**Author's Note** Again, this is a revised version.

After seizing a parking space close to the door, Dib rushed in and paused only to speak to the receptionist.

"I am Agent Mothman," he said, showing her his SE ID card. "I was called about an alien?"

"Yes Agent, just follow this hall to the stairs. You want room 211 on the second floor," she replied.

"Thanks." Dib trotted up to the second floor and pushed the door open. He spotted another agent down the hall a ways, staring into one room. The entire floor was observational rooms, all of which were empty except the one.

The man glanced up at Dib as he moved towards the room and smiled.

"Agent Mothman," he nodded a greeting. "I am Agent Sandman, though when not around the higher-ups I prefer to addressed by my real name; Matt."

Dib nodded in return and looked into the room, asking, "What do we have here?"

"An alien, it seems. We haven't gotten any information from him," Matt replied, opening the small notepad in his hands and tucking the pencil behind his ear. "Just that he is 'normal', apparently." He chuckles. "He likes to scream. 0r at least he did, before we silenced him with some special measures."

"He's an Irken," Dib said, seeing the alien's green head and antenna. He wondered for a moment if perhaps they had Zim, but didn't see how it could be so. He hadn't sent in any reports in the last six months because Zim had disappeared one day, half a year ago. GIR, too was missing, as well as anything of real interest at Zim's house. No, this couldn't be Zim.. he was gone. Back to Irk, perhaps.

"An Irken?" Matt glanced up curiously.

"It's a race of aliens. I have sent you information on them."

"Ah, yes. We have yet to look over your files."

"Can I go in to see him?" Dib asked, needing to sate his curiosity.

"Be my guest." Matt stepped over to the door and opened it, stepping in. Dib followed, hearing the door close and lock behind him as he moved towards the alien. Matt walked behind him.

Dib stepped around the chair and his eyes widened when the familiar magenta eyes lifted slightly to his presence.

"But.. this is the one! This is the alien I have been trying to show you," he looked up at Matt in surprise.

"Is he?" Matt asked, uninterested.

"Yes, this is the one." Dib crouched before Zim to look at his face and grinned.

"Well, Zim, how does it feel now that you are in our grasp?"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

Zim glared at Dib, angry that his foe would see him in such a position, let alone be involved with his captivity.

Dib rose, smiling, and turned to the other agent.

"What has been done with him?"

"Not much, we brought him I just three days ago. He is highly uncooperative and aggressive, so he was placed here in the hopes that a few days without food and water will loosen him up a bit."

"He doesn't drink water," Dib replied, crossing his arms and looking down at Zim again. "It burns him, as if it were acid."

Matt raised a brow and wrote that down on the notepad he held.

"What else can you tell us about him?"

"A lot." Dib grinned, pleased both at being involved and at his enemy's capture.

"Good. Perhaps the higher-ups will put a nod in your favor on this one." Matt handed him the notepad and turned to leave. "Keep an eye on him. I'm going to go pull your files."

Dib nodded and leaned against the wall in front of Zim. The alien had never stopped glaring at him.

"Well," Dib said after reading Matt's pathetic notes. "You're really fucked now, aren't you?"

"Don't speak to me, human," Zim replied in a low voice.

"You have hell in for you if you are concerned just about me talking to you," he chuckled. "These guys are professionals. You are going to be turned into their science project."

"I will not be cowed by you," Zim growled, anger glinting in his eyes.

"We will see. Where have you been the past few months?"

"Away."

"Huh," Dib smirked. "Fascinating. Gone back to your little planet? Earth too rough for you?"

"Shut up Dib-fuck," Zim snarled, his antennae flattening in the way a cat's ears does when angered. "Your lack of knowledge betrays just how little you actually think about your existence."

Dib raised a brow at the statement, but laughed and shook his head.

"You amuse me, alien. You amuse me.."