None of the Irkans slept very well that night. There's something about a
walking wall of bladed muscle on a killing spree that tends to keep you
awake. The only person who did seem to get a good night's sleep was
Gaeldrisan, the Dalzorian. Of course, she was in serious critical
condition, so it may have been all for the better of it.
On Monday morning everyone met in Kith's laboratory, bleary eyed and drowsy. Kith had a pot of Laffy Caffeine on the stove, which quickly disappeared.
"I think I'll stay here today," Dib mumbled, prying his eyes open. "Someone should make sure 'Peaches' over there doesn't die on us."
Zim raised an 'eyebrow.' "You would incur the wrath of Bitters to monitor the Dalzor stink-beast? I knew you to be insane, but THIS-"
Kith nodded. "We'll cover for you. Remember, if a transmission comes in, let the machine pick it up. I uh...i haven't told Red or Purple yet...about your little surgery.." she trailed off. "Yeah. We gotta go now."
Zim glared at Dib as he marched past him. "And don't think I'm not watching you, Dib worm. You may be less...um...you may be less ambitious in your paranormal studies, but one wrong move!" And here he held up a finger. "One wrong move and you will be meat fodder so fast you will-CLANG"
Dib threw back his head and laughed, the kind that makes you feel genuinely good. "Looks like you should spend less time watching me, Zim, and more time watching where you're going."
Kith hid a small smile as she helped the sputtering Zim to his feet. "Take care, Dib. And...watch out for the Kalack.." Kith and Zim disappeared into the elevator.
***********************************
Dib poured himself another mug of Laffy Caffeine and settled onto the couch in Kith's laboratory. Behind him, the monitors on Gally bleeped every now and then to let him know she wasn't quite dead yet.
Sheesh...there was an alien dragon lying comatose on the table behind him. He was in the laboratory, unsupervised, of another alien. He had made peace with his enemy, however temporary. HE was genetically an alien. The enormity of the past week suddenly sank into Dib in that moment. He carelessly set down his coffee substitute and pulled off a glove. The sensation of the material sliding against his skin was so new, so intense; his hands were so much more receptive as an Irkan. The light fell on Dib's new fingers and brought out an almost scaly sheen to them.
Dib sighed, suddenly very tired. Obviously the Caffeine drink wasn't having much of an effect on him today. He stood up and checked the monitors, and, satisfied, stretched out on the couch again.
Just a quick nap..
*****************************
Mrs. Bitters snaked over to Dib's desk and sniffed searchingly.
"Where is Dib today?" she snarled. "Has he finally been sent to the Crazy House? Who knows where he is?"
"Off chasing vampires again, I'll bet," muttered a student in the back of the room. The class laughed.
Kith snorted angrily and glared around the room. Zim, who was laughing along with the rest of the kids, unfortunately caught the brunt of her gaze. He visibly flinched and raised his hand.
"What is it, Zim?" rasped Mrs. Bitters.
"The Dib-worm is staying home today," Zim said loftily. "For...medical purposes."
Mrs. Bitters slid over and stared into Zim's face. "Skipping skool for medical purposes? What's the point of that? You're all doomed anyway," she spat at the class.
"Here." A pile of books fell out of the ceiling and onto Zim's desk, which groaned alarmingly. "Since you two are SUCH good friends, you can take his homework to him."
Zim seethed at this remark, but stuffed the books into his knapsack anyway.
"Now open your textbooks to page 956. Today we're going to study history's most dangerous creatures, and how effective they are at killing each other off."
*****************************
The shadow moved stealthily from treetop to treetop, never rustling anything more than a leaf or twig. Animals fell silent as it passed, and chattered urgently of dangers avoided when it was gone.
The Kalack was following a trail this day. Its injured stump of an arm was smeared with mud and was cradled tightly to its side. The snapping turtle head wove from one side to the other, sniffing for the scents of its prey. Muscles bunched in anticipation of a kill.
A dog barked as the Kalack swept over it. It wasn't a ferocious dog, although I'm sure it thought it was ferocious. This dog was just one of those freakin' little Chihuahua things that run up and do horrible, unspeakable things to you leg.
The Kalack stopped its movement and peered down at the dog. Too late, Mr. Barky realized his mistake. A strangled yelp quickly dissipated in the still afternoon. (It's okay, children, that was only an animatronic dog. The Kalack still ate it, though. ^^)
************************************
Beep..Beep..Beep.."Incoming Transmission."
Dib shot up. Adrenaline flooded his mind, made him jumpy and tense. Quickly he jumped up and ran to the main computer screen. A green light blipped on one of the buttons. Dib hastily pushed it in his sleep-glazed mind.
The Tallest appeared on the screen, looking perplexed and not a little put out at the delay.
"Zim?" Red stuck his face way up to the monitor. "Where's Kith? Where's that big-head boy bodyguard guy? Who the hell are you?" This last part was directed at Dib, who stood dumbly in front of the keyboard console.
Purple squinted and studied him closely. "Yeah, who are you? Not that I pay attention to short people, but I've never seen you before. And why are you in Zim's base?"
Red's eyes widened and he backed up a step. "Hey Pur, this guy ISN'T short! In fact, he's pretty damn tall! Taller than that one guy..with the big head..Spleen. Wow."
"Then why is he over on Earth with Zim?" Pur said, confused.
Red shrugged. "I dunno. He can just wait until we get to Earth on the Massive to pick up Kith. Then I guess he can come back with us and apply for Invader status."
Dib's eyes bugged out. "In-Invader status?!"
"Uh, yeah?" Red raised an eyebrow and gestured to Dib's height. "Unless you WANT to stay here with Zim, that is.." He dissolved into a fit of laughter, and Pur joined in. finally, when they had managed to compose themselves, Red wiped an eye and looked back at Dib, who sat there staring wide eyed at him. "So, yeah, if you see this boy with a big head, tell him he'd better not let anything happen to my sis. Later." The transmission blacked out.
Dib looked around guiltily. If he remembered correctly, and he knew he did, the one thing he was NOT supposed to do was answer any transmissions. Which he just did.
Suddenly exhausted again, Dib stumbled over to his arm chair and collapsed into it. Too much excitement for one day....and it was still only 10:30.
******************************
Alrighty, so sorry for making y'all wait so long for this chapter. I just haven't been that keen on continuing much for a couple of months. I just got back from my second camping trip this summer, with about three more to come, so don't expect much from me. Review, please!
On Monday morning everyone met in Kith's laboratory, bleary eyed and drowsy. Kith had a pot of Laffy Caffeine on the stove, which quickly disappeared.
"I think I'll stay here today," Dib mumbled, prying his eyes open. "Someone should make sure 'Peaches' over there doesn't die on us."
Zim raised an 'eyebrow.' "You would incur the wrath of Bitters to monitor the Dalzor stink-beast? I knew you to be insane, but THIS-"
Kith nodded. "We'll cover for you. Remember, if a transmission comes in, let the machine pick it up. I uh...i haven't told Red or Purple yet...about your little surgery.." she trailed off. "Yeah. We gotta go now."
Zim glared at Dib as he marched past him. "And don't think I'm not watching you, Dib worm. You may be less...um...you may be less ambitious in your paranormal studies, but one wrong move!" And here he held up a finger. "One wrong move and you will be meat fodder so fast you will-CLANG"
Dib threw back his head and laughed, the kind that makes you feel genuinely good. "Looks like you should spend less time watching me, Zim, and more time watching where you're going."
Kith hid a small smile as she helped the sputtering Zim to his feet. "Take care, Dib. And...watch out for the Kalack.." Kith and Zim disappeared into the elevator.
***********************************
Dib poured himself another mug of Laffy Caffeine and settled onto the couch in Kith's laboratory. Behind him, the monitors on Gally bleeped every now and then to let him know she wasn't quite dead yet.
Sheesh...there was an alien dragon lying comatose on the table behind him. He was in the laboratory, unsupervised, of another alien. He had made peace with his enemy, however temporary. HE was genetically an alien. The enormity of the past week suddenly sank into Dib in that moment. He carelessly set down his coffee substitute and pulled off a glove. The sensation of the material sliding against his skin was so new, so intense; his hands were so much more receptive as an Irkan. The light fell on Dib's new fingers and brought out an almost scaly sheen to them.
Dib sighed, suddenly very tired. Obviously the Caffeine drink wasn't having much of an effect on him today. He stood up and checked the monitors, and, satisfied, stretched out on the couch again.
Just a quick nap..
*****************************
Mrs. Bitters snaked over to Dib's desk and sniffed searchingly.
"Where is Dib today?" she snarled. "Has he finally been sent to the Crazy House? Who knows where he is?"
"Off chasing vampires again, I'll bet," muttered a student in the back of the room. The class laughed.
Kith snorted angrily and glared around the room. Zim, who was laughing along with the rest of the kids, unfortunately caught the brunt of her gaze. He visibly flinched and raised his hand.
"What is it, Zim?" rasped Mrs. Bitters.
"The Dib-worm is staying home today," Zim said loftily. "For...medical purposes."
Mrs. Bitters slid over and stared into Zim's face. "Skipping skool for medical purposes? What's the point of that? You're all doomed anyway," she spat at the class.
"Here." A pile of books fell out of the ceiling and onto Zim's desk, which groaned alarmingly. "Since you two are SUCH good friends, you can take his homework to him."
Zim seethed at this remark, but stuffed the books into his knapsack anyway.
"Now open your textbooks to page 956. Today we're going to study history's most dangerous creatures, and how effective they are at killing each other off."
*****************************
The shadow moved stealthily from treetop to treetop, never rustling anything more than a leaf or twig. Animals fell silent as it passed, and chattered urgently of dangers avoided when it was gone.
The Kalack was following a trail this day. Its injured stump of an arm was smeared with mud and was cradled tightly to its side. The snapping turtle head wove from one side to the other, sniffing for the scents of its prey. Muscles bunched in anticipation of a kill.
A dog barked as the Kalack swept over it. It wasn't a ferocious dog, although I'm sure it thought it was ferocious. This dog was just one of those freakin' little Chihuahua things that run up and do horrible, unspeakable things to you leg.
The Kalack stopped its movement and peered down at the dog. Too late, Mr. Barky realized his mistake. A strangled yelp quickly dissipated in the still afternoon. (It's okay, children, that was only an animatronic dog. The Kalack still ate it, though. ^^)
************************************
Beep..Beep..Beep.."Incoming Transmission."
Dib shot up. Adrenaline flooded his mind, made him jumpy and tense. Quickly he jumped up and ran to the main computer screen. A green light blipped on one of the buttons. Dib hastily pushed it in his sleep-glazed mind.
The Tallest appeared on the screen, looking perplexed and not a little put out at the delay.
"Zim?" Red stuck his face way up to the monitor. "Where's Kith? Where's that big-head boy bodyguard guy? Who the hell are you?" This last part was directed at Dib, who stood dumbly in front of the keyboard console.
Purple squinted and studied him closely. "Yeah, who are you? Not that I pay attention to short people, but I've never seen you before. And why are you in Zim's base?"
Red's eyes widened and he backed up a step. "Hey Pur, this guy ISN'T short! In fact, he's pretty damn tall! Taller than that one guy..with the big head..Spleen. Wow."
"Then why is he over on Earth with Zim?" Pur said, confused.
Red shrugged. "I dunno. He can just wait until we get to Earth on the Massive to pick up Kith. Then I guess he can come back with us and apply for Invader status."
Dib's eyes bugged out. "In-Invader status?!"
"Uh, yeah?" Red raised an eyebrow and gestured to Dib's height. "Unless you WANT to stay here with Zim, that is.." He dissolved into a fit of laughter, and Pur joined in. finally, when they had managed to compose themselves, Red wiped an eye and looked back at Dib, who sat there staring wide eyed at him. "So, yeah, if you see this boy with a big head, tell him he'd better not let anything happen to my sis. Later." The transmission blacked out.
Dib looked around guiltily. If he remembered correctly, and he knew he did, the one thing he was NOT supposed to do was answer any transmissions. Which he just did.
Suddenly exhausted again, Dib stumbled over to his arm chair and collapsed into it. Too much excitement for one day....and it was still only 10:30.
******************************
Alrighty, so sorry for making y'all wait so long for this chapter. I just haven't been that keen on continuing much for a couple of months. I just got back from my second camping trip this summer, with about three more to come, so don't expect much from me. Review, please!