Prisoner of War

Irken Invader Splooch

AN – I'll start doing fanart for these chaps, might be hard for some, but wut ev ya? If/when I post them, they'll be at scrappster.deviantart (. com) so I don't clutter my chapters or profile page xD

Purple hovered quickly down the hall and Dib followed. He wasn't really sure what to do, but he figured he was better off following his captor. Various workers and slaves paid a good deal of attention to their passing leader, most diverting their gaze, others bowing. There were a few higher ranked that asked of his condition, but the violet leader simply passed them without a word. Purple's antennae perked and he turned around, looking behind. An Irken was running towards the two, and when he finally caught up, he saluted without missing a beat.

"Sir."

Purple twitched his hand in acknowledgement and the Irken continued.

"We have detained the menace. Interrogation will begin once you've authorized it."

He turned around, vaguely waving a hand back at the soldier.

"Continue then."

"Yes, my Tallest."

He clicked his heels and abruptly left, official and predictable as the Empire so desired. Purple started down the hall again. The people thinned as they traveled. Dib wasn't sure what to think or say, yet luckily for him, his captor spoke first.

"I don't know how something like that coulda happened. How the heck did he even get in here to begin with?"

Dib was about to speak when Purple lifted his hand to his chin.

"Maybe he's got a disguise. Been lurking around the ship this whole time. But that doesn't make any sense."

The Irken paused, and Dib opened his mouth to speak. Purple suddenly veered to his left and stopped to face a wall. He motioned vaguely at the wall before him.

"And who could possibly have that kind of technology? Or that kind of combat skill? He would have killed me if…"

His voice dropped off, and his antennae suddenly perked. He slowly turned around, a surprised yet suspicious look sitting on his face.

"Hey! You saved me."

Dib blinked, quickly recapped what had happened, and looked back up. Purple spoke before Dib could get a chance.

"Why the heck were you there?"

"Uh…well, you see, it was more like…uh…"

How am I supposed to explain this? I ran into him while trying to escape? That he asked me to join him? No, Dib wasn't stupid. He had infamous 'Membrane' blood flowing through his veins. He knew when to take advantage of a situation. He looked up, a humble confidence in his eyes.

"I heard a noise in the vent under your bed, so I had to go check it out."

"He was using the vents?"

Dib smiled and nodded half-heartedly. He never felt comfortable lying to people of Purple's reputation.

"Yeah, and when I saw it was just an Irken, I was about to turn back. But I had a feeling something was up."

Purple grinned and nodded slowly, raising a hand to point a long finger at him.

"I knew there was something I liked about you."

He grinned sheepishly and shrugged. Purple suddenly hovered forward and set a strong hand on his shoulder. Dib fought the urge to shudder and pull away, and instead forced a smile to the Tallest.

"You know Dib. I'm glad you did that. Cuz you know why? I'll tell you why."

He leaned in, and Dib couldn't help but pull back at the closeness. Purple's hand kept him close though, so he tried to relax instead. He hadn't been this close to an Irken before. At least, not without the immediate intention of killing them. It gave him a moment to notice things that he had never been able to notice with Zim. The face was so smooth, unrealistically so, and the eyes had a very slight texture to them. Almost like an iridescent piece of paper beneath tinted glass. He had always assumed their eyes were insect-like, yet gazing into the lifeless purple gaze, he knew his hypothesis was wrong. The eerie voice sang out, jarring him from his observations and yanking him back to reality.

"I don't have to kill you now."

Dib couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing, but the Irken ripped away, smacking other hand on Dib's shoulder and shouted.

"Ain't that just great?!"

Dib pulled back in surprise, but the Tallest suddenly pulled him into a strong embrace and smashed his head against his armor. Dib tensed at the sensation and almost pulled away. Hugs were awkward enough from family, let alone an enemy.

"Oh that makes me so happy. Not dying is great ain't it?"

Purple pushed him away suddenly, enthusiastic as Dib had never seen before. Those bright eyes screamed simplicity, even innocence, and Dib raised an eyebrow.

"I guess so…Arh!"

Strong arms slammed him against his armor again, and he squirmed against the grip. Purple swung him around slightly and giggled.

"'Guess so', you're so funny!"

Dib continued to squirm when suddenly Purple dropped him. He landed hard, but when he sent a half-hearted glare towards him, Purple didn't even glance down. Dark red robes stood down the hall, and a very angry looking Tallest filled them nicely. Now that Purple had noticed him, Red came forward instantly.

"What did I tell you about that thing?"

Purple relaxed and waved at his co-tallest.

"Oh, relax Red."

"No, we have to kill it."

"Him, and no we don't."

Red snapped around.

"What do you mean we don't have to kill it?"

"Because he proved worthy to the Empire."

"How the hell could it have done that?"

"He saved me from that assassin."

"How do you know it wasn't helping the traitor?"

"Because he followed the guy until he tried to kill me."

"Maybe it just wanted you to trust it."

"No, he doesn't like me or you, but obviously he likes the empire. Like most Irken here."

"It's alien, no deed can change that."

Purple suddenly grinned slyly, and he waved a hand vaguely to the other as he turned around. The move unnerved the ruby eyed tallest. He knew better then anyone how his co-tallest worked.

"What? What??"

"Oh no, no no. I understand. He must be killed."

The singsong quality of Purple's voice chilled Dib to the bone, and Red came up behind. He sighed.

"Alright, alright. Why shouldn't we kill it?"

A triumphant grin exploded over Purple's face, and he spun around to face Red. The haughty grin was gone in an instant, away from Red's prying eyes, and confidence had replaced it. Purple laid a hand on his co-tallest's shoulder, who gave him a disapproving look, but didn't move.

"It's not that we shouldn't kill him. It's that we can't."

"What?"

"Don't act dumb. You know that if a being of alien origin shows genuine interest in assisting the Empire, they are to be granted specific rights until deemed useless."

"I deem it useless."

"But I don't."

"You would."

Red shot him a glare and turned towards Purple, who let his hand fall to his side.

"Pur, we can't keep it. What if–"

"And, if there are two Tallests in power and both believe different actions should be taken, the case must be brought before the control brain and decided then."

Red rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

"Fine, fine. I'll agree with you for now. That's too much trouble just to get rid of it."

Purple squeed as he grabbed Red's arm and started shaking it.

"Oh, thank you Red!"

"Yeah yeah, get off. So why do you want to keep it?"

Purple snatched Dib and buried his cheek in Dib's hair.

"He's fuzzy."

Red glared.

"Not funny."

"I thought it was."

"Just tell me why."

"He saved me from most certain death."

Red dead-panned Purple and shook his head.

"I doubt that, Pur."

"No, seriously. The guy had knives and guns and all sorts of stuff."

"Again, I doubt he saved your life."

"He did! I was goner."

Dib watched the two, bewildered and curious. He couldn't tell if Purple was being serious or if he was just kidding. It was impossible to tell either way, but Red turned and changed the subject.

"Whatever. Let's get back to the main room."

Purple nodded and the two hovered down the hall and to the bridge, Dib following on their heels intently all the while. The two mumbled to themselves and waved to the sentry standing guard of the bridge entrance. He dipped his head low and the door whizzed open, allowing the trio through. Purple reached out and poked one of the passing workers.

"Get the slave fixed up."

"Yes, Sir."

The pilot snatched a hold of Dib's arm and started dragging him off. Dib squeaked and looked back at the Tallest as they turned aloofly and went about their ways. The pilot lead him to a door, and Dib gulped, not sure what 'Fix up' meant and fearing the worse as the door drew open to a blinding white light.

-

"I still don't know how that could happen."

Purple leaned back to look at his pacing co-tallest.

"Wasn't he classified as dead?"

"I thought so. Which is why I'm confused. Every Irken killed is disposed of appropriately. Especially Invaders."

"Maybe a glitch in the system."

Red snapped his head back, glaring from Purple to the floor.

"There are no glitches in anything Irken made."

Purple gave a dead look at the other, who looked up curiously.

"Please, you know that's not t–"

"Shut up, Pur. I'm serious."

"So am I."

Purple turned in the chair, resting his hand on the metallic back.

"You can't pretend they don't happen."

"I said shut up, Pur. A glitch is way different then–"

"A defect?"

Red looked up from his study of the ground, and Purple gave him a tired smile. Red glared and turned, waving off-handedly.

"Yes."

"Good, I thought they were the same."

"Shut the hell up."

–

"Irken Invader Splooch. That is your title, is it not?"

The light from above highlighted his scarred, hellish face. His eyes were steady with a deadly calm. No response came, and the tall figure sighed frustratedly. Red eyes reopened before him and heavy hands rested on the table.

"Look. We know who you are, your old scores, who trained you, everything! You can't hide that. But what we want to know–"

"Are things I will not reveal."

Rage exploded from the interrogator and he flipped the table. Turk didn't even wince at the action and when the red eyes lunged forward, he lifted his jaw to return the heavy glare.

"You were part of the empire. You know what lies ahead."

Silence. Predictable, but the interrogator shifted tactics. He moved smoothly, gracefully, and his voice softly sang out, a hint of selfless pleading tinting his words.

"Then ease yourself the trouble of the prisons on Vort. What do you care if the ones you work for are found out? The Empire can give you anything."

"False."

Those red eyes snapped down, harsher now. He obviously had a temper that had granted him this position.

"What?"

He clipped the word with a hard tongue and lunged forward, stopping just before Turk once more. The dark, worn eyes glared into the vibrant ones before him, and he spoke slowly, confidently, almost solemnly.

"False."

"You should know the benefits of assisting the Empire. You of all beings should know the chances we could give you. Planets, fleets, respect, everything you could possibly desire."

"False."

He growled and straightened away, looming over Turk suspiciously.

"If you comply and answer our questions, all you have to do is name your greatest desire and it will be yours."

"My greatest desire?"

Calm washed over the interrogators face, triumph flickering in the depths of his ruby orbs.

"Greatest and most unattainable desire."

"Unattainable."

It was only stated, as though making a dull point.

"To all but the Empire, I assure you. Name it."

He was quiet for a moment and Turk didn't shift.

"I want…"

The interrogator's eyes grew wide, gleeful and devious as he waited expectantly for triumph. The metallic stillness sat thickly in the air, until Turk slowly looked up, a dead glint sitting in each eye.

"Life."