Decided to re-read some of the chapters of my fanfic and I find it funny I pretty much predicted 2K and Palindrome the second before Issue #47 came out.
Summary:Two people, each in their own alternate universe and are both the same Irken named “Zim”, respond to an Irken distress signal that leads them to travel into a vortex located on one of Earth’s ocean. This causes them to be trapped in a planet filled with their thousand alternate selves called the Zimvoid.
Given the world providing no major equipments, along with their Girs destroyed, and the Zimvoid having a hierarchical society, no Zim can figure out how the Zimvoid came to be and how to get back home.
As a result, when two Zims end up bumping into each other, they decide to partner up in a resistance group, attempt to recruit more Zims and take down the leader of the Zimvoid in order to find the source of its origin and find a way to get back home.
Based entirely on the Invader Zim comic arc “Battlevoid” (Issue 46-49)
He felt....ridiculous. What is even a point to this errand? Why did they make such a thing? Sure, it’s better than suffocating to death as a result of working in the boiler room. But now he feels like they are just mocking him because of how he looks. He can just be watching the other slaves, or check the sewage. But here he is. Standing behind a short column with only his head showing off. And given that he wearing glass bowl filled with water in order to breathe, he basically just looks like a fish bowl sitting on the column with a big fish swimming inside there.
At this point, he felt more like he was put as a decoration rather than an actual person. Is this what being a slave is even like? Even so, he gave an unamused expression. In fact, why is HE letting other versions of himself tell him what to do? If anything, HE should be the one ordering them. He is the real Zim after all, right? But he tried to forget the thought of doubts. He needs to find a way out of this void. And to do that, he needs to contact his servant. He glanced about to make sure any Zims nearby weren’t looking. He let his PAK open automatically to pull out a communicating device. He tried to not even think of what happened to him, given the “false” memory that still linger before he crashed in this crazy place.
He let the device get close to him.
“Gir!” He whispered, “Zim here! At least your real Zim if you happened to bump into those people who claim to be the real me. If you haven’t, it’s better you stay away from them. They might lock you up for testing or...something more horrid.”
He thought for a moment at that last comment.
“Not....that i care either way....”
He shook the thought out.
“Anyhow! I’ve been captured by them. I’m located somewhere within some walls and they’re treating me like I’m some sort of slave. But i can’t seem to find a way out. There’s too many and using my PAK’s weapons would possibly be too risky, given how clever ‘mes’ there are.”
“So! What I want you to do is-“
“Hey there!”
2002 harshly flinches and immediately make the communicator float back into his PAK. He glanced about to who was calling him.
“Psst! Up here!”
The fish Zim blinked and looked up to see a Zim on top of a high ladder and easily reaching the ceiling. He was holding a spatula for some odd reason with some stuff on the ceiling that look sticky with different colors. Strangely enough, he looks just like a regular Zim. Is he the only one without a “thing”?
“You must be 2002, right?” He asked with a smile on his face.
2002 paused for a moment and glanced about the hallway before answering with a,
“Uh...yes? How do you know when you can’t see my number this f-?”
“Yes yes, I saw you!” The normal looking Zim replies, “I was in my cell when those guards brought you in, but I guess 501 forgot to mention me! I am-“
“Zim?” His eyebrows raised, know that it was obvious everyone is Zim.
“Uh, no?” He said looking a bit offended for a second before smiling again, “I am Carl!”
The new slave stood there for a beat.
“Carl?” He gave a confused expression.
“Yep! The Zims here call me by 1200. But why should I even be called a number when I can just go by my real name? If anything, I might be the only one here who’s name isn’t Zim, which makes me the most significant!”
The fish irken blinked.
“Rrighhht. And what are you doing all the way up there?” He pointed out.
“Ah this. I’m just scrapping bubblegums off the ceiling.”
“Bubblegums? We have bubblegums in the Zimvoid?”
“Nooot exactly,” he smiled awkwardly. “You see, we have a Zim guard here that patrols this hallway every so often. And his thing is that every time he breathes out, he blows out a bubble of gum that floats up onto the ceiling. So it’s my job to keep the hallway’s ceiling nice and clean!”
“Oh. I see.”
That explains it, he thought to himself.
“And what about you?” Carl almost immediately replies, “what are you doing standing behind that column?”
2002 felt a sense of embarrassment.
“Uh,” he looks away trying to act careless, “it’s nothing.”
“Aw come oooon,” Carl gave a pleading smile, “it shouldn’t be as interesting as mine. Just say it!”
It took few seconds, but the fish hybrid finally gave in with a sigh.
“My job is to look like a fish in a bowl that’s resting on one of the columns.”
“Heh! That’s funny. Why is that?”
“They say it’s to make the castle more ‘decorative’ or something pathetic like that. They say it’s the only thing that can suit well for me.”
“Hm! Interesting job! Of course, not AS interesting as the ONLY brilliant Carl! But I’m sure you can be good in other jobs! Like weapon grinding! I mean those teeth of yours are hilariously sharp and huge! you can grind good weapons out of it!”
2002 blankly gaze at him in hidden surprise.
“...although no one can grind better than Carl,” he adds confidently.
2002 blinked.
“Uh. I would use my teeth for anything if it didn’t mean requiring to take off this bowl. But at least you are the nicest Zim I’ve encountered so far.”
“It’s Carl.”
“Right right-“
“1200!”
They both flinched and turned to see one guard, his identity hidden from the head armor, marched near the ladder that Carl was.
“How many times have we told you that you are not allowed to talk to anybody during your job?”
“Well it never hurts to talk to someone every once in a while,” he easily replied, “and look!”
He showed bunches of gun within the bucket proudly, “look how many gums the great and only Carl was able to collect!”
“That doesn’t excuse your distractions, 1200! What if 501 saw you like this and reports this to Number 1? Do you want to join the other Rejects?”
“Rejects?” 2002 asked questioningly.
“Pshh,” Carl continued, “there’s no way Number 1 can do that to me. Not when my name NOT being Zim makes me so unique.”
“No matter what your thing is, your distraction is what will make you forgotten one day.”
“I will never be forgotten!” The slave claims, “And I will never join the rejects in that wasteland! For I am-!”
The guard finally grew impatient. With no warning, he kicks off the ladder, causing the slave to topple off and fall head first unto the ground. And given how high he was, it was obviously a hard fall. The new slave was taken back and looked down stunned by the slave he was talking to earlier laying almost motionless on the ground. The only thing that told 2002 he was still alive was the sound of his short grunting and the twitching of one of his legs.
The guard straightened up and let out a sigh, resulting in a bubble made out of gum to appear out of his shadowy face and float up unto the ceiling.
“I don't think it will teach him a lesson. But it at least helped to make him stop his yapping.”
He looked down at the fallen slave for a short while before looking at another slave who witnessed the whole thing.
“You there!”
2002 flinches and looks at the guard.
“What did you expect, a theatre play? Get back to your position!”
He wanted to say something, but he instead obeyed, his body still feeling shook at what he saw. The guard was a bit please before remembering something.
“Besides him wanting me to check on how you’re handling the job, 501 wanted to let you know that you have few more hours left till your 13 hour shift is finished. Then you can go to your cell and think about your life.”
10 hours....has it really been that long already? It’s amazing he hasn’t felt his PAK’s energy drain. Though it’s not like his body has done much other than standing behind a column.
The guard stayed silent for a short while. Before 2002 can realize that he was waiting for him to respond, he crossed his arms,
“Huh. So they’re not joking when the say the newcomer is very quiet.”
Not wanting show that it was true, he opened his mouth to say something.
“No matter,” the guard unfortunately cut him off, “just continue your work and no slacking.”
His ear fins lowered in a bit of humiliation. But he watched as the guard turned and walked away.
A groan was heard again, cutting his thoughts off of the guard and looked down at the other slave that was now trying to get up with much effort.
“Ugh. Well at least it wasn’t my back that hit the ground.”
Strangely enough, there was a soft part of him that made him worry of this complete stranger he met a only short while ago.
“Uh. Are you ok?”
“Psh. Of course I’m fine,” he grunt more when he tries to stand, “I am Car-oof!”
He lost balance and fell back on the ground.
“...ok, this is a tiny bit embarrassing.”
2002 frowned more. He glanced to make sure the guard was completely gone. Then he left his job position just to walk fast paced and kneel beside the other Zim.
“Here,” he held him by his shoulder.
The moment he did so, Carl looked at him in confusion.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you get up.”
“Funny,” Carl eyes furrowed, “a real Zim should look after himself.”
“I DO look after myself!” He snapped, causing the other one to quietly look at him more confused.
2002 sighed.
“Look. I’m only helping you because you’re myself, so it’s the same thing. Let me just help you up before the guard decides to come back.”
Carl didn’t question any further and just let’s the new Zim help him get up.
“Hm. You’re a stranger Zim than I thought.”
“Heh,” he tries to smirk a bit, “that’s what makes me the best.”
“Who told you that you were the best Zim?” He argued with him.
Meanwhile, a little far out from the hallway and behind the column, a guard peeked out and looked at two Zims. His eye set the most on the newcomer that aided an injured Zim and squinted his eyes. He looks down at a paper he was holding and writes something down. He puts it down and completely leaves the hallways.
It took a while for the guard to join the chamber and approach the same guard that confronted the two slaves. He noticed him approaching and turns to him,
“Did you find anything suspicious about our newcomer?”
“Don’t worry,” he took off his helmet, revealing to be 501, “I think I got to know everything about him. All that newcomer needs now at this point is pure luck.”
—————————————————-
Quick panting sounds are heard as each feet kicked back the dirt for how fast he was running. A yellow-skinned Zim with redder eyes and a bug-like wing, revealing to be a hybrid a bee, ran while hugging a bag for dear life. But he soon came to a dead end by huge piles of junk blocking the alley. He glances in fear to see the shadows appearing and drawing closer with a distant voice shouting in the distance. The bee Zim looked at his his small wing and sigh,
“Come on wing, it’s not that high.”
He looked back up at the pile, focusing on his goal, and started flapping his wings. The more effort he put on it, the more he started to hover in the air. It was taking all the energy from him, but he tried to ignore the limit, continuing to focus as he gets closer and closer to the goal.
He pants but smiles,
“Heheh heheh....I’m doing it! Heh! I’m doing it! Victory for-!!”
He lets out a grunt of of surprise as a rope is thrown unto him and tightly grips around his body. He is then yanked down, making him tumble onto the ground for a second or two. He was now feeling too weak to get up at this moment due to the energy he costed on his PAK. Even so, he weakly turned his head to look at a Zim with a cowboy outfit looking down at his catch. He hacks up and spits out saliva before turning behind him,
“I got ‘im, Sword Cat.”
“Hah!” A brown cat Zim with a sword tucked underneath his belt came next to him and looked at the bee Zim with a mischievous smile, “great work, Sheriff! Now then, little bee guy.”
He approaches the captured Zim on the ground, who was still holding the bag,
“Why don’t we all just call it truce and give us that little honey of yours? We won’t do any harm by leaving you all tied up on the rope until there’s luck that someone might get you.”
A ninja Zim came up to the left side of Sword Cat,
“Uh. Sword Cat? I think that lie was a little too obvious.”
“No it wasn’t!” The cat angrily looked at his ally, “if anything, my tactic on lying to that Zim about not leaving him tied up was a brilliant success!”
The cowboy leaned close to his side,
“Uh. You straight up just revealed it again.”
“No I did not!”
“Dude,” the bee Zim said unamused despite still hugging the bag, “you know how I can hear exactly what you said.”
“Oh yeah?!” He gave the captured irken hybrid a challenging glare, “then tell me, little buzzer! What did I say?!”
“That you’re going to leave me tied after you take my honey.”
“NO I DIDN'T! I-!”
He cuts off and takes a moment to think. After a short while, he shook his head.
“You know what? It doesn’t matter,” he pulls out his sword and points it to him, “give us the honey.”
“No!” The bee Zim hugs it more dearly, “it’s the only honey that survived the crash! My small glorious wings will not flap better without it!”
“Well we don’t care. Give it!”
“No!” He tried to use the strength he hope he has by look directly at him with a squint, “if you want it, you will have to get through me first!”
Sword Cat quietly stared at the weak Irken.
“....Really?”
“I-I’m serious! Y-you will regret it!”
The cat once again quietly gazed at him with unamusement. Then he looked at both of his two members, who seem to agree on his thought about his unworthy motivation. He looks back at him.
“Alright.”
He raised up his sword again with the two others gathering around him, their eyes sharply at him,
“Let’s see what you got.”
They started walking towards him. The bee Zim quivered, but still tried to remain determined.
“G-get back! Don’t come any closer! Y-you will definitely regret it by....b-by my ambush!”
“Oh yeah?” The cat lifted his eyebrow smiling with a challenged expression, “by what army?”
“None other than me!” A child-like voice shouted out.
The Zims paused in the position and looked about. The bee Zim grew confused as he was looking for the source.
“Who said that?”
“Aha! Look above you!”
When they heard more clearly where the voice was coming from, they looked at one of the building nearby to see a small figure standing on top of it proudly. He jumps up, revealing to be holding onto a rope as he swings unto a wall and used his rope to push his feet off of it. He slides down the rope in time to land in front of the Zim that was in trouble with in a heroic looking landing pose.
His head raised to look at the gangs with a determined smile.
“Sword Cat! We meet again!”
All the Zim went quiet.
The gangs showed to be pretty annoyed as the cowboy one facepalmed and sighed.
“Here we go again.”
The bee version blinked and his face turned into confusion.
“Uh. Am I looking at myself....as a baby?”
“Heh!” The smeet glanced at him still confident, “I may be a baby. But I am still a Zim at heart!”
“What. Are you doing here, Baby?” Sword Cat asked in irritation.
“My name is not Baby!” The smeet narrowed, “I am Zim! Better nicknamed as 2K. Which is a nickname more brilliant than than any Zim has to go by-!”
“Right right right,” the cat Zim said impatiently, “but what are you going to try this time? What’s with the sudden change of not trying to ambush us?”
“Well,” 2K started to state out, “as I was looking back at the few attempts I have made on my plans, I have come to the realization that my unnecessary failures did not come from ambushing you out of nowhere. Instead, I have come to the conclusion, thanks to my brilliant mind, that in order to defeat someone, I need to show just how threatening I really can be!”
“....And in order to do so was to make your grand entrance?”
“Yup! Pretty neat, huh?”
The gangs stared at him unamused.
“That’s...the dumbest thing I ever heard,” the ninja said.
“It done sure sound like you ran out of ideas,” the cowboy spoke.
“No I haven't! And besides, this is my best plan yet-“
“Just like you have said with your previous ones,” Sword Cat crosses his arms.
The smeet hesitated. He growled and clenched his teeth in frustration,
“Nnnnnngh it doesn’t matter! You will be defeated this time!”
He charges over and launches onto him, only for Sword Cat to catch him by grabbing his antennae. 2K grunts in pain and flails his leg shouting,
“Nngh! Ow ow! Let me go! Stop it! You won’t get away this easily! You will regret the day you messed with-“
He continued to yap about while attempting to punch and kick him with his tiny arms and legs, which barely hit him whatsoever. The leader of the gang remained gazing at him unamused before tracing his eyes to the cowboy version.
“Sheriff, do me a favor and tie this annoying chatterbox up. I’ll take care of the bee.”
Sheriff nods and goes over to be the one to hold onto the smeet by the atennae. He walks off to do what he is told. The Sword Cat walks over to the bee and kicks him down, causing him let out a sound of a harsh grunt and leaving him half conscious. He bends down and took the jar of honey from him before fully standing to look at it in pride.
“Heheh, yes yes. Guess what we will be having tomorrow night, Zims.”
“Gah!” 2K voice can be heard, “hey! That’s too tigh-gh!”
“Quiet, will you?” The cowboy said before making the last knot. 2K was now laying on the ground all tied up by the rope as he squirms about violently there, trying to break free.
“That should just about do it,” Sheriff stood up and turned to the cat, “will you like me to do anything else with him?”
“Eh,” he shrugged, “you can let him and the bee be as they are. We got the honey. So let’s get out here before some guards see us.”
“You think the guards will care?” The ninja asked.
“They will care if they see me. Now let’s go already.”
They went ahead and walked off. The bee grunted and was regaining consciousness as he weakly looked out at the gangs walking away.
“Nah...no...my honey! What am I going to do? How will my wings be able to work again? How will I be able to fly around the town?!”
2K stared at the distressed alternate version of himself.
“Uh...hey! I got an idea,” he smiles, “I know exactly where their base is! Maybe if you can untie me and join the resistance, we can go over and get your honey back. Sounds cool?”
“Sounds cool?” The bee angrily looked at him, “why would I join a group when they have a member that can’t even defend himself?”
2K sighed,
“Ok. Maybe I may have lost this time. But this time will be different!”
“Whatever,” he shakily gets up while fighting back the injury, “I’ll find a way to get through this void without. Thanks for the help.”
He walks off. 2K blinks in realization of something.
“Uh. Hey. Can you at least tie me? Hey. HEY!”
He struggles violently again and even tries to bite the rope off with his buck tooth only with his collar being in the way.
“Nngh! Stupid! Collar! Agh! I WILL GET YOUR HONEY BACK FOR SURE!” He angrily shouts out while alone in the alley, “THEN YOU WILL LOOK BACK TO THIS AND WISH YOU COULD HAVE JOINED THE RESISTANCE EAR-!”
———————————-
It was now night time. All the Zims in the underground town were already closing their doors and calling it a day. 2K remained stuck at one of the alleyways, already have exhausted himself from shouting the entire day. He can do nothing but lay there facing up in boredom as he looked at each stains on the wall.
“46.....47........47, 48....49. Wait did I count the stains right? I think I might have said ‘47’ twice.” He wondered out loud to himself.
“....eh. Who cares. If anything, I’ll just try again.”
His eyes traced to the first wall stain he sees and starts counting from the beginning.
“1,2,3....”
With the smeet counting again, a local Zim can hear a child-like voice within one of the alley way. He hops over to see who it is until he can see a familiar figure.
“Mmmph?”
2K immediately stop counting. He softly turns his head to see who it is and saw a baloney far off looking at him. At that point, he did not show any change of expression. Ofcourse he would be the one to find him here.
“Oh. Hey, Meat.”
