Dib took a deep breath, trying to decide which would be worse. Settling on the trash can, he overrode his common sense and stepped in. He was ready, but still felt a jolt in his chest as the lid closed and he was lowering down. Gir jumped into the toilet, and Dib could hear his giggling through the floor.

And people call ME crazy…if only they could see Gir. I mean, really! He's GREEN! What dog is green and has a zipper? Maybe Zim has a point…humans are idiots…even my Dad, the supposed smartest person on the planet, doesn't see the truth right in front of him! Dib only had a moment to realize that he was agreeing with Zim before the darkness subsided and he was bathed with an eerie purple glow. He took a hesitant step forward-he'd only gotten this far a few times, and was much less knowledgeable about the lower levels of the base.

"How do I fix Zim? Gir would know…or maybe not. I could ask the computer, but it might not listen to me…oh well. It's worth a shot. I'm talking to myself again…got to stop doing that…" Dib muttered distractedly. He was left to contemplate for only a few seconds more, before Gir dropped out a chute above him. Dib noticed that the elevator wasn't activated, but decided not to push it.

"So, Gir…how does Zim recharge his Pak?" Gir suddenly snapped into Duty mode.

"That is privileged information!" Dib, who knew almost as much about Gir as he knew about Zim, knew the phase would pass.

"How does he recharge his Pak?" He insisted again. Gir's lights flicked back to turquoise.

"The computa' plugs him in like a TV! He looks cute all quiet!" Dib sighed in relief, until he noticed something. There was a small purple clock on Zim's wrist, reading 3:46, then 3:45, the number dropping every second.

"What's going on?" The answer came from above him.

His Pak is completely dead. That's his life clock. Dib stepped back in shock, dropping Zim. A flood of memories rushed back-of Zim's missing Pak, of how he's screamed something about needing it, how it had attached to Dib, making him completely lose it…Dib clutched his head, as he remembered everything that had ever happened to Zim. The smeethood accident, Operation impending doom 1, absorbing his cocky attitude, and that horrible Sizzlor…after a minute, Dib pulled himself out of the memories long enough to notice that he'd dropped Zim pretty hard. His head was bleeding, green blood. Dib took a step forward, picking him up again. The clock now read 2:27. Dib started panicking, running around in little circles, still holding Zim. His limp body kept shifting in Dib's arms, almost falling again twice. Finally, Dib ran into Gir, who had copied him and was running around, screaming like a lunatic. The computer decided to interrupt.

May I take Zim?

Dib looked up slowly-he'd forgotten the computer was everywhere.

"What?" The computer let out a huge, exaggerated sigh.

He's got a minute and 12 seconds to live. I can recharge the Pak. Dib started blushing at how stupid he'd been, and held Zim up. The computer sighed again.

Over on the table. Turn him face down. Dib walked over to the steel-like table quickly, setting Zim down gently. A huge gray cord snaked out of the tangle on the ceiling, attaching to the big hatch on the back of his Pak. Dib turned Zim over, looking at his eyes. One still had a contact in, and the hat was almost falling off. Dib gently took it off, and his antennae shot straight up, glad to be free. One eye was blurred, the data flashing past the maroon orb. Dib gently peeled off the other contact, wincing when he felt a sticky substance on the underside.

"Gross…so, is it working?"

Well, he's not going to die. Other than that, no idea. The computer replied sarcastically. Dib let out a sigh of relief, setting Zim back down. He noticed a chair in the corner, but decided against it when he noticed ketchup all over the seat.

"Oh well…might as well stand." He checked his watch-Zim only had about another thirty seconds if something went wrong. Twenty, ten, five…A loud beeping sound came from above him.

Zim'll be fine. I'm just recharging him like normal. It'll be another hour and a half, so unless you want to wait, I suggest you go. Dib turned his face up.

"I'll stay, thanks. Can I have a chair or something?" The computer sighed.

Fiiine… A bed dropped from the hole in the ceiling Gir had come from. Dib shook his head.

"That'll work, but that's a bed, not a chair. Get your English right."

Zim speaks Irken in here half of the time, so don't blame me. Dib shrugged. The bed did look pretty comfy…he walked over, sinking into the soft fabric. It was then that he realized how tired he was. He'd been running on pure adrenaline, ragging the boy out completely. It probably didn't help that he'd stayed up until 2 that morning finishing his homework. As he sank into sleep, the last thing he remembered was Gir jumping up next to him, snuggling close.

…

"DIB!" Said Dib jolted out of sleep.

"Whaa? Gaz? 5 more minutes…" Someone started shaking him roughly, and Dib had to swallow a scream as the first things he saw were two maroon orbs.

"Zim? What are you…" He trailed off, noticing that he was in Zim's base. "Why am I…" Suddenly, everything from the day before flooded back. The water, Skool, the pictures… The pictures.

Oh please tell me he didn't find- Zim shoved some paper in Dib's face.

"WHAT ARE THESE?" Dib's fears were confirmed as he pulled them away. They were the pictures he'd taken of Zim's notebook. Zim grabbed them back, ripping them into shreds.

"Get out." He said in a low, dangerous voice. Dib knew he meant business-usually Zim would've screamed. Sighing, he grabbed his backpack and walked out slowly, heading toward the elevator. He was getting in when something clamped onto the back of his head.

"Get off, Gir. I'm leaving." He heard a sniffle behind him, but the weight disappeared. He trudged through the living room; deactivating the gnomes before he left so he wouldn't be shot as he left. As he crossed the borderline, just past the I love earth sign, he heard a slight zapping sound-turning around, Dib saw the gnomes had been reactivated. Sighing, he slogged back to his house. If he'd hung around just a few minutes longer, he might've heard a sound like someone cracking a table with their fist in anger.

…

Ohhh, Dib got found out…but this isn't over yet! Rate and review to give some Dib some virtual cookies to help him feel better!