Grogie13: Sorry for the long wait. The thing is I... okay, y'know what? I really don't have an excuse for why I didn't update sooner. If this is gonna let me slide, I had no idea where the story was going, but I do now! Congratulations, JoeMerl, for receiving the cameo appearance this chapter. My thanks go out to Zim'sMostLoyalServant, JoeMerl, and otherrealmwriter. As for everyone else who is reading and not reviewing, you fellow human filthies make me sad. SO VERY SAD! But, at least I know you're reading it. If I described Ria's eye color in an earlier chapter, but it changes in another, it's because her eyes are hazel, just so you know. Anydoodalturd, enjoy!

One more note, then I'll shut up and you can all read: I'm deciding that Ria's parents are... out on business... for a long time. Uhm... I just don't feel like writing them in, okay?

Disclaimer: I do not own Invader ZIM. If I did, Dib and G.I.R. would get a lot more lurve on the show. –wink wink nudge nudge- Especially Dib. Huzzah.

Ria frowned and fired two shots at Dib and Zim's feet, getting their attention.

"You two! Get the ship in the garage and come to my house when you're done. Zim, you're gonna help me set G.I.R. with a normal dog-like personality or we could all be in deep fecal matter." She said, making sure they got the point. Zim began to scream something about being normal and that his dog was just a very intelligent one, whilst he and Dib squeezed the ship into the somewhat vacant garage, and Ria made sure G.I.R. didn't do anything stupid, then closing the large door to hide the ships. Dib and Ria looked at the huge marks in the asphalt, wondering what everyone would think when they saw it.

"How in some superior person's name did no one hear them crash...?"

"No clue, but let's go inside. I'm burning."

"Let's."

SceneSceneSceneSceneScene

"See? You look great, Zimmy-boy!" Ria laughed. The once green-skinned boy "with a skin condition" now had normal brown skin, a little bit on the tan side. His hair was black and sloped downward on his forehead, slightly covering his now hazel eyes. And, yes, he had ears and a nose.

"GAH! I feel and look so inferior! IT'S FILTHY!"

"Can it, Zim, you're stuck with it until at least one of the ships is repaired." Dib said, not too eager about getting his new disguise either and narrowing an eye. "Besides that, I'm fine with how I look, and I don't exactly want to change it either."

Zim rolled his eyes. "You'd still look disgusting." Ria giggled and the other male rolled his eyes as well.

"Okay, Zim, I'll need to use your PaK to make Dib's disguise."

"WHAT? I am not letting you use such superior technology on the Dib-stink!"

"Aw, come on, Zim!"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Noooo."

"Pretty please with sugar, whipped cream, a cherry, a marshmellow, and a-"

"AUGH! SILENCE, HUMAN! Zim shall let you use it!"

"Thank you!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

Ria messed with Zim's PaK for a little bit, trying to get a good hollographic disguise for Dib. Eventually, she did so, and only kept his eye and skin color the same. Dark brown hair, the same style as Zim's, only longer and messier took the place of his scythe-lock. His glasses weren't as large and round, but smaller and more rectangular. His trench coat and normal outfit remained, along with Zim's.

"Geh... such fffffffilth... Zim shall make them pay, for they can't stand to the superior being that is me! ZIM!" Ria and Dib stared at Zim oddly, and he looked at them, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm gonna go, uhm, get G.I.R. out of sleep mode and try to fix him." He mumbled, heading down the hallway and the stairs to the spare bedroom. Ria stifled a giggle and pretended to cough lightly. Dib shook his head and rolled his eyes, plopping down on one of the blue, leather couches in the loft. He seemed to be thinking about something for a moment.

"Zim... doesn't know his mission is a lie, does he?" He asked quietly. Ria bit her lip nervously, eyes narrowing slightly behind her half-framed glasses, and sitting beside him.

"I don't think so. Why?"

"Well," He started, rubbing the back of his head and feeling around for a tiny little switch. He clicked it, and his disguise flickered away, revealing his black hair and scythe-lock. "I was just thinking about how eventually, he's not gonna think that you know him because he's such a superior being." He explained, mocking Zim's voice. "He's going to want to be sure that he is what he thinks he is." Dib paused for a moment. "Zim's gonna want to know just how you know him and G.I.R. and I."

Curling up into a ball next to him, Ria pondered this, halfway paying attention to the metallic giggles of sheepishness and rants of anger downstairs.

"I think it's only best we showed it to him. Not right now, but later. Maybe after he gets G.I.R. to behave well." Ria answered, taking off her thrice-buckled shoes to reveal black-and-white-striped socks.

"I think so, too." Dib added. A minute or two of silence passed, only broken by Zim and G.I.R.'s yells and Ria laughing quietly, before he spoke again. "Hey, um... I know on the episodes Gaz gives me death threats, but... er, nevermind." He took this time to examine his shoes.

"What?" Ria cocked her head. "What is it?" Subconsciously, she knew what he was asking, but at that moment, she briefly forgot.

Dib shook his head. "It's nothing."

Ria's memory clicked, and she remembered that she skipped through the scenes where Gaz would beat Dib senseless to save him from humiliation, and sighed.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it." She said softly. "You do get hit, and the viewers are able to see it happening." Dib froze, and several negative emotions flashed through his amber eyes. "But you don't actually die." Dib looked up and Ria put a hand on his shoulder. Their eyes met and lingered. A shout echoed outside, ending the moment, and Ria lifted on of the window blinds to investigate. It was a teenage boy, with dark hair, she couldn't tell what color. It looked black, but it could've been a dark brown. He had somewhat tan skin and he ran through the middle of the street, screaming.

"THE PAPER AIRPLANES! THEY'LL KILL US ALL! RUN! AHH!" His t-shirt and shorts were a bit loose, and flapped behind him as he ran.

Ria eyed the sight, mouth slightly open. She blinked a few times and turned back to Dib, who looked as if he were debating on whether to laugh or question the boy's sanity.

"SUCCESS!"

Ria and Dib briskly headed down the stairs, to see what kind of idiotic plan Zim had this time, or if he actually succeeded in something. He turned to face them, revealing that he had both of his disguises off.

"I figured out how to fix my ship, but it'll take at least a week to do so for the filthy excuse you have for a ship, Dib-human. Added to the time it takes to fix my own, it'll be ten days at least." He explained. Dib folded his arms and raised a brow.

"If your technology is so superior how come it takes a week to fix my dad's ship?"

"For your information, Earth-stink, Irken technology can adjust to any other kind of inferior gadgets! And as much as I want to get back as fast as possible, so that my Tallest don't worry about me, I wish to prolong your irritation by forcing you to stay longer. But you'll never know!" Zim exclaimed, snickering happily. Dib sighed and rested his forhead in his hand.

"Just fix the ship."

Ria twiddled her thumbs for a bit, after Zim mentioned the Tallest worrying about his sudden disappearance. The red-eyed alien noticed this behavior.

"Is there something on your mind, she-human?" Dib's head raised a little, knowing what would happen, and looked at Ria, who nodded nervously.

"Well?" Zim tapped his foot and folded his arms.

"Erm, Zim? I've something to tell you." She finally stammered. One of Zim's antannae raised. "I won't try to sugarcoat it." She continued, acknowledging the same phrase she used for Dib. "The Tallest... they really did lie to you. You're not an invader. They didn't know Earth existed, and they were hoping you'd continue flying off into space forever. G.I.R.'s just a pile of scrap metal with monies, paper clips, and a bouncy ball for brains." Zim rolled his eyes.

"Foolish Earth-speak, you utter." He responded. "Have you the brain worms? The Tallest sent me on a mission to invade this pitiful spinning ball of dirt you call home! G.I.R. is a top-secret model of the modern S.I.R. Unit, made to look not-good so as to fool the enemy into thinking he isn't in any immediate danger." Ria shook her head.

"Ria, just leave it." Dib muttered, only for her to hear and not Zim. She nodded.

"I'm going out for a ride." She said, dreading the moment when Zim would finally understand. Pushing past Dib and Zim and entering the garage, door slamming behind, she lifted the kickstand from her bike. It was an old one, but still well-built. She pressed the button next to the door and let the metal door rumble open halfway before stopping it. Walking her bike to the sidewalk and closing the garage door, she mounted her bike and rode away, just around the neighborhood.

"He's so consumed by what he wantsto see," She thought out loud to herself. "That he's completely blinded himself."

Grogie13: See how long it was? That's how I made up for the long wait. Anywhoodles... Few things to say. First, Ria has no religion. She's kind of a Catholic, but prefers a logical explanation if nothing else. Please don't flame me on this. If anything, she'll probably say "Oh my Tallest..." or "Dear Miyuki, what the hell happened to you?" or something like that. Second, JoeMerl was the paper airplane victim. Third, again, I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter! Yeah, it was just a filler, but I enjoy these chapters because they can show you more of a character's personality. And I'm gonna try to start a new fic under Great Mouse Detective, so I might not update as fast as either of us would like. Fifth... JoeMerl, I'm sorry! I lost the second PM you gave me! So I just used the clothing I think you said you'd wear in the first PM... SORRY! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Au revoir.

P.S. Ranekaera - Ria is my OC and Dib and Zim landed in our universe (the real world).

P.P.S. Cameo contest is still going! First person to review gets a cameo in the next chapter.