Zim shot up and felt a creep skitter up his spine. Tak, the female Irken who'd been denied the oppertunity to become an Invader because of his outbreak and had attempted to take over Earth herself. She failed, but only because the Dib-filth assisted. This time she won't get as far, he thought bitterly. I will hang him from a noose fashioned from his own intestines!
Zim stood and dusted the seat of his pants off and turned in a 360. It was nearly noon and two days after the candy store/BBandB raid, and he had only thirteen buildings cleared. He sighed, suddenly very overwhelmed. "At this rate, I'll miss Sporka."
Dib sheilded his eyes and scrunched into a ball behind his moter bike waiting for his death-by-soot. It hit with surprising force nearly knocking him over. Suddenly he was moving very quickly. The first thing that came to mind was that the wind was blowing him down the street like a crumpled peice of paper or something like a sign post had caught in his jacket and was pulling him along. Suddenly he stopped and the roaring of soot became deafening. He continued to scream despite knowing that all his open-mouthy-ness would surely allow more soot to enter his lungs and choke him quicker. He screamed waiting for his slow, distasteful death, but it didn't come. He found himself capable of shutting up and listening, so he did so for what felt like an hour but was only twenty minutes. When the roar died down to a threatening whistle he cautiously opened his eyes and looked around. Somehow he ended up in an ally which was only partially filled with soot; the street was completly black though. Something shifted next to him then took off down the opposite end which Dib barely saw. What he did see was a deep blue hoodie and khaki pants disapear into the cloud of smoke and soot. He stared into the wall hoping to penetrate it's thick barrier and spot at least a sillhuette, but no such luck. He looked back behind him and figured he'd go the same way his savior had gone since the cloud was likely to be much less thick. He stood, still shaken, and finally jogged off into the smoke and soot having to feel his way out into the 'clear' again.
Zim returned to the original nursery which, for now, was more like a 'den' where Zee was laying and letting the sugars convert into fat. Though the doors hinges was in urgant need of oiling, Zee somehow managed to remain asleep, curled on her side with her head tilted up towards the ceiling. As he approached only her antennae flicked once, nothing more stirred. Zim passed and descended the stairs into the basement where he would pick out a few morsels of high-sugar candy chunks then resume his work. He'd take only enough to sustain him until the next day. Until then his pak would store and distribute the sugar allowing him to stretch out his energy until it reached critical once again. It wasn't favoured method, but he couldn't risk going back into the city so soon and Zee needed all of the sugar she could get. He felt a wave of hope wash over him as he thought about how much may be left after the Sporka, if any.
After he consumed two Kit-Kats, a hand ful of Whoppers and two bars of Snickers, he ascended the stairs and found Zee awake and stretching. Both arms were raised above her head and her back was arched as her antennae quivered almost as much as her muscles. She sighed and plopped back down atop of the blanket like a content dog, unaware of Zims presance. He came to her side and watched her just relax then finally spoke.
"I have most of the buildings cleared. All should be ready by tomarrow afternoon." he informed flatly.
Zee didn't move for a moment, but then her eyes opened and swiveled to view Zim directly. "Good." she breathed then sat up again. Her antennae hung over her shoulders and had become more curved than acutely angled. She sat with her legs folded on either side of her and her hands out front. Zim couldn't help but look; his eyes traveled from her pudged legs and belly up to her slightly pudged upperbody and arms. Her face appeared unaffected by the feasting of the last three days. Even while relaxing, Irkens use alot of their sugar. They have what we might consider and extrordinarily quick motabolism, but during this time of a famale Irkens life, their motab slows and they spend all the time they can eating and letting the sugar convert into fat, which Zee has appeared to have perfected.
She tossed her antennae back as if they were locks of hair and peered up at Zim through narrowed eyes. With one hand she beckoned him forward, to seat himself before her. He did so, barely aware he was. Zee crawled forward and touched her forhead to his looking into his crimson eyes with her own violet ones. Zim was still and completly unaware of what she was doing as well as what it was he was to be doing. After a few moments, Zee backed off and simply plopped down again. She reached over and grabbed an Almond Joy, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. Zim watched for a second or two, then stood.
"I'm going to go finish now. I'll be back by nightfall"
Zee made a shooing motion and turned on her side with her back to him. Zim didn't pick up on her annoyance towards his overlooking her signs and walked out curious as to what it was she was doing moments before. Even with the whooshing wind his antennae picked up on the scent she left on his forhead; sweet like honey and sharp like wet leaves in a crisp fall morning. He shivered and gasped as his throat felt as though it had suddenly closed up, but as soon as the air stopped, it came back. He cleared his throat and continued on thoroughly baffled.
That night Dib returned home and showerd. He didn't realize how much soot was caked on him until he caught a glimpse of himself in a store window. He thought he'd run home to quickly shower, but then he'd be sweaty too. Instead he walked annoyed that his moter bike was covered in at least five feet of soot.
Gaz said nothing once he entered, she only raised a brow and rolled her eyes. Of course, Membrane wasn't home, so he wasn't a problem. He threw his clothes into a corner, small puffs of soot rising, then leapt into the shower anxious to remove the thick filth. He scrubbed vigorously and even picked beneath his nails and navel. He wasn't sure when it happened, but he was suddenly very aware of every particle upon his body and hated it. He hated feeling as if his hands were coated in a thick filth after touching things and was constantly washing and disinfecting his hands. As much as he washed his face, it was still spotted with firey red zits some of which capped in a shining white peak just ready to burst and squirt onto an unsuspecting bystander. Upon close examination he found his black heads to be none better. Some were big enough that he hypothesized he could use the tip of a needle and kabab the buildup then yank it out like a little black cork. This he hasn't tried since mainly he couldn't find a small enough needle.
It took at least three shots of shampoo and conditioner to get out most of the soot in his hair, and he knew Membrane would pester him about the soot clogged drain later on. He cleansed until his skin felt raw and almost burned to the touch, but at least he was clean. He stood where he was enjoying the warm water and forgetting the disaster yet to come. His mind was instead occupied with something more important. Something he'd only reciently discovered. Somebody rather, and her name was Grey, or that's what people called her anyway. She seemed familiar, but he could never put his finger on who she was, especially when he really thought about it. But now that he was alone and relaxed, he knew he'd never figure it out. Not at that moment anyway. So as memories playes like little video clips and her smile etched itselt into his mind, as the water cascaded down his skin like warm silk, its drops creating a hum-buzz, he did was every teenage boy did when he was twitterpated, wet, and alone.
Once he finished his shower he was quick to return to his computer to check his mail. As far as e-mails went, there weren't very many. What little he received were either from the Swollen Eyeball, (though by now most find him quite noisome) or from forums revolving around aliens and the supernatural.
Yet again, TsuriNessi was doing a fine job of giving Dib ulcers, for his reply to whatever Dib posted was usually sarcastic, facecious and egotistical. Then there was Pinky-Ghost who, quite frankly, was pretty vacuous as far as the paranormal. Dib always wondered why she even bothered associating with the paranormal and its fans.
As he skimmed the latest posts, most of which by regulars and a few by the noisome Pinky-Ghost, the SwollenEyeball Icon began to blink urgently in the corner of his menubar. Since TsuriNessi hadn't posted, yet, he decided the forum was of no interest and closed it allowing for the SwollenEyeball window to expand and nearly fill the screen. Only for a few moments was the screen black before the Sillhuette of SilverShadow appeared and her attention was right on the moniter.
"Mothman, you have acquired clues"
"Well, not really. Sorta." he shrugged then scratched the back of his head thoughtfully, "No. I was in the process of finding a break in the blaze when a building collapsed and I had to take cover"
"I saw that, but not you. I admit, I was concerned for your life. I didn't think anything would survive something like that"
Dib crossed his arms on the desktop and replied, "I shouldn't have, but, "he paused and glanced away, "Somebody saved me"
SilverShadow leaned forward and the silvery ovals that were her eyes widened, "Did they? Do you know them"
He shook his head, "No. All I saw was their backs as they ran off"
"Who on Earth would be in the middle of a burning city"
"Besides somebody looking for clues"
"Exactly, what kind o-" she stopped.
"What"
"Maybe they were too"
"Looking for clues? Well I guess. It's pretty likely since the F.B.I are involved, but they didn't look like they were in anykind of uniform. They kinda looked like a regular citizen"
"Then it would appear to be luck"
"I guess. Anyway, did you get any clues"
She sat back, "I did! My thermal scanner picked up on a few bodies in the outskirts of the city. Maybe they're just a few hobos, but maybe not. One of us should take a look at that"
Before Dib could reply, a thought occured to him. If she is suggesting that one of them check it out, then she'd have to be near, but how near? "Yeah." he began, "Uhm, I was going to burrow into the blaze tommarrow, so maybe you should"
"Not necisarry. I uncovered one of DarkBooties DemonBots and sent it in. It barely made it back out, but luckily it lasted long enough I could gather all the information I needed. According to the projectory and the crash-site, the craft should of been between Shank Av. and Scolex St., but there's just broken road and a few chunks of buildings"
"So it's just, gone"
"It would seem so. Or it was retreived"
"It didn't melt or anything"
"I didn't see anything on the rubble. We are talking about aliens capable of traveling from other glaxies though, who knows what they're capable of"
"True, So I guess I'll check out the Cities edges then"
"Yes. Meanwhile, I'll moniter your investigation via satelite"
"And if something happens? If I find them, I mean"
SilverShadow sighed thoughfully, "Then maybe I'll come to assist you. Maybe"
Dib nodded, "And maybe my mystery hero will show up"
"Not likely. Now then, I must go now. There's a case on colour-changing gelatin I'd like to crack"
"Uhm, ok. Good night then"
" 'Night. Stay Swollen."
With that the screen turned black and Dib let himself laugh. What the heck kind of sign-out was that?