Corrupt Dib - An Invader ZIM AU fanfic

Chapter 7

Zim got to work much faster than Dib could keep up with. His hands gripped the edge of the table, the frigid temperature of the metal slowly creeping up his arms. Cables began to swoop down behind Dib, with Zim extending his claw-like hands to grab them. Dib glanced back for only a moment, before shifting his eyes forward again. The white light of the room wasn't as harsh to him now, but the metal table was still freezing. "Zim, do you really have a foolproof plan to get this thing off of me?" Zim made a hushing noise, then yanked on one of the cables he had in his hand. He connected the cable to one of the PAK ports but the port was being stubborn, much to Zim's frustration. 
"I am attempting to connect the cable to the PAK but it won't cooperate. You have to make it work manually." Dib snorted, and shot Zim a humorous look. 

"I don't know how to control this thing! I don't think it even responds to me!" Zim gritted his teeth, and let out a hissing sound.

"I can't extract the PAK if you don't make it work. It's all done telepathically, the PAK is a part of your brain! Oh I must have forgotten, you don't have one, Dib." One of the PAK legs extended as Dib's felt a flash of anger at the insult. "See? Exactly as I said. All you have to do is THINK! Then I can attach these cables to the ports!" The young boy glared at the alien's look of triumph, but then thought extremely hard and managed to collapse the leg. Thinking hard, he pictured the ports of the PAK opening and as he did, the ports slid aside. Zim grinned, and quickly worked to attach the cables to the PAK. Dib felt a strange pressure in his back, and shuddered at the feeling. It was as if he could feel the cables themselves digging into his flesh. He didn't have long to ponder this as Zim pressed a button which caused the cables to move upwards a slight bit, taking Dib with them. "Now, Dib, you're going to have to hold very still or you'll risk snapping your fragile human spine in this position. I'm going to try to extract it the normal way first, if it doesn't work then you'll have to be patient while I run some diagnostics." Dib let out a huff. This wasn't the first time he'd been experimented on, by Zim of course but also by his father. 

"This better be quick then. I don't have all day, I have to get back before-" Dib let out a gasp as the cables flew upwards, pulling at the PAK.  The problem with that, though, was Dib was still attached to the PAK. "Zim! This didn't work the last time!! It's not going to-" The breath was knocked out of him as the cables once again yanked at the PAK, causing an excruciatingly painful shock of electricity to run through Dib. A scream rang out, spilling out of his mouth, but he could barely register that it was coming from him. The cables continued yanking and yanking, Dib's agonizing scream reverberating throughout the room.

 Zim's antennae twitched under his disguise, the sound sending a thrill of pain through his head. The young human's body lay limply midair, shuddering every few seconds as the cables continued to pull. Zim almost relished the sight of his most hated enemy at the mercy of his clutches, before the screaming became too much for him and he quickly brought Dib back down. The cables lay loosely against the table, with Dib's body folded in on itself. His screaming had stopped, but his breaths were coming out in short labored bursts. He was barely conscious, and he numbly lifted his head to stare daggers at Zim. Zim shifted his gaze away from the boy, his false eyes betraying a look of guilt. "Right, then. That didn't go as planned." Dib laughed, a harsh sounding wheeze that turned into a cough.

"I hadn't noticed." The human had a semi-grin plastered on his face, etched with pain. He'd had a number done on him today and he doubted if he could take much more. "It's not as if I just had a million bolts of electricity running through my nervous system!" Zim continued on, ignoring his comments.

"I have to run some diagnostics, there must be an explanation for why it didn't work." Zim walked over to a floating screen, words in Irken filling the screen. The Invader typed something in quickly, and a computerized version of Dib appeared. Dib, who now lay sprawled out on the table, barely registered what Zim was doing. He was exhausted, and felt as though he'd been stabbed by a million knives. The cables were still connected to his PAK, though they now lay loosely under him. He didn't care about how uncomfortable they were, he was too tired to care. A series of beeps and a scanner flooded over him, seemingly scanning the entirety of his body. Zim gritted his teeth as the results appeared gradually upon the screen. He glanced at Dib, then back at the screen and a genuine look of sympathy flashed across his face. The human boy lifted his head a bit to look at Zim, seeing the look he was giving him, as one of confusion placed itself upon his face. 

"What is it, Zim? I've never seen that look on your face before." 'Something most definitely is wrong if he's giving me a look like that .' Zim looked away for a minute, then faced the human once again. 

"Well, Dib. You are definitely not going to be very happy about these results."