The Employer stood at the wreckage of his once glorious Mothership. The crater was on the outer rim of the city, far from the rampaging robot that Zim had released upon him, there wasn't much the robot could destroy here anyway. The boiling rage he felt had subsided into silent anger. Off in the distance, he could barely make out small figures falling through the sky, most likely the Irken that was causing him the most trouble. Zim was just a parasite to him, a bug that had constantly annoyed him whenever it would show its stupid face, but even parasites could destroy mighty beasts if left unchecked. That was why the Employer had always watched Zim, why he reprimanded Tak for not properly finishing the job when the parasite needed to be exterminated. He observed the Irken for years, from before the Employer had even "woken up".
"Employer, I finished the diagnostics of the wreckage," Tak said as she logged the data into a holofile. She was, unfortunately, the smartest minion he had recruited on this conquest, but this universe had set a low bar on intelligence. He was ninety-percent sure he had awoken in the Stupid Dimension, where beings had brain cells in the single digits. Next to her was Mimi, her robotic servant, dragging moose corpses from the wreckage.
"What about the portal?" He asked in a calm voice, masking his inner fury.
"It's functional given a few repairs and resets."
"Then we'll wait here for Zim."
"But, sir, how are you so sure Zim will even show up here?"
"The bug is very prideful and very stubborn. I have cut his lifespan, and you had nearly killed him, he'll want his vengeance."
"Alright, should I set up any traps or fortifications?"
"Only enough to separate Zim from the others. Do what you want with them, but I will squish Zim between my fingers."
"Very well, but what about the giant robot. What if it comes?"
"How many of my moose warriors have survived?"
"I've received transmissions from the survivors from the other cities, but it would take half an Irken cycle for them to get here. As for the ones on the Mothership," Tak glanced at the pile of bodies Mimi had brought, "They're either dead or fatally wounded."
"All the moose are dead?"
"Well, uh, there's still the experimental one, which survived and is almost completely healed, but-"
"Bring all the bodies to its cell and release it."
"But we can't even control-"
"RELEASE IT!" The anger had finally broke through. "It will feast on their bodies and crush that inferior bug's machinery!"
"We haven't even tested the Cannibal System with that many bod-" The Employer grasped Tak's head in his palm, slowly applying pressure to her head with his cold, metal fingers. Mimi attempted to aid its master, but only found itself under the Employer's foot.
"Do not go against me!" Tak felt like the Employer was about to create five holes in the her skull, and she knew the Employer would not hesitate to relieve her from duty.
"...yes, sir."
The moose was potentially the most powerful being in the universe. The Employer had learned about their potential in the Nightmare Realm. There were small differences between the normal moose and the Nightmare moose. Nightmare moose were more aggressive, intelligent, and powerful, but that was nothing augmentations couldn't fix. Fusing the moose-brains with more "intelligent" species, bone restructuring, synthetic bio-metal epidermal surgery, mass muscle regeneration, topped off with mass cloning and the Employer's deadly army was complete. Agile, strong, and focused, the Employer had brought the future of the moose to the present.
There was one detail about Nightmare moose that solidified its status as one of the moose powerful beings in the Nightmare universe. During the Mass Starve of Nightmare Earth the moose discovered a new way to sustain themselves: cannibalization. The consumption of the flesh led to moose nutrients being absorbed into moose cells, creating horrible mutated super moose. The Employer harnessed this power, created bio-metal armor that would grow with the moose, and weaponized them.
The Dibship was made specifically to combat the Employer's giant moose warriors. It's suppose to be bigger, stronger, and faster than any moose. The ship's fighter mode is three times the size of the giant moose that attacked them on Vort. It was suppose to dwarf any giant moose and use its massive size to trigger the moose's instinctual fear. The moose Zim stared at was bigger.
The metal armor had fused into the moose's body, patches of long, brown hair bled between the cracks. The antlers were pointed and looked sharp enough to eviscerate anything. A set of serrated teeth filled its maw with saliva and foam leaking between the gaps.
"I-Is that really a moose?" Dib asked weakly.
"Does it matter?" Daj replied, "It's giant and can kill us. Should we shoot at it?"
"Would your blaster even hurt that thing?" Kor asked.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to try."
"No, it would definitely hurt when the moose shrugs off your laser and focuses on us," Gaz retorted.
"My Tallest, what do we do?" Skoodge asked his leader.
Zim and the others still sat on the ground. The moose was motionless but breathed heavily. Slowly Zim pulled himself up and grabbed Gir by the legs and who had been flipped upside-down by the force of the moose's roar.
"It might not have noticed us. We should slowly sneak away." For once, everyone followed Zim's orders without saying a single word. Quietly, they all stood up and backed away. As Zim turned around, a loud, high-pitched voice suddenly erupted next to him.
"HI MOOSE!" Gir had gotten his first look at the giant, hoofed beast. Everyone froze and looked at the tiny robot with terror in their faces. The moose had noticed. It lowered its head to level itself with Zim and Gir, Zim felt each inhale and exhale of the beast. In an act of desperation, Zim threw Gir at the moose, the robot harmlessly bounced on the moose's snout. His Irken master ran away frantically with his arms in the air and shouting.
"RUN! RUN FOR YOUR PUNY LIVES!"
Everyone scattered as the moose arched its head back and let out a thunderous roar. It leaped up, causing more craters and small quakes upon landing, collapsing the small infrastructure around the group. If they tried to take cover behind something, there was a good chance of it collapsing on them. The moose was mindlessly rampaging, but despite what they hoped, it still had some intelligence, at least enough to find a target and focus on it. The moose focused on a boy wearing a black trench coat with a blue shirt.
Dib had his back to a building as the moose approached him. He activated the blue laser-blade built into his hand despite knowing it would be useless to attempt a close-quarters attack. He couldn't believe the size of this moose. Its leg was easily five stories if not taller. The moose lifted its leg and brought it crashing down, collapsing half of the building. Dib panicked. He climbed the rubble in hopes of finding some escape on the other side of the building. All he did was trap himself. He now stood on a broken roof, twenty feet high with a gap too large to jump between him and the next building. Dib was getting sick of having his life flash before his eyes.
As the moose was about to crush Dib, a small orb of energy blew up in its face. Daj had fired his Giant Fraction Blaster from behind some rubble the moose had caused earlier. He stood next to Gaz as he raised a fist in triumph.
"Yes, I got him!" The Darvon yelled.
"And all you did was piss it off!" Gaz yelled back.
"Yeah, that tends to happen when something lives through me shooting at it."
It also accomplished getting the moose's attention. The two quickly turned to run as the moose began to lumber towards them. Terror was all over their face and if she didn't believe they were about to get squished any minute, Gaz would've thrown Daj at the beast.
Dib was very thankful that Daj was stupid enough to fire at the giant moose, but now the moose had targeted his sister.
Crap, crap, crap! Dib didn't know what to do, his mind was working instinct, stupid instinct, as he did something dumber than what Daj did. He jumped on the moose, more specifically, he was holding onto loose hair on its leg while his blade was wedged into the moose. Daj and Gaz were considerably far away when the shot was fired, but it was like watching a slow countdown towards the death of his sister. His mind came up with another stupid idea, but it was the only thing he could think of that would save Gaz and Daj. If he did this though, then he couldn't complain about being called crazy ever again.
Dib climbed up until he was about halfway up the moose's leg. He pulled his blade out and slashed into the limb, created a long, deep gash. He repeated this action until it was about six feet long, red blood poured from the wound. The moose didn't seem to notice this relatively small injury. Dib took a last look as his sister, the distance between them grew shorter. He held his breath and hoped this wouldn't be as bad as he thought it would be. He jumped into the gash.
Even if this thing was mutated, it was still an Earth creature, which he had some basic knowledge about. On Earth, there are parasitic creatures that would cripple large animals from the inside. He learned that in high school biology. Earth mammals are made of bones, muscles, tendons, etc. He learned that in grade school. He essentially made a hole towards the knee of the moose, a hole filled with blood, moose hair, and chunks of flesh he had to slice out. As he went deeper, he could feel the muscles of the moose compress upon him, but he found his targets, white tendons and red muscles in the joint. He began hacking away, hoping that Gaz hadn't also found herself inside the moose.
His blade severed the last bit that held a tendon together watched as the bones in the joint slide into a position he knew wasn't right. He heard the moose cry in pain and felt it falling over as he began wriggling himself out. He had to be quick and hope that he wouldn't get scabbed into the moose, that would be a horrible way to die. He found light, the wet blood on his body allowed him to slide out, forgetting that he was two to three stories high. He started falling, but found relief in knowing that at least this was a more dignified way to die than being a moose scab.
Dib collided with something soft in midair and felt himself being carried down. He wiped some of the blood off his glasses to see who had caught him. It was Kor, who had used her boots to leap up and catch him. She looked at the bloodied human in her arms and back up at the bleeding gash of the fallen moose.
"Were you-were you inside the moose?" She asked incredulously.
"Yeah," Dib replied.
"You know you're-"
"I know, crazy, right?"
"I was going to say a freak, but crazy works fine."
Kor continued to carry Dib away from the moose and eventually found her way to Zim and the others. They had regrouped around a tall mound of rubble well away from the moose. Zim sat there with Skoodge while reaching for tools stored inside Gir's head to work on the datapad on his wrist. Daj was with Kry while Gaz stood off to the side and was the first to greet Dib.
"I'm not even going to ask what you did, Dib," Gaz said after taking one look at her brother.
"It's not a pleasant story. Also, I need to vomit," Dib turned away from the group and commenced to project bile.
"I take it the moose falling was your doing, Dib," Zim asked.
"...uh...yeah. I'll, uh, tell you about it later."
"Well, maybe you aren't completely useless after all. Now that the moose has fallen, now is our chance to finish it off."
"Let's attack now!" Daj said eagerly, "It's paralyzed, it'll be easy!"
"With what, lizard-stink? That ineffective blaster of yours? We need time to prepare weapons that would do actual damage to that thing."
"Then I take it you have a plan?" Gaz asked.
"Of course I do."
"Cyber-monkey! CYBER-MONKEY! MONKEY!" Zim was furiously screaming at the communicator as if it was powered by screams. Zim's datapad projected a hologram that flickered before Tel finally appeared on the screen.
"-nications back on. Fuel tanks filled. Commencing body sync-ah, Zim! What's going on? Has the moose found us yet?! Wait, where are you?" Tel was quickly pressing keys on a holographic screen in front of him as fellow Heboadians were running in the background. On Zim's side, he stood next to Dib, Gaz, Kor, and Gir, all standing on the shoulders of a fallen Dibship. The giant mech was sitting with the back leaning against a giant tree-like plant but with several long, purple vines instead of branches and leaves.
"You stupid cyber-monkey! I just fixed the communications relay from the outside-"
"Actually, I fixed the communications relay," Kor interjected in a weak voice.
"-and it took you this long to answer!" Zim continued without acknowledging Kor.
"I had to deal with my people running around and panicking when things went offline since they think it's protocol to flap your arms like an idiot according to the 'research material'," Tel said, "Your ship A.I. reciting all his Doom haiku didn't help."
"Zim has no care for your trivial matters! Just activate protocol 39X8VGZ!"
"Uh, what?"
"Just type 39X8VGZ on the screen! Can't you memorize a simple code?"
"Fine, fine...uh, it says there's a jamming error."
"What is this, a printer?" Dib said.
"Shut up, Dib-slime! Your humor is pitiful! Monkey, standby until I contact you again." Zim turned the screen off when he got another alert. It was only an audio communication. "What do you want lizard-stink?"
"How much longer do you need-AHHHH!" The sound of buildings collapsing, blaster fire, and moose roars could be heard in Daj's background. "It's kind of hard for me and Kry to out-maneuver a giant monster on foot!"
"Why can't you be a good minion? I don't hear any complaints from Skoodge!"
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The scream came from an object that flew into the vines above them. A small Irken fell out of the foliage into Zim's hand.
"Skoodge, do you have any grievances about distracting the moose?"
"Ugh, no...my...Tallest." Skoodge spoke weakly.
"Good, then continue to meet my expectations!" Zim threw the Irken back where he came from.
"Thank you, Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir!"
"See, lizard-stink."
"I'm not your mindless-" Zim cut off the connection to Daj.
He pulled out his Dimension Box and placed the tools he used to fix the communications in the infinite space. He pulled out a bag with two straps on it and tossed it to Gaz. Next were a laser-blade and two cables that was looped at one end.
"Gaz, take the squishy one and continue on as planned. Tinkerer, give Gaz your gloves and boots," Zim commanded. Kor was hunched over with an arm over her stomach, but she was able to unstrap her boots and gloves to give to Gaz.
"How long do you need?" Gaz said.
"Thirty minutes."
"Fine," Gaz pulled out a stopwatch that fit around her neck and placed her boots in. Then she put Kor's stuff on. "Gloves a bit tight, boots kind of loose but I'll manage, a bit slimy though."
"Deal with it," Kor said. "Now be careful, ugh, with the power setting. Those things output a lot of fo-OOOOOOOOOO."
Gaz had scooped up Kor and leaped off the Dibship.
Zim placed the laser-blade to his side and looped the cable around his waste. "Dib-worm, we're going fix the jamming error. There's an area behind the Dibship that we just have to cut open. This cable has a magnet on one end than will allow me to repel down the Dibship."
"Alright," Dib activated his laser-blade-hand, "Give me my cable."
"What cable?"
"I need one too, Zim, I can't fly!"
"I don't have one for you."
"I saw you pull out a second one."
"That's for Gir." Dib glanced down to see the robot getting the second cable tangled in itself. Dib shot a look of malice at Zim. "Fine, you can share with Gir. I've never seen anyone whine about possibly getting their bones broken as much as you."
Zim began repelling down behind the Dibship. Dib rolled his eyes before grabbing Gir and following his Irken ally.
Gaz and Kor approached the area where Daj, Kry, and Skoodge were distracting the moose. Skoodge was gliding around on his glider and firing with two blasters while Daj rode Kry around on the ground, firing from his G.F.B. Neither did any real damage, but it drew its attention. The two were able to confine the moose to this area, away from the Dibship, which was the only chance they had to combat this thing.
Gaz spotted the area on the leg where Dib had cut a tendon. He relayed the story while Zim was fixing the Dibship. She didn't know how he could've thought of such a thing. While it didn't killed the moose, it did cripple it slightly, the moose would limp and seemed off balanced at times, making the job of distracting the beast easier. Still, Daj and Kry was having a harder and harder time to move around with each collapsed building making the terrain uneven, and Skoodge was running out of tall places to glide off of. Gaz was sent to relieve some of the pressure.
Gaz and Kor crept around the moose, staying far enough away to observe it without being noticed. Gaz pulled out the watch, it's been eight minutes. If Daj, Kry, and Skoodge could keep distracting the moose for about fifteen more minutes Gaz would pull the moose closer to the intercept point. They only lasted for two more minutes. The moose swiveled its antlers to swat Skoodge away. The moose overstepped Daj and Kry, sending debris flying and burying the two Darvons. Gaz had to act now.
"Kor, reach into the bag and pull out the small blaster." Gaz had Kor over one shoulder and had put on the bag Zim gave her like a backpack. Kor reached in with her hands and gave Gaz what she asked for.
"What are you going to do with that?" Kor asked. Gaz inserted what looked like a dart into the blaster.
"Piss the moose off."
"What?!" Gaz had the blaster on ready and started leaping at the moose. Once close enough, she aimed at the spot Dib had cut earlier and fired. Nothing happened. Gaz turned away and started running in the opposite direction as the gash on the moose's leg suddenly exploded.
"Kor, be my eyes."
"The moose is angry. The moose is turning its head. It saw us. It's moving towards us. Please don't stop running, I don't want to get eaten. Overall, I say you accomplished your mission too well. Great job."
"Is now really the time to be sarcastic?"
"I do it to cope with my fear of pain."
"It's getting annoying."
"Gee, it's just now getting annoying?"
"Are you being extra sarcastic with me?"
"That's because the moose is getting closer."
"WHAT?!" Gaz quickly glanced behind her and spotted the moose's jaw opening behind her. "AAAHHHHHHH!"
Gaz leaped to the side, causing the moose to crunch a two story building.
"You suck as a lookout," Gaz said as she pulled herself up.
"Yeah, I agree," Kor replied. Gaz looked back at the moose. It spit out the rubble from the building. She prepared to start leaping again but her legs were getting tired. The amount of force the boots exerted would apply pressure back on her legs with each step. She wouldn't last much longer, but she was getting closer.
"I'm increasing the power on your boots."
"You can't. Your body can't absorb the force from the boots' higher settings. If your legs don't give out, they'll end up broken."
"I'd rather not get eaten by a moose." Gaz grabbed Kor and turned up the dial. She leaped and immediately a sharp pain shot into her legs, but she kept going. She zoomed past the moose, making sure it saw her. The giant creature swallowed the remaining rubble in its maul and commenced chasing after its human target.
"The moose is still limping, we should be fine as long as we keep this pace up."
"All right."
"Move left! Right! Right!" Gaz did as Kor instructed as the moose's hooves crushed the areas next to them, each step getting closer and closer to their real target. "Gaz, we can't slow down now!"
"I...haven't been..."
"Then why was it able to-Oh Fef. Th-The moose. It isn't limping! The stupid thing's healing! If that wound closes, the plan won't work, Gaz!...Gaz?" Kor was worried Gaz might have collapsed for a moment, but they were still moving and Gaz was still breathing, heavily. "Come on, just-just a little longer...I think..."
Gaz couldn't feel her legs. She wanted to pull out the watch around he neck to see how much longer Zim needed but it was taking all her focus to just take steps, but she was not going to get killed by a moose. She ran full force. Kor relayed to her how the distance between them and the moose was getting larger, she made sure to not stop. She couldn't remember if they were in the intercept point, far from it, or even past it, she was just trying to run. There was a two story building in front of her. She prepped her legs to leap over it. They didn't listen to her. "...crap."
Gaz tripped. One of her legs collided into the other. Kor and she were sent flying into a window and landed in the second story of the building. They both bounced around, crashing into the abandoned furniture that was scattered around the room. Gaz didn't know what was wrong with her; broken bones, head trauma, ruptured organs, she didn't feel anything. She wanted to get up. She needed to get up. She couldn't get up.
"Gaz! Crap, you're bleeding! How much time do we have left?" Kor was screaming at her from the other side of the room. Gaz couldn't reply. She looked at Kor, her clothes were ripped and she was on her knees leaning against the floor. She had one hand trying to stop the liquids leaking from her stomach and the other being used as support. Weakly, she grabbed the watch from her neck and faced it towards Kor without looking at it herself. "Alright, we got to get out of here. Give me back my boots and I'll-"
Gaz felt her heart sink. Kor had reached out to Gaz with one arm, now it was just a single arm on the floor. Behind it was a set of giant, serrated teeth where the rest of the body now resided. The jaw pulled away, collapsing half the building and taking the front wall with it. The light of Irk's sun flooded into the room, giving Gaz a good look at the moose towering above it.
The watch had dropped when the moose took a chunk out of the building. Gaz reached for it, hoping that thirty minutes was up. She'd never say it but she wanted Zim to come dashing to her rescue. She grabbed the strap of the watch and turned it towards her. Ten minutes left.
She muttered a swear, if she had had enough strength to yell it she would have. There was a ringing in her ears, but it was drowned out when the moose bellowed. She saw the moose opening its jaw. After that her vision blurred, probably her blood seeping into her eyes. Then it went black.
Everything was cold.