Clan of the Rats
By: Cartman's Girl
Note: Oh my God, an Invader Zim fanfic? How long has it been? I forget, to be totally honest. Anyway, this here is a fic of what I thought happened to Skoodge while on planet Blorch – Home of the Slaughtering Rat People. Only chapter one, but I'll work more on it later.
Chapter One: Arrival
WARNING. WARNING. IMPACT IMINENT. IMPACT IMINENT. DANGER. DANGER.
"Aw smeg!" Skoodge cursed, trying to pull the Voot Spittle Runner back into his command. Somewhere along the way to his (suicide) mission on Blorch, something had gone wrong with his ship. It was malfunctioning like crazy – even making its way along now was a tough ride. The navigational settings were out of control, reading his current flight pattern incorrectly and almost made him drive into a black hole. But Skoodge had worked too had, had suffered too many insults and skin graphs and skinned knees to give up now be cause of a faulty ship. His claws were leaving dents all over the mechanics of the ship, trying to control it.
His SIR was working just as hard, trying to reroute the ship's itinerary. But it was backed up with packed files, viruses and other assorted junk ships can pick up. The robot knew it – its master had been given a faulty ship on purpose. The Tallest hadn't wanted him to survive, for he was short, fat and ugly. It'd be a miracle if he could land the ship without splattering against the windshield – which he would do if the ship would suddenly come to a sudden halt. SIR prayed it wouldn't, for it'd too be destroyed too. And worse still - the ship was trying to take control of the SIR.
The robot feared it'd turn into a weapon of destruction, try to kill its master. But its job was to protect and serve the master, no matter how fat ugly or short he is.
"We're closing in to the planet's atmosphere…!" Skoodge yelled – he had no reason to really. The ship was quiet, but quietly going out of control. But he was panicking, he couldn't help it. When his life was flashing before his eyes he couldn't help but panic. "Prepare for impact!"
"Yes master!" SIR replied; pulling his cables free of the ship. The robot had done all it could do, the ship was on a suicide mission and was taking the two of them with it. Skoodge watched as the planet grew closer and closer, more defined with ever passing second. The rocky baron landscape stretched out to meet them, and not with a welcoming greeting either. A greeting of death, carnage and destruction. Other ships had tried to land – their burnt out shells dotted the landscape. This didn't help with Skoodge's confidence levels at all.
The ship hit.
It bounced, crashing against a few sharp rocks and tumbling down a ravine where it finally came to rest. Smoke billowed from the ship, but it didn't explode. Luckily the fuel container had remained in tact. The SIR had been crushed by the ships panel falling on it, it'd never work again. Skoodge groaned, as he felt pain strike every cord in his body. Wait. He could feel pain – that meant he was alive. But in what condition was he? He wouldn't dare open his eyes; what if his chest had been ripped open and his squeedly-spooch strewn across the ships insides? What if his legs were broken and disfigured, what if…?
Shaking his head, Skoodge tried to stand. He grabbed onto the chair, and slowly, painfully pulled himself to his feet. Putting a hand to his head he opened his eyes. The sight horrified him. His ship was destroyed. Not one piece of it remained in tact – and his poor SIR was broken. It was only him… and a planet full of slaughtering rat people. Who, if smells his scent would rip him to pieces. But, he still had the upper hand. His pack opened, and a small mechanical arm unfolded with a can of what appeared to be after shave. After spraying it all over his body, the arm vanished back into his pack.
Now he smelt like a rat person. Ugh, horrible stench. But the pheromones would help a great deal; that's when his pack then activated the cloaking device. Skoodge now looked like a slaughtering rat – a baby one. Oh well. He was short, remember? And slaughtering rat people were tall – they'd take him as one of their own. Looking back at his poor ship, he sighed and headed out.
Skoodge had landed at night, luckily. If any of the slaughtering rat people had seen his ship, he would have been devoured on impact. The night was cold, chilling him to the bone. Shivering he made his way along the desert like landscape. Smeg. What if he had landed in the desert? He'd die within days! Ugh, great.
"I'm better off dead." He muttered, his ears twitching irritably. But soon, he saw it. Rising in the horizon, a city. The houses were made of clay – very primitive, but homey at the same time. He smiled, and scurried down the hill towards the city. That's when he tripped, and rolled the rest of the way down. He hit a few rocks, but landed flat on his stomach. Skoodge groaned, pulling himself to his feet. Unknown to him, his disguise flickered on and off for but a second, but he continued on.
More unbeknownst to him, was a young rat had seen him. His big ears – bigger then most – twitched as he saw the alien turn into a rat and back again quickly; before staying on rat. He bit at his nails before turning and scampering off; chittering wildly to himself.
Skoodge continued on, taking in the sights. They were simple houses, and glancing in he'd see a family of rat people sleeping closely together for warmth. A few houses were empty, but large. Maybe the schools and halls? He didn't know, but he'd find out soon enough. He blinked as his antennae picked up the different scents on the walls of one building. Since his antennae twitched, his disguises' nose twitched. He then had his pack install the alien language device. Now he could read the rat's scent signals, and probably understand them.
The smells indicated this large house had many young rats during the day. The school, most probably. He continued along until he realised something. If he were to be here – he had no home. And no way of making one. He couldn't make a clay house – he never thought he'd have to know how. And his ship was destroyed, amongst it probably the base making device too. He cursed as he propped himself against the wall of the school, tail twitching.
"How can I take over the planet when all my technology's destroyed?" he wondered, but no answer came. Sighing, he shut his eyes. He was exhausted, and soon drifted off to sleep.
"Who is that?"
"I've never smelt him before."
"Is it a newborn?"
"No, it's got fur see?"
"Smells hurt."
"Poor lil' thing."
Skoodge was awoken to a plethora of voices, of different pitch and tone. And the smells! He opened his eyes open slowly, and the blurred vision of browns met his gaze. Then they adjusted, and he saw many rat people gazing down at him. They were massive, and frightening with those massive teeth of theirs glistening in the sunlight. He screamed.
The rats screamed.
The screaming continued for but a few moments. Then they went quiet and watched as the young rat cowered against the wall, hands over his eyes and his whiskers shivering like the rest of his body.
"Poor lil' dear. His mother must have died during the famine of winter, now he's all alone!" said one rat, which was obviously female due to the tone of her voice. The other rats murmured in agreement. They had lost many rats in the harsh cold winter, when food was scarce.
"What should we do with him, eat him?" asked a male, whose bright red eyes reminded Skoodge of Tallest Red for some reason.
"What? No!" said the female, "Look at his girth. He's healthy, but a bit wounded. Must have run into a lak'nar last night for he's bleeding." She lowered herself onto her four legs and sniffed at Skoodge – who went as still as a statue. The smell she was giving off shown she had been a mother many times, and… her name was Edna. Huh.
"So what do you propose we do, Edna?" asked a young female, nose twitching. Edna sat up, staring at Skoodge.
"Somebody has to take him in – make him healthy and strong." She said, "And that someone shall be me."
"I saw that coming." Scoffed the male, whose scent gave off the name of Redmond. Huh, that figures doesn't it? Edna hissed violently at him, and Redmond returned the savage hiss – but wouldn't attack her. She was higher rank then he was, and attacking her would make all the rest of her clan turn on him. He'd be dead within seconds.
"Now don't you worry little one." Edna soothed, petting Skoodge's head like he was a pet or something. "I'll take good care of you." Before Skoodge could answer, she leant down and bit into the fur which covered his neck. Now, the way the simulator worked is thus – it gives out signals which are picked up by brains of a wide area into seeing what they're meant to. Thus, they see, feel, and smell a young homeless rat. What she just bit into, was the fabric of Skoodge's uniform; which was a tough material.
Still, it made Skoodge squeak – yes, squeak as he was hoisted up by her teeth which could easily slice him in two. But she then carried him off, hurrying through the now busy city. Rats were everywhere, doing all sorts of thing. One was fixing a hole in one of the mud houses, another was delivering pieces of rotting meat… and one was defacing property by spraying it.
Edna eventually made it to her own home, and set Skoodge down. The small home showed and smelled of many young rats had been born and raised here. The floor was covered in leaves; soft ones. He also picked up no smell of a male – was Edna alone now? Did rat people even have mates, or did they just mate and the females raise the babies on their own? All things Skoodge had to learn, to take in and use against them. Somehow.
"You poor little thing." Edna cooed, she had judged by his size he wouldn't know how to talk yet. His fur was thin – showing it had probably grown in during the winter months. "You wait here, I'll go get you some food." With that she rushed through a hole in the corner. Skoodge blinked at this – they buried beneath the city? Pantries? Secret caverns? Wow. He was slightly impressed.
Edna soon returned, in her jaws something that was dead – and dripping with juices. Skoodge felt like he was going to be sick; but it got worse. Edna thus ate the food quickly. She chewed it noisily – and sloppily; but then promptly regurgitated the food in front of Skoodge.
He sat and stared at the food, then up at Edna – then the door. Maybe he could make it. But. A feeling pulled at his antennae – he couldn't just… run away like that. She was trying to help him, wasn't she? And he couldn't turn down that offer. Plus. If he refused, she might eat him; or eat more and spew it into his mouth. He shuddered at the thought. Glancing at her, he knew she was beginning to worry.
"Don't you have teeth?" she asked – drat; Skoodge hadn't seen his reflection. Did his projector show teeth, or was he all gums? And if he was all gums, did that mean she'd spew it directly into his mouth?! She leant down and used her clawed hand to pry his mouth open. He'd find out soon enough, wouldn't he? "Hmm." Edna went. She sat up, "You don't have any teeth either. You must be younger then you look." Skoodge's innards froze in fear. What does this mean?
"Now you hold tight hon. I'll be right back." With that, she vanished down the hole again. Skoodge looked at the goop at his feet, and backed away from it quickly. He shivered, looking around the house. What was she doing? Getting more food? What? His insides were shivering now, as he awaited her return. It took her longer this time, but soon she returned.
"Don't worry luv, I've got help!" and behind Edna, came another rat. This one was female, and her scent gave the name of Rae. "Rae, this is him. Poor thing must have fallen down into the city after an attack, and he has no teeth."
"Tsk." Rae tsked, leant down and sniffed at him. "Not even a cycle old and alone. But at least he came to the right place."
"He seems kind of dumb, though." Edna said, and Skoodge narrowed his eyes at that. "He didn't even sniff at the food I offered, maybe he's stupid?"
"Maybe. My father was pretty stupid… but he fathered 287 off spring." Rae then lay down on her side near Skoodge. "But if he doesn't know how to suckle I don't think he'll last at all."
Suckle. What? Skoodge's eyes twitched, and he very well knew what they were talking about. He had to… suckle slaughtering rat… milk? Oh man. He was going to throw up. No. Control yourself. Skoodge's nose twitched as he stared at Rae. Well. It's this, or get caught out, or die of starvation. Skoodge got to his hands and feet – since walking up right would be a BIG mistake – and slowly made his way towards Rae.
"Maybe he's just young dumb." Rae said, looking to Edna. "He seems to know what to do."
"Thank Goodness." Edna sighed in relief.
Skoodge now had his front paws on Edna, staring at the teat which stuck out from the brown fur covering her body. She was warm, for one. Very warm – and his eye twitched. Just. Get it over and done with.
Surprisingly, it hadn't tasted that bad at all. It actually was quite nice, and Skoodge had rarely enjoyed anything he ate to be honest. On Irk, all the food was parched and disgusting. Most of his food came from Food Courtia, and even that stuff made him feel sick afterwards. But the milk he was drinking wasn't that bad at all.
But it made him sleepy, very sleepy. He was barely listening to Rae and Edna talking about things that didn't concern him. Like the other female rats they knew, how their young were coming along – that sort of stuff. Soon he had drifted off to sleep all together, against the warm body mass that was Rae.
Slowly he woke up, and was unsure of the time of day. His eyes opened, and found he was still against someone – but it was Edna now. Rae must have gone home to deal with her own young - that was his guess. Since Edna couldn't give milk it was obvious she wasn't a mother at the moment – but Rae was. And the hole must have lead to other houses in the city. He yawned, but nuzzled against Edna again.
Never before in his life had someone actually helped him. Not a robot, robot helped whoever they were programmed to help – but a living being. Edna had taken him in, and had given him a home and food. He made his pack remember to age the same rate as young rats do – so she wouldn't become suspicious. He wouldn't want that. He glanced at the window – it was dark out. A-hah!
The perfect time to look around some more. But Edna might notice if his scent leaves, or if his body mass stops leaning on her. Hrm. Okay, maybe another day he'll do that… besides… he's feeling… quite sleepy again…