VINDICATION

Chapter 26: Everything’s Cool


*Note: This chapter is named after, and features, the song Everything’s Cool by a band called Pop Will Eat Itself. Wicked band, wicked song, and the lyrics are absolutely perfect for the theme of the fic. Plus Evil Dib seems to like it. *g* Oh, and Dos Dedos Mi Amigos is the name of the album that the song is on, and the translation of the album title basically means “Two fingers, my Friends.” (whoo, how's that for suggestive?)

DISCLAIMER: Dos Dedos Mi Amigos, "Everything's Cool", the song, band name, album name, lyrics etc. are copyright to and property of the band Pop Will Eat Itself. I am not making any money off of my tribute to their lyrics, I am only paying homage to one of the most kickass bands in the universe.

(also, since I wasn’t clear in my dedication of chapter 23 to Yaoifanboy, this one is for him. You are my dedication-pig! Feel honoured! *g*)


Dib had moved Tak’s ship into Zim’s base, where it sat next to the Voot Runner in the repair bay. Zim was against the idea of repairing Tak’s ship fully, not wanting to give it the power to leave Earth’s orbit just yet. He didn’t want the Dib to run off at the most crucial part of their operation.

Wearing a pair of headphones attached to a discman on his belt and Dos Dedos Mis Amigos by Pop Will Eat Itself blasting in his ears with the bass cranked, Dib worked at welding the canister supports to the underside of Tak’s ship. He was lying on a board with four wheels, the same as he would if he were working under a car. He didn’t realize it, but he was singing under his breath as he worked, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses to shade his eyes from the sparks, having removed his t-shirt a long time ago.

These eyes see only what they wanna see
These ears hear only what they wanna hear
These minds think only what they wanna think
These lies, these lies…

You will find no answers in this head
What you see is what you get
Watch as all the lights go out
Down and out, out for the count

Take your places, choose your sins
Everyone loses, no-one wins
I have seen the future and this is how it begins

In chaos and riots, the screech of machines
No right and no wrong and no in between
Fall one by one, the queen to her fool
Dos dedos mis amigos - everything's cool
Everything's...

These arms hold whoever needs to be held
These hands take whatever they wanna take
These words fake whoever needs to be faked
These lies, these lies

Look for clues inside the baby's head
Hear the words yet to be said
Cue the music, fade to black
No such thing as no payback
Take this line, know where it ends
No return, no make amends
Is this the future or this is how it will end?

In chaos and riots, the screech of machines
No right and no wrong and no in between
Fall one by one, the queen to her fool
Dos dedos mis amigos - everything's cool
Everything's...

In chaos and riots, the screech of machines
No right and no wrong and no in between
Fall one by one, the queen to her fool
Dos dedos mis amigos - everything's cool
Everything's...

Everything's cool...
Everything’s cool…

Zim heard Dib’s voice and walked over, quirking his antennae. “What?” When Dib didn’t respond, he scowled and yanked the wheelie board out from under the ship, looking down at the human irritably.

Dib pulled the headphones off. “Sorry, what?”

“You were saying something.”

Dib blinked at him, then blushed a little. “Oh…no, I was…um…singing. Sorry. I didn’t realize it was bothering you. I’ll stop.”

“Singing?”

“Irkens don’t sing, huh?” Dib set the welding torch down, sitting up and stretching, cracking his back and running a hand through his sweat-dampened hair.

Zim frowned. “We hum sometimes, but…it’s not really something we do often. I’ve never really understood your bands and their noisy music in all the years I’ve been here.”

Dib smiled. “It’s understandable. You’re not exactly prone to expressing emotions.”

Zim shrugged. “Such things make beings vulnerable. It makes for a poor Invader.”

Dib gazed at Zim for a long time, then sighed. “I guess. Then again, it may just be certain kinds of emotions. Shit like happiness and love don’t make for a good Invader, whereas anger and spite probably would.”

“Spite?”

Dib clenched his fists. “Yeah. Bitterness…hatred…a grudge, I guess. I hate this world too much to ever be happy here. I want the human race to suffer for its own stupidity. I can’t stand it any more…I never fit in because I was smart, and because I could see the truth.” He lay down, sliding back under Tak’s ship, putting his sunglasses on and starting to work again. He was taken off guard when he was yanked out from under the ship again, and he pushed his sunglasses up, blinking at Zim, who was giving him an odd look.

The Irken grinned. “I find those to be your most attractive traits, human.”

Dib blinked at him, surprised that Zim could find anything attractive about anyone. “Really?”

Zim nodded. “It would be quite interesting to put you through the Irken Academy and see how you fared.”

Dib smiled, immensely flattered. “I…I’d like that.”

“We shall see.” Zim straightened and went back over to the Voot Runner, checking the systems.

Grinning, Dib pushed his sunglasses back down again and slid back under Tak’s ship, putting the song on repeat.