#zim wide eyed seen from the ground

[sycoraxophone]

I NEED to make him worse

[snappedsky]

Fanatics Adventures in Space Part 15

Zim reunites with the Tallest. Previous! Next!

--

War Part Eight

           Devi and Tenna stare wide-eyed out the window as Skoodge directs their shuttle to the side of the Massive. They are barely a little grey dot against its enormous red hull.

           Skoodge parks the ship and turns to face the girls, grabbing two little bubble gum ball-like objects from his PAK and handing them to them. “Hold these to you head and squeeze them.”

           They do so and the balls stretch around their heads, changing to a transparent helmet. Skoodge does the same with one of his own. Then he extends his spider legs from his PAK. The top two rest against the hatch of the shuttle while the bottom two reach for Devi and Tenna.

           “Hang on tight,” he orders.        

           They grab the metal appendages and Skoodge opens the hatch.

           The air immediately rushes out of the shuttle, whipping around Devi and Tenna and threatening to blow them into space, but they hold on tight. Skoodge pulls them out of the ship and presses up against the Massive. Gir cheers as he and Minimoose follow close behind.

           One of Skoodge’s free spider legs fires up a laser that slices through the hull of the flagship, cutting out a doorway. The group slips inside and Skoodge puts the chunk of wall back in place, sealing it up.

           “We made it,” Devi breathes as they let go of Skoodge and stand up inside the Massive. They’re in an empty, dimly corridor. It’s eerily quiet.

           “Where is everyone?” Tenna asks.

           “The Tallest must be on Irk right now,” Skoodge replies, “so all the workers are probably on break.”

           “Then this is the perfect chance for some sabotage,” Devi grins, rubbing her hands together. “Lead the way, Skoodge.”            The Irken smiles before trotting down the hallway, the rest of the group close behind.

           Meanwhile, on Irk, Zim follows his drone captives through the halls of the Main Command Centre. He keeps his head high and remains stoic, refusing to show any sign of weakness, no matter how many times the drones deliberately bump into him.

           Finally, they reach their destination: the Tallest’s throne room, the biggest and highest room in the command centre. There are windows all along the walls overlooking the city for miles and statues and busts and drapery of the Tallest themselves. And across the room, sitting in their thrones, are Tallest Red and Tallest Purple.

           The drones lead Zim to the middle of the room and immediately disperse. Zim glares at the Tallest as they sit up, smirking at him.

           “Zim!” Red cheers, “so nice to see you again.”

           “Not!” Purple jeers and they both laugh obnoxiously. Zim just glowers.

           Red chuckles and wipes a tear from his face. “Seriously, though. What the IRK are you doing here!” he barks angrily, “you are exiled! Banned! How much clearer do we have to be?”

           “I’m not here for me,” Zim snaps, “I’m here for you, and your hopeless empire that you are allowing to be destroyed! How could you sit back and watch as dozens of planets are annihilated across the galaxy? And Irk is next! That’s why they’re here!” He points out the window at the large alien ship in the sky. “I came here to stop it.”

           “Oh, wow, so you’re playing hero now,” Purple sneers.

           “Yeah,” Red scoffs, “the Irken Bounty Hunters couldn’t even catch them. What makes you think you can?”

           “Because I know who they are, or at least who leads them,” Zim replies, “a Xylaxian.”

           “What? That’s ridiculous,” Red scorns.

           “Yeah, Xylaxians don’t exist anymore,” Purple adds incredulously.

           “It’s true. Kio knows him,” Zim insists, “and he’s gonna destroy the Control Brain!”

           The Tallest burst into uproarious laughter, their heads thrown back and arms wrapped around their sides. Zim glowers at them with annoyance.

           “You know what!” he snaps, “I don’t need to stand here and take this! I’m not the same Irken I once was and I’m not gonna take your abuse in the hopes that you’ll give me just an ounce of respect. I’m gonna save my planet and you’re not gonna stop me.”

           He turns on his heel and starts to march away when a giant laser cannon drops from the ceiling on a metal arm and points at him.

           “Whoa, whoa, where do you think you’re going?” Red asks, amused, “you thought we were just gonna let you leave? You are a criminal, y’know?”

           Zim turns back around and glares at them. “So execute me already! I know you’ve always wanted to.”

           “Aw, now what fun would that be?” Purple sighs dramatically, “nah, we wanna make you suffer first.”

           “And you’ve made it so easy,” Red adds, “you’ve even brought your little alien friends with you.”

           A screen pops out of the floor beside him, displaying a still image of Dib, Gaz, Pepito, Squee, and Kio walking through the city, and Zim jolts.

           “Leave them alone!” he snaps, “they have nothing to do with this!”

           “They broke into our planet to look for you,” Red points out, “it seems to me they have everything to do with this.”

           “I told them not to come!”

           “And they didn’t listen to you?” Purple tuts, “you really are a terrible leader.”

           Zim grimaces and glares at the floor.

          “Now it’ll only be a matter of time before our guards find them and these ‘rebels’,” Red says, gesturing lazily at the alien ship. “And then we’ll destroy you all together.”

           “It’ll be fun,” Purple adds, “we’ll make it a big, public spectacle. Like a festival. And there’ll be food and games.”

           “Yeah, like ‘Pin the Antenna on the Defect’,” Red says, “the defect being you.”

           “Haha, yeah!” Purple laughs.

           The two of them guffaw while Zim cringes quietly beneath their cruel amusement. Meanwhile, Johnny watches the whole thing from the doorway. He scowls, wondering why Zim isn’t standing up for himself. He can’t watch these two bullies anymore, so he draws a knife and starts to advance.

           The ship outside suddenly explodes, shutting the Tallest up and startling everyone. They all look out the window at the giant cloud of smoke as it rains debris and shrapnel.

           Almost immediately after, an Irken guard races into the doorway, not even noticing Johnny crouched there. “My Tallest! We just discovered the body of a Ssslitharian in the city!”

           “A Ssslitharian?’ Red questions incredulously.

           A second guard appears. “My Tallest! We don’t know what caused that ship to explode, but it wasn’t any of our weapons!”

           A third guard. “My Tallest! The heir Rory has disappeared!”

           The Tallest are speechless from this bombardment of bad news. Zim watches the guards, just as bewildered for a second, before looking at the ground, a smile spreading across his face. He starts chuckling then throws his head back as he laughs loudly and victoriously. Everyone watches him, surprised and disgusted.

           Zim points at the Tallest dramatically. “You’re losing control, Tallest! You haven’t caught my Battalion, much less know where they are! And you have no hope to! Your guards are running around in circles while my team- my friends conquer!”

           Red scoffs, offended. “You think you’re winning? Have you forgotten where you are?”

           Four large laser cannons drop down from the roof. Before they can even take aim, the Irken guards are thrown through the air and smash through them. Zim looks back at Johnny standing in the doorway.

           He hooks a thumb over his shoulder. “Zim, let’s get the hell out of here!”

           Zim smirks and races across the room.

           “Where do you think you’re going!” Purple barks. More cannons drop from the ceiling and start firing. Zim’s spider legs extend from his PAK and create a force field, blocking the lasers as he and Johnny turn out of the doorway and run down the hall.

           Hatches start opening up on the walls and ceiling, releasing armed drones. Johnny and Zim smash their way through them as they proceed through the command centre. They turn a corner and skid to stop before a wall of armed guards. They quickly duck back behind the wall as they start firing.

           One of Zim’s spider legs extend to Johnny as the other three point at the wall beside them. “Grab on!”

           Johnny grabs it and Zim fires a laser blast through the wall, creating a hole to the outside. He immediately throws himself through it, dragging Johnny with him.

           His spider legs stab into the outside wall and start scaling the building. The guards follow with their own spider legs, along with the drones. Zim narrowly dodges their laser fire.

           Johnny holds on for dear life and glares at their assailants as a laser brushes by his arm. He reaches into his coat and pulls out a Smiley Bomb, whipping it at them. It explodes, destroying many of the guards and drones and leaving a charred spot on the wall.

           As soon as the firing has slowed down, Zim pounces off the wall and they sail through the air and over the destroyed buildings, barely catching the wall of another nearby building. He climbs it to the roof and continues moving across the city.

           After a few minutes, Johnny looks back and sees nothing behind them. “Okay, they’re not chasing us. Can you stop so I can let go?”

           Zim slows to a stop and Johnny lets go of the spider leg. He sighs as he rolls his stiff arms and Zim retracts his appendages. They continue on foot.

          Zim stares down as they walk, his squeedly spooch in knots. He grips his shirt and says, “hey, Johnny? Am I like…a huge idiot?”

           “Yeah,” Nny replies, irking Zim with his bluntness. “But…well,” he adds hesitantly, “look, it’s not like I don’t understand. It’s scary, you know…caring for people…”

           Zim glances at him with surprise but he’s looking away so his expression can’t be seen. Then Zim looks down and sighs. “Yeah, it is.”

           They make their way through the city by the rooftops until they reach the countryside. Zim lowers them to the ground and they continue to Mar’s place. They don’t speak at all, so it’s quiet and a little awkward.

           Eventually, they spot three people in the distance. Zim narrows his eyes as he strains to see. “Is that…Dib! Gaz! Kio!”

           They turn at his voice and beam excitedly before racing for him. He runs too and they clash, grabbing each other’s’ arms.

           “I’m so glad you’re okay!” Kio squeals happily, squeezing Zim’s shoulder.

           “Where were you?” Dib asks.

           “Oh, you know, just got captured by the Tallest,” Zim shrugs, “no big deal.”

           “Johnny’s with you,” Gaz states as he walks up to the kids. “So where are Squee and Pepito?”

           “I haven’t seen them,” Zim replies.

           “I’m sure they’re fine,” Dib says, “I mean, they must’ve been the ones who blew up that ship, right?”

           “Wherever they are, they’ll meet us at Mar’s,” Kio points out, “so let’s continue.”

           The others nod and they keep going. They arrive within a couple minutes to the ruins that were once Mar’s house. As they step over the toppled wall, they stop at the sound of familiar, frantic screaming. They look over to the left and see some kind of strange figure flying along the ground right for them.

           “Lo-lo-look!” Pepito’s voice cries out. “There they are!”

           “Civ! Viv! Stop!” Squee shouts.

           Two SIR units pulling what appears to be a make-shift sleigh made of sheet metal stop abruptly, but the sleigh they’re pulling does not. Because it’s still tied to them, the sleigh flips upside down, knocking Pepito and Squee onto the ground. It nearly falls on them, but they quickly roll out of the way and it slams onto the dirt.

           “Oof,” Squee groans as he sits up, rubbing his head.

           “Well, that was…fun,” Pepito grunts drily, dusting the dirt from his hair.

           “Guys!” Dib exclaims as he, Zim, Gaz, and Kio race over to them. They smile and jump to their feet to meet them.

           “Excuse me,” Viv grunts, interrupting their reunion. “Could you please release us from your restraints?”

           “It’s just rope,” Pepito points out, “you telling me you genius robots can’t untie rope?”

           “In their defense,” Squee says as he cuts them free. “Nny has taught me some very good ways to tie knots.”

           Johnny smiles as he pats Squee’s head.

           “Who are they?” Zim asks, gesturing to the twin robots.

           “Civ and Viv,” Squee replies, “they’re gonna help us.”

           “Correction,” Civ grunts, “we helped you destroy the enemy ship. Now you’re gonna help us find our master.”

           “Yeah, and the best way to do that is if you stick with us,” Pepito points out.

           “Very well,” Viv sighs, “but I am starting to question if you can find him at all.”

           “What’s going on?” Zim asks.

           “We’ll explain everything,” Squee replies, “but first can we get inside? I don’t like being out in the open like this.”            “Yes, let’s,” Kio nods.

           Everyone steps onto the slim elevator and rides it down to Mar’s lab. Along the way, they all explain what they’ve been up to the last couple hours.

           “We fought a snake alien called Ssslisss,” Dib says, “he was tough, but we won.”

           “I fought a little alien called Ethrax,” Pepito replies, “he hit me pretty good, but in the end I beat his ass. And Squee totally blew up that whole ship!”

           “I knew that was you!” Dib exclaims excitedly, “that’s awesome.”

           “Well, Civ and Viv really helped,” Squee adds, “I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”

           “Unquestionably,” Civ remarks.

           Mar turns in her chair and watches as they settle down in her lab, laughing and talking. Johnny splits from the group and leans against the wall, smiling slightly. Zim stares at his friends, happily at first but then he guiltily looks away.

           “I’m sorry.”

           Everyone shuts up immediately and look at him, stunned. “Huh?”

           Zim stares at the floor, grimacing. “I didn’t tell you I was leaving because I knew you’d want to come with me. And I didn’t want you to come because I was…I was worried you’d get hurt…or worse. I…underestimated you, which is something that should never be done. So.” He takes a deep breath and faces them. “I’m sorry.”

           Everyone stares at him, speechless. Then Pepito coos, “aaawww!” and runs in to hug him. Before Zim can argue, Dib, Squee, and Gaz immediately join in and hug him tight.

           “You don’t have to apologize for worrying about us,” Squee says, “that’s what friends do.”

           “Yeah,” Dib agrees, “why do you think we followed you all the way out here?”

           Zim glowers between them but on the inside, he’s smiling.

           “Sorry to break this up,” Mar says, grabbing everyone’s attention. “But you should take a look at this.”

           They split apart and everyone gathers in front of her computer. It’s displaying what looks like live surveillance footage of the area outside the Main Command Centre. There are Irken bodies and smashed drones being tossed away as a group of assorted aliens march towards the building. Leading them is a very muscular creature, supporting his upper body on his knuckles.

           “Is that…?” Dib questions.

           “Carcas,” Kio growls.

           “They’re starting!” Zim exclaims, “we have to stop them!”

           The Battalion races for the elevator. Squee skids to a stop and looks at Johnny. “You coming?”

           He shrugs apathetically and joins the kids.

           They ride the elevator to the surface where they find a small army of Irken soldiers and drones surrounding them, weapons at the ready.

           “Uh oh,” Squee squeaks.

           “What do you think you’re doing!” Zim barks, “your city is under attack! Your planet is going to be destroyed! Forget about us!”

           “Tallest orders,” one of the guards states.      

           “Blech,” Pepito spits.

           “Don’t suppose you two can stop them,” Dib suggests, glancing at Civ and Viv.

           “They won’t listen to us,” Viv shrugs, “we receive no respect from the Irken Armada.”

           “Great,” Gaz grunts drily.

           Before anyone can argue further, Johnny steps forward, drawing his knives.

           “You guys go,” he orders, “I’ll handle this.”

           “Nny?” Squee questions.

           He doesn’t say anything, his glare focused entirely on the surrounding guards.

           “I’ll stay with him to make sure he can catch up with you,” Kio says.

           The others nod and get ready to run.

           “Nobody is going anywhere,” a guard barks and lifts his hand. “Ready!”

           Zim’s PAK opens up, Pepito bends forward, and Squee pulls down his goggles.

           “Fi-!” the guard is cut off as Johnny, lightning fast, drives his knife through the Irken’s armor and his chest. Simultaneously, rockets extend from Zim’s PAK and he grabs Dib as he flies into the air. Pepito holds Gaz as he releases his wings and takes off. Squee activates his rocket wheelies and slips around the guards like a blur. Civ and Viv are close behind them as they escape, leaving Nny to his massacre.

[snappedsky]

Fanatics Adventures in Space Part 14

Pepito and Squee get up to some mischief. Previous! Next!

--

War Part Seven

           The area surrounding the Main Command Centre is quiet, filled with only the buzz of the guard drones. All the nearby buildings had been destroyed by a powerful cannon fired by an invading ship and all that remains now is piles of rubble.

           One such pile is suddenly blown apart by Kio’s portable force field generator. She sighs as she stands up and deactivates the device, putting it back on her utility belt.

           “Is everyone okay?” she asks into her communicator but is met with only silence. “Hello? Zim? Guys? Anyone? Nar, can you hear me?”

           No response. She sighs again as she puts the communicator onto her belt and looks at the sky. “The planet-wide force field is down. It must be affecting the atmosphere, disrupting all radio signals. I will have to adjust everyone’s communicator. That is…if they’re all okay.”

           She pulls her goggles down over her eyes and activates the X-ray vision. Many Irkens were crushed by the destroyed buildings, but she sees no humans, dead or otherwise.

           “Just have to hope one of those Irkens isn’t Zim,” Kio says, “in the meantime, I’d better meet everyone back at Mar’s.”

           She sets off in a light jog towards the intact part of the city.

           Meanwhile, on the other side of the Main Command Centre, Pepito bursts out of the rubble by firing a blast from his guitar. He exhales heavily as he dusts himself off. He’s got a couple scratches on his face, but thanks to his space suit his body is mostly unharmed.

           “This thing is durable,” he comments, tugging at the material of his suit.

           After trying his communicator and receiving no response, his wings pop out of his shoulder blades through the hole in his suit and he takes off into the air. He doesn’t have to fly for long before he spots Squee on one of the nearby surviving buildings. He beams ecstatically and flies over.

           “Squee!” he exclaims as he lands on the roof, immediately grabbing his boyfriend in a tight hug.

           “Pepito,” Squee smiles, hugging him back. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

           “Yeah, me too,” he remarks as they split apart. “How’d you get up here?”

           “When the building started crumbling, I used my rocket wheelies to get to safer ground,” he replies, “couldn’t get the rest of you though. I hope Nny’s okay.”

           “Eh, if I made it then he definitely did,” Pepito grunts, “anyway, the communicators don’t seem to be working so we should meet everyone back at Mar’s.”

           “Wait a sec,” Squee says and points up at the invading ship in the sky. “They’re the ones who blasted us. It must belong to Carcas.”

            “Probably. Why?”

           “Let’s blow it up.”

           “Really?”

           “Yeah.”

           “Awesome,” Pepito grins then stops. “Ah, but how’re we gonna get up there? It’s too high for my wings and we can’t fly a ship.”

           “Yeah, that’s what I was just trying to figure out,” Squee replies as he rubs his chin contemplatively.

           Before either of them can come up with something, they hear a couple of voices nearby. They look over the edge of the building back at the rubble as two SIR units fly by.

           “Master? Master Rory?” they call out as they fly over the rubble.

           “Hey, don’t they belong to that Irken prince or whatever he was?” Pepito questions.

           “That’s it,” Squee declares and waves at them. “Hey, you two!”

           The two robots look at him with surprise before approaching. They hover in front of the boys, staring at them judgementally.

           “You are those hue-mans,” one of them says.

           “I am surprised you survived the blast,” the other comments.

           “Yeah. I am Squee and this is Pepito,” Squee states.

           The robots blink with surprise.

           “You are surprisingly polite for an uncultured alien,” the second one remarks. “Well, I am Viv. This is my counterpart, Civ.”

           “It’s nice to meet you,” Squee smiles, “uh, you’re trying to find your master, right?”

           “Yes,” Civ replies, “we lost him in the destruction of the blast and our scanners aren’t picking him up.”            “So could he be crushed?” Pepito asks.

           “No,” Viv answers, “even if he were deceased, we would still be able to track him. More likely he is just out of range.”

           “Then he’s okay. Good,” Squee says, “so uh you see that ship?”

           “Of course,” Civ grunts, “it appears to be a modified Tryyvalian ship.”

         “Uh okay well it belongs to the ones responsible for destroying the Irken controlled planets,” Squee explains, “and now they’re attacking Irk.”

           “A futile attempt. They will be crushed in due time,” Viv states.

           “You really think that after what they just did?” Pepito questions, motioning to the destruction behind them. The robots share a look of uncertainty.

           “Look, we’re working on fighting these guys,” Squee says, “and right now we wanna destroy their ship. So maybe you can help us get up there?”

          “Assuming you have weaponry strong enough to destroy Tryyvalian machinery,” Viv scorns, “why would we help you?”

           “Because we both wanna save Irk?” Squee suggests.

           “We care only about the well-being of Master Rory,” Civ states.

           “Well, they probably wanna destroy Rory too,” Pepito adds.

           “We will not allow that to happen,” Viv declares.

           “You don’t even know where he is,” Squee points out, “so if you help us get to that ship, we’ll help you find your master.”            Viv and Civ eye them critically for a second before looking at each other. They reach a silent agreement before looking back at the boys.

           “Very well,” they say simultaneously.

           “Wh-really?” Squee questions with disbelief.

           “Yes,” Civ nods, “Master Rory is interested in you and this is our chance to gather data.”            “Yeah, alright, I’ll take what I can get,” Squee shrugs.

           “So you gonna fly us up there or…?” Pepito asks.

           “Irk, no,” Viv replies with disgust, “I refuse to touch your disgusting alien bodies.”

           “Rude,” he comments.

           “We will simply use a Voot Cruiser,” Civ says, “standby.”

           The top of her head pops open and she reaches in and pulls out a small remote, kind of like a car’s remote key. She presses a button.

           Nothing happens and Squee and Pepito look around with uncertainty.

           And then a black ship with red racing stripes, shaped almost like a Ferrari, flies in, screeching to a stop at their feet.

           “Whoa!” they exclaim with surprise.

           The tinted glass roof slides open, revealing a pink, fluffy interior, black leather bench seat, and sleek control panel and yoke.

           “Get in,” Viv orders.

           “Do not touch anything,” Civ adds.

           “You guys got style,” Pepito comments as they settle on the seat. The hatch closes after them and Viv activates the ship. The control panel lights up a series of bright colours before they take off into the sky.

           “So how are we gonna destroy the ship?” Pepito asks.

           “With this,” Squee replies as he removes something from his bag. It looks like a land mine with a smiley face with X-ed out eyes painted on it. “Kio made them for me. I call them Sticky Bombs. If I plant a couple on the engine, the subsequent blasts should be enough to destroy the whole ship.”            “That is not a bad idea, actually,” Civ comments, sounding almost impressed.

           “But we will only have a couple minutes to leave so we’ll have to be fast,” Squee warns.

           The cruiser pulls up alongside the ship and the hatch opens. Viv and Civ fly out and approach the hull. A shorter looker version of an Irken PAK’s spider leg extends from their heads and cut out a section of the wall with lasers, creating a doorway. The cut-out piece falls to the surface.

           Pepito and Squee hop across from the hovering cruiser into the alien ship.

           “Alright, Pepito and I will find the engine, you two stay here,” Squee orders.

           “Do you even know where the engine room is?” Viv asks scornfully.

           “Er…do you?” he asks.

           “Well, given our knowledge of Tryyvalian machinery, we’ll have an easier time finding it than you,” Viv retorts.

           “Okay, but somebody should stay with the ship,” Squee adds.

           “I’ll stay,” Pepito states, “you guys go, blow this place up.”          

           “Okay, just be careful,” he says, “and if trouble shows up, do not hesitate to leave me behind.”

           “Of course I’ll hesitate.”

           Squee smiles and starts to run off but stops when he sees someone standing down the hall.

           They’re a little alien, barely up to the boys’ knees, with a round, grey head, big, black eyes, and little nostril holes. They’re wearing a full-length, button-up lab coat with no sleeves. Their expression is impossible to read as they stare at the kids and the robots.

           “Uh oh,” Squee squeaks, stepping back.

           “That’s a Tryyvalian,” Viv states, “they are not known to be psychically capable but keep your guard up.”

           “Always do,” he mutters.

           “Do you wish to join the revolution?” the alien asks in a high-pitched, nasally voice.

           “Uh what?” Pepito questions.

           “You are visitors on the ship,” he continues, “I assume it’s because you are interested in joining our revolution. Either that or you’re saboteurs. For your sakes, I hope it’s the latter.”

           Despite the threat, the little alien doesn’t seem all that threatening, with his dead-eyed, unblinking stare. Pepito sighs with irritation as he draws his guitar.

           “Stick to the plan,” he says, “I’ll handle this.”

           “Saboteurs, then. Very well.” The alien nods politely. “I am Ethrax of Tryyval.”

           “Uh why are you introducing yourself?” Pepito asks.

           “Ssslisss says it is good manners,” he replies.

           “Alright. Well, I’m Pepito Diablo of Earth.” He widens his stance as he runs his hand over his guitar, changing it to his spear. “Nice to meet ya.”

           “Likewise,” Ethrax adds. His lab coat drops to the floor, revealing his body to be a robotic exoskeleton with long arms that end in blades and a hovering device instead of legs.

           “Urp,” Pepito croaks.

           “Tryyvalians don’t usually look like that,” Viv comments.

           “Pepito?” Squee questions.

           “Stick to the plan,” he growls.

           Ethrax thrusts his arms forward, blades glinting from the outside light.

           “Go!” Pepito barks as he charges, catching the blades in a parry with his spear.

           “Come on,” Squee orders and runs in the opposite direction, the robots by his side.

           “I have never seen a species like yours before,” Ethrax remarks, “tell me, why do you aliens want to protect Irk?”

           “Oh, I don’t care about Irk,” Pepito replies, “but my friend does and that’s enough for me.”

           Pepito thrusts his spear up, knocking Ethrax’s arms out of the way, and charges his body. Ethrax flies higher up, out of range.

           “I see. You and I are quite alike then,” he says as he swings his right blade. Pepito smacks it away with his spear handle. “I also do not care about Irk or their crimes. I only joined the revolution to help my friend.”            Pepito grins. “Huh. Well, I’ll be sure to make this quick then.”

           His spear starts glowing black and he blasts a beam out of the blade. Ethrax barely dodges and the beam chips his hip and blasts a hole through the ceiling.

           “My, you are an interesting specimen,” he comments and smirks darkly, showing emotion for the first time. “I would love to dissect you.”      

           “Mm, I’ll pass,” Pepito replies, readying his spear.

           Meanwhile, Squee races through the winding corridors of the ship, following Viv and Civ closely.

           “This place is huge but there doesn’t seem to be anyone else here,” he states.

           “Yes, I am sensing no other lifeforms on board,” Viv adds.

           “Kio did say the crew probably isn’t very big,” Squee muses, “if that alien is the only guard, that’ll make this much easier.”

           “Assuming he doesn’t destroy your partner,” Civ points out.

           “Pepito can handle it,” he insists, “but still we should hurry.”

           They keep moving until finally skidding to a stop in front of a large automatic door.

           “If our calculations are correct, this should be the engine room,” Civ states.  The door slides open and Squee breathes in awe as they step inside. The engine takes up the whole room and is nearly ten feet tall, with countless moving coils and dials.

           “Tryyvalian machinery is so archaic,” Viv comments drily.

           Squee reaches into his bag and pulls out two Sticky Bombs. He quickly plants one on either side of the engine, pushing down on the middle to activate them. They start beeping, the X-ed out eyes lighting up in tandem.

           “Okay, we got like five minutes, let’s move,” Squee demands and races out of the room, the robots close behind.

           Back at the fight, Pepito and Ethrax are an equal match. They’ve both dealt light blows to the other; Ethrax is barely able to dodge Pepito’s blasts so they’re non-lethal and Pepito’s suit protects him from being sliced by Ethrax’s blades, though he’s gonna have some nasty abrasions.

           A beeping suddenly sounds from Ethrax’s lab coat. He stops and lifts his blades apologetically. “Hold please.”

           Pepito freezes and slumps his shoulder, pouting as Ethrax removes a small tablet monitor from his jacket.

           “Ah, intruders in the engine room,” he states.

           “Yeah, Squee’s gonna blow up your whole ship,” Pepito brags.

           “I see. And you think I’ll let you get away with that?” he asks.

           “Nothing you can do now. He’s already planted his bombs.”

           “Perhaps I can’t save the ship, but I can stop you from escaping.”

           Before Pepito can question him, Ethrax suddenly flies over him to the opening they made in the wall.

           “Hey!” Pepito cries but he’s too late. Ethrax lunges his blades and slices their cruiser into three equal pieces, like butter. They plummet through the sky.

           Pepito swings his spear, releasing a blast. Ethrax isn’t ready for it and it slices right through his midriff. His two halves both collapse onto the floor.

           Pepito pants and looks outside, frantically scratching his head. “Oh, hell.”

           “Pepito!” Squee calls as they come racing down the hall.

           “Squee!” he calls back, “bad news, he destroyed our ship! How are we-?”

           “No time!” Squee exclaims as he pushes into him and dives for the hole. “Jump!”

           “What!” Pepito shouts as they hurtle out of the ship.

           Ethrax lifts his head off the floor, his bladed arms trembling as he struggles to hold himself up. He watches the robots follow the boys out of the ship and smiles weakly.

           “You win this round, Pepito Diablo of Earth.”

           The explosions shake the whole ship, quickly followed by multiple others. They take up the whole ship before fire even has a chance to spread. The blast can be seen for miles.

           Debris and shrapnel rain down onto the countryside, surrounding Civ and Viv as they lower to the ground. Pepito follows close behind, his wings flapping as he holds Squee in his arms. They drop onto the dirt and look up at where the smoke is still dissipating.

           “I am so turned on right now,” Pepito says.

           “Well, turn it off,” Squee grunts, “we have to get back to the others. Let’s see.” He turns away and examines their surroundings. “Mar’s place should be this way. Uh hopefully.”

           “It will take so long to walk there,” Pepito groans, “and I’m too tired to fly.”

           Squee glances at Civ and Viv hopefully.

           “Forget it,” Viv scoffs, “we already told you, we refuse to touch your disgusting bodies.”

           Squee groans with annoyance and tries to think of something else when a particularly large piece of debris smashes into the ground a foot away, making them jump.

           It’s a large shard of metal, probably from the hull. Squee perks up and digs around in his bag, pulling out a length of rope.

           “I have an idea,” he states.

           “I’m having second thoughts about this idea,” he says, a few minutes later.

           He and Pepito are seated on the slab of metal, holding onto the ends of the rope like reins as it’s tied around the waists of the SIR units.

           “Yes, as am I,” Civ adds, “we may not have to touch you this way but it feels a lot more…degrading.”

           “Who cares. Mush!” Pepito exclaims, snapping the rope.

           Viv and Civ flinch before blasting off. Pepito and Squee shout with surprise as they’re pulled after them on their makeshift sleigh. They dash through the dried out field, screaming all the way.

[snappedsky]

Fanatics Adventures in Space Part 11

The Battalion make a plan to catch Carcas. Previous! Next!

--   

War Part Four

           The Resisty ship floats motionless and dark, seemingly without life. Inside the bridge, Lard Nar pokes his head over his chair.

           “Did we lose ‘em?” he asks.

           Spleenk crawls out from under the console and checks the radar. “No enemies within range, sir.”

           “Oh, good,” Nar sighs loudly as the ship’s power turns back on. All the Resisty officers crawl out of their hiding places and return to their posts.

           “Damage report?” Nar asks.

           “Minor damage to the back of the hull,” one of the officers replies.      

         “Nothing to worry about, good,” he nods, “we have to get back to Irk in case Kio calls again.”

           As the ship takes off, Devi, Tenna, and Skoodge approach Lard Nar.

           “Did Johnny make it?” Devi asks.

           “We got him through the atmosphere at least,” Nar replies, “but we’ll have no way of knowing if any of them are okay until we get back into communicator range.”

           “We just have to hope he managed to deal with those soldiers,” Skoodge mutters.

           “He’s Johnny. Of course he did,” Tenna states.

           “Right,” Devi nods, “probably.”

           Meanwhile, on Irk, Johnny rips his knife out of the forehead of an Irken, the body falling limp to the ground. He looks around at the carnage around him, confirming that they’re all dead.

           “That was it? Kinda disappointing,” he comments, “well, at least the blood looks pretty. Nicer than human blood.”

           “Nny!” Squee cheers as he races past the bodies and hugs him tightly. Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Kio sigh with relief as they check their injuries. Mar just stares, wide eyed and mouth agape.

           “What is that?” she asks, pointing blatantly at Nny.

           “Our wild card,” Kio replies.

           “If you had a secret weapon like that, you should’ve just used it right away,” she points out.

           “I didn’t know he had come too,” Zim grunts, “who else came?”

           “Devi, Tenna, Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose,” Dib replies, “though they should still be on the ship.”

           “Just for the record, I’m only here for Squee,” Johnny states.

           “I better call Nar and let him know we’re okay,” Kio says as she grabs her communicator but the call doesn’t go through. “Hm, they must be out of range. That’s odd.”            “They probably had to make a quick getaway,” Johnny says, “they had to distract the planet guards or whatever so I could get through.”

           “Really? It’s unlike Nar to take such risks,” she remarks.

           Nny shrugs. “He was worried about you.”

           Kio smiles warmly.

           “We should get moving,” Zim says, “it won’t be long before more reinforcements come and with Mar’s home destroyed, we’ll need another hiding place.”

           “I got it covered,” Mar declares as she grabs a small remote from her PAK. She presses the button and a hatch in the floor opens up, revealing a small elevator.

           “Why didn’t you do that before?” Pepito asks.

           “If I did then they would’ve found it,” she replies.

           “It’s perfect,” Kio states, “let’s go, hurry.”

           Everyone squeezes onto the elevator. It’s a tight fit, everyone literally elbow to elbow and stepping on each other’s toes.  

           The elevator goes deep underground. As it starts getting dark, the kids’ suits start glowing, lighting up the small space.        

           “Jeez, that’s bright,” Pepito comments, squeezing his eyes shut.

           “We’re like walking night lights,” Squee adds.

            The elevator finally stops and a door slides open before lights power on. Everyone tumbles out into a lab that’s not unlike Zim’s back on Earth, but with different tech and much smaller.

           “This is my underground lab,” Mar announces.

           “Wow, she really is your mom,” Pepito grins at Zim.

           “Lots of Irkens have underground labs,” Zim snaps, “though not retired ones.”

           “Yes, that’s why the Tallest won’t know about it,” Mar replies, “we’ll be safe here to plan.”

           “We?” Kio questions.

           “I’m in this deep now,” she says, “besides, none of you know more about this planet than I do.”

           “That’s fair,” Pepito says as everyone sits in the middle of the floor, except for Johnny who wanders around. “So what is the plan?”

           “Can’t we just tell the Tallest about Carcas?” Squee suggests, “I mean, won’t they wanna know?”

         “They won’t listen,” Mar replies, “and even if they do, they won’t believe us, especially now.”

            “My plan was just to watch the Main Command Center,” Zim explains, “wait for Carcas to make his move and then strike.”

           “That’s not a bad idea,” Kio comments, “the command center is the only way to get to the Control Brain.”

           “But the command center is the most fortified base in the Irken Empire, second only to the Massive,” Mar points out, “would he really be able to storm it?”

           “I think so,” she replies, “we are talking about that group that’s been destroying every Irken controlled planet in the galaxy.”

           “Then we should just stick with Zim’s plan and watch and wait,” Dib says, “there’s more of us too, so we’ll be able to spread out, cover more ground.”            “But how will we get back into the city?” Gaz asks, “I doubt we can just walk back now.”

           “I can help with that too,” Mar replies as she walks over the wall to the right. She opens a door that leads to a long, dark, metal tunnel. “This will lead to the Irken Academy beneath the Main Command Center. From there, you can get to the surface without being spotted.”

           “Why do you have that?” Zim asks.

           “Tunnels like these are all over the planet,” she replies, “that’s how I was able to build this.”

           “Huh, just like home,” Squee comments.

           “Okay,” Zim booms and stands up. “Here’s the plan: we use the tunnel to get back into the city. Then we split into three groups: Dib, Gaz, and Kio; Pepito and Squee.”

           Johnny loudly clears his throat.

           “And…Johnny…” Zim adds, “I will go alone.”

           “Why alone? Let me go with you,” Dib insists.

           “No,” he states, “if we get found out, I’ll be able to escape faster by myself and you’ll all be safer in groups.”

           Before Dib can argue anymore, Kio cuts him off. “Fine. But take this.” She hands Zim a small chip. “A communicator chip. Put it in your PAK so you can be in contact with the rest of us.”

           “Fine,” Zim grunts and does so.

           “And if anything happens and we get split up, we’ll all meet back here,” she adds, “agreed?”

           “Agreed,” everyone nods.

           “I will remain here,” Mar states, “but I will be keeping tabs on you.”

           Zim awkwardly clears his throat. “I uh appreciate all the help.”            “No problem,” she grunts, “I have to help keep Irk safe too.”

           He nods before turning away. “Right, let’s go.”

           They all head down the dark tunnel, leaving Mar in her lab.

           The darkness doesn’t last long when the kids’ suits start glowing again. Zim looks at them with surprise.

           “Where did you get those?” he asks.

           “I made them,” Kio replies, “space suits made for zero gravity and atmosphere while also being durable enough for battle, complete with customized touches.”

           “Why don’t you have one?” he asks Johnny.

           “I’m fine like this,” he grunts, tugging the lapels of his black coat.

           They follow the tunnel for a few minutes before reaching the end; a metal wall.

           “Dead end?” Pepito asks as Kio pulls on her goggles.

           “Nope,” she replies, “our destination is on the other side.”

           “Move,” Zim orders as he extends his spider legs. Everyone steps aside and they fire lasers into the wall, cutting out a large circle and pulling it out.

           On the other side is a ginormous space; a carved out, underground dome with metal walls. In the middle is a large Irken building with dozens of tubes coming out of the roof and disappearing into the ground overhead. Every so often figures can be seen shooting down the tubes into the building.

           “Whoa,” everyone breathes in awe.

           “The Irken Academy,” Zim states.        

           “That’s how we reach the surface,” Kio says, pointing at the tubes.

           “How are we gonna ride those without being seen?” Dib asks.

           “We’ll have to hijack one,” Zim replies as his spider legs stretch out. “Grab on.”            Everyone grabs hold of the legs and he gently lowers onto the roof of the academy. They let go and go along the domed roof up to the nearest tube.

           “Okay, I’ll make an opening and you all follow me inside, one at a time,” he explains, “when we reach the surface, I’ll make an exit so we can all escape. It won’t be long before we’re noticed so we have to split up immediately. Understand?”

           Everybody nods.

           “Okay, get ready,” he orders. He cuts out a circle from the tube and the force of the suction can immediately be felt. He leaps in and everyone follows close behind, one at a time, Kio going last.

           They zoom away from the academy and through the darkness of the ground, light from the surface visible overhead. As soon as he’s exited into the light, Zim stabs two of his spider legs into the tube, stopping his movement, while the other two cut a hole into the side. Then those same two make a force field beneath him.

           “Whoa!” Dib exclaims before slamming into the force field and falling through the hole. Everyone else quickly follows suit and fall into a pile onto the ground just below the tube. Once everybody’s out, Zim exits after them.

           “Wow, what a ride,” Johnny grunts as he rubs his head.

           “Uh, guys?” Squee mutters as he looks around. Nearby Irkens are staring at them, shocked and a little frightened.

           “Grab hold now,” Zim orders as he extends his spider legs. Everyone grabs on and holds tight as they climb up a nearby building, all the way to the roof. They all let go, sighing with relief.

           “We have to split up now,” he demands, “before the drones get after us.”

           “Remember to use your communicators!” Kio orders as she, Dib, and Gaz go off to the left, hopping across the closely knit buildings.

           “Good luck, guys!” Pepito calls back as he, Squee, and Johnny go to the right.

           Zim stays put, watching them until they’ve all left. Then his spider legs carry him forward, across the buildings, towards the Main Command Center in the middle.

[celestial-sprouts-art]

Eheheh

I NEED to make him worse