Chapter Five—A Warrior's Choice
Sayellan ran through the hallway, followed by Dib, Zim, Gaz and GIR. He stopped near a large door. GENETICS EXPERIMENTS 41 was printed on the metal door in blue letters. Sayellan listened at the door, carefully keeping his blades and claws away from the metal to avoid making noise. He turned back to the group.
"There is no one in the lab." He placed a clawed hand on the entry pad. It detected the Niarzan DNA in him and the door slid open. Inside was a huge cage, containing a beast none of them had ever seen. His tail thrashed as he clawed at his chains, wings beating furiously. He latched his fangs onto the chains and gnawed at them, growling.
"Greetings my friend, we've come to help you," Sayellan said, striding up to the beast. He looked at him.
"And how will you accomplish that?" he asked, skeptical. Sayellan tapped the entry pad on the cage and the top opened. The creature flew out and smiled. "Thank you, friends. I am called Void, named by the scientist who created me. I am not a hybrid but a creation, a beast that never naturally walked the planet."
"A pleasure, Void. I am Sayellan, a hybrid, and these are my friends Dib, Gaz and Zim. GIR is the robot over there. We are planning to rescue the others here."
"I see. How will you do that, my human friends?" Dib looked at Void.
"I'm not exactly sure, but I think if I get all the hybrids together they'll help get us back to Earth," he explained.
"I shall help," Void said simply. He pointed to the door and said, "There are two other hybrids in a nearby lab."
"Let's go already," Gaz muttered. They opened the door. Sayellan's eyes narrowed at the Niarzan there.
"I knew I heard something in the lab!" she exclaimed. She swiped at Sayellan, but Void swooped over and grabbed her. He threw her into the cage and reprogrammed the entry pad to only accept his DNA.
"They'll have a hard time getting that open!" he chuckled as he knocked the guard out. "Come on, the lab is in the eastern wing." They followed Void out the door.
The team sneaked around the ship, dodging guards and fighting when they had to. Eventually they came to the Eastern Wing and the Genetics Experiments 56 lab. Sayellan opened the door and stepped inside.
Zim was complaining.
"I shouldn't be here. It's all your fault, stinkbeast," he muttered at Dib.
A huge cage stood in the middle of the room. A gigantic, dragon-like monster spat fire and yanked at his chains. A giant metal collar was on his neck, marked with a strange symbol. A similar metal band was around his waist, and both were attached to the wall with strong chains.
"ROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!" It thrashed it's thick tail and slammed the wall repeatedly.
"That's Vahdane," a voice behind them said. It was a hybrid like Sayellan, almost identical except for curved horns on his head. He was also in a cage, suspended above the floor from his chains. "I'm Zethkhan."
"Okay….. let's go, we can't free that beast! It's HUGE! How will we control it?" Dib asked, staring at it.
"Let me handle that," Zethkhan said. He looked at Vahdane and shouted, "Vahdane! Ftuomsd gico veno re ftoo ad! Vikn ny vihoniro, qo ito dicos!"
Vahdane stopped thrashing and looked at Zethkhan.
"Rtaky, ny vihoniro? Qgy qeaks I kurrko ganim gokp Vahdane ims Zethkhan ften rgo ozpotunomrd?" he asked.
"Rgoy ito ftuomsd ef Sayellan!" Vahdane nodded and looked at the group.
"Gokp ad, ims vo wauvl!" he hissed. Sayellan touched the entry pad on Vahdane's cage and released him. Vahdane spread his wings and flapped a few times.
"Rgo vgiumd, var rgo vgiumd!"
"He says to cut the chains," Zethkhan translated. Sayellan nodded and turned to Dib.
"I've been acting like a leader. I'm sorry, you deserve to lead us." Dib nodded and looked at Gaz.
"Cut the chains, Gaz!" Gaz aimed the laser and sliced through Vahdane's chains. Then she turned to Zethkhan and cut his chains.
"Open Zethkhan's door," Dib said. Sayellan pressed his claws into the entry pad and the door swung open. Zethkhan jumped nimbly out and smiled at Dib.
"Thank you, human. You have saved us from painful experiments."
"U rgiml yea id qokk, ganim," Vahdane said, smiling.
"He says thanks too." They strode out the door, Dib leading. They ran to the hangar again to see if they could steal a spaceship.
"Come on! We must hurry, a creature like Vahdane will be missed before long!"
"I know, I know!" They arrived at the hangar and stopped short. A pair of Niarzans stood before the Stinger IV where Erlon and Alura were trapped. They looked younger than Erlon and Alura, and their blades were smaller.
"What did you do to Hael and Sadir?" one said, trembling with anger.
"Hael and Sadir?" Dib asked.
"They mean Mother and Father," said Sayellan, staring at them.
"Mother and Father? Erlon and Alura are their parents?!"
"Apparently so…" The bigger one growled and stepped forwards.
"I am Akai, son of Alura and Erlon. I challenge you to a fight!" he said, looking scared but trying to sound brave.
"And I, Okai, shall help my brother defend our honor!" the small one stated, anger flaming in her eyes.
"Well." Sayellan smirked. "What should we do, Dib?" Dib looked at the two young Niarzans.
"Vahdane, fight them." Zim smiled.
"I agree, this once." Vahdane smirked and stepped forwards. He spread his wings and stretched his tail out behind him. He spoke softly (or as softly as a giant dragon beast can) to Zethkhan.
"U qudg re dpoil re Akai." Zethkhan nodded and turned to Dib.
"Vahdane requests to speak to the warrior Akai!"
"Permission granted I guess…" Vahdane leaned down and whispered something in Akai's ear. Akai paled and gulped. He looked nervously at his sister.
"Let the fight begin!" shouted Zethkhan. Akai immediately dodged a fire blast from Vahdane. He turned and whipped his tail around and slashed Vahdane with his blades. Okai circled Vahdane and swiped and him with her claws. Vahdane simply swished his tail behind him and knocked Okai into the ship. Akai growled and leapt onto Vahdane's tail. He climbed onto Vahdane's back and dug his claws into his enemy's back.
Vahdane roared and flapped his wings, hitting Akai repeatedly and throwing him off. Vahdane reached his clawed hand back and swiped Akai away. Akai slammed into the Stinger IV next to Okai. Both stood again and dropped to all fours, then began running. They circled Vahdane rapidly and reached out a claw when they got an opening. Vahdane swooped into the air and flapped hard. They braced themselves against the wind, and Vahdane took his chance and whipped them both with his tail. They were thrown into the hangar wall. Okai whimpered and stood, looking at Vahdane determinedly. Akai popped onto his feet and glared at him. Then they both began to run again, zipping in a complicated zigzag around Vahdane.
Akai leaped onto Vahdane's leg and bit down hard, digging his claws in to help him stay on. Okai jumped onto his other leg and sunk her fangs in as deep as she could. Both held on tight as Vahdane shook his legs, trying to dislodge them. They bit hard and released, then ran again, dodging fire blasts and biting Vahdane. Vahdane waited until they jumped onto his legs again, then whipped them repeatedly with his tail. Akai and Okai fell off, beaten.
Vahdane stepped towards them, preparing to finish them.
"Wait!" It was Sayellan. "Don't kill them. They shouldn't be responsible for what their parents did."
"Yod, var rgoy ito…" Vahdane trailed off, realizing that Sayellan was right. Akai looked up at Vahdane, ignoring his injuries.
"What did they do?"
Dib blinked. "You don't know what Erlon and Alura did?"
"No…" Okai said softly.
"Your parents trapped me and many others in cages after creating us, and they also took these humans…and Irken… from Earth against their will," Sayellan explained.
"They did?"
"Yes." Akai looked guiltily at them and turned to his sister.
"They're telling the truth, Okai."
"No. They can't be."
"They are! Don't you remember when Hael and Sadir would leave and not tell us where they were going?"
"Yes…but-"
"Come on Okai, they're telling the truth and you know it." Okai sighed and looked at the group. Her eyes widened.
"Duck!" A laser shot passed over Dib's head. He whirled around and saw Alura standing behind him.
"Ha! We escaped the clever trap you got us into. Now, you shall die." She aimed the Veral Bethan Ray and fired.
"Look out!" Zethkhan dashed to Dib and shoved him out of the way. The blast hit him and he roared in pain, dropping to his knees. Gaz grabbed the Cutter laser and fired at Alura. Alura was thrown into the hangar wall.
"You insolent human child!" Alura hissed, standing as if nothing had happened. "You die first!" She fired the ray at Gaz.
Gaz leaped out of the way and fired again, missing Alura by inches. Alura fired the ray at Vahdane, who had been flying towards her. Vahdane dropped to the ground, silent but in pain.
Alura looked to Akai and Okai. "Come children. We shall fight these monsters together and win!" Okai glared at her.
"No. We won't help you hurt them."
"That's right. They spared our lives, because it was you who committed the crimes!" Akai growled. He and Okai ran at Alura, preparing to slash at her.
Alura was taken by surprise and they were able to hurt her somewhat. She whipped her tail at them and caught Okai around her neck.
"Okai!" Akai yelled. Alura smiled cruelly and held the Veral Bethan ray to Okai's head.
"Come no closer," she warned. "I'll do it." Sayellan stopped in mid-step and waited for Dib to decide.
"Kill her!" whispered Zim in Dib's ear. "We can lose one life in return for ours!" Dib shook his head.
"They risked their lives for us, we have to repay them." Dib thought hard. "Alura! If you let Okai go and allow us to take your ship home to Earth, we'll let you live. If you refuse to release her, then… we'll have to kill you." Alura stopped smiling and began to notice the lasers they all held. She glared at them.
"Fine!" she spat. "I'll let her go." She unwrapped her tail from Okai's neck and shoved her forwards. "Go back to Earth."
Okai ran to her brother and looked back at the fuming Alura. Dib smiled and stepped into the Stinger IV, the hybrids and Niarzans following.
"DIB! You drank all the soda again, didn't you?!" Gaz yelled up the stairs.
"Um… no?"
"Go get more!"
"Okay, okay!" Dib ran down the stairs and past Gaz. He looked at Zim's house and smiled as he heard angry shouts from inside.
"GIR! Get back here!"
"But I wanna chase the piggy!" He had added the torn wire back in on the ride back to Earth. GIR was insane once again. Dib ran to the convenience store and bought a six-pack of soda. As he entered the garage, he called, "Hey guys! I've got soda!" Sayellan appeared and smiled at Dib. Akai and Okai bounded out from behind a stack of boxes, and Zethkhan dashed to Dib from behind some extra tires. Dib gave them all a can of soda each and headed into the house. Gaz looked at him.
"Where's my soda?" Dib tossed her one and ran up the stairs to his room, opening his own soda. He opened the window and listened to the shouts from Zim's house.
"Get away from that! No, don't touch it!!!" Crash! "I said not to touch that!"
"But it's pretty!" Crash!
"GIR leave that alone!" Crash! "You're destroying my base!"
"But it's fun!" Crash!
The End