Invader Zim - Lost Chronicles of Doom! - Continuous Novel

Chapter Forty - No Choice But To...

"So you're saying that she had pink hair?" Tak asked. "And that she had a black hoodie, a skull necklace, and really... buff?" Therium nodded. "Squints a lot? Anger problems? A bit acrobatic?"

"Well, I didn't get that much information... it was dark, see..." the Vortian admitted, twisting his fingers together nervously. "But she might be acrobatic."

"Ugh," Tak groaned, "her. Therium, you are free to go." Tak opened the dungeon door and the Vortian scampered out, resembling a panicking deer rather than a civilized alien. The Irken slowly made her way out of the cave, thinking intensely. Gaz. Gaz has Zim. But why? Because she's an idiot. No! There has to be a better, logical reason. Think, Tak, think.... She couldn't think. She could only act. Picking up a violet cloak from none other than the dead Ixane, Tak races to her Voot cruiser and sped toward Earth, her trackers on Gaz.

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"Hey.... Hey."

"No," he muttered, "no, that's not wise..."

"Just go, go an--"

"HEY! I'M SPEAKING TO YOU!!!"

Zim shot upright, his eyes wide, in what appeared to be a glass cell. "Who dares...?!" he began, but then saw the source of the 'heys' and screamed, "I-DON'T-HAVE-ANYTHING-GET-AWAY-FROM-ZIM-WHATEVER-YOU-DO-DON'T-PULL-MY-ANTENNAE-AGAIN-PLEASE!!!!"

"Oh, please. I only did that because you wouldn't talk... and don't ask me why I knocked you out, I was in the zone," Gaz growled, peering into the inside of the cell from a leather seat next to a desk. "I decided to not go after Dib. Instead, he'll come to me."

"How will you do that?" asked Zim fearfully. Unfortunately, he knew the answer before Gaz said it:

"By capturing the alien." Gaz stood up gracefully and walked around, looking for something. "I'm sure you've noticed you're in a test tube." He had not. "And you probably are scared out of your stupid alien brain." He was not. "But, really, I'll make this as painless as possible." He highly doubted that. Gaz's hand wrapped around a remote and she hesitated before pressing the one, red button on it. "...I lied about everything I just said," she admitted, pressing down the button.

Pure, ice-cold water began to pour into the cell, filling up very quickly. Zim yelled in agony that was so painfully familiar, images flashing in his mind: Dib, a malicious smile, a water balloon in hand; Sam crying on his sofa; most painful so far, the Tallest shoving him into a similar tank, all hope lost... and now, Gaz, watching silently, not even reacting to his pleads and cries and screams. The water was, though it had only been a few seconds, waist height, his legs wanting to buckle beneath him. The Irken's head swam, vision darkening at the sides, and he grasped at the smooth glass wall to keep from falling. His hands slipped and he splashed into the water, hitting his head on the glass. Unable to muster enough strength to get up, he hopelessly clawed, with his PAK arms, at the water, the glass.

The water rose above his head, then to the top of the tube. The water got colder, colder, until he was frozen. Gaz rose from her seat, dialed a number on her iPhone, and walked away without another, blank glance at Zim.

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Dib didn't want to leave. He felt numb, hallow. Tak left him. "I can't believe Tak just said the most idiotic thing ever," Gris said. Dib could believe it either. Tak left him. "I mean, she always wanted to be an Invader, always wanted to be Ilis." The boy couldn't agree. Tak would want to be a human, with him, no one else... But, of course, that was only his imagination acting up. She wouldn't give up her dreams for Dib. Tak left him.

"Dib? You all right? You look like you got punched in the face by a friend. Hah, trust me, it's not exactly the kind of thing that makes you happy," Gris commented.

"I'm fine. It's fine." Tak left him. Cut it out, he thought, she's an alien anyways. Just like Zim. She's my enemy. Tak used to like him. No! She was playing you, Dib! She's protecting Zim, that's all. Kill Zim, he's the reason you two aren't together! What?! No! I'd never--... Well...

It wouldn't hurt. It's not like I have a choice, either... if I don't kill him, Tak's never going to be mine.

"Let's follow her," Dib decided. He began jogging in the direction where Tak stormed off, Gris following a few strides behind. No mercy, Zim. You aren't escaping from me...

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"What do you mean, 'I have Zim'?!" Gaz screamed angrily. "WHY WOULD I WANT THAT PIECE OF MEAT ON BONES?!"

"Because you needed Dib. In order to access the location of Dib, you freed Zim," replied Tak calmly. "Now I need to take him to a place."

"Why, so you two can make out?"

Tak's face turned tomato red. "NO! JUST GIVE ME ZIM!" Gaz refused. Soon they were both red in the face, screaming, Gaz occasionally throwing punches.

"Now what's going on here?" snapped a deep voice behind them. Professor Membrane was standing at the front door, looking at Tak curiously.

Gaz shot Tak a nasty grin and wailed, "Dad, she wants to take me away to the mental hospital with Dib!!!"

"WHAT?!" he roared. "YOU CAN'T TAKE MY DAUGHTER!!!" The scientist then pressed a button on the wall and Tak was suddenly propelled into the sky, yelling.

"Thanks, Dad."

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Bleh, don't feel like writing more. I'm having severe writer's block, it's killing me... I know, the ending was just disgusting, but DEAL WITH IT!!! I mean, um, what?