They arrived on a small moon in Crentoid’s gravitational pull. They got equipped, the entire Armada, over 100,000,000 strong, suited and got into their Cruisers and Runners. Over 10,000,000 brought the Battalions to life and grimly awaited anything. And, everyone else stood in the Massive, Techno quietly radiating from Cri’s left antenna. The
slow hum of new engines was heard, and the Effzoids cruised into view. Over 200,000,000 soldiers flanked the Colossal, the Effzoid’s version of the Massive. Moose drew in a shaky breath, so this was war, intergalactic style.
The Effzoid President's voice replaced the Techno on Cri’s antenna. "We are here. Now what, Tallest?"
"We wait for the DL’s." Purple said. Kro was leaning on him, looking very tired.
There was a thoughtful humming noise on the other end and the Pres. finally said, "Alright, I’ll land my army near yours and we can ambush the DL’s, that work for you?" his voice crackled. Red told him yes and the Pres. crackled out. Red hovered to a chair and sat down on it.
Moose sat down next to him, "Don’t worry, we can do it!" she said.
He turned to look at her, "What makes you so sure? I’m scared to look around because there might be something I forgot and it’ll be MY fault we die."
Moose put an arm around his shoulders, "Hey, you defeated the Neo Rebels! You regained my memory! You put up with-"
He turned to Purple who was making goo-goo eyes at Kro.
"-You see my point. But you can do this! One way or another, we can do it!"
Red look at her thoughtfully and put an arm around her shoulders as well, "Maybe you’re right. Maybe we can do this." Suddenly, a large alarm went off.
"Emergenthy, emergenthy! Yo folkth, there’th an emergenthy!" called out the computer.
"What’s up?" asked Red standing up.
"Our friends are here," said the President, who’d regained contact with Cri’s left antenna.
Red grabbed a mike a shouted into it, "OKAY, PEOPLE, THIS IS IT! LET’S DO IT!"
Thousands of Voots blasted into space, accompanied by homing missiles. The DL ship suffered several mini explosions and you could hear the curses from the Massive.
Out the windows, you could see the Voots jamming into action. Moose stared out the window at the thousands of Voots, and before her eyes, one was shot down, the pilot blown with the ship. She stepped back from the window in horror and looked at everyone else in the Massive. Purple was staring out the window looking lost and hurt, Kro standing next to him, arms around his middle. She stared out with him, dark purple eyes seeing nothing and something at the same time. Cri had gotten her antenna to quit picking up the radio and was sitting quietly in a chair, staring at the ceiling. Zim sat next to her, finally accepting her presence as her appreciation towards himself, the mighty ZIM!
Zix stood alone by the window, cursing under her breath and whispering to the soldiers on the battle space. Otherwise, nothing came from her as she stared into the abyss. Moose turned to look at Red. He was sitting on the same chair, looking ready to die. He
looked...old. She stood and walked over to him.
"Stop looking like that!" she told him.
He opened one red eye and stared at her, "Excuse me?"
"Everyone is out there protecting you! At least look appreciative!" Moose said.
"I shouldn’t be here," Red stared out the window where the Effzoids had just dropped several large bombs on the ship. "I should be out there with my people, fighting for my planet! I feel wrong just sitting here!"
"'It's okay... It is okay to be protected... Become stronger by being protected,'" recited Moose after a few moments of thought.
Red looked at her from the corner of one eye, "What?"
"They are out there because they care about you and Purple," said Kro walking over, "If they didn’t, you can bet sure as hell, they’d be back in their rooms with nary a worry or care. They love you, that is why they protect you."
Zix walked over and nodded, "Once, my best friend in the ENTIRE universe protected me until he fell to the cops. He loved me and would die if it meant I could still live. That is what true devotion and caring is about."
Cri and Zim nodded profusely. Red looked at everyone, then looked at Moose. He stood and hugged her, "Thank you, I feel better. I thought I was leaving my people to die out there, but now I know it’s worth it. Thanks."
Moose blushed slightly and Zix winked before returning to the window. Everyone was in semi-peace, when a huge missile hit the Massive. The ship rocked and the power flickered on and off.
The Presidents voice crackled onto life, "Hey, you guys okay?"
"Ugggh... Yea, just a little shaken," replied Purple rubbing his head.
"Not stirred I hope," remarked the Pres. with a nervous laugh, "The DL’s just hit you hard, I expect the computer will report the damage in a minute-"
"Hey, I’m reporting the damage, let’th thee, um, main engine dead-"
"SILENCE! SHUT UP!" screamed the Pres. The computer did so, "A-hem, like I was saying, I might get some specialists over here, you were talking about some folks named, damn, can’t remember. Oh, well, it’ll come back to me. Anyhoo, I’d call ‘em in now. It’s
gettin' ugly out here."
M E A N W H I L E (cell number six, Irk's main prison):
"Sooo, they've started war. Fun, fun...," muttered Aex and turned the page on the Irken Times.
Kao turned to look at her brother, "Ne?"
"Yup, they have signed the documents and they are fighting the Lupesians and the Diaters. But says they have back up with the Effzoids. So, we aren't totally destroyed." Kao sighed quietly, so, they finally were fighting. And she wasn't with Red to help him.
Almost as if he read her thoughts, Aex asked, "So, you still like him, hmm?"
"NO. He put me in this God-awful prison! I hate him!" replied Kao and smacked the bars on the cage for emphasis. A guard came over and unlocked the door.
"Time for our beating ALREADY?" asked Aex, feigning surprise.
The guard made a rude remark that I won’t write (use your imaginations, kiddies) and snapped, "The Tallest need your help. I got the message a couple minutes ago, they need two specialists by the names of Aex and Kao to come help fight."
"Consequences...?" asked Kao.
"You die if you don’t."
"So, who are these, specialists?" asked Moose. Red pretended not to hear and watched out the window. Zix was looking incredibly happy, so when Red didn’t reply, Moose went to her.
"Aex!" Zix hugged herself, "And Kao! They were two of the most qualified Voot Pilots that the Armada has ever had!"
"And...why are you so happy?"
"Aex," Zix looked at her with big magenta eyes, "He’s coming back to me!" Moose looked over at Red, ready to shoot him.
Kro tugged at her shirt, "Moose, don’t get pissed off. Maybe he is still interested in Kao, but this isn’t about her now. It’s about saving our planet and home. You don’t know how many space bums out there have had their planets blown up. They have no home to go to; they’re just there, waiting for their species to die out. I don’t want to wait for my life to end like that."
She gave her an extra hard death glare and left for Purple. Moose looked over at Red and walked over to him.
"Must be pretty cool, have your girlfriend coming back, ne?" she asked. Red turned, surprised.
"What?" he demanded, "I told you! I’m still connected, just not like that!"
"Really, why wouldn’t you answer me?"
"I didn’t hear you!"
"Did you WANT to?"
"Now that you’re being such a jerk, no!"
"So, I’m not good enough!"
"I guess it teaches me not to love out of species, huh?!"
"You... loved me?"
"NOT ANYMORE!" he snapped and glided out of the room. "If you'll excuse me, DARLING, I must see to my saviors!"
The room’s occupants stared at her for a full minute before returning back to whatever they were doing. Moose wandered off after Red, one more nightmare in dreamland. Red was hovering so fast along the corridors, muttering to himself all the while.
"I can’t believe I ever fell for that HUMAN! What an arrogant, twisted little-ARRAGH!" he threw a punch at a wall. The ship rocked from both his punch and the attack of the DL’s. The ship sent out its fun little walkway to prevent anyone from falling into space and dying. Aex stepped forward and then Kao. Red hovered over and told the guard he had done well and was dismissed.
Red glided forward and hugged Kao passionately. Aex raised an eyebrow at the whole love-y dove-y show of emotion.
"Arrgh-Red-nice to-OW-see you, too!" gasped Kao once she had regained her breath.
"I’m so HAPPY to see you!" said Red in an overly loud voice.
Kao gulped, "Um, yes, good to see you as well. Liftin’ those weights, aren’t ya?"
"Okay, RED," snapped Aex, "This isn’t a reunion, what do you want?"
"I need you guys to ride one last time," said Red.
"Eh?" both of them questioned.
"Irk needs you, and you were the most qualified from the Voot Academy! Please, guys, help?" asked Red. He’s pleading, thought Moose, what a baby! How could I have LIKED him?
"Well, I dunno-" started Aex.
"We’ll do it," said Kao, "only if you grant us our freedom." She smiled wryly at Aex.
Red nodded, "Done. You have your freedom if you help us." Moose almost fell over at his choice, freedom for THEM? Aex was a killer and a murder! KAO WAS RED’S EX-GIRLFRIEND!
Aex grinned, "Okay, let’s see the Cruiser in question..." And cracked his gloves like a doctor about to operate might. Kao grinned and they followed Red as he led them down to the Docking Bay. Moose followed behind closely.
They reached it and Aex climbed into one. Kao checked it and nodded, "Right, I choose this one! Let’s go." Aex nodded and climbed in. Kao started, but Red grabbed her arm.
"Wait," he commanded and one eye looked to where Moose was watching. He knows I’m here, thought Moose. Okay, Red, what are you gonna do? "Don’t kill yourself, beloved," he told Kao and kissed her deeply.
Aex stared for a minute, then retreated back inside with a sarcastic, "'Oh yes, Aex, I hate Red! I never wanna touch his foul lips again!' Pah!" Moose stared for a moment, then five minutes... "MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH, YOUR PEOPLE ARE BEING KILLED!" snapped Aex suddenly. "Might wanna end this, Red."
They broke and Kao panted for breath, "Wow, that was kind of...Long," she remarked and got inside with Aex. The engines started and it started out the runway. Moose stood and watched the ship fly away.
Red passed her with a wicked grin, "Kao always was the
BEST at good byes, you know." He said and started leaving. Moose was about to snap back an insult, but the ship quivered from the attacks.
As he left she called out after him, "What happened to you, Red? What happened to the guy I used to LIKE?"
He turned, cruel grin on his face, "He died. The old Red is back with the one who understands him!" He called something in Irken and laughed as he left. (Roughly translated, it meant something like "No more crap from you!")
Cri found her in the bathroom crying. "What’s wrong, Moose?"
"Red... kissed Kao. In front of me," she sniffled, "Why did he do that, Cri?"
Cri shrugged, "Guys do that," she sat down next to her, "They think a little jealousy makes a
girl come back. What are you gonna do?"
"What can I do?" sobbed Moose and succumbed to more tears.
"Well, you can fight for your love. Corny as it is."
"Like, go out in a Voot and fight like that?" she asked raising a tear stained face to look at
Cri. Cri nodded, silver eyes smiling, yet...not.
"EXACTLY! Go out and prove to him that you love him!" she said and stood, "What guy wouldn’t want to see some girl fighting for him?"
"But...I dunno how to fly a Voot," said Moose.
"Yes," said Cri. "But I’m here! I know everything about driving a Voot! Let me help you in your conquest of love!"
Moose stood up, "Let’s do it, Cri!"
"YO FOLKTH!" screamed the computer, "THERETH A VOOT BLATHTING OFF!"
Purple turned, "WHAT?" The computer repeated and everyone went running down to the Docking Bay. They were just in time to see a Voot start taking off. Moose stood by the door, hand ready to close it.
"MOOSE!" shouted Red as the Voot lifted from the ground.
Her eyes were sad and she was crying, "Adios, space cowboy." She whispered and slammed the door and everything. Red stared as she pulled away and into the eternal night.
Somehow, he had heard those words, good bye love.
