2/16/02- WHEE! More fic! Thanks to everyone who responded to the last chapter, and unparalleled thanks be to my betas, TD and Amethyst Soul, for their unending aid. Also to Idgiebay, who did an exquisite PIC to go with this fic! I can't thank you enough!!! I'll post the address of the pic in the next chapter. I'm gonna go watch The Truman Show again. You guys enjoy the fic! Bring the pain!!!
Disclaimer: None of the characters from Invader Zim, or the concepts of IZ or The Crow, belong to me. For full disclaimer, see the prologue.
__________
Chapter One-Resurrection
__________
"Sir?" Sid stalked into Dax's control chamber, the base from which he ruled the conquered planet Earth. Since Zim had finally taken over, several years after he arrived on the planet, it had become part of the Irken Empire, and as always the habitation of the planet was quick and efficient.
But the Almighty Tallest never expected Zim to return from his mission, let alone succeed. The planet was too far away from their borders to waste good manpower or any useful member of Irk's political body. So they populated the planet with people they didn't want around Irk.
The Tallest left them to their own devices, not even bothering to rename the planet in proper Irken style. The main occupation force was comprised of rogue soldiers, Irkens who were more mercenary than loyal.
And at the head of them all was Dax, with Sid as his loyal second-in-command.
Sid crouched into a slight bow when he found Dax staring out the window at the blasted landscape. "Sir."
"Did you take care of him?" The voice was cold, and Dax didn't bother to look at him as he spoke. Sid's antennae fell back against his head, submissive.
"No, sir. We've searched the entire base, and didn't find a trace of him or that psycho robot."
Dax was silent for a moment. Every instinct was screaming at Sid to avert his eyes, to pacify his leader, but he was afraid of not seeing what might be coming.
"Is his ship still in the docking bay?"
He stifled a sigh of relief. Dax's tone was curious and irritated, but contained none of the pent-up fury that had been the death of several of their soldiers in the past. "Yes, sir. All ships are accounted for. He didn't make it out that way, that's certain."
A dangerous smile played at the taller Irken's lips. "Which means he's out there."
Sid smirked as well. "We'll find him soon. And if we don't..."
"The humans will."
_____
Zim growled as a branch smashed into his face, for the fifth time in as many minutes. "Blasted stink planet! Is everything in this wretched place out to get me?" They were traveling through a forest, one of the very few left within a thousand mile radius. GIR was skipping ahead of him, slipping between the trees and bushes as if they weren't there, but with every step Zim had to force his way through tangled vines and undergrowth.
They were less than an hour outside the Irken stronghold. At first they had made good time with Zim carrying GIR and using his mechanical legs to increase the distance between them and the towering buildings. It meant less physical exertion, but the mental strain of controlling the mech legs was worse. When they'd reached the dubious protection of the woods, Zim had all but collapsed. When they'd finally begun to move again the environment and his exhaustion forced them to continue on foot.
"Master, the trees stopped!" GIR cried from somewhere ahead of him.
"A clearing? Perhaps we can take a break..." The words died on Zim's lips as he broke through the trees and realized where they were.
Before them stretched an expanse of nothing but dirt. Large stones littered the area in uneven rows, some bearing scrawled names, some pictures and even tattered photos, others unadorned. The ground was newly turned at the ends of the rows, marking twelve fresh spots that were bare of the large rocks.
Wind whistled past the treeline, streamed over Zim's sensitive antennae, and cold sped down his spine. He finally picked up the sound of running water nearby, which only served to hasten the unease building inside him. GIR was suddenly somber, his eyes tracing a slow path around the stones. "I don't like this place, master."
Zim licked lips that had gone dry. "Neither do I, GIR. Let's keep going. We'll find someplace further on to stop."
_____
She floated in darkness, surrounded by the overwhelming power of nothing. The pain had disappeared long ago. It was nothing compared to the agony that still burned in her mind, her soul. She had lost. She had failed. She hadn't done what she was supposed to, someone she needed to protect, she had messed it up, just as she screwed up everything for them. Who was it? Who was she?
And out of the emptiness, a crow cawed.
She had to follow.
_____
The graveyard was again undisturbed, the silence closing in the moment the Irken and his robot had left. Only the sound of the wind could be heard, as it picked up fallen leaves from the shadowed forest and carried them into the air. Not a single leaf landed on the ground of the clearing.
Then the crow came, flying in from the south to land on one of the precious rock markers. A keen glassy eye surveyed the ground, pausing on each of the spots of freshly turned dirt. At the last, it gave a satisfied clack of its beak, and glided down. Pale sunlight brushed ebony wings as the bird landed, hopped across the recently dug area, and took its seemingly proper place at the head of the rectangle.
Then it waited.
It didn't have to wait long. Small scratching noises began to reverberate through the ground, growing louder and closer with every second. The bird leapt back with a squawk as a mud-streaked hand burst through the soil, followed by an elbow, another hand, a ratty mess of hair. The figure grunted as it pulled itself from the shallow grave, then flopped over to lie on the ground.
The crow stayed at a respectful distance, eyes wary but frighteningly knowing. The figure lay there panting, now revealed to be a woman. She was too covered in mud, and something much darker, to distinguish anything besides sex. Finally she raised one grimy hand to her face, and her nose crinkled in disgust.
She saw the bird, picked up the sound of water coming from somewhere behind it. Getting to her feet was in itself a task, and she wavered, unsteady, as she started off in the direction of the rippling, ignoring the bird, which squawked when she nearly stepped on it then hopped along behind her. She found a small river, shining in the fading sun. It was deep enough. She jumped in.
Fingers worked through hair, revealing dark purple beneath the caked mud, ran over clothes, across skin. The water turned brown and then dark red, then clear again as the debris was washed downstream. When she was satisfied she climbed out and made her way back to the only place she remembered, the dirt she had just come out of.
The crow flew ahead, and landed on the plot next to hers. It beckoned with its eye and its cry. She sat at the head of the grave, and when the crow directed her, she placed a hand on the soft dirt.
And she knew.
Images flew through her mind, burning, screaming for attention, crying out to be known, to not be forgotten again. The boy with the dark hair and pale skin, the glasses and the everpresent trenchcoat, the cocky grin, the green-skinned alien, invasion, running and hiding and fighting, always fighting, to protect the boy, always to protect, the vulnerable, her responsibility, capture, pain, betrayal, anguish, interrogations, sharp metal, fists, blood, so much blood-
She remembered.
Twilight found her curled up on the still unmarked grave, hands over her head, voice quiet but dangerous telling the memories to stop. The crow watched and, when it was time, called to her. It beckoned, and she followed, into the woods.
_____
From the top to the bottom
Bottom to top I stop
At the core I've forgotten
In the middle of my thoughts
Taken far from my safety
The picture is there
The memory won't escape me
But why should I care
In the memory you will find me
Eyes burning up
The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up
-"Forgotten", Linkin Park
_____
Disclaimer: None of the characters from Invader Zim, or the concepts of IZ or The Crow, belong to me. For full disclaimer, see the prologue.
__________
Chapter One-Resurrection
__________
"Sir?" Sid stalked into Dax's control chamber, the base from which he ruled the conquered planet Earth. Since Zim had finally taken over, several years after he arrived on the planet, it had become part of the Irken Empire, and as always the habitation of the planet was quick and efficient.
But the Almighty Tallest never expected Zim to return from his mission, let alone succeed. The planet was too far away from their borders to waste good manpower or any useful member of Irk's political body. So they populated the planet with people they didn't want around Irk.
The Tallest left them to their own devices, not even bothering to rename the planet in proper Irken style. The main occupation force was comprised of rogue soldiers, Irkens who were more mercenary than loyal.
And at the head of them all was Dax, with Sid as his loyal second-in-command.
Sid crouched into a slight bow when he found Dax staring out the window at the blasted landscape. "Sir."
"Did you take care of him?" The voice was cold, and Dax didn't bother to look at him as he spoke. Sid's antennae fell back against his head, submissive.
"No, sir. We've searched the entire base, and didn't find a trace of him or that psycho robot."
Dax was silent for a moment. Every instinct was screaming at Sid to avert his eyes, to pacify his leader, but he was afraid of not seeing what might be coming.
"Is his ship still in the docking bay?"
He stifled a sigh of relief. Dax's tone was curious and irritated, but contained none of the pent-up fury that had been the death of several of their soldiers in the past. "Yes, sir. All ships are accounted for. He didn't make it out that way, that's certain."
A dangerous smile played at the taller Irken's lips. "Which means he's out there."
Sid smirked as well. "We'll find him soon. And if we don't..."
"The humans will."
_____
Zim growled as a branch smashed into his face, for the fifth time in as many minutes. "Blasted stink planet! Is everything in this wretched place out to get me?" They were traveling through a forest, one of the very few left within a thousand mile radius. GIR was skipping ahead of him, slipping between the trees and bushes as if they weren't there, but with every step Zim had to force his way through tangled vines and undergrowth.
They were less than an hour outside the Irken stronghold. At first they had made good time with Zim carrying GIR and using his mechanical legs to increase the distance between them and the towering buildings. It meant less physical exertion, but the mental strain of controlling the mech legs was worse. When they'd reached the dubious protection of the woods, Zim had all but collapsed. When they'd finally begun to move again the environment and his exhaustion forced them to continue on foot.
"Master, the trees stopped!" GIR cried from somewhere ahead of him.
"A clearing? Perhaps we can take a break..." The words died on Zim's lips as he broke through the trees and realized where they were.
Before them stretched an expanse of nothing but dirt. Large stones littered the area in uneven rows, some bearing scrawled names, some pictures and even tattered photos, others unadorned. The ground was newly turned at the ends of the rows, marking twelve fresh spots that were bare of the large rocks.
Wind whistled past the treeline, streamed over Zim's sensitive antennae, and cold sped down his spine. He finally picked up the sound of running water nearby, which only served to hasten the unease building inside him. GIR was suddenly somber, his eyes tracing a slow path around the stones. "I don't like this place, master."
Zim licked lips that had gone dry. "Neither do I, GIR. Let's keep going. We'll find someplace further on to stop."
_____
She floated in darkness, surrounded by the overwhelming power of nothing. The pain had disappeared long ago. It was nothing compared to the agony that still burned in her mind, her soul. She had lost. She had failed. She hadn't done what she was supposed to, someone she needed to protect, she had messed it up, just as she screwed up everything for them. Who was it? Who was she?
And out of the emptiness, a crow cawed.
She had to follow.
_____
The graveyard was again undisturbed, the silence closing in the moment the Irken and his robot had left. Only the sound of the wind could be heard, as it picked up fallen leaves from the shadowed forest and carried them into the air. Not a single leaf landed on the ground of the clearing.
Then the crow came, flying in from the south to land on one of the precious rock markers. A keen glassy eye surveyed the ground, pausing on each of the spots of freshly turned dirt. At the last, it gave a satisfied clack of its beak, and glided down. Pale sunlight brushed ebony wings as the bird landed, hopped across the recently dug area, and took its seemingly proper place at the head of the rectangle.
Then it waited.
It didn't have to wait long. Small scratching noises began to reverberate through the ground, growing louder and closer with every second. The bird leapt back with a squawk as a mud-streaked hand burst through the soil, followed by an elbow, another hand, a ratty mess of hair. The figure grunted as it pulled itself from the shallow grave, then flopped over to lie on the ground.
The crow stayed at a respectful distance, eyes wary but frighteningly knowing. The figure lay there panting, now revealed to be a woman. She was too covered in mud, and something much darker, to distinguish anything besides sex. Finally she raised one grimy hand to her face, and her nose crinkled in disgust.
She saw the bird, picked up the sound of water coming from somewhere behind it. Getting to her feet was in itself a task, and she wavered, unsteady, as she started off in the direction of the rippling, ignoring the bird, which squawked when she nearly stepped on it then hopped along behind her. She found a small river, shining in the fading sun. It was deep enough. She jumped in.
Fingers worked through hair, revealing dark purple beneath the caked mud, ran over clothes, across skin. The water turned brown and then dark red, then clear again as the debris was washed downstream. When she was satisfied she climbed out and made her way back to the only place she remembered, the dirt she had just come out of.
The crow flew ahead, and landed on the plot next to hers. It beckoned with its eye and its cry. She sat at the head of the grave, and when the crow directed her, she placed a hand on the soft dirt.
And she knew.
Images flew through her mind, burning, screaming for attention, crying out to be known, to not be forgotten again. The boy with the dark hair and pale skin, the glasses and the everpresent trenchcoat, the cocky grin, the green-skinned alien, invasion, running and hiding and fighting, always fighting, to protect the boy, always to protect, the vulnerable, her responsibility, capture, pain, betrayal, anguish, interrogations, sharp metal, fists, blood, so much blood-
She remembered.
Twilight found her curled up on the still unmarked grave, hands over her head, voice quiet but dangerous telling the memories to stop. The crow watched and, when it was time, called to her. It beckoned, and she followed, into the woods.
_____
From the top to the bottom
Bottom to top I stop
At the core I've forgotten
In the middle of my thoughts
Taken far from my safety
The picture is there
The memory won't escape me
But why should I care
In the memory you will find me
Eyes burning up
The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up
-"Forgotten", Linkin Park
_____