I don't own Invader Zim okay? I am surprised to see that people like this idea as much as I do. But you guys don't want that, you want more of the fic. So enough of this A/N, on with the fic!
Red looked down at his notes at what he was going to need to go on this long voyage. "Let's see, food, sodas, excavation equipment, surveying tools, analytical supplies, tents, posh portable station." Red said as he wrote down the supplies he was ordering onto the ship.
"My Tallest! You need any help! I happened to be a very good Invader!" Zim said as he jumped on Red, causing him to drop the notepad and look around.
"And I will need to get some tape. To bind you up and store you in the hold." Red moaned.
"Are you sure we can't take some of this out and put in more snacks?" Purple asked.
"I told you, we need all this stuff! If we are going to get all that place has to offer, we need a lot of these tools and we cannot leave them behind. You know how far away we will be from any supply depot?" Red yelled.
Meanwhile, Tak had gotten off the ship that had picked her up from planet Dirt. She looked around, confused. Her assignment on Dirt was just until she could retake the Invader Test. However, she knew the assignment was futile. The planet's name was Dirt and described it well. No matter what was done, that planet was going to be a filthy pile that would never come clean. Her supervisors had not been pleased with her work. Tak was not going to put her full effort in something that she was just forced into because of circumstances beyond her control. This time you've done it Tak. She thought to herself as she was prodded along by two guards who had picked her up. You had told the superiors that those burned on stains were never coming up and you half assed it but they would not take no for an answer She thought as she was shoved to a door that was labeled "Tallest Throne Room" She looked up and gulped. This couldn't be good. Perhaps the supervisors had enough of her attitude.
"Come in!" Red said as the doors opened and she was thrown unceremoniously on the ground in front of them.
"Thanks a lot assholes." She said as she got up, dusting herself off, looking back at the guards.
"What did you call us?" Purple asked.
"Nothing My Tallest." Tak said. "Just commenting on how rude some of the guards can be is all."
"You're probably wondering why you are here in front of the Almighty Tallests, are you not?" Red said look at Tak. She couldn't read his expression but knew that it was not likely that anything was going to be good coming from this.
"Yes, I will say it is quite a surprise from my original duties." Tak said looking around, trying not to be too disrespectful. On Dirt if she insulted one of the supervisors, she usually got yelled at and denied waffles for a night. The Tallest, could throw her out an airlock and if there was one thing she did not want to happen, it was that. At least on Dirt she could use the spare parts to build a means of escape and get away. She was smart enough to make it without the Empire if she wanted to, and was about to attempt it when the call came in for the guards to pick her up and take her in front of the Tallest.
"Well, you see Tak, we are planning a mission to a very far planet on the complete other side of the galaxy, lightyears away from Irk. It is dangerous. Very dangerous. It's an uncharted area no one has ever explored before and we will only be living with what we can bring and make from the planet's natural resources. It's believed this planet has everything that Irk has been lacking in recent times. Our records show you were an excellent cadent in the Academy and had the top grades and your failure to pass the Invader test was only due to mechanical failure." Red explained.
"Yeah. It wasn't my fault and those Brains wouldn't let me take the test anyway!" Tak pleaded.
"You have to wait like the rest of the classes. The fact you were given the assignment on Dirt was to show that." Purple stated coming back from the cargo hold of the ship they were packing. Well I got him bound up and talked him into thinking that it was part of some special operations test, so what'd I miss?"
"Nothing, just explaining the mission we have to Tak here." Red said. "If we are successful, you will be promoted to full Invader, no test needed. We have your fellow classmate Tenn on board with us for this and you two will be given to choice on assignments next Operation Impeding Doom."
"Really? Tenn's here too?" Tak asked. She had recalled that Tenn was a very hard worker in the academy and one of the few cadets she could actually get along with. It was more than 'Female Invaders have to stick together' kind of respect. Both respected each other's skills. Tak was great at fighting and Tenn was great at planning. Together they would be unstoppable. However, Tenn passed the test and Tak got stuck with a job on Dirt and they never spoke again after that. "I thought she was on Meekrob."
"Well let's just say things happened to change her mission." Purple said, not wanting to give the whole story of Tenn's disgrace to Tak.
"So you two won't be alone and you both can work together to help us out. What do you say?" Red said holding his claw out to Tak
"I accept the offer." Tak said. Normally she would have thought longer about it, but this was her one chance to get off Dirt before having to wait 70 years and retake the Invader tests all over again. Also, the Tallests were one for having you give them an answer to their offers right then and there. You could not think too long when they offered you something.
"Good news!" Purple said. "Now we have Tenn cabining with you on the journey so if you two get friendly maybe you could let me know about it…. Hee…. Hee…."
"Gross." Tak said. "What's his problem?" She asked turning to Red who looked just as embarrassed as she did.
"He's found some of the more uncouth literature from some of the Invaded planets and he likes it a little too much and thinks it would be better with Irken girls than Vortians." Red explained.
"Hey! It's art not smut!" Purple said indignantly.
"I see." Tak nodded.
"Well the ship's over there," Red said pointing to the bridge that led to cruiser that was about the size of a cargo carrier, nowhere anywhere near the size of the Massive but did have cramped quarters for crew members. "Go settle in, catch up with Tenn, whatever."
Tak nodded and headed down the bridge to find the quarters that Red was talking about. Yes, it was certainly an interesting prospect to find out what Tenn had been up to, and the change in assignment did send some sort of warning off in Tak's mind. Tenn would be skilled enough to get a planet conquered, even if she didn't do so well on the fighting. Something had to have happened. Seeing the room that Red was talking about, she knocked on the door. "Can I come in?" She asked.
"Tak?" Tenn asked as she came to the door. "You're here too? Last I heard you were sent to Dirt."
"Yeah and you to Meekrob." Tak said. "How come you're here?"
"Long story involving a mixed up package, malfunctioning SIR units and a failed mission." Tenn said.
"You failed your mission?" Tak asked. That was not something she had known Tenn to do.
"Well can't properly Invade without a base now can I?" Tenn said. "I was exposed and the Tallest saved me." She said as she sat on her bunk. "That didn't go over well back home on Irk, so I've been an outcast ever since. They gave me a spot on this mission and I took it. Anything to get away from the idiots who think I am a screw up."
"I know what you mean. The door was stuck when I went to take my test and the Control Brains wouldn't let me retake it until the next test in 70 years and they threw me on Dirt."
"Quite an insult." Tenn nodded. "I remember you were one of the best. Well, at least this way we can get a second chance on this mission."
"If all goes well that is." Tak said.
"What do you mean?" Tenn said looking at Tak with concern.
"I doubt it will. The Tallest don't give people like us second chances like this unless there was a good chance they'll die in the process. I think that might be the case. And Red himself told me it was on the literal other side of the galaxy. I suspect it's dangerous. Highly dangerous." Tak said pacing in the small cabin.
"Maybe so, but is dying on something like this worse than living out the rest of our lives with our disgraces on whatever planet we're stuck on." Tenn said as she looked out of the porthole window and into the stars beyond.
Dib looked longingly at the new caramel ice cream burrito at the gas station as he headed home from the dentist's office. Gretchen's father had done the best he could to make sure the filling was done painlessly but they could only do so much. Somehow Gaz had not gotten a single cavity even though Dib was certain she lived off Poop Cola and hardly ever brushed but she had just gotten through with a routine cleaning and nothing else. "Come on, you aren't supposed to have those. Too sticky and too cold." Gaz said as she grabbed her older brother's hand and dragged him back to the house. "We got the rest of the day off Skool, so let's enjoy it. I've got a few new levels to unlock."
"Fine." Dib said kind of muffled. His mouth was still a little numb from getting the filling done. He headed to his room to upload his recording to the Swollen Eyeball network and see what they could make of it. They had liked his idea of the app he had made and if he could prove it would pick up something the Swollen Eyeball would have it installed on every member's phones so they could pick up various signals from space as well. Dib had finished the upload when Darkbooty had paged him.
"Agent Mothman, I see you uploaded your latest file from your app. I trust it isn't some guy trying to order a pizza on channel 9 of the CB right?" Agent Darkbooty said on the screen.
"Ha ha ha very funny." Dib said. "No this is serious-OW!"
"What's the matter?" Darkbooty said. "You sound kind of muffled there."
"Sorry. Had a tooth filling done. But no, this is different. It's an actual alien recording and it sounds like they may be coming our way. I picked it up while waiting to see the dentist." Dib explained as he wiped some saliva from the side of his mouth.
"Ah yes. We will study this. You say you got it with the app you made? Impressive Agent Mothman." Darkbooty said.
"Well I figure you guys would appreciate what it can do. Not like my dad would care. I mean he's proud of the programming part but not much else. He would doubt if it is real or not." Dib sighed.
"Yes, that can be depressing but don't give up. You're highly intelligent and perceptive. Maybe a little overzealous at times, but you're still young. Let me and Tuna Ghost look over this and we will report back what we find. And give your little girlfriend Gretchen a hello from me." Agent Darkbooty said.
"Gretchen! Oh yeah last prom. That went about as well as could be expected. Sorry I missed that ghost hunt but I couldn't let her down and didn't want my dad thinking something was wrong and sending me to a therapist again. She was nice to me at least." Dib said. "And why do you care?"
"Just seemed like a sweet young lady is all. You're growing up Mothman, so forgive me if I see it as cute. You are like a little son to me in some ways." Darkbooty said.
"She's not my type anyway. She's a great friend but I could never see her like that." Dib said. "I want adventure and to see what hasn't been seen!" Dib began.
"I was young once too. I know exactly how you feel. Now rest up and I'll report back what we find." Darkbooty said.
"Thanks." Dib said as he lay back down and sipped some water. "This still hurts….."
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don't know if this will get to be as long as my other DATR fic Taboo, but we will see, I didn't think that one would get so long either but there it went. I'm looking for ideas for one shots and other stories with this pairing so if you have some, feel free to PM me. But I am sure you don't want more of that, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now
Otherrealmwriter
Aka
Realm