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VINDICATION	By : Florville Category: +G through L > Invader Zim > AU/AR-Alternate Universe-Alternate Reality Views: 29601 -:- 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.

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Chapter 80: Determination

Zim and Dib burst into the lockdown chamber, running up to 777 and Kha, who were standing with Wir in front of the console, their expressions grave. The room was littered with debris, the doors to the power core housing chamber bent outward.

Feeling his squeedlyspooch lurch, Zim frowned, his antennae flattening against his skull. “What’s wrong?”

Advisor Kha ran a hand over his antennae. “One of the explosions traveled along the power conductors leading to the interior of the ship. It’s blown one of the columns in the power core…the door over the lockdown console protected it somewhat, but…” Kha trailed off, looking uncertainly at the control panel.

Zim stepped back, then turned and spoke into his communicator, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. “I need a team of Technicians down to the power core for damage control…”

Wir was already working through the mess of melted coils and wiring, her antennae pressed against her head in concentration.

Dib approached the console, reaching out and running his fingertips over the tangled remains of the wiring. After a long moment, he stepped back, then turned and hurried towards the door. “I’ll be right back—I think I might be able to help repair it…”

Ten minutes later, Dib was in front of the console again, prying his laptop open as a team of about forty Techs made their way into the power core chamber, heavily suited.

“I don’t know how closely the concepts of Irken circuitry mirror mine, so keep your fingers crossed…”

Wir gave Dib an odd look, then quirked an antenna at Zim, who was standing close behind them.

Zim wiped the sweat from his brow with one sleeve. “Human expression...just hope that it works.”

Dib started pulling the wires out of his laptop. “I need something to cut these with…”

Wir extended a tool from her PAK and severed the tiny cord-things, then looked at the console again. “What exactly are you planning on doing?”

Adjusting his glasses, Dib selected a single wire, moving up close to the console. “No time for questions—pull the damaged stuff out and show me the points that need to be connected.”

Wir cut the mass of melted coils out of the console, waving 777 in.

The Vortian indicated two tiny points of frayed conduction coil, and Dib placed the first wire, bridging the gap between the damaged ends and nodding to Wir. “Fuse this onto the console.”

The Master Tech extended a mechanical leg, a tiny needle-like device slipping out of the tip and soldering the wire in place.

Zim and Kha stood side by side behind the three, watching gravely as they worked on the damaged panel.

Clenching his teeth, Zim approached Wir. “Give me your respirator.”

Too absorbed in her work, she pulled the device out of her PAK and handed it to him.

Putting it on over his head, Zim turned abruptly and jogged towards the power core.

Kha frowned and called out to him. “My Tallest?”

“I’m going in to help the Techs. You’re in charge of supervision.”

Wir and Kha both gaped at him in shock, and the Advisor ran after him, getting in between Zim and the door to the chamber. “My Tallest, you don’t even have a suit—”

“I’ll be fine, just get that console fixed!” Zim barked through the breathing device, pushing past him.

The Techs in the power core chamber were just as shocked when Zim came in on fully extended mechanical legs, making his way towards the shattered section of the Massive’s ten-column power core.

Several of the suited Irkens ran towards him, trying to usher him back towards the door, one of them shouting over the crackling of the damaged section and the deafening humming of the remaining nine columns. “My Tallest, it’s not safe in here yet!”

Zim shook his head, fighting his way past the concerned group of Techs and climbing up one of the functional engine columns. Reaching the top, he made his way into the middle of the group of Techs working on isolating the damaged column from the Massive’s power conduction matrix.

“My Tallest?! What are you—”

Zim shouted over the skull-splitting noise of the Vortian-made engine, his eyes narrowed against the thick haze of smoke. “I know the power core like the Vortians who made it, just follow my commands as I give them to you!”

In the lockdown chamber, Wir, Dib and 777 continued fusing wires onto the damaged points of the lockdown console.

A violent shudder ran through the ship, causing Dib and 777 to stagger as Wir braced herself with her mechanical legs.

“Looks like that Resisty bitch got over her complex…” Dib muttered, rising to his feet and wobbling as the ship lurched again. “Shit…we’re running out of time…”

Giving orders through an open line of communication to the team, Zim worked with the Techs on top of the columns. The Massive shuddered and heaved again, and there was a blinding flash of light as one of the nine remaining columns exploded, knocking Zim off of the now isolated section and sending him crashing to the floor. Despite the powerful magnetic grip of their boots, several of the Techs working on the ground below had been thrown against the wall by the force of the blast, the flying shards of crystalline column housing material bouncing harmlessly off of their protective suits.

Zim cursed as the smoke stung his eyes, and he struggled to his feet, holding his broken arm against his body with one spider-leg. Using the other three, he clambered back up towards the top of the columns, his uniform shredded from the flying shrapnel expelled in the explosion. Panting heavily, he grunted as his grip faltered, grinding his teeth as blood mixed with propulsion fuel dripped into one of his scarlet eyes.

One of the Master Techs, Swit, climbed down and grabbed onto him, speaking over the communicator. “My Tallest, you need to see a Medical Off—”

“I’ll see one when we’re finished!” Zim shouted, shredding the remnants of his uniform and discarding the chemical-soaked fabric as the vision in his right eye began to go dark, his wounds burning as the volatile fuel clung to his skin. “Keep working, keep following my commands!”

Wir fused the last wire to the lockdown panel, squinting as smoke continued to pour from the other chamber.

777 frowned, then turned to Dib. “One of the data transfer coils is still clogged with ash; so is one of the ventilation tubes…the panel will overheat if we try to abort the lockdown and reactivate the system this way.” The Vortian’s horns twitched worriedly. “What’s worse, the data in the coil would be destroyed by any of the materials we have at our disposal…they’re too abrasive.”

Dib yanked on the two locks of hair that clung to his sweat-dampened temples. “Damn it…” He wiped his face on his shirt, then stopped for a moment before pulling his t-shirt off over his head. “Here…try this…”

777 blinked at Dib, then rubbed the soft material between his fingertips, nodding. The Vortian carefully cleaned the data coil, tearing a tiny strip of fabric from the t-shirt and inserting it gently into the ventilation tube, then pulling it out. He tore off strip after strip, repeating the action until the fabric came out clean.

Looking over at Kha, 777 stepped back. “We’ve done all we can.”

The Advisor braced himself as another impact rocked the ship, then looked over at the broken doors to the power core chamber. “We can’t reactivate until the power core is completely repaired, or we’re going to risk killing all the Techs working on it.”

Dib was on his hands and knees, and he moved over to the wall, sitting with his back against it to avoid falling again. “Do we have any idea how long they’re going to be?” He stiffened suddenly. “Wait, where’s Zim?”

“He’s gone in to help the Techs.” Wir replied, pointing towards the other chamber.

“WHAT?!” Dib’s eyes widened in dismay and he clambered to his feet, having seen how heavily suited all the Techs had been before going into that section of the ship. He tried to run to the doorway, struggling when Kha and Wir held him back.

“You can’t help them, you’re not qualified!” Wir grunted, surprised by the wiry human’s strength. “You don’t even have a respirator on!”

“I don’t care!” Dib’s eyes were wide and panicked as he fought the two Irkens, writhing frantically in their grasp as 777 ran over to help them restrain him. “I have to get him out of there, he’s out of his mind!! Let go!”

Kha grunted when one of Dib’s flailing limbs collided with his jaw, and he shook his head. “You’re no good to him if you’re dead!”

“You don’t understand! He’s—”

“Your mate.” Kha cut him off, his voice low enough so that the other two couldn’t hear him. “He told me, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let you kill yourself like this.”

“LET GO!!” Dib snarled at him. “You can’t order me!”

“Yes I CAN.” Kha shoved him back forcefully, knocking Dib onto his backside, standing over him and pointing to his chest. “THAT emblem is a symbol of allegiance to the Irken Empire, and as such, you are one of its subjects. You may be the mate of a Tallest, but you do NOT outrank me, and you will obey my orders until you do. Stop being a fool.”

Dib blinked up at the Irken, then lowered his head. Kha was right; as concerned as he was for Zim’s safety, there was nothing he could do.

A few minutes later, the team of Techs started making their way out of the power core chamber, at the head of which was Swit, supporting a naked and badly injured Zim.

The sight made Dib’s heart drop into his stomach, and he ran to his lover’s side, about to embrace him when Zim flattened his antennae and shouted at him.

“Get back!” He grimaced, the shards of material embedded in his flesh catching the light with a sick sort of beauty. “I’m soaked in chemicals...” He panted, leaning heavily against Swit. Turning to Kha, he nodded. “Get the ship out of lockdown.”

As the Advisor turned and began to enter the commands, the Techs surrounded Zim and doused him in a neutralizing liquid, flushing the toxic chemicals from his skin.

Zim was trembling, both from the coldness of the cleaning solution and from the amount of toxin that had already been absorbed by his body.

Various tones rung through the air as the Massive’s on board systems began to activate one by one, and suddenly the vibrations from the Resisty’s barrage of lasers ceased altogether. Wir sighed in relief. “The shields are up.”

Zim looked up as something was draped over his shoulders, turning his head slightly due to the loss of vision in his right eye.

Kha wrapped his robe tighter around the injured Irken, then bowed respectfully.

“The ship is back online, my Tallest. Let’s show these Resisty worms that Tallest Zim is not to be trifled with.”

Despite his weakened state, Zim grinned sadistically, his teeth bared. “Take me to the Control Deck.”

*

Zim had wrapped Kha’s robes around the lower half of his body, sitting at the helm on the Control Deck as a trio of Medical Officers carefully extracted shards of crystal from his flesh.

“Hail them.” Zim sneered, clenching one gloved fist, his antennae standing straight back as he overheard an incoming transmission at one of the consoles. His grin widened further, a manic flame burning in his undamaged eye. By the time the hail was answered, he was practically salivating.

Appearing unnerved for the first few seconds, Crystal narrowed her eyes and growled. “Calling to ask for mercy, Zim?”

“Actually, no.” He purred, his voice oozing with pleasure as Dib came up onto the platform and stood beside him, crossing his arms over his bare chest, the Invader symbol on the left side showing clearly. “I was calling to advise you to ask for yours.”

Regarding the symbol emblazoned on Dib’s skin for a few seconds, Crystal turned her venomous gaze back on Zim. “I will do no such thing. The force of the Resisty fleet will break down your pathetic shields in no time, Zim.”

“That would probably have been the case,” he grinned as something suddenly rocked the ship Crystal was transmitting from, “if the Irken Armada wasn’t in the process of surrounding your ships.”

“No!!” Crystal’s expression was panicked as she turned and started shouting orders at her crew. “FULL POWER TO THE SHIELDS!! TO THE SHIELDS!!”

There was a fiery explosion on the deck of the transmitting ship, and then a loud burst of static before the screen went dark.

Zim twined his fingers with Dib’s, a twisted leer on his face. “Check all systems for damage, and extend my warmest and most heartfelt welcome to Fleet Commander Zen, as well as my thanks for his excellent timing.”

Dib smiled, stroking his lover’s hand. “Zim, I swear, once you’re Ordained, we are going back to Earth to get me some more t-shirts.”
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VINDICATION