The Mutant Zim Gene
Xxx
Blackbird Jet, over New York City
Ororo's eyes had lost all colours except for the faint trace of silver where her irises were supposed to be. Her powers were holding back the full fury of the storm that would have made landing impossible-or would have made them crash into a sky scraper sooner or later. Usually this effort would not impair her driving, but most of the time she was flying far from any sort of objects instead of a few thousand feet off of the ground over a partially flooding city in the middle of a storm too powerful for her to dissipate. Because of this, Cyclops was currently today's pilot.
The four X Men were clad in the suits that marked them as Charles Xavier's trusted students and friends. Logan disliked them, and not just because his suit was tight in a few places it ought not to be. Despite his protests, the suit managed to put up with most forms of damage the first and only time he had worn it before today.
Tugging at the collar a bit, he glanced out the window. "And you thought I'd love it here."
"It is not as bad as it appears to be," The fourth mutant in the cockpit spoke up. "It is only taken so seriously because it disrupts the daily lives of anybody beneath it."
"And why did I let you come along?" Logan raised one eye brow in the direction of the only member of the team not currently clad in an X Men Uniform.
Kurt Wagner, otherwise known as the Incredible Night Crawler of the Munich Circus was one of those mutants who did not exactly get the luxury of even appearing human. His skin was dark blue, almost black, and was marked with many symbols-each supposedly representing a 'sin' as the teleporter had said. Also, his feet and hands were unlike human ones, and his nails could do with a trimming-in the opinion of one Kitty Pryde, who had kept her remark to herself so as not to hurt Kurt's feelings.
"Because the professor said so," Scott replied for the blue mutant, not in the mood for Logan's attitude.
"Do you have a little button you just press every time to make you say that?" Logan didn't even show any emotion in the insult.
"We're approaching the Drop Point. Going to stealth." Scott said tersely as he began to set the Blackbird down in a part of the city that was mostly untouched by the rising water.
With the bird cloaked, the team unbuckled themselves.
"Alright, Storm, you can fly in this so I want you to be our eye in the sky." Scott put up the hood he was going to be wearing in the rain. "Night Crawler, you're the fastest here so when somebody says they see something, you'll be there."
"Ich werde nicht scheitern." Kurt nodded.
Scott and Ororo paused to look at the german mutant.
"He said he won't fail," Logan said, now dropping his casual facade and becoming serious as he slid his gloves on.
"You speak german?" Ororo asked.
"And French, Spanish, Italian, mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Lakota," Logan listed them as he hit the switch to lower the ramp. "Thai, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Korean," He raised his voice as the storm began to drown out his words. "And Hindi and Persian! Now let's get a move on!"
Ororo glanced at Scott.
"Fifteen years of walking around," Scott shrugged. "A guy has to have a hobby to pass the time I guess."
"Get a move on pretty boy!" Logan shouted from the bottom of the ramp.
The team gathered in the parking lot they had landed the Black Bird in. It was abandoned, and the water was up to their ankles. They all had their hoods up-except Logan, who did not even acknowledge the weather.
"Two hours, and then we're back here!" Logan shouted over the rain, wind, and thunder. "Set your damn watches and don't forget to check!"
It was times like these Logan felt a sense of familiarity. Giving orders, planning how the op would go-but it also gave him flash backs and headaches, but absolutely squat diddily shit about his old life.
But this wasn't an op, just a scouting mission.
How bad could it be?
Xxx
"AH THE PAIN! Oh almighty shortest I have never felt so much pain in my life!" Tak shrieked as she was dragged into the safety of an abandoned apartment building by MIMI.
"RAIN! Pouring of Doom!" Zim, in a similar condition rambled on as his skin healed. "Curse! You! Tasty factory! Going out. Of. Business! Make. Me, talk like, human, from, starship, NOT FOUND!"
"That was a TV show!" Tak growled. "Now shut up and try to figure out where we are!"
"Fine, calm down!" Zim got up. "Computer, send my Voot and retrieve us!"
There was no response.
"Computer, I ordered you to send the Voot and pick us up!" Zim said into his radio.
With once again silence on the radio, Zim snarled. "If you don't answer me I am going to-"
"This frequency is occupied you moron!" A familiar voice snapped. "Now what the florp are you doing on MY planet? Talk or I'll unstring your muscles!"
"Skoodge?" Both Irkens stared at the communicator as it projected an image of Skoodge...but not the same one. He was not short and fat, but closer to their height, and had a scar over his right eye. He also lacked his usual jolly friendly self, instead a cold glare greeted the two Irkens.
"Yes, Invader Skoodge," He tapped one foot impatiently. "Now talk or I'll-wait a second? Zim?"
"Yes, it is I! The Almighty Zim!" Zim declared. "And this is my planet Skoodge! What do you think you're doing busting in on my kill?"
"You're dead! You're DEAD! I saw you DIE!" Skoodge growled, his surprise giving way to pure fury. "How the florp are you still alive?"
"How the florp are you not in a Defect Execution Chamber?" Tak countered. "You're acting weird Skoodge, more than usual."
"Shut up woman, I don't even know you," He cast one sickened look over her. "Probably some low down defective breeder type, like Red's slut Skullene."
"Skullene?" Zim blinked.
"How dare you?" Tak growled. "Skoodge when I get my hands on your bloated throat I'm gonna-"
"Wait!" Zim held up a hand. "Skoodge, I am your Taller and therefore am overriding your computer's commands. Computer! Patch me into the Tallest."
"Voice recognition approved. Welcome: Invader Zim." The voice of Skoodge's automated computer said.
"Invader Zim? That thing is broken!" Tak huffed, arms crossed.
"Jealous it acknowledges Zim's awesomeness?" Zim teased her.
"No computer! Don't you-" Skoodge was cut off.
"Link established."
And then an odd sight greeted them.
Xxx
90 seconds earlier...
On Irk
Tallest Red was still feared throughout the universe, even in this one. He had power, height, and muscle. He would once in a while lead his armies in person, even going on the front lines in a final siege.
Tallest Purple was the blood thirsty one though. He would always go to dirt with the troops and rip apart his enemies. He even scared his troops. Hell, he even scared Admiral Hellion-who stood not but ten feet away.
Hellion was Red's trusted Lieutenant-trusted even more than Purple for obvious reasons. He was of an impressive height-thought not as big as his brothers Grimrair or Envon-curse their names a thousand times over and may they burn in a sun and be crushed in a black hole. Anyways, he was also an adept assassin before his promotion to Admiral, that and his psychological profile indicated that he was perfect for commanding position.
His red eyes clashed with the dark blue shirt he wore. It was longer in the back, giving him a sort of cape. He claimed it was a 'tradition' for the Smeets from his pod to wear blue-and indeed, they all had from Grimrair's poncho to Paneece's dress and Skullene's armour. His hands were large and clawed, and his feet were encased in a pair of steel toed boots with cloven tips.
He was hiding his discomfort at the sight before him...having to see his sisters snuggle up to the two leaders of the Irken Empire.
Paneece was petite, barely at five feet, but was considered attractive by Irken standards. She currently wore a purple skirt and a black sleeveless top with fishnet sleeves and stockings, and was barefoot ,he combat boots set on the floor next to the throne. She giggled as Purple stroked her antennae, cradling her to his chest like some pet. He was smiling down at her affectionately-she was the only one who ever got anything but cold looks or insane maniacal laughter from him.
It had been a decade ago when Paneece had agreed to be Purple's mate. She had been a scientist before that, and a damn good one. But he caught her hacking into the Control Brains. So he made a deal, go on a date with him, just one date and he'd never tell. They did go on their date...
And that was the only time Red could think of that caused events when Paneece blushed and began to lose her composure, specifically around Purple. Apparently he had shown her the best time of her life. And when Red meant the best, he meant THE best: and Paneece attested to this.
After that she had waited months to suck up the courage to ask him on a second one, and then a third. By the tenth date, it was official, and they became mates-and sadly for Red they consummated their Irken version of a wedding every freaking day and night! An Irken marriage was different from a human one, as the marriage only lasted up until the mating ritual itself was done. Because of this, Irkens of great height would marry their mates the first time and then perhaps every year or decade. It did not have any official ruling over it, but once one mated with another, they rarely parted.
And Purple went for a yearly marriage. In Irken marriages-which are rather expensive, so again, only tallers had them on a yearly basis if they wanted to there was a rare and expensive fluid that was created from a liquid gathered on Meekroob-now ruled over by 'Queen Tenn' who had gladly supplied it. This fluid was considered the Meekroobian version of holy water, but to carbon based life forms like Irkens, it was able to bring unimaginable amounts of pleasure, especially during intercourse.
This was perhaps one reason why anybody bothered to actually have these 'weddings' more than once.
Paneece, stretched up, nuzzling Purple's exposed neck, and he growled playfully at her. She turned her head and exposed her own neck, letting him bury his face against her shoulder. She closed her eyes as she stretched, letting him feel her up.
Deciding it was time to stop looking when Purple's hand went to the waistband of Paneece's skirt, Hellion looked over to the Tallest Red and his mate...
Invader Skullene, clad in a black body suit as usual, but with red jewellery and fabric added to it. She sat in Red's lap, eyes focused on a screen showing Blood Sport. Red was more focused on her however, one hand brushing over her chest area. Skullene looked up, and turned sideways, allowing Red's tongue access to her mouth. Red wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer as she lightly grasped his face with both hands, deepening the kiss.
If the two sisters had any thought of Hellions obvious discomfort to see his older and younger sisters stepping on the line between 'make out session' and 'full blown sex', they did not show it.
Skullene had accepted Red's offer of being his mate when he offered it but over a year ago. She had rejected it before, even when he had been Tallest. Hellion had heard him ponder sending her to Consortia if she refused again, but luckily the next time around, she gladly went to Red's arms.
This only served to enrage their brothers, Envon and Grimrair. A mere month after Skullene became Tallest Red's mate, Envon personally destroyed the Massive's soon-to-be sister ship, the Gigantic in its dry dock over Irk. The ship had taken barely half the time it took to build the Massive, but twice the cost due to more modern technologies being used in the construction. Luckily nobody-not even the Tallest themselves were aware that Envon's sisters were sitting in the arms of the two who would do anything to hurt Envon and Grimrair as revenge for starting the Irken Rebel Nation-which now had over four percent of the entire Irken race under its authority.
"Incoming transmission from Earth!" One drone proclaimed dramatically.
Red sighed. "Aw crap, not Skoodge again."
"Why did Zim have to crash on his way to Earth? We could have had him get rid of that ugly little defect for us!" Purple snapped, breaking his kiss with Paneece and taking his hand away from between her legs. Paneece pouted, arms crossed as she felt unsatisfied.
"Do you have to talk to him?" Skullene sighed, her head tucked under Red's chin and her arms around his neck. "Can't you just say you're busy?"
"The computer wouldn't connect unless we were available," Purple pointed out. "Got no choice, we have to take that freak's call." He opened the link.
"Invader Zim reporting for duty my Tallest!"
Jaws dropped...as did the drink in Hellion's hand. The guards' fell to their knees, bowing their heads while the taller ones saluted.
"Zim?" Purple gasped. "Is that really you?"
"Indeed my Tallest! Now can you tell this fat Defect to get the florp off of my planet so I can conquer it?" Zim asked.
"Fat defect-Skoodge?" Red blinked.
"Yes! And I also request he be tried for mental defectiveness too! He is under the belief that I, the almighty Zim perished!" Zim doubled over with laughter. "But as you can all see, Zim is alive and Zim is BEING ZIM!" One eye twitched as he shouted the last word. "Also ,for some reason Zim's base has vanished! I find myself without any form of technology other than my onboard weapons and my SIR unit."
"Hi Mistah Stick Men!" GIR stuck his face into view. "We went on a big ride to Wonderland and there was lotsa cheesy sticks! And then I lost my piggy and I got all sad." He donned his 'sad face'.
The Tallest exchanged a glance.
"Maybe the crash caused some damage to him and that SIR." Purple whispered.
"Maybe," Red shrugged. "Let's keep this quiet and get him fixed, we can't afford to lose him again."
They faced Zim
"Zim, we're deploying a construction drone to Earth," Red said. "Feel free to dispose of Skoodge however you see fit, and continue with your mission! Make this empire proud and welcome back!"
"Uh...thank you my Tallest! I am pleased to see my presence has been missed!" Zim smiled. "Invader Zim, signing off!"
Then he vanished.
"...he's back!" A guard cheered.
"Operation Inevitable Armageddon just got a heck of a lot easier!" Purple and Red exchanged a high five.
"Celebratory mating!" Purple scooped up Paneece and carried her away bridal style as she cheered.
"That goes for us too Skully!" Red grinned, standing up with her in his arms.
Startled, she wrapped her arms around his neck to balance herself as he rushed off with her in his grasp.
Hellion sighed. "Where the hell did this all go wrong?" He counted off the possibilities.
1-When dad died.
2- When that moronic scientist made Zim's Infinite Energy Glob go on a rampage and almost kill mom-and then later killed Mom on her way back to Irk.
3- Envon left the empire.
4-Paneece became Purple's mate.
5-Grim left the empire.
6- Skullene became Red's mate.
And 7- Hellion didn't leave when he had the chance.
The Admiral sighed. "If only I was as nuts as the rest of the people here, then I would have blissful ignorance in the hands of insanity to dull my misery."
He paused. "Hm...how did Zim survive crashing his ship into Earth's moon anyways?...and why is it that I never noticed Skoodge's presence there afterwards to be worthy of suspicion? Hell ,he could have had a hand in that for all I know! And why am I talking to myself?"
Xxx
"Ah, so now things shall fall into place!" Zim declared. "Once my base is operational I will take over this mud ball!"
"Hey! I was here first!" Skoodge shouted.
"You really are insane Skoodge," Zim chuckled. "Now if you don't mind? I'm going to wait for my brand new base to arrive. And after that I'm going to blow up yours just for you being so insolent."
He cut the link. "Hah! That'll show him!"
Xxx
"That no good ,cocky, SHOO-SHEN !" Skoodge snarled, smashing his screen. "He can't even stay dead?"
Skoodge had long hated the famous Zim for his amazing talents. Zim was always the smartest, the handsomest, the bravest. He'd passed Invader Training with flying colours and was going to be given some planet on the edge of the universe to warm up on...
But Skoodge made sure he never made it.
A simple tactical charge on his Voot's fuel line, and Zim crashed and burned on Earth's moon. Skoodge had watched with glee, glad to be finally freed of that no good vrik na tishanti!
Then he spent a few months on Mars planning his invasion of Earth so he'd be awarded by the Tallest, and not that arrogant bug Zim! But he barely had his base up for an hour and now that bastard comes back from the dead?
"It's not fair!" He shrieked. "I am the better Invader! I always have been! I will rule this planet and not you Zim! I swear on it! I'LL KILL YOU AGAIN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN!"
Xxx
"Hm...so what else is wrong with this world?" Tak wondered out loud, sitting on a window sill. "Skoodge is a jerk, the Tallest like Zim, Skullene was...with Red? What else is messed up?"
A flash of light blinded her momentarily. She blinked away dots of light and looked at what appeared to be a singularity forming in mid air over the street outside.
"Wow..." She scanned it. "It's like the one that brought us here." After another moment her onboard computer classified it. "Not just any tunnel...this is a Dimensional Anomaly." She examined more lines of data. "By the gods this is incredible!"
"What is it Tak-Beast?" Zim, with his usual timing opened the door to the empty apartment Tak had been sitting in. The door was barely hanging by its hinges before he opened it, and as he walked over it fell off entirely.
"It's an Anomaly similar to the one that brought us here!" Tak replied. "It didn't just move us to another city! Do you remember Invader Apocalyptic's lectures on Trans-Dimensional theory?"
"Hm? Ah yes, Zim viewed many records of Apocalyptic's academic years." Zim nodded. "Like back in the academy, we had a lesson on Faster Than Light Travel and Communication and Time Warp being used to create a more practical civilization."
"Yes, and Apocalyptic's theory was that FTL travel takes ships into another dimension entirely, and allows the ship to fold space so it can transfer to another point instantly." Tak continued. "But there was a theory that this FTL Dimension was not the only one accessible. He believed that given the proper amount of energy, other universes could be accessed and travelled to. But the problem was that any large enough concentration of energy directed to form a stable portal would cause an explosion."
"Like...the explosion from the Dib-Monster's machine!" Zim said, catching on. "That machine was made to look into other dimensions! If it was looking into this one at the time of the explosion-"
"And its power source went critical, then it could form a brief stable passage!" Tak finished. "Amazing! We have travelled farther than any other being in our universe! We've gone to another universe entirely!"
MIMI made a 'beep' like sound, and a slip of paper slid out of her head. Tak read it. "MIMI's concerned about a Dimensional Paradox being the result of our travelling here."
"How could our presence alone cause all of this to happen?" Zim demanded, pointing to the storm outside.
"Well, not merely us alone, but the fact that there was a link between this world and our own." Tak explained. "If I am right, the energy from the initial portal should be scattered and the portals will cease to appear. It should only take a few days for that to happen, but until then the dimensional paradox will cause a massive amount of weather anomalies in this region. If we leave, they shouldn't follow us."
"How would you know this?" Zim looked at her.
"I don't for certain, Apocalyptic designed this theoretical report after he tested the Magonag Generator." Tak got off of the window sill. "He claimed it let him experience several minute in another universe, but since the ship itself was lost on the return trip nobody has any certain proof."
"Uh...why didn't the ship return?" Zim asked.
"According to his report, the trip damaged his ship-like its disabled most of our onboard weapons." Tak tapped her PAK. "It didn't compromise it, but it wouldn't survive a second trip back-or so he said. Only the Emergency Pilot Retrieval Unit saved his life, and only because the portal he made remained open using the energy from a nearby Super Nova to power a series of generators assigned to absorb the massive amounts of energy released and direct it towards the ship itself. It kept a portal open for three full minutes, yet Apocalyptic's Mission Clock read he had been in whatever world he was in for over six weeks."
"A temporal anomaly?" Zim guessed.
"Well, three minutes in our world could be days or weeks in here, or for all we know the Irken Empire's conquered the galaxy by now after a few decades of conquest." Tak sat down on what was left of a chair. "And now we're in a world where you were actually respected."
"Bah! This is no different from Zim's world! The Irken people love Zim as much as ever!" Zim laughed. "They were just playing hard to get!"
"Keep saying that Zim, it won't make it any truer." Tak said, but Zim did not even hear her.
Xxx
Logan hated the rain for one key reason: it made hunting hard in an urban environment like this. With trash and god knows what floating around, and his clothes soaked and heavy with water and his hair weighed down by it, his ability to locate anything ten feet from him was impaired.
"Cyclops here, I've got nothing on thermals." Scott said.
"Nightcrawler, I see no sign of these lights." Kurt whispered into the radio he had been given a crash course in by Ororo.
After Logan didn't add to their little conversation, preoccupied with wading out of an alley where the water was half way up to his knees, Cyclops spoke again. "Logan, Storm?"
"I've got, squat," Splash. "Diddily." Splash. "Shit." SPLASH!
He glared at the car that had passed, splashing him. He growled, but let it go.
"I see a light!" Ororo shouted. "Converge on my location!"
Using the tracker provided to him-thank god for water proof electronic devices Logan began to track Ororo and the rest of the team. Nightcrawler had reached her first, obviously. Cyclops was soon walking next to Logan before they met the other two members of the ground team on a set of stairs, out of the damn water.
"Where s it?" Scott asked Storm.
"In the alley behind this building!" Kurt shouted over the roaring winds and pounding rain. "Follow me!"
With many humans not even outdoors or n the city anymore, Night Crawler was free to leap off of the stairs and reappear near the mouth of the alley. He wrapped one arm around a street light to keep from being swept away by the forming current.
The four X Men forced their way down the alley turned a corner...and they were blinded by the glow. It looked like something from out of this world, a tunnel framed by light around a single dark void. The light looked more like a mist like material lit up like the gas inside a fluorescent light, except it was outside floating around and still in plain sight. It reminded the three more Veteran X Men of Magneto's 'Mutant Radiation' machine he had unleashed on Liberty Island.
"Lieber Gott," Kurt muttered, his yellow eyes widened to the size of dish plates as he got off of the wall he had been hanging off of.
"Cyclops?" Ororo looked at the team leader.
"I've got him on line already," Cyclops tapped his head.
And you are not the only one who is confused by this, Ororo. The voice of Charles Xavier whispered in their minds. But I sense something in the proximity of the vortex...two minds, human, and both young.
"There's a kid in there?" Logan's eyes narrowed as he tried to spot any forms in the light or in the water under it. He found no scent at first...
They are getting more clear...here they come.
Suddenly two streams of light shot out of the vortex. They both hit the water in front of the X Men, causing steam to shoot up.
But after it cleared, a young boy with a rather large head and a scythe shaped hair style was coughing up water while a purple haired girl was playing some sort of hand held game, holding it away from the water.
"Aw that really hurt." The boy said, hands on his stomach as he got up.
"Whiner," The girl muttered.
The boy looked at the X Men through his glasses. "...HOLY CRAP!" He pointed at Kurt. "What are you?"
Kurt recoiled, and Ororo took that as her signal to step between them. "How about you answer our questions first?"
"How did you end up inside that thing?" Scott asked. "And are you both alright?"
"Yeah I uh...I don't really know how we ended up here," The boy, Dib Dib said as he stood up to his full height. "I was in my dad's lab fighting a couple aliens and...then..." He trailed off as the four gave him weird looks. "I meant to not say that aliens part out loud."
Worried that the child was utterly bonkers, the X Men exchanged a look.
"Wait! It was my dad's dimensional scope!" Dib slapped himself in the face. "Of course! When it exploded it made a dimensional anomaly!"
"Dimensional...scope?" Logan raised an eye brow.
"...I really need to stop talking out loud."
Xxx
"Zim is alive?" The green eyed Vortian's single good eye narrowed, the other one remained open, a green light coming from it.
"Yes," Skullene nodded, sipping from the glass of expensive Vortian Nebula Wine, a vintage she had saved.
"Then that incompetent Skoodge has not eliminated your best Invader," Shen Baron, Ambassador of the Vortian Federation stated. He wore a crisp gray and black uniform, and his left, synthetic eye narrowed until a single dot of green light focused on Skullene.
They stood in one of the palace's many lounges, where celebrations for Zim's return took place. Skullene had changed into a more formal red dress for the occasion...at Red's request. They stood apart from the other delegates of the Irken Empire and it's neutral allies such as the Planet Jackets, the Veniran Imperials, and the Aenoran Alliance Members.
"Second best," Skullene corrected him. "We all know when I was in the business, I was the one to conquer three planets on my own."
"Point taken," Shen chuckled. "So will Inevitable Armageddon be back on track then?"
"It continues within the week," Skullene whispered.
"I see," Shen nodded. "So..."
"There aren't cameras in here, and my sister took the liberty of hacking into the light controls." Skullene smiled. "Wait until the count of five."
She whispered the numbers to Shen, who's mouth curled into a smirk.
"Five."
The lights went out, but Shen's eye could still see Skullene before him. With the other delegates startled and blinded, he took her into his arms, one around her waist and the other stroking the base of her antennae. Their lips connected, and Shen embraced his Mate.
For the first month of what she considered to be a prison sentence as Red's mate, Skullene had been miserable. But then Red let her go out for free time in the city, and she got drunk at a bar in the hopes her PAK would fail and kill her. Instead she got drunk with a Vortian and partied all night long.
Later that night, she awoke to lying in bed, cuddled up to the very same Vortian and with recovered memories of the most ecstasy filled session of her life. Red only ever thought of his own pleasures, but Shen definitely took care of Skullene during their time together, despite him being technically legible of being charged with rape due to their drunken state. Skullene was too important to be charged, she was Red's mate.
And then she became Shen's. Of course they had to do it in secret, but Shen's job kept him on Irk all the time. And since Skullene made a bull crap excuse to stay on Irk during Red's conquests by making a Botanical Garden Dome, she was able to see him there since it was available to the public and had no computers in it to record their presence.
Skullene had to constantly scrub herself of Shen's DNA though, and take care not to get pregnant. If Red found out, he'd slaughter them both, slowly.
Skullene moaned lightly into his mouth as one hand brushed over the base of her antennae, which had lowered themselves down instead of sticking up and then curving down. This was a natural reaction that Irkens used to have when aroused-Skullene owed it to her mother for this, as it made it easier for an Irken's mate to touch the appendages. Since antennae also drooped due to depression she could keep this hidden relatively easily.
The Vortian pressed her back against a wall, feeling every part of her through the dress Skullene wore-she only complained about wearing it when there was no guarantee that her good mate was going to be there. Shivering at the contact, Skullene pressed herself against his chest, deepening the kiss. Isolated from the rest of the panicking party goers, they went unnoticed entirely.
Then they broke the kiss and returned to their original positions, straightening their clothes. Skullene grasped her left antenna and sat down as though she had been pushed and hurt it when she fell. Shen grasped her arm, helping her up as the lights came back on.
"What happened? Why did the lights go off?" Red demanded.
"There was a power surge, my Tallest," A technical drone bowed his head. "We restored power as fast as possible."
"Well make sure it doesn't happen-Skullene!" Red rushed over. "What happened to you?"
"Somebody shoved me," Skullene sniffled. "And then stepped on my antenna." Her bottom lip quivered.
"Somebody dared to harm what is mine?" Red snarled, gently grasping her arms. "Who was it?"
Skullene shook her head. "I don't know." She secretly squeezed her antenna, hard, and the result was a single tear forming.
Red kissed the tip of her antenna-apparently having her as a mate for a decade taught him to show at least a little compassion. "I think we should just end this little party. We can have it again when Zim returns in victory from ...where was he again?"
"Earth," Paneece said from where Purple was holding her bridal style.
"Earth!" Red finished his sentence. "Alright everybody, you're free to go, have a great time and uh...whatever." He scooped up Skullene. "Let's just head to the throne room and relax a bit."
"I'd like that," Wiping away her tear, Skullene set her chin on Red's shoulder and looked longingly at Shen. She winked, and the Vortian smiled sadly.
Every time that vrik na tishanti Red touched Shen's mate, it made the Vortian want to rip his antennae off and hang him with them. So far Shen had to restrain himself with injections, emotional suppression training, meditation, and refraining from carrying a weapon on himself in the palace. But it was so hard to know that Skullene had to lay with Tallest Red, the Blood Thirsty Tallest, the Blood Drinker, and the Conqueror of Worlds...and that Shen was essentially getting sloppy seconds.
But ally of Vort or not, this Tallest would not keep Skullene forever. Zim's return might even give Shen a chance to act out one of the many plans to get Skullene away from the Tallest.
All a matter of planning it out.
Xxx
"Doo-dee-doo-dee-doo-" Zim hummed.
CRASH!
Something hit the empty lot of land next to the apartment. Luckily the humans had evacuated so nobody noticed the new Irken Cruiser landing. Inside, among the Irken armaments sent to Zim, a construction package for a standard Invader Base was waiting to be activated.
"It is here!" Zim cackled. "Victory is inevitable!"
He and Tak rushed out onto the roof of their temporary home, cursing and screaming as the rain stung them. They hopped over to the cruiser and forced the hatch open.
Climbing in, they both collapsed on the inside of the air lock as the hatch shut behind them. A moment later the air lock's suction dried them as it removed contaminants.
Tak's implant sparked a bit, and she yelped in pain, placing one hand on it. "AH! My Neural Implant!"
She tried to get up, but stumbled around, groaning in pain until she tripped and landed on Zim's stomach. She went limp, her implant no longer reacting.
"Ok you can get off me now Tak," Zim said impatiently. "...Tak? Tak?"
He tapped her PAK and opened a diagnostic screen. "...Oooo-o-o-o-o-oh no that isn't good."
Xxx
End of chapter