WARNING OF DOOM: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS BLOOD AND BADLY-WRITTEN VIOLENCE! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Ooops, it's Tuesday today and not Sunday. Oh well. You've all waited so long for this chapter. I'm so sorry -_-;
Guest: Believe me, we all love the little bastard _
Chapter 6:
Year 2024, February 20th, Tuesday, 09:05am, Planet Irk
"Z-Zim", Dib whispered nervously. His eyes never left the spot where those red eyes had been just seconds before. "What was that?!"
"Silence!" Zim hissed. His tongue slipped in and out like a snake's would do, as if Zim was smelling something. "Follow Zim." Dib would have been happy to oblige, but then Zim jumped into a tree with three agile sprints, and Dib found himself alone.
"Zim! I can't get up there", he hissed, his voice sounding loud in the sudden silence. Some leaves rustled and he jumped. Suddenly the jungle seemed threateningly silent. Zim didn't answer him. "Zim!" Something hissed, it wasn't Zim. Unconsciously, Dib reached for a hammer that Zim had stolen.
Then, everything happened all at once. An Irken - if Dib had stood, it would still be a good foot taller than him - jumped towards him with a shrill shriek. Dib barely got to raise the hammer before a much smaller shape - Zim - appeared from the bushes and hit the Irken from the side.
The two Irkens rolled around in the mud, both trying to get the upper hand. Dib got up to help, when they came to a stop with Zim's small shape pressed to the ground by the larger Irken. That made the Human stop. His instincts told him to save his new friend, but the more logical part of him said it was a very bad idea. This was another Irken, possibly - probably - not as friendly as Zim. He'd get killed immediately!
Zim struggled with the weight that held him down. The Taller didn't have any problems holding him down and if he was here, the other one must be close by. That meant trouble. He kept on clawing at the Taller with one hand and reached back to his bag with the other. It was hard to reach in his current situation, but if he could just-
Meanwhile, Dib suddenly found himself startled by another shriek, this time from behind him. He didn't spin around in time to avoid the other Irken as he threw himself at Dib.
"Holy-" Dib yelped as he stumbled and fell into the mud. The Irken landed on top of him as grabbed his upper arms in his sharp claws. Somehow, Dib managed to kick off he alien. As the Irken fell, he brought the hammer - still held tightly in his hand - forward hitting the alien's head, causing pinkish blood to splatter on the mud-covered ground. The Irken shrieked in agony and cowered.
The Irken holding Zim down looked up as his companion shrieked. That distraction was all Zim needed. Taking advantage of the slightly loosened grip, he finally got a hold of his knife and stabbed it in the other's shoulder. Yet another howl filled the air, and Zim drew the knife out together with a rain of blood.
Though, the small Irken had no time to stop the next blow, as he got slapped hard enough to get thrown into a nearby tree. There he crumpled, while trying to get te colorful dots to leave his vision.
Dib had seen it all, as his attacker didn't seem ready to make another move anytime soon.
"Zim!", he got up to run towards his newest friend, but stopped. The Irken that had gotten attacked by Zim stared at him, blood-red eyes filled with hostility and pink blood dripping from the deep wound in his shoulder. Dib scanned the area. Beside Zim lay the knife dyed with the same fluid that flowed from the Irken's injury.
This was no time for hesitating, but rather for reckless stupidity. With a quick sprint, Dib grabbed the knife and aimed it at the Irken," back off!" In the corner of his eye, the other Irken dragged himself up and to his companion. Dib swallowed. He doubted he could pry them both off.
Apparently though, they weren't worth it anymore, as the simply hissed loudly at his before fleeing into the jungle. With that threat gone, Dib dropped beside Zim.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Zim was sitting now, with both of his tiny, clawed hands covering the back of his head. He didn't look too beaten up, save for some scratches and a three-fingered slap-mark over his cheek.
"Zim is fine", he said soberly. Dib finally relaxed.
"Good." The teen noticed he was shaking slightly, the knife still held in his hands. He dropped it unceremoniously. As the adrenalin wore off, he became aware of a dull pain in his entire body. Especially in his back from the fall and in his upper arms, where sharp claws had punctured the tender skin. His vision was interrupted by cracks in a way that only happened when one's glasses were broken. He sunk down in the mud beside the small being and rested his back against the tree.
They hadn't been like that for long before another rustle among the leaves caught Dib's attention. He was immediately in tensed and alert. Zim though, simply raised an antenna lazily.
"Dib! Zim! Are you alright?" a voice could be heard and Zita appeared from the vegetation. She came to a halt though, as he saw the state the two were in.
"Zita! It's just you", Dib breathed. With some effort, he got up, wincing from the pain it brought up," there are other Irkens around. Everyone should probably stay indoors until they're gone."
"We heard the noise so we came to take a look", Gaz said as she appeared behind Zita," figures you couldn't take care of yourself."
"Hey! I took perfectly good care of myself! I'm still alive, see?" Dib exclaimed and gestured towards himself.
"You both look horrible! Are you okay?" Zita asked. Dib nodded.
"I guess we were lucky", he said.
"Lies! Zim needs no luck!" Zim protested, having stood up proudly. Dib was pretty sure they were just lucky.
"Anyway", he muttered," we should all go inside for now. Are you coming, Zim?"
"Zim will defend his nest," the Irken repeated.
"We can still take your stuff with us ... you can take it back when those Irkens are gone or something", Dib said. He was getting tired, despite it still being morning. Zim shook his head furiously, which Dib had taught him meant 'no'. The teen groaned. "C'mon! I don't want you eaten!" Zim huffed loudly. Though he wouldn't admit it, he couldn't take on two Tallers alone.
"Fine! Zim will come to the Piggy", the extraterrestrial being finally agreed. Dib sighed blissfully while Zim emptied the bucket of food and filled it with stolen stuff.
"Do you want help?" Zita asked. She bent down to aid the alien.
"No", Zim pouted. Zita cringed slightly and backed away.
When Zim had filled the bucket and put the rest in his backpack, they all left Zim's nest and headed for the Piggy. Dib explained to Sergeant Mayor Bitters about their current situation. She agreed in staying indoors for a while and ordered everyone to get their butts inside the Piggy.
"I'm going to get a shower. What do you think, Zim? You could use one as well", Dib said. The dirt had begun drying and was becoming itchy.
Zim had no idea what a shower was.
"Zim needs no show-urrr!" he said. Dib rolled his eyes.
"Yes you do. You're covered in mud", Dib sighed.
"Zim does not see how that is relevant."
"Where did you learn that word?" Dib couldn't recall teaching him it.
"YOU LIE!" Zim pointed at him. That made no sense.
"Just come with me", he started towards the showers.
"Do not tell Zim what to do!" Zim said, but followed anyway.
All guys shared a room with five showers in one row and five of the opposite wall, without any curtains separating them. Dib undressed and winced at the sight of the bleeding wounds on his upper arms, then picked a bottle of shampoo and two towels from a nearby locker. Zim hadn't moved since they arrived in the shower.
"Take off your clothes, then pick a shower", Dib instructed, pressing the button to start his own. He sighed in bliss as the mud ran off his body. Zim's eyes widened. Ignoring Dib's instructions, he ran to the one Dib was standing under, and pushed him out-of-the-way.
"It's water! Where is it from?! Tell Ziiim!" he whined.
"Hey! Take your clothes off and pick your own shower! There's like nineteen others to choose between!" Dib exclaimed, then pushed the small being to the left.
Zim then made a big deal of choosing the best shower. He walked past the rows slowly, humming to himself. Dib wondered how Zim could hum, since he didn't have a nose.
Dib took the chance to study the Irken's petite body. He noticed that Zim's bruises had turned from bright pink to a dark blue. It didn't look healthy against the green skin.
"Zim? Are your bruises supposed to change color like that?" he asked. Zim looked at him as if his head was really huge.
"Off course", he said, already distracted with studying the showers once again. Oh. The teen stored the information for later. Zim settled for the shower opposite to Dib.
"This one! It is far better than the Dib's!" Zim exclaimed.
"... They're all the same", Dib said," anyway, just start it by pressing the button. You can change the temp on the knob. Clockwise for warmer and anticlockwise for colder."
Off course, Zim knew nothing about clocks, but he would never admit that to the Dib! Instead, the turned it as far as he could in one direction, then pressed the button.
Dib had turned around and was shampooing his hair when he jumped at Zim's loud screech. Just a second later, Zim had pushed him out of his shower.
"You lied! That Showurr was bad!" He exclaimed.
"What?" He looked at Zim's. It wasn't pouring water. It was producing steam. "You turned it to the hottest!" Dib walked over - careful to avoid the hot steam - and turned the knob to a lower temperature. "It's okay now, you can use it."
"Never!" Zim exclaimed. Dib could've just taken the shower himself, but no, he was far too stubborn for that. He frowned.
"Look, the temperature is okay now!" He huffed and put a hand in the rush of water,"It's not burning anymore!"
"You lie!"
"Then take another one, but that one's mine!" Dib exclaimed and pushed Zim out-of-the-way. The small form stumbled for a moment, before frowning dangerously and jumped forward, clinging to Dib's legs.
"What the-" Dib lost his balance and fell, his already sore butt hitting the concrete floor. "Ouch!" When he sat up, Zim had taken his shower and was standing there proudly. Dib pouted, then went for the same trick as Zim had. With one leg, he sweeped the Irken off his feet. Zim hissed loudly and painfully.
"That was for tackling me, jerk", Dib muttered and got up. His will to fight over the shower faded as he realized that he was clean though, and he let Zim get up and take the shower. instead, he wrapper himself in his towel and leaned on a wall to wait for his friend.
Year 2024, February 20th, Tuesday, 10:12am, Planet Vort
As Sev En wrote down his weekly report, he added in the end:
While we've encountered a few obstacles, we are positive that this project is bound to succeed. However if you get an idea you think we'd be interested in, let us know.
He then added his mail (Sev-thesupercoolscientist-En and posted the report. No Human could possibly be of any help, but maybe some other Vortian read it and contacted them.
Year 2024, February 20th, Tuesday, 10:23am, Planet Irk
Newly showered, and with bandages around his upper arms, Dib proceeded to write down everything he remembered about the fight. He estimated the height of the attackers, as well as their appearances and outfits. The clothes they wore had been very similar to Zim's, he realized when he got time to think about it. Though while one big leaf covered Zims entire body, this was not the case with these taller Irkens. They wore the same leaf like a skirt, going down just above their knees. Covering their torsos was another leaf, like Zim's, without arms like a poncho. He guessed they were about the same height, the only differences were their eyes. One has purple and the other one has red ones.
He opened a new tab on his hologram screen were he sketched up one of the males. Drawing wasn't his strength, thus it ended up as nothing more than a stick figure with clothes. He saved it anyway, together with his notes.
He stretched and looked at the clock. It was still only mid day. He regretted telling everyone to stay inside; now he was restrained by his own orders. He'd rather take a camera and sneak out to find the Irkens. Getting into trouble with Bitters was highly unwanted, though. Didn't want to get house arrest again.
"Might as well just hang out with the others. There's nothing else to do, anyway", he said.
"Quiet!" The Irken - now dressed in a borrowed t-shirt way too big for him - snapped distractedly. Dib shot him an amused look. He'd found a way to keep Zim quiet after a few failed attempts. Zim's pink bug-like eyes were glued to another holographic screen, this one showing an old cartoon. It would keep him distracted forever, but maybe until they went to sleep at least.
TBC
This is not ZaDr I swear
/Saga