As the rain pelted down over the fake on top of the roof, she lifted her head to see what was going on.

She was met with Zim hugging a quietly sobbing Stell hugging what looks like another her in her clothes while she is in a hospital gown. Who are the other Irkens?

She reached out to her head to an invisible thing and lifted it up.

~Static~

Everything flickered away to reveal herself back in her normal clothes sitting in Zim's upper house kitchen. Zim and Gir sat at the kitchen table with their Taco dinner demolished in front of her on the table.

"What did you think?" Zim asked excited. Then turned confused at her somber expression. "Mary?"

"Can you explain this device one more time please?"

"Oh, um. Dr. Membrane created it, FOR SCIENCE!" He snickered. "He made it as a way to see alternate possibilities for short term future events. I only found out about it from Gaz before my last fight with the Dib."

"I see."

"Mary. What happened?"

"First, Gir. Can you go to my house and bring my computer and any tech here, please? Through this device, I discovered the Resisty have long since cloned my laptop to spy on me."

Zim stood up in anger. "They did WHAT?!" She nodded at his glare. "Gir, wait for me, I'll go with you. Mary, if they resorted to that, your home is compromised. Hm…" He was about to ask if she had any friends or family to stay in, but internally cringed as to why that's a big fat NO. "Do you have any objections to… staying here?" He asked hesitantly.

"…Here?" She raised a skeptical brow, seeming to come to the same conclusion. "Wouldn't that conflict with my role as your rival? Well, ignoring today, anyway." She shrugged.

Zim stood there thinking that over.

Gir sat there between them, head spinning to look at one, then the other as they talked.

~/~

Base

Meanwhile, while they were having tacos upstairs…

Downstairs in the lair, Stell was chasing Nova. "That is not a toy! Argh! GET BACK HERE!"

Blue and Teal were casually leaning against the wall, eating popcorn and enjoying the show. Nova leapt on top of her head, doing a flip before diving in the nearest vent going down.

Stell screeched in frustration.

"What was that anyway?" Blue boredly asked.

"It was the tool I needed to finish my design for the plot I had tomorrow!"

"Oooh! You mean your date with Mary." He stated with a nod.

"Yes! Yes exactl-! What!? Nononono! No! NOT at Date!"

"Really?" Standing fully and walking towards the frustrated Invader.

Looking before him, Stell stood flustered. Then contemplative.

The fact that she was thinking about it AT ALL spoke volumes!

Until she shook her head and walked away.

Damn it!

~/~

House

"I see your point, but… Mary? I honestly don't really care what others' opinions are. I had this idea for a while now where this system will be moot anyway." He looked away in thought.

Mary stared in shock. "What..?"

"Its something I've been toying with the last few Dibs. If you'd like. You can even help me with it. It should also benefit you in the long run too."

"How..?"

"Why don't I tell you all tomorrow? Tonight, I can grab your things and bring them to a spare room I have near Stell and Blue's room."

"Yeah, ok. It has been a long day." She hesitantly agreed.

When they finished clearing the table, she grabbed his pant leg shyly. "Zim?"

"Yes?"

Memories of Purple holding up Zim's hand-made present, Stell standing up to Red, their party.

The cupcake.

"Thank you. You haven't made it yet, but the present you made me tomorrow is amazing and I love it." She started to cry. "And everything Stell did to cheer me up tomorrow…" She wiped her eyes.

Seeing Stell cry and morn for her on the roof, uncaring of the rain burning her…

"Just… everything you all did for me in that alternate possibility tomorrow." She looked up at him and smiled the brightest he's seen a Dib smile in centuries. "Thank you so much!"

His eyes widened, mind churning trying to figure out tomorrow. But he settled for kneeling down and embracing her.

"You are welcome, Dib." He cracked, keeping the name joke going. She snorted, before laughing into his shoulder.

"Go on downstairs and find my wayward Invaders, they'll show you where to go. Do you have anything hiding you want us to grab?"

"Nothing your x-ray scanners can't find. I don't have much so it should be a short trip."

"Very well. Go on, we'll be back soon."

~/~

Base

Mary leaned against the wall in the elevator as it descended, letting the goggles' vision wash over her.

Is that really what the Resisty have been up to? And now cloning? And there's Red and Purple.

Purple genuinely wants to apologize to Zim, and care about him. I'll have to bring up the PAKs with Zim tomorrow. It seems that after dark tomorrow, the experiment was stable and successful with her in the vision.

Mary slumped to the floor, mentally exhausted.

The door slid open and she looked up to see a startled Stell.

"Mary?! What are you-?! What happened to you?"

Mary gave a relieved small smile at Stell's concern. She actually DOES care! Lips wobbling, she stood unsteadily, before grabbing Stell in a hug outside the elevator.

"Wha… BLUE! Come quickly!"

Mary just held her tighter. And when Blue slid around the corner, expecting a fight, he comically tripped and crashed into the wall at seeing Mary hugging Stell.

Mary winced with a snicker. "Oohhh, are you ok Blue?" She shouted over to him.

He gave a confused thumbs up before groaning. Once he eventually came over, she explained the situation (being vague about the vision, focusing on the Resisty) and explaining just what the device does.

Stell got pissed, before stepping back, and reaching out to grip her shoulders.

Stell smirked in doting challenge. "As if I would ever let them get to you, Mary. You are mine! My rival, my enemy, my victim. The only ones allowed to torture you is me and Blue!" (Mary knew full well if Stell left Blue out of that statement, he'd make Stell regret it.)

In fact, Blue finally stood up, arms crossed, and grinned in agreement. The two Gir's saluted lights going red.

"The Dib-Mary is ours!" They robotically declared.

"Guys…"

That was word for word, what she said before they crashed. Mary started to cry again before hugging her Invader.

Stell hugged her back, claws gripping her coat.

~/~

With Zim and Gir

Tonight, is about stealth. Going to the Voot cruiser and dusting off the hidden feature for disguises. Zim activated screens he hasn't seen since he actually TRIED to take over this planet.

Gir tugged his pants. Zim moved the screen So Gir had easier access.

He picked out his old green 'dog' disguise.

"Wait, Gir. No matter how much I want to see you in that old thing again, not tonight."

"Aww…"

"I know Gir, how about a compromise?"

Bring the controls back to his height, he grabbed the pen and started drawing. After a minute, he stepped back to let Gir stand in the designated spot to activate the disguise generator.

After a flash and the two semi-spheres separated, Zim smiled.

Gir has a MUCH more believable Human disguise this time. Gir resembled a teenager with crazy curly bright green hair, tanned skin, a mess of freckles and bright green eye contacts like what Zim used. He's waring the dog suit, but as a hoody. It was the same green, but with black sleeves, a zipper down the middle with the hood having dog ears on it. He also wore black jeans and black boots and black and green fingerless gloves.

"Cool!" Gir stared at his reflection in awe, doing various poses as Zim saved the disguise. He was mentally hitting himself on how much better Gir's disguise is compared to the dog. But… he still has a soft spot for the old thing, hence the hoodie.

Now his turn.

For a regular civilian, he was thinking of a new disguise entirely. He's way too tall for his old Invader disguises. It also didn't help that most involved just shoving over his old Invader Uniform!

Stepping out:

He changed his skin tone to match a human, usual purple contacts, added some muscle proportionate to his own, and slightly longer, feathered black hair. He chose a V-neck deep magenta t-shirt under a black jacket loose enough to hide his PAK (It also has slits where the legs can come out), black jeans with a red belt, and black shoes.

He heard a wolf whistle to see Gir give him a thumbs up.

Zim blushed, but smiled in thanks.

They headed out.

Since Mary's house was only a 20-minute walk, they just walked over, it was warm enough and the sky was clear-ish.

Gir clearly likes his new disguise and even stopped to talk to several teenagers along the way.

He fit right in.

One of the older women even started flirting with Zim. Zim just rapidly blinked in shock! Eh…?!

No Human Female (Or any Human) has ever flirted with Zim before!

Gir noticed how uncomfortable he was and provided an escape.

"Thank you Gir!" Zim clutched his Squeedily Spooch trying to calm down.

Gir just observed him.

When the female flirted, his Mastah didn't notice until another teen teased them. Even then, Gir still observed no such attraction from Zim once he looked at her in realization.

Nothing.

Zim crossed his arms in discomfort as they continued their trek. They were silent as they neared their destination.

Zim stopped at the apartment entrance, before looking up and spotting her window with practiced ease.

It was just hours ago, Zim confessed to breaking into the Dibs window more often then not. He felt a weight on his back when he felt Gir wrap his arms around his neck and legs around his waist for a piggy back ride.

Zim smiled, Gir knows him so well.

On either side of Gir, faint lights from the Pak lit up from the coat before his PAK legs shot out. Silently and quickly, they scaled the building and easily opened the window, unlocked, and let themselves in.

There was someone already inside, arguing on the phone.

It was a one room studio with a small closet and a bathroom. There was a sleeping bag in the corner next to the window with a flat pillow and a stuffed piggy (that reminded them of Dib-sister Gaz in a horrifying moment). There were two other shirts and a pair of shorts on the floor next to a laundry basket, a few photos of her family pinned to a cork board, a desk that looked old with her laptop on it. Next to it was a hard drive.

The Intruder was on her laptop talking on the phone about extracting the information from her computer. And a very old photo of -Keef?! Why does this human have a photo of THAT… that… stalker!- next to his hand?!

Mary was right to ask Zim for help.

The intruder has yet to realize he's not alone…

As Zim walked closer, his shadow grew larger on the wall before the oblivious Human.

~/~

Base

It was awkward between the two Invaders and one Human. As they escorted her to the spare room, none of them talked, Mary seemed lost in thought anyway. Blue kept gesturing to Stell to say something, Stell mid back where to shove it. Blue rolled his eyes.

"So, umm…" He started as they stopped before a door across from their room. "I guess, this is your room?" He finished awkwardly. Mary smiled and opened the door.

It was the same as there's, but the one bed on the left and half the size. It was also devoid of any personal touch too. As Stell and Blue looked inside, they couldn't help but compare. It's practically sterile compared to their room! It was empty. There was a button inside the built-in bed that turned out to be a small light above where the pillows go.

Mary crossed her arms feeling overwhelmed a little.

A hand on her shoulder, found Stell looking at her steadily. "Things will be okay. Stell will make sure of it." Mary smiled and nodded.

They left and shut the door behind them.

~/~

Mary's Apartment.

"Who are you?"

The human startled and looked back.

"Me? Who the hell are you?"

"You can call me . Why are you in Mary's home? I should call the local authorities for trespassing." Zim stood tall, making the Human cower a little.

"Trespassing?! The little brat asked to see me!"

"Oh? Does this have anything to do with you breaking into her apartment and looking through her belongings?" He gestured to the computer.

The Human paled. He tried to stand, but Zim was quicker, he easily grabbed the Human, shoved him back into the chair and spun him around as Zim wrapped his hand around the Humans' neck and the other hand lightly scratching his cheek enough to bleed.

"There's a difference between you and me, you see. For one, I was just talking to Mary and she herself asked me to come here and gather things because she no longer feels safe here. And Look! You, you pathetic filth, have just proved her claims correct." Tightening his grip, the Human started to choke. "Now, let's try this again, shall we? Why are you here?"

"She- *gasp* she came to me earlier because I told her I had a lead!"

"A Lead? Oh, yes! I recall! She mentioned that in our discussion earlier this afternoon. What is your so-called lead, and why does it warrant you breaking and entering her home?"

He shakily pointed to the photo of Keef on the desk. Zim snatched it up and flipped it around, analyzing it.

"This?! This was the so-called lead?!"

It was a ripped photo of a younger keep trying to strangle Dib and Zim in a hug (He remembers this photo) but thankfully it was ripped in such a way that it was just Keef in the photo with Dibs arm hovering behind him as the duo tried to escape his hold. The back of the photo used to have Keef, Zim and Dib written on it, but due to the rip it just has Dibs name on it-

Wait.

A ripped photo of Keef with Dib written on the back.

No…

If Mary hadn't have run into Gir earlier and brought her to Zim, Mary would have seen this photo and thought it was either A Dib or THE Dib!

From his friends widening gaze, Gir came to that same conclusion. They shared a look and Zim thanked him, Gir nodded.

Turning back to the still struggling Human. "So, it was just this photo?"

"Yes!" He gasped out.

Gir walked away briefly before digging through a bag at the Humans feet. It was full of small scrapbooks.

"What is all this, then?"

Gir flipped through them at an angle so Zim could see as well. It was Dibs old yearbook. Zim tightened his grip and Gir scanned the bag, disabled various tracking devices and then stepped away so Zim could focus on the Human.

"Get. Out." Zim whispered in his ear.

The Human scrambled and practically ripped the door open to getaway.