Chapter 3: Level Zero – Part Two
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! Thanks to Reviewers: Historia70, , and ten times to Invader Johnny! And to Lookit (Guest): whatever link you were trying to send me, it didn't come through. *Shrugs*
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the story! And Please Review!
Dib let out a deep sigh and turned to the alien.
"Alright filthy Dib-Human, tell Zim where we are." Zim said this quietly, for once, and Dib was surprised that Zim hadn't screamed it in a demanding tone, yelling angrily with dramatic movements. The scientist that Dib is, it only took a quick moment of analysis and deduction for Dib to conclude that Zim was probably not yelling because Zim heard by picking up vibrations in his antenna, so yelling right now would send strong, painful vibrations through his snapped antenna. On top of that, he probably wasn't flailing around because of his injuries.
"Are you sure we shouldn't fix you up first?" Dib asked quietly. Zim cocked an eyebrow.
"Why would you want to help me, Dib-Stink?" Dib reached down and tore some cloth from his overcoat. He brought the strip up to wrap Zim's broken antenna, but Zim flinched away untrustingly.
"I can't escape from here without you," Dib said. "You have your PAK legs, so you're the one who's most capable of fighting those things. We'll be more likely to survive if you aren't so badly hurt. Unfortunately, we need to work together." Dib went to wrap the antenna again, this time without interference from Zim, though the alien still grumbled under his breath and looked royally pissed off.
Dib observed the antenna carefully. It had its natural perpendicular bend at the end, but mid-antenna it had another sharp bend that made the antenna look like a 'Z' shape. It looked really painful.
Dib grimaced. "Hold still Zim. I'm going to have to pull it hard to snap it back into its original shape."
"How do you know it won't make things worse?" Zim asked.
"Well, I'm assuming that your antenna works similarly to a human bone, or the antenna of a bug. I know you have bones because of those x-ray goggles I had once, so I have to assume that having it heal crooked will just make it worse. I have to straighten it to make sure it heals right… right?" Zim grumbled.
"I think you're right, Dib-Stink. Just make sure you warn me before you–" Zim didn't get to finish. Dib, knowing how it was better to get it done quickly and unexpectedly, had yanked on Zim's antenna while the alien was talking. A loud snap was heard, followed by a scream from Zim. It was short, and Zim quickly bit his lip. "Why you filthy piece of…" Zim fought back tears for a moment.
"Sorry Zim, but it had to be done. It's better that way." Zim didn't respond, still muttering dirty Irken insults under his breath.
Dib gently wrapped it with the black strip of cloth from his overcoat and tied it. It held the antenna straight and kept it from drooping and bending. "Are there any other injuries that have to be looked at?" Zim shook his head.
"Just a few minor cuts. Nothing the amazing Invader Zim can't handle," he said a little more loudly than he had been speaking before, but still not at the normal volume Dib would have expected. "Now, filthy human, where are we?"
Dib took a deep breath. "We're in Gaz's Game Slave 4, in one of her games called Vampire Piggy Hunter. I know, stupid, right?" Zim considered this.
"It would make sense. The combination of my Irken technology, the Irken technology that was stolen for the gaming device, and your primitive earth junk–" Dib interrupted with a 'hey', but Zim continued without concern, "–could combine to have done this."
"Well, my device was a dimensional ray. Or at least, it should have been," Dib said.
"Yes, yes. My superior Irken technology made your inferior device actually work, and the nearest dimension it could find must have been inside the game. We got lucky that it didn't send us to a terrible, horrible world like the Room with a Moose. This stupid dimension isn't great either, but because it's connected to our own dimension, maybe we can get back somehow."
Dib nodded. "For now, I think we should beat the level. I've watched Gaz play before. Not this particular level, admittedly, but I did notice a few things. At the end of each level it shows her a screen where she can buy things, like weapons. I don't have a weapon, so I really need to get one."
"Buy weapons, you say?" Zim pondered this. "Yes, Zim could use a weapon as well, especially if I can't use my PAK legs to defend while I'm also carrying you, and I'd prefer to save my energy and use them as little as possible. What form of monies do we need to buy these items?"
"Monies?" Dib asked, then decided that now wasn't the best time to question Irken lifestyle. It could wait till another time. "Gaz said the transaction is for the number of pigs killed. The more Vampire pigs you kill, the more stuff you can buy, and later there will be harder enemies that will be worth more if you kill them, like five or ten regular pigs worth." Zim nodded.
"Fine. Then I assume we have to get to the wooden house. This time we can just go arou-" Zim stopped and looked at the wooden cabin. The game had changed the level, and the house now lay smack-dab in the middle of the cemetery. Zim sighed heavily in irritation. "Fine then. I assume we have to go to the wooden house in the center of the cemetery to defeat this putrid level." Dib nodded.
"Yeah, probably. But how? Now it's surrounded by Vampire Pigs' graves! And for every pig we kill, more just come up!" Zim considered these words and looked back at the graves. A smirk spread across his face.
"Zim knows exactly what to do." He suddenly lifted Dib and clambered back over the fence. He dropped Dib on the ground and Dib landed as gracefully as he could into a crouched position. "Stay close to me, Dib-Stink. I may need you yet to escape this filthy place. Zim will protect you."
Dib nodded, thankful that he had something of worth to Zim… for now. Dib would just have to keep up the act of actually knowing how the game worked once he ran out of knowledge.
Zim turned back away from Dib and spread his PAK legs, two of them out in front of him to attack and two behind him, defending Dib from any attack. The pigs began to rise again, and at the two nearest graves Zim lashed out. Dib was surprised when Zim's two PAK legs each hit a gravestone, smashing them.
"Follow closely!" Zim ordered and ran forward. As they advanced, Zim made sure to smash all the nearest gravestones while his back legs hit any pigs flying too close. This way, Zim could gain the monies from killing the pigs, and stop more of them from popping up. If there was no gravestones left, then no more pigs could rise. It took a lot of force, and each time Zim swung his metal legs hard enough to smash the stone it sent a jolt down his spine, and the impact on the hard rocks vibrated the metal and shook his whole frame. Still, it was the only idea Zim had at the moment, and it seemed to be working. Besides, it only had to be endured until weapons could be achieved.
Dib ducked as Zim slashed his metal appendage horizontally over his head, hitting five advancing pigs. The cemetery was lying in a form of ruin, most of the gravestones nearby reduced to rubble. The center wasn't far now, and soon the hellish level would be over.
Zim slashed at more pigs, and this time two of them managed to dodge. Dib noticed and watched more closely. Zim slashed again as more advanced, this time missing three of five. Dib noticed that it was because Zim's movements were becoming slower, losing the powerful force and speed of before.
Zim mashed three more gravestones, this time letting out a yelp as his body shook with the impact. He'd lost too much energy, and his amazing Irken body could still only take so much. Zim grumbled; they'd have to run for it.
Without warning, Zim spun around and harshly grabbed Dib. He lifted them off the ground and ran using all four legs. He went as fast as possible, almost stumbling as his built-up momentum moved them forward and towards the ground almost faster than Zim could get his PAK legs in front of him, the key word there being almost. He managed to pull it off and the two boys fell forward at the last second, tumbling through an old wooden door and smashing it to the floor.
A/N: Please Review or I'll send a swarm of Vampire Piggies after you! (We've moved on to unrealistic threats… Joy.)