--Chapter three-New faces---- --
Dib watched his scary sister being dragged away. This Zim… He looked up at him. This zim was very different from the one he'd known ten years ago. "You sadistic monster!" He snapped. Zim glanced down at him, a smirk on his face. "Sadistic? You don't know the meaning of the word!!" He laughed. "Take him to Level 4!!" He waved at Dib as he was pulled away. "Shave first. Your hair is repulsive.." One muttered. Dib scowled at him. They took him into a stout building. And Irken sign hung above it. He guessed it was a barber shop for humans. They took him in and threw him into a chair facing a mirror. Metal bond held him down as a machine came down onto his head. "Please select style." A robotic voice asked. "My old hair… with maybe some bangs… and make the scythe longer…" he suggested. "Confirmed. Please select facial hair style." Dib frowned. "Um… what ever looks good?" He prompted. "Confirmed." He felt scissors and razors cut away his hair. It lasted less than a few seconds. The machine lifted up, and he looked at himself. He had bangs that fell in front of his eyes, his hair was spiked up, and his scythe was shaped like a lightning-blot. He had a light mustache and small squared beard. "Confirmed. Report To duty." The machine threw him out of the chair. The guards dragged him out. He walked between them down the street. They turned into an alley. A door was at the end, illuminated by a single red bulb. "Say your goodbyes. This maybe the last time you see the surface again!" One laughed. Dib gulped. They opened the door. A stomach-wrenching smell reached his nostrils. The guards hesitated for a moment, recoiling from the stench. Dib looked in. some sort of stem was drifting out, and he could see a faint red light coming from below. They pushed him forward. "Go talk to Artemis. He'll show you the way. And don't try anything funny. They're guards down there 24/7!" They closed the door behind him. Dib waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before taking a careful step down. He carefully walked down the stairs. "This must be part of earth's old sewer system." He muttered. The stairs were wide with handrails, made of metal. "Or perhaps a sub-way system?" He muttered. The light was getting closer. The sound of grunting machinery reached his hears. Squeaks, steam hissing, gears turning. He reached the bottom. Railroad tracks stretched across the landing. Large chunks of rock had smashed down on most of them. No light shone from the holes, so he guessed they'd been repaired. An old battered subway lay on it side on the tracks. The stench was strong, he almost gagged. "Ah.. A new arrival..." Dib jumped, and looked around. Steamed hissed from behind him. He turned and stared. An alien sat on top of a machine, pedaling on what looked like a bicycle. Except the alien had eight arms and six legs. All of his limps her turning or pedaling. One three-fingered hand reached out ad grabbed a cup of liquid. He took a gulp and set it back down. He had dark gray skin, and a small human-like nose with a pair of spectacles on it. The machine was giant, made of black steel. Gears turned strained on it, steam erupting out for holes all over it. "My name is Artemis. And you are?" He almost said Dib. "Um... Wretch, sir." He muttered. Artemis chuckled. "What is your human name?" He told him. "Dib? I see... What level did the Tallest put you on?" Dib told him. "Level 4? Wow, Wretch, level 4... The tallest must have a grudge on you..." Dib snorted. "Hmm... I can't leave... Level four is a long way off We'll just have to-" The door opened. Light footsteps reached his ears. It was one of the horned aliens.. Umm.. Vortians. He looked up when he noticed Dib. His uniform had a high collar, dark blue undershirt with a black jacket. The Invader sign was etched onto the outfit. He had on black pants and shiny black boots. Dib wondered how he could walk with his pointed feet. He had grey skin. He wore goggles that made his eyes dark green with a white pupil. "Ah, Jarce. You came just in time." Artemis gestured with a hand. Jarce frowned, gripping the mop and bucket in his hands. "Sir, I am in a hurry. I must do down to level four-" Artemis nodded and gestured to Dib. "He has been assigned to Level four. Jarce, Meet Wretch." Jarce snorted, trying not to laugh. Dib scowled. "Now go on, Nar. Take him down." Nar? Dib wondered. That must be his old name. "Yes sir." Jarce began walking. He hopped down to the tracks. Dib followed. Thy walked into a tunnel lit by red lights. A tunnel opened up to their right. Nar walked through. Water began dripping off the ceiling. He heard the sound of gushing water. The stench was even stronger. He saw Jarce wince from it. "So, Wretch? What deed earned you that name?" Dib sighed. "I.. Knew Zim before he was tallest. We were childhood enemies.." Jarce nodded. "Dib, was it? I caught it when you were talking with Arty." Dib noticed Jarce's thick accent. It was French, but it sounded like he was trying to do an American accent. "Yeah. Nar? What's your full name?" Jarce ground his jaw. "My old name was Lard Nar. Captain Lard Nar. I once formed a resistance against the Irkens... But sadly.. It failed.." They went down another hall, and steps. They came to a set of tracks but the tracks were covered in gushing water. Several humans and other aliens stood by the water, moving poles around in it. The water was dyed bloody red by the lights. Nar turned left and took another flight down. "I would love to show Zim what for. He made my sister his maid." Nar was silent. "Don't you ever wish you could for your resistance again? To defy what you know you shouldn't?" more stairs. He passed a sign that Read ' Waste Level four'. Nar stopped. "Here we are. I bid you adieu." He began walking off. "Hey, answer me!" Dib grabbed his shoulder. Nar whirled around so fast that Dib didn't see. When he stopped. Nar was facing him, in a fighting position, wielding the mop like a staff. "I have to obligation to answer you, human. We may both be slaves, but a dignified Vortian does not take orders from a lowly human!" He sneered. Dib growled, but didn't say anything. Nar sniffed and walked away hotly. Human must be pretty low on the food chain now, he thought. Dib realized how mature he'd become. How quickly he realized things. He looked around. The place seemed empty. What was he supposed to do. "Are you a new arrival?" Someone hissed from the dark. Dib nodded. He looked into the water in front of him, gushing by. He didn't notice the smell anymore. "Follow me..."
------ - -
Gaz walked through the hall, growling to herself. The first task she'd been assigned to was polishing Zim's suits. They were held in their own room. She glared down the hall. The only reason she was doing this was because they'd put her under surveillance. She had a self-destruction band on her wrist. One false move and she was splattered on the wall. She figured while she worked she'd get to know the workings of the place, then escape. She walked past a hallway someone bumped into her. She shoved the alien away. "Watch it you gray goat-face!" She snapped at the Vortian. He mumbled an apology, not looking at her at all. He picked up his mop and bucket. She grabbed his collar and dragged him closer to read his nametag. "Jarce, huh? I've got my eye on you." She growled. "S-sorry, mistress… My apologizes…" He muttered. She let go of him. Mistress? Hmm… she'd noticed that humans were treated like dogs. But, maybe ranking had some powerful influence too. Maybe Being Zim's personal maid put her on high standards. In the working class, anyway. Humph. She walked into the suit room. She glanced around. There were ten suits, all exactly alike, except for one. One was solid black chrome, and more elegant than the others. It mussed be his 'dress suit'. She scoffed. She saw a bucket, rag, and bottle of wax on the floor. She growled. Housework. Charming.
---slow day---- --
Zim picked at a piece of food in between his teeth. He flicked it away. It landed on one of the guard's suits. He grimaced and wiped it off. Zim snickered a little, then sighed. It was quite boring when there was no one to pick on. He looked at his fingers. He was slung sideways over his silver throne, looking uninterested. The guards were leaning against wall, talking among themselves. He yawned. "Meh… I need something to do…" He mumbled. He used to have Purple to pick on. That was fun. Red usually joined him. But since the treaty signing… He frowned. Poor Pur 'n Reddy…. Ah well… "Hey, Go get Jarcy. It's always fun messing with him." He waved to a guard. The guard nodded and went off to find Jarce. Zim yawned and sat up. He popped his neck and back. He sat up straight and took a few deep breaths. He cleared his throat and sat back, crossing his legs. He put an evil grin on his face and tried not to look bored. He tapped his finger tips together. The guard came back. "Presenting Janitor Jarce." He said. Nar walked in, his hands behind his back, secretly pointing his middle finger at Zim. "you called, My Tallest. "How's your crew? Oh, That's right.. They're DEAD!" He laughed. Nar sighed. Zim used the same line every time. "I really enjoyed blowing up your ship-" Nar interrupted. "If this is all you needed me for sir, I need to leave. I've got some errands to run…" Zim blinked. "Fine. Whatever. You're no fun." He growled. He waved him away. Nar rolled his eyes, and left. Zim snorted. "What's the girl doing?" He asked on of the guards. "Polishing your suits, sir." He sighed. Most of the time it paid to be ruler… but sometimes... it was downright boring...
Two weeks later