Chapter 8: Preparation and Swallowing Pride
Xero felt his body strain as the cybernetics were used throughout his body. Having only just activated them, his body wasn't accustomed to the way it put strain on his limbs. As if they were being stretched and torn, but rebuilt just as fast.
"What are you doing to yourself?" Syn asked, looking at Xero.
"Testing the augmentations… they seem to be using electro-magnetic pulses to stimulate my muscles into a state of near hyper activity, I believe that is what causes my body to go beyond it's limits and become stronger. As well as having a forced repair subroutine." Xero responded. To a normal person, nothing Xero said would have made sense, but Syn understood what he meant. "These augmentations damage my body, but that subroutine is building muscle memory. The damage is lessening quickly."
"I don't see the point" Holo Red spoke up.
"Yeah, you're already the best Enforcer, nobody can really fight you" Holo Purple pointed out.
Xero kept pushing the augmentations to their limits as he replied "Neer isn't an idiot. He's planned for this, so he likely has something for me to keep me busy. And if I were to hazard a guess…"
Syn cut him off "Der."
"Shouldn't you be planning?" Xero stopped to ask the question.
"Well, we have the plan we just have to wait." Holo Red smirked.
"And oh boy, is this plan gonna be great!" Holo Purple chimed in smiling joyously.
"Well tell me later, this is too time consuming and important to let you distract me." Xero sounded rather cold.
"Could you give us the room my Tallest?" Syn inquired receiving a nod as the holograms vanished. The shorter Irken turned to his partner. "Xero? Are you alright?"
Xero turned back to look at Syn. "Of course not, you saw what Neer did to all those guards that failed to catch us…if we fail he'll do even worse to us….worse to you."
Syn looked stunned "Xero, are you emotionally compromised?"
"I hate to admit it, but I am….you saved my life, we've known each other for years, you're my best friend. We may as well have been grown in the same tube."
"X-Xero….what are you saying?"
"I'm saying… you're like a brother to me Syn…." Xero embraced the smaller male in a hug "I…I squintz you….like you were my own brother…"
"Xer- I……I squintz you as well, but if we allow attachment to cloud our judgement we could fail."
"I'm well aware Syn…I'm just afraid to lose the person closest to me." Xero let go.
"Then let's make a deal." Syn pulled a scalpel from his PAK and stabbed his own gloves hand. "By doing this, I hereby vow to be bound to you, until our lives end or our victory is assured, my brother in blood." He held the scalpel out to Xero.
Xero didn't hesitate to take it and stab his own hand. "By doing this, I hereby vow to be bound to you, until our lives end or our victory is assured, my brother in blood."
At the completion of their oaths to one another they slapped their hands together pressing the damaged palms against each other. Then the deed was done.
"Focus on the task at hand Xero. Now even if I do die, you will be forced to keep your word and fight till your last breath." Syn spoke and broke away turning to leave. "I'll leave you be, I'll be making preparations for the attack, so don't doubt yourself." And with that he walked away.
*Neer's Laboratory, Aboard The Massive*
The Tallest hovered around the room quickly. He was working on a special variety of his SHC Serum that was being made for Der. Hours upon hours of testing had brought him to where he was. Looking out over dozens of failed experiments. Mindless, but strong Monstrosities, then he reached the end of the row. One of them was perfect, still in control of themselves, and stronger. The only flaw was that their bodies still deformed and became grotesque. More tests were necessary.
"My Tallest, I see no reason to rush, why are you accelerating your plans?" Blor asked looking at the Irkens falling to the ground. The serum was too much for them, their bodies simply couldn't handle the refined and purified form of the Serum.
"Der may very well have cost me this entire empire, so he will be made to fix his mistake!" Neer hovered to a table and spoke into a communicator. "Send in the next group. And get a disposal crew up here!" He turned to look at his advisor. "And why are you in here, I explicitly stated that I wanted no interruptions."
"You did my Tallest. However, you also wanted to be notified when your personal guards were ready." Blor gave him a salute and a bow. Then as if on cue seven Irkens walked in, seemingly more machine than any other Irken, with tubes pumping SHC Serum throughout their bodies constantly. "They are exactly as you designed my Tallest. Completely obedient, but free thinking enough to get creative."
"Well, at the very least there is some good news." Neer gave the guards a quick once over. "Hmm, and everything is up to spec?"
"Yes sir, any sort of emotion is gone, hesitation and pain have been cut off, and they are immensely superior to normal Irkens. With you being our singular exception my Tallest."
Neer floated away to the table going back to his work. "Good" he continued his calculations and mixtures for his Serum. "Send Der up here, send the next subjects away. Go now, the serum is ready for him."
*A Resisty Base*
"At the rate Neer's Empire is progressing, even the Meekrob will be overwhelmed. The Resisty is finished" the leader stated slumping in his command chair. "There's nothing we can do…we've lost, it's time to surrender to the Irkens. Too many world's have been destroyed, we can't risk any more lives."
A soldier burst through the doors to the command room "Sir, an Irken Enforcer…..he's cutting his way through us like we're nothing!"
"Why weren't we alerted to their presence!? They didn't try to hail us?!"
"Sir, he's alone!!"
"What?!"
The doors burst open again, flying from its hinges and crashing down just in front of the commander. Into the room stepped Xero followed by two holographic projections emitted from his PAK.
"We need to talk."
The Resisty commander stood strong, but did what he felt was necessary. "We surrender! There is no reason to destroy another planet."
"That's not why we're here." Holo Red spoke up a clearly sour look on his face.
Holo Purple shared his expression "Yeah, you can't surrender yet."
"He just slaughtered my forces, surrender is the only way any of us make it out of here alive."
Syn walked in moments later "They're still alive. We can't afford to lose such a valuable pawn this late in the game."
The guards swarmed them. In response Xero simply pointed the tip of his sword at the commander "If you and your men are this ignorant, then we might have to give you up."
"Xero, no. You know why we're here, so just lower the sword and let the Tallest do the talking." Syn hissed at him.
Holo Purple spoke up again "We need each other."
Holo Red continued his statement "With Neer in charge the entire universe is doomed."
"Exactly, so you help us get aboard the Massive and we get control back." Holo Purple.
"Why would we agree to trade one tyrant for another?" The commander asked.
Syn pushed forward stopping just in front of him. "Do you want a chance to rebel? Or do you want to watch your families die with your planets. Neer is losing his grip, he's destroying planets just for a passing laugh. At least with them in charge you have a chance to resist. The bottom line is, we have a common enemy and we both stand to gain a great deal from this. Of course, if you refuse then we all die and the universe inevitably ceases to exist."
They were all quiet for several minutes. Then finally the commander spoke again "We don't have much choice. We'll help you."
Without another word the Irkens turned around and exited the building.
*Aboard the Massive*
"These ones, I want them destroyed next." Neer pointed at the star map.
"Of course my Tallest." Blor seemed concerned, there was no longer reason behind his cruelty. The knowledge that Xero and Syn were still alive was driving him insane and Blor could see it. His entire demeanor had changed. Where there was once cold, cruel calculation, was now replaced with reckless cruelty and a lust for destruction. But the part that worried Blor the most, Neer was afraid. His fear of losing power was driving him insane.
"Yes, but if they manage to get aboard….I want more of my guards made, now!" Neer was worried, he'd lost his cool and now he wasn't thinking rationally. "I want Monstrosities on standby around the stage."
Even Der was nervous in his presence. He'd executed six snack drones that day alone. He was losing his mind faster every second, the only exception being when he was working on refining his SHC Serum, and anything at all could set him off.
*With Xero*
"So you see Zim we need you to do everything you can to disrupt Neer's movements." Holo Purple had explained the situation to the Invader over a viewing screen.
Holo Red took off from there "And if you succeed, we'll send you battle tanks, frigates, anything you need."
"Oh I won't let you down my Tallest!!!! I'll do my best bye!!!!!" And the Invader was gone from the viewing screen.
"I'd say that went quite well" Syn said, watching as the last bit of data was sent to the Invader.
"Now we just have to get back to the armada." Xero said reclining in a chair just behind the others.