"By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes."
(Third witch from Macbeth)


Infected

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed
Click, click, click…

The room was silent as he evenly drummed his two fingers against the table. His antennae flattened to his head as he carefully watched those around him. The advisors curiously watched him as he flipped another paper. His crimson eyes rose from the paper and he grinned at the two aliens across from him.

"These terms should be agreeable," the female spoke.

Zim narrowed his gaze on the alien that spoke. Her hands tapped at the table leaving little puddles where each finger hand been. Her emerald eyes carefully watched Zim as he raised an antenna in question and looked to her advisor. Her advisor beside her squirmed in apparent agitation as she frowned. She had the basic structure of a human, but her body was nothing more then water held in place by a thing membrane of transparent tissue.

"We just want our planet excluded from anymore operations," the advisor spoke.

"Hydra will be excluded from invasions once we work through these details," Zim assured.

Zim was grateful the rulers didn't know about the Irken's reaction to water. He sighed and signed the first paper. The advisors leaned over his shoulders and he growled at them. They backed away and he signed the next paper.

"What will your Co-Tallest say?"

Zim looked to the female leader and shook his head.

"Gaz destroys what she wishes when she wishes…I don't control her," Zim answered.

"That is not assuring to Queen Gen," the advisor defended.

"All Irkens seek conquest," Gen calmly replied as she glared at Zim.

"My mate is not Irken," Zim replied as he watched her features still.

"What could be more greedy then an Irken?" Gen questioned as she watched Zim's features darken.

"Do not question our Tallest!" An advisor warned.

Zim waved his hand and the advisor stepped down. He then turned his gaze to the hydrogen creature. Zim sighed and passed her the papers.

"You better sign those before I do invade your planet," Zim warned.

Gen hesitated as she took the paper. Some of the ink smeared under her touch. Her emerald eyes looked back to Zim. She took the pen and signed the treaty.

"My wife is human," Zim answered.

Gen looked in confusion before finishing her signatures.


Zim sighed as he floated through the halls. He still hadn't become used to the hover belt. His crimson eyes turned to the Royal Guard beside. The guard never spoke much. Zim sighed and continued his path to the food court. He had told Gaz that he would meet her there. Zim passed another Irken and he blinked. He blinked again and growled in annoyance. His vision seemed blurry. Zim reached up and rubbed his eyes. He blinked again and growled in frustration. His vision was blurry, ever object was fuzzy, and the walls looked as if they were shaking. He stopped floating and closed his eyes.

"My Tallest?"

Zim cautiously opened his eyes and looked to the Royal Guard. Zim gave the guard a look and he remained silent. They both continued on their way to the food court. He figured it was nothing more then a glitch. Zim secretly smiled as he saw the food court come into view. He walked inside and his smile dropped a bit. She was sitting at a table and Diestel was next to her. He nodded his head as Gaz spoke. Zim dismissed his guard and quickly floated over to Gaz. Her amber eyes turned to him and he noticed her look away from him just as quickly. Diestel noticed Zim and quickly jumped up from his seat.

"Why are you sitting down soldier?" Zim questioned as he stared down at Diestel.

"Tallest Gaz invited me to sit," Diestel calmly replied.

"You can not protect my mate when sitting," Zim growled as he continued to glare.

"Leave my Guard alone," Gaz calmly replied.

"I will leave him alone when he learns his place," Zim snapped at her.

She could see the Irkens staring at them. They knew that she would have to submit to him. She was shorter than he, and therefore less superior. Gaz narrowed her pupils and raised an eyebrow in challenge.

"There is no danger in here," Gaz assured as she smirked.

"The Empire is going through a change…there is always danger," Zim hissed.

"Diestel is aware of the dangers, he is the best Royal Guard we have."

Zim chuckled and asked, "When do you care about others?"

Gaz quickly stood up and glared at him. Everyone was watching them now. The food court had gone silent as they waited for something…anything.

"You're right Tallest Zim," Gaz dryly replied. Zim raised both antennae; he knew something was wrong. "I care for nothing."

Gaz gave a high salute and smirked at him. She went to step around him and Zim growled. He grabbed her by the arm and sat her down on the chair again. Gaz glared at him as he took Diestel's seat.

"Diestel, go prepare Tallest Gaz's room for reentry," Zim ordered.

Diestel looked to Zim and then let his gaze fall on Gaz. She nodded to him and he quickly saluted her and marched off. Zim frowned at this, but let it go as Irken left.

Gaz glared at him from her seat but didn't move. The other Irkens in the food court looked away for them. Zim remained silent and she watched as he placed his hands upon the table. Her gaze softened a bit as she gazed at his two fingers. She sighed and cursed her emotions. It was hard to stay mad at him for long.

"How'd the treaty go?" Gaz softly questioned as she let here eyes roam his body.

They had stuffed him into the traditional Tallest suit. His suit wasn't exactly Red, it was more of a magenta-red. Around his neck, there was a black 'V' and around the metal cuffs he wore there were three black stripes. He also wore black shoulder guards that extended from his chest covering. He also wore a ring around his waist that slithered around his stomach and tightened into four red rings. It made him appear sickly thin in her view. She also didn't like that skirt armor that he wore. Gaz sighed and her eyes went back to his two fingers.

'He had to do it,' Gaz thought with a frown. She wondered why she felt as if she had lost something.

"Another victory for Zim," Zim assured with a smirk.

The corners of her mouth rose and soon her and Zim both lost their smirks. Gaz rolled her eyes to the other side of the room and gazed out the window. Zim's antennae flattened in confusion and hurt.

"How's the smeet?" Zim questioned.

"Growing," Gaz simply answered.

Zim nodded, but remained silent. Gaz growled in annoyance and turned her gaze back to him again.

'We lost,' Gaz reasoned as she stared at him in that suit.

"What's wrong?" Zim questioned. "Is your head broken?"

'Zim…Tallest…Tallest Zim…both the same but they're not.'

"How's your PAK?" Gaz asked as she broke from her thoughts.

"Fine, fine, the PAK is functioning," Zim assured.

"Shit," Zim grumbled as she ran his fingers along his head.

Gaz's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she watched his eyes closed.

"What's wrong?" Gaz worriedly asked, without looking distressed.

"I keep getting headaches," Zim mumbled.

"An Almighty headache?" Gaz teased as she watched him open one eye to watch her.

"You're a master of comedy," Zim mocked as Gaz quirked an eyebrow.

"I thought Irkens didn't get headaches," Gaz mused.

"We don't."

"Then what is it?"

"Not sure."


Sarah sighed as she walked around the building. Skoodge was taking her to one of the food courts. She couldn't understand why Irkens were obsessed about food. Her fuchsia eyes searched the empty metal pathways for other Irkens. So many, they had been released from the core of the planet. They now had a choice in when they wanted to train. If they didn't train, they had to work to hold their own. Something warm grasped her hand and she followed the hand to the owner.

"Skoodge?"

"I want you to try this new soda," Skoodge spoke as he began to pull her along.

Sarah's eyes widened as she felt herself running behind him. Her antennae lowered and she followed him. She knew he would never lead her astray. They ran inside a building and her eyes strayed over everything. Everything on Irk was made of metal; there were barely any natural resources. The Planet's core held the smeets and generated all the energy they needed to survive.

Violet, red, green, and various shades of eye colors turned to stare at her. She felt herself grimace and wondered if they knew she used to be human. Their stares were nothing more then glances. She knew that the other Irkens didn't care about her. They were still trying to adjust to their new lives. Skoodge pulled out a seat for her and she sat without a second thought.

"They're staring," Sara softly said to Skoodge.

Skoodge raised his left antenna in question. He glanced around the area and then smiled at Sarah.

"No their not."

Sarah looked around again and realized that the Irkens really weren't staring. She closed her eyes and listened as Skoodge ordered something from one of the workers. Her antennae twitched as she heard another Irken speak.

"That human is filth…"

'Human?' Sarah wondered.

"Two species shouldn't mix…"

"I know…I can't believe he let a human be Co-Tallest."

'Are they talking about Gaz and Zim?'

"Our Empire will fall…"

"Sarah?"

Her fuchsia eyes snapped open and she gazed at Skoodge in confusion. She watched as he raised an antenna in question.

"Where on Irk?"

"Yeah," Skoodge unsurely replied.

Sarah nodded and remained quiet as she thought about this. She hadn't had time to truly think about this.

"How are Zim and Gaz?" Sarah softly asked.

"The Tallest are fine," Skoodge assured.

"The others," Sarah softly spoke, "don't seem to like Gaz."

"She's different…this whole process is different," Skoodge explained.

Sarah deeply frowned and looked at the service drone that brought them their food. She sighed and slowly shook her head.


Author's Note:

Sorry bought the long wait to update!

I really just want to do a whole thing about Gaz's pregnancy, but I have another little side thing going with Red and Purple on Zeta. I have this fascination about Red and find myself just wanting to type about him more than anything else.

I haven't started the next chapter, but I plan to start it soon. I'm considering jumping ahead in time so I can get into Zim's issues, Gaz's pregnancy, and the problems on Zeta…

Please review and I'll update again