Red sat in his Tallest chair in the control room of the Massive, scrolling through reports. 3 more from the Smeetery today
Purple finally gave him his tablet back that morning after making him promise not to do anything to Mai. He knew he couldn't do anything to her, now that he finally thought rationally about it. And of course having to go to the smeetery every day to help the other MTs put out a fire or something. Things were in chaos and he hated to admit it, but they needed Mai
But they didn't need Zim, and if he could hurt Zim then he knew it would hurt her right back.
Mai's PAK could be remotely deactivated at the push of a button, a feature that had since been removed from new PAKs because if someone hacked into the database they could shut down thousands of Irkens at once. They had to learn that the hard way…
So he couldn't just Shut Zim off, and he couldnt put him on trial again. If the control brains tried to go through his memories and pieced together why Mai was there, it would be over for him. He could always just leave them alone, but Mai was too comfortable talking down to him. He needed to knock her down a peg or 2
He went through the data on Zim's PAK, nothing really standing out to him. Some vitals, location, temp, ETC. Nothing valuable. He kept scrolling through the interface
He's never actually looked at this before so it was pretty new to him, pretty boring. He then noticed, at the very bottom of the last file
'Reset'
Hmmm, that sounded like fun. He abruptly got up to go to find a PAK specialist. Hopefully they knew what this button did
Purple handt left his room since his fight with Red, he was thoroughly depressed
They had pair bonded, mated together. Being rejected by his mate was tearing him apart inside, and not being near him just made it worse. An Irkens mate leaving them is like a death sentence, a very slow painful death. The longer your mate is away, the worse it gets
First it destroys one mentally, then physically. Purple was wondering how Red was doing, was this just as hard for him? Maybe he was just being stubborn and would come back once the depression hits him too
He sure hoped so, Purple couldn't take much more but he also couldn't force himself up to go get him.
He'd be back, hopefully
[On Earth]
Mai was down in the lab first thing in the morning waiting for Koi to arrive, she was so excited to finally see her. She kept a close eye on the monitor to make sure he didn't wake up and try another stunt like the breakfast incident
"Incoming cruiser. Open the roof?" A notification on the computer screen read with a yes and no button. Mai quickly hit yes, instantly hearing the roof opening up. She looked up to watch the voot land
The blue voot landed gracefully, a little Irken leaping out the moment it touched the ground
"MAAIIIIIIIII!" Koi screamed as she leapt into her arms, Mai giggled, spinning her around in a circle before setting her on the floor
"OH! Hahah! My smeet, how are you?" She patted her head "You're so tall!"
"I'm good! The promotion has been amazing! I'm getting to work on some amazing stuff that I can't tell you about but it's awesome!" She bounced as she talked, looking all over the place, grabbing things to examine them before putting them down and finding another thing "Where's the smeet? I've heard so much about him! Is it true he's the same war criminal that ruined Impending Doom 1?" She rambled
"Yes but he's different now, come with me he should be waking up soon" She took KIo's hand and lead her upstairs, not trusting her to follow without getting distracted
"This place is super neat! I've never seen an invader base before! I'm guessing his favorite color is pink? Everything is pink! Does he like fun dips?" She asked all the way up to the main floor
Zim was just waking up, kinda rolling around the bed as he tried to fight the fact he was waking. He wasn't ready to get up yet, his bed was so cozy!
His antenna perked up when the door opened but kept his eyes closed. He wasn't ready to get up! Maybe if he just stayed very still…
"Zim, I know you're awake" Mai smiled, coming over to sit next to him on the bed. Finally he groaned and looked over at her
"How could you tell?"
"Your antenna are up" She laughed "Come say hi to our visitor" She looked at Koi who was staring at him from the doorway in awe. She finally came running over, grabbing him from the bed
"YOU'RE SO CUTEEEE!" She pinched his cheeks, squished his face and nuzzled him. Zim just looked annoyed
"I knew I shouldn't have gotten up yet.." He mumbled to himself as she nuzzled her forehead against his
"Zim, don't be rude! This is Koi, she's gonna watch you tonight while I go run an errand-" She lied. Zim saw straight through that
"You mean smush faces with the Dib father? That's what Dib says you're doing-" Mai blushed, how does she respond to that? Koi laughed
"Haha! Don't be ashamed! Go get your human!" She winked "I've got this cutie~" She picked Zim up again, holding him above her head. He glared down at her
"I will destroy you and everyone you love" He growled. She slowly put him back down on the bed
"Heh- I'm guessing he doesn't like being carried?" Koi said kinda nervous now, thinking he probably could destroy her, given his history
"No, he does. He's just trying to intimidate you. Don't let his tough guy facade fool you, he's actually a total sweetheart" Mai said, leaning over to give Zim a kiss on the cheek. He quickly wiped it off, not wanting to be seen as sweet in front of others "And don't worry, his bases computer is disarmed and so are the lasers on his PAK legs" That made Koi feel much better
She walked Koi around, showing her where the toys, food and clothes were. She finished showing her around just in time for when Dib and the Professor got there
She ran to the door as soon as she heard the computer say there were people approaching, opening the door for them
Dib ran past her into the house to go mess with Zim, leaving just her and the professor
He was for once wearing something other than his lab coat, a formal tuxedo and a face mask. He still didn't feel comfortable leaving his full face exposed
"H-Hi…are you ready?" Mai snapped out of her trance like state, realizing she was staring
"Oh, yes! I programmed a new disguise-" She tapped on her watch and instantly appeared fully human, same brown hair and eyes as before but was now wearing makeup along with a fancy purple dress slitted up to the thigh "Does it look good?" Now it was his time to stare
"O-Oh, yes..you look beautiful" He blushed, still staring. He gulped down his nerves "So, who did you get to babysit?" He tried looking past her. He could see the Irken, around the same height as Dib running around with the kids. Was she an adult?
"Oh, that's my friend. She's great with kids" She smiled "Well, you ready to go?" She reached out, grabbing his hand. He looked down at her hand holding his
"Y-Yeah" He turned on his heel and led her to the limo, where the concierge held the door open for them
"Thank you" Mai said to the man as she got in the car, which he closed after her. Mai and James sat together in the back. He was twiddling his thumbs nervously, he hadn't been out of the house for anything but a conference in years, let alone for a date. He felt so out of place not wearing his lab coat
"You look great" She purred, leaning into him and putting her head on his shoulder. This helped him calm down, wrapping his arm around her and leaning into her as well
"You look amazing, I'm so lucky to have such a beautiful woman go out with me" He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it
"Pfft, you know this is just a hologram" She laughed
"With or without the hologram, you're still gorgeous" He gave a little laugh
They flirted like that all the way to the restaurant, where the limo was pulled up to a red carpet. It seems this place was a hotspot for celebrities, since there was lots of paparazzi crowded around and it for sure wasn't for him, he kept this date on the down low for that very reason
The chauffeur opened the door on Mai's side and she was immediately blinded by the flashing of cameras as she tried to get out. She covered her eyes getting out of the car, hearing "It's the professor!" and then even more flashing. It made her dizzy
"It's ok, lets go" She heard his voice and felt him grab her arm, leading her into the restaurant. As soon as they were inside away from the cameras he said "They're gone, you can open your eyes now" He giggled
"Oh" She removed her hand from her face and looked around. "Is it always like this when you go out?" He led her to their reserved table and pulled the chair out for her
"Yeah, you get used to it. Not that it isn't still annoying" He sat down in his own seat across from her just as their server came over
"Hello um..Professor?! Oh my God it's you! It's so nice to serve you tonight, is there anything I can get you?" She giggled like a teenager. He sighed, obviously annoyed with the same treatment he always got
"Umm, I'll start with a screwdriver and then your most sugary drink for the lady" He said, looking at Mai with a wink. She couldn't help but laugh at that
"Ehehe, yes sir! I'll be right back!" She trotted off. Mai looked at him amused
"What?"
"Oh, nothing…Lady killer~" She laughed, obviously teasing "I'm gonna have to keep a close eye on you, won't I?" He blushed
"What? No no, I told you it's very rare I like someone. I was never really the dating type, or the type to mess around. Always just studying, focusing on science. But of course I can try, for the right woman" He smiled, which went unseen under his mask
"Yeah? I guess I'm lucky then" She purred, making him blush. He wasn't used to being complimented "You said I reminded you of your wife. What was she like?"
He went quiet, looking hurt for a moment before smiling
"She was…amazing. Smart, feisty, never afraid to speak her mind. Most people assumed that she, being so small that she would be an obedient little housewife, but in reality she wore the pants in the relationship" He laughed "And she was clever, far more intelligent than me. Unlike me she had the advantage of an imagination. Mine was taken from me pretty early on" He went back to looking a little sad, looking down at the table
Just then their drinks came and he was shook from his thoughts
"Oh, thank you-" He said as the girl set them down in front of them. They went ahead and ordered their food, she of course was giggling and flirting but he just ignored her. Mai waited a bit after she left to speak up
"She does sound amazing" She smiled, taking a sip of the drink. It still wasn't sugary enough, but she dealt with it
"She was.." He gave a little smile before pulling the mask off to drink his own as well. Mai stared at him "...what?"
"Oh uh…nothing I just…I never really got a good look at your face that night-" She blushed remembering the night they had sex. The memory was blurry given how drunk she was but that was the reason she was so shocked by his face now
"Oh, did I forget to shave?" He pulled out his phone and looked in the reflection "I know, I look completely different when I don't" He rubbed his face as he looked at the reflection
"No! I mean, It's just…you're so…" She was mesmerized "So…handsome. Almost unnaturally so" She said, still staring at him. He looked back at her, blushing and covering his face with his hand before quickly looking away
She reached over to pull his hand away
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to embarrass you-" She said, holding his hand in hers. He looked up at her then looked away again
"I-It's ok…It's not your fault, I get flustered pretty easily…heh"
"Yeah, I realized that" She giggled. Just then their food arrived
"Here you are, hot stuff" The waitress cooed, setting his plate down in front of him
"Well yeah I sure hope it is" He said, grabbing the plate. The girl looked at him, annoyed that her flirting went right over his head. She huffed and walked off, embarrassed with Mai's giggles
"You're evil" Mai said still laughing
"Well its easier to act stupid then give into it, then it never stops" He gave a little chuckle with her before they both started eating
The rest of the night went fairly well after that, ending with them heading back to the base so James could grab Dib and Mai could go to sleep
She had expected the kids to be in bed when she got back
What she got was them both running around, things broken on the floor and candy wrappers everywhere
She pinched the bridge between her eyes
"Koi…" She sighed. Membrane wasn't excited to deal with a sugar high Dib, it made him act even more crazy
The boys ran around, jumping all over stuff, knocking things over in the process as Koi seemed to be chasing them. Both of them had ice cream in hand, which was spilling all over the place. Mai stepped in
"STOP!" Suddenly the running came to a halt, everyone looking at her
"Oh hey Mai! You're back, how was it?!" Koi said excitedly, jumping down from the couch to greet her
"Koi, I thought you were gonna take care of them?"
"I did! They've exercised and I gave them plenty of snacks!" She said proudly
"What about a bath? Or sleep?" She looked over at them, they were absolutely filthy
"Oh, they didn't want to do that" Mai had to hold back the urge to scream in frustration. She grabbed Membranes hand and pulled him in the base, closing the door
"Sorry about this, I'll clean them up" She said to him, turning off her hologram disguise and rolling her sleeves up "Come here you two-" She said picking them both up, one in each arm and carrying them to the bathroom
Membrane didn't really have a moment to protest before she was gone, he followed her to try and help.
"NO! I'm NOT getting naked! That's weird!" Dib yelled as she tried to pull his clothes off, pushing her hands away. Zim was already undressed except for his boots and gloves, which he refused to take off in front of Dib
"You both have already done way worse, just let me clean you so you can go home!" She pleaded, just wanting to go to bed
"Zim will never expose his hands to the Dib creature!" Zim stuck his tongue out. Membrane popped his head in
"Uh, is there anything I can do to help?" He asked, hearing the commotion
"Yes, you get your son. I'll get Zim" She said turning back to Zim to try and convince him to take the darn gloves off
"What? NO! Dad, just take me home! I'm not undressing here!" Dib yelled. Membrane looked him up and down. Dib was completely covered in chocolate, melted ice cream and other sticky stuff he did not recognize
"Yeah, no. You're not getting in the limo like that" He said "Just do as she says or I'll have to do it for you" Dib gave a shocked face but ultimately agreed, not wanting his dad to see him naked. That would be way worse "Fine, just go!" He yelled, closing the door before stripping his clothes off and getting in the tub on his own
Zim was soon overpowered and was plopped into the gel next to him. He flailed like a cat in water, Making Mai hold him down so she could wash him
"You know how to clean yourself, Dib. So hurry up and then there are clothes for you on Zims bed" She said as she wrestled with Zim, gel splashing all over the place
Dib listened and hurriedly cleaned all the sticky candy stuff off him before hurriedly getting out to cover himself with a towel. Strangely enough sitting on the bed was a clean pair of clothes. HIS clothes. He wondered how the hell she managed that so fast
He was already dressed and chilling when she finally came out with Zim, who was still freaking out. Must be the sugar
As soon as he saw Dib he hid his hands in the towel and curled his legs up under him to hide his feet as she carried him. As soon as she sat him on the bed he unwrapped himself from the towel, instead using it to cover his hands and feet
Dib gave him an odd look
"Don't look, Dib perv!" Zim yelled, blushing. Dib immediately looked away. Was Zim embarrassed with having his pussy out or the fact that his hands and feet were exposed? Probably the latter since Zim didn't seem bothered with exposing that place before
Mai quickly got him some gloves and socks, letting him pull them on under the towel, out of view before kicking the towel to the floor. She came back with some panties and a sleep gown, helping him get them on before picking him up
"Ok, let's go" She said to Dib, who immediately followed her. He wanted to get out of this weird situation
The professor sat on the couch examining mini moose when they came out
"Hey! Ready?" He said to Dib, who didn't look very happy. He just walked right past him to go to the limo outside
"He wasn't happy to take a bath. Should have thought about that before getting so messy" Mai laughed, holding Zim on her hip
"Ah yes, well thank you for everything. I'll see you at work tomorrow?" He asked
"Oh..Oh yes of course! I completely forgot! I'll see you there" She smiled, kissing him goodnight before he left
"Gross" Zim cringed
"Oh hush. Lets go to bed, it's way past your bedtime" She walked by Koi, who was sitting on the couch watching the TV "Ill come out as soon as he's asleep" She smiled, walking off with Zim
"No you won't!" He protested, making Mai laugh
"Aww, is the almighty Zim afraid to sleep by himself?" She purred, taking him over to the bed and laying him down while she changed her clothes from the dress into a nightgown
"O-Of course not!" He stammered, sitting up to argue. When she was done she sat down next to him on the bed, gave him a kiss on the cheek before laying down next to him
"Then it shouldn't be an issue, here" She pulled the bottle out of her PAK and handed it to him "You might not need the sugar but you need the vitamins. Where's your dog plushie?" She asked, reaching around for it
He climbed on top of her chest and laid on it, his legs draping over on either side of her and chin resting on her sternum. He held the bottle up to his mouth and drank like that, feeling comfortable he fell asleep almost instantly
"Or I guess that works" She chuckled, petting his antenna back. Oh well, she could talk to Koi in the morning, she had the next few days off to spend with them anyways
She decided to just go to sleep like this, petting Zim's antenna back until she too fell asleep
