p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"Every few weeks Dib's trail of Zim would renew, as if Zim was making sure he didn't fall behind too fast. It made the investigator uneasy, was it a trap or was the Irken just looking for a fight with him? He was too far to hack the audio transmission again, but Dib didn't think he had much to say to the twerp./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"The longer he chased after Zim, the more Dib realized he hadn't planned as far ahead as he thought. Where the hell was he going to keep him captured until he returned to Earth? The Invader wouldn't be bound down for long and Dib new Zim could outlast him when it came to sleep./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Tak, where can I find some sort of hunting supplies, or just a box big enough to stuff Zim into?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""There should be a planet on your current path," Over their short time in space Tak's A.I. seemed to have softened up, or it just gave up on spiting Dib, "Yes, next planet you come across specializes in those things." Dib was pleased they were right on track. But a few days passed, and the planet came to view, Dib's trail of Zim seemed to veer off directly for it. emThis could just be a minor supply run, maybe there's other stuff than hunting gear./em Tak's (more accurately Dib's) Voot passed a sign with the Irken Empire's emblem. emOr not./em As Dib has learned through almost 2 months in space, it was that the Irken Empire liked assigning one job per planet. If this planet was for hunting and under the empire? Then it was emonly/em for hunting./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"This landing was smoother than his last, Tak's advice post-chase from Foodcourtia definitely of use. Poking his head out, Dib saw that this clearing he found was empty of ship and foot traffic. Translator in and backpack on his shoulders, Dib trudged through the grassy area into a busy market./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"The amount of noise on just one corner here rivaled an entire city block back on earth. Conversations overlapped into nonsense and so many faces passed that Dib realized he might not see Zim if he was there. Finally a stand with a bunch of cages caught the human's eye and he forced his way through./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Newcomer, how can I help you?" The shop owner was a Vortain (or at least that's what Tak's data said) and her horns nestled on both sides of her head./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Hi," Still awkward about talking to new species, Dib scanned the selection, "I'm looking for a cage that's about… 5 feet tall?" That might be a little too big, but he'll make it work./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Oh boy, that's easy." The shop owner walked from her counter to her stacks of cages. "Force field, closed in, what are we looking for?" She gestured to examples of each as she asked, Dib following her around her stock. He thought for a moment, what's the best way to keep an Irken captive? He couldn't have a closed box because he wouldn't be able to see if Zim escapes, the material should at least be sturdy./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""I think a force field one would work," the human settled, then following the Vortain as she led him to those specific cages. She pointed to certain ones, explaining how some worked or how humane others were until Dib picked one out./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Alrighty, that'll be…" They returned to the counter, the woman calculating price and Dib setting down the cage to grab the monies. Happily the new owner of a decently sized cage, Dib carried it back to his ship since walking around with it would be difficult; the market place was huge and full of wonders, especially the hidy-hole stores he found./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"After buying a few trinkets here and there, backpack now a solid weight, Dib was going to call it a day. emDidn't Zim stop on this planet?/em He had totally forgotten he had followed Zim onto this planet, yet there was no sign of the Irken. Nerves shaken, Dib picked up the pace to get to his ship. The sun starting to descend behind the horizon, but the forest his clearing was in was already shadowy and darkening./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Of all things to leave in the Voot," Dib grunted to himself, tripping over a root, "Why was it the flashlight?" The human threw out his hand to find anything before his face did, the vegetation was thicker than he imagined. After countless roots, a few spider(?) webs and a pair of eyes staring at him as he passed a creek, Dib saw the clearing ahead. He pushed through with careful steps, determined to just sit down in the Voot after all this./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"Upon breaking through, Dib saw the sun was nearly gone by how a deep indigo ate up the sky. He had never seen night on another planet before, Foodcourtia had enough lights to forget what time of day it was in the first place. The stronger stars were visible, scattered across the blue as it ate the dying orange-red sunset. This was amazing./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""There you are you worm-baby!" Angry huffs made Dib's stomach drop, he looked at the luminescent pink staring at him. Zim was in a stance to attack, fists balled and holding his center of balance; even with his new height and built muscle from years of fighting, Dib was going to have trouble taking Zim down./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Why were you looking for me?" emYou should be looking for him, why did he hunt /emyouem down?/em Dropping his bag, still a short sprint from the Voot, Dib too dropped into a fighting stance./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""That doesn't seem to be important right now," Zim began circling him, forcing more distance from escape by moving him away, "What's important is that I'm here now, and your inevitable loss." The irken warrior lunged at Dib, darkness blurring both figures, and the fight begun./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"The longer he chased after Zim, the more Dib realized he hadn't planned as far ahead as he thought. Where the hell was he going to keep him captured until he returned to Earth? The Invader wouldn't be bound down for long and Dib new Zim could outlast him when it came to sleep./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Tak, where can I find some sort of hunting supplies, or just a box big enough to stuff Zim into?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""There should be a planet on your current path," Over their short time in space Tak's A.I. seemed to have softened up, or it just gave up on spiting Dib, "Yes, next planet you come across specializes in those things." Dib was pleased they were right on track. But a few days passed, and the planet came to view, Dib's trail of Zim seemed to veer off directly for it. emThis could just be a minor supply run, maybe there's other stuff than hunting gear./em Tak's (more accurately Dib's) Voot passed a sign with the Irken Empire's emblem. emOr not./em As Dib has learned through almost 2 months in space, it was that the Irken Empire liked assigning one job per planet. If this planet was for hunting and under the empire? Then it was emonly/em for hunting./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"This landing was smoother than his last, Tak's advice post-chase from Foodcourtia definitely of use. Poking his head out, Dib saw that this clearing he found was empty of ship and foot traffic. Translator in and backpack on his shoulders, Dib trudged through the grassy area into a busy market./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"The amount of noise on just one corner here rivaled an entire city block back on earth. Conversations overlapped into nonsense and so many faces passed that Dib realized he might not see Zim if he was there. Finally a stand with a bunch of cages caught the human's eye and he forced his way through./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Newcomer, how can I help you?" The shop owner was a Vortain (or at least that's what Tak's data said) and her horns nestled on both sides of her head./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Hi," Still awkward about talking to new species, Dib scanned the selection, "I'm looking for a cage that's about… 5 feet tall?" That might be a little too big, but he'll make it work./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Oh boy, that's easy." The shop owner walked from her counter to her stacks of cages. "Force field, closed in, what are we looking for?" She gestured to examples of each as she asked, Dib following her around her stock. He thought for a moment, what's the best way to keep an Irken captive? He couldn't have a closed box because he wouldn't be able to see if Zim escapes, the material should at least be sturdy./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""I think a force field one would work," the human settled, then following the Vortain as she led him to those specific cages. She pointed to certain ones, explaining how some worked or how humane others were until Dib picked one out./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Alrighty, that'll be…" They returned to the counter, the woman calculating price and Dib setting down the cage to grab the monies. Happily the new owner of a decently sized cage, Dib carried it back to his ship since walking around with it would be difficult; the market place was huge and full of wonders, especially the hidy-hole stores he found./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"After buying a few trinkets here and there, backpack now a solid weight, Dib was going to call it a day. emDidn't Zim stop on this planet?/em He had totally forgotten he had followed Zim onto this planet, yet there was no sign of the Irken. Nerves shaken, Dib picked up the pace to get to his ship. The sun starting to descend behind the horizon, but the forest his clearing was in was already shadowy and darkening./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Of all things to leave in the Voot," Dib grunted to himself, tripping over a root, "Why was it the flashlight?" The human threw out his hand to find anything before his face did, the vegetation was thicker than he imagined. After countless roots, a few spider(?) webs and a pair of eyes staring at him as he passed a creek, Dib saw the clearing ahead. He pushed through with careful steps, determined to just sit down in the Voot after all this./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"Upon breaking through, Dib saw the sun was nearly gone by how a deep indigo ate up the sky. He had never seen night on another planet before, Foodcourtia had enough lights to forget what time of day it was in the first place. The stronger stars were visible, scattered across the blue as it ate the dying orange-red sunset. This was amazing./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""There you are you worm-baby!" Angry huffs made Dib's stomach drop, he looked at the luminescent pink staring at him. Zim was in a stance to attack, fists balled and holding his center of balance; even with his new height and built muscle from years of fighting, Dib was going to have trouble taking Zim down./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Why were you looking for me?" emYou should be looking for him, why did he hunt /emyouem down?/em Dropping his bag, still a short sprint from the Voot, Dib too dropped into a fighting stance./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""That doesn't seem to be important right now," Zim began circling him, forcing more distance from escape by moving him away, "What's important is that I'm here now, and your inevitable loss." The irken warrior lunged at Dib, darkness blurring both figures, and the fight begun./p