Remember, COPYRIGHTED CHARACTERS TO JHONEN, storyline copyrighted to MEH!
Ch. 3 – Red, My Hero
"Tak…are you listening to me?"
The young Irken female looked up into those fierce red eyes. She smiled happily and continued running around the hallway of the building. The red-eyed Irken male sighed and snatched her up, smiling.
"I'm trying to teach you to be a great invader Tak."
"But Red…I just want to play."
He couldn't help but smile again, those large violet eyes always made him smile. "Fun and games is alright, but we're not exactly a peaceful race you know."
Tak hugged him around the neck, "I feel peaceful…with you."
Red instantly blushed, surprised by this little Irken's forwardness.
"HEY RED! You playing with your little girlfriend again!?" another tall Irken with purple eyes called out to him mockingly. Red put Tak down and yelled back.
"Come off it, I'm more like an older brother."He walked over to Purple, leaving Tak to run and play.
Purple grinned, "More like a father. What are you like..20 years apart? I don't remember when we let her out of the tube but if you want, we can put you in a tube and let her catch up to your age. Unless you're into…young women." He enjoyed the look on Red's face whenever he poked fun at Tak.
Red just shook his head, "I'm sure she'll grow out of it. She's just got a… complex or something. I'm only looking out for her and she's grown accustomed to having me around."
"Yeah..sure she'll grow out of it…" Purple continued teasing him.
Tak ran over to Red and grabbed his hand, "Let's walk around the empire Red!"
Purple laughed again, "Like a date..eh Red?"
Red pushed Purple, "I said come off it." But Tak pulled on his hand and smiled.
"I don't mind if it's a date with you Red."
"Tak…?" Zim gently nudged her.
"Hmm…" She groaned.
"You're sleep talking again. It's annoying." He smiled down at her. "Is being pregnant causing interesting dreams?"
Tak blushed and shoved a small pillow into Zim's face, "I was just dreaming about Dib! That's all!" she huffed and walked to the back of the ship, still blushing like crazy.
Zim threw the pillow down and yelled out at her, "I WAS JUST WORRYING!"
"AHHCHOO!" Dib sniffled.
"Bless you Uncle Dib!" Kirei smiled at him, "Someone's talking about you!"
Dib smiled back, "Oh I'm sure of it." He joked.
Gaz stared at the homing device, still blank. "We've been flying around the eastern Galaxy for 3 months and still haven't caught up with Zim and Tak. What kind of ship did they steal anyway!?"
"According to Zeke," Dib said, "They took the fastest ship their allies had."
"What the hell would they need to do that requires a fast ship?" Gaz grew more and more annoyed at the idea of Zim and Tak being alone on a ship for that long.
"It must be something important. Like a mission. You know how Zim is about missions."
"What about his mission to be a father!?" She got so angry she threw the device against the dashboard and crossed her arms, "I'm going to sleep!"
Dib glanced over at his sister, he wished he could help her get her mind off the negatives. He was ashamed to also think badly about Zim and Tak all alone together, but he did his best to think positively.
"Hey Gaz?"
"What!?" She grumbled angrily.
He was quiet for a minute, then said, "I love you sis." With a stupid grin on his face.
She stared at him, the annoyance of the previous idea left and now she looked annoyed at him. She knew he was trying to get her mind off bad thoughts.
"I will kill you." She replied, and turned over in her chair to fall asleep, but whispered, "Thanks."
Dib smiled, happy to take her mind off the idea of Zim and Tak.
Kirei watched the whole scenario, and looked across at Zion who was practicing on assembling a lazer gun. Just in case he might need to help Uncle Dib protect the girls on the ship.
"Hey…Zion?"
He looked up at her, a slightly annoyed look on his face, "I'm a bit busy here…"
She looked away, "I just wanted to tell you I love you…"
He grew quiet, and she looked back up at him, hoping he'd say 'thanks' or maybe even a 'I love you too'. Instead, she was greeted with a look that resembled disgust.
"You are so weird." He said, and went straight back to his assembling.
Tak sat down in the back of the ship and closed her eyes. She tried to remember more memories of the past, tried to remember Red.
She was crying, and holding onto Red. He looked angrily at Purple, who had a crazy grin on his face.
"You try that again and I will rip your hands off!" Red scolded him, trying to maintain his composer but failing.
Purple just grinned wider, "Why are you so upset? You told me to spend some time with her so I brought her outside to learn how to fire a gun…"
"YOU STOOD BEHIND ME AND TOUCHED ME!" Tak screamed out, pointing dramatically at Purple.
He raised his hands in defense, "I did not! I was just trying to show her how to handle the gun!"
Red growled, "Don't help Tak anymore unless I'm around, you got that?"
"You are one overprotective boyfriend…" Purple sneered
"I'M AN OVERPROTECTIVE FATHER!" Red bellowed, "You get your mind out of the gutter or so help me I will rip your mind out and shove it up your…"
"Oy…I get it. I won't go near her alright?"
Red huffed and looked down at Tak, "You don't go near him without any supervision got it?"
Tak only nodded and followed Red out of the throne room. Leaving Purple behind.
She was taller than in the previous dream, a little above waist height to Red, and a little older. She fiddled with the bracelet on her left wrist and looked up at Red.
"Uhm..are you angry with me?"
He looked down at her, "What? No it wasn't your fault. You're growing into a beautiful Irken female, a lot of guys will be interested in you, soon I'll have gray antennae trying to fend them off." He chuckled. She smiled a little, happy he wasn't angry with her.
"If you're worried about other males taking me. Make me yours."
He stopped walking and looked down at her. A surprised expression on his face. She looked back up at him with a serious stare.
He felt a strange uneasiness growing in his gut, that look she gave him was too much; he looked away, hoping she wouldn't see his slight blush, "Don't say such bad things Tak. I've told you I'm much too old…" He started walking again, Tak followed.
"I'll be happy when you meet a nice young male, you can't mate of course but we'll be able to take two and two together with science…it's all complicated but keep your eyes out for that special guy."
As soon as they reached his sleeping quarters he patted her on the head and dismissed her, shutting the door behind him.
Tak put her small hands on the door and whispered, "I have been keeping my eye on that special guy."
There was a sharp pain in Tak's belly that brought her out of her dream state. She called for Zim, who rushed to the back of the ship as quickly as he could.
"Do you need a blanket or anything?" His voice full of concern
"Just stay here with me …until I fall asleep will you? I need someone nearby. I think it'll be time soon…" She laid herself down and Zim placed a pillow under her head.
She sighed, the last thing she saw before drifting off… were red eyes looking down at her. She smiled, "Thanks Red…"
Zim's antennae rose quizzically. But she was sound asleep, and thought nothing of it.
It's a long road ahead…comments will be used to attempt to bring DATR back to life hahaha.