanked them straight upwards. The beams fired to the ceiling, bringing a piece of it crashing down.
The two landed on thier metal legs. Rogue pursue to Zim the moment she landed. He quickly dodged to the right, she followed his move swiftly and pulled another punch to his face. Before he could recover from that, Rogue closed both fist together and nailed him right in the side. Zim stumbled and fell to the floor, grabbing onto his two new injurys.
"You don't even TRY to strike back." Rogue hovered over him with her shadow. "What a weakling you are."
"Yeah! You hear that, Zim?!" Purple shouted. "Your WEAK!! WEEEEAK!!"
"Shut up, will you!" Red said.
Ignoing thier sideline remarks, Zim got himself up again, not sure if he could stand on his own two feet. His metal legs trembled slightly as he lifted back up. Sure enough, Rogue was ready to go for another bout.
"Weak." She repeated. "To me, your just a sick dying beast waiting to be put out of it's misery. I will bring my Tallest great gratitude and joy by disposing you!"
"But Rogue,..." Zim cluched to his side as it surged with pain. "What about how they used you before? They lied to you countless times! Don't you remember that?"
The look on the cybrog's face suddenly drew slightly confused. "What ARE you talking about, you fool? Sounds to me like YOUR the lier."
'What?...Did they erase her mind too?' Zim thought. '...No, NO! Sh-she's not the Rogue I knew anymore! Curse you, Tallest....!' Suddenly, in a brust of tears, without thinking he shouted out, "CURSE YOOOOU!!!"
"DIE, ZIM!"
Swiftly and in a blur, Rogue ran forwards towards Zim, her metal legs stunk straight out like pairs of knives. She ran right into with Zim.
..............
Zim was now on his back, his extra legs sprawled out under him. Rogue stood over him, her legs still holding her up.
Zim's whole body was feeling numb. His eyes were shut tight, not even sure if the numbness meant-
A sharp, overwelming pain suddenly over took his right shoulder. The Irkin immediately tightened his muscles and held back a cry of pain. Slowly, he slightly turned his head to his right and opened a eye.
Of all four of Rogue's spider legs, one was stabbed into Zim's shoulder. His eyes opened fully in horror, seeing his darkish green blood beginning to raise from the wound.
Zim shut his eyes again, thinking that for sure, Rogue was about to use her other metal legs in a similar manner. But nothing else was happening. Rogue wasn't moving or saying anything. Zim released his eyelids once more to see why.
Strangely, the female Irkin's face was showing the upmost of confusion. She suddenly withdrawled away from Zim and recalled back her extra legs, still looking puzzled. Zim slowly lifted up, not without feeling a mess of pain from his stab to the shoulder. He just stayed quiet, not understanding why Rogue didn't....
"What happened...?" Rogue suddenly asked outloud. "My aim...it was perfect! That attack was supposed to go straight to you chest! Wh-what interruped it!?"
The moment after she said that, her face frozened into a blank state. Her eyes just stared off into space.
"Rogue..? Ugh!" Zim stood up holding his right shoulder.
Rogue's eyes met Zim's. There was another short slience.
"......Zim?" Rogue suddenly blured out. Her voice sounded normal.
The male Irkin's eyes widened to this. But then...
"ROGUE! IRK TO ROGUE!!" Red's voice boomed, causing Zim to jump abit. "You do what WE SAY! WE are your MASTERS! WE COMMAND YOU TO DESTROY ZIM NOW!!!"
"YEAH, GET ON WITH IT!" Purple added loudly.
"Rogue, wait! Don't listen to them!" Zim said. "Your still in there, are you? It's me, ZIM!"
But it was already too late. The Tallest's words already had thier effects taken place on Rogue. Her attitude and look changed back to dark.
"The Tallest's word is law. The death of Zim is NOW at hand!" Rogue said really creepy like. With saying that, she began to bring the wrists and palms of her cybrog hands together. (FOOTNOTE THINGY: If you all remember the flashback in Chapter 9, you'll KNOW what she's doing!)
Injured and still bleeding, Zim hasn't seen whatever Rogue was doing before. But whatever it was, he got a really bad feeling from it already. He carefully watched to find out.
Meanwhile, the Tallest started to whisper about something back and forth. Something to the effect of:
PURPLE: "Uhh...hey, is it smart for her to go ahead with that?"
RED: "Are you slipping? We lowered the power in her gems, remember? The damage won't be enough to destroy the ship, but that's less to say for Zim." (Grins)
PURPLE: "Oh yeah...." (Grins too)
RED: "There isn't going to be anything left of him in a few minutes!"
Back to the true matter at hand, Zim watched in wonder as Rogue's hands and wrists slowly fused, the wires and circuits in them connecting to each other as one!
"What IS this?!" Zim said with a forced stare.
Rogue suddenly brusted into a creepy evil laugh, enjoying Zim's obliviousness to what she had in store. "You should see yourself right now!" She said. "You look even more helpless, more weak! It's PERFECT! Just the way you should look before you die!"
The fusion of her hands was then completed, reveling to Zim for the first time Rogue's pulse cannon! The two gems from before have now fused into one huge gem, and the barrelhole of the cannon was the size of a softball! With a small smirk, she began to power up.
"I wouldn't even try to run if I were you." Rogue said. "Besides, I doubt you'll get very far with that injury."
Zim knew she was right, but he wasn't ready to give up. His mind raced like crazy as Rogue was nearing to fire.
"Countdown to pulse cannon..." Rogue then announced. "Ten...nine..."
Zim franticaly looked around, but there wasn't a thing to hide behind or block with or ANYTHING! 'LAST SECOND PLAN! LAST SECOND PLAN!!" That thought ran over and over in his head.
"...two...ONE...SAY GOODBYE!!!"
The pulse cannon hummed loudly, and fired a beam that caused the whole area to tremble like a earthquake! The beam's light lit the room up like day! Zim could only see this HUGE light coming right for him!
The power of the blast blew a hole the size of large doorway right through the wall and into space.
"YES! YES! DID YOU SEE THAT!? WHOOO, BULL'S EYE!!" Red cheered out.
"THAT WAS THE BEST DEATH IV'E EVER SEEN!!" Purple shouted out.
Rogue lowered her pulse cannon and grined widenly. The cannon then slowly unfused itself back to normal. With a turn to the view screen, she set her sights on the Tallest.
"Are you pleased, my Tallest?" She asked.
"Oh YEAH!!" Purple said with a huge smile. "THAT was GREAT!"
"We are VERY pleased, Rogue." Red said, feeling great. "You've done your job well!"
"No more ZIM! YEEES!" Purple continued.
The tall ones went on with thier cheering, not watching something that was peering out of a small hole in front of the blasted out hole. Zim was still shaking abit from such a close call. Within the mere moments before the bright beam was to destroy him, he formed his laser from his metal legs and blasted a escape hole in the floor beneath himself and fell in! He took this hiding time to good use. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a small box, looking alot like a first aid kit, to treat his wound. He cleaned it, pull some kind of cold gel on it, which stun, and then wrapped it.
He then put the kit away and paused a moment to think something over. 'Her face...and her eyes...that one point, she was back to normal! But the Tallest...the TALLEST! The sound of thier voice alone got her under thier control again. She's trapped in her own mind!' Paused again. '...If I could just get her away from them. I could snap her out of thier acursed mind trick! But how?'
Zim peered back out of the hole and saw the Tallest still looking happy, thinking he was dead. He then looked over and saw Rogue walking towards the Dib monkey, who was still out cold.
'I have to get her out and away from this room!' Zim thought.
But then, almost on cue, the atmosphere in the huge room was starting to feel ABIT windy. The hole in the wall exposing the outside of space had finally started to have a effect. Like a big vacuum, the hole made the area loose all it's pressure and began to suck anything out!
Zim immediately grabbed to the edge of his hiding hole as pieces of loose wall and other stuff flew by him, almost smaking him in the head.
"Uh?? What the- ZIM!?" Purple said, spotted the Irkin hanging on for his life.
"ROGUE! ZIM'S STILL ALIVE!!" Red called out to the cybrog.
The suction caused Rogue to grab onto something as well. Hearing Red, she also saw Zim, and grew angry.
Zim's SIR, Gir, was still out as his metal body started to drag going towards the hole. But a flying piece of scrap metal suddenly beaned the little robot in the head, rebooting him back on. Still dragging along the floor, he just looked around blissfully.
"GOOD MORN'IN!!!" He squeeled.
"Gir! Hang on to something!" Zim called out.
The robot then realized the suction, and clamped into the wall with one of his hands like a claw. He waved in the air like a little metal flag.
Just then, something caught the blue eyes of the SIR zooming by him, getting sucked up. It was a still fanted Dib.
"FLYING DIB!!" Gir cried out. He then, being the sweet little robot that he is, stretched out his free hand and grabbed the Earthling's back of his trench coat before he got out in space.
Right then and there, Dib FINALLY woke up. He thought he was dreaming at first, till a piece of junk whacked him in the head.
"OW! Jezz, that-, hey, wait a minute..WHAT THE-!?!! He clinged himself to Gir's stretched arm. "WHAT'S GOING ON!?" He looked around and saw Zim still hanging on, and Rogue using her claw-like robot fingers to dig into the floor in order to get closer to Zim. "He's been FIGHTING her?" Dib said to himself.
Rogue grew closer to the other Irkin, wanting to make SURE that this time, he'll STAY DEAD. Zim saw her coming, but was too busy trying to save himself. He was the closest to the hole, making it nearly impossible to pull himself in!
"KILL HIM ALREADY!!!" Both Red and Purple shouted out.
Rogue lifted a glowing laser gem, aiming towards Zim. It hummed loudly. But before the blast could take place, behind her a loose peice of wall suddenly gave way, the suction making it airborne, it came up and hit Rogue in the back of the head. The speed of the impack knocked her out cold. Her grip loosened and she began to head out for space!
"NO!" Zim quickly freed his left hand and grabbed Rogue's hand, saving her. But his remaining arm suddenly started loosing it's grip. His shoulder was still giving him alot of pain.
"Can't...hold..-"
Zim's hand then slipped away, and both Irkin's went flying out in space! Zim immediately activated his air bubble and quickly did the same for Rogue. They continued to float farther from the Massive, the whole time, Zim gripped tighter to Rogue's hand.
~"HEY! That ain't fair!" Purple shouted out. "We can't see her rip him apart now!"
"Calm down, we can still see them." Red said, abit ticked himself for that matter. He glanced down and brought up another one of those floor control panals. (Geez, their EVERYWHERE, huh? ^-^) Pressing one button, he activated a steel door that lowered from the ceiling and blocked off the hole, finally stopping the vacuum. And with another button, a hologram screen flashed up with a pictures of several little pod looking things, numbered 1 through 10. Picking up a mic on the panal, Red spoke into it saying, "All viewing pods spread out and search around the Massive." The screen bleeped a few times, and then spilt into ten smaller screens, each one showing where the pods were outside the ship.
"Those things better find them quick, or we'll miss the good part!" Purple grumbled.
Meanwhile, the Tallest didn't noticed two things missing from the whole situation. After the hole was sealed, Dib was able to sneak out of the room, with Gir following like a lost puppy. They were now in the hallways again, luckly with no soldiers in sight this time. The boy carefully walked and turned the corners, but Gir just clanked his little legs while he walked.
"Will you cut that out!" Dib whispered at the SIR. Gir just cocked his head to one side at him. "WHY are you following me?!"
Gir gave it a short thought. "...What??"
"Get AWAY FROM ME!" Dib snapped.
Gir frowned a little. "Why?"
"Because....! You...I..JUST GO AWAY!"
"But..." The robot gave his most sad look to him. "Master is out in space with Rogue, and I feel all bad about it."
"I could care less!" Dib said. "Don't you get it? Your "Master" and me are enemys! So YOU shouldn't be following me."
"Where are YOU going?" Gir asked, still not moving.
Dib lowered his big eyes. "I'm "going" to find a way OUT of here."
"How?" Gir asked again, this time smiling.
"There has to be some escaping pods or something on this place, right?" Dib said. He turned to walk away from Gir, but was stopped again with another question.
"CAN you FIND them??" The SIR smiled even more, like it was all a game.
"HOW hard can it be?!" Dib asked.
"This is the MAAAASSIVE!" Gir cooded loudly. "It would take you FOREEEEEEEVEEEEEEEEER."
The Earth boy's face changed with that now in mind. He saw JUST how big the Massive was on the outside. Plus, by the time Rogue was done with Zim, the whole crew of the ship could go after him like before, with no Zim or Rogue to save him for a sick, twisted reason. He turned to the nearest wall next to him, stared at it for about a good two, three minutes, and began to slam his head againest it continuously.
"ALRIGHT!!" Gir shouted, and joined right in, hitting his head harder then Dib. But then, the boy stopped with a new thought.
"Hey wait! Zim and Rogue have that ship! But, it's back on thier planet!" He tried his best not to freak just yet. "But...if Zim wins to Rogue....Rogue is too strong! She could of already killed him. But if he's still alive, if he beats her, then....." He suddenly stopped his outloud thinking in realizing something that kind of made him feel sick. ".....I HOPING ZIM DOESN'T GET KILLED!!" This lead to a few more head slammings. (^0^)
~In space...~
Zim finally was able to position himself, and with that, he let out his jetpack to maintain control. Rogue was still unconscious, but breathing thanks to Zim's quick thinking. They were now pretty far from the Massive, far enough for the viewing pods to not see them at lease. But the male Irkin's main concern right now was the one he was still gripping his hand to. He pulled Rogue in closer to himself. Just as he did that, the feeling Gir explained earlier started to take surface again. Zim sort of jump to it this time. All he did was bring her closer, to see if she was going to be okay. That too was making him more red.
He suddenly shook his head, and went to see if Rogue was fine. The back of his head now had a huge bruise, but her breathing was good. He then took a look at her face. He didn't noticed till now that there were some cuts. Must of got them when she was fighting off getting sucked out.
"Rogue? Can you hear me?" Zim said. She didn't respond. 'What if..what if when she wakes up, she...' Zim thought about the possibility that the Tallest could still have a hold on her. But they were far from them now. Hopefuly, that was all it would take to bring her back. Betting on that, he tried again.
"Wake up, please." Still no respond. A painful feeling suddenly hit Zim's chest. A sad feeling, that what if...
"PLEASE...wake up..." The feeling taking over, he took his free hand and brought it up to her face. The air bubble blocked it only by a centimeter, but it felt like a mile to Zim. He wanted to touch her face, hoping that would open her eyes. He removed his hand, and grasp to Rogue's other hand, and held it as tight as the other.
"Open your eyes.."
Tears began to form in his eyes. He blinked them away, but they just came right back. All he wanted was to see Rogue looking back at him. At that moment, he didn't care about anything else but that. It hurt.
The next few minutes tricked by like hours. But then, Zim saw a sign of movement on Rogue's face. His face light up, his tears dried up. She was coming to! He let go of her hands, and she automatically let out her jetpack. She hovered in front of him, but her head remained looking downwards. Zim thought maybe she was just regaining her thoughts.
"Rogue! It's me! We're outside the Massive, and the Tallest are looking for both of us! We have to think of something!" Zim said. But Rogue didn't make a sound. "Are you...do you remember anything?" He asked.
She finally rosed her head. Her face...it wasn't right.
"..Tall...est...my...Tall-...Zim..get...Zim...the Mighty...Tall..." Her words were shaky and quick. And her eyes were dim and shaded.
"Rogue??" Zim was uneasy to see her like this. Something wasn't right with her at all! "That blow to the head..." He remembered what the Tallest said eariler about her brain being mostly made of cybrog and robotic parts. It scrambled her abit!
"Kill....the...obey...Zim..is....must..." She continued to talk in that manner. It was unbearable for Zim.
"Rogue! Snap out of it!" Zim reached out and shook Rogue hard. He stopped and looked into her eyes. She looked back at him, in a emotionless slience. But then they widened abit.
"Do you know who I am?" Zim asked, not leaving her sight. She stared back at him, not saying anything at first.
"Your..Zim.." She said in a normal tone of voice. But as soon as she worded that out, her face changed. Her eyes narrowed more, they grew dark, and she was looking too much like before. Zim wasn't ready as she then lunged at him, and wrapped her hands around his neck. She began to squeeze, slowly but tightly. Zim grabbed onto her wrists, trying to break free. He gasped and turned red in the face as he started to loose all his air.
"The Tallest! I MUST do as they say!!" Rogue shouted out, in a piercing, screeching tone.
Zim struggled, but the more he did, the more she squeezed. He just looked at her, and thought, 'They really do have you now, don't they? You can't help it. You don't even know "me" anymore. But...' He opened his mouth to speak. "...I...don't..hate you....for what your...going to do, Rogue..."
Just then, when he looked at her eyes, to his surprise, tear began to flow from them! But Rogue wasn't showing any sign for crying. They rolled down her cheeks like little rivers. Zim stared at her face, and then, she spoke again...
"Z-Zim! Help...me! Pl-please!"
The voice was her's, it was the true Rogue, the Rogue Zim knew.
TO BE CONTINUED...........
*RogueStar*: This chapter was one that I had thought up before I even started this fic! What do you all think? The next chapter, if I'm right, is gonna be the LAST chapter!! NO, REALLY! But there's NO WAY I'M GONNA TELL YA WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN!!! HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! You all are just going to have to WAIT!! But really, what did you all think of this chapter? I had the way Rogue acted, the way Zim acted, all thought out WAY before! And to pV: You've been the best reader for this fic, girl! I bow to you and your fic, which I'm hoping to see more soon! I hope you liked this, and the last chapter that will be writed and posted as soon as I get more work done on Final Fantasy Eds. I'm surprised the readers of that one haven't been sending me hate mail telling me to get more done on it! (*LAUGH*) So anyway, I'll see you all in the next, and LAST chapter of Project Rogue some time in the future! LATER! ^-~