Chapter Three-Shadows Rising
As Dib approached, Gaz's eyes fluttered and opened.
"Ow." she muttered as she touched her cut gently.
"Good, you're awake!" Dib said happily. Gaz glared at him.
"Where's Zim?"
"Over there by the Cruiser." Gaz nodded and stood up, looking murderous even though she had been unconscious a few minutes before. She strode over to Zim and dragged him out from beneath the Voot Cruiser.
"Er.. Hi Gaz, uh, nice to see you up?" Zim stuttered. Gaz growled, glaring daggers at Zim.
"You.little.IDIOT!" She roared. "I was almost killed when your stupid spaceship crashed. You will pay." She dragged Zim to the water's edge and splashed him slightly, ignoring his screams of pain. She then beat him up pretty well and deposited him next to a cheering GIR.
"Ouch." Zim whimpered.
"YAY GAZ!" cheered GIR. Dib stared as Gaz stalked by, still looking angry. She went off, leaned against a rock and produced her GameSlave2 from her pocket. She began playing Vampire Piggies IV while Dib wandered over to where Zim sat.
"Ow. ouch! Grrr, that earthspore girl." Zim mumbled dejectedly, GIR sitting next to him.
"Master?" GIR asked worriedly, being sane for a moment. Zim sighed and patted the little robot.
"I'm all right GIR." Dib sat down next to Zim and tapped him. Zim flinched and looked at Dib. "What do you want, stink-beast?"
"How are the repairs?" asked Dib, ignoring Zim's insult.
"Fine. It'll be done in a few days," Zim replied, heading off to his Cruiser again.
"Come along GIR, we must repair the Voot Cruiser!" called Zim. GIR jumped up and ran after his master, grinning.
"A few days?" Dib moaned. In a few days Erlon could find them again. Plus, who knew if there were other Niarzans around? Dib sighed and walked slowly over to where Zim was yelling at GIR. 'If I want repairs done sooner, I guess I have to help,' Dib thought.
"GIR! Pay attention for once, I need the tuning plate! No, the TUNING PLATE not the wrench!" Zim yelled, under the Voot Cruiser once again.
"But I like the wrench!" GIR said, playing with it. Dib looked the tools over and gave Zim one, asking "Is this one the tuning plate?"
"Yes, thank you." Zim ducked under the Cruiser and tinkered around with the tuning plate before emerging again. "Could you hand me that one over there?" Zim pointed to the tool and Dib got it for him. Repairing the Cruiser went on without much trouble, and by dark they were halfway finished.
"Hey Gaz, come on! We're almost done!" Dib yelled. He saw Gaz roll her eyes as she searched for dry driftwood for a fire.
".Taco." GIR sighed, thinking of his favorite food.
"Don't you have any left from the bag Gaz gave you?" Dib asked, amazed. How could such a small robot eat so much? GIR shook his head.
"Nope, I gave some to master's new friend!"
"Zim's new friend.?" Dib's eyes widened as he remembered what GIR had referred to Erlon as. "What color was he GIR?"
"Ummmm.. A purdy blue-ish!"
"Oh no." Dib ran over to Zim at the Cruiser. "Zim! Erlon's around somewhere!"
"What?!" Zim cried, dropping his tools and jumped up. "The Niarzan scum?"
"Yeah, GIR said he gave his tacos to him!" Zim gave Dib a strange look before he drew out an Irken laser.
"By the way, where's your sister?"
"Oh! Gaz! Yeah, I'll get her." Dib ran to the beach, yelling "Gaz! Come here! Erlon's around!" Gaz appeared, her GameSlave2 in her pocket.
"What? Who's Erlon?"
"Oh I'll tell you in a minute, come on we gotta stay together!" Dib beckoned to Gaz and ran back to the Voot Cruiser, Gaz following.
* * *
"Yes, a purple haired girl and a black haired boy. And an Irken," he hissed.
"Good, weak opponents," a dark figure hissed back, "We can take them easily."
"Yes, we can." Erlon smiled a fang filled grin. "Shall I fetch the Stinger?"
"No. It isn't a fair fight if we bring our ship if theirs is broken," it replied. Its eyes glinted evilly as it swished its tail. "We take them on fairly, don't want to seem like a coward." Erlon nodded and slunk towards the little group, flattening his ears to be smaller.
"Surprise, Dib the human!" he snickered.
Dib, Zim, Gaz and GIR were sitting by the Voot Cruiser, keeping a lookout for any sign of Erlon. Dib glanced at a shadow, then looked away.
"I'm seeing things." he muttered. "Stay focused, Dib."
"Silence, human, the Niarzan could be about and we wouldn't hear him because of your ramblings!" snapped Zim. A slight movement caught Dib's eye.
"Hey, that might be Erlon," he whispered. He gestured towards him.
"Issat master's friend?" GIR questioned.
"No. Quiet, GIR." Zim glanced at the shadowy figure behind the first. "Two of them?" he moaned.
"Yes, two," hissed a voice behind them. They turned to face a second Niarzan. It smiled. "Alura, if you cared to know," she said. She whipped her tail over and wrapped GIR up in one swift movement. She tossed him against a tree, smirking at the approaching Erlon. "Shall we?" she questioned, drawing a Niarzan ray gun.
Zim immediately fired his own laser, hitting Alura hard. She growled and swiped Zim with her claws, knocking him backwards. Zim fell and Dib ran over.
"Hey, could we have weapons?" he snapped.
"Fine!" Zim snarled. He tossed Gaz and Dib lasers and stood again. "Three to two," Dib said, glaring at the Niarzans. "We have the odds in our favor!"
"Yes, but we are skilled Ziarzan warriors," Erlon hissed. He slashed at them with his claws, making them jump back.
"Don't let them get us against the Cruiser," muttered Gaz. "It's a bad strategy position." Dib and Zim didn't argue, and they dashed towards the beach firing as they went.
"No! Don't get your backs to the water!" Dib hissed. "It would be just as bad as getting trapped against the Voot!" He shoved Zim out of the way of another blast and ducked one of Erlon's. "Run into the forest, they can't get a clear shot there!"
Zim extended his spider legs and ran to the tree GIR was against. Zim grabbed him and noticed GIR was deactivated, probably from the blow. He scuttled after Dib and Gaz into the forest.
"NOW can I get the Stinger?" growled Erlon. Alura nodded.
"Yes. We'll need it to track them." Erlon bounded into the water and began swimming, his tail spike growing larger for more thrust. His back spikes flattened more, making him streamlined and faster. He dove under the waves and swam, breathing the salt water without much difficulty. He came upon a ship, the Stinger. Colored blue, it had swept-back wings for space flight and water missions, lasers in the tip of the "tail", missiles in the "tail spikes" and a missile/laser cannon stored inside the belly of the great ship. Erlon swam to the ship and opened the cockpit, the shield barrier stopping the water from entering. As he passed through it, he was dried instantly, a special feature for water missions. He sat down in the pilot's chair and closed the cockpit, smiling wickedly as he started the engines.
"Let's see how you handle the Stinger ship!" snickered Erlon, grasping the control stick in his claws. He pressed the "Launch" button and the Stinger rose out of the water. He flew swiftly to where Alura was waiting. "Hurry!" Erlon called down. "They could be gone by now!" Alura nodded and jumped onto the tail of the ship. Erlon opened the cockpit for her and she hopped in.
"Let's go." She said sinisterly.
"Hey!" Dib tripped over a root and fell hard. "Ow."
"Graceful," Gaz commented. Zim sniggered behind Dib as he ran up with GIR.
"Hurry earthspore, the Niarzans could be upon us!" Zim yelled. GIR awoke to this and asked "We still playing tag?"
"Yes GIR, we can't let...Zim's friend catch us," Dib answered, standing and continuing on. Gaz rolled her eyes at the stupid robot and ran after Dib. Zim followed, GIR flying close behind.
As Dib approached, Gaz's eyes fluttered and opened.
"Ow." she muttered as she touched her cut gently.
"Good, you're awake!" Dib said happily. Gaz glared at him.
"Where's Zim?"
"Over there by the Cruiser." Gaz nodded and stood up, looking murderous even though she had been unconscious a few minutes before. She strode over to Zim and dragged him out from beneath the Voot Cruiser.
"Er.. Hi Gaz, uh, nice to see you up?" Zim stuttered. Gaz growled, glaring daggers at Zim.
"You.little.IDIOT!" She roared. "I was almost killed when your stupid spaceship crashed. You will pay." She dragged Zim to the water's edge and splashed him slightly, ignoring his screams of pain. She then beat him up pretty well and deposited him next to a cheering GIR.
"Ouch." Zim whimpered.
"YAY GAZ!" cheered GIR. Dib stared as Gaz stalked by, still looking angry. She went off, leaned against a rock and produced her GameSlave2 from her pocket. She began playing Vampire Piggies IV while Dib wandered over to where Zim sat.
"Ow. ouch! Grrr, that earthspore girl." Zim mumbled dejectedly, GIR sitting next to him.
"Master?" GIR asked worriedly, being sane for a moment. Zim sighed and patted the little robot.
"I'm all right GIR." Dib sat down next to Zim and tapped him. Zim flinched and looked at Dib. "What do you want, stink-beast?"
"How are the repairs?" asked Dib, ignoring Zim's insult.
"Fine. It'll be done in a few days," Zim replied, heading off to his Cruiser again.
"Come along GIR, we must repair the Voot Cruiser!" called Zim. GIR jumped up and ran after his master, grinning.
"A few days?" Dib moaned. In a few days Erlon could find them again. Plus, who knew if there were other Niarzans around? Dib sighed and walked slowly over to where Zim was yelling at GIR. 'If I want repairs done sooner, I guess I have to help,' Dib thought.
"GIR! Pay attention for once, I need the tuning plate! No, the TUNING PLATE not the wrench!" Zim yelled, under the Voot Cruiser once again.
"But I like the wrench!" GIR said, playing with it. Dib looked the tools over and gave Zim one, asking "Is this one the tuning plate?"
"Yes, thank you." Zim ducked under the Cruiser and tinkered around with the tuning plate before emerging again. "Could you hand me that one over there?" Zim pointed to the tool and Dib got it for him. Repairing the Cruiser went on without much trouble, and by dark they were halfway finished.
"Hey Gaz, come on! We're almost done!" Dib yelled. He saw Gaz roll her eyes as she searched for dry driftwood for a fire.
".Taco." GIR sighed, thinking of his favorite food.
"Don't you have any left from the bag Gaz gave you?" Dib asked, amazed. How could such a small robot eat so much? GIR shook his head.
"Nope, I gave some to master's new friend!"
"Zim's new friend.?" Dib's eyes widened as he remembered what GIR had referred to Erlon as. "What color was he GIR?"
"Ummmm.. A purdy blue-ish!"
"Oh no." Dib ran over to Zim at the Cruiser. "Zim! Erlon's around somewhere!"
"What?!" Zim cried, dropping his tools and jumped up. "The Niarzan scum?"
"Yeah, GIR said he gave his tacos to him!" Zim gave Dib a strange look before he drew out an Irken laser.
"By the way, where's your sister?"
"Oh! Gaz! Yeah, I'll get her." Dib ran to the beach, yelling "Gaz! Come here! Erlon's around!" Gaz appeared, her GameSlave2 in her pocket.
"What? Who's Erlon?"
"Oh I'll tell you in a minute, come on we gotta stay together!" Dib beckoned to Gaz and ran back to the Voot Cruiser, Gaz following.
* * *
"Yes, a purple haired girl and a black haired boy. And an Irken," he hissed.
"Good, weak opponents," a dark figure hissed back, "We can take them easily."
"Yes, we can." Erlon smiled a fang filled grin. "Shall I fetch the Stinger?"
"No. It isn't a fair fight if we bring our ship if theirs is broken," it replied. Its eyes glinted evilly as it swished its tail. "We take them on fairly, don't want to seem like a coward." Erlon nodded and slunk towards the little group, flattening his ears to be smaller.
"Surprise, Dib the human!" he snickered.
Dib, Zim, Gaz and GIR were sitting by the Voot Cruiser, keeping a lookout for any sign of Erlon. Dib glanced at a shadow, then looked away.
"I'm seeing things." he muttered. "Stay focused, Dib."
"Silence, human, the Niarzan could be about and we wouldn't hear him because of your ramblings!" snapped Zim. A slight movement caught Dib's eye.
"Hey, that might be Erlon," he whispered. He gestured towards him.
"Issat master's friend?" GIR questioned.
"No. Quiet, GIR." Zim glanced at the shadowy figure behind the first. "Two of them?" he moaned.
"Yes, two," hissed a voice behind them. They turned to face a second Niarzan. It smiled. "Alura, if you cared to know," she said. She whipped her tail over and wrapped GIR up in one swift movement. She tossed him against a tree, smirking at the approaching Erlon. "Shall we?" she questioned, drawing a Niarzan ray gun.
Zim immediately fired his own laser, hitting Alura hard. She growled and swiped Zim with her claws, knocking him backwards. Zim fell and Dib ran over.
"Hey, could we have weapons?" he snapped.
"Fine!" Zim snarled. He tossed Gaz and Dib lasers and stood again. "Three to two," Dib said, glaring at the Niarzans. "We have the odds in our favor!"
"Yes, but we are skilled Ziarzan warriors," Erlon hissed. He slashed at them with his claws, making them jump back.
"Don't let them get us against the Cruiser," muttered Gaz. "It's a bad strategy position." Dib and Zim didn't argue, and they dashed towards the beach firing as they went.
"No! Don't get your backs to the water!" Dib hissed. "It would be just as bad as getting trapped against the Voot!" He shoved Zim out of the way of another blast and ducked one of Erlon's. "Run into the forest, they can't get a clear shot there!"
Zim extended his spider legs and ran to the tree GIR was against. Zim grabbed him and noticed GIR was deactivated, probably from the blow. He scuttled after Dib and Gaz into the forest.
"NOW can I get the Stinger?" growled Erlon. Alura nodded.
"Yes. We'll need it to track them." Erlon bounded into the water and began swimming, his tail spike growing larger for more thrust. His back spikes flattened more, making him streamlined and faster. He dove under the waves and swam, breathing the salt water without much difficulty. He came upon a ship, the Stinger. Colored blue, it had swept-back wings for space flight and water missions, lasers in the tip of the "tail", missiles in the "tail spikes" and a missile/laser cannon stored inside the belly of the great ship. Erlon swam to the ship and opened the cockpit, the shield barrier stopping the water from entering. As he passed through it, he was dried instantly, a special feature for water missions. He sat down in the pilot's chair and closed the cockpit, smiling wickedly as he started the engines.
"Let's see how you handle the Stinger ship!" snickered Erlon, grasping the control stick in his claws. He pressed the "Launch" button and the Stinger rose out of the water. He flew swiftly to where Alura was waiting. "Hurry!" Erlon called down. "They could be gone by now!" Alura nodded and jumped onto the tail of the ship. Erlon opened the cockpit for her and she hopped in.
"Let's go." She said sinisterly.
"Hey!" Dib tripped over a root and fell hard. "Ow."
"Graceful," Gaz commented. Zim sniggered behind Dib as he ran up with GIR.
"Hurry earthspore, the Niarzans could be upon us!" Zim yelled. GIR awoke to this and asked "We still playing tag?"
"Yes GIR, we can't let...Zim's friend catch us," Dib answered, standing and continuing on. Gaz rolled her eyes at the stupid robot and ran after Dib. Zim followed, GIR flying close behind.