Invader Zim 1. Default Chapter

The Night Slayers  
  
Written by Nathander  
  
This is my first SERIOUS Invader Zim fanfiction. I've been writing this as a break from my other current projects, Oh…My…God!(An IZ/PpG Crossover) and the continuation of DragonShadow's South Park series, as well as many other humor fanfictions and some other serious fanfictions. Please be kind, since again, this is my first serious IZ attempt.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not one damn thing except for the fan characters in this. Jhonen Vasquez owns everything else, and if I was him, I'd be rolling in an insane amount of money and fan praise. And that would make me as happy as a pig in shit :P  
  
Chapter 1: Tradition  
  
1  
  
2 And I will show you something different from either  
  
3 Your shadow in the morning striding behind you  
  
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;  
  
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.  
  
-T.S. Eliot  
  
"The Waste Land"  
  
"You can't possibly be serious, can you?" asked Purple, somewhat nervously to Red.  
  
"It's tradition." Red said, "It must be upheld."  
  
"Listen to yourself!" Purple screamed. "You would but one as young as him to death?"  
  
"He IS an invader; a pathetic one, but an invader none the less."  
  
"But even by our standards he is still a child!" Purple screamed back towards his compatriot.  
  
"I know. But, as I said earlier, he is an invader, and our traditions must be upheld. It is more honorable for Zim to fall by the hands of one of his own, and not by that of a different race."  
  
"But he hasn't caused that much damage. All he's really done is been annoying."  
  
"Tradouse!* He's been using up valuable time from the other invaders with his little reports. And need I remind you about the incident with the planet jackers?"  
  
*Tradouse: The irken equivalent of "bullshit".  
  
Purple cringed at the thought. The confusion that had come because of Zim revealing himself to be an invader and stopping the planet jackers from taking 'Earth' as fuel had strained the already thin-bare relationship between the Irks and the Planet Jackers. "He didn't know better. There wasn't anything that could be done."  
  
"So what should we do about this? Tell him his mission was all a façade and risk being shown as cowards, not even capable of dealing with a low- ranking invader, and disgracing the Irks? Is that truly what you wish?"  
  
"But why…why send one of THEM? He's but a child among our ranks, why send a night slayer to take care of him?"  
  
"Because" Red began, "an irken invader falling to a less sophisticated alien race is unhonorable. Even I care that someone like Zim should be able to keep his honor as an invader. Expulsion from his rank would also be unhonorable; he must be eliminated, his memories spread through the dust of history. No one will remember him; no one will care."  
  
"But this is wasting even more time by sending a night slayer to an uncharted planet to take care of a low ranking invader! Where's the logic in all this?"  
  
"We can't always think in terms of logic. Sometimes we just have to trust how we feel, and this is how I feel about the whole thing, so it's the direction I'm going with it."  
  
"Well I feel this is WRONG, and nothing good will come of it."  
  
Red just shrugged at Purple's reply. "Well, that's nice, but I'm going to go ahead and issue the command. It'll be pointless for you to take this conversation any further, so maybe you should just leave."  
  
Fuming at his cohorts decision, Purple did just that, the doors to the room slamming behind him. Red took a seat in one of the chairs situated around the room, looking at the paintings put upon the walls. The room was Purple and Red's lounge room, a room where they would just come to think or hold council with their generals and admirals.  
  
One of the few times when Red felt truly at peace was when he would sit in the room and look at all the paintings around the walls, each of them pinnacles of Irken art. He was somewhat angry when HE finally came through the doors to the room, Red's state of peace broken.  
  
The irk who had just arrived was almost as tall as the Tallest, only about an inch or two smaller. His clothes were composed of a black flight suit, as well as a belt that had a number of items from it, including two incredible looking knives that seemed to reflect light off of them. His eyes were different then the usual red hue of the irks, instead being totally black, matching his flight suit. He was totally silent as he waited for his leader to talk.  
  
Red got up from his seat, making sure he stood so his full height showed. "Do you know why you are here?"  
  
The irk dressed in black just shook his head.  
  
"On a currently uncharted planet, there is an invader named Zim. He was sent here because of how much of a nuisance he was, Purple and myself originally hoping we would never hear from him again. However, he arrived safely at a planet known as 'Earth', and his been constantly badgering us since with useless information that has no importance for our cause. He must be….taken care of. Do you understand what I am going at?"  
  
The irk nodded as a reply.  
  
"We have a rough map for a route to this planet installed in the computer on your ship. It is only an estimate on our beliefs on where to find the planet, but I expect you will be capable to find it with your training and the map. You will be given a SIR unit; highly irregular for you and your brand of work, I know, but since we have never had true contact with this planet it should help you. Are you ready for your mission?"  
  
Again, the irk replied just with a nod.  
  
"Then you are dismissed. Leave by trarhot** by tomorrow."  
  
**Trarhot: The irken equivalent of noon.  
  
The irk left, without a speaking a single word. Red sat back in the chair he had occupied previously, his hands on his temple, trying to get back into his state of peace.  
  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
  
"Gir! How many times must I go threw explaining this one simple concept?" Zim asked, scolding the little robot for his latest mishap. Yet again, Gir had forgotten to close the door when he had come back from the 24/7, and after the last time with what happened with Dib, Zim wasn't especially looking forward to such another encounter. "Whenever you come back here, you make sure you close the door! Do you understand Gir? You CLOSE THE DOOR!"  
  
"Aww, but I just wanted to make sure piggy knew that I was here." Gir said in a pouty little voice.  
  
"And what have I told you about that pig?"  
  
Gir scratched his head for a moment, and then shrugged his little shoulders. "To always let him in?"  
  
"No Gir! To NOT let him in! Do you know how filthy that thing is? And not only that, but it eats the meat of cleanness!"  
  
"He likes meat." Gir said this with a huge smile on his face.  
  
"But he isn't supposed to eat the clean meat Gir. He's not even supposed to be in the house."  
  
"But he's my friend."  
  
"I really don't care Gir. Just go watch TV or…..something. You've delayed the work I need to do in the lab enough already."  
  
"TV? Yay!" Gir squealed with joy before running towards the TV set and turning on his 'favorite' show, the Spooky Monkey Show. Zim shuddered, not quite sure what enjoyment the little robot got from watching the show.  
  
Zim continued to his lab. It had been at least half a month since he had given a report towards the Tallest. Zim made sure to check every wire, everything for his computer and transmitter connection. Last time he had tried to contact the Tallest, he found Gir had been down in the laboratory, trying to see if he could play a video game on the computer. Zim prepared himself to talk to the Tallest, and pressed the button for the transmitter.  
  
All that appeared on the screen was a light buzz, with several lines running through the screen in different directions. Zim's jaw immediately fell upon. He regained his composure in few seconds, and immediately lost it when he actually began to shiver with fear. There was only one reason the Tallest would cut off communication lines between them and an invader.  
  
One of THEM was coming.  
  
All invaders knew of them, but never talked of them. They were the Night Slayers, incredibly well trained killers and the elite of the invaders.  
  
The Night Slayers were usually picked from the ranks of the invaders who had proven themselves at being incredibly adept at combat and stealth. They were usually used for only two purposes: the first, and most common one, was to assinate high ranking officers during times of war, to sneak in whenever they could, eliminate their target, and get out.  
  
The second one was to kill invaders who had shone themselves to be to fault ridden or expandable. It was considered a much more honorable way for an invader to go out, as being killed by the enemy or being stripped off his rank immediately took away any honor the irk way have had in life. So, by death at the hands of a higher-ranking invader, the invader was able to keep his honor in death.  
  
"No." Zim said to himself, in the solitude of his lab. "I won't give up. I won't die at the hands of one of them. I'll fight. I'll FIGHT!"  
  
But Zim also knew he wouldn't have a chance against a Night Slayer by himself. He'd need help. But who could he turn to? The only people he could think of was the "Dib"(Zim shuddered at the thought of turning to him) and his sister Gaz. He knew Dib would refuse to help, and Gaz probably wouldn't care either way. Zim had no one to turn to.  
  
No, not one.  
  
And Zim did the thing he thought would be impossible for an invader.  
  
He cried.  
  
Meanwhile, in space, a small, sleek black voot runner began its course towards earth, the Night Slayer who dressed himself in black silently contemplating his mission. He had killed many in his career already; mainly high-ranking enemy officers during war and a few failed invaders as well.  
  
But, to kill an irk who was still by their standards considered a child? Would that even be a sin that could be forgiven?  
  
The irk looked towards the silent, steel SIR unit beside him. He hadn't used his SIR unit in a mission since his days as an invader, which seemed so long gone by now. But as he was actually going to have to chase an irk on a planet that no other irk then that one had had contact with, he supposed the SIR unit would be necessary. He enjoyed the SIR unit's company, actually; it was cold and silent, just as he was. Of all creatures in the universe, his SIR unit was the only thing he felt close to.  
  
And his advance towards the planet known as Earth continued.  
  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
  
"And that's why Godzilla is real. The Japanese government just doesn't want us to know about it because they're doing cloning projects to make smaller versions of him to use as pets, while they'll use the real Godzilla as a weapon to stop the continuos alien assaults that plague them so much." Dib said to his sister as they walked towards their day at Skool.  
  
One of Gaz's eyes had begun to twitch with annoyance. If her brother kept talking, how was she supposed to get past the Vampire Lord Piggy in her game? "Just keep talking Dib. I hear you, but I don't care."  
  
Dib rolled his eyes. "Oh please Gaz. This is much more important then your stupid game. After the alien invasions stop, how do we know the Japanese government won't use Godzilla to attempt to take over the world?"  
  
Gaz had had enough. "Well, maybe we know they won't because Godzilla ISN'T FUCKIN' REAL!"  
  
Dib stopped for a moment, trying to see how Gaz could still have this idea after going through all the facts that proved Godzilla was real. He shook his head, not able to see that possibility. He never understood how people weren't interested in things like the paranormal. It had to be one of the most interesting things you could ever hear.  
  
"And I'm going to be the best." Dib said to himself quietly. Yes, he was. Someday, he would be one of the most highly regarded paranormalists in the world. He already had an alien, now he just needed to be able to expose it. At that moment, Dib caught something out of the corner of his eye. "Well speak of the devil." Dib said to himself, and he furrowed his eyebrows.  
  
It was Zim. And he was actually walking beside them to Skool. This was a new one on him. He saw Zim every day at school, but had never actually seen him GOING to Skool. He always figured Zim had some sort of transport device that got him into the Skool.  
  
"What's wrong Zim? You're transport device not working today?" Dib said in a venomous voice.  
  
Zim didn't reply. He didn't even bother to look at Dib, and this annoyed Dib even further. "You better answer me, you alien scum! You think you're to high up to even answer a human? Huh? Is that it Zim? Well, I've got news for you, Zi…."  
  
"SHUT UP DIB!" Gaz screamed, anger and hate seeming to seethe from her like some sort of aura. "I just lost my last life in the game to the Vampire Lord Piggy because you wouldn't shut up about your alien BS!" Gaz grabbed Dib by the shirt collar, forcing him to look at her. "And if you don't shut up RIGHT NOW I will shut you up! Understand?" Dib just nodded his hand, and Gaz let go of his shirt collar. The three children's journey towards Skool was in total silence, except for the electronic beeps issuing from Gaz's Game Slave system.  
  
  
  
Dib prodded his lunch, hardly able to eat (though this wasn't uncommon, especially on baloney stroganoff day) or concentrate. It was the first time he had seen Zim going to school, and the first time Zim had totally ignored an insult aimed at him. Dib knew something was on his mind, something was eating at him. But the question was what? What could have him so worried or so deep in thought that he would totally ignore insults? Dib's pattern of thought was broken as he heard a soft growl issue from Gaz. He sighed. "What's wrong Gaz."  
  
Gaz curled her fingers up, except for her thumb, and pointed with her thumb at a boy behind her. "That weird kid won't stop looking at me."  
  
Dib looked at the young boy, raising an eyebrow as he noticed the child's appearance. He looked somewhat normal, seeming to be the same age as Gaz. However, he noticed that the kid had two small horns growing from his head and pale green skin. He had seen the kid before. What was his name? Oh yeah, Pepito. He remembered him only because of the terror he had been able to spread around the Skool: setting fires, attack classmates, telling people he was the antichrist, ect. But what worried Dib the most was that he seemed almost….lovestruck when he was looking at Gaz, and even just that gave Dib the chills. There was only one person sitting beside Pepito, his only 'friend', Todd, or more usually referred to as Squee. Dib had actually talked to the kid some. He sort of enjoyed his company even, especially since he seemed to have some information and contact with intergalactic creatures, and a good paranormalist always needed good contacts.  
  
  
  
"I'm telling ya' amigo, she's perfect." Pepito said to his best (and only) friend, Squee. "That gothic look, the foreverly pissed off attitude; she'd be the PERFECT queen of darkness for me."  
  
Squee would never admit it to Pepito or say it to anyone, but his friend's sudden bout of love for this one girl was actually starting to annoy him. He wished his friend would just shut up. In fact, his usual talk about his army of darkness and burning people who annoyed him had actually become welcome in Squee's mind. His pattern of thought was immediately shattered as he noticed Pepito was no longer talking. In fact, Pepito was no longer sitting by him, for that matter. "Oh God." Squee moaned to himself as he saw that his friend had actually gone up to the girl. He knew the girl's name even before Pepito had started talking about her. She was Gaz Membrane, and for all Squee knew, she was scary, just like Pepito could be.  
  
But neither of them, even combined, could hold a candle in the scary-ness factor to the Spooky Neighbor Man, or Johnny C.  
  
Truth be told, Squee actually like Johnny, who was his neighbor, but he was….well, he was spooky, thus making him the Spooky Neighbor Man. It didn't help either that his visits usually included him injuring his father in some form or another. His father could be really mean, saying lots of hurtful things, but Squee knew he didn't mean them, even though his teddy bear Shmee thought otherwise and would always let that be known. Squee came back to focus on the matter at hand when he saw Gaz punch Pepito in the face, and Pepito falling to the ground, and the whole mess ending with Gaz and her brother, Dib, walking off, probably deciding to eat outside. Squee went to his friend's side, helping him up and surprised to see that Pepito's nose was bleeding. "Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, amigo, I'm just fine." Pepito then proceeded to wipe the blood off which had been trickling down his nose to his mouth.  
  
"So I suppose you're going to give up?" Squee asked, hoping this would be the end of Pepito's lovestruck obsession.  
  
Pepito just gave a small smile and winked. "Nope. Not by a long shot." His smile widened. "Did you see that punch? I MUST have her as my queen!" And with that, Pepito rushed out the door to find his love, dragging his haplessly unlucky friend with him.  
  
  
  
Dib couldn't say he wasn't mad that Pepito had actually had the gall to hit on his sister, and in front of her brother for that matter. At least the little doushbag had gotten what he deserved, even though it stopped him from defending his own sister. Dib eyes widened, and he immediately slapped his forehead. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed that he had lost sight of Gaz in the crowd. It took him a little while, but he could eventually see where she was sitting. And it made him even angrier when she noticed who she was sitting by. "Zim…." He muttered under his breath.  
  
  
  
"What is it that interests you in this….electronical, beeping thingy?" Zim asked, peering at the Game Slave.  
  
Gaz couldn't help but let a tiny smirk escape. Sometimes it was actually enjoyable to have to sort of interaction with the rest of the world, especially with all the chauvinist morons like Pepito around. "It helps me relax and it entertains me. But most importantly, it helps me escape."  
  
"Escape…." Zim said. "You can't escape from every situation in such a way. I've only now noticed that sometimes you can't escape from something."  
  
Gaz raised an eyebrow at this proclamation. "Welcome to my world. A world of darkness and despair you can never escape from."  
  
"And its ruler is an evil god which takes the form of a moose." Zim was actually surprised at the incredibly silly and incoherent thing he had just said. It was something he would have expected from Gir, but certainly not from himself.  
  
Yet, Gaz was actually trying to contain her laughter at this incredibly odd and unexpected statement. And she failed.  
  
And Zim couldn't help it when he joined her laughter with his.  
  
However, this little moment was broken up by the most likely person.  
  
"GAZ! What are you doing speaking to that…that alien!" Dib screamed, drawing just about everyone's attention to all of them.  
  
Gaz rolled her eyes. "You know Dib, sometimes even I need some interaction with the world."  
  
"But you need to stay away from him! How do you know he won't lay eggs in your chest?"  
  
"Do you ever listen to the foolishness you speak, earthboy?" Zim replied.  
  
"Oh, and NOW you decide to speak. Exactly what was it that kept you from speaking earlier? Are you afraid of something?" Dib said in a voice chock full of venom.  
  
Zim had had enough, and he jumped on the table, pointing a finger at Dib. "Blasphemy! An invader fears nothing you fool! NOTHING!" Dib smirked a little bit, seeing as how Zim had just given himself away. Zim noticed this too, and immediately clasped his hands over his mouth.  
  
"An invader? So that IS what you're here for, isn't it Zim? Do take over this planet?"  
  
"Don't be a fool. I said nothing about being an invader."  
  
"Blah blah blah. For being an alien, it's incredible how stupid you are. But you are afraid of something, aren't you Zim? What's the matter? Has your planet realized how pathetic you are and are planning to get rid of you?"  
  
Zim lowered his head, actually surprising Dib. He had actual seemed to have hit it on the head. "Can't you just leave him alone Dib?" Gaz said, seeming to be annoyed.  
  
"How can you defend him Gaz? He's alien scum!" Dib said, outraged that his own sister was taking Zim's side.  
  
"How do you know he's an alien Dib? He said he has a skin condition. So does everyone who has a skin condition an alien?" Gaz said angrily.  
  
Dib was disgusted. His own sister was taking the alien's side? She had even seen him as an alien. Why was she defending him?  
  
Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. "Oh no." he muttered to himself. "Oh no no no."  
  
"What's wrong now Dib?" Gaz said, getting more annoyed by the second.  
  
"You can't! How can you have a crush on him?!" Dib declared angrily, pointing at Zim, who still had his head lowered and paying no attention to anything going on.  
  
"WHAT?!" Gaz screamed angrily at her brother for jumping to such a conclusion. Even if it did have a little bit of truth in it. "Where in the HELL did you get this?"  
  
Gaz bearly listened to her brother as he explained where he got the idea. She noticed things were about to get much worse.  
  
Pepito had come outside looking for her, dragging Squee with him.  
  
She sighed; the rest of the day was going to be intolerably long.  
  
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
  
Finally, he had arrived.  
  
The night slayer lightly landed the ship behind a house that seemed to be old and deserted, though he made sure to hide the ship so no one other then himself and his SIR unit would know where it was.  
  
He looked the building over. Yes, it was definitely deserted. It was much to damaged and rickety no one in his or her right mind to live in. Quietly, he sneaked around to the front door and quickly entered, leaving his SIR unit in the ship. He didn't worry about the little metal construction; he was in his sleep mode, and would know not to leave the ship until his master came back and told him everything was A-OK. The night slayer didn't even bother to look at the house's number.  
  
The number was 777.  
  
Johnny looked down upon the miserable, loathing creature in his basement, shackled to the wall like he deserved. The person had had the nerve to call him a fagot within hearing range for him. Johnny bent down and put one of his hands under the asshole's chin, the person shuddering in response. A light smile crossed Johnny's lips. "Did you know" he began, "that you can still feel pain for a little while after you have your head cut off?"  
  
"No! Please God no! Don't kill me!" the man screeched, tears of terror actually beginning to form in his eyes.  
  
Johnny's smile widened. "You just can't scream because your head is detached from your vocal cords."  
  
"I said I was sorry! Please! I'll do anything!"  
  
Johnny took out two knives, and they quickly did their work, severing the man's head from his body, some of the blood splattering onto Johnny. His smile became that of a hyena's.  
  
But his smile quickly faded as he heard a creak from upstairs. Someone had actually come into his house. "Fuck." he cursed to himself. Was it so wrong for someone's private property to actually be private? He took out his knife and peered out the door. Nothing prepared him for what he saw.  
  
The irk was actually shocked at the sight that awaited him. The walls were covered with knives jutting into them, and one of the walls was actually coated with a layer of blood. It was a true testament to cold steel and to death, a true piece of art as far as he was concerned.  
  
And he wanted to be part of it. To actually join with it and let the walls swallow him, sharing with him the knowledge that they had, they wanton slaughter and carnage they had beheld. He couldn't control himself; he went over to the wall layered in blood and touched it.  
  
And he was shocked when he noticed that it was still wet, that it was still fresh. He cursed himself in a low voice and in his own tongue. The building was being occupied by somebody, maybe someone who could actually be an equivalent to his own prowess.  
  
That's when he heard the door thrown open. He turned around to see a dumbstruck human. He was incredibly skinny and was a good height, a height that rivaled even his own. He looked like an absolute wreck, though his hair was somewhat well kept, his clothes were incredibly old looking and had seemed to be through a lot of wear, except for the black boots on his feet. His face, for now, was a mask of shock. It soon changed into a look of rage. "Who the hell are you?" he inquired.  
  
The irk raised his right hand, and lowered all of his fingers except for the middle one. He wasn't sure the earthling would understand, but by how much angrier the man got, he guessed it was pretty much understood by everyone.  
  
"Oh, you think you're really clever, don't you asshole?" Johnny shouted towards the irk. "Well, let's see how clever you are DISMEMBERED!" and with that, Johnny took out both of his knives.  
  
The night slayer smiled, and did the same with his knives. Perhaps this would be a true challenge.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
  
  
Heh heh, don't you just HATE cliffhangers? I know it's a little slow at first, and that Johnny is sorta OOC, but hopefully somebody enjoyed this. If you couldn't tell already, there is going to be ZAGR in later chapters, and if you don't like it, tough titties. By the way, whether you liked this or not, PLEASE REVIEW! I NEED REVIEWS OR I WILL DIE! SO REVIEW DAMMIT! 


	2. Setting Up Shop

The Night Slayers  
  
Chapter 2: Setting up Shop  
  
Johnny's knuckles turned white as he gripped the handle of his knife angrily. What fucking right did this thing have to disturb his home, his private property? He'd kill the son of a bitch, just like he killed ALL the assholes that crossed him.  
  
The Night Slayer's thoughts were radically different than Johnny's. He didn't think of just bloodlust in a battle; if there was anything he was taught in his training was to keep calm at all times. Keeping your cool wasn't just a useful skill, it was a virtue, and failure to uphold any virtue was a nice way to sentence yourself to death, at least in the Night Slayer's line of work.  
  
Johnny's patience finally gave in, and he charged the night slayer, his knives drawn.  
  
The Night Slayer was almost hypnotized by the human's quick, cat-like reflexes, graceful in there own way, yet still showed the amazing amount of hate and strength built up inside him. He was even more surprised when it was the human who drew first blood, his knife making a clean slash across the Night Slayer's chin.  
  
This brought the Night Slayer back to his senses, and he drew his knives as well. Johnny continued his quick movements, the blades of the knives seeming to be nothing more then flashes of flickering gray light, a dance of seemingly unstoppable death.  
  
And the Night Slayer parried every single blow, not one of them slipping through his shield.  
  
Johnny cussed to himself. Whatever this thing was, it was just as proficient as he was. Whatever was going to happen, he had to make sure he could hold out.  
  
MEANWHILE……..  
  
Gaz's eye began to twitch madly as Pepito had actual began to cling to her leg as she walked home. Why couldn't he just leave him alone.  
  
"Please! I swear to God! I may be the Antichrist, but I can see that we're perfect for each other!" Pepito said, seeming to actually beg.  
  
"Why….can't……you…..just….leave me……….ALONE!" Gaz shouted, causing some of the birds in the trees near them to fly off and scatter.  
  
Pepito let go of his grip on her leg, and shook his head. "Don't you understand?" he began. "I'm the Antichrist. And whatever I want, I MOTHERFUCKIN' GET!"  
  
The poor birds, it seemed, just couldn't get a break, and this time the ones a few blocks over flew away to find a place to go that would provide them with at least a bit of solitude.  
  
Gaz glared at him for a moment and then threw her head back., pretending to be offended by Pepito's comment, though in reality she really could have cared less.  
  
The other three people walking with them had remained relatively quiet throughout the whole ordeal. Zim and Dib had kept their mouths quite shut, even seeming to have put their petty squabbles away as not to face Gaz's wraith. Squee had pretty much tried to block everything out. He'd have to tell Shmee about Pepito's dilemma; maybe he'd know what to do.  
  
In Squee's mind, Shmee was the smartest and wisest person there was. If there was only one thing Squee knew was guaranteed, it was that Shmee would always be there to guide him. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he woke up one day and Shmee wasn't there. Squee was quite certain that if that happened, his whole world would fall apart.  
  
Zim was lost in his own little world of thoughts, which was the one thing that kept him from arguing with Dib some more. Only one thing had been on his mind other then the possible death at the hands of a Night Slayer.  
  
That one thing was a possible angel of light (at least, she was to him) who happened to have the name of Gaz. He didn't know why, but he seemed to recently have some sort of fixation on the girl. Had it been at some earlier time, he wasn't sure if it would really mean that much to him, and he probably would have been disgusted at the mere thought of it. In love? With a disgusting human? Who was his arch-enemy's sister? BLASPHEMY AND LIES!  
  
At least, Zim would have thought so earlier. But he actually felt some sort of bond between the girl. It may not be true love though.  
  
At least not yet, but maybe someday it would spark into that. He needed someone to cling to, someone to provide support. And if the person his emotions seemed to flow to was Gaz, so be it. To tell the truth, he really did believe he had what was called a crush.  
  
And he began to dream. Of a future, of hope…..  
  
Of love.  
  
Dib was totally unaware of his nemesis' thoughts, focusing on his own. Gaz…..and Zim? Could that even be possible? Seemingly, they both had feeling for each other. If it truly was love, Dib supposed he'd have to support it. Not for Zim, but for Gaz.  
  
Gaz was already in her own world of total darkness and despair, and he didn't really want to further that by trying to tear her away from the one person she seemed to have feelings for.  
  
But still………Zim? Who could really love Zim? Certainly, she could do better. Dib looked over at Pepito, who now seemed to be trying to grovel for forgiveness from Gaz. Dib grimaced. Maybe it WOULD be better if Gaz stuck with Zim.  
  
And so the kids continued their march, the only sound being made from them being their foot drops on the concrete and Gaz and Pepito's seemingly endless argument.  
  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
  
Another ship continued it's way towards the sphere known as Earth, another alien visitor preparing her way for a visit with her 'friend' Zim. He had caused her so much pain and annoyance in the past, and she would make sure he get his back in spades.  
  
Tak would see to that.  
  
Oh yes.  
  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
  
The two blades whirled in a constant show of power, perfect dances of death that easily would have killed any other opponent.  
  
Yet, neither Johnny nor the Night Slayer seemed to have the upper hand, at least not yet. But the battle had begun to wine down, and it was obvious both combatants had begun to become exhausted. Their knife slashes begun to become less powerful in force, their strength draining from their bodies.  
  
And that's when Johnny had let his guard down, his knives no longer being able to keep up with the constant assault of the better nourished and much healthier Night Slayer. The Night Slayer brought his knee up to Johnny's stomach, connecting with a sickening crack and knocking the wind out of Johnny. Johnny keeled over some, and the Night Slayer clasped his fists together and brought them down onto Johnny's skull, rendering him unconscious. The Night Slayer increased his grip on the knife handles, preparing to deliver the killing blow to the human.  
  
Yet he couldn't. Never before had he met such an opponent, never before so a challenge. It would be a true crime to kill one such as him.  
  
He approached the door his opponent had arrived through, and peered down.  
  
His was no where near ready for the site that awaited him. All around the room, people chained to walls or put in torture devices. A chamber of death, famine, and disease. A smirk crossed the Night Slayer's face.  
  
He picked up his opponent's body, which was surprisingly light, and hauled him down to the dungeon.  
  
  
  
Zim greeted his arrival at his home gratefully; glad to finally be away from the argument between Gaz and Pepito that had the potential to become quite violent.  
  
He immediately stood still as here heard the dull clang of metal in his kitchen.  
  
His antenna began to twitch nervously as he approached the kitchen, bracing himself for what he might see.  
  
It was GIR, looking down at a pan he had just dropped.  
  
Zim growled with some anger, as well as a sigh of relief mixed into it. "GIR! What are you doing?"  
  
GIR turned around to look at him, and smiled as goofily as he could. "I'm making Popsicles!" he screamed in his high pitch little voice, quite usual for such small creatures.  
  
"What do you mean you're making Popsicles GIR? You can't do that with a pan." Zim said, still annoyed from getting so frightened.  
  
"Uh huh!" GIR retorted, picking up the pan and showing to Zim. "See?"  
  
Zim did see, as the pan now had multiple colors imprinted into, the result of melting Popsicles inside a pan. "GIR! You just ruined a perfectly good cooking utensil! What do you have to say for yourself?"  
  
"Cock a doodle do!" GIR said happily, blissfully unaware that he had actually done something wrong.  
  
Zim frowned, and headed down to his laboratory.  
  
At that moment, GIR remembered something. Something very important. "Oh yeah master, you're cousin came to visit today. He's waiting down in the whatchamacalit for you."  
  
But Zim was already out of hearing range.  
  
  
  
Johnny C. slowly began to open his eyes, his head dully thumping at a slow rate. He wasn't even sure his eyes where open, because the first thing he saw was complete darkness.  
  
Finally, his eyes adjusted to the minimal amount of light in the room. "Shit….." he cussed silently to himself, hardly being able to believe what he knew had happened.  
  
He was in his basement, shackled to one of the walls. His faced contorted into a vicious grimace, which grew as he heard the snicker of the person next to him on his left-hand side. "Well, look who's here." The man said. "If it ain't our gracious host, skinny fag man!" The man had obviously been trying to turn out laughter from some of the other prisoners, and failed miserably.  
  
Johnny turned to the man, seething but unable to punish the man for his misdemeanor. The prick had a butch cut of his egg-shaped head, almost looking like an incredibly ugly hawk with his pointed nose. He wore a "Marilyn Manson" T-shirt and black pants. Obviously some fucking goth wannabe.  
  
"Listen, unless you want me to rip your lungs out like you deserve, you'll shut the hell up!" Johnny said, his anger rising with each passing moment.  
  
The wannabe goth made a sound of amusement and annoyance before he replied to Johnny's threat. "Oh, and how in the hell are you going to do that? You're in chains, just like all of us you stupid motherfucker!"  
  
Johnny was silent for a moment, his grimace become wider. The goth just continued to keep on his stupid shit eating little smile on his crude face. His smile quickly diminished as Johnny himself got a wide grin on his face and began to laugh. "What the fuck is so funny fag?" the goth asked, his eyebrows furrowing.  
  
"Hahahahah…Y…You don't…hahaha…don't get i..hahahaha! it, do you?" Johnny said, bearly able to contain his fits of laughter.  
  
"Don't get WHAT?"  
  
"Y..ahahaha! You think that hahahahahah! That I'm trapped in here with hahahahahahahahah! With you! B…hahaha But get this hahahahaha! I'M not trapped in hahahahaha! In here with you! You…hahahaha! YOU'RE trapped in here with ME!"  
  
And the room was silent except for Johnny's echoing laughter, a constant reminder to the prisoners that even now Johnny C. still had them where he wanted them.  
  
  
  
Gaz immediately sat on the couch as she and Dib arrived home, happy to finally be away from Pepito. She clutched her head for a moment before she picked up her GameSlave 2 and began to play. God, what a day! First, she had to hear Dib immediately launch into Zim with accusations. She knew Zim was an alien, but Dib really needed to give the poor kid a rest. And then there was Pepito, who had been following her around all day, totally lovestruck. At least he had the good sense to leave her alone inside her own house.  
  
Then, of course, there was Dib's accusation that she had a crush on Zim.  
  
Her? Have a crush? BAH! She didn't have a crush on Zim! She knew she didn't!  
  
………Didn't she?  
  
Her train of thought was broken as she heard the "Game Over" music begin to play, and she silent cursed herself. She had totally forgotten she was playing.  
  
"Gaz!"  
  
"Yet another lovely interference…" Gaz muttered softly to herself as Dib came up to her.  
  
"I'm going to go spy on Zim now." Dib told her, as he finished putting on the face part of his black camouflage suit over his head, covering everything except his eyes. (You know what I'm talking about; the suit he wore in "Nano Zim" when he got into Zim's house.)  
  
"Why do you even bother telling me this? It's not like I care." Gaz said. This had been going on as a daily routine for weeks.  
  
Dib shrugged. "I guess I just like having somebody to tell what I'm going to do to." He said, his voice slightly muffled under the black cloth. "Besides, there's something very wrong with Zim recently." He said, talking more to himself then to Gaz. "Something's gnawing away at his nerves, and I plan to found out what." And with that, Dib dashed out the door towards the path to paranormal victory.  
  
Gaz just looked at her brother run down the street before returning her gaze to her GameSlave 2. "Geek." She muttered to herself.  
  
  
  
Zim sat at his chair in front of the main computer screen, reviewing all the data he had found on the planet. Hadn't he done a good job as an invader? Why? Why was this happening to him? What had he done to disappoint the Tallest so?  
  
He immediately stopped dwelling on this as a pair of hands gripped around his neck and pulled him out of his seat, stopping the precious flow of air to his brain and holding him in midair. Zim tried to scream, but nothing but more of the air he needed issued from his mouth. He flailed wildly, kicking as hard as he could towards the attacker's "private" area, and making his fingers curl a little, allowing him to claw at the intruder. One of his hands obviously did enough pain to make the intruder scream and let go of his grip on Zim, dropping him to the cold, hard steel floor.  
  
Zim tucked into a roll as he hit the ground, and recovered as fast as he could. His blood ran cold as he saw that his worst fears were true.  
  
A Night Slayer, presently rubbing his forehead where a scratchmark now was, was right there in his own laboratory. He raised his cold black eyes at Zim, looking as if he could peer into Zim's soul. Zim began to back away, but was stopped as his back his the cold, hard instruments of the panel on his computer. The Night Slayer didn't make a move, his eyes the only thing following him. "You're a fool, you know that child?" the Night Slayer said, his voice no louder then a low whisper, the perfect reflection of his voice, which sounded to Zim like the crack of ice.  
  
"What is it I did?" Zim asked. "Before I die, I want to know what it is I did to displease the Tallest so much as to resort to this? Didn't I do good on my mission?"  
  
"Your mission?" the Night Slayer said, sounding more like snicker then actual words. "This whole thing was a setup. You were never on any real 'mission'. The Tallest just gave you this assignment because they were hoping you would somehow get lost in the void of space and die, so you would finally leave them alone."  
  
Zim couldn't believe it. His eyes were beginning to fill again with the things humans called tears. It was a trick? His whole mission was nothing but a trick? Why would they do something like that?  
  
iBastards…./i  
  
He didn't understand why the Tallest would be so cruel, to play around with his sense of duty like that and then send this killer to eradicate him.  
  
iI won't die this way…./i  
  
Zim braced himself to fight his enemy, though he knew he only had a minimal chance of success against someone as skilled as a Night Slayer.  
  
iI'll fight to the end…../i  
  
The Night Slayer obviously seemed to know what it was Zim was thinking, and he drew his knives. Yet another fight this day, yet it probably wouldn't be as rewarding as the one he had had earlier with the human.  
  
iI'll go down like a true invader./i  
  
Then Zim did the unexpected….  
  
He jumped off one of the ledges on the laboratory platform.  
  
The Night Slayer was shocked. He was sure the child was going to try to fight him, to actually try to go down like a true Irken Invader. He put his knives back in there sheathe and began to walk out. He supposed he had misjudged the boy's character.  
  
Right when he got onto one of the many bridges in the laboratory, he tripped and slammed face first onto the bridge. He immediately got up to see what he had tripped over.  
  
It was a metallic, spider-like leg, joined by three others and a young irken attached to the pack they sprang from. The Night Slayer snickered yet again. The child had obviously sprang them up when he knew he was out of view of the Night Slayer and then carefully crawled back up to confront him. "You do know you have a small chance to defeat me, but a very good chance to die at my hands, don't you?" the Night Slayer said.  
  
"I know." Zim replied. "But I can try to win."  
  
And with that Zim used the robot leg to swing himself up onto the bridge. The Night Slayer shook his head. "A pity." The Night Slayer said. "If you didn't have so many faults that the Tallest have seen, you could be an excellent addition to the Night Slayers."  
  
"And why would I want to join you?" Zim said, his voice as harsh a growl he could muster. "To do away with every single moral I have to just go and kill people outright?"  
  
The Night Slayer's brow furrowed. "You make it sound as if death isn't necessary."  
  
"That's because it isn't." Zim said. "There are times when it's needed, but not always."  
  
"A war isn't a war without casualties." The Night Slayer said. "You knew you'd have to kill the people on Earth to conquer it if this really was a true mission, don't you?"  
  
"I….know." Zim said. "But it wouldn't be like you. I don't get pleasure from the thought or act of killing things like you do."  
  
"You have quite a mouth child." The Night Slayer said, his mouth forming a grin. His own pack opened, and his spider-legs came out. There was only one difference between the Night Slayer's and Zim's spider-legs were that the Night Slayer's legs had knife-like blades on them. "Don't take this TOO personally child. I only serve my 'masters'." He said, a smile still across his lips as his legs quickly scuttled towards Zim quickly, one of his legs going under Zim's and sweeping across them, sending Zim tumbling to the ground on his back, the legs of his pack pointing up, leaving Zim defenseless.  
  
Zim immediately retracted the legs into his back and made a dash for one of the elevators. He had to get to one of his laser weapons he had higher up in the laboratory.  
  
The Night Slayer quickly anticipated his actions and scuttled in front of him, his regular irken arms grasping his knives and holding them outward, preparing to strike when he came close enough. Zim came still dashing towards him, not hesitating a bit. 'He's going to try to bowl me over.' The Night Slayer thought. He immediately dug the metal legs into the floor, giving him extra balance. Zim came right up to him…..and then crouched down into a slide, going right beneath the robotic legs.  
  
Zim had almost made it to the elevator when one of the legs came and struck at him, catching the back of his leg and biting into his flesh. Zim ignored the pain and gritted his teeth, getting into the elevator and started it up just in time as two more legs slammed into where the elevator once was.  
  
Zim sighed and leaned back against the back of the elevator, his back sliding until he was in a sitting position. When the elevator finally reached its destination, Zim got out as quickly as he could and rushed towards one of the assorted laser weapons he had there. He picked up the one he had the most experience, a simple laser pistol, and prepared for the Night Slayer to have finished scaling the wall. There were only two noises he heard while he waited; the sound of the Night Slayer's metallic legs digging into the wall so he could climb it, and the flush of a toilet, meaning yet another person had entered the lab. The next thing he heard was the sound of his own body hitting the steel floor. He immediately spun out of the way as a leg slammed where he once was, cursing himself for being stupid enough not to think that he would come up behind him. Zim immediately aimed the laser pistol at the charging Night Slayer and fired, the beam hitting his chest. The Night Slayer reeled back for a moment…..  
  
And continued his charge, unscathed.  
  
Zim avoided yet more thrusts to the ground by the metallic spider legs, yet he knew he couldn't keep this up.  
  
Suddenly, the Irken stopped his assault, and jumped onto one of the far walls, seemingly trying to hide. 'What the hell is he doing?' Zim thought to himself.  
  
His question was soon answered as the elevator came up yet again, this time holding two people in it. Well, one person and a little robot in a dog costume. "Look master! Mr. Dib came over." GIR said happily, smiling at the thought of that he had done a good thing. Dib just gave Zim his usual smirk.  
  
Zim growled at the arrogance of his opponent. "I have no time for you today Dib."  
  
"Oh, and why's that?" Dib said as he went over to the display of laser weapons. "Are you….building an army of robots in dog costumes!?" he screamed, pointing to GIR as an example of a soldier in the "dog robot" army. GIR just smiled and waved at him.  
  
"You wouldn't understand Earthling." Zim said. "But there's something very important I'm in the middle of."  
  
"Earthlings…." Another, new voice said, echoing through the laboratory. "So that's what this race is called."  
  
Dib was surprised as another irk came from seemingly nowhere, landing on the metal floor with his metal spider-legs, which he retracted and turned to look at the boy.  
  
Dib snarled. "So they've sent backup, huh Zim? Even with two of you, you won't win."  
  
"Oh yeah, this guy's my backup Dib." Zim snorted in disgust.  
  
Finally, the other Irk spoke up. "Tell me, Earthling, what do you call those who kill on your planet?"  
  
Dib raised an eyebrow, and was immediately disturbed by the other irk's presence. "We have different names for them, but I guess one of the most common ones is murderer."  
  
"Murderer." The taller irk said, the word rolling around on his tongue. "What a charming little word." He turned his head towards Zim, yet continued to talk to Dib. "Let's say I kill this boy, Zim, under orders given to me by my superiors. Would it be justifiable? Or would I be a so- called 'murderer' for my actions, actions I take just to follow my master and for my honor?"  
  
Dib was growing more uncomfortable around the taller irk by the minute. "I….I don't know. Why are you asking me this?"  
  
"Because I wish to understand this race. So many of you are so seemingly different, even though I've only met two of you." The taller irk smiled. "You should leave, little earthling. This is none of your concern. If you wish to get involved and help this child, you too shall die."  
  
Dib was taken aback. "You're….you're going to kill him?"  
  
"Is that so shocking after the question I just asked you?"  
  
Dib wasn't sure how to respond to what this creature had just told him. He had wanted to turn Zim in, which would result in him being killed, but his own race would actually send an assassin to kill him? He didn't have a problem with the thing killing Zim, except for…..  
  
iGaz…….../i  
  
Gaz was…..happy around Zim, something she rarely ever really was. He'd help Zim….for Gaz's happiness. "I'll fight you, alien scum." Dib told the taller alien.  
  
The Night Slayer was surprised. He hadn't expected such a young earthling child to actually challenge him. He supposed that, whether child or adult, earthlings would fight. "You would die for someone you don't care about?"  
  
Dib didn't answer until Zim turned towards him, his face askew in a look of confusion. "I don't care about him." Dib said. "But I know someone who does." Zim's face immediately lit up with understanding, his lips forming the words "Thank you."  
  
The Night Slayer sneered. "If that's truly what you want." He quickly reached for something behind him, and pulled out a small black orb and threw it to the ground, creating an explosion that threw Zim into one of the laser weapons and almost sending Dib over the edge of floor, quickly being able to grip onto the side of the edge and quickly pulls himself up.  
  
When he finally righted himself, he saw the Night Slayer standing over the prone body of Zim, his knives drawn. Dib began to dash towards the Night Slayer, put was stopped as a small, gray robot slammed into it, sending the Night Slayer skidding backwards. "You hurt master Zim!" GIR squeaked out angrily. "You're not a nice person!"  
  
"Get off me you little pest!" the Night Slayer said angrily, grabbing the little robot and flinging him off of him.  
  
GIR crouched into a roll and got back up, readying his weapons and aiming them at the Night Slayer. "You're a big meany!!"  
  
GIR never got to fire a single shot, as a knife quickly found it's way into his head, and his body collapsed.  
  
Annoyed, the Night Slayer came up to the little robot and took the knife out. He picked up its small, unmoving body, and threw him over one of the ledges, his body only making a very soft and low 'thump' as it his the ground below. He turned towards where his targets where, and immediately cursed himself.  
  
They were gone, escaped while the little robot had distracted him.  
  
At the bottom of the laboratory, GIR tried desperately to stay on line, his eyes flickering on and off. He sniffed softly and said "Bye bye Master Zim." And then his eyes flickered out for good and GIR's once cheerful, color-filled world became a dark world of silence, except for the heavy footfalls of the Night Slayer.  
  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
  
Well, that's the end of Chp. 2. I know I'm going to get flamed for what I've just done, put let me tell you that I DO like GIR. The reason he was 'killed' by the Night Slayer was to make the Night Slayer even more despicable. So please, tell me what you think. 


	3. Voices in the Dark

The Night Slayers  
  
  
  
Here it is: Chapter 3 of "The Night Slayers". One of the things you people said the most about in the reviews for Chapter 2 was how depressing it was because of Gir's death. Well, like I said at the end of Chp. 4 in "Oh…My…God!" was that I'd be bringing Gir back, and that'll happen this chapter. So leave me ALONE! Hehehehe, just kidding. Enjoy Chapter 3.  
  
One other thing of note: I missed the episode of IZ with Tak in it that was on last Friday, so there may be some differences between the way she was in the show and the way she is in this fanfiction.  
  
1 Chapter 3: Voices in the Dark  
  
The Night Slayer stalked carefully to the back of the house he had chosen as his base of operations, quietly closing the back door as he exited, and going to where he had safely stashed his small, sleek black ship. He quickly opened the ship's hatch and entered.  
  
There in the passenger's side seat sat a small, gray android, sleek and unfeeling. The Night Slayer opened up the hatch in the little robot's head and took out a small board with switches. He flicked a few of the switches, some he flicked repeatedly. When he was done, he put the board back and closed the lid of the creature's head, and turned him on.  
  
Even online, the small robot remained silent. He looked at his master and waited for his instructions. The Night Slayer looked at the small creature approvingly before he began to speak. "I have just put in you the coordinates for our target's base. You are to enter his laboratory and bring back to me anything you see fit to show me. Understood?"  
  
The little robot nodded, and the Night Slayer gave a small grin. "Then complete your mission."  
  
The robot saluted and then flew off into the night sky, even his jets seemingly just as quite as he himself was.  
  
MEANWHILE……………….  
  
Next door, the young boy known as Squee talked to his closest and dearest friend; Shmee, his teddy bear, who, as far as he knew, had always been there for him. "So, what do you think I should do Shmee?" he asked him, already having revealed his latest plight with Pepito.  
  
There was no answer from Shmee, something so very odd. Squee usually needed his friend's wisdom to help him through the day. What was wrong? Was something wrong with Shmee? "Shmee?" Squee repeated, getting more nervous by the second.  
  
"Hm?" Shmee finally responded. Squee raised an eyebrow, not sure what it was his teddy bear had been disturbed by. "Oh, about your question Squee, do you know if this girl Pepito is after already has a crush on somebody?"  
  
Squee thought for a minute before he responded. "Yeah, I think she sorta does. His name is Zim. He's a weird kid, almost as weird as the spooky neighbor man." Squee began to get more nervous as he described Zim. "And he has green skin, like the aliens do. He doesn't look like the other aliens do, but I think he is. Do you think he'll abduct me? I hope he doesn't! But what if he does?! SQUEEEEEEEEE!"  
  
"TODD!" he heard his father bellow. "Shut the hell up and go to sleep!"  
  
Todd sniffed a little bit, still frightened. "Good night Shmee." Squee said reluctantly before laying his head down and being forced to enter the land of nightmares so common to him.  
  
  
  
Gaz had finally gotten back into her groove she usually had when she was playing a video game. She was so close to victory in Ultimo Bloodbath 2.  
  
Her groove was immediately broken as the doorbell rang. She did her best to ignore it, but got more and more frustrated as the screaming began. "Gaz! Gaz! Let me in! Let me in!" said her brother, his voice slightly muffled by the wooden door, though still sounding incredibly urgent, like something had panicked him.  
  
Angrily, she paused her game and stalked over to the door, and flung it open. "For God's sake Dib! Couldn't you have opened the damn door yoursel…….." She immediately stopped screaming at her brother as she saw that he had Zim, who was unconscious, in his arms. Her eyes went wide with concern and she stumbled back some, stun for a moment. Had he done this? Did Dib actually succeed in hurting him? Or was there something else, like Dib had theorized, that had hurt him. She soon noticed that Dib was still standing in the doorway. "Well what the hell are you waiting for?" she asked him impatiently. "Get him in here!"  
  
Dib quickly followed his sister's hectic instructions and laid Zim down on the couch in the living room. "I didn't do anything to him." Dib quickly added, as to make sure to avoid his sister's wraith, which seemed to constantly be bestowed upon him.  
  
Gaz quickly put her hand over where Zim's heart would be, checking for a pulse. Thankfully, there was one, and Gaz gave off a small sigh of relief. "What the hell happened Dib?" she asked softly. "Just what in the hell happened.  
  
Dib shrugged. "We may want to wait for Zim to wake up, because even I don't know all of the details."  
  
  
  
The Night Slayer continued his exploration of his new base of operations. He had seen other interesting things then just the blood-laden wall. Two things in particular piqued his interest: two dolls, one black, one white, and both in baker's clothing, were stuck to the wall, a knife put through each of them to keep them in place. He didn't know why, put for some ungodly reason, they stirred something within him. Something that felt so wrong yet oh-so right inside of him.  
  
There was another doll, but he didn't interest him as much as the others. He was a little ugly looking human holding some sort of sandwich. This one he found nothing of interest with, yet still these two little baker-dressed dolls continued to interest him.  
  
And in some other dimension, in some other plane of existence, the creature behind the wall stirred, preparing to once again make his presence known.  
  
  
  
Shmee was disturbed by the possibility of things that could come, especially from the amount of dementia coming from 777, Johnny C.'s house. He knew there was always a large amount of it, but it seemed to be increasing now, becoming more and more powerful in force. Shmee now doubted very much that it was radiating from Johnny C. Some other creature has come to his house that's even more demented then him.  
  
Shmee's thoughts soon began to drift towards someone else: towards Squee, the little boy who he was to protect, as he was his trauma sponge. He'd have to find some way to totally keep Squee out of contact with Johnny.  
  
"You truly care for him, don't you?" asked a small, whispy voice. Shmee quickly directed his thought patterns towards a windowsill, where there now stood a small Bub's Burger Boy.  
  
"Hello MEAT." He said unhappily. Shmee despised MEAT, as did many of the others in the trauma sponges, also known as figments, society. MEAT had a reputation for pushing things over the edge, to become too drastic in his measures. "It seems you've gained enough enough strength to allow you to walk."  
  
"Oh, thank you soooooo much Shmee." MEAT said, the contempt towards the stuffed bear evident in his voice. "Understand that I would not have come unless I deemed it absolutely necessary, for my survival, as well as the one who you take care of."  
  
"Oh?" Shmee said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, though he was interested in what the burger boy had to say. "Exactly what is this incredible threat MEAT?"  
  
"As you may have already guessed," MEAT began. "another creature has taken up residence in Nny's house. This thing is something unworldly, something I've never encountered before."  
  
"Could it possibly be some sort of minion of the wall beast? One that is totally independent and free?" Shmee asked, becoming concerned. "The universe had ended once because of Johnny's death and the freedom of the wall beast. We can not afford for something like that event to ever happen again."  
  
"Agreed." MEAT said. "But it is not a minion of the wall beast……At least not yet."  
  
"What do you mean 'At least not yet'?  
  
"The wall beast is reawakening once again. Surely you've felt it stirring. The creature that has arrived has imprisoned Johnny within his own dungeon. To top this all off, this creature has seemingly become obsessed with the wall, as well as the now silent forms of Mr. Eff and Psycho Doughboy."  
  
"Does he even understand what they are, what they could be capable of should the wall beast somehow be able to use them again?"  
  
"Unlikely. If the wall beast plans to do such, however, it will more then likely use only Psycho Doughboy, as Eff began to show signs of extra self- awareness."  
  
"So they themselves were even stronger then we thought." Shmee pondered to himself. He soon returned his attention back towards MEAT. "Knowing you, this isn't the only reason you came here to talk. What else is it you want MEAT."  
  
"There is nothing else." MEAT said, trying to sound as if he was telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  
  
"Yes, there is MEAT. What is it you want?" Shmee said, his patience with the burger boy growing ever thinner.  
  
MEAT sighed and then continued. "You know of what your boy's fate will be should you fail to keep him away from insanity."  
  
"I do." Shmee said, struggling to say even those two words. He couldn't bare the thought of all the potential Squee had being thrown away and replaced with the same murderous desires that Johnny had.  
  
"He will soon be forced to grow up quickly if he wants to survive or have a chance of avoiding the same fate as Johnny." MEAT said. "But if he should become the same as Johnny," MEAT said, sneering, "I would gladly help him."  
  
"YOU stay away from him!" Shmee said, the anger in his voice that so few could hear evident.  
  
It was so evident, in fact, that it woke up Squee. "Wha…..what's wrong Shmee?" Squee asked, obviously afraid.  
  
"Nothing's wrong Squee." Shmee said. "Just go back to sleep."  
  
"Psh." Squee heard a another small voice like Shmee's reply. "What wonderful advice you give him Shmee."  
  
Squee let out one of his smaller trademark squees before asking "Who….who's there?"  
  
"I am here child." The voice said. "You have no reason to fear me. I'm a 'friend' of Shmee's."  
  
Squee, unsure what to think of this 'new friend', turned his head towards Shmee. "It's okay Squee." He heard his bear say to him. "Just go back to sleep."  
  
Reluctantly, Squee went back to the land of sleep. When Shmee was quite sure that Squee was sound asleep, he continued his chat with MEAT. "I would truly appreciate it if you would never talk to the child I am taking care of again."  
  
"And you take such good care of him Shmee." MEAT said, becoming even more obnoxious by the second. "I shall be leaving now anyway, for I must make sure the creature does not figure out that I'm missing. I shall let you choose the next course of action, but I suggest you act quickly."  
  
And as quickly as the manifest came, he was gone.  
  
  
  
"Zim?" a soft, yet familiar voice asked, breaking through the darkness. Zim opened his eyes, slowly and slightly, to see who was talking. He found himself peering into the soft purple eyes of a young girl.  
  
"Gaz?" He said, unsure if he was dreaming, or perhaps dead. She nodded her head, obviously relieved to see that he was still alive. He looked around a bit more to see Dib standing off to the side. He sighed with relief and closed his eyes a little.  
  
His eyes immediately opened wide again. "GIR!" he screamed. "Where's GIR?"  
  
Dib shook his head. "That thing, whatever it was, was attacking him last I saw him. He distracted him long enough for me to get you out of there."  
  
"There's something chasing you?" Gaz asked, trying to seem more annoyed then concerned.  
  
"Exactly what the hell was that thing anyway Zim?" Dib asked as well, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.  
  
Zim looked Dib straight in the eyes as he answered. "In my home tongue, he would be known as a 'Tarash Natatea'. However, their most common name is 'The Night Slayers'. They are considered the elite of the Irken elite, being lower in status only to the Tallest, the rulers of my planet. They are usually used for incredibly dangerous or important missions, such as assassinations."  
  
"But why you?" Gaz asked. "Why do they want to kill you?"  
  
"Because he is a failure. A mistake of the great Irken Empire." Said a new, feminine voice from the doorway. All of them turned around to see who the new voice was that had joined their conversation.  
  
It was indeed a girl, with black hair and black clothing. Her skin was pale, with a faint green tint. Zim could already identify her from her voice.  
  
"Hello Tak." He said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Tak?" Gaz asked. "Do you know her?" Zim wasn't sure, but it almost sounded like she was jealous.  
  
Obviously, Tak could sense it as well. "Don't worry." She sneered. "There is no love between us."  
  
"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to know who you are and what you're doing in my house?" Dib asked, obviously annoyed.  
  
"Oh, I just came to even things up for Zim." Tak said, a small vicious grin coming over her face. "God knows that he would be totally worthless on his own against one such as a Night Slayer."  
  
"That doesn't make sense." Zim said, his brow furrowing. "You'd like to see me dead. What's the real reason behind this?"  
  
"It'll all make sense, eventually." Tak said. "But right now, I am in no mood to divulge information." She turned towards Dib. "Obviously, this is your home. I am in need of shelter. If you wouldn't mind….."  
  
"Oh no!" Dib said, shaking his head voraciously. "I'm already housing one alien, I don't need to be housing two!"  
  
"Okay then, I'll just leave." She said, shrugging. "I'll just find the nearest scientific center and expose Zim. That otta put a damper in any plans you have with him."  
  
Dib sighed as Gaz looked at him pleadingly. He knew what Tak was doing; obviously, she was trying to take advantage of Gaz's emotions with Zim. "Fine." He said through gritted teeth. "You can stay."  
  
Gaz mouthed a 'thank you' towards him, then turning to Zim lying on the couch, who had once again fallen asleep.  
  
  
  
Johnny C.'s thoughts became increasingly violent as he was trapped inside his own torture chamber. He would kill the fucking alien, and he would take great pleasure in it. Oh yes, great pleasure.  
  
His train of thought was broken by the wannabe goth next to him. "Hey motherfucker, what are you thinking about?" he said, sneering.  
  
Johnny shot an angry look back at him. "You know, when I get out of these shackles, you're going to be the first one that I kill." He said, emotionlessly but obviously angry as hell.  
  
The goth let out a sound of disgust and annoyance. "Oh please. Just how in the hell are you going to do that?"  
  
Johnny grinned at him and moved his hands towards the shackles on his arms. One of his hands met a little knob, which he twisted ever so slightly, unlocking his bond on that hand. He repeated this process for his hands and feet, and looked at the goth, grinning triumphantly.  
  
The goth's mouth just widened into a look of absolute shock. "You mean to tell me," he started out lowly "that all we had to do to get out of these damn things was twist some fuckin' little knob?"  
  
"Pretty much." Johnny said, his grin always remaining on his face. Soon though, Johnny heard the sound of footsteps coming down into the basement. "Shit." He muttered to himself. He quickly got back into place and readjusted the bonds.  
  
Sure enough, it was the alien, this time carrying a crowbar with him. He came perilously close to Johnny, put the crowbar over one arm, and swung.  
  
He hit the goth straight in the side of the head, the force of the blow crushing his skull, fragments of it flying out, some spraying onto Johnny.  
  
The alien inspected the crowbar a little more, running his hands over it. Finally, he left the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
Johnny turned his head towards the corpse of the goth, his expression turning sour. "Bastard." Johnny muttered. "I had wanted to do that."  
  
  
  
It was at least 10:30 PM when the little SIR unit returned. The Night Slayer was still inspecting the crowbar. It was a useful tool, but wouldn't be truly much use to him in combat unless he could get enough room to swing. The only thing that alerted him of the SIR unit's presence was the small steps of his metal feet hitting the tile on the floor.  
  
The Night Slayer turned his head to see what the little robot had brought back, and his face immediately gave off a small frown.  
  
In the little robot's arms was the SIR unit he had destroyed earlier in the lab. "You want me to repair him?" the Night Slayer asked quizzically. All the little SIR unit did was nod his head. "Why?" he asked, unsure of the robot's intentions. "What's the point?"  
  
The little robot set the dismantled SIR unit on the ground and pointed at it, then at itself. The Night Slayer furrowed his brow at the little robot's message. "You believe you two to be the same?"  
  
The little robot nodded. The Night Slayer just sighed and picked up the now still SIR unit. He supposed he should have some time to relax before he resumed the chase.  
  
  
  
Professor James Membrane stepped out of his laboratory anxiously. He was so close to finishing his newest invention. All he needed was a tool to finish the job, a tool which he had leant Dib. He made his way into the front room where he saw his children playing a card game with two friends. He had seen one of the friends before, a little boy that Dib claimed was an alien. The other, a girl, he hadn't seen before, but by the looks of her apparel, he believed her to be a friend of Gaz's. He himself never understood card games or the simple joys that they provided to others. He decided not to disturb their game and continued towards his son's room.  
  
He pushed the door open, raising an eyebrow at the amount of paranormal junk his son had accumulated. He considered these just to be fantasies his son had. He quickly found his tool, a weird looking wrench, on his son's desk. Next to it, he found something else of interest and smiled as he picked it up.  
  
It was a mounted picture of him with his children when they were younger, Dib holding his hand and looking up at him in admiration and Gaz perched on his shoulders, smiling and giggling. On the picture was written "For Dib and Gaz, Love Dad."  
  
His smile soon turned to a frown as he noticed what was written underneath it. In cursive writing, he had put "Prof. James Membrane, Head of Scientific Department"  
  
He immediately sat down on the bed, clutching his head in one hand. He had actual autographed a picture for his own son and daughter? How could he do something so idiotic? They weren't some drooling fans! They were his own flesh and blood for Christ sake!  
  
And for the first time in five years, Professor James Membrane put his hands over his face and began to cry.  
  
The Night Slayer leaned back in one of the chairs, finishing the repairs on the SIR unit. He had no will to put up with it this night and would activate it tomorrow. He shut his eyes, preparing to go to sleep.  
  
"Psssssssttt!" said a small voice, obviously trying to get his attention. His eyes immediately snapped open and looked around the room.  
  
"Over here!" the voice said again, and he turned towards the direction of the voice.  
  
The voice appeared to be coming from where the two doughboys stuck on the wall where. "Unreal." He muttered to himself as he walked over to them.  
  
"Oh, we are real." The white one said, obviously being the speaker previously.  
  
"We?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, we." Said the one in black. "Both of us are real."  
  
"What are you?" the Night Slayer implored, unsure how to feel about this situation.  
  
"We…" the one in white began "are part of you. I am your self loathing."  
  
"And I am your maniac desires." The black one said.  
  
"What do you mean you're me?"  
  
"It seems you don't pay much attention." The white one said. "We are inside of you, your own thoughts manifesting into separate beings."  
  
"So I'm basically having a conversation with myself?" he asked the dolls, still unsure as how to feel about these turn of events.  
  
"Yep." The black one said.  
  
"So I've basically gone insane?" the Night Slayer asked.  
  
"Yes." The white one said.  
  
"No." the black one responded.  
  
"Okay, one minute." He said. "If you're both part of me, then how come you both contradict each other."  
  
"We are both parts of your emotions." The black one said. "And both of us are against each other in our goals."  
  
"And your goals are…..?" the Night Slayer asked.  
  
"That" the black one said "is a question that shall be answered in time."  
  
"You know," the white one began, "this is quite uncomfortable. Could you perhaps let us down?"  
  
The Night Slayer took both the knives out of the two Styrofoam creatures, their bodies falling into upright positions. "Well, now I sort of know what you are." He said. "Do you have any names?"  
  
"How careless of us." The white one said. "I am Psycho Doughboy, and my accomplice here is known as Mr. Eff."  
  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
  
Well, this is shorter then the other chapters, but the upcoming chapters will be longer, that I promise. Also, this will be the last update I make for awhile, as I will be going on summer vacations for awhile and won't be able to use a computer. Well, until then, see yas! ;) 


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Invader Zim, Adventure, Romance