11/25/01Wheeee! I'm back! (Be afraid, be very afraid.) If that marathon
doesn't come on tomorrow, I am going to be ever so pissed! First off, I'd
like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's reviewed Vindication,
When the World Ends, and my little slash fic It's Been A While. Thanks to
all you glorious peoples, my Zim fics have broken 50 reviews. I'm so happy!
Super Huge-a-ma-gug Glomps are in order for TD, my best friend and the best
beta-reader a girl could ask for, Amethyst Soul, invaluable beta and a damn
fun person to work for, or be friends with for that matter, and Ztarlight,
who has reviewed every single IZ story I've written. Also to deep breath
Invader ZaiFae, Cold Silence, Tizzy R., Taryn, The Dark Jaguar, Pepperleen,
Idgiebay, Tammy-ddrtrr, Aliet Faslami, the exploding turkey, Purple,
Invader Miz, Jibaku-chan, Verdandi, Celtic Air, Dark Kinsey, shadowwolf75,
'nother deep breath Kelsey, DibFanatic, Zella, angel, Thordis, Laura,
Fyreneko, Invader Bast, Arm&Leg, Kaged Tiger, and Meg, thank you from the
depths of my squeedly-spooch. My ego will forever be in debt to you all.
Now...I debated on doing this chapter from Zey's POV, but finally decided that that was the only way I could get the effect I wanted. Warning: Zey is a sadist in the truest sense of the word. If you don't know what that means go get your dictionary. Some things in here some people may find disturbing. It's still PG-13 rated, but just be warned. I make no apologies for it. I love this chapter dearly, and it was probably the most fun to write. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Bring the pain!!!
Disclaimer (Don'tcha love these?): Invader Zim belongs to the Almighty Thinnest Jhonen Vasquez, and his army of doom-sporks, and the sentient dust- bunnies at Nickelodeon. Aw, aren't they cute? I do this only out of the deepest respect for the characters and the great, great mind that created them. I mean it. Vasquez, if you're reading...damn you're a genius.
Oh, Dev and Zey, and any other characters NOT from Invader Zim, are mine. If Vasquez wanted to use them he could, but you guys aren't Vasquez, so ask first, please.
Any reviews you give to me will pleeeee-ase Pustulio! Flames will be treated with the same loving care you would expect from Nny, and any survivors will be fed to my pet Velociraptor.
___________
When the World Ends
___________
-Time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day
The clock ticks life away
It's so unreal-
-Chapter Five: Zey-Sadism-
Well that was interesting.
The giant screen is dark on one side, the politicians on the other still staring, unable to comprehend the fact of their dismissal. Stupid. But all politicians are, of course.
Membrane's shouting at the general, a very un-Membrane-like thing to do. It's about damn time he let some of that repressed anger out. The issues that guy must have...
Membrane storms out of the room, Dev following on his heels like some lapdog. These people are all pathetic. People are pathetic, period, but I don't complain. It makes it that much easier to take advantage of them. I catch the general's attention. We have business to discuss. His face is still red from the conference. He's angry over the loss of civilians, of course. Silly, but hopefully it will work to my advantage.
Determination has taken a firm hold in his features by the time he reaches me. "It must be done now. Have you come to a decision?"
"Is the money in the bank?" Like I actually care about the money. It's just an added bonus. I love getting paid to do what I love.
"Yes, half now, the other half to be transmitted when you're done. We need information. I don't care how you get it, do what you have to. He's lost all use as a bargaining chip, and if we need another one there's a whole fleet out there."
I allow a smirk as I walk out the door. This is going to be fun.
_____
The general sent two soldiers to help me with the tricky business of moving the alien. We make it to the empty lab I've chosen for the occasion, one that's out of the way and all but deserted. I'd picked it out earlier. The soundproofing was what finalized my decision.
The soldiers strap him down to the operating table, and move to stand guard, but I shove them out the door and tell them in no uncertain terms to get lost. The less witnesses there are, the better. Besides, I work best without an audience.
Now, to the alien. I've been wanting to do this ever since I first joined the project. Ever since I first saw those defiant red eyes, I knew I had to be the one to break him. It was a stroke of luck that the general offered me the opportunity. They needed someone who could get close to him, who'd be willing to play double agent long enough to wring the information they needed from him.
If there's one thing I've learned about the military, it's that they don't like things being out of their control. They've been trying to usurp the project since the beginning. But with Membrane's popularity and the strength of his fame and his father's career behind him, they haven't succeeded. Yet. Good thing too, or I might not be able to do this.
And what a shame that would be.
I walk over to the alien, making an extra effort at keeping my back straight, keeping myself at my full height. I learned early the effect that height has on him, and after seeing his leaders I can understand why. Of course, if I was that fucking small I'd be wary of things twice my size too.
Large red eyes stare back at me, fear and uncertainty swirling in them. He's not stupid, he knows exactly what I'm here to do. I think he's known since the beginning that the others were the only thing keeping him from me. And they are quite obviously not here.
I reach down, run my hand along one thin wrist, up to the strap holding it in place. The skin is raw and bruised. He's been in one form of restraint or another every second since they captured him. It must be very sensitive. I take firm hold of the leather, and pull the strap. He winces, but doesn't say a word. I didn't expect him too anyway. Not yet. He's too strong to break that easily.
I can't hide the smile that crosses my lips. My favorite kind of smile, the one I like to call my 'cat with a limping mouse' smile. I know exactly the kind of effect it has on people, and have learned well how to use it to its fullest potential. And it's working quite well now. The fear in his eyes intensifies, and I reach for the strap again, pull it as tight as possible.
"I am going to make you squirm..." I grab the strap around his other wrist, pull it till a trickle of blood seeps out from beneath. "Make you writhe..." I play with one of his ever-so-sensitive antennae for a second before squeezing it tight. A drop of moisture flows from the corner of his eye, to mingle with the sweat already running down his cheek. "And most importantly..." I lean in close, still gripping his antenna as I whisper, "I'm going to make you scream."
As I release his antenna he pants to catch the breath he'd been holding. His mouth is open, delicate lips parted slightly...
I wonder what an alien tastes like.
He's surprised as I capture his mouth with mine, so surprised he forgets to struggle for a moment. Of course he can't move around anyway so it doesn't really matter. He tastes good, smooth lips, and a hint of some flavor I can't place. His body temperature is lower than a human's, chill. All in all a pleasant experience.
Except for the pain that suddenly strikes my lip. I pull back. The copper taste in the back of my throat tells me about the blood coating my bottom lip. The little bastard bit me.
"You want it rough, eh? Well I can definitely take care of that, don't you worry. We're gonna have a little fun, and then you're gonna tell me all the little secrets you've been keeping from us." I pull out my hand-held tazer, similar to those sold for personal defense, but stronger. A quick jab is enough to ensure at least a half hour of paralysis. He doesn't scream yet, but there's plenty of time for that.
On to my next toy. There's a metal tray of operating utensils sitting next to the table. I pick up the scalpel, run my finger along the blade to test its edge, ignore the sting as it slices a small line in my skin. Perfect.
He's trying not to show fear, ever the warrior I suppose, but his eyes widen as I lower the scalpel to his bare chest. It might be comical, if it weren't so dark. His gaze is locked on the blade, afraid to not see what's coming.
He winces again as it pierces, his breathing becoming heavy with the beginnings of panic. So fucking beautiful.
I decide to give in to a whim, and start a shallow cut, deep enough to hurt but not deep enough to do much damage. When I'm done, a dark purple heart stands out against green skin. And he still hasn't screamed, damn him. Well, I'll take care of that.
"I need a drink. I'll be right back then we can continue. Don't you go anywhere." His taut muscles relax somewhat as I turn to go. A glass of water is just what I need, but I'm not thirsty. He doesn't see the smirk that crosses my lips.
But someone does. For a split second I think I see a figure at the door. I'm readying a good shout at the ignorant soldiers when I realize there's no one there. What the hell?
The hairs on the back of my neck are standing straight up. It feels like I've just been zapped with my tazer. Something is definitely not right here. I look back to the table, but the alien's staring at the ceiling. He couldn't turn his head if he wanted to, obviously he didn't see anything. But...
What the hell? There it was again, the same person, only standing at the other end of the lab, in the open doorway that was closed when I came in. Fuck, this isn't good.
"Who the hell are you?" My voice is steady, though I'm more than a little disturbed. There's no way to get from one end of the lab to the other without going through it.
There's no answer. The silence is eerie, almost unnatural. The alien's trying to see me out of the corner of his eye. A sudden, high pitched giggling erupts from the first door, making him gasp and me jump. Fuck, this is really starting to creep me out. I feel something reach into my pocket. My tazer. I can't react in time, and don't even get to see the person standing behind me before the fire shoots up my side. Ah, fuck.
______
The room blurs into focus. White ceiling, shrouded in darkness, painfully bright light hanging above and behind me, shining into my eyes. What the fuck? A face appears above me, filling my vision with a fuzzy silhouette before it resolves itself into a woman's. Dark, kohl lined eyes, deep violet hair...and a supremely pissed off expression.
"I should thank you for bringing Zim here. So far out of the way, it makes it much easier to steal him." Of course that's what she's after. I remember her now, Membrane's sister. She was here once. She was very upset over the alien, though her brother didn't seem to notice.
Restraints are in place, of course. From the corner of my eye I can just barely make out the alien, lying unmoving on a blanket on the floor. Hugging his neck is that robot that Membrane brought in with him. A wool cap is covering its head, a toque that says 'Squirrel!'. Its silver antenna is sticking out of the top. How the hell did she get that thing working? How the hell did she get it in the first place?!
A squeaking noise draws my attention back to the only other human here. She's wheeling over a machine, the drip device we used on the alien in several experiments. She positions it over my chest. Hell, I can guess where this is headed. This isn't going to be pleasant. She turns it on, and drop after drop slowly falls, soaking my shirt. When it touches my skin it begins to burn.
"Acid. It's not strong. It's even less caustic than...well, than water is to Irkens." The burning is getting painful. She walks over to the alien, lifts the robot off of him gently and sets it on the ground. Picking the alien up and wrapping the blanket around him, she starts out the door, the robot trailing behind, humming to itself. "Someone will find you, eventually. Probably before that does any permanent damage," her voice trails off down the hall.
Oh she's good. She's very good.
_____
(1) When the World Ends, words and music by Dave Matthews and Glen Ballard, performed by Dave Matthews Band, album Everyday, copyright 2000 Golden Grey Ltd./Universal MCA Publishing. While this fic is not meant to have pairings of any sort, the lyrics of this song do fit it rather nicely at times ^_^. I suggest you all go out and get the album, you won't be disappointed! It's absolutely beautiful and totally unique music. If you've heard 'The Space Between' on the radio (Zim/Dib anyone?) you'll know what I'm talkin' about ^_~.
(2) All quotes taken from 'In the End' by Linkin Park. Album, Hybrid Theory. Unfortunately I don't have the copyright information and such. Please don't sue me. For the most part the lyrics were added AFTER I wrote the chapters. It's almost eerie how closely they fit to the overall theme. Thank goodness for that epiphany, which came at work. It's nice working at a place I can listen to the radio. If you haven't heard this one yet, or 'Crawling', which has also been getting alot of play, you're missing out. It's truly spectacular music, especially if you like it angsty ^_^. Pick up the CD, won't you?
Now...I debated on doing this chapter from Zey's POV, but finally decided that that was the only way I could get the effect I wanted. Warning: Zey is a sadist in the truest sense of the word. If you don't know what that means go get your dictionary. Some things in here some people may find disturbing. It's still PG-13 rated, but just be warned. I make no apologies for it. I love this chapter dearly, and it was probably the most fun to write. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Bring the pain!!!
Disclaimer (Don'tcha love these?): Invader Zim belongs to the Almighty Thinnest Jhonen Vasquez, and his army of doom-sporks, and the sentient dust- bunnies at Nickelodeon. Aw, aren't they cute? I do this only out of the deepest respect for the characters and the great, great mind that created them. I mean it. Vasquez, if you're reading...damn you're a genius.
Oh, Dev and Zey, and any other characters NOT from Invader Zim, are mine. If Vasquez wanted to use them he could, but you guys aren't Vasquez, so ask first, please.
Any reviews you give to me will pleeeee-ase Pustulio! Flames will be treated with the same loving care you would expect from Nny, and any survivors will be fed to my pet Velociraptor.
___________
When the World Ends
___________
-Time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day
The clock ticks life away
It's so unreal-
-Chapter Five: Zey-Sadism-
Well that was interesting.
The giant screen is dark on one side, the politicians on the other still staring, unable to comprehend the fact of their dismissal. Stupid. But all politicians are, of course.
Membrane's shouting at the general, a very un-Membrane-like thing to do. It's about damn time he let some of that repressed anger out. The issues that guy must have...
Membrane storms out of the room, Dev following on his heels like some lapdog. These people are all pathetic. People are pathetic, period, but I don't complain. It makes it that much easier to take advantage of them. I catch the general's attention. We have business to discuss. His face is still red from the conference. He's angry over the loss of civilians, of course. Silly, but hopefully it will work to my advantage.
Determination has taken a firm hold in his features by the time he reaches me. "It must be done now. Have you come to a decision?"
"Is the money in the bank?" Like I actually care about the money. It's just an added bonus. I love getting paid to do what I love.
"Yes, half now, the other half to be transmitted when you're done. We need information. I don't care how you get it, do what you have to. He's lost all use as a bargaining chip, and if we need another one there's a whole fleet out there."
I allow a smirk as I walk out the door. This is going to be fun.
_____
The general sent two soldiers to help me with the tricky business of moving the alien. We make it to the empty lab I've chosen for the occasion, one that's out of the way and all but deserted. I'd picked it out earlier. The soundproofing was what finalized my decision.
The soldiers strap him down to the operating table, and move to stand guard, but I shove them out the door and tell them in no uncertain terms to get lost. The less witnesses there are, the better. Besides, I work best without an audience.
Now, to the alien. I've been wanting to do this ever since I first joined the project. Ever since I first saw those defiant red eyes, I knew I had to be the one to break him. It was a stroke of luck that the general offered me the opportunity. They needed someone who could get close to him, who'd be willing to play double agent long enough to wring the information they needed from him.
If there's one thing I've learned about the military, it's that they don't like things being out of their control. They've been trying to usurp the project since the beginning. But with Membrane's popularity and the strength of his fame and his father's career behind him, they haven't succeeded. Yet. Good thing too, or I might not be able to do this.
And what a shame that would be.
I walk over to the alien, making an extra effort at keeping my back straight, keeping myself at my full height. I learned early the effect that height has on him, and after seeing his leaders I can understand why. Of course, if I was that fucking small I'd be wary of things twice my size too.
Large red eyes stare back at me, fear and uncertainty swirling in them. He's not stupid, he knows exactly what I'm here to do. I think he's known since the beginning that the others were the only thing keeping him from me. And they are quite obviously not here.
I reach down, run my hand along one thin wrist, up to the strap holding it in place. The skin is raw and bruised. He's been in one form of restraint or another every second since they captured him. It must be very sensitive. I take firm hold of the leather, and pull the strap. He winces, but doesn't say a word. I didn't expect him too anyway. Not yet. He's too strong to break that easily.
I can't hide the smile that crosses my lips. My favorite kind of smile, the one I like to call my 'cat with a limping mouse' smile. I know exactly the kind of effect it has on people, and have learned well how to use it to its fullest potential. And it's working quite well now. The fear in his eyes intensifies, and I reach for the strap again, pull it as tight as possible.
"I am going to make you squirm..." I grab the strap around his other wrist, pull it till a trickle of blood seeps out from beneath. "Make you writhe..." I play with one of his ever-so-sensitive antennae for a second before squeezing it tight. A drop of moisture flows from the corner of his eye, to mingle with the sweat already running down his cheek. "And most importantly..." I lean in close, still gripping his antenna as I whisper, "I'm going to make you scream."
As I release his antenna he pants to catch the breath he'd been holding. His mouth is open, delicate lips parted slightly...
I wonder what an alien tastes like.
He's surprised as I capture his mouth with mine, so surprised he forgets to struggle for a moment. Of course he can't move around anyway so it doesn't really matter. He tastes good, smooth lips, and a hint of some flavor I can't place. His body temperature is lower than a human's, chill. All in all a pleasant experience.
Except for the pain that suddenly strikes my lip. I pull back. The copper taste in the back of my throat tells me about the blood coating my bottom lip. The little bastard bit me.
"You want it rough, eh? Well I can definitely take care of that, don't you worry. We're gonna have a little fun, and then you're gonna tell me all the little secrets you've been keeping from us." I pull out my hand-held tazer, similar to those sold for personal defense, but stronger. A quick jab is enough to ensure at least a half hour of paralysis. He doesn't scream yet, but there's plenty of time for that.
On to my next toy. There's a metal tray of operating utensils sitting next to the table. I pick up the scalpel, run my finger along the blade to test its edge, ignore the sting as it slices a small line in my skin. Perfect.
He's trying not to show fear, ever the warrior I suppose, but his eyes widen as I lower the scalpel to his bare chest. It might be comical, if it weren't so dark. His gaze is locked on the blade, afraid to not see what's coming.
He winces again as it pierces, his breathing becoming heavy with the beginnings of panic. So fucking beautiful.
I decide to give in to a whim, and start a shallow cut, deep enough to hurt but not deep enough to do much damage. When I'm done, a dark purple heart stands out against green skin. And he still hasn't screamed, damn him. Well, I'll take care of that.
"I need a drink. I'll be right back then we can continue. Don't you go anywhere." His taut muscles relax somewhat as I turn to go. A glass of water is just what I need, but I'm not thirsty. He doesn't see the smirk that crosses my lips.
But someone does. For a split second I think I see a figure at the door. I'm readying a good shout at the ignorant soldiers when I realize there's no one there. What the hell?
The hairs on the back of my neck are standing straight up. It feels like I've just been zapped with my tazer. Something is definitely not right here. I look back to the table, but the alien's staring at the ceiling. He couldn't turn his head if he wanted to, obviously he didn't see anything. But...
What the hell? There it was again, the same person, only standing at the other end of the lab, in the open doorway that was closed when I came in. Fuck, this isn't good.
"Who the hell are you?" My voice is steady, though I'm more than a little disturbed. There's no way to get from one end of the lab to the other without going through it.
There's no answer. The silence is eerie, almost unnatural. The alien's trying to see me out of the corner of his eye. A sudden, high pitched giggling erupts from the first door, making him gasp and me jump. Fuck, this is really starting to creep me out. I feel something reach into my pocket. My tazer. I can't react in time, and don't even get to see the person standing behind me before the fire shoots up my side. Ah, fuck.
______
The room blurs into focus. White ceiling, shrouded in darkness, painfully bright light hanging above and behind me, shining into my eyes. What the fuck? A face appears above me, filling my vision with a fuzzy silhouette before it resolves itself into a woman's. Dark, kohl lined eyes, deep violet hair...and a supremely pissed off expression.
"I should thank you for bringing Zim here. So far out of the way, it makes it much easier to steal him." Of course that's what she's after. I remember her now, Membrane's sister. She was here once. She was very upset over the alien, though her brother didn't seem to notice.
Restraints are in place, of course. From the corner of my eye I can just barely make out the alien, lying unmoving on a blanket on the floor. Hugging his neck is that robot that Membrane brought in with him. A wool cap is covering its head, a toque that says 'Squirrel!'. Its silver antenna is sticking out of the top. How the hell did she get that thing working? How the hell did she get it in the first place?!
A squeaking noise draws my attention back to the only other human here. She's wheeling over a machine, the drip device we used on the alien in several experiments. She positions it over my chest. Hell, I can guess where this is headed. This isn't going to be pleasant. She turns it on, and drop after drop slowly falls, soaking my shirt. When it touches my skin it begins to burn.
"Acid. It's not strong. It's even less caustic than...well, than water is to Irkens." The burning is getting painful. She walks over to the alien, lifts the robot off of him gently and sets it on the ground. Picking the alien up and wrapping the blanket around him, she starts out the door, the robot trailing behind, humming to itself. "Someone will find you, eventually. Probably before that does any permanent damage," her voice trails off down the hall.
Oh she's good. She's very good.
_____
(1) When the World Ends, words and music by Dave Matthews and Glen Ballard, performed by Dave Matthews Band, album Everyday, copyright 2000 Golden Grey Ltd./Universal MCA Publishing. While this fic is not meant to have pairings of any sort, the lyrics of this song do fit it rather nicely at times ^_^. I suggest you all go out and get the album, you won't be disappointed! It's absolutely beautiful and totally unique music. If you've heard 'The Space Between' on the radio (Zim/Dib anyone?) you'll know what I'm talkin' about ^_~.
(2) All quotes taken from 'In the End' by Linkin Park. Album, Hybrid Theory. Unfortunately I don't have the copyright information and such. Please don't sue me. For the most part the lyrics were added AFTER I wrote the chapters. It's almost eerie how closely they fit to the overall theme. Thank goodness for that epiphany, which came at work. It's nice working at a place I can listen to the radio. If you haven't heard this one yet, or 'Crawling', which has also been getting alot of play, you're missing out. It's truly spectacular music, especially if you like it angsty ^_^. Pick up the CD, won't you?