The driver didn't live in New Haven, but the city forty miles away. She was relieved at that, because every millennial in the town knew who Matthew Drake was. It was the one thing on her mind, being spotted by a college student taking an Uber with her former teacher, a married man who didn't act anything like himself.

The downside of the trip was that Jinx liked to talk, and insisted on gathering information from the driver by asking him questions upon questions, and Dakota had to butt in and claim they were hypothetical questions.

She eventually fell sorry for the driver himself, as he had to endure the Irken's 'theoretic' questions for about two hours. Jinx would keep checking the tablet in his hands, somehow still getting a connection between cities and Dakota wondered if he actually hacked into cellular service.

The destination was in the middle of the city, and Dakota ignored Jinx's irate rantings about loud cities as she paid the driver. The man gave her a sympathetic look before leaving them both.

"This place smells disgusting, I can't believe people willingly live in this place." Jinx said aloud. Dakota grimaced and stepped aside, finally checking her phone and seeing three missed messages.

OMW.

Keep in touch, please!

Left without telling Everett, better this way.

Dakota tucked her phone away just when she felt a hand on her wrist, stumbling after Jinx as he used the tablet as a map. She took a look at the screen and the small beacon, "How far is it?" She asked.

"Uphill from here." He motioned towards the suburbs uphill from where they were. Dakota's jaw dropped, yanking herself away from him.

"We're not walking five miles!" She said loudly, "I can't stay in the sun too long, I'll faint!"

Jinx looked irritated, "Then tell me what to do!"

Dakota looked along the street, spotting a yellow cab. She ran up to the edge of the sidewalk and held her arm up before Jinx grabbed her other arm and dragged her back. "What do you think you're doing? Trying to escape?" He hissed out.

"I'm hailing a cab." She said defensively, "It'll take you wherever you want to go!"

He narrowed his eyes in thought, gradually loosening his grip on her arm. "Proceed." He said hesitantly.

It took her at least three tries, but she eventually got a cab. She got in after Jinx, ignoring the look of disgust on his face. "Can you take us that way?" She pointed uphill, "Five miles."

"What died in here?" Jinx breathed out.

"I'm sorry about him." Dakota added, watching the cabby roll his eyes and take them towards the suburbs.

Matthew was trying his damndest not to drive over the speed-limit, but he was teasing it every now and then. The last thing he needed was to be pulled over with a loaded weapon in the truck. He glanced at his phone every now and then, waiting for a call, a text, anything. He needed to know where to go, because after one hour, he was going to be left without a lead.

The phone began to ring and he felt his heart skip, reaching for it and putting the call on speaker. "Dakota?"

"No, no—is this Matthew Drake?" The voice asked.

"Speaking, make it fast." Matthew sounded annoyed now.

"You left me an e-mail about an hour ago, this is Dib."

Matthew almost slammed his foot on the brake, pressing down on the horn and sticking his head out, "GET OUT OF THE FUCKING LANE ASSHOLE!"

"Is everything alright, Mr. Drake?" Dib sounded bewildered.

"Not really, Dib. The fucking alien just kidnapped my kid and took her all the way to Bycoast." He said it with an edge, feeling the pressure.

"Shit—" Dib went quiet for a bit, "Did you say the Irken was tall?" He asked again.

"Yep. Taller than me, Dib. That's pretty fucking tall." He honked the horn again. "MOVE IT!"

"Are you able to explain to me what happened? I need some information concerning the video."

Matthew sighed, "I was there, no problem. It looked like a shooting star, right? But it fucking wasn't, it came barreling into the sky and made a sharp turn into town, I followed it all the way to the park. When I got there I see that green fucker creeping all over Dakota's body and so I grab my shotgun from the truck, he fucking bolts it before I can shoot."

"A shotgun won't harm an Irken, Mr. Drake."

"So I'm told." Matthew said Icily. "According to my wife, Dakota found it again when she returned home, it suddenly told her she was property, right? Because of her tattoo!"

"Stop there, Mr. Drake. I need details on the tattoo. There's three different Irken symbols known, can you describe me the tattoo?"

Matthew smiled slightly, "Yeah, it looked like an Irken, all black, antennae, and two eyes."

"Not the colorful cartoon-y Irken face?"

"That one looked like shit, Dib."

"Yeah, it's the Irken Military symbol. What Dakota has is the Invader Class symbol, Invaders use it to identify whatever they own. She unwittingly marked herself as chattle to the Irken you're speaking of. Irken law states that she's free until an Irken discovers her status and claims her, and Irkens are greedy sonsabitches."

He growled at that, "Not on my fucking watch."

"Mr. Drake I have to warn you that engaging with a fully trained Irken, at Tallest rank, is the stupidest thing you can do. Irkens spend their lives in combat, and the taller they get, the more elite their class gets. This Irken, given his height, could have very well been in the Armada."

"I've taken my notes, Dib." Matthew warned, "I have a couple of super soakers in the back of my truck."

"You're not entirely stupid then. You…said you're going to Bycoast?"

"That's where Dakota told me they're heading. I just don't know where."

"Fuck!" Dib cursed, "That explains everything! That ship in the video! That's an escape pod that only travels to pre-inputted coordinates! Bycoast was the city where Zim landed, my childhood home! If he put in those coordinates than he's trying to put distance between him and the Armada."

Matthew was slowly going faster, "What are you trying to say, Dib?"

"The only Irkens that run from the Armada are defects and prisoners, Mr. Drake."

Matthew breathed in heavily, reaching for the phone. "I'm gonna have to call you back." His voice cracked as he spoke, hanging up on the man and calling his wife. One ring, two rings.

"Matthew?" Everett whispered.

"Honey, are you hiding any details about that Irken from me? Please tell me now, because I'm halfway to Bycoast because he fucking kidnapped her!"

Everett went quiet, "Is that why she wasn't at home when I got up? What just happened, Matthew?" She asked harshly.

"She was up at Six AM with a fucking hickey on her neck rambling about needing her shoes! I shouldn't have let her go, but you know how stubborn she is!"

"You LET HER GO?" She yelled.

"How was I supposed to know that the alien would have a wild hair up his ass and make her go two hours up north! She's an adult, Everett, if she wants to fuck an alien, what am I supposed to do?"

Everett ran a string of curses, "Matthew, oh god, I should have said something!" She sounded panicked, "I didn't tell you because I thought you'd try to fight him and end up hurt or worse—"

"Tell me WHAT?" He cried out.

"He told Dakota that he was on the run from the Armada, Matthew, because they discovered he killed the Tallests! He's a murderer!"

Matthew slammed his foot on the brake suddenly, cursing out and pressing on the gas, "FUCK!" He slammed his hand on the wheel, "I need to call him back." He said then, quickly hanging up on his wife and calling Dib.

"What is it?" He answered instantly, seemingly on edge.

"Hey, remember those Tallests? Red and Purple?" Matthew asked, his voice quaking.

"…what about them, Mr. Drake?" Dib sounded worried.

"Well, this Irken I'm hunting down? He killed them both and now he has Dakota."

The suburbs were familiar to New Haven, with children playing in the distance and the sun up high in the dead center of the sky. It was extra hot today, and Dakota could hear an ice cream truck on another street. She kept a good grip on Jinx's arm as he traversed deeper into the neighborhood, the tablet in front of him giving him directions towards the faint signal.

"It should be here." He said finally as they came upon a cul-de-sac, both of them standing at the entrance to the group of homes and instantly zoning in on the one two-story house that didn't look normal. Even though the colors were faded, they were still bright and obscene, teal walls and a deep purple roof, a single front door that was violet in color. The front yard was overrun with weeds and wild grass, covering the overly large lawn gnomes with soulless looking eyes. The sight of the house sent a chill up Dakota's spine, pinpointing the large tubes that connected the house to the ones next to it, like it was leeching their electricity for further use.

"It's abandoned." Dakota said feebly, stopping at the sidewalk and gazing past the fence, flinching when she saw something skitter through the wild grass. A squirrel, she hoped.

"We're going in." Jinx decided, pulling her along as he proceeded down the walkway and towards the door. He grabbed the doorknob and turned it carefully, the door creaking open.

"Wait!" She stepped back when he stepped in, wrenching her wrist from his grip. "What if it's a trap?"

The Irken chuckled at that, "I can handle a defective's security system, female. If it makes you feel better, I won't let any harm come upon you." He smiled reassuringly, which on the face of Matthew it gave her more hope than it would Jinx. He extended his arm out to Dakota, flexing the faux tattooed hand and waiting. A sign of trust, she wondered.

Dakota looked around, hesitating. She was alone in a city with an alien, Matthew and Everett were miles away. There wasn't any other choice than to trust him. When she took his hand he gripped it tight, easing her into the house and shutting the door after him.

The inside of the house was reminiscent to an abandoned building, or her apartment. No furniture to speak of except for the overly large television that was cracked in the center, as if someone threw something at the screen. The floors were moldy and the walls had vines growing from the windows. The ceiling was… wires. Lots and lots of wires that were still humming faintly, as if in a deep sleep.

"There's nothing here." Dakota breathed out, stepping further in. Jinx deactivated his disguise and cracked his knuckles, humming slightly and joining her.

"No, everything is still here," He said slowly, "The Exile just abandoned everything." He cleared his throat, grinning slowly. "Computer, sleep mode off!" He said clearly, an order to whatever was in the house.

Something whirred to life and Dakota stopped suddenly, crying out when weapons suddenly activated from the ceiling and aimed themselves at the two. Dakota's legs buckled from the shock and she fell on her ass.

"Intruder alert, instructions are to eliminate!" The voice around them announced, and Dakota covered her head with her arms, shutting her eyes tight.

Jinx didn't look too bothered at the threat, smirking. "Computer, Override code 32-A-290000INV-JINX, to be implemented immediately."

Dakota peeked out to see a laser gun in her face, swallowing thickly at the command and hearing the whirring again, the weapons slowly retreating back to the ceiling. What followed was a merry jingle, like if the computer just rebooted itself.

"Override code complete. Welcome, Irken Invader Jinx." The voice announced.

Dakota blinked, looking up at Jinx's smug expression, his hands on his hips as he surveyed the room.

"It's a little out of date, but it's good enough for now." He decided, turning to Dakota and reaching down to take her hand, "Come, let me show you around your new home."

"New home?" Dakota's voice broke, stumbling forward as he walked her through the house and crying out when he pulled her into his arms. "I don't live here!" She shouted.

The Irken smirked, "You do now. Don't worry, my lovely human, I'll provide you with your basic needs." He sounded so happy, "Computer, take me to the heart of the base."

Dakota yelped when the floor suddenly opened up under them, the Irken drawing her even closer to him as a platform lowered them downward. Her eyes widened at the sight and she stilled, shock overwhelming her as they sank further down into the base.

Jinx took that moment to coax her lips open, pressing his mouth to hers and kissing her slowly. His fingers trailed back under her hair to trace the tattoo, breaking their kiss and chuckling. "You have everything you need here, with me." He said breathily.

Dakota released a ragged breath when he broke their kiss, forgetting herself just slightly. She had to push herself away once the platform stopped, stepping as far from him as possible. "My home is with Matthew." She stammered.

Hearing the human male's name made the Irken annoyed, stepping off the platform and following her. "Do I have to remind you that I own you, and not that male?" He questioned.

She glared heatedly at him, "You don't own me!" She cried out, shoving him back suddenly. "I never belonged to you, I don't even belong to Matthew! I don't belong to anyone!"

"I beg to differ." The Irken said haughtily, "I can easily make you bend to my will—"

"Turning me on and fucking me doesn't mean that you own me!" She argued, "It just means that I have a sick sexual fascination with you and that's all!" She continued to step away, "I have a fucking home, Jinx. I have a fucking home, and a job, and friends, a fucking family. I had so much before you came along!" She continued, tearing up. "All I wanted was a little excitement, not to be upended and taken away from my life! While maybe an adventure with you sounds fun and cool, I have responsibilities, I have doctors appointments. I have rent to make and medications to take—I can't survive without my medications!" Her voice was cracking. "I can't just drop my life for you."

The Irken was quiet as she spoke, seemingly in thought. He listened to her hysterical words and said nothing, turning away once she was done and making his way back to the platform. "Computer, don't allow my property to leave this level." He said finally.

Dakota stepped forward, "W-what?" She continued to follow him, breaking out into a run as the platform rose him away from her. "Jinx!" She screamed, "Jinx wait!" She tried again, "Matthew's going to find me!" She cried out, "You can't do this!"

Jinx could still hear her, standing still until he reached back up to the next level and zeroing in on the computer console nearby. He strode towards it and ran his hands along the controls, shivering slightly. It felt good to be back among his own technology. He pressed down on a button and hummed. "Computer, activate the exterior security sentinels and alert me to any oncoming humans, especially the males." He commanded.

"Exterior Security Sentinels online and scanning."

"Good, now, direct me to the laboratory. I need a new disguise chip." He continued to play with the controls, taking notes of the map it was showing him and where everything was. He clicked his tongue in interest and left the console towards the direction he needed to go, smiling just slightly.

He had all the time in the world.

"I'm texting you the address you need to go, but I have to warn you about Zim's base. It was left abandoned, and if that Irken has gotten there then he may have taken the base over in his own name."

Matthew groaned, "Well great." He said irritably, waiting for the tank to be filled as he sat in the gas station. "Just tell me how to get in there."

"Not anyone can infiltrate through Irken security, it requires knowledge of Irken technology and some finesse, I'm asking you again to hold off until we meet up." There was shuffling in the background, the sound of a car door opening. "The fugitive won't be leaving Earth any time soon, Dakota is perfectly safe for now. If he thinks of her as his property, he's going to take very good care of her."

"While that sounds just peachy keen to you, Dib, it's kinda hard sitting by while a killer alien is fucking someone I care about!" He almost shouted.

"Please, Matthew, just hold off until 8PM. I'm heading towards the airport as we speak. You can go there, gather reconnaissance, but do not step foot inside the fence, you will literally be shot on sight. Meet me at the City Airport tonight and I'll help you as much as I can."

"Fine." Matthew stressed out the final word, none too happy about being forced to keep away. He hung up after the pump clinked, taking it out of the gas tank and putting it back before putting the cap back on. He groaned again, raking his fingers through his hair and trying to think. A shotgun wouldn't do anything…

He got back into his truck and shut the door, calling up his wife again.

"Did you find her?" Everett asked.

"Yeah, she's being held hostage in an alien control base somewhere in the suburbs. I'm going up there now to check it out."

"Don't do anything rash, Matthew. Remember, you have children."

"Are you still at work?" He asked.

"No, I called one of the volunteers and they're going to close up. Tabitha and Abigail are swimming at the pool. I told them Daddy had a school function."

He smiled slightly, "Good, I don't want them to worry. I might not be coming back today."

"Matthew…"

"To be honest I'm not sure when I'm coming back, but I know it's not without Dakota." He corrected himself, turning a corner.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Her voice sounded upset.

Matthew ran a hand down his face, blinking, "You know, Everett."

"What if it were me, Matthew?" She asked after a moment of silence. "Would you do the same?"

He pulled on a smile, "Of course I would! In a heartbeat, but we both know too well that it wouldn't happen. Honey, you would have kicked that thing's ass before it tried anything."

She laughed hesitantly, "I love that you think highly of me."

"I love you, that's why." Matthew said, pausing for a while, "I love her, too. Both of you!"

Everett sighed, "I understand, Matthew. I've…come to understand that a long time ago."

"Don't wait up for me."

"I'll call the school and tell them you had a family emergency, just don't get yourself killed. If anything, do that."

He laughed nervously, looking down the street at the cul-de-sac. "Don't worry, honey. I have someone helping me, just tell the kids I love them. Make sure they know Daddy's about to go off fighting aliens, they'll love that."

"Just come back home in one piece, with Dakota." She said firmly.

"I love you." He repeated, finally hanging up. He stared at the house intently for a moment, breathing out a ragged sigh.

There was no reception. Nothing, not even wifi. She was so far underground that her phone couldn't pick up anything. It was cold, too, and quiet. Not the quiet she liked, either, it was an eerie quiet that came with a humming of the machines all over the area. She didn't know how large the level was, but she had walked until her feet began to get tired. There was nothing she could find that could tell her where she was, and the only accessible room seemed to be something remotely similar to a bathroom. She was thankful for the smallest things, at least, but after wandering around the level for the fiftieth time she had discarded her shoes, wishing that she just kept on Everett's flip flops instead.

The computer refused to answer her questions, but she knew it was listening. She wondered if it was watching her wander aimlessly, feeling increasingly frustrated that she was being watched. It was starting to mess with her, the confinement. She broke into tears at least three different times, and had a panic attack just once. There wasn't any telltale semblance of time down there, not after her phone had lost all power. The last thing she knew, it was 3PM. She had been down there for over two hours, but 3PM was so long ago.

She hated Jinx for doing this. It was just like him to do that, to punish her for actually wanting to go home. Was this a punishment? It had to be. She wasn't being the good little slave he wanted her to be. What did he expect? A few kisses and a loving caress and suddenly she'd be willing to follow him anywhere? She felt disgusted with herself for enjoying his touch. She was right, he was her sick sexual fascination, and it was probably more than that. She had been diagnosed with manic symptoms…

She ended up crying again, wracking herself with ugly sobs as she filled the silence with her own cries. It was messing her up, Jinx was messing her up. He was a horrible piece of shit that managed to make her forget how horrible he was with his sexy words and sultry actions. Matthew was never going to find her, he wouldn't know where to go. If he even did get here, Jinx would probably kill him without telling her. Either way, she was trapped here.

She curled up, exhausted from crying. It always took so much out of her, and it always hurt. It always hurt to cry, ever since the accident, crying was physically painful. How many hours was it now? Was there light outside? Why did she have to leave? Why did Matthew allow her to leave? Did she actually leave to get her shoes or did she leave to go back to Jinx? Was she here because he forced her to come or was she here because secretively she wanted to be here?

She didn't really know anything anymore, her mind continuing to process all sorts of thoughts she couldn't find the answers to, because the answers weren't clear to her anymore.

A sound made her flinch, and she quickly got up at the sound of footsteps. She breathed out a desperate cry, standing up on weak legs and moving towards the sound but her knees gave out before she could step any further.

Jinx could see her desperation, the wide, tired eyes that stared at him with hope and fear. He made his way over to her and caught her when she threw herself at him.

"Please, please don't leave me." She whimpered, trying not to cry again. "I won't yell again, don't leave me." She begged.

Jinx knelt down, reaching over to pet her and humming. "Do you trust me?" He asked.

She hesitated, hating the question. It hurt to think anymore. "I can't answer…" She murmured. "It…it hurts to think."

The honest admission didn't seem to bother him, and he chuckled. "You see, this is how we ended up here." He said softly, "You just keep thinking too much. All you do is think, female. You think about all the bad things and how everything isn't right."

Her lip quivered, "But—"

"Ah, ah." He pressed a finger to her lips, "Don't think anymore. Thinking only leads to problems, so let me do all the thinking." He smiled, leaning in to kiss her. "Can you be a good girl?"

She kissed back desperately, whimpering. "I'll be good…" She whispered, finding comfort in his fingers tracing the back of her neck. He smiled at the words and kissed her again, pressing into it and coaxing her mouth open, drinking in the small sounds she made. He broke it off before anything else could happen, pulling back suddenly and letting out a low growl. Dakota yelped out when he picked her up, carrying her back towards the platform. It lowered, taking them even further down to another level, stopping at the floor.

It was easy to manipulate something if you had the time and patience for it, and the human was fragile enough to control already. All he needed to do was implement the right praises and punishments to get what he wanted. He already liked what he returned to, the female overwhelmed by her own thoughts to the point of breaking. Hearing her relinquish control aroused something deep inside of him, a feeling he had when he finally got what he wanted the first time.

Control was mesmerizing, as was power. Having power over his own, having power over others, that's what turned him on. The minute he discovered he could control an entire planet, all he needed to do was wait for his moment. The bad thing about waiting to become a ruler was that it was a long wait, as Irkens lived longer than anything. He wasn't that patient.

If an idiot like Zim could kill two different Tallests, then how hard would it be for someone like him? It wasn't hard at all, actually, they were so coddled that they grew perfectly stupid, assuming that they had nothing to worry about in terms of threats. Zim was gone, so they could reign in peace.

In hindsight, he was a little too ambitious. He killed them thinking that no one would know any better, when in reality his 'accident' couldn't really be an accident. He took every precaution imaginable but one, the investigation team was his downfall. No one investigated the last two deaths, so why would they investigate this one? Nope, too ambitious.

No matter, he was too far out of the Empire's reach to worry about their retribution. They'll get bored looking for him and give up eventually. He had a new purpose now. Earth, an obscure planet with mostly stupid inhabitants. He could easily overtake this planet, rebuild his defenses to overtake another. Being in control was the best high he could imagine.

Take this human, for example. She provided him with a challenge, a female that refused him at every turn until he found her weakness. A nice and satisfying weakness that he could coax out of her to turn her into such a good little slave. It was her fault for marking herself as property. No matter, she was his now, because anyone else would only neglect her, leave her for dead. He was actually saving her from a horrible fate.

She was a pleasing human, submitting herself to his ministrations, begging for his touch. She moved perfectly against him while he drank in her moans and sighs. He kissed her again, deeply, groaning into her mouth as she rocked up against his organ. The way she felt was incredible, her body inviting him to do whatever he wanted. He continued to mark her flesh, needing to make sure everyone knew who she belonged to. His movements increased from her pleas, driving her to cry out his name, her walls clenching around him and coaxing out his own climax. He found himself drifting in a satisfying realm of pleasure until his pack sent down a shock to his system, making him alert once more. Jinx chuckled breathily and placed another kiss to her lips, feeling her breathing lull into a steady rhythm as she drifted off into a sleep cycle. He looked pleased at that, deciding to stay nestled inside of her for a while longer.

The plane landed at 7:45PM, the passengers filtering into the airport and heading like cattle towards the baggage claim. Among the passengers was a lithe man with a curious haircut and an equally curious trench coat. A long, leather one that billowed when he walked and commanded some sort of presence. He stopped at the baggage claim to study the area, zoning in on a tall man with tired features, sporting two defined tattoo sleeves that went down to the man's knuckles. Dib seemed to quirk a grin at the sight, heading right for him and pushing up his glasses.

"Matthew, I take it?" The text was clear in his mind, look for the tattoos.

Matthew stared at the scythe coming from the man's haircut, proceeding to take in the rest of him and stopping on the graphic tee that depicted a ghost. "Dib." He nodded to himself, "Didn't expect anything less."

Dib laughed slightly at that, "Yeah, the hair. I had it since childhood."

"Had the tattoos since college." Matthew raised up a tattooed hand. "Small talk's better off in the truck, Dib." He said then, pointing back to the entrance.

"Hold on, I brought some things." Dib darted towards the baggage claim, scanning the luggage and capturing a large black roller.

Matthew looked impatient and stressed, holding his tongue about the matter at hand because they were in public and he didn't want to be made out like a lunatic. He waited until Dib was back at his side before leading him out of the airport.

"Glad to see that you're in one piece." Dib commented, "I thought you'd just run in there with a shotgun as soon as you hung up."

Matthew grabbed his keys from his pocket. "The thought crossed my mind, but I've been known to practice restraint."

Dib nodded, "Well, thank you for being smarter than most of the human population." He said honestly.

Matthew pointed out his truck, which sat higher than most of the cars. "I have this theory, that you created that cartoon as a way of warning the populace. Tell me, am I right or was I just seeing things?"

Dib let out a loud bark of laughter, "Holy shit! You actually hit the nail on the head. Christ, I've been waiting for this day…" He smiled genuinely at him, "It was my second plan after my first one went to shit. Never outright tell people that aliens exist, Matthew. I did that for five years only to be called a loser and a weirdo. I made the cartoon because I thought, if no one believed the truth, then they would probably believe a 'work of fiction'. That's how people work, they only believe what they want."

"Motherfucker." Matthew breathed, taking Dib's roller and putting it in the truck bed. He swung himself into the truck and laughed as Dib struggled to get into it before finally climbing in, breathing out when he finally buckled himself.

"You own a shotgun and drive a huge truck, what, do you hunt too?" He breathed.

"I make deer jerky in the fall." He shrugged, grinning as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Dib nodded quietly, thinking. "I'm curious, can you tell me more about your friend, Dakota? I'm still trying to wrap my head around this."

Matthew thought for a moment, letting out a tired laugh. "Well, shit… Dakota was a freshman in high school when I met her. I'm an AP English teacher at the high school she went. Back then, she was very bright. Top of her class, she's smarter than a whip and driven. She wanted to be a Scientist, like her parents."

Dib nodded, withholding a question that he wanted to ask.

"It was during the end of sophomore year, the accident." He explained, keeping his eyes on the road. "There was an explosion at the test site ten miles out of town, they were all in there. She was an intern at the laboratory they worked at, and she was the only one found alive. Five scientists were killed, two of them were her parents.

"I don't know where she spent the summer, but at the start of Junior year she came back. I knew something was off, though. She wasn't like she used to be. She…changed. She lost interest in everything, she had attacks. A student could be talking about something else entirely, but if she heard him say something specific, it would trigger a panic attack. In the middle of the year she began skipping her classes. I grew concerned, so I took it upon myself to investigate.

"She was living with foster parents at the time, a couple that took her in at the last minute. She told them she didn't want to leave the school, during summer. I visited them and they had no idea what was wrong, and the wife begged me to take her. I did my best to get through to Dakota, offering her a place to live, because she now had a time limit. Come graduation, she was out of a home. She refused my help at every turn, and I grew desperate.

"I told my wife everything, and begged her to help. My wife, she's a great woman. She doesn't back down from a challenge and loves to help people in need. I don't know how she did it, but she got Dakota to move in with us, and then it was like her mission to get Dakota back on track. She stayed with us for five years until she felt stable enough to move out. I didn't want her to, but she insisted on making it out on her own…to try and get back to normal."

Dib looked outside the window, "You really care about her, do you?"

Matthew knew where he was going with that, "My wife caught on quicker than I did, at the time. We live in a fucking traditional town, Dib. Hillbillies that believe in Jesus and go to church every Sunday, no tattoos, no piercings. Just Jesus and Jack Daniels. We keep our private lives private, and that includes our beliefs. We trust each other enough to love other people. I sometimes wonder if…if I had just let Dakota know before all this started, would she still be with that alien now?"

"Time travel isn't a thing, Matthew." Dib said sympathetically. "You'll have your chance, we just need to prepare."

Matthew drove them to the parking lot of a shoddy motel, leading Dib towards the door he parked in front of and unlocking it. One bed sat in the middle of the room, with two super-soakers and a shotgun sitting atop of it. Dib dragged in his roller and propped it up on a counter, clicking it open to reveal blueprints and a laptop nestled within paper files.

"I brought everything I had on Zim's base, every weak point and a map of the entire area. It's easy to get in, the hard part is getting out once you get underground."

Matthew frowned, "It extends underground?"

"For miles, Matthew." Dib said as he unfolded the blueprints, exposing the lower levels. "It's pretty impressive once you go in there, I got lost there a number of times."

"I'm only interested on how to get in and out, I don't really give a shit about exploring." Matthew said lowly, studying the blueprints.

"Well, if we're going to be direct, then here." Dib took out a small wristwatch, handing it to him. "This is a communicator, which has a nice tracker built in so I can find you instantly. I'll show you where to go, and I'll do my best to create a distraction for the Irken so he won't follow you."

Matthew took the communicator and replaced his own watch with it, "Is there anything else I need to know?"

Dib looked grim, "Finding Dakota is one thing, but given what you told me, her fragile mental state is a cause for concern. There's a chance that the Irken could have used that to his advantage."

"What do you mean?"

Dib looked sick having to explain it, looking Matthew directly in the eyes. "He could have easily manipulated her into his willing slave."