Authors Notes: As you can see, I've started a brand new story (even though I really shouldn't...) This should be considered a 'future fic', I guess. It might even be considered AU. Take it as you like it.

Warnings: Torture, violence, death

Disclaimer: Invader Zim is property of Jhonen Vasquez. I own nothing but the plot and the OCs. This goes for the entire fic.

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Glass Wings

Chapter One-Fallen

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All of my hate cannot be found, I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming, So you can try to tear me down, Beat me to the ground, I will see you screaming-Thoughtless (Korn)

Scream.

Twin whips, crafted to resemble human vertebrae, crashed down upon her back. They dug into her spine with unrelenting force, the impact driving her body closer and closer to the ground, almost driving her into the dank floor. The heavy iron shackles wrapped around her wrists, however, kept her from that fate. Instead she hung limply from her restraints, the whips beating a continuous rhythm upon her pale flesh.

Cry for mercy.

She could feel the blood running in warm rivulets down her back, and she didn't have to look to know that it coated the whips as well. She could smell it everywhere-on the floor, on the walls, on the other 'prisoners' of this place...She couldn't escape it. So much blood had been spilt in this room...

Bleed.

A sudden crack to her side alerted her to her 'handler's presence. One amber eye slowly traveled up from the floor, gazing through slick violet bangs. What could only be classified as an alien stared back at her with narrowed azure eyes. His green skin was wet with perspiration from his exertions, and a scowl parted his lips, revealing a row of zipper-like teeth. A pair of antennae jutted from his head, the tips curling as his scowl deepened. In his gloved hands he held the whips that had so mercilessly slashed open her skin just moments before, his knuckles clenched around their handles.

Despite what she had just gone through, and despite the stinging pain coursing through her body, the violet-haired girl allowed a smirk to drift across her lips, her eyes alight with smug satisfaction as the alien's anger seemed to grow ten-fold. With a cry of outrage he pulled back the whip in his hand, bringing it across her shoulders in a painful arch.

Her teeth gritted against one another as pain laced itself across her neck and back, a fresh stream of blood oozing out from the newly forming wound. Her efforts proved to be successful, as not a single whimper escaped her mouth. Her eyes remained locked on the alien's, steely amber revealing not a hint of the pain he was inflicting. She watched with grim amusement as he almost screamed out in his frustration, dropping the whips to the floor where they bounced lifelessly.

"Why won't you scream?!" he cried, his hand connecting with her cheek in a brutal slap. Three slash marks marred her pale face as his claws left yet another wound to her growing collection. Over and over he repeated his action, though no amount of pain would bring a cry from her lips.

Golden eyes fixed themselves on the floor, an emotionless expression on the young girl's face. She was completely blank-no emotion showed in her eyes, no flinch or cringe moved her almost immobile body.

'Hit me all you want,' she thought inwardly, her hands twitching as she fought not to clench them into fists. 'Slice open my skin, scar my body, kill me if you want to. I'll never give in to you, or the rest of your disgusting race. Never.'

Numbness overtook her as the alien's assault finally ended. Drenched in sweat and panting from the force of his attack, he glared at her, his blue eyes icy with hatred. From somewhere far off, she could hear the snickers of his comrades, and could practically see their smug expressions as screams bellowed from their own captives.

'This is all a sick game to them,' she thought, disgusted. Her eyes narrowed behind her violet bangs, and she clenched her teeth. They would all pay for this. She would make sure of it.

"What's the matter, Furor?" They taunted, sneers curling their lips. "I don't hear anything from your corner..." Their words trailed off as they laughed, cracking their own whips. Gaz glanced at the humans they held captive, sympathy coloring her orbs for one brief second before she turned away, unable to look any longer. She didn't know who they were, though they looked to be about her age, if not younger. Their cries would haunt her tonight, she knew. They always did.

"It's not my fault if this human won't scream!" Furor cried, spatting out 'human' as though it were a curse. "She's abnormal! This pain does nothing to her! Not even a sound..." He kicked his fallen whips to the side. "You could do no better."

Any retort the other's might have made were cut short as the door to the chamber slid open. All heads turned toward the entryway, curious as to who had intruded upon them. Eyes widened as recognition flashed through them. Antennas wiggled in salute, and the aliens fell to their knees in a bow.

"Greetings, Tallest Red," They droned, eyes lowered to the floor. A wave of Red's hand sent them back to their feet, though their postures remained rigid and alert, ready to serve their master.

Amber eyes rolled. The 'Tallests' were just that-taller than the other members of their race. There were three of them, as far as she knew. Tallest Red was by far the most brutal of them all. She pitied the humans he kept within his household. She had heard enough stories about what went on in there to have some level of fear for the red monarch herself. Of course, she never showed it-she couldn't afford to.

Watching through her bangs, she saw Red come to stand directly in front of her handler, towering over him by a good few feet. She could see Furor struggling to contain his tremors, though he was far from successful.

'Serves you right, you spineless coward,' she thought maliciously, inwardly longing for the day when she could instill that same fear into the alien. She would revel in it then, and make him experience everything he had put her through. Him and the rest of those filthy Irkens...

"Anything?" Red questioned, his crimson eyes glancing in her direction, a small light of hope dwelling within them. The light dimmed, however, as Furor shook his head, a wave of fear washing through him as his leader's blood-red eyes turned murderous. He sighed in relief as Red brushed past him, glaring down at the violet-haired girl instead.

"What is wrong with you, human?" he hissed, sneering in disgust as she spat at his feet, a glare his only answer. He roughly unhooked her from her shackles, gripping the collar of her threadbare shirt as he pulled her off the ground. Her feet dangled in the air for a brief moment before she was flung at Furor, who jerked away from her as though he had been burnt.

"Take her to her cage!" Red barked, his eyes narrowed. "Apparently torture is not enough for this human." His lips curled into a malicious grin. "I know just what to do with her. She needs a more... experienced master if she is ever to be broken." He glared at Furor, who shrunk beneath his gaze. "Obviously you are not enough."

Furor gulped, inwardly simmering inside. It wasn't his fault if the human wasn't broken yet! He had tried! He glanced at her, seeing that ever present smirk still fixed upon her face. Yes, there was definitely something wrong with this human. The other's had not been near as difficult to brake. They would fight, if their will was strong enough for it, but it was always only a matter of time before they gave in and accepted their fate. The only other human who had lasted this long had been a strange one as well. Her brother, actually, if he remembered clearly...

Furor shook his head, driving his thoughts away. Now was not the time to daydream. He pulled the girl to her feet, pushing her down the hallway with the handle of his whip. She went with no protest, though he knew that was never a guarantee that passive behavior was in store. She had tried to escape him before, after all.

He wondered what the Tallest had in mind for her. What had Red meant by a 'more experienced master'? Did he mean someone with a higher rank than himself? Maybe even another Tallest?

Furor shrugged. As of today, the girl was no longer his problem.

He shoved her into the prison chambers, steering her past rows and rows of iron cages. Huddled within them were various humans that had been captured, in various conditions. Some were cowering in the farthest corner of their cage, as far from the outside as they could get. Others-the more foolish ones in Furor's opinion-were yelling at the various Irkens that passed them by, cursing and snarling as they pulled at their bars, struggling to escape.

He passed by them all, toward a pair of double doors at the end of the hall. They slid open with a metallic clang, allowing the two of them entrance inside. The room was less than half the size of the prison chambers, with room enough for three cages, and adequate space for a handful of Irkens to come and go as they pleased. Of course, no one came into the room but him and a few others. Occasionally, Tallest Red would enter, but that was a rare occurrence-usually he had someone else handle his affairs for him.

"Welcome home, human," he growled, pushing the girl into one of the iron cages. She stayed where she fell, in a kneeling position on the metal floor, amber eyes glaring with such a murderous intent in them that Furor found himself scrambling to get the door closed and locked. He could see his death in her eyes-she wanted to inflict as much pain on him as he had done to her. He could see it clearly.

He sneered at her, driving the thought away from his mind as he left the chamber. There was nothing she could do-she was only a human, after all. Nothing more than a slave for his race. With any luck, she would be eliminated by whatever master Red assigned her...

Back in her cell, the girl gingerly set her back against the side of her cage. Now that they were gone, she didn't have to hide her pain. She grit her teeth as a spasm rocked her spine, but tried her best to ignore it. She peered into the cage directly beside her own, spotting a familiar dark figure crawling toward her. She smiled, or as far as she could smile, and reached out her hand, feeling a set of fingers interlacing with her own.

"You alright?" she questioned, her voice soft. Fingers squeezed hers gently.

"I'm not the one who just got back from a 'session', Gaz," her brother replied, "I saw your back when that...thing threw you in here." He couldn't bring himself to name the creature. No living thing should be that cruel, that heartless. As far as he was concerned, they were nothing more than monsters.

"I'm fine," Gaz said, her voice firm. She wanted no argument. They went through this every time. "Besides, I'm being 're-assigned' tomorrow." Her brother groaned beside her, cradling his head in his free hand. He wiped away his damp black hair, pushing it our of his eyes.

"Did they say who?" he asked, a note of anxiety in his voice. Gaz sighed-she knew he wouldn't like this.

"Someone more...experienced," she replied, her voice a bland monotone. "Whatever that means."

"You know exactly what that means, Gaz!" Dib shouted. "They'll end up sending you to one of the Tallests! Did you know that! What then? What if Red decides to claim you for himself? You know what would happen."

Gaz rolled her eyes, holding in a sigh. "Red won't claim me," she assured him. "He can barely so much as look at me without wanting to wring my neck. No, he'll stick me with someone he thinks can break me, someone who might have a hold over me-"

"Gaz," Dib warned, his dark eyes narrowing. "Don't even think it."

"You know it's true," she argued, as though the matter was simple. "Red is vindictive enough to do it. I know exactly who he'll stick me with." She disentangled her hand from her brother's, wrapping her arms around her knees. The knuckles turned white as she clenched her hands, willing away the turbulent thoughts that flooded her mind.

"Gaz-"

"He betrayed us, Dib," she whispered, her words carrying such force that she could have screamed them and it wouldn't have made a difference. She glared at the adjacent wall of her cell, envisioning a familiar pair of crimson eyes.

"He betrayed me."