Double Crossed (Invader Zim)

Chapter 18

Seeming frustrated, Zim lifts us up into the vent again. "This is getting repetitive," he grumbles, starting to crawl forwards. I can't help but agree. I don't think I remember how many times we've snuck into vents at this point.

As we're moving, I hear a beeping sound. Three beeps, silence. Three beeps, silence. Three beeps, silence. Zim tenses up. "Shit," he mumbles, starting to crawl just a bit quicker. He doesn't need to say anything else for me to know that it's the hunt and kill device, scanning the area below us. Even though I know that it's not after me, and I wouldn't die either way, the fact that this is just about the hundredth time that Zim's life has been in danger scares me.

Before, Zim would've never made a sound sneaking around in a vent. Now, there are bumps where his hands and knees fall, as he scrambles to get to the end of the vent. I don't see an end anywhere- granted, Zim is blocking the view in front of me- but I guess the faster we go, the faster we'll get there. The device doesn't seem to be able to hear anyways, and why would it?

When Zim stops, holding a hand out behind him to tell me to stay still, I think we've gotten to the end. But when I lean to look in front of Zim, I still see a path in front of us. It's only when I see Zim looking down that I realize that we're right above an area that's being searched. Damn, that thing works fast.

Zim seems to be holding his breath, and clenching his teeth to keep from making sound, which makes me question my before though about the devices inability to hear. Zim would obviously know more about the device than me, so I keep my mouth shut too.

Just as the device is about to leave, it does one last floor to ceiling sweep of the room, and turns around to go through the door as the beam sweeps up the walls. When the beam hits the vent, I feel Zim move backwards a bit and a squeak escapes his mouth. The device turns sharply after hearing the noise- I guess it can hear after all- searching for the source.

Without hesitation, Zim starts booking it through the vent. The device seems startled by the sudden sounds, and flies up to the vent just as I crawl past the vent cover to follow Zim. I can hear whirring behind me, and a couple of tink sounds, indicating that the device has unscrewed the vent cover, and is now currently following us.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a red flash, and Zim seems to see it too, because without hesitation, he punches a hole in the vent under him with his metal legs and drops through it, not bothering to check if anyone's in the room. I drop through as well, hoping to see where Zim goes before I completely lose where I am.

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(Zim's P.O.V)

The device knows that I'm here. It doesn't know exactly where I am, but it knows that I'm nearby. It was in the vent, and chances are that it followed us into this room. I risk looking around the room, only to notice that no one seems to be here, and the room is huge, covered seemingly ceiling to floor with electronic devices and machines.

I run through the humongous space, looking for something I could hide behind that might hide my molecular structure from the device seeking to kill me. But for once, the advanced Irken technology backfires on me, because nothing in the room is strong enough to deflect the scanning technology in the device.

Dib came down into the room too, but I can find him. I ran too far looking for a hiding place that now I'm stranded on my own, right in the middle of the seemingly largest and most important room in the building while an extremely perfect piece of technology is seeking to to take my life, even though I'm the one who controlled it for most of the time it was functional. Everything is a mess. I wish I had Dib, I wish I had Dib, I wish I had-

The sound of something falling snaps me into reality. Something that was knocked over. It sounded like it was important, but I care more about what knocked it over. There are only three options- Dib, the device, or some human that will find me and kill me. The fact that two of the three outcomes end in my death doesn't do anything to calm me down.

From around the corner, I hear the beeping that comes with the devices search beams. Knowing the outcome only scares me more now as I throw myself behind the nearest and biggest thing I can find, wedging myself between it and the wall, hoping against every scientific fact I know that the device won't be able to find me.

Beep! Whirr... Beep! Whirr... Beep! Whirr...

It's getting closer.

Beep! Whirr... Beep! Whirr... Beep! Whirr...

My pulse is racing, blood rushing around so frantically that it's almost the only thing I can hear.

Beep! Whirr... Beep! Whirr... Beep! Whirr...

The device comes into view through the small crack I can see through. It's bright red light gets even brighter, and the beam starts sweeping at the floor. Using my metal legs, I push myself farther up the wall, clutching on to some sort of cylinder as the beam lifts towards me.

Five meters away.

Four meters away.

Three meters away.

I squeeze my eyes shut, anticipating the loud siren when it finds me.

Two meters.

One meter.