YAY! More reviews!
Elen: Well, that'd be the easy way…I (and Zim) like to complicate things a bit. Besides, my intention wasn't to kill him. He's much too awesome for that!
I command the rest of you to review! And while I'm waiting, I suppose I'll just feed you another chapter, yes?
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The next day, Zim was absent from school once more. To make sure that he wasn't doing anything stupid, Dib checked him carefully through the network he had hooked up to Zim's base. The alien was hunched over a lab table, putting something together. Gir was playing with several buttons on the computer, but Zim was ignoring him.
"GREAT IRK!" he cursed as one of computer's arms swung over to pick him up. "GIR! STOP PLAYING WITH THE COMPUTER!"
"Oooookie dokie!" Gir remarked, running off to go find his Minnie Moose. Dib notice something flicker in the corner of the screen and immediately turned his attention to it. It did not move again. He glared suspiciously at the screen before watching Zim again.
"Finally…why on Irk did she tighten the bolts so much?" Zim grumbled before unlatching the device. Dib immediately recognized it as Kira's GBM, or genetic breakdown modulator as Zim called it.
"To keep fools like you from dismantling it," a robotic voice hissed. It was a feminine voice…too feminine to be Gir's. Zim dropped the tool and GBM in fright.
"Who are you? Show yourself to Zim!" he called out.
"I don't take orders from non-Irkens…" the robotic voice responded. Zim's teeth clenched in anger.
"You're that troq's robot!" Zim barked into the room.
"Watch your language, short stuff!" the robot barked. Zim snapped at the insult.
"COMPUTER! INTRUDER ALERT!" he shrieked. There was no response and Zim's antennae fell nervously. "Com…puter?" Zim asked.
"You might as well not bother…it's been disconnected," the robot told him, dropping from the area where Dib had spotted movement. The unit looked nothing like Gir; instead, its eyes were a glowing red in color and its torso seemed better built. The robot had two antennae instead of one and its arms had spikes on them. It was glaring at Zim with a vengeance only Kira could match. "My Mistress told me that I should introduce myself before disintegrating you. I am SIR unit 22686113, or as my Mistress calls me, Sera." The robot bowed briefly before straightening up. A blaster appeared out of her arm. "My Mistress says 'Farewell'." Zim panicked and immediately ran out of the way just as a shot was fired. It ricocheted off the computer screen and right into one of Dib's secret cameras. The last thing Dib heard from Zim was "Gir! Help me!". The bell had rung just in time and Dib sprinted out of the classroom like a madman.
As Dib ran down the street, he saw Zim sprint out onto the front lawn in his disguise, only to lock eyes with Dib.
"Dib! Run!" Zim called out. The human took a step forward just before two blurs shot out of the house. Dib recognized them as Gir and Sera.
"Hold still, you infertile contraption!" Sera snapped, doing her best to shoot Gir down. But the little droid was simply too hyper to keep up with.
"Weeeeeeeehoooooo!" Gir cried as he did a somersault to avoid Sera's fire.
"Dib, I told you to run!" Zim snapped at Dib. But instead, the human ran towards the squabbling Irken units. "ARE YOU MAD!" The alien shouted, missing Dib's collar by inches as he dove to stop him. Just as Gir spiraled upward to avoid another of Sera's attacks, Dib tackled Sera to the ground, causing the robot to fire madly in another direction.
"What is this?" she asked angrily, trying to stand. While she may have had robotic strength, her body mass was simply too small to lift Dib off. "Oh, you must be the life mate…am I correct?"
"What in Earth's name is a life mate?" Dib demanded, lifting off Sera slightly.
"DIB, YOU FILTHY EARTH IDIOT!" Zim barked as Sera turned her rocket boosters on and blasted herself out from under Dib and, at the same time, lighting him on fire. Dib shrieked in surprise and terror.
"Stop, Drop, and Roll!" he cried, going through the motions. Zim smacked his forehead in disgrace. Sera, however, was busy laughing
"Now, Zim, prepare for annihilation!" Sera called out, pointing her blaster at him. But the robot seemed to freeze as the two antennae on her head began to beep and glow. Suddenly without another word, Sera's rocket boosters turned on and she flew off. Dib and Zim sighed with relief, but it was short lived as the Earthling rounded on the Irken.
"Alright, now…explain what on Earth a 'life mate' is," Dib demanded. Zim recoiled and his antennae fell in apprehension.
"Well-I-erm…" he stuttered. "Oh look, taquitos!" He pointed in a random direction before sprinting back inside. Dib rolled his eyes at Zim's attempt of a diversion.
"TAQUITOS!" Gir burst out of nowhere, looking around. "Where are the taquitos! I NEED them!" Dib shook his head and dragged Gir back to Zim's house, knocking on the door.
"Zim, I just saw you run in there. Open the door and take your robot…" Dib remarked. Zim didn't answer, so Dib simply left him there and walked away. Zim watched him leave from behind his curtains. Dib continued to walk down the street until Kira, who looked very angry, stopped him.
"You, filthy meat child, need to stay out of my affairs…if I ever find your fingerprints on my things again…consider yourself disintegrated…" Kira growled in his face. Dib simply glared back at her. "You best watch yourself, child…I am not a pushover like your short little life mate…I do not hesitate to kill." Dib would've been intimidated if Kira had not mentioned the words "life mate" again.
"What. Is. A. LIFE MATE!" Dib demanded angrily.
"I'll leave Zim to answer that one for you…but I warn you…one more interference, and I'll make sure your body is the first to burn in the path of my destruction," Kira growled, staring him down. NOW, Dib was intimidated. She was about a foot taller then Zim, not to mention more dangerous. "And next time you see little Zimmy…tell him that I'm still as resourceful as I was in the Academy…he'll understand." Her last statement was said with an absurd sweetness, as if Kira had lost all evil in her body. She coyly twirled a lock of his hair before turning around. "Take heed to what I have said…I wouldn't want my only adversary to be disposed of so soon. Farewell, Mr. Membrane…" She walked off, leaving Dib stunned to her sudden kindness. He straightened up indignantly, trying to show he was unaffected as he turned to walk off. He was met with Zim, who was in full disguise and glaring at Dib. He jumped in surprise at his presence.
"What was THAT about?" Zim asked, pushing his finger into Dib's chest. He pushed it off and dusted his shirt.
"Calm down, Zim…she was simply warning me not to interfere again," Dib remarked, flattening the lock of hair Kira had twisted.
"You should listen to her…you could've gotten yourself killed…Sera was on the offensive, Gir was on the defensive…both could've easily killed you had you not jumped. Next time I say leave, I suggest you listen to me," Zim remarked angrily, glaring at Dib, who was at lost for words.
"This is the SECOND time I've saved your life, and this is the thanks I get?" Dib demanded.
"You fail to understand something Dib…" Zim glowered. "Despite what Kira may say or think, I. Do. Not. Like. You." Zim's chest swelled with indignity. Dib's eyes widened for a moment, before shrinking into a glare.
"So that's what Kira meant by 'life mate' then?" Dib asked, still glaring. Zim sighed and smacked his forehead.
"Yes, that is what she meant," Zim remarked, his voice shaking in agitation. "On Irk, not many Irkens find a life mate, simply because we are an invading society. Everyone's sole purpose is to conquer other planets…our planet won't be able to live peacefully and normally until our goal is realized…even once our Tallest are gone, the obsession to conquer will be passed down, as it has been through the years. If an Irken finds a life mate at all, it's usually from the planet they are sent to conquer. Irkens are too witty and obsessive to court each other in most cases. Since I was defending you from her, that's what she assumed and, as much as I DESPISE to admit it, she had a good reason. We are self centered by nature…we usually don't care for insignificant creatures like yourself." Dib shook his head in disbelief. How was Zim so smart? "HOWEVER, that accusation is completely false...who could love a meat sack like yourself anyway?" Without another word, Zim stomped off, leaving Dib standing there, frozen in place with his jaw hanging open. Memories of the mistreatment from his peers slowly etched its way through his head as Zim's phrase repeated itself. It had hit him very hard, and left him speechless. He watched Zim disappear inside his house before finally running off towards his own, trying to increase the distance between them.