Contest Entry
Ha! I actually finished my entry! I'm so proud of myself. And so I don't bother people anymore, I'll get on with it.
Name: Magnetic Atrocity
Author: death_fairy01
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action/Drama
Warning: OOCness, original characters, human/nonhuman relationships, random scene jumps, insane Dib
Summary: "Wha...Why?" Violet eyes stared in shocked disbelief, Purple's fingers rising to his lips in poorly concealed horror. A glare across glass shielding his eyes from view, he smirked.
"Because you wanted me to."
Disclaimer: I don’t own Invader Zim. It belongs to Jhonen Vasquez, Nickelodeon, and a bunch of other people. The things I do own are the poem, the plot, and the original characters. Which no one wants.
MAGNETIC ATROCITY
Ruins fall to ash, cries echo in Time,
Shrieking voices fill the void, All in the space of a bell’s chime.
Holy shrines brimming with contempt, the grounds unkempt
Bones in the yard, corpses in the grass, sweet spices unknowing tempt.
Twisted frames littering the streets, dust coating the walls
Blood on the sheets, shadows walking in hollow halls.
Eyes dominating the skies, whispers unheard in louder words
Hearts keeping unbearable silence, questing hands killed by evil swords.
Dark light blinds the dead as It descends, wings large and sweet
It lands with unholy grace, bleeding wings revealed in black sleet.
Crimson rivers drown Its dead eyes and flow in torrid waves,
Chains bind more than Its form, rusted and decayed by unwilling slaves.
Deep amber gazes in maddened remorse, fingers spread to the waste
Lifeless wind and death mocking Its hopeless haste.
Debris scattered across the abyss, no place to hide
It has come at last, It will no longer abide.
Its darkened voice enthralls and spells, telling a twisted rhyme
Words of corruption and spite, telling of an unforgivable crime.
With tainted glee It draws audience, power growing in viscosity
Binding, blinding, brilliantly fierce, It is a Magnetic Atrocity.
Black webs are weaved, the depraved spider fat with spoils
Pawns set on the board, the plot-forgotten boils.
The Queen, with eyes of poisoned plum, meets a kindred spirit
The rook, with Sister amber, joins the Queen, all will come to fear it.
Knight, gaze of bitter ruby, bound in Hate’s cell
Joins the Atrocity in a type of Hell.
The King, with eyes of innocuous violet, enthralled by the Atrocity feels nothing amiss,
Joins in the plot, after all, what is the consequence of a kiss?
With tainted glee It draws audience, power growing in viscosity
Binding, blinding, brilliantly fierce, It is a frightful, evil, cruel, saving, Magnetic Atrocity. -Prologue
Magnetic Atrocity:
Part I
Violet eyes stared in wide-eyed shock at the sight before them. The gaze’s possessor turned to its companion, whose own crimson orbs revealed nothing. Still in disbelieving awe, Tallest Purple continued trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Zim stood proudly before the leaders, face smug and stance positively exuding confidence. The Invader had grown during the years spent on his ‘mission’, and now nearly stood up to the Tallest’ waist. Clawed hands hung loosely at his sides, though they did randomly twitch. Ruby eyes were carefully trained on the Tallest. He steadfastly refused to even glance at the figure crouched at his feet.
Purple swiftly moved his focus onto what was laying at Zim’s feet. Dark hair fell in tangled masses across its lowered face. Shadows obscured most of its facial features. Crimson drops dripped down bound wrists and onto the floor. The wrists themselves were bound by energy cuffs, the bright laser-like force biting deep into the prisoner’s flesh, singing it if it dared to attempt escape. Thick, black and bloodstained rings around the captive’s wrists were testament to the fact that it had indeed been foolish enough to try such a thing. Forcing his gaze further down, the Irken became aware of just how large the creature actually was. Judging by how long its folded legs seemed to be, the prisoner would only be a few inches shorter than him and Red when it was fully standing. By Irk, how had Zim, the laughingstock of their entire race, managed to defeat something so tall? Purple quickly shook the thought from his head. Knowing Zim, and his arrogance, they would know the answer to that soon enough.
Red, for the whole time that his co-ruler had been examining the captive, had remained silent. His crimson gaze had simply followed the path of the fluid that matched it in hue, watching impassively as the drops fell onto and stained the floor. With barely a notable movement, his attention shifted back to the Irken standing before him. He easily noticed how Zim refused, appeared almost afraid, to look at the prisoner. It perked his interest and he shrewdly filed it away to dissect at length later. Eyes and expression professionally neutral, he was the one to finally break the confused silence. “So, Zim, from your presence here, and the thing you have with you, I would be correct in assuming that you have succeeded in your mission, yes?” The Invader jumped to attention at the question, hand immediately rising in salute. Spine rigidly straight, he maintained the epitome of a loyal soldier. Too bad everyone there knew him to be the single most destructive Irken ever to pass the Elite Test. Most still saw it as some kind of freak error.
“Yes, My Tallest, I did have success in my mission.” Here ruby orbs glittered in rabid fervor. They began to glaze with his excitement. “I, ZIM, skillfully and completely doomed the filthy human stink-beasts. It was much fun.” He bared sharp teeth into a mad smile, eyes still glazed and now practically glowing with feeling. “Their screams were especially delicious. And I even managed to capture their stupid leader, the big-headed Dib.” At that he violently gestured to the captive, which was now known as the human Dib. Dib gave no response to the outburst, still facing towards the ground. More blood dribbled to the floor. Zim still hadn’t even glanced at the human. At the lack of a response, his body tensed. Rubies narrowed in trepidation as he finally turned towards the prisoner. Dib still kept silent. Gloved hands clenched into tight, quivering fists. Zim glared fiercely at the human as he raised a fist from his side.
Amber eyes, eerily dull, stared listlessly at booted feet. Abused lenses lay across his face, scratched and covered in thin cracks. Black hair shielded his face, caressing his cheeks and keeping his expression from scrutiny. Not that it would have revealed much. His face was perfectly blank, almost to the point of being apathetic. Despite this lack of obvious emotion, his mind was absolutely alert. Dib calmly took in his surroundings, different scenarios rushing across his consciousness. He didn’t contemplate escape; he had given up on that option long ago. All he wanted now was a chance at getting even. He caught bits of the conversation going on above him, though that did him little good. They were speaking in Irken and he only understood a few specific words and phrases. He recognized the word for what he assumed meant ‘prisoner’ or ‘thing’. Quite a lot of the aliens he had met so far had reverted to referring to him as such. He really didn’t know what to think of that, so he’d given up on trying. Instead, he cynically amused himself by comparing Irken to all the Earth languages he knew. So far, he placed it as an odd combination of German and Japanese, maybe some Chinese thrown in as well. There were words that sounded guttural and rough, like the pronunciation of many German terms. Specifically, a lot of what seemed to be metaphors or slang were gruff. He remembered listening to some of the guards whispering, a harsh 1. ‘Zarschglig’ standing out. He’d stared at them curiously, only to be subjected to a rancid glare. Later, he had experienced another side of the language. It was with another guard; this one conversing with what appeared to be her superior. Her antennae were lowered in submission, indigo orbs focused on the floor. The taller Irken had seemed to chastise her and spoke brutally, words butchered and russet eyes flashing. She hadn’t even flinched and had hesitantly responded with a despondent and somber 2. ‘Jasai wanabe’. The two had finished at that point and gone back to whatever it was that they did normally. That had presented him with a tone of Irken that was less gruff and more lilting and higher pitched.
Throughout his musings, Dib had been aware of a gaze centered on him. He discreetly had found the source and, for the first time in a long while, been surprised. He hadn’t expected to be of interest to one of the Tallest. He had assumed that the Irken leaders would simply dismiss him as being beneath them. Contrary to that thought, he was currently the object of the violet-eyed Tallest’s attention. He didn’t know the names of the Tallest, so he simply referred to them by the color of their eyes. He had no idea that he already basically knew their names because of that. He ignored that gaze as he had everything else. There was no point in wondering about it. It wasn’t like he would ever find anything out, anyway. Instead, he attempted to order his thoughts. If left alone, the stray musings would overflow in chaotic, jumbled strands. They would ricochet off of one another, prompting even more turmoil. So, he focused on preventing that and stopped considering what would happen once everything here was done. In a type of meditation, he almost missed the feeling of the object heading for his head. Unfortunately, he realized the sensation too late and a blow connected to his left temple. He crumpled to the ground, body curling into a defensive ball. He never emitted a whimper or sound of pain as the blows continued to descend upon his prone form.
Zim glared at the human curled in a fetal position, his need for feral violence far from satisfied. Hissing, antennae flattened, he made to strike again. He was halted by a cough from Tallest Red. He turned towards the leader, ruby eyes still ablaze. He was met with amused, and steely, crimson. The two Irkens stared at one another, before rubies obediently broke contact. Triumph flashed within crimson before being repressed. All that was left behind was an image of sardonic pleasure. The Invader scowled at himself. A member of the Irken Elite shouldn’t allow their emotions to override their logic. His anger at the Dib had overcome his reason and made him lash out. He berated himself once more before slowly gaining back his lost control. He misread the flash in the Tallest’s eyes and dismissed it as a miscalculation. There was no possibility that Red found humiliating him entertaining. He was utterly loyal to his Tallest, and such loyalty was always rewarded.
Purple blinked at the transaction between his co-ruler and the defect before them. Shaking his head, he again reframed from asking what something was about. He didn’t particularly want to know what was going on in Zim’s head. More curious than before, violet roved over the body slowly uncurling itself. He watched as limbs carefully retracted from a defensive position, the human gradually exposing itself. After it was finally sure it was safe, it quickly returned to sitting. It crossed its legs at the ankles, black boots folded beneath the long limbs. The bloodied wrists were placed in a similar manner, neatly tucked into its lap. Its head was still bowed, gaze remaining hidden from view. From what he was able to see, the captive was smirking. Purple was a bit, though he wouldn’t admit it, disturbed. He couldn’t find any humor in the situation. So how could a prisoner be sitting there, in the presence of its enemies, and seem bitterly entertained? He didn’t understand it and, for some reason, he wanted to. He peered more closely at the human’s expression. An involuntary shiver passed down his spine at the sight of the cold smile, maniacal and psychotic in strength. The shiver was followed by another as quiet laughter flowed into the room. His antennae flattened in nervous anxiety.
Dib lay curled on the floor, dazed and responding instinctively. His arms were wrapped around his head, shielding his eyes and face. His knees were drawn to his chest, making his form appear smaller and less of a target. He winced as a brutal slap, aimed for his chest, hit one of his arms. The palm struck hard, a loud smacking sound echoing in its wake. Another fist hit a poorly concealed rib, nearly knocking the wind from his lungs. He futilely curled tighter, though he knew it would do him little good. As seconds passed and another blow failed to land, he cautiously peered out from beneath his arms. He could barely make Zim out, standing in front of him, panting and looking murderous. He kept his head half-covered, weary still of being hit again. He watched, with detached interest, as the Red Tallest and Zim seemed to have a stare down. He carefully, gradually, began to unfurl his limbs. He minutely saw Zim back down, rubies dejectedly lowering to the floor. So, the great ZIM can be humbled. What a wonderful thought…He snorted at his own blatant sarcasm; he really shouldn’t be thinking like that right now. Assured that the Invader had been reproached, he hastened his pace. Within seconds he was uncurled and he quickly sat up. Folding his legs beneath him, he scrutinized the damage he’d been dealt. One of his arms had a thin gash, scarlet blood oozing free. He scowled at it; he hadn’t had a chance to bathe in weeks and getting coated in more dried blood wouldn’t help with his cleanliness. He grimaced in distaste and drew it in for closer inspection. He peered down at the injury, which stained the dark fabric a deeper black. He shrugged, lowering his forearm back down to join the other, neatly folding his hands into his lap. He dropped his head down, black locks hanging in disarray. He closed his eyes, too tired to bother with any formalities. It didn’t matter what they were discussing or what would happen to him. Nothing mattered anymore. Images sheered across his mind, numbing and malicious. Shielded eyes staring at him in disappointment and disdain. “My poor insane son.” Raucous, grating laughter behind his turned back; empty, soulless orbs mocking his determination, his daring. Gaz, before the oncoming ending, the upcoming blazing holocaust; amber like his own, steely, piercing into his heart. Cold, abrupt dismissal. “Whatever. Just stop talking.” And last, always last, Zim. Scornful ruby burning down at him, smug sneer showing serrated teeth. “I win, Dib-fool. I win.” His own gaze, wide in anger, shock, betrayal, pain, every negative thing he had ever felt, blindly seeing nothing and everything at once. Smirking, eyes crazed, whispering to the Irken, blood dribbling down to the lifeless earth. Watching, in satisfaction, as rubies widened in surprise, in bewildered fear.
He blinked at the final memory, amber eyes glinting in fiendish recollection. Lithe shoulders shook in mirth, mouth curved into a wordless smirk. Zim had been so stunned at the declaration, so distressed, that he’d almost allowed Dib a chance at an early vengeance. But, at the last moment, he had realized his mistake and rendered the teenager unconscious. Still, it was immensely gratifying to have made the Irken afraid. As his amusement grew, his laughter ceased to be silent. The sound bubbled up his throat, spewing from his mouth in the form of a corrupted deranged voice. He cackled in black-hearted glee, the last bit of his rationality futilely remembering how demented a show the action was. He mentally shrugged. He had nothing to lose, so what did it matter if the Irkens thought he was crazy? At this point, he actually was. That set him off again, though now it had receded down to sinister snickers. He chuckled to himself, shaking his head at his behavior. Well, I bet some of them are wondering what the hell just happened. Hn, if only they knew. When he was finally quiet, he curiously glanced about the room. In his mind, he started to crow in laughter again, the expressions of disbelief and confusion around him too amusing to ignore. On the outside, he merely smiled, knowing already that it looked psychotic. The grin grew as one of the surrounding technicians unconsciously recoiled from his presence. Shaking his head again, he relaxed his body and reclined as far back as he could. All he had left to do was sit back and watch as everything unraveled.
Purple stared uneasily at the human, unnerved by its recent display of instability. Despite himself, he couldn’t tear his attention away from it, violet eyes firmly fixed onto its every movement. A distant piece of him noted that no one else seemed capable of looking away either. He was startled when one of the serving drones hastily skittered away from the captive, having only been at a few feet’s distance. The resulting noise broke the tension and eyes nervously glanced about the room. No one was keen on getting caught staring at the human. Purple sighed in baffled relief, cautiously keeping his gaze focused on one of the Massive’s many viewing windows. If he had chanced a glance to his right, he would have seen Red looking intently at the captive. That wasn’t the case, so he was not aware of the other’s mounting interest. He kept his thoughts turned inward, subconsciously afraid that he would fall into the spell of before, that he would watch the prisoner with a lost, unknown passion. He blinked at his own musings. Where did that come from? This human is too weird. He smiled to himself, even if the comment did nothing to placate his discomfort. He finally glanced at Red, getting a slight nod in response. Almost silently, a nearby guard, her cherry eyes stormy, nodded in return and gave an inconspicuous gesture to those around her. Crimson locked with violet, the two Tallest watching with eager apprehension as the band of guards approached Zim and his captive.
Ruby eyes glazed, Zim had been reduced to sorting through his own memories. Still, his antennae twitched, alerting him of a misplaced movement. Thin body tensed, he waited for the source of the displacement to reveal itself. In spite of his preparation, he gave a light, startled jump as guards surrounded the Dib. Scowling, he turned incredulously to face his Tallest. “My Tallest, why have the guards contained the human? I mean, of course, since I have conquered him, he is no longer a threat. Well, not a great one at least. Dib-dirt has always been good at discarding expectations.” The attention of everyone present was drawn to him, gazes of varying hues staring in astonished contempt. His voice had further broken the stupor of before and now things were almost back to normal, which meant that everyone was waiting in hushed anticipation to see the Invader brought to his knees. It didn’t matter how; they simply wanted to see Zim as all his walls were brought down, see his devastation as he realized how much they all despised his very existence. From the way things were progressing, they were guaranteed a very interesting performance.
Red, to his credit, took a second to seem that he was actually considering Zim’s words. In reality, he was using the pause to stifle his amusement; if he laughed, Zim, despite all odds, might find something amiss. To prevent his humor from being released, he bit his tongue. The lithe muscle tingled in discomfort, as he had accidentally bitten harder than he had intended. As the Invader gazed at him in expectant admiration, he had to bite the insides of his cheeks as well. He knew that his expression had to be a dead give away, but Zim’s thick-headedness halted revelation. Cackling within the confines of his mind, he finally managed to smooth out the hilarious tension that had consumed his face. Eyes pointedly blank, he eventually attempted to speak. “Uh, Zim, he needs to be…decontaminated. You know, to make sure that he has no…germs or diseases or anything.” He glanced at Purple and, at the sight of the other staring at him, gave a sharp nod. Violet eyes blinked at him, befuddlement glimmering in their depths. He, discreetly, gestured with one of his fingers, pointing at Zim. Violet lit with comprehension, Purple coughing to hide his prior confusion.
“Yeah, Zim. It’s probably covered in all kinds of germy things and we really can’t have it wondering around the Massive. Surely you understand.” The Invader had flinched at the mention of germs. He hadn’t forgotten his earlier terror of them, having permanently added neatness into his normal routine.
“Yes, My Tallest. I understand your caution completely. The Dib must be thoroughly cleansed before being honored with the…honor of being in your presence.”
“Um, isn’t it already in our presence?” Ruby eyes widened in shock, Zim moving to stand protectively in front of his Tallest. Giving the human an exaggerated look of disgust, he wheeled around to address the guards that still circled around Dib.
“You fools! How could you let this gross human stand so long before the Tallest? Take him out of here now!” The leader grumbled, curved antennae flattening aggressively to her skull. She hissed quietly under her breath, begrudgingly moving to follow Zim’s command. Only the fact that he was going to get what was coming to him kept her from voicing complaint.
From the moment he’d been flanked by the Irken sentries, Dib had been remarkably placid. One of them, a male with clover eyes, met his gaze and he winked childishly in response. Evergreen orbs had rolled in revulsion, the guard pulling back to a further position. He’d grinned to himself, greatly enjoying the commotion he was causing. As Zim violently degraded him and basically sucked up to the Tallest, he rolled his own eyes in repugnance. His enemy would never change, it seemed. He saw the leader glaring, cherry eyes seething. A part of him hoped that she would channel that anger and attack. However as she and the other neared him, that part was sorely disappointed. Here I was hoping that I would get to see some bloodshed. Too bad, I guess. Two of them stood to his right and two more joined on the left. The commander herself took the front. It was nearly comical, watching as the diminutive Irkens forced him to his feet and to follow their movements. He towered above them, gloved fingers pulling him up and forward by the cuffs digging into the flesh of his wrists. He obeyed the silent orders easily enough, marching in the center of the group as they started towards a nearby exit. As he passed by Zim, he couldn’t resist a sudden impulse that had risen. Besides, when he had been laid this low, what was the point of restraint? “Hey, Zim!” At the unexpected sound of his voice, everyone jumped. He smirked to himself in delight. Rubies stared at him in veiled alarm, not eager to see what he had to say. Purposely, he toned his words to make sure that the Invader got what he meant. As ruby eyes widened in wrathful surprise, he knew that he’d gotten his intent across. Immensely pleased, he turned to regard the Purple Tallest as he left. As he had expected; violet orbs were watching him with incomprehension, most likely due to not understanding what he’d said, and thinly concealed interest. Vaguely, he pondered using that curiosity to his advantage. It could pay well to have one of the leaders, even if a little bit, under his control.
Crimson observed Zim as the Invader started to tremble, in either rage or fear he could only guess. In either case, the exchange between the prisoner and the defect had been entertaining, if only briefly. Mouth curling into a smug grin, he watched as more, previously hidden, guards approached Zim from behind. He would never see the danger in time. He saw that Purple craved seeing the defect’s downfall as much as he was. As cheer bloomed warmly in his chest, the first of the guards had reached Zim. Rubies widened in baffled shock as weapons were aimed dangerously close to his body. He immediately looked at his Tallest for answers, blinking in concern when he was only met with gazes filled with cruel condescension. Now, no longer worried about Zim’s reaction, the two burst into peals of mocking laughter. Others soon joined them, only the ones containing the Invader remaining stoic. Tears glistening in his eyes from the force of his humor, Purple bent over double, clutching desperately at his waist. Red, barely any better, waved towards Zim. Breathlessly, he opened his mouth to issue an order. “Ha…take ha…take him away. Put him in a cell or something.” They saluted in obedience, grinning in crooked pleasure as they forcibly ejected him from the Massive’s control room. As he was walked by the leaders, his expression eerily similar to Dib’s from a long while ago, he mouthed one word. The feeling of it rolling off his tongue was violating, the utterance of it leaving him with the impression of a tainted flavor. Though it was quiet, easily overwhelmed by other noises, Purple heard it anyway. His antennae twitched, head cocked to the side. It was the same thing the human had said to Zim.
“Judas.”
End Part I
Notes:
1. ‘Zarschglig’- Made up gibberish. Its my made up Irken phrase that basically means bastard.
2. . ‘Jasai wanabe’-More gibberish. Means understood, Taller.
Part II
The small Irken vessel slowly approached the floating platform. Stopping mid-air, it drifted downwards in landing. There was a light noise at impact, then dense silence. There was a hiss of displaced air as the sleek sides slid open upwards. A small figure jumped from the ship, hitting the ground in a crouch. It rose to its feet, dusting off its hand in the progress. It cautiously walked forward, movements calculated and tense. As it made its way towards the institution anchored by the platform, sounds floated to it on the air. It came to a halt, curved antennae quirked in interest. Shrugging, the Irken continued on her quest.
Her footsteps echoed in the silence, magnified by the odd lack of sound around her. Irrationally nervous, she hastened her pace. In seconds, the building loomed before her, giving no indication of what may be lurking within. Rolling rose-hued eyes at her own cowardice, she marched to the door. She stilled at the familiar sound of a weapon being drawn. “Who are you?” She blinked at the voice, internally wincing at the butchered Irken. Obviously, the speaker had no idea of how the language was to be spoken. “Who are you?” it repeated in gravelly impatience. Sighing, she spread her hands before her chest, displaying that she held no weapons.
“I am Kita,” she admitted in reluctant aggravation. She gazed to her right, deciding she wanted to see her interrogator. Kita was shocked into silence. A Taranian stood there, laser aimed and ready. The leopard-like creature towered above her, standing bipedal on its hindquarters. She quickly reevaluated that thought. He, the voice hinted at masculinity, stared evenly down at her with tawny blue-grey eyes. The slitted, predatory gaze made her insides shudder. He smirked at her discomfort, fangs shining in plain sight. Shaking herself of her shock, Kita glared. Her gaze wavered when the only response was a twitch of a triangular ear and the swaying a long, black tail. The Taranian yawned, blatantly showing nonchalance. “I’m here to meet with Araya.” That provoked a reaction. Blue-grey narrowed in suspicion, the black tail flicking in a quick motion. She was smug now, confidence restored by his surprise. That was shattered when he snorted, gesturing for her to come forward. Her own eyes narrowing, she warily stepped towards him. He rolled his eyes and gestured once more. A few more steps and she stood a few inches in front of him. He gave her a look that she couldn’t place before turning around and banging on metal with his laser.
As they waited for something to happen, the reason for her being here flashed through her mind. She stood before her Tallest, anxiously, angrily, reminded of her inadequate height. The only thing she hated about these meetings was how inferior they made her feel. Crimson regarded her with unveiled superiority, Red reveling in the power her tension created for him. Purple looked a bit uncomfortable, gazing longingly at a bag of donuts sitting nearby. His co-ruler sighed, picking the bag of sugary delights up and handing to his partner. Violet eyes lit up, fingers eagerly digging in to draw out the treats. Immediately, Purple’s mouth was filled halfway with chewed donut. She politely kept her disgust to herself; if it was shown, the consequences could be dire. Of course, she could be exaggerating to herself. She discarded the thoughts to the back of her mind, eventually working up the courage to speak. “My Tallest, what did you call me for?” Both sets of eyes, crimson and violet, snapped onto her. She almost regretted having spoken.
She was considered for a moment, her body unnaturally tense. Finally, the silence was broken. “Well, I’m sure you know about Zim’s ‘success’.” She flinched at the mention of the defective Invader; yes, Zim had conquered the planet he’d been set to, even if the mission had been false. And, when he had returned, naively triumphant, he had been imprisoned. He would, once the Massive returned to Irk, be put on trial. Everyone was painfully waiting for the occasion to arise. That had been where all the focus was. No one had expected the conquered humans to launch resistance attacks against the soldiers reluctantly stationed on Earth. There had been quick orders given to retaliate, the soldiers gleefully eager to exterminate the humans. There been shocked bewilderment when the rebels evaded detection, their members safely hidden. Things were thrown into more discord when the suicidal people took the forefront. No matter how hard the Irkens fought, more humans emerged and destroyed themselves, taking precious Irken personnel with them. The impassioned efforts of the Earthlings were impossible to fathom and the only human specimen they had on hand, having been provided, ironically, by Zim when he’d returned, was too insane to provide any valuable insight. Unless, of course, its entire race was as unstable as it was. That wasn’t a pleasant thought. Neither was the fact that it was obvious the humans were gaining an advantage. How could inferior, disgusting aliens, gain an upper hand against the great might of the Irken Armada? No one seemed to know, herself included. Still, she did know about Zim so she nodded.
Expression skillfully blank, she calmly waited for her Tallest to expand on the subject. She was rewarded as, with a weary, entirely false, sigh, Red continued. “Well, then you must also know about the stupid attempts the humans have made to undermine Irken authority. Really, Earth isn’t of any interest to us. I mean, is there anything worthwhile on the planet? No, there isn’t. But, we can’t allow the Earth things to keep fighting. It may give others equally stupid ideas. And I don’t think anybody wants to deal with more situations like the one we’re currently in.” She silently agreed, nodding her head once more. She repeated the same process as before, sitting still and waiting for Red to finish. When it became clear he wasn’t going to speak anymore, she mentally grumbled to herself.
“What, exactly, does it have to do with me?” She knew she had asked the right question as crimson eyes darkened in barely suppressed humor. Her Tallest was amused.
“Considering your background, and your position, you are a key candidate for a rather…unusual mission.” She internally seethed at the veiled insult; if she had been a lesser Irken, she would have verbally returned the barb. As she wasn’t, she have to be damaged to even think of trying such a thing, she simply kept her own thoughts to herself.
“What kind of mission?” During the course of the conversation, Purple had mostly been immersed with devouring his donuts. However, when she asked that question, violet eyes quickly shifted onto her. She was slightly startled at the action; usually, when she was called before the Tallest, Red was the only one who was truly interested. This time, though, it seemed that Purple was also in on what was going on. So that meant this mission really was unique. Now she was rather intrigued with what it could be. Though that didn’t mean she would like it. She almost always didn’t.
Grinning smugly, Red waved thin fingers in the direction of a monitor located behind him. Soon after, the screen was illuminated, text flowing across its surface. Kita stared curiously at the words, leaning forward to get a better look. Rose eyes widened briefly, and then were speedily narrowed. As soon as she was sure she understood what the text was speaking of, she turned to address her Tallest, hoping for denial. “So, you want me to…what, form a psychological profile of a general human? We don’t have enough information for that, I’m afraid.” Crimson orbs closed in genuine weariness, while violet gazed at her intently.
“No, that’s not what we need you to do. The mission would be to find out how the human mind primarily runs and to create a strategy that would give us a way to completely defeat the humans. Even smeets know that an enemy’s weakness should be used against it. It’s too bad that, in this case, we don’t know what that weakness is. You yourself said it; with our only sources Zim and some crazy maniac, we have no way of getting knowledge we can use.” She had to concede to his point; their sources, even if they had once been able to give beneficial intelligence, would have refused; Zim out of dejection and the human, probably, out of anger or fury. Grudgingly, she grasped the importance of this job. Still, that didn’t mean she would enjoy doing it.
“ Fine, I’ll do it. But why me?” Red glanced at Purple then turned back to her again, serrated teeth set in a cheerful smile.
“Because you’re a mechanic. People will let what they see as inferiors overhear things they would normally safe guard. Besides, you are always so enthusiastic about pleasing us. We finally decided to give you a chance to maybe gain a promotion.” She had scowled to herself, saluting respectfully as she marched from the room.
She had spent nearly two weeks pilfering through the records that were available on humans. She hadn’t found much. All that was really mentioned were the horrors of the acidic substances on Earth and the beasts’ immunities to most of them. It hadn’t been too useful. Hesitant, she eventually steeled herself and went to a direct source: the human prisoner. She found out for herself that it was indeed very insane. It often refused to answer questions or would give responses that they had no way of interpreting. The only thing it showed an interest in was the proceedings with Zim. It was chillingly obsessed with how the preparations for execution were going or how badly the Invader was coping. After only three sessions, she stopped her visits. It wasn’t worth the discomfort. And it was evident that, no matter what was done, the captive would not willingly cooperate. So she had turned to another revenue; gossip and rumors. After a while, she heard about an Irken deserter who had abandoned his duty sometime during Tallest Miyuki’s reign. The word was that he had actually been on Earth, scouting the planet for possible military use. He never reported back to his superiors. More digging dredged up a name: Araya. She tracked him down until she was led to the platform she now stood on, impatiently waiting for the result of the Taranian’s banging.
Finally…she thought as the metal door swung open, a stoic waiter holding it in place. Her guide bared his fangs in annoyance at having been kept waiting, blue-grey swirling into a stormy slate. The employee’s expression remained impassive as he permitted them entry. Kita followed the sentry into the building, hissing at the assault of blaring sound. The guide smiled mockingly, though his own eyes were half-closed. He roughly shook his head, metallic collar glinting in the light. At the sight of shimmering green, anxiety took hold of her chest. She knew what the collar symbolized; the thing she was following was more dangerous than she had given him credit for. Swallowing her fears, she trailed after him as he delved deeper into the room. She avoided contact with the other patrons, disconcerted by all the unfamiliar species. She saw boar-like creatures gathered in a corner, their broad shoulders touching as they huddled together. There was a tall figure hidden amongst the shadows, the only thing distinguishable being its jackal like head. A relatively normal group sat around a table, orange eyes clashing with their lavender skin. Every time she met someone’s gaze, she was met with looks of heated hate or simmering anger. She wasn’t given an iota of welcome. Her Irken pride demanded that she stand tall and resist submission. Rose eyes glittering with hostility, she dared anyone there to do more than stare. Her challenge went unanswered.
The atmosphere was eerily flat, oddly similar to what the weather was like on Zirus Minor, right before the deadly torrential downfall. The air would be still, the humidity would abruptly drop, as the skies tore open and the extremely rare rain fell to the surface. She recognized the growing threat of harm and quietly let the challenge die in her eyes. She silently followed after the creature before her, carefully deterring any possible cause for confrontation. Dimly, she was aware of the scraping noise his claws made as they were brought across the floor and the rustle of his clothes was strangely loud. She scowled to herself when she noticed where her attention had strayed to; an attack could come from anywhere, so she shouldn’t be so focused on what was in plain sight. Clawed fingers clenched in the protective material of her gloves, testament to the anger she was aiming inward.
The Taranian’s ear twitched, his head cocked forward. He stilled and turned to face her, a falsely benevolent smile overtaking his face. She raised an antenna in question, keeping her curiosity to herself. He made a sweeping gesture with his arms, pointing to the nearby bar. He gave a mock bow, sharp incisors bared in a contentious grin. “Araya is over there, Slatza.” Kita blinked at the last term, cursing herself for never having bothered to learn the language of Tariana. She cautiously passed by him, making her way through an empty space in the crowd. She reached the bar with little trouble, though the guard kept close behind her, his bitter stare burning into her back. She ignored it, opting to search for her contact. She spotted him at a table littered with emptied glasses, the beverages having long been ingested. She quickly stalked over to him, eager to finish her business. He was leaned forward, gaze lowered on to the half-full glass in his raised hand. Hazy aqua glanced up at her approach, but quickly diverted to the presence at her back. Araya smirked, antennae lifting, as he waved his drink at the guard. The Taranian returned the motion, taloned finger wiggling in acknowledgement.
Kita, aggravated by the ignorance of her person, marched forward. Araya, being the veteran that he was, turned his gaze to his fellow Irken. Amused by what met his eyes, he smiled manically. “Jiera, why don’t you treat yourself to something?” Jiera cast him a reproachful look, before going off towards a back room. Now alone, Araya turned serious. At least, he appeared to. “Well, Kita, what urgent matters have you come to inquire about?” He watched as roses withdrew into themselves, Kita distancing herself from the discussion. Well, that’s certainly interesting.
“I’ve heard that you’ve been among the humans. I need your expertise.” It had taken her awhile to phrase her question, pushing her intrigue about his desertion to the back of her mind.
A short antenna quirked above his head, as aqua reflected a conflicted wonder. She glared at his expression. “You know that their futile resistance groups are causing problems. It was decided that knowing more about the nuisance will make them easier to deal with.” He silently laughed, lithe shoulder shaking in mirth. She peered uneasily at him, unwontedly reminded of her experience with the human. Strengthening her resolve, she slammed a fist down onto her table. The loud smacking sound stopped his chortling, along with many of the conversation being conducted around them. A little too late she was reminded of the advice that surprising insane individuals was not a good idea. Casting the thought away, she continued on. “What is it that you find so entertaining?” Araya, still sneaking snickers, waved a finger at her, scolding her for being impatient. She hissed, not fond of being treated like a smeet.
“The idea of conquering the human race is ludicrous. All the soldiers battling on Earth should be called back to the Armada.” She gaped at him, appalled at the gall he had to insult an Irken campaign. “The humans will not submit. They would sooner destroy themselves than be enslaved. Besides, they wouldn’t contribute anything worthwhile.” She shook her head, unable to follow his logic. “You really don’t’ know anything about the human psyche, do you? Well, no reason the conquest was a failure.” She growled, eyes darkening to a near blood red. He just chucked scornfully, sea green deepening to almost clover in his humor. “Humans are most likely the most conflicted, complicated beings in the universe. They make absolutely no sense.” He grimaced in fond confusion. “I’ve never seen a race so inclined to destroy yet bound to show mercy. As I said, complete madness.” At the end of his speech, his tone had altered. He seemed to be talking more to himself than to her. He grinned at nothing in particular, shaking his head in bewildered dismay. “So, what is it that you wanted to know, exactly?” She tensed, unable to phrase her question due to her present confusion. He smirked in taunting.
This shouldn’t be so difficult. I shouldn’t even have to do this in the first place. She sighed in contrition, her thoughts too jumbled to be ordered in any recognizable pattern. Gritting her teeth, she seized upon the first thing that came to mind. “What does Slatza mean? Jiera called me that and I desire to know its meaning.” Araya subjected her to a blank stare. Than, with a sadistic curve of his lips, motioned for her to come closer.
“It’s a Taranian term, as I can guess you’ve figured out. As for what it means, well, that’s more complicated.” His fingers flexed, clenching lightly then recoiling gently. Suddenly, slender appendages wrapped around her antennae, firm but not to the brink of pain. Eyes widened in fright, her body stilled. He ignored the reaction and twined his fingers round the sensitive stalks in his grasp. Grinning ruefully, he quickly tugged viciously on what he held. Kita bit her lip to keep from crying out, hands reaching up to claw at her captor. He immediately withdrew, gaze unconcerned. She caressed the abused antennae, growling and glaring steadily in his direction. Infuriated, she went to lunge at him. A heavy hand on her shoulder stopped her, talons gripping the flesh. She fiercely struck out, a fist hitting the captor. Her triumph was short lived as she was hit across the temple, the blow hard and uncompromising. A hold on her antennae prevented retaliation. She writhed against the grip, eyes now a frothy crimson. Jiera simply shrugged, and then suddenly slammed a palm into her pak’s connectors. She yelled, instantly freezing in place.
Familiar blue-grey cutting into her. The intended effect was slightly spoiled by the presence of violet blood running from a thin scratch. “Well, Slatza, you are a handful.” She hissed in response, antennae flattening. Araya laughed at it all, thrilled by the commotion.
“Kita, Slatza is Taranian for slave master. Jiera was accusing you of being a slave driver.” He watched her reaction, pleased at the emergence of disgust. Good. At least she knows how to be disgusted. “The whole fiasco you two went through should tell you all you need to know about humans.” She stared at him, wrathful both by his casual words and the implication that she had learned anything.
“How does this tell me anything?!” Aqua unexpectedly turned deathly somber, the veteran looking even older than his years. He leaned towards her over the table, clawed hands resting between them. He was so close she could feel his breath, cold and thick.
“When I hurt you, what was your immediate response? What did you feel? How did you act?” His voice was rough and commanding. He would take nothing less than her full cooperation. “You were angry, weren’t you? You wanted to lash out, to cause me pain for having harmed you. It is a basic action. A human action.” She blinked in incomprehension. “The more you hurt the humans, the harder they will fight. For every injury, they will attempt vengeance. A popular saying is ‘an eye for an eye’. You won’t defeat them. They keep at it until there’s either nothing or close to it. Nothing good can come form involvement with humanity. I learned that myself.” With that, he turned away, walking to an exit. Jiera followed after, leaving Kita alone.
Tak stared wide-eyed at the sight before her, plum eyes reflecting the light of the stars. After years of drifting through space and evading Irken scout ships, she had finally gotten back to Earth. She anticipated fighting Zim again for his mission, optimistically feeling that her victory was assured. She had not ever expected to see what lay before her. There were no words that could adequately describe the horrid devastation. Even from Earth’s orbit, she could see that once blue skies were now a desolate ash grey. Still in stunned shock, she skillfully typed a series of commands into the ship’s computer. Milliseconds later text sprang up, detailing the situation below her. As she read news of Zim’s success, she started to mentally scream. How could that defect of an Invader succeed where she had failed? How had Dib allowed it? Blinded by rage, she slammed a fist into the keys nearest to her. There was a shrill beeping sound as the vessel plummeted through the planet’s atmosphere. Pushed back into her seat, she stressed her body by futilely reaching for the controls. She started shrieking, as the hull was set ablaze. The alarms grew more shrill and more piercing. As a tree line came into view and she felt the crush of impact, her world dispersed into black.
She groaned as she awoke, the remnants of the surge from her pack continuing to run through her system. As she tried to move, she hissed at the unpleasant heat coming from her muscles. Gritting her teeth, she attempted it again. She was chilled when she realized more than discomfort was preventing her movement; she was bound, her arms uncomfortably chafed to her sides. Eyes darkening in anger, she growled as the spider legs emerged from her pak, slicing through her bindings. As the fabric fell to the cold floor, she examined herself for wounds. Finding only minor bruises, she smiled crookedly in relief. She quickly stood, the sound of her motion echoing in the cell. She glanced about the room, eyes narrowed in analytical focus. She smirked as she spotted the door. It’s apparent that my captors have no idea of whom they are trying to contain. She approached the door, a slot opening in her pak to eject a laser-like weapon. Her eyes were fiendish as she burned through the obstruction in her path.
He was patrolling the hall when he heard the hissing of burnt steel. Instantly on alert, he stalked stealthily to the prisoner’s cell. He hid in the darker corners as a portion of the door was kicked out, a small booted foot protruding from the room’s confines. Swallowing his fear, he cocked his weapon, horribly aware of how primitive the technology was compared to that of the Irkens. Shaking, he brushed his green bangs from his face. He needed to see, even though it would do little to aid him. As the Irken emerged into the hall, he slunk further into his hiding spot. He watched as she skulked down to his left, feet from him. Icy sweat broke out on his skin, the gun slipping through his fingers. As she marched towards where the rest of his fellow rebels slept, he shuddered and exposed himself. Cursing his stupidity, he shouted. “Hey!”
As she stood in the corridor, she confidently surveyed her surroundings. She noticed from the length of the shadows that she had to be somewhat underground. She shrugged; no matter what, she was leaving. As she chose a random direction and set off, she heard a scuffling behind her. Antennae pricked towards the source, she reached to her back to gain another laser gun. As she was immersed in the echo of footsteps, she wheeled around, weapon at the ready. She blinked in baffled amusement at what greeted her. Not three yards away was a lanky teenage human, green hair sprung in disarray. His face was filthy, covered in dirt and grime. He was unhealthily pale and thin, his clothes hanging from his form in ratty tatters. She smiled evilly as she picked up his accelerated heartbeat, his fear a balm that soothed her nerves. Grinning, she positioned her finger on the trigger. She had a glimpse of frightened hazel eyes before there was a loud blast sounding around them. Having expected a beam of light, and seeing none, she stood in confusion. Too late she remembered the humans weapon of choice: guns. The condensed lead hit her arm, knocking the laser fro her grasp. Hissing in pained rage, she pulled the injured limb to her chest, dark green blood staining her uniform.
He stared at the Irken, eyes wide and startled. His gun, hanging in limp fingers, fell to the ground, leaving a low thud to its descent. As soon as he realized his enemy was disarmed and his gun was on the ground, he quickly scrambled to retrieve it. As he bent down, he was unaware that Tak was cursing herself, spider legs emerging again to better support her form. As she sped towards him on the artificial limbs, he remained unknowing. As a tip was prepared to pierce his back, she was knocked to the floor with an unseen force. He heard the crashing noise, gaze snapping to his right. He paled further at the sight of his leader standing in a doorway not far away, emotionless amber freezing his spine.
Tak grumbled from her sprawled position, retracting the mechanical legs into her pak as she crawled into a kneel. She turned to the boy, intent on finding out what he had done to her. As she noted his terror and the direction of his focus, she circled round to stare at was he was. Plums widened in recognition at the figure reclining in the doorway, amber eyes gazing at her with a predatory gleam. Amethyst strands of hair fell into her white face, ending at the throat of her scarlet shirt. Shaking her shock away, she glared at the sibling of Dib. From appearances, this was the base of the humans’ base of resistance. That didn’t explain why Gaz was there though, or why she exuded an air of authority. Grunting, she pushed herself into standing, her arm protesting the movement. “Gaz-human, what is this?” She winced at the sound of her voice, unprepared for its raspy quality.
The boy stared between the two females, hazel expressing his confusion. “Boss, you know this thing?” He withdrew into himself when Gaz wheeled to him, amber glinting with something he couldn’t decipher. She glared at him, the shadows around her deepening. He squeaked, skittering to the wall, falling down to his knees. He was still quaking when she turned to face Tak, leaving his inquiry unanswered.
“Tak. It has been a long time. Get up and over here.”
At the human girl’s order, plums lightened to magenta, Tak inhumanly enraged. How dare a human think to control her? She growled, curved antennae lowering to press against her skull. She bared her teeth, displaying them for intimidation. The boy whimpered louder, trying to slither even further away. Gaz merely raised an eyebrow, something slithering from the shadows and towards the Irken. Tak tried to move but was too slow, something thick and black lifting her into the air, pinning her arms once more to her sides. She flinched as her injury was jarred. Forest green excitedly spread its stain, covering more of her shirt. She hissed again and struggled against the hold. It didn’t budge. She writhed harder as she was pulled through the air to hover above Gaz.
She smirked at the figure struggling before her, amber eyes like glass. A yelp behind her prompted her to turn, and she rolled her eyes at the sight of her cowering subordinate. “Tye, go back with the others. There isn’t anything to worry about. This Irken won’t have anyone coming for her. Right, Tak?” The boy glanced at her uncertainly but a look of fury was enough to send him running. He slid into the room, shutting the door in his wake. Once silence reigned, Gaz turned back to her captive. Smirking cheerfully to herself, she tilted her head in mock observation of the alien suspended in mid-air. Tak snarled at her, eyes crazed with confusion, fear, and sheer anger. She doesn’t know that the angrier she gets, the darker her eyes grow. She watched as plum eyes glimmered, the wrath behind them tinting them like an overripe, rotten fruit. Her grin grew at the analogy; Tak was like a rotten fruit, her bitterness poisoning her prior sweetness. Tak’s eyes showed her erosion, while her own eyes acted like mirrors; they reflected the viewer’s own feeling back at them, offering no glimpse to what lay beneath. Idly, she wondered which seemed worse. Now, what is the last thing she expects me to do? As the idea came to her, she couldn’t stop the dark glee from consuming her expression. She was glad when it only served to add to Tak’s apprehension. Crooking a finger, the shady mass reached down to her. Smirking in sinful pleasure, she placed her hands on Tak’s face. As she saw the resulting revulsion the touch incited, she pulled the Irken closer, her breath fanning the other’s cheeks. With a final smirk, she kissed Tak. The Irken’s eyes widened in horror, then glazed. Soon, Tak was unconscious again.
He gazed dully at the ceiling, his bare arms lying behind his head. Yawning in boredom, he closed his eyes and relaxed against the unrelenting lab table. After he had been so graciously removed from the Tallest’ presence, the guards had placed him here, finding the lab a suitable location to cleanse him. He’d been thoroughly scrubbed, poked, and prodded, his clothes stolen and replaced with Irken clothing. He, despite his depth of insanity, refused to wear a pink shirt so had resorted to just wearing the black pants, wandering around the room shirtless. A bonus was that it further unsettled the Irkens who came to visit him. Sighing, he opened his eyes, amber glaring blearily at the wall, as if it was its fault he had nothing to do. Muttering, he sat up, dangling his legs over the makeshift bed’s side. He warily ran a hand through his hair, the fingers catching on a few random tangles. He winced but forced his way through them, eventually putting his hand back into his lap. He glanced up at the familiar sound of the door sliding open.
The guard stood lazily in the doorway, emerald eyes roving slowly through the room. As he caught sight of the figure sitting on the medical table, he cheekily waved, his eyes the only indication of his discomfort. Dib creeped him out way too much. Harai grinned uneasily grinned, walking as close as the restraining lasers would allow. He started to speak, grimacing at the feel of the feeling of the human language on his tongue. “The Tallest are coming to see you. Just, thought, I don’t know. You should be respectful or something.” He scowled when the other gave him a falsely innocent smile, amber glinting in mirth. He shrugged; the human was impossible to deal with.
Dib smirked when Harai left, getting up to move over to where his little used shirt was laid. Giving in to a foolish impulse, he tugged the fabric over his head, the shirt settling over his form. Just as he had finished ‘dressing’ he heard the door opening again. This time, though, there was a subtle difference. The laser field keeping him separate from his visitors was disabled. He blinked in confusion, pondering why someone would turn it off. He shrugged; wasn’t his problem. He walked to the ‘bed’, sitting cross-legged, bare feet set beneath his legs. He leaned across the wall, the coldness of the meal ship wall seeping into his skin.
Purple floated by the guard, who saluted as he passed. He ignored him, hovering into the human’s room. He glanced about the room, curiously taking in the way things were scattered about. Discarded path were littered across the floor and a few folded shirts were neatly placed on a piece of clean desk. There were scraps of soap and snacks stacked in a trash pile, near the door so that a guard could collect them later. He swiftly focused on the object of his attention. Since the first time he had seen the human at Zim’s feet, he’d been interested in finding out how it functioned. Nearly a month had passed and all he knew was that it was called Dib and that it was crazy. He’d gotten fed up, both with the lack of progress and his growing obsession, and decided to go to the human himself. So here he was, staring at the creature sitting on an autopsy table, clothed in Irken military uniform, the material odd against its pale flesh. The human was gazing back at him, its strange amber orbs sheering thorough the glass covering them. He shivered at the glare, both freezing and burning in its intensity. He shook himself, drifting further into the once lab. Once he was a safe distance from the prisoner, he stilled. Violet clashed with amber, Dib waiting for the Tallest to yield. He got what he wanted when Purple finally had to break away to speak.
“Do you know anything that can help us deal with Earth?” No answer.
“How did Zim defeat you?” Dib blinked. That was new. Everybody else had spent all their time asking about Earth, never about himself or Zim. I wonder what made him want to ask that.
“Are you going to do anything?” Purple’s voice had risen in frustration, his urge to understand Dib only getting more intense with his one-sided discussion.
Dib smirked, a devilish idea going through him mind. Well, he had complained about being bored. Grinning insanely, he got to his feet, walking over to where the Tallest was floating. Violet eyes stared at him in slight fear, glancing once to see what Harai was doing. Smiling with reckless abandon, he did a multitude of things in the space of seconds: first, he grabbed Purple’s neck and pulled him down to his level. Second, he grasped his antennae and forced him into a brutal kiss. As the mouth under his opened in surprise, his tongue slipped in, running along the lithe, long one occupying the other’s mouth. Sure that Purple was adequately disturbed, he pulled away, licking his lips. The Irken was staring at wide-eyed at him, violet eyes lightened to a blue-violet in numbing terror.
“Wha…Why?” Violet eyes stared in shocked disbelief, Purple’s fingers rising to his lips in poorly concealed horror. A glare across glass shielding his eyes from view, he smirked.
“Because you wanted me to.” Overwhelmed, the Tallest floated from the room, Harai staring after him in shock, emerald eyes wide and mouth gaping. Purple ignored him again, drifting off until he was alone. Slender fingers rubbing at his temples, he leaned heavily against one of the surrounding walls.
“What just happened?”
End Part II
Name: Magnetic Atrocity
Author: death_fairy01
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action/Drama
Warning: OOCness, original characters, human/nonhuman relationships, random scene jumps, insane Dib
Summary: "Wha...Why?" Violet eyes stared in shocked disbelief, Purple's fingers rising to his lips in poorly concealed horror. A glare across glass shielding his eyes from view, he smirked.
"Because you wanted me to."
Disclaimer: I don’t own Invader Zim. It belongs to Jhonen Vasquez, Nickelodeon, and a bunch of other people. The things I do own are the poem, the plot, and the original characters. Which no one wants.
MAGNETIC ATROCITY
Ruins fall to ash, cries echo in Time,
Shrieking voices fill the void, All in the space of a bell’s chime.
Holy shrines brimming with contempt, the grounds unkempt
Bones in the yard, corpses in the grass, sweet spices unknowing tempt.
Twisted frames littering the streets, dust coating the walls
Blood on the sheets, shadows walking in hollow halls.
Eyes dominating the skies, whispers unheard in louder words
Hearts keeping unbearable silence, questing hands killed by evil swords.
Dark light blinds the dead as It descends, wings large and sweet
It lands with unholy grace, bleeding wings revealed in black sleet.
Crimson rivers drown Its dead eyes and flow in torrid waves,
Chains bind more than Its form, rusted and decayed by unwilling slaves.
Deep amber gazes in maddened remorse, fingers spread to the waste
Lifeless wind and death mocking Its hopeless haste.
Debris scattered across the abyss, no place to hide
It has come at last, It will no longer abide.
Its darkened voice enthralls and spells, telling a twisted rhyme
Words of corruption and spite, telling of an unforgivable crime.
With tainted glee It draws audience, power growing in viscosity
Binding, blinding, brilliantly fierce, It is a Magnetic Atrocity.
Black webs are weaved, the depraved spider fat with spoils
Pawns set on the board, the plot-forgotten boils.
The Queen, with eyes of poisoned plum, meets a kindred spirit
The rook, with Sister amber, joins the Queen, all will come to fear it.
Knight, gaze of bitter ruby, bound in Hate’s cell
Joins the Atrocity in a type of Hell.
The King, with eyes of innocuous violet, enthralled by the Atrocity feels nothing amiss,
Joins in the plot, after all, what is the consequence of a kiss?
With tainted glee It draws audience, power growing in viscosity
Binding, blinding, brilliantly fierce, It is a frightful, evil, cruel, saving, Magnetic Atrocity. -Prologue
Magnetic Atrocity:
Part I
Violet eyes stared in wide-eyed shock at the sight before them. The gaze’s possessor turned to its companion, whose own crimson orbs revealed nothing. Still in disbelieving awe, Tallest Purple continued trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Zim stood proudly before the leaders, face smug and stance positively exuding confidence. The Invader had grown during the years spent on his ‘mission’, and now nearly stood up to the Tallest’ waist. Clawed hands hung loosely at his sides, though they did randomly twitch. Ruby eyes were carefully trained on the Tallest. He steadfastly refused to even glance at the figure crouched at his feet.
Purple swiftly moved his focus onto what was laying at Zim’s feet. Dark hair fell in tangled masses across its lowered face. Shadows obscured most of its facial features. Crimson drops dripped down bound wrists and onto the floor. The wrists themselves were bound by energy cuffs, the bright laser-like force biting deep into the prisoner’s flesh, singing it if it dared to attempt escape. Thick, black and bloodstained rings around the captive’s wrists were testament to the fact that it had indeed been foolish enough to try such a thing. Forcing his gaze further down, the Irken became aware of just how large the creature actually was. Judging by how long its folded legs seemed to be, the prisoner would only be a few inches shorter than him and Red when it was fully standing. By Irk, how had Zim, the laughingstock of their entire race, managed to defeat something so tall? Purple quickly shook the thought from his head. Knowing Zim, and his arrogance, they would know the answer to that soon enough.
Red, for the whole time that his co-ruler had been examining the captive, had remained silent. His crimson gaze had simply followed the path of the fluid that matched it in hue, watching impassively as the drops fell onto and stained the floor. With barely a notable movement, his attention shifted back to the Irken standing before him. He easily noticed how Zim refused, appeared almost afraid, to look at the prisoner. It perked his interest and he shrewdly filed it away to dissect at length later. Eyes and expression professionally neutral, he was the one to finally break the confused silence. “So, Zim, from your presence here, and the thing you have with you, I would be correct in assuming that you have succeeded in your mission, yes?” The Invader jumped to attention at the question, hand immediately rising in salute. Spine rigidly straight, he maintained the epitome of a loyal soldier. Too bad everyone there knew him to be the single most destructive Irken ever to pass the Elite Test. Most still saw it as some kind of freak error.
“Yes, My Tallest, I did have success in my mission.” Here ruby orbs glittered in rabid fervor. They began to glaze with his excitement. “I, ZIM, skillfully and completely doomed the filthy human stink-beasts. It was much fun.” He bared sharp teeth into a mad smile, eyes still glazed and now practically glowing with feeling. “Their screams were especially delicious. And I even managed to capture their stupid leader, the big-headed Dib.” At that he violently gestured to the captive, which was now known as the human Dib. Dib gave no response to the outburst, still facing towards the ground. More blood dribbled to the floor. Zim still hadn’t even glanced at the human. At the lack of a response, his body tensed. Rubies narrowed in trepidation as he finally turned towards the prisoner. Dib still kept silent. Gloved hands clenched into tight, quivering fists. Zim glared fiercely at the human as he raised a fist from his side.
Amber eyes, eerily dull, stared listlessly at booted feet. Abused lenses lay across his face, scratched and covered in thin cracks. Black hair shielded his face, caressing his cheeks and keeping his expression from scrutiny. Not that it would have revealed much. His face was perfectly blank, almost to the point of being apathetic. Despite this lack of obvious emotion, his mind was absolutely alert. Dib calmly took in his surroundings, different scenarios rushing across his consciousness. He didn’t contemplate escape; he had given up on that option long ago. All he wanted now was a chance at getting even. He caught bits of the conversation going on above him, though that did him little good. They were speaking in Irken and he only understood a few specific words and phrases. He recognized the word for what he assumed meant ‘prisoner’ or ‘thing’. Quite a lot of the aliens he had met so far had reverted to referring to him as such. He really didn’t know what to think of that, so he’d given up on trying. Instead, he cynically amused himself by comparing Irken to all the Earth languages he knew. So far, he placed it as an odd combination of German and Japanese, maybe some Chinese thrown in as well. There were words that sounded guttural and rough, like the pronunciation of many German terms. Specifically, a lot of what seemed to be metaphors or slang were gruff. He remembered listening to some of the guards whispering, a harsh 1. ‘Zarschglig’ standing out. He’d stared at them curiously, only to be subjected to a rancid glare. Later, he had experienced another side of the language. It was with another guard; this one conversing with what appeared to be her superior. Her antennae were lowered in submission, indigo orbs focused on the floor. The taller Irken had seemed to chastise her and spoke brutally, words butchered and russet eyes flashing. She hadn’t even flinched and had hesitantly responded with a despondent and somber 2. ‘Jasai wanabe’. The two had finished at that point and gone back to whatever it was that they did normally. That had presented him with a tone of Irken that was less gruff and more lilting and higher pitched.
Throughout his musings, Dib had been aware of a gaze centered on him. He discreetly had found the source and, for the first time in a long while, been surprised. He hadn’t expected to be of interest to one of the Tallest. He had assumed that the Irken leaders would simply dismiss him as being beneath them. Contrary to that thought, he was currently the object of the violet-eyed Tallest’s attention. He didn’t know the names of the Tallest, so he simply referred to them by the color of their eyes. He had no idea that he already basically knew their names because of that. He ignored that gaze as he had everything else. There was no point in wondering about it. It wasn’t like he would ever find anything out, anyway. Instead, he attempted to order his thoughts. If left alone, the stray musings would overflow in chaotic, jumbled strands. They would ricochet off of one another, prompting even more turmoil. So, he focused on preventing that and stopped considering what would happen once everything here was done. In a type of meditation, he almost missed the feeling of the object heading for his head. Unfortunately, he realized the sensation too late and a blow connected to his left temple. He crumpled to the ground, body curling into a defensive ball. He never emitted a whimper or sound of pain as the blows continued to descend upon his prone form.
Zim glared at the human curled in a fetal position, his need for feral violence far from satisfied. Hissing, antennae flattened, he made to strike again. He was halted by a cough from Tallest Red. He turned towards the leader, ruby eyes still ablaze. He was met with amused, and steely, crimson. The two Irkens stared at one another, before rubies obediently broke contact. Triumph flashed within crimson before being repressed. All that was left behind was an image of sardonic pleasure. The Invader scowled at himself. A member of the Irken Elite shouldn’t allow their emotions to override their logic. His anger at the Dib had overcome his reason and made him lash out. He berated himself once more before slowly gaining back his lost control. He misread the flash in the Tallest’s eyes and dismissed it as a miscalculation. There was no possibility that Red found humiliating him entertaining. He was utterly loyal to his Tallest, and such loyalty was always rewarded.
Purple blinked at the transaction between his co-ruler and the defect before them. Shaking his head, he again reframed from asking what something was about. He didn’t particularly want to know what was going on in Zim’s head. More curious than before, violet roved over the body slowly uncurling itself. He watched as limbs carefully retracted from a defensive position, the human gradually exposing itself. After it was finally sure it was safe, it quickly returned to sitting. It crossed its legs at the ankles, black boots folded beneath the long limbs. The bloodied wrists were placed in a similar manner, neatly tucked into its lap. Its head was still bowed, gaze remaining hidden from view. From what he was able to see, the captive was smirking. Purple was a bit, though he wouldn’t admit it, disturbed. He couldn’t find any humor in the situation. So how could a prisoner be sitting there, in the presence of its enemies, and seem bitterly entertained? He didn’t understand it and, for some reason, he wanted to. He peered more closely at the human’s expression. An involuntary shiver passed down his spine at the sight of the cold smile, maniacal and psychotic in strength. The shiver was followed by another as quiet laughter flowed into the room. His antennae flattened in nervous anxiety.
Dib lay curled on the floor, dazed and responding instinctively. His arms were wrapped around his head, shielding his eyes and face. His knees were drawn to his chest, making his form appear smaller and less of a target. He winced as a brutal slap, aimed for his chest, hit one of his arms. The palm struck hard, a loud smacking sound echoing in its wake. Another fist hit a poorly concealed rib, nearly knocking the wind from his lungs. He futilely curled tighter, though he knew it would do him little good. As seconds passed and another blow failed to land, he cautiously peered out from beneath his arms. He could barely make Zim out, standing in front of him, panting and looking murderous. He kept his head half-covered, weary still of being hit again. He watched, with detached interest, as the Red Tallest and Zim seemed to have a stare down. He carefully, gradually, began to unfurl his limbs. He minutely saw Zim back down, rubies dejectedly lowering to the floor. So, the great ZIM can be humbled. What a wonderful thought…He snorted at his own blatant sarcasm; he really shouldn’t be thinking like that right now. Assured that the Invader had been reproached, he hastened his pace. Within seconds he was uncurled and he quickly sat up. Folding his legs beneath him, he scrutinized the damage he’d been dealt. One of his arms had a thin gash, scarlet blood oozing free. He scowled at it; he hadn’t had a chance to bathe in weeks and getting coated in more dried blood wouldn’t help with his cleanliness. He grimaced in distaste and drew it in for closer inspection. He peered down at the injury, which stained the dark fabric a deeper black. He shrugged, lowering his forearm back down to join the other, neatly folding his hands into his lap. He dropped his head down, black locks hanging in disarray. He closed his eyes, too tired to bother with any formalities. It didn’t matter what they were discussing or what would happen to him. Nothing mattered anymore. Images sheered across his mind, numbing and malicious. Shielded eyes staring at him in disappointment and disdain. “My poor insane son.” Raucous, grating laughter behind his turned back; empty, soulless orbs mocking his determination, his daring. Gaz, before the oncoming ending, the upcoming blazing holocaust; amber like his own, steely, piercing into his heart. Cold, abrupt dismissal. “Whatever. Just stop talking.” And last, always last, Zim. Scornful ruby burning down at him, smug sneer showing serrated teeth. “I win, Dib-fool. I win.” His own gaze, wide in anger, shock, betrayal, pain, every negative thing he had ever felt, blindly seeing nothing and everything at once. Smirking, eyes crazed, whispering to the Irken, blood dribbling down to the lifeless earth. Watching, in satisfaction, as rubies widened in surprise, in bewildered fear.
He blinked at the final memory, amber eyes glinting in fiendish recollection. Lithe shoulders shook in mirth, mouth curved into a wordless smirk. Zim had been so stunned at the declaration, so distressed, that he’d almost allowed Dib a chance at an early vengeance. But, at the last moment, he had realized his mistake and rendered the teenager unconscious. Still, it was immensely gratifying to have made the Irken afraid. As his amusement grew, his laughter ceased to be silent. The sound bubbled up his throat, spewing from his mouth in the form of a corrupted deranged voice. He cackled in black-hearted glee, the last bit of his rationality futilely remembering how demented a show the action was. He mentally shrugged. He had nothing to lose, so what did it matter if the Irkens thought he was crazy? At this point, he actually was. That set him off again, though now it had receded down to sinister snickers. He chuckled to himself, shaking his head at his behavior. Well, I bet some of them are wondering what the hell just happened. Hn, if only they knew. When he was finally quiet, he curiously glanced about the room. In his mind, he started to crow in laughter again, the expressions of disbelief and confusion around him too amusing to ignore. On the outside, he merely smiled, knowing already that it looked psychotic. The grin grew as one of the surrounding technicians unconsciously recoiled from his presence. Shaking his head again, he relaxed his body and reclined as far back as he could. All he had left to do was sit back and watch as everything unraveled.
Purple stared uneasily at the human, unnerved by its recent display of instability. Despite himself, he couldn’t tear his attention away from it, violet eyes firmly fixed onto its every movement. A distant piece of him noted that no one else seemed capable of looking away either. He was startled when one of the serving drones hastily skittered away from the captive, having only been at a few feet’s distance. The resulting noise broke the tension and eyes nervously glanced about the room. No one was keen on getting caught staring at the human. Purple sighed in baffled relief, cautiously keeping his gaze focused on one of the Massive’s many viewing windows. If he had chanced a glance to his right, he would have seen Red looking intently at the captive. That wasn’t the case, so he was not aware of the other’s mounting interest. He kept his thoughts turned inward, subconsciously afraid that he would fall into the spell of before, that he would watch the prisoner with a lost, unknown passion. He blinked at his own musings. Where did that come from? This human is too weird. He smiled to himself, even if the comment did nothing to placate his discomfort. He finally glanced at Red, getting a slight nod in response. Almost silently, a nearby guard, her cherry eyes stormy, nodded in return and gave an inconspicuous gesture to those around her. Crimson locked with violet, the two Tallest watching with eager apprehension as the band of guards approached Zim and his captive.
Ruby eyes glazed, Zim had been reduced to sorting through his own memories. Still, his antennae twitched, alerting him of a misplaced movement. Thin body tensed, he waited for the source of the displacement to reveal itself. In spite of his preparation, he gave a light, startled jump as guards surrounded the Dib. Scowling, he turned incredulously to face his Tallest. “My Tallest, why have the guards contained the human? I mean, of course, since I have conquered him, he is no longer a threat. Well, not a great one at least. Dib-dirt has always been good at discarding expectations.” The attention of everyone present was drawn to him, gazes of varying hues staring in astonished contempt. His voice had further broken the stupor of before and now things were almost back to normal, which meant that everyone was waiting in hushed anticipation to see the Invader brought to his knees. It didn’t matter how; they simply wanted to see Zim as all his walls were brought down, see his devastation as he realized how much they all despised his very existence. From the way things were progressing, they were guaranteed a very interesting performance.
Red, to his credit, took a second to seem that he was actually considering Zim’s words. In reality, he was using the pause to stifle his amusement; if he laughed, Zim, despite all odds, might find something amiss. To prevent his humor from being released, he bit his tongue. The lithe muscle tingled in discomfort, as he had accidentally bitten harder than he had intended. As the Invader gazed at him in expectant admiration, he had to bite the insides of his cheeks as well. He knew that his expression had to be a dead give away, but Zim’s thick-headedness halted revelation. Cackling within the confines of his mind, he finally managed to smooth out the hilarious tension that had consumed his face. Eyes pointedly blank, he eventually attempted to speak. “Uh, Zim, he needs to be…decontaminated. You know, to make sure that he has no…germs or diseases or anything.” He glanced at Purple and, at the sight of the other staring at him, gave a sharp nod. Violet eyes blinked at him, befuddlement glimmering in their depths. He, discreetly, gestured with one of his fingers, pointing at Zim. Violet lit with comprehension, Purple coughing to hide his prior confusion.
“Yeah, Zim. It’s probably covered in all kinds of germy things and we really can’t have it wondering around the Massive. Surely you understand.” The Invader had flinched at the mention of germs. He hadn’t forgotten his earlier terror of them, having permanently added neatness into his normal routine.
“Yes, My Tallest. I understand your caution completely. The Dib must be thoroughly cleansed before being honored with the…honor of being in your presence.”
“Um, isn’t it already in our presence?” Ruby eyes widened in shock, Zim moving to stand protectively in front of his Tallest. Giving the human an exaggerated look of disgust, he wheeled around to address the guards that still circled around Dib.
“You fools! How could you let this gross human stand so long before the Tallest? Take him out of here now!” The leader grumbled, curved antennae flattening aggressively to her skull. She hissed quietly under her breath, begrudgingly moving to follow Zim’s command. Only the fact that he was going to get what was coming to him kept her from voicing complaint.
From the moment he’d been flanked by the Irken sentries, Dib had been remarkably placid. One of them, a male with clover eyes, met his gaze and he winked childishly in response. Evergreen orbs had rolled in revulsion, the guard pulling back to a further position. He’d grinned to himself, greatly enjoying the commotion he was causing. As Zim violently degraded him and basically sucked up to the Tallest, he rolled his own eyes in repugnance. His enemy would never change, it seemed. He saw the leader glaring, cherry eyes seething. A part of him hoped that she would channel that anger and attack. However as she and the other neared him, that part was sorely disappointed. Here I was hoping that I would get to see some bloodshed. Too bad, I guess. Two of them stood to his right and two more joined on the left. The commander herself took the front. It was nearly comical, watching as the diminutive Irkens forced him to his feet and to follow their movements. He towered above them, gloved fingers pulling him up and forward by the cuffs digging into the flesh of his wrists. He obeyed the silent orders easily enough, marching in the center of the group as they started towards a nearby exit. As he passed by Zim, he couldn’t resist a sudden impulse that had risen. Besides, when he had been laid this low, what was the point of restraint? “Hey, Zim!” At the unexpected sound of his voice, everyone jumped. He smirked to himself in delight. Rubies stared at him in veiled alarm, not eager to see what he had to say. Purposely, he toned his words to make sure that the Invader got what he meant. As ruby eyes widened in wrathful surprise, he knew that he’d gotten his intent across. Immensely pleased, he turned to regard the Purple Tallest as he left. As he had expected; violet orbs were watching him with incomprehension, most likely due to not understanding what he’d said, and thinly concealed interest. Vaguely, he pondered using that curiosity to his advantage. It could pay well to have one of the leaders, even if a little bit, under his control.
Crimson observed Zim as the Invader started to tremble, in either rage or fear he could only guess. In either case, the exchange between the prisoner and the defect had been entertaining, if only briefly. Mouth curling into a smug grin, he watched as more, previously hidden, guards approached Zim from behind. He would never see the danger in time. He saw that Purple craved seeing the defect’s downfall as much as he was. As cheer bloomed warmly in his chest, the first of the guards had reached Zim. Rubies widened in baffled shock as weapons were aimed dangerously close to his body. He immediately looked at his Tallest for answers, blinking in concern when he was only met with gazes filled with cruel condescension. Now, no longer worried about Zim’s reaction, the two burst into peals of mocking laughter. Others soon joined them, only the ones containing the Invader remaining stoic. Tears glistening in his eyes from the force of his humor, Purple bent over double, clutching desperately at his waist. Red, barely any better, waved towards Zim. Breathlessly, he opened his mouth to issue an order. “Ha…take ha…take him away. Put him in a cell or something.” They saluted in obedience, grinning in crooked pleasure as they forcibly ejected him from the Massive’s control room. As he was walked by the leaders, his expression eerily similar to Dib’s from a long while ago, he mouthed one word. The feeling of it rolling off his tongue was violating, the utterance of it leaving him with the impression of a tainted flavor. Though it was quiet, easily overwhelmed by other noises, Purple heard it anyway. His antennae twitched, head cocked to the side. It was the same thing the human had said to Zim.
“Judas.”
End Part I
Notes:
1. ‘Zarschglig’- Made up gibberish. Its my made up Irken phrase that basically means bastard.
2. . ‘Jasai wanabe’-More gibberish. Means understood, Taller.
Part II
The small Irken vessel slowly approached the floating platform. Stopping mid-air, it drifted downwards in landing. There was a light noise at impact, then dense silence. There was a hiss of displaced air as the sleek sides slid open upwards. A small figure jumped from the ship, hitting the ground in a crouch. It rose to its feet, dusting off its hand in the progress. It cautiously walked forward, movements calculated and tense. As it made its way towards the institution anchored by the platform, sounds floated to it on the air. It came to a halt, curved antennae quirked in interest. Shrugging, the Irken continued on her quest.
Her footsteps echoed in the silence, magnified by the odd lack of sound around her. Irrationally nervous, she hastened her pace. In seconds, the building loomed before her, giving no indication of what may be lurking within. Rolling rose-hued eyes at her own cowardice, she marched to the door. She stilled at the familiar sound of a weapon being drawn. “Who are you?” She blinked at the voice, internally wincing at the butchered Irken. Obviously, the speaker had no idea of how the language was to be spoken. “Who are you?” it repeated in gravelly impatience. Sighing, she spread her hands before her chest, displaying that she held no weapons.
“I am Kita,” she admitted in reluctant aggravation. She gazed to her right, deciding she wanted to see her interrogator. Kita was shocked into silence. A Taranian stood there, laser aimed and ready. The leopard-like creature towered above her, standing bipedal on its hindquarters. She quickly reevaluated that thought. He, the voice hinted at masculinity, stared evenly down at her with tawny blue-grey eyes. The slitted, predatory gaze made her insides shudder. He smirked at her discomfort, fangs shining in plain sight. Shaking herself of her shock, Kita glared. Her gaze wavered when the only response was a twitch of a triangular ear and the swaying a long, black tail. The Taranian yawned, blatantly showing nonchalance. “I’m here to meet with Araya.” That provoked a reaction. Blue-grey narrowed in suspicion, the black tail flicking in a quick motion. She was smug now, confidence restored by his surprise. That was shattered when he snorted, gesturing for her to come forward. Her own eyes narrowing, she warily stepped towards him. He rolled his eyes and gestured once more. A few more steps and she stood a few inches in front of him. He gave her a look that she couldn’t place before turning around and banging on metal with his laser.
As they waited for something to happen, the reason for her being here flashed through her mind. She stood before her Tallest, anxiously, angrily, reminded of her inadequate height. The only thing she hated about these meetings was how inferior they made her feel. Crimson regarded her with unveiled superiority, Red reveling in the power her tension created for him. Purple looked a bit uncomfortable, gazing longingly at a bag of donuts sitting nearby. His co-ruler sighed, picking the bag of sugary delights up and handing to his partner. Violet eyes lit up, fingers eagerly digging in to draw out the treats. Immediately, Purple’s mouth was filled halfway with chewed donut. She politely kept her disgust to herself; if it was shown, the consequences could be dire. Of course, she could be exaggerating to herself. She discarded the thoughts to the back of her mind, eventually working up the courage to speak. “My Tallest, what did you call me for?” Both sets of eyes, crimson and violet, snapped onto her. She almost regretted having spoken.
She was considered for a moment, her body unnaturally tense. Finally, the silence was broken. “Well, I’m sure you know about Zim’s ‘success’.” She flinched at the mention of the defective Invader; yes, Zim had conquered the planet he’d been set to, even if the mission had been false. And, when he had returned, naively triumphant, he had been imprisoned. He would, once the Massive returned to Irk, be put on trial. Everyone was painfully waiting for the occasion to arise. That had been where all the focus was. No one had expected the conquered humans to launch resistance attacks against the soldiers reluctantly stationed on Earth. There had been quick orders given to retaliate, the soldiers gleefully eager to exterminate the humans. There been shocked bewilderment when the rebels evaded detection, their members safely hidden. Things were thrown into more discord when the suicidal people took the forefront. No matter how hard the Irkens fought, more humans emerged and destroyed themselves, taking precious Irken personnel with them. The impassioned efforts of the Earthlings were impossible to fathom and the only human specimen they had on hand, having been provided, ironically, by Zim when he’d returned, was too insane to provide any valuable insight. Unless, of course, its entire race was as unstable as it was. That wasn’t a pleasant thought. Neither was the fact that it was obvious the humans were gaining an advantage. How could inferior, disgusting aliens, gain an upper hand against the great might of the Irken Armada? No one seemed to know, herself included. Still, she did know about Zim so she nodded.
Expression skillfully blank, she calmly waited for her Tallest to expand on the subject. She was rewarded as, with a weary, entirely false, sigh, Red continued. “Well, then you must also know about the stupid attempts the humans have made to undermine Irken authority. Really, Earth isn’t of any interest to us. I mean, is there anything worthwhile on the planet? No, there isn’t. But, we can’t allow the Earth things to keep fighting. It may give others equally stupid ideas. And I don’t think anybody wants to deal with more situations like the one we’re currently in.” She silently agreed, nodding her head once more. She repeated the same process as before, sitting still and waiting for Red to finish. When it became clear he wasn’t going to speak anymore, she mentally grumbled to herself.
“What, exactly, does it have to do with me?” She knew she had asked the right question as crimson eyes darkened in barely suppressed humor. Her Tallest was amused.
“Considering your background, and your position, you are a key candidate for a rather…unusual mission.” She internally seethed at the veiled insult; if she had been a lesser Irken, she would have verbally returned the barb. As she wasn’t, she have to be damaged to even think of trying such a thing, she simply kept her own thoughts to herself.
“What kind of mission?” During the course of the conversation, Purple had mostly been immersed with devouring his donuts. However, when she asked that question, violet eyes quickly shifted onto her. She was slightly startled at the action; usually, when she was called before the Tallest, Red was the only one who was truly interested. This time, though, it seemed that Purple was also in on what was going on. So that meant this mission really was unique. Now she was rather intrigued with what it could be. Though that didn’t mean she would like it. She almost always didn’t.
Grinning smugly, Red waved thin fingers in the direction of a monitor located behind him. Soon after, the screen was illuminated, text flowing across its surface. Kita stared curiously at the words, leaning forward to get a better look. Rose eyes widened briefly, and then were speedily narrowed. As soon as she was sure she understood what the text was speaking of, she turned to address her Tallest, hoping for denial. “So, you want me to…what, form a psychological profile of a general human? We don’t have enough information for that, I’m afraid.” Crimson orbs closed in genuine weariness, while violet gazed at her intently.
“No, that’s not what we need you to do. The mission would be to find out how the human mind primarily runs and to create a strategy that would give us a way to completely defeat the humans. Even smeets know that an enemy’s weakness should be used against it. It’s too bad that, in this case, we don’t know what that weakness is. You yourself said it; with our only sources Zim and some crazy maniac, we have no way of getting knowledge we can use.” She had to concede to his point; their sources, even if they had once been able to give beneficial intelligence, would have refused; Zim out of dejection and the human, probably, out of anger or fury. Grudgingly, she grasped the importance of this job. Still, that didn’t mean she would enjoy doing it.
“ Fine, I’ll do it. But why me?” Red glanced at Purple then turned back to her again, serrated teeth set in a cheerful smile.
“Because you’re a mechanic. People will let what they see as inferiors overhear things they would normally safe guard. Besides, you are always so enthusiastic about pleasing us. We finally decided to give you a chance to maybe gain a promotion.” She had scowled to herself, saluting respectfully as she marched from the room.
She had spent nearly two weeks pilfering through the records that were available on humans. She hadn’t found much. All that was really mentioned were the horrors of the acidic substances on Earth and the beasts’ immunities to most of them. It hadn’t been too useful. Hesitant, she eventually steeled herself and went to a direct source: the human prisoner. She found out for herself that it was indeed very insane. It often refused to answer questions or would give responses that they had no way of interpreting. The only thing it showed an interest in was the proceedings with Zim. It was chillingly obsessed with how the preparations for execution were going or how badly the Invader was coping. After only three sessions, she stopped her visits. It wasn’t worth the discomfort. And it was evident that, no matter what was done, the captive would not willingly cooperate. So she had turned to another revenue; gossip and rumors. After a while, she heard about an Irken deserter who had abandoned his duty sometime during Tallest Miyuki’s reign. The word was that he had actually been on Earth, scouting the planet for possible military use. He never reported back to his superiors. More digging dredged up a name: Araya. She tracked him down until she was led to the platform she now stood on, impatiently waiting for the result of the Taranian’s banging.
Finally…she thought as the metal door swung open, a stoic waiter holding it in place. Her guide bared his fangs in annoyance at having been kept waiting, blue-grey swirling into a stormy slate. The employee’s expression remained impassive as he permitted them entry. Kita followed the sentry into the building, hissing at the assault of blaring sound. The guide smiled mockingly, though his own eyes were half-closed. He roughly shook his head, metallic collar glinting in the light. At the sight of shimmering green, anxiety took hold of her chest. She knew what the collar symbolized; the thing she was following was more dangerous than she had given him credit for. Swallowing her fears, she trailed after him as he delved deeper into the room. She avoided contact with the other patrons, disconcerted by all the unfamiliar species. She saw boar-like creatures gathered in a corner, their broad shoulders touching as they huddled together. There was a tall figure hidden amongst the shadows, the only thing distinguishable being its jackal like head. A relatively normal group sat around a table, orange eyes clashing with their lavender skin. Every time she met someone’s gaze, she was met with looks of heated hate or simmering anger. She wasn’t given an iota of welcome. Her Irken pride demanded that she stand tall and resist submission. Rose eyes glittering with hostility, she dared anyone there to do more than stare. Her challenge went unanswered.
The atmosphere was eerily flat, oddly similar to what the weather was like on Zirus Minor, right before the deadly torrential downfall. The air would be still, the humidity would abruptly drop, as the skies tore open and the extremely rare rain fell to the surface. She recognized the growing threat of harm and quietly let the challenge die in her eyes. She silently followed after the creature before her, carefully deterring any possible cause for confrontation. Dimly, she was aware of the scraping noise his claws made as they were brought across the floor and the rustle of his clothes was strangely loud. She scowled to herself when she noticed where her attention had strayed to; an attack could come from anywhere, so she shouldn’t be so focused on what was in plain sight. Clawed fingers clenched in the protective material of her gloves, testament to the anger she was aiming inward.
The Taranian’s ear twitched, his head cocked forward. He stilled and turned to face her, a falsely benevolent smile overtaking his face. She raised an antenna in question, keeping her curiosity to herself. He made a sweeping gesture with his arms, pointing to the nearby bar. He gave a mock bow, sharp incisors bared in a contentious grin. “Araya is over there, Slatza.” Kita blinked at the last term, cursing herself for never having bothered to learn the language of Tariana. She cautiously passed by him, making her way through an empty space in the crowd. She reached the bar with little trouble, though the guard kept close behind her, his bitter stare burning into her back. She ignored it, opting to search for her contact. She spotted him at a table littered with emptied glasses, the beverages having long been ingested. She quickly stalked over to him, eager to finish her business. He was leaned forward, gaze lowered on to the half-full glass in his raised hand. Hazy aqua glanced up at her approach, but quickly diverted to the presence at her back. Araya smirked, antennae lifting, as he waved his drink at the guard. The Taranian returned the motion, taloned finger wiggling in acknowledgement.
Kita, aggravated by the ignorance of her person, marched forward. Araya, being the veteran that he was, turned his gaze to his fellow Irken. Amused by what met his eyes, he smiled manically. “Jiera, why don’t you treat yourself to something?” Jiera cast him a reproachful look, before going off towards a back room. Now alone, Araya turned serious. At least, he appeared to. “Well, Kita, what urgent matters have you come to inquire about?” He watched as roses withdrew into themselves, Kita distancing herself from the discussion. Well, that’s certainly interesting.
“I’ve heard that you’ve been among the humans. I need your expertise.” It had taken her awhile to phrase her question, pushing her intrigue about his desertion to the back of her mind.
A short antenna quirked above his head, as aqua reflected a conflicted wonder. She glared at his expression. “You know that their futile resistance groups are causing problems. It was decided that knowing more about the nuisance will make them easier to deal with.” He silently laughed, lithe shoulder shaking in mirth. She peered uneasily at him, unwontedly reminded of her experience with the human. Strengthening her resolve, she slammed a fist down onto her table. The loud smacking sound stopped his chortling, along with many of the conversation being conducted around them. A little too late she was reminded of the advice that surprising insane individuals was not a good idea. Casting the thought away, she continued on. “What is it that you find so entertaining?” Araya, still sneaking snickers, waved a finger at her, scolding her for being impatient. She hissed, not fond of being treated like a smeet.
“The idea of conquering the human race is ludicrous. All the soldiers battling on Earth should be called back to the Armada.” She gaped at him, appalled at the gall he had to insult an Irken campaign. “The humans will not submit. They would sooner destroy themselves than be enslaved. Besides, they wouldn’t contribute anything worthwhile.” She shook her head, unable to follow his logic. “You really don’t’ know anything about the human psyche, do you? Well, no reason the conquest was a failure.” She growled, eyes darkening to a near blood red. He just chucked scornfully, sea green deepening to almost clover in his humor. “Humans are most likely the most conflicted, complicated beings in the universe. They make absolutely no sense.” He grimaced in fond confusion. “I’ve never seen a race so inclined to destroy yet bound to show mercy. As I said, complete madness.” At the end of his speech, his tone had altered. He seemed to be talking more to himself than to her. He grinned at nothing in particular, shaking his head in bewildered dismay. “So, what is it that you wanted to know, exactly?” She tensed, unable to phrase her question due to her present confusion. He smirked in taunting.
This shouldn’t be so difficult. I shouldn’t even have to do this in the first place. She sighed in contrition, her thoughts too jumbled to be ordered in any recognizable pattern. Gritting her teeth, she seized upon the first thing that came to mind. “What does Slatza mean? Jiera called me that and I desire to know its meaning.” Araya subjected her to a blank stare. Than, with a sadistic curve of his lips, motioned for her to come closer.
“It’s a Taranian term, as I can guess you’ve figured out. As for what it means, well, that’s more complicated.” His fingers flexed, clenching lightly then recoiling gently. Suddenly, slender appendages wrapped around her antennae, firm but not to the brink of pain. Eyes widened in fright, her body stilled. He ignored the reaction and twined his fingers round the sensitive stalks in his grasp. Grinning ruefully, he quickly tugged viciously on what he held. Kita bit her lip to keep from crying out, hands reaching up to claw at her captor. He immediately withdrew, gaze unconcerned. She caressed the abused antennae, growling and glaring steadily in his direction. Infuriated, she went to lunge at him. A heavy hand on her shoulder stopped her, talons gripping the flesh. She fiercely struck out, a fist hitting the captor. Her triumph was short lived as she was hit across the temple, the blow hard and uncompromising. A hold on her antennae prevented retaliation. She writhed against the grip, eyes now a frothy crimson. Jiera simply shrugged, and then suddenly slammed a palm into her pak’s connectors. She yelled, instantly freezing in place.
Familiar blue-grey cutting into her. The intended effect was slightly spoiled by the presence of violet blood running from a thin scratch. “Well, Slatza, you are a handful.” She hissed in response, antennae flattening. Araya laughed at it all, thrilled by the commotion.
“Kita, Slatza is Taranian for slave master. Jiera was accusing you of being a slave driver.” He watched her reaction, pleased at the emergence of disgust. Good. At least she knows how to be disgusted. “The whole fiasco you two went through should tell you all you need to know about humans.” She stared at him, wrathful both by his casual words and the implication that she had learned anything.
“How does this tell me anything?!” Aqua unexpectedly turned deathly somber, the veteran looking even older than his years. He leaned towards her over the table, clawed hands resting between them. He was so close she could feel his breath, cold and thick.
“When I hurt you, what was your immediate response? What did you feel? How did you act?” His voice was rough and commanding. He would take nothing less than her full cooperation. “You were angry, weren’t you? You wanted to lash out, to cause me pain for having harmed you. It is a basic action. A human action.” She blinked in incomprehension. “The more you hurt the humans, the harder they will fight. For every injury, they will attempt vengeance. A popular saying is ‘an eye for an eye’. You won’t defeat them. They keep at it until there’s either nothing or close to it. Nothing good can come form involvement with humanity. I learned that myself.” With that, he turned away, walking to an exit. Jiera followed after, leaving Kita alone.
Tak stared wide-eyed at the sight before her, plum eyes reflecting the light of the stars. After years of drifting through space and evading Irken scout ships, she had finally gotten back to Earth. She anticipated fighting Zim again for his mission, optimistically feeling that her victory was assured. She had not ever expected to see what lay before her. There were no words that could adequately describe the horrid devastation. Even from Earth’s orbit, she could see that once blue skies were now a desolate ash grey. Still in stunned shock, she skillfully typed a series of commands into the ship’s computer. Milliseconds later text sprang up, detailing the situation below her. As she read news of Zim’s success, she started to mentally scream. How could that defect of an Invader succeed where she had failed? How had Dib allowed it? Blinded by rage, she slammed a fist into the keys nearest to her. There was a shrill beeping sound as the vessel plummeted through the planet’s atmosphere. Pushed back into her seat, she stressed her body by futilely reaching for the controls. She started shrieking, as the hull was set ablaze. The alarms grew more shrill and more piercing. As a tree line came into view and she felt the crush of impact, her world dispersed into black.
She groaned as she awoke, the remnants of the surge from her pack continuing to run through her system. As she tried to move, she hissed at the unpleasant heat coming from her muscles. Gritting her teeth, she attempted it again. She was chilled when she realized more than discomfort was preventing her movement; she was bound, her arms uncomfortably chafed to her sides. Eyes darkening in anger, she growled as the spider legs emerged from her pak, slicing through her bindings. As the fabric fell to the cold floor, she examined herself for wounds. Finding only minor bruises, she smiled crookedly in relief. She quickly stood, the sound of her motion echoing in the cell. She glanced about the room, eyes narrowed in analytical focus. She smirked as she spotted the door. It’s apparent that my captors have no idea of whom they are trying to contain. She approached the door, a slot opening in her pak to eject a laser-like weapon. Her eyes were fiendish as she burned through the obstruction in her path.
He was patrolling the hall when he heard the hissing of burnt steel. Instantly on alert, he stalked stealthily to the prisoner’s cell. He hid in the darker corners as a portion of the door was kicked out, a small booted foot protruding from the room’s confines. Swallowing his fear, he cocked his weapon, horribly aware of how primitive the technology was compared to that of the Irkens. Shaking, he brushed his green bangs from his face. He needed to see, even though it would do little to aid him. As the Irken emerged into the hall, he slunk further into his hiding spot. He watched as she skulked down to his left, feet from him. Icy sweat broke out on his skin, the gun slipping through his fingers. As she marched towards where the rest of his fellow rebels slept, he shuddered and exposed himself. Cursing his stupidity, he shouted. “Hey!”
As she stood in the corridor, she confidently surveyed her surroundings. She noticed from the length of the shadows that she had to be somewhat underground. She shrugged; no matter what, she was leaving. As she chose a random direction and set off, she heard a scuffling behind her. Antennae pricked towards the source, she reached to her back to gain another laser gun. As she was immersed in the echo of footsteps, she wheeled around, weapon at the ready. She blinked in baffled amusement at what greeted her. Not three yards away was a lanky teenage human, green hair sprung in disarray. His face was filthy, covered in dirt and grime. He was unhealthily pale and thin, his clothes hanging from his form in ratty tatters. She smiled evilly as she picked up his accelerated heartbeat, his fear a balm that soothed her nerves. Grinning, she positioned her finger on the trigger. She had a glimpse of frightened hazel eyes before there was a loud blast sounding around them. Having expected a beam of light, and seeing none, she stood in confusion. Too late she remembered the humans weapon of choice: guns. The condensed lead hit her arm, knocking the laser fro her grasp. Hissing in pained rage, she pulled the injured limb to her chest, dark green blood staining her uniform.
He stared at the Irken, eyes wide and startled. His gun, hanging in limp fingers, fell to the ground, leaving a low thud to its descent. As soon as he realized his enemy was disarmed and his gun was on the ground, he quickly scrambled to retrieve it. As he bent down, he was unaware that Tak was cursing herself, spider legs emerging again to better support her form. As she sped towards him on the artificial limbs, he remained unknowing. As a tip was prepared to pierce his back, she was knocked to the floor with an unseen force. He heard the crashing noise, gaze snapping to his right. He paled further at the sight of his leader standing in a doorway not far away, emotionless amber freezing his spine.
Tak grumbled from her sprawled position, retracting the mechanical legs into her pak as she crawled into a kneel. She turned to the boy, intent on finding out what he had done to her. As she noted his terror and the direction of his focus, she circled round to stare at was he was. Plums widened in recognition at the figure reclining in the doorway, amber eyes gazing at her with a predatory gleam. Amethyst strands of hair fell into her white face, ending at the throat of her scarlet shirt. Shaking her shock away, she glared at the sibling of Dib. From appearances, this was the base of the humans’ base of resistance. That didn’t explain why Gaz was there though, or why she exuded an air of authority. Grunting, she pushed herself into standing, her arm protesting the movement. “Gaz-human, what is this?” She winced at the sound of her voice, unprepared for its raspy quality.
The boy stared between the two females, hazel expressing his confusion. “Boss, you know this thing?” He withdrew into himself when Gaz wheeled to him, amber glinting with something he couldn’t decipher. She glared at him, the shadows around her deepening. He squeaked, skittering to the wall, falling down to his knees. He was still quaking when she turned to face Tak, leaving his inquiry unanswered.
“Tak. It has been a long time. Get up and over here.”
At the human girl’s order, plums lightened to magenta, Tak inhumanly enraged. How dare a human think to control her? She growled, curved antennae lowering to press against her skull. She bared her teeth, displaying them for intimidation. The boy whimpered louder, trying to slither even further away. Gaz merely raised an eyebrow, something slithering from the shadows and towards the Irken. Tak tried to move but was too slow, something thick and black lifting her into the air, pinning her arms once more to her sides. She flinched as her injury was jarred. Forest green excitedly spread its stain, covering more of her shirt. She hissed again and struggled against the hold. It didn’t budge. She writhed harder as she was pulled through the air to hover above Gaz.
She smirked at the figure struggling before her, amber eyes like glass. A yelp behind her prompted her to turn, and she rolled her eyes at the sight of her cowering subordinate. “Tye, go back with the others. There isn’t anything to worry about. This Irken won’t have anyone coming for her. Right, Tak?” The boy glanced at her uncertainly but a look of fury was enough to send him running. He slid into the room, shutting the door in his wake. Once silence reigned, Gaz turned back to her captive. Smirking cheerfully to herself, she tilted her head in mock observation of the alien suspended in mid-air. Tak snarled at her, eyes crazed with confusion, fear, and sheer anger. She doesn’t know that the angrier she gets, the darker her eyes grow. She watched as plum eyes glimmered, the wrath behind them tinting them like an overripe, rotten fruit. Her grin grew at the analogy; Tak was like a rotten fruit, her bitterness poisoning her prior sweetness. Tak’s eyes showed her erosion, while her own eyes acted like mirrors; they reflected the viewer’s own feeling back at them, offering no glimpse to what lay beneath. Idly, she wondered which seemed worse. Now, what is the last thing she expects me to do? As the idea came to her, she couldn’t stop the dark glee from consuming her expression. She was glad when it only served to add to Tak’s apprehension. Crooking a finger, the shady mass reached down to her. Smirking in sinful pleasure, she placed her hands on Tak’s face. As she saw the resulting revulsion the touch incited, she pulled the Irken closer, her breath fanning the other’s cheeks. With a final smirk, she kissed Tak. The Irken’s eyes widened in horror, then glazed. Soon, Tak was unconscious again.
He gazed dully at the ceiling, his bare arms lying behind his head. Yawning in boredom, he closed his eyes and relaxed against the unrelenting lab table. After he had been so graciously removed from the Tallest’ presence, the guards had placed him here, finding the lab a suitable location to cleanse him. He’d been thoroughly scrubbed, poked, and prodded, his clothes stolen and replaced with Irken clothing. He, despite his depth of insanity, refused to wear a pink shirt so had resorted to just wearing the black pants, wandering around the room shirtless. A bonus was that it further unsettled the Irkens who came to visit him. Sighing, he opened his eyes, amber glaring blearily at the wall, as if it was its fault he had nothing to do. Muttering, he sat up, dangling his legs over the makeshift bed’s side. He warily ran a hand through his hair, the fingers catching on a few random tangles. He winced but forced his way through them, eventually putting his hand back into his lap. He glanced up at the familiar sound of the door sliding open.
The guard stood lazily in the doorway, emerald eyes roving slowly through the room. As he caught sight of the figure sitting on the medical table, he cheekily waved, his eyes the only indication of his discomfort. Dib creeped him out way too much. Harai grinned uneasily grinned, walking as close as the restraining lasers would allow. He started to speak, grimacing at the feel of the feeling of the human language on his tongue. “The Tallest are coming to see you. Just, thought, I don’t know. You should be respectful or something.” He scowled when the other gave him a falsely innocent smile, amber glinting in mirth. He shrugged; the human was impossible to deal with.
Dib smirked when Harai left, getting up to move over to where his little used shirt was laid. Giving in to a foolish impulse, he tugged the fabric over his head, the shirt settling over his form. Just as he had finished ‘dressing’ he heard the door opening again. This time, though, there was a subtle difference. The laser field keeping him separate from his visitors was disabled. He blinked in confusion, pondering why someone would turn it off. He shrugged; wasn’t his problem. He walked to the ‘bed’, sitting cross-legged, bare feet set beneath his legs. He leaned across the wall, the coldness of the meal ship wall seeping into his skin.
Purple floated by the guard, who saluted as he passed. He ignored him, hovering into the human’s room. He glanced about the room, curiously taking in the way things were scattered about. Discarded path were littered across the floor and a few folded shirts were neatly placed on a piece of clean desk. There were scraps of soap and snacks stacked in a trash pile, near the door so that a guard could collect them later. He swiftly focused on the object of his attention. Since the first time he had seen the human at Zim’s feet, he’d been interested in finding out how it functioned. Nearly a month had passed and all he knew was that it was called Dib and that it was crazy. He’d gotten fed up, both with the lack of progress and his growing obsession, and decided to go to the human himself. So here he was, staring at the creature sitting on an autopsy table, clothed in Irken military uniform, the material odd against its pale flesh. The human was gazing back at him, its strange amber orbs sheering thorough the glass covering them. He shivered at the glare, both freezing and burning in its intensity. He shook himself, drifting further into the once lab. Once he was a safe distance from the prisoner, he stilled. Violet clashed with amber, Dib waiting for the Tallest to yield. He got what he wanted when Purple finally had to break away to speak.
“Do you know anything that can help us deal with Earth?” No answer.
“How did Zim defeat you?” Dib blinked. That was new. Everybody else had spent all their time asking about Earth, never about himself or Zim. I wonder what made him want to ask that.
“Are you going to do anything?” Purple’s voice had risen in frustration, his urge to understand Dib only getting more intense with his one-sided discussion.
Dib smirked, a devilish idea going through him mind. Well, he had complained about being bored. Grinning insanely, he got to his feet, walking over to where the Tallest was floating. Violet eyes stared at him in slight fear, glancing once to see what Harai was doing. Smiling with reckless abandon, he did a multitude of things in the space of seconds: first, he grabbed Purple’s neck and pulled him down to his level. Second, he grasped his antennae and forced him into a brutal kiss. As the mouth under his opened in surprise, his tongue slipped in, running along the lithe, long one occupying the other’s mouth. Sure that Purple was adequately disturbed, he pulled away, licking his lips. The Irken was staring at wide-eyed at him, violet eyes lightened to a blue-violet in numbing terror.
“Wha…Why?” Violet eyes stared in shocked disbelief, Purple’s fingers rising to his lips in poorly concealed horror. A glare across glass shielding his eyes from view, he smirked.
“Because you wanted me to.” Overwhelmed, the Tallest floated from the room, Harai staring after him in shock, emerald eyes wide and mouth gaping. Purple ignored him again, drifting off until he was alone. Slender fingers rubbing at his temples, he leaned heavily against one of the surrounding walls.
“What just happened?”
End Part II