---A Rising Revolution----------
Dib stuck his net into the stinking water, grunting as he drug it along the bottom. He lifted it um and dumped the contents into a sifter. The other humans and aliens worked silently alongside him. How long had he been down here? The days had began melting into each other. He barely remembered what he was supposed to be doing. It was just work, work, work. Hadn't he been doing something before? He couldn't remember. What was his old name? Dib. He could remember that much. There was something about a girl.. oh yeah, Gaz. But what about Gaz? He didn't remember. He sighed and rested for a moment. Zim. It was coming back to him. Zim, the evil tyrant. The other workers whispered of his evils, news that the janitors brought from above. But they whispered in fear, because guards were everywhere. There weren't any around right now, that they could see, but they still saved it for the hall. The Hall was the cleanest place on Level 4. The workers slept and ate there. If you could call it eating. They got whatever scraps the Tallest didn't want. So, they got Zim's leftovers, in other words. It was a disgrace to what he'd been working for. "what's on your mind, Dibby?" He heard a voice say from his right. That was his nickname. They all had nicknames that were similar to their real names, so they wouldn't forget. He turned to the Vortian. His Irken name was Delphi, which Dib thought sounded cool, but his real name was Zer. He'd been down here the longest. He was about 60 in human years, but still considered young in Vortian. He had dark burgundy skin, and one of his horns was broken off. He was like the leader in Level 4, besides Arty, whom made seldom visits down. Dib guessed that Arty was over the whole waste disposal department. The machine Arty always pedaled on was a heater. It Heated Zim's palace. "Hmm? Oh, nothing.." He muttered. "Ya sure, Dibby? Ya looks like ya gots sometin' on ya mind there." Ket, aka 'Spunky'. The Juvie, as he was more well known. Of all the workers, this Vortian was the most energetic. Ket was leaning on his net, grinning at him from across the water. Ket had deep violet skin. He was missing a tooth, and talked so street-like that Dib sometimes had a hard time understanding him. "We all have things on our mind. Leave Dib alone. If he doesn't want to talk..then he shouldn't have too.." Dib smiled a little. Johnny. The opposite of Ket. Gloomy, negative, dark, mysterious, and… sadistic. Johnny was a human like Dib. He had sleek black hair that was cut strangely like horns that fell in front of his face. He was unusually skinny, and dib swore that every time he looked at Johnny that he changed shirts. "It's alright Noo- Johnny." Zim had given Johnny the name 'Noodle boy'. Johnny seemed to hate that name very much. "You guys are funny to watch." Another Vortian giggled. Vel, dubbed Hervia by Zim. She was a tomboy, and loved to roughhouse. She punched Dib's shoulder. She reminded him of a nicer Gaz. She had light pink skin. Callie giggled. She stood beside Johnny on the other side. "you guys are weird." She said, poking Johnny in the ribs. Callie was the only one who could touch Johnny without him going ballistic. Callie had short brown hair and a few freckles. She had been dubbed 'Pathetic' by Zim. No one called her that name. Callie was funny, but had a short temper, and was moody. Johnny snorted. "I'll show you 'funny' when your insides are floating downstream and some one scoops up your bloody insides with their net. I'll place your head on the end of mine like a trophy.." Dib cloud hear Johnny mutter. Johnny often talked to himself, and this weird bunny with a nail through it that he carried in his back pocket. Caitlin rolled her eyes. Caitlin had come down with Callie. Caitlin was quiet, but hilarious when she talked. She had kind of short brown hair and glasses. She seemed disturbed by Johnny, but hung around with him and Callie most."Yeah, whatev' Herv. Dis ain't funny an' ya know it." Ket scoffed, smiling. Dib chuckled. "I have to agree with Herv." Dib said. "See? Dibby's on my side!" She hugged him. Zer laughed. "The whole lot of ya are loopy." Dib smiled. Callie laughed and flung water at him and Herv with her net. "Eww!" "Yuck!" They cried. Johnny giggled girlishly. "Cleave their skulls!" This was his new family. They weren't much, but they were still family. None of them knew what had become of their real families. The Empire had driven them apart. Damn the Irken rule. He felt his cheeks flush with anger. He hadn't seen Gaz in a long time either. His thoughts drifted back to that first night, when he'd met Lard Nar. he got an idea. "Hey..." dib whistled. They all fell silent. He looked around, no guards were present. "I met this guy, he used to have a resistance against the Irkens, And I've been thinking..." They all leaned in, their interest sparked. "What if we made another resistance?"
----- -----
Gaz folded the sheet back. "your bed is ready, sir." She hissed. Two weeks and she still hadn't adapted very well. She'd made enemies of almost all the guards and employees. Well, not actually enemies, but they were all afraid of her. That one guy Jarce had been repeatedly getting on her nerves. He was constantly bumping into her, or tripping as he scrambled away when he saw her. It pissed her off. Pissed her off like her serving Zim did. She started walking out as Zim came out of his bathroom, naked. She stood outside the door. There was something she wanted to ask him. "Z- My Tallest, Sir? Permission to enter?" she said through gritted teeth. "Hum? Yes, yes, sure." Gaz walked in. Zim was sitting up in bed, staring at her intently. Gaz realized she was trembling. One thing had happened over the two weeks. She didn't want to admit it, but there was no denying it. She was in love with Zim. "I-I want to know if my father is alive." She asked quietly. Zim's antenna shot forward. "Heh? Speak up!" He called. She sighed and repeated herself. "I still can't hear you Violet. Come here." She thought of Violet more of a pet name then her actual name. Everyone called her that, but, she got a funny fuzzy feeling in her stomach when Zim said it. She walked silently over to his side, keeping her head down. Servant weren't allowed to make eye contact with the Tallest, not that most of the shorter Irkens could. "I want to see my father." She said. Zim lower lip stuck out. This was his 'thoughtful' look. "Hmmm... Professor Membrane, If I'm not mistaken?" He asked. Gaz nodded. She realized she was edging ever so closer to him. She was resisting the urge to stroke his ribs. "Is he alive?" She asked hopefully. "Yes. Wait... I think.. Yes I'm..sure.." He said doubtfully. "If he is he'd probably be in the Science lab." Gaz nodded and began walking away. "Thank you, Sir." Zim grunted in response. He watched her thoughtfully as she left. "What strange being humans are. I never shall understand them." He murmured. He could have sworn Gaz was going to kiss him. He smiled.
-----Family reunion----
Gaz walked down the hall. Where was the Science lab? She'd ask the next person she saw for directions. Jarce came out of a door ahead of her, waving his hand in front of his face. The doorway was dark, and seemed to have steps doing down. An unpleasant smell reached her. She spoke too soon. "Hey! You, Jarce!" Jarce looked around, and when he saw her, froze rigid, and looked fearfully down at the ground. Janitors and Waste disposal members also weren't allowed to look in the eyes of their superiors. Or allowed to talk to them unless spoken too. "Where's the Science lab?" She asked as she came up to him. He pointed to his left. "Second door." He murmured without looking up. "Hey," Jarce forgot himself for a moment and glanced up into her eyes. "Thanks." She said, not giving it any notice. "W-wait!" Jarce grabbed her arm. He realized what he'd down and jumped back. "E-excuse my actions, Mistress, but do you bear any family to a boy named Dib?" He asked feverishly. Dib? She'd forgotten all about him. "Yes." she answered without thinking. "You share the same eyes.." Jarce muttered before hurrying away. Gaz blinked. Dib. She wondered what had become of him. Well, She'd visit him after Dad. She walked down the hall, and looked at the door. Irken were smart. They had made signs that whatever language you spoke, the sign would show up in that language. she saw it in English, but some one Like Zim might see it in Irken, or Jarce might see it in Vortian. 'Science Lab'. She walked in. The room looked like a stereotypical lab. steel tables, microscopes, those little glass tubes. Irken machinery and computers covered every inch of the wall. There was only on person in the room. "Professor Membrane?" She asked. The man stopped mixing chemicals and turned. It was her father, but he looked the exact same age, except he had more hair. "I haven't been called that in years! how do you know my name?" He asked, his eyes narrowing behind his goggles. "It's me Vio- Gaz." Membrane paused. "Gaz? You're alive? When you left and never came back, I sent out a search party all over the globe for you and your brother!" Membrane ran around the tables and embraced her for the first time in her life. "I was worried about you too... I thought you were dead..." He said quietly. Gaz hugged him back. "I thought you were dead too." Membrane grasped her shoulder and stood back to get a look at her. "Wow, Daddy's little girl is all grown up!" He sobbed. Gaz smiled a little. "Where's your brother?" Those words echoed through her mind as she remembered the last time he'd said them. "Waste disposal." She replied. "I want to see him at once! Let's go!" He grasped her wrist and dragged her out. He went to the door Jarce had come out of. She gagged when they stepped in at the smell. They went down the stairs. They passed the first landing, and Membrane stopped. He told her to wait. He went around a corner. She glanced around. They seemed to be in an old abandoned subway terminal. Membrane came back around. "Level 4." he said. she looked at him perplexed, but followed him down. They passed three more landing before arriving at the bottom. There was a single door. Membrane went through. Inside what seemed to be an old food court for the subway. It was four stories up. Each story except for the bottom had a landing all around the walls. The middle was open. In the center and around the walls of the bottom, Gaz could see people eating or sleeping. Some were sitting up talking. Red light bulbs dangled from the bottoms of the landings. And a giant red light hug from the very ceiling. They walked in, she looked around for Dib. Two brown-haired girls and a very skinny guy were talking as they approached, the fell silent and watched them with wide eyes. Gaz frowned. "where's D- Wretch?" she asked. The freckle-faced girl murmured something to The boy. He snorted and stood. He was shorter than Membrane, but had a towering presence. He clasped his hands behind his back, his shoulder straight. He have a chilling smile. "I shall take you to him... My name is Johnny.. but you may call me Nny for short.." He hissed. He turned on his heel and began walking away. Membrane and Gaz exchanged glances, but followed. Gaz noticed that ask she walked, they turned several heads. She didn't feel as if they were looking at her, they were watching Johnny. They all feared him. Johnny stopped suddenly and pointed with a bony finger. They looked. Dib was sitting with three other Vortians and a giant rat. "Dib!" Gaz called waving. Dib glanced up and gasped. He ran up to meet them. "Dad! Gaz!" He opened his arms to embrace them, but paused. There was an awkward silence between the three of them. "Umm.. so what are you doing down here?" He asked. "I've come to see my boy, that's what!" Membrane patted him roughly on the shoulder uncertainly. "Oh." Dib seemed at a loss for words. Gaz stayed a little ways off, watching Johnny with interest.