Note: Sorry I had Dib say "bloody" in the last chapter, I know it's not something Dib would say. I also write in the Great Mouse Detective category and writing in a London dialect has caught up with me. )

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Dazed, Zim could do little but sprawl where he had landed. From his position on the floor, he could see Professor Membrane's trademark labcoat and boots draw nearer.

"No," he muttered weakly, "They will… not… take Zim." Groaning, he extended the self-destruct mechanism, which fixed itself to his wrist. One moment all he could see was the little red button that would end his existence. The next, all he could feel was searing pain as the Professor's boot came down on the device and his arm with a sickening crunch.

"Gah!" He writhed. "You think you can besssst Zim? Hssst…Never! You ssssssshall never bessssssst me!" He hissed in pain.

"I believe I have done just that." The Professor replied in a bored tone. He spoke into his sleeve briefly, and seconds later Zim was surrounded by a team of scientists, all wearing yellow hazard suits. One of them slapped what looked like a wad of used chewing gum on his PAK. Anger rising, Zim activated his spider legs to pull himself to a safer spot. Nothing happened. Horrified, he tried again, but his PAK would not obey.

"What type of filthy earthling-gum is that?" He spat.

"A simple compound that absorbs the radio waves or brain waves or whatever sort of waves you use to communicate with your PAK." Membrane smirked. "Dib invented it."

"Since when did you start believing me, Dad?" Dib shoved two scientists aside and planted himself in front of the Professor. "It was always, 'Of course, son,' 'Whatever you say, Dib,' 'Why wouldn't I believe Zim has a skin condition, plenty of people do,' and all of a sudden you make a 180?"

Surprised, Professor Membrane just stood there for a few moments, but that was all Zim needed. He pulled himself up and kicked the nearest scientist in the jaw, somersaulting over the hands that stretched to grab him. Clutching his shattered arm he darted to the very back of the cargo bay and ducked behind a crate of taquitos where GIR sat, happily munching away.

"HI MASTER!" He shrieked. "I GOT TAQUITOS, WANT SOME?"

Zim winced and laid back his antennae. "GIR, Operation R&R in silent mode with "stinks" override, passcode Delta-amma-beta-5!"

GIR's eyes flamed red and he mouthed, Yes sir! Dropping the taquito, his form began to warp and shrink. As he reached the size and look of a palm-pilot, one of the scientists dropped a small net over them.

Growling, he fought off the instinct to struggle, knowing it would only entangle him. Instead he grabbed GIR with his good arm and forced his skinny wrist through one of the net's holes.

"Take him into the Cryo-chamber and freeze him for the trip home." Ordered the Professor.

Four scientists grabbed different portions of the net and lifted Zim up, carrying him past an open-mouthed Dib. Snarling, he screamed, "Curse you, wormy Dib-beast! You haven't heard the last of Zim, you will be repaid in full by the Irkin Empire if anything happens to me! Do you hear me? I swear it!" With that, he threw GIR at Dib's head.

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Throwing up his arms, Dib easily caught the small lump Zim threw at him. He watched numbly as the insane little Irkin was carried out of view.

"Will the Irkin Empire come for him, you think?" rumbled Professor Membrane.

Dib shook his head. "No, he was given the death sentence for being the smeet… of… Invader Stok." He turned to face his father, who was fidgeting with his gloves. "Dad? All this time you knew I was right, and you didn't tell me? Worse, you knew I was half alien and you didn't tell me?"

"Son—"

"Why did you marry her? How did she come? When did she come? Did she use some kind of mind-warping tool to make you fall in love with her or—"

"I didn't know she was an alien!" He yelled.

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Leaning back in his seat, Dib sighed. Hate Dad. Hate life. And just for once? I hate humans. He stared blankly at the stacks of files on the desk before him, the files that held every scrap of research, spying, and evidence he had gathered on Zim. Even photos from film rolls Zim had confiscated. All of it was there, laid out. Gotta give 'em this, the team Dad pulled together to watch him was good.

But why?—He slammed his fist into the wall, the pain in his knuckles dimming the pain in his heart. He knew. He knew I was right about Zim. He knew I was half-alien and worse, he killed Mamá.

But not directly! He rationalized.

Giving the Tallest directions to our house? When he knew they would kill her? If that's not murder, my name's not Dib!

Maybe he lied about that too.

He replayed the scene over and over in his mind, trying to find a way to make it mean something different.

He didn't know she was an alien, he says. She didn't tell until she was pregnant with Gaz, then he couldn't bear to touch her. She got mad, thought he didn't love her anymore because she'd told him. He didn't want a scandal, he was about to get big government funding for his pet project. He found her Irkomm and contacted the Tallest to get rid of his problem, conveniently "forgetting" to mention Gaz and me. Found out I saw her demise and erased my memory. It's all nice and neat, everybody's happy. The aggressive Irkin is in the freezer, soon the autopsy table, and the Irkin that would dare to mix with the human race is dead.

His ears rang with his father's condemning words.

"Dib, you of all people should know why. Aliens cannot by allowed on earth. Militant ones like Zim would take it over and fugitive ones like Stok would dilute the human race!"

"But that's just what the Tallest said!" Shouted Dib, punching the wall again. Blood ran down the back of his hand. He stared at it thoughtfully. "What am I?" he asked brokenly. Leaning against the wall he vowed, "When this ship lands, I'm gone. I don't care how, I don't care where, I'm going. I'm getting as far away from him as I can. Gaz doesn't know, so she won't care. This whole thing just stinks!"

His pocket bulged, and he yelped as extra weight made him stagger across the room. He watched in astonishment as his pocket split and the lump of metal he had put there reshaped and ballooned into the shape of…

"GIR?"

The robot's eyes glowed a dangerous red as he clicked his heels and saluted. "Ready for orders, Master."