"Pain assures you that you still alive moments before death."


Suicide

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed
Gaz watched as the men stepped outside the safety of the barrier. She knew that they were going to their death. It had been about three days since they decided to leave. They were preparing to leave and she felt dread in her heart. Zim reached out and took her hand. Her hand instinctively squeezed his hand. She wanted to stop them, but she had a feeling nothing would. Gaz knew that their logic was wrong. A hundred men could never hope to dent the Armada. A man tucked a water bottle in his pocket and she looked away from them.

"They make their own decisions," Mark assured.

"Even if I hate the green bean Irken," Sara began as Zim glared at her. "I wouldn't march to my death."

"I won't have their deaths on my hands," Gaz darkly mumbled as she pulled away from Zim and vanished into the base.


Red laughed as he watched his new soldiers march to greet the humans. It was pathetic that they thought they stood a chance. He smirked and decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to test the new soldiers. Their DNA had fully been reconfigured without any complications. They stood at perfect attention and he grinned. The group that he had given perfection to, were the Irkens that stood out above the others. He knew that they deserved the gift of perfection that he could only give. They no longer had to fear anything that human's had to offer.

There were only six soldiers at the moment, and he figured that would be all that he would need for now. They held no empathy and would not take mercy upon the doomed humans. These soldiers were the perfect killing machines and nothing would stop them. No anger to cloud their judgment, they felt no pain, so any of their fighting wouldn't be interrupted, and they were immune to everything. His immune system had been fixed. Invaders were emotionless before, but these Invaders were nothing more then blank slates.

'My empire will be perfect…no more flaws,' Red victoriously thought.

"The soldiers are ready," the voice echoed over the intercom.

"Show no mercy," Red replied as he watched.

The humans held their weapons and he began to chuckle. He swiped a soda from a technician without his gaze wavering. They ripped through the humans easily and he frowned. It was too easy in his opinion. He took a gulp of the soda and watched a human toss water at the Irkens. Red blinked and began to laugh as the man was tron to death. He smirked and turned the monitor off; there was nothing more to see. Red tapped his thin finger against the metal of his suit in thought. Something within him was unsatisfied.


Gaz glared at her reflection in the mirror and didn't blink. She wanted to know why she had to deal with this. Death counts were something that she didn't want on her hands. She had never asked to be a leader or looked upon as something more then a demented teen. Her teeth grinded together and she splashed water at the mirror. They kept dying and every night she dealt with it. She would sign the body over to a love one and let them decide what to do with the ashes. Gaz would watch as the woman or man broke down in front of her.

She wondered if they cried for the lost of their love, or the fact of knowing that they soon would follow. Gaz clenched the sink and her fingers turned white. There had to be a way to stop all this death.

'Damn it Dib…why aren't you here?' Gaz thought.

In some ways, she resented her bother. He was the one that was blissfully unaware that they were clones and currently under attack. Gaz shut her eyes and blocked out the hateful look that glared back in the mirror. He should be the one here, it had been his dream to protect the world not hers. The bathroom door slid open and she didn't bother to open her eyes or acknowledge him. She knew it was Zim.

"What do you want?" Gaz questioned.

"They're all dead," Zim calmly replied.

"I don't care," Gaz coldly replied.

"Then why are you in here…sulking?" Zim dryly challenged.

"I'm not sulking," Gaz gritted out.

"And I'm not green," Zim mumbled.

"Go…leave me alone," Gaz calmly ordered.

"You can't order Zim around," Zim firmly said as he glared at her.

"Get out of my bathroom…alien," Gaz hissed.

She knew it was harsh. The emotion behind her words even stung her. Gaz wondered why so much resentment was leaking out. The anger in the small bathroom caused her to tense. Gaz quickly turned around and glared at him. Her eyes drifted to his clenching fists and she smirked.

"Want to hit me?" Gaz darkly asked. "Do it."

Zim continued to glare at her and her eyebrows furrowed. His antennae were flat against his head and she swore that he would be red if possible.

"That's all you Irkens know…violence…just hit me!" Gaz shouted.

"You want pain?" Zim growled as he raised his hand.

"Do it," Gaz urged.

Zim quickly reached up and ran a finger along her cheek. A dark chuckle escaped his lips and he backed away. Gaz continued to glare at him.

"You have no reason to hate me human," Zim smugly assured. "I've done nothing to you."

"Liar," Gaz growled.

"I don't need to prove to you or anyone my nature. If I hit you…it'll prove every distorted view you have right," Zim continued as the bathroom door opened again.

"I hate you," Gaz softly said.

"Hate me if you want too…but I don't hate you," Zim finished and walked out of the bathroom.

The door slammed shut and she was left alone in her own silence. Her amber eyes turned back to the mirror and she scowled. Her right hand balled up and she punched the mirror. Glass shattered and dug into her flesh as she growled her frustration.


Anticipation flowed through his veins as he traveled down the testing halls. He would see every human tied to a table with an Irken scientist working on them. Red chuckled at the chained human. He was still awake, but the Irken was cutting into him. The gag kept his screams from traveling outside the building. The grunts of pain and muffled shrieks of terror were music to his ears. Red laughed when the human's eyes rolled back and his body went limp. It would only be a matter of time before everything would be dead or under his control.

"We have enough research to complete our Immunity on the whole race," the scientist stated.

"Wonderful," Red purred.

"What should we do with the rest of the humans?" The scientist questioned.

"Just kill them," Red coldly said.

"Sir?" The scientist warily said.

"Is it too hard to understand?" Red questioned with fake sincerity.

"No sir," the scientist quickly assured.

"Then what's the problem?" Red questioned.

"It seems...a bit…"

"Go on…I won't get upset," Red assured with a growing smile.

"It seems extreme," the scientist finished.

Red laughed at this and shook his head.

"It would be extreme if I tossed you in with the humans for saying that," Red calmly said as the scientist paled.

Red smirked as he put his hand on the Irken's shoulder. He gazed down at the Irken in a scolding manner.

"But I'm not that cruel," Red assured.

"You're not cruel," the scientist readily agreed.

"I know," Red sighed, "and that's why I'm only going to burn the flesh from your body."

The Irken paled and Red pushed him away. He fell into the arms of a guard with a look of terror on his face.

"This isn't fair!" The scientist shouted.

"Relax…or better yet…don't relax. The pain you feel will assure you moments before death that you're still alive," Red stated as he smirked.

Red closed his eyes and relished the screams of terror that he heard. It temporarily satisfied the void within him. The scientist was rebelling against him by empathizing with the humans. It was treason and Red justified that his actions had been correct. The screams filled the rooms as soon as he gave orders to the kill the humans. He really did want a river of blood; it would defiantly terrify all who opposed him. Red nodded his head to the screams and counted all of them as he added them to his memory.

'Moments to remember,' Red blissfully thought.

Red's eyes partially opened and mused on something. He would have to say that he did have a desire. The earth being slowly destroyed was a bonus to his desire. He wanted to hear a scream. Red grinned as he imagined the feminine scream. It was already being created within his mind. He slowly thought of different ideas to gain the scream that he sought. He licked his lips and smirked. Red knew that he had already ruined her life by killing her father, it was satisfying, but it didn't quench his need. He needed to hear her scream. Red wanted her fear so thick he could taste it.

"I'm coming for you Gaz," Red darkly whispered as a chorus of horrid screams erupted. His antennae twitched with excitement.


Purple sat within the lab as he stared at the screen. He had finally made contact and now he didn't know if he was sure about his plan. Purple stood tall and glared at the figures on the screen. He figured that it wouldn't be good to appear weak.

"We normally don't make deals with…enemies," the voice carefully said.

"You're willing to give up a chance to beat the Armada?" Purple questioned in fake shock.

"We can't trust you," the voice clarified.

"I already know where you're at…if I wanted you dead you'd already be dead," Purple assured with a sly smile.

"Why do I listen to you?" The figure demanded as another figure shrugged.

"I'm sure your other allies would like to know about earth," Purple sighed with a smirk.

"I have neither accepted or declined this offer, but I must discuss it with the others."

"This offer would benefit you in the long run Lard Nar," Purple assured with another small smirk.

"I'll contact you with my decision after I discuss it with the others," Lard Nar assured.

Purple grinned at the little alien and shrugged. His goggle covered eyes blinked before he sighed. His horns slightly moved as he titled his head.

"I must have an answer soon…or else everything will be killed off on this planet," Purple declared before he cut the transmission.

'That went well,' Purple thought with a smirk.


Author's Note:

Zim and Gaz's relationship does seem weeks old...instead of a year...I noticed that too. It's hard to portray love in a character that doesn't display that emotion. I think their relationship is very hollow, it's more of-right place and right time-which isn't what love is. They do have a bond of caring...which will begin to develop into more. I think their love will be more companionate love then consummate love. They do have a physical relationship, but it doesn't seem very...emotional. I think Zim has more feelings of love then Gaz does at the moment.