Chapter Four
Irk, I'm tired. At least I'm finally here.
Three hours of navigating the forest had brought Zim to his hideout, a medium-sized cocoon nestled thirty-something feet up within the branches of a grand oak. Still deep within the dark green sea of moss and wood, it was a well hidden nest among the tall trunks, you'd have to have an incredibly well-trained eye and know what to look for just to spot it.
Not only was it well disguised, it was properly equipped with everything a deranged Irken would require during this time of weakness. Irken-proof walls, an automatic feeder, a comfy giant dog bed and two lightweight Irken-proof chains (padded collar included) attached to opposite sides of the wall.
Yes, this base had served Zim well.
He would ensure not make the same error as last time, believing the collar and chain wouldn't be necessary. Foolish mistake, every Irken knows how unpredictable one becomes when the requirements aren't met during the cycle. There's no way he'd give himself an inch to work with this time around, his safety depended on how his currently sane self prepared and nothing is more important to Zim that Zim.
Using his Pak legs, Zim ungracefully propelled himself up the large tree, having not yet regained full control of his still stiff body. Once he had managed to clamber inside the pine scented hide-away which was to be his pen for the next thirty three turns, Zim sealed the entrance with a weave of dead branches and twigs. It wasn't necessary for it to be strong for he wouldn't be able to reach anywhere close to the exit once he had chained himself up. Animals weren't of much concern either; deer and boar couldn't climb, birds would be scared off by the noises he would make from inside and the thick layer of pest repellent had kept rats and insects far away from the moment it had been applied.
When Zim felt the entrance was sufficiently concealed, he headed down the slightly narrow passage way to the main chamber to prepare himself for what was to come.
_
"Come on, Gaz! Try to hurry; we need to clear this place before today is up!" Dib yelled to his sister who reluctantly strolled behind him a good distance away.
"You do realise that I had to give up my precious Saturday for this, right? Listen Dib, I admire your determination, I really do. It's one of the few traits I actually like about you, but it's been nine years. Nine long years, Dib. I think he's either gone or dead, to be honest. There's no way he's just gonna be hiding out somewhere, quietly sitting in the middle of nowhere and causing no trouble. Let's just give up, okay? We'll go back, and order a large Bloaty's double cheese with ham pizza. You're favourite, right? I'll even lend you my discount card, okay?" Gaz pleaded.
Eleven years had softened her doom-like personality slightly. Still a force to be reckoned with when pissed off, but life experiences and horrid partners had made her a little more mature and feminine.
She had realised long ago that, to her father, she came second to science but that hadn't truly bothered her… that much. However, when life got harsher and the pressures of young adult life started to hit home, she had reluctantly moved some of the affection onto her brother in an attempt to receive some attention and comfort.
Dib usually welcomed her with open arms, knowing how hard life can be when you have no one to turn to when things get rough, offering as best advise as he could give considering his lack of 'normal life' experiences. Dib had sort of been Gaz's rock when the boyfriends became abusive or her so-called friends stabbed her in the back and it was with Dib's help and influence that she'd managed to turn her life around. She got a job at 'Game Slave Servers' and worked her way through to 'Head Video Game designer', she found a new circle and her choice of partners gradually began to improve. All the while, Dib was there for her and, while she'd never tell him this, she didn't believe she could ever repay him for all he had done.
So if going out for one day every year to look for a psychopathic alien intent on enslaving the Earth who hadn't been seen for nine years was what it took to keep him happy then that's what she'd do, and she'd do it without complaint.
However, it was getting worrying. Her brother grew more obviously desperate in his searches each year, completely determined to find something linking to that little alien. He made connections that didn't exist, 'found' clues that led to dead ends and created theories that she was sure Dib's old therapist would have a field day looking at. Gaz was almost certain that if they ever did find that green freak alive, she'd probably beat him half to death for all the stress he put her brother through and lock him up as Dib's pet for the remainder of his days.
But the likelihood of such a situation ever happening was incredibly slight.
Dib's voice dragged her out of her doom-filled mind, it been a while since she'd cursed someone.
"Gaz, look at that!"
"What is it, Dib? What did you find?" Gaz sighed, trying to look interested in wherever her brother was pointing. What the hell could he have found in an empty forest anyway?
"Look up, Gaz! Look near the middle of the oak tree, between the branches, near the trunk! What is that!?" Dib exclaimed, completely missing his sister's lack of enthusiasm.
Gaz looked up for the sake of humouring him, what could be the harm? Her eyes searched along the trunk, falling on a bulky bulge hidden between the branches.
Well, at least there was something there this time. It had a natural look to it, but it was the size of a garden shed. What could something of that size be doing, just sitting in the tree?
"What do you think it could be? It reminds me of a cocoon sorta. I'm gonna check it out, wanna come with?" Dib asked, not even turning to face Gaz as he spoke, far too interested in his new find.
"Nah, I'll wait down here. How are you going to get all the way up there though? Surely you don't plan on climbing it?" Gaz responded, a little concerned that her brother really did plan to scramble thirty feet up a tree.
"No, no. 'Course not! I've got my trusty hook and pulling system with me! It'll take me seconds, you sure you're okay waiting down here?" Replied Dib, his gaze finally breaking free from the mystery object to look his sibling in the eye.
"Yeah, I'll call you if anything happens, don't keep me waiting too long."
"Same, and I won't be too long, promise!"
After a few adjustments and safety checks, Dib was content that his lift was secure enough to hoist him up and back down without risk of severe injury. Almost jumping with excitement, Dib's thumb hovered over the button in his palm momentarily before slamming down, shooting him up towards whatever the mystery object was.
'Please don't be another negative, please don't be another negative' Dib begged quietly to himself. He was tired of the false leads, the tiring chases that led to nowhere and the numerous people feeding him lies just to see how far he'd go.
All he wanted to do was find his alien.
He didn't want things to end the way they did. It was too easy, too simple. Where was the epic battle between two ultimate enemies? Where was the fire, the spark of desire that drove him to fight even when he hadn't the strength or energy? There had been something in their confrontations, Dib was certain. A driving force between the two parties that made the both of them strive harder to succeed, a thrilling challenge for dominance between the evenly matched rivals. He hadn't felt that shock of pure enthusiasm since the days before they parted and he needed it.
Oh, how badly he needed it!
Dib was well aware that his feelings towards Zim had changed throughout the years. It was no longer a feeling of pure hatred but it was not a feeling of affection either. Uncertain of what his emotions had morphed into, Dib was determined to find out. Once he saw Zim, as soon as he looked into those gem-like eyes, he would know. Of that, Dib was sure.
Twenty seconds of flying through the air had Dib colliding with the nearest branch to the nest. Dusting himself off, Dib crawled along to investigate.
It was solid, covered in twigs, moss and plants. An oval in shape, there was no way this thing was completely natural. Upon knocking on the side, a distinct metallic echo sounded from within.
What the hell?
Is it metal on the inside?
What animal uses metal in a cocoon!? This is weird, really weird…
Awesome!
Dib rushed around as quickly as possible, mentally noting as many things about the clearly foreign object as his brain could process. It been far too long since he'd got his hands on something truly out of this world. How he missed the sudden thrill of the paranormal, it was a powerful addiction that nothing on Earth could substitute.
'Are these branches… knitted together?' Dib thought as he unknowingly neared the hidden entrance. Whatever he done this had some level of intelligence at least, and opposable thumbs.
It's not Irken though. Irkens would never use natural stuff.
Dib lifted the board of woven wood away to continue his thorough inspection, eyes catching the small silver entrance underneath. Without skipping a beat, Dib slide inside. His head knew jumping into a potentially dangerous nest of vicious creatures was utterly idiotic, a rookie investigators mistake, but he was tired of his normal life, and the lack of the unusual had left him stupid and starved for excitement.
It really was too tight a passage for someone of Dib's size. He'd been forced into a crouching pose for two minutes already, not that it was a long hall; it was just that Dib couldn't move quickly in his current position. At least he was positive that whatever this shelter was, it hadn't been produced by nature.
Heated metal walls surrounded a crushed Dib. Carpeted floors lead the way; a dim red light at the end showed Dib where he was heading.
'Maybe there really are lizard people…'Dib wondered, the interior of the cocoon reminding him of his friends bearded dragon enclosure.
Eventually managing to squeeze out of the insufferably small hall, Dib entered the chamber.
It really did seem like an enclosure for some pampered exotic pet. An automatic feeder for a large dog stuck out of the far wall, corners and edges had been smoothed into curves, the room was pleasantly warm unlike the savannah of an entryway, the smell of pine and candy floss lightly scented the air, purple grape coloured pillows and rugs coated the room and… What was that away over there?
He could make out a large, puffy square shape in the darkened corner, clearly a sleeping area for something. Pulling out his phone, Dib activated the flash light function. Aiming it towards the shape, he began to slowly creep closer.
What he saw next had his eyes widening, his mouth gaping and his mind emptying. Nine years of nothing and now this?
Life really was a roller-coaster ride…
An evil cliff hanger appears!
Dun, dun, dun!
Not really, I'm sure you guys can guess what our Dibby saw but try not to think about it too much until I post the next chapter or you might ruin it!
And who thinks they know what Zim, Tak and Skoodge are preparing for? What could possibly keep Tak and Skoodge locked away in the basement and Zim up in a tree? You'll just have to wait and see then!
Oh! And there might not be an update for a week seeing as I'm going away on residential tomorrow and I won't return til late on Thursday. I just want to post as many chapters as I can (I'm posting them as I finish them) in the beginning so anyone looking for a new fanfic can get as into it as possible.
Please give me feedback if you can, I wasn't a very good writer in school and I can't say I'm sure I have improved. XD
See you in Chapter Five (which I can hopefully finish before I leave)!
*Runs off again, this time into the day, to write more chapters to cover up the fact that she severely lacks a social life!*