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Soldier of Fortune	By : Florville Category: +G through L > Invader Zim > Het- Male/Female Views: 5451 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
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- 9
Chapter 8: Two’s Company

******THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO MEEE, MY NEW REVIEWY-PEEP OF DOOM!! *lurve*

Nara followed in her cat form behind the human Tak as she walked into the store, picking out a pair of pants that looked to be about Zim’s size and grabbing a turtleneck for him. When she returned, she shut the door and locked it, sighing heavily. She’d seen a broadcast while she was in the store…the Dib-human was in the hospital and his condition was improving, which meant that she and Zim had less and less time to repair the base. She sighed, going down in the lift, finding Zim in the AI Brain chamber. “Here.” She tossed the clothes at him and then walked out.

Zim blinked in surprise, looking down at the black overalls and dark red turtleneck. He pulled them on, glad to have some form of clothing now…it made him feel much less vulnerable. And the overalls were comfortable. He used his spider-legs to tear a hole for his pak, and then began to work on the data conduits again.

Tak watched Zim working and shook her head. He was really going to help her. She walked into the room and knelt down beside him. “Nara is repaired and is guarding the entrances to the base. I can help you down here now.”

Zim nodded. “It will be nice to have comp—to have help.”

She looked at him for a long moment and then nodded. “How far have you gotten in the deprogramming?”

“I’ve already deprogrammed three of the data conduits, which means there’s three left. We might be able to finish this by tonight.”

Tak nodded. “Good. Let’s get to work, then.”

**********

After they had been working on separate conduits for an hour or so, Zim sat back and wiped his hands on his overalls, putting the panel back on.

Tak turned her head, her eyes narrowing. “What are you doing?”

Zim blinked at her. “What do you mean?”

Tak scowled, rising to her feet and approaching him. “Why are you putting the panel back on?”

Zim quirked an antenna, looking at Tak as if she had suddenly turned into a Snorbeast. “Because I’m finished.”

Tak snorted. “As if you could have deprogrammed the entire conduit that quickly.” She scowled. “Get back to work.”

Offended, Zim scowled, his eyes narrowing. “You can check it if you don’t believe me.” He crossed his arms over his chest and moved back on his spider-legs, bracing his weight on them, his antennae flattened against his skull as he glared at her.

Moving past him, Tak knelt down and pulled the panel off of the data conduit, inspecting the pathways inside and then blinking in surprise.

Zim had finished deprogramming the entire conduit.

“How did you…” Tak pulled her head out and blinked at him in confusion. “How did you do that so quickly?”

Zim’s anger faded upon her acknowledgement of him being in the right, and he smiled, offering her a hand to help her up.

She took his hand, rising to her feet, still puzzled.

“I’ll show you.” He led Tak over to the conduit she had been working on, using his spider-legs to lower himself to his knees and then pointing inside the open panel. “You see how the pathways are fused in groups of seven at a junction where they flow along one of the main paths in the conduit?”

Tak nodded, her antennae returning to their usual relaxed curl. “Yes, such is standard Irken design.” She said matter-of-factly.

“Watch.” Zim smirked, one of his spider-legs extending, a three-inch needle-like tool emerging from the tip. He touched the needle to the place where seven of the minor pathways fused, a small spark flaring at the tip of the needle. He sat back, waving towards the open panel. “Run a scan on that pathway and see what happened.”

Tak snorted, unimpressed. She ran her data analysis tool over the pathway, her tone one of irritation. “That would never work, Zim. Really, you’re so full of yourse—” she stopped, blinking when the scan showed up negative for all seven of the minor pathways.

Zim smirked, crossing his arms over his chest again, his expression smug. “Oh, do go on, I was listening.”

Tak pulled her head out of the open panel and gazed at him in awe. “Where did you learn that?”

He honestly hadn’t expected Tak to be so amazed, and he blushed a little, flattered. “I stumbled upon it when I was repairing a damaged data conduit in my own base several years ago.”

Tak looked at the freshly deprogrammed pathway, then back at Zim, and shook her head. “According to logic, it shouldn’t be possible.”

Zim grinned, rising up on his spider-legs and moving over to the last conduit, lowering himself to his knees and pulling the panel off. “One thing you learn very, very quickly on this world is that often discovery overpowers logic. If you find a way that’s faster and it works properly, whether it’s logical or not, it’s best to use it and find an explanation for how it works afterwards.” He looked over at Tak, grinning. “Go ahead…ask me why I’m so amazing.”

*******

They worked late into the evening, finishing the last conduit together before stepping back and surveying the work that had been done.

“I’ll insert the new brain tomorrow and we can start reprogramming.” Tak sighed, stretching and looking over at Zim, who nodded and smiled at her.

“We finished it all pretty fast. I’m glad.”

One of Tak’s eyes narrowed. “You really shouldn’t be, you know. It only means your execution will come sooner.”

Zim shrugged one shoulder. “I’m not worried…I have nothing left to lose. Besides, I’d rather you executed me sooner rather than have the Dib-stink get a hold of me again because the security systems in the base aren’t working.”

Tak measured his voice and expression to determine if he was lying, finding that he was not. She shook her head. “Well, you’re surprisingly easy to work with.”

Zim smiled. “As I said, I am truly amazing. May I eat with you tonight?”

Tak snorted. “Of course not. I already told you, you’re not a guest.”

Zim shrugged. “Just thought I’d ask.”

“Go back to your cell, Zim.” She snapped.

Zim sighed, walking with the aid of his spider legs, leaving the AI Brain chamber and retrieving some food, then going to his room and sitting down on the bed. He looked at the plate full of food and the can of soda, then sighed. Even with the new level of freedom Tak was allowing him, he still felt like a prisoner, like some sort of slave. And it didn’t help that he had begun to crave her. He knew instinctively the effect he was having on her…he could see the turmoil in her eyes, could see her aroused state in the subtle quivering of her antennae. He sighed and stretched out on the bed, still wearing the turtleneck and overalls, and fell asleep, leaving his food untouched.

Tak sighed heavily, shaking her head. She had meant what she said about Zim being easy to work with. In fact, she almost found his company…desirable. When it came down to technical duties and repairs, Zim was quite serious, and extremely intellectual. He had made several suggestions that had sped up the repair process unbelievably. Perhaps he was a better Invader than she thought he was.

She scowled. So he was a good technician. Big deal. That didn’t make up for him ruining her missions. She looked at her plate full of food and shook her head, pushing it aside. She’d lost her appetite.

**************
To Yaoifanboy: OMG I can't believe you actually had an opportunity to use that line. *rotflmao* That's awesome. And don't worry about the dude you threw the money at...I'm sure he'll look back on it and laugh. *shrugs* Besides, it's not like that would be the defining trauma of his life. *snickers* And I'm glad my writing could cheer you up. That makes me happy.
To Levi: I thought it was apt. *g* I thought it described her character in this fic pretty accurately. Zim enjoyed using the term.
To Krimzon: Ahhh, Legacy of Kain...and I love the word machinations as well. Sorta like the word "nebulous"....I love that word too...*g* And hey, keep going on your fic, it's awesome!
To Melliza: Wow, I'm glad I could change your mind on Tak! I feel so special...
To Meee: Welcome to my reviewy-peeps! *LURVE* and thank you thank you thank you thank you for reviewing BOTH of my fics! I smile! And I'm proud to be your first Tak/Zim fic ready...um...of DOOM!!! Yes...*looks around awkwardly, crickets chirping* So anyway, thank you and welcome! It's wonderful to have feedback on this story, I've been working really hard on it. *lurve*
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Soldier of Fortune