Dib had decided to spend the night back home. Skoodge, Zim, and CB had decided to take their leave with no real follow-up to Skoodge's ominous statement regarding the possibility of a traitor in the midst of the Syndicate. Dib wanted to pry him more for information, however, he needed to get his thoughts sorted out before.

He had been so quick to jump on the Syndicate he had fucked up what could have been a good alliance. The realization left Dib feeling a little queasy. The look of betrayal in Clark's eyes was burned into his memory. He couldn't face him- not yet.

But this wasn't entirely on Dib. Clark had lied to him too. He had multiple opportunities to come clean about his intergalactic lineage. So, in a way, they were both at fault for the miscommunication. Still, Dib had given them the weapon. He was sure once this little fight blew over things would go back to some degree of normalcy. But until that point, it was best to stay out of Clark's way.

Give him some time to cool down.

Dib could use this time to strategize for how to work with the Syndicate to better ensure the safety of Earth. If aliens like Q or Skoodge were going to be setting up homes here, Dib would need to be better prepared to defend his planet.

He opened the door to the house and was greeted with an explosive sound followed by the entire foundation tremoring beneath his feet. Why he had ever thought home would be a peaceful place to plan- he wasn't sure. His father slid into the kitchen as if propelled by some unseen force, ash covering one side of his face. "Ah!" He noticed Dib in the doorway. "Hello son! If you are here witness my amplifier in action, you're too early!"

"Oh. No." He wasn't entirely sure if it was a good thing that his dad had begun to stay at the house more often since his marriage. On the one hand, it was nice to see him; on the other, the inventions he brought with him often threatened to explode their home.

"Oh! Junior welcome back!" Dib scrunched his face as his looming, super villain of a stepmother seemed to appear out of nothing behind his dad. "We don't usually see you twice in one week, is everything all right?"

"Fine, Moira." Dib narrowed his eyes at her. "Just figured I would stay here tonight. I need to get some good studying in."

"That sounds like a perfectly reasonable explanation." His dad nodded confidently. "I have no further questions!"

"Oh sweetie, did something happen between you and that cowboy?" Dib cringed at the affectionate nickname. He wasn't sure which was worse: 'Junior' or 'sweetie'.

"No darling," Membrane interrupted before Dib could come up with an excuse to satisfy the Irishwoman. "You heard him; he's studying!"

"Without his books?" Moira pressed.

"Books!? HA! He doesn't need books! He's a Membrane!" His father's confidence was doing wonders to cover for Dib's alibi. "Membranes only need scientific curiosity and a lab full of expendable employees in order to better hone their craft!"

"E-Expendable?" Foodio piped up in the corner where he had been quietly trying to cook a healthy meal through the tremors and minor explosions still resonating from the basement lab. "Sir, you do not believe Foodio to be expendable, do you?"

"Oh Foodio." Membrane chuckled. "Of course you are. Anyway!" Before the machine could process the response, the mad professor was on the next topic. "Dinner's at seven! Come now darling, let's not hold back my son from the joys of exploring science with his bare hands!" He wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. She was looking at Dib, unconvinced but was quickly spun into her husband's cybernetic embrace. "Also, the lab is still on fire! We should probably do something about that!"

"Oh darling," she sighed, hand to the Professor's cheek, "I'll get the fire extinguisher~" Dib tried his best not to gag as his father and stepmother vanished into the smoking mayhem below. Good to know he wouldn't have to worry about either of them breathing down his neck. A part of him wondered if, since he had misjudged the Syndicate, perhaps he had misjudged his stepmom as well. Then he recalled that she and his father had been fairly open about her less-than-stellar criminal record and Dib was able to reaffirm his intense dislike for her.

On his way up the stairs he started to walk by Gaz's room. The door was closed and the lights were off, so he assumed she was out. But as soon as he reached his own room, her door flung open. "You're back early." She had her headphones around her neck, an empty can of Poop cola in her hand. "I take it that whole evil, alien roommate thing didn't go well?"

"He was an alien. Just so you know."

"Yeah? Was he evil?" She crossed her arms, squinting at him with a knowing expression as she leaned in the doorframe.

"Well... no. Not exactly." Dib sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, Gaz, I think I actually fucked things up with Clark. I tried to make them better... but he's mad at me." It could have just been Dib's imagination, but he swore he saw his sister soften her gaze.

"That's new for you... you don't usually care if someone hates you." Once in a while, Dib and Gaz could break through their years of sibling rivalry and actually talk. It was rare, but it always seemed to happen just when Dib needed it most.

"He said he wasn't mad... just disappointed."

"Ouch. That's worse."

"I know right!?" Dib sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I dunno Gaz... I guess it just bothered me because I feel like I actually hurt him. I know I've thrown people under the bus before- but I thought he was going to be using me, like Tak was- trying to get to Zim, or get to dad..." It was hard to put into words why exactly he was feeling so shitty right now. "But he wasn't... and I don't know why but that makes it worse...?"

"Probably because he actually liked you and saw you as a friend, but the moment you started to suspect him; you only saw him as a threat." Gaz's tone wasn't accusatory, but the words still stung just a bit. "So, in a way, you were doing to him what others have been doing to you. That feeling you have right now? It's guilt."

"Well it fucking sucks."

"Yeah but I guess now I have evidence that you are a human and not just a Gremlin that lives in the room down the hall." Gaz walked over, nudging him with her shoulder. "Just relax for a bit- at least until dinner gets done. You can join me in my game, but if you slow me down, I will leave you to die without hesitation."

Dib smiled just a bit. "That sounds good. Let's do it."

It was nice just to sit with Gaz, watching her yell at the screen as they took out hordes of zombies without hesitation. The whole adventure was cathartic. He really had made the right call by going back to see his family. Even the family dinner wasn't all that bad. Dib needed this small ounce of normalcy to get him to the next day.

Still, as he tried to close his eyes and go to sleep, he could still hear Skoodge's warning echoing in his head. Q had mentioned a traitor as well- the idea had never completely left Dib's mind. He tossed and turned with the concept until finally he was able to drift off into an uneasy sleep. He hadn't realized he had drifted off at all until he heard a knock at his door.

"Junior, dear, the police are at the door." Dib jumped out of his bed, peeking out his window to see none other than Conner at his front door.

"Be right out!" Dib called over his shoulder.

That was... weird.

What the hell did he want?

Dib threw on some (hopefully) clean clothes before opening the door to look into the mismatched eyes of his stepmother. Moira leaned a little closer, lowering her voice. "Are you in trouble with the law? Say the word and I can help you sneak out of here."

"N... no I'm fine." Well at least she was willing to help him escape from the cops; she must not be a completely terrible stepmother to have around. "He's Clark's brother."

"Oh, then should I let him in? Your dad has the lasers pointed on him in the back, I can tell him to stand down." She pressed a button on her wrist. "We're good, my love, Junior says the officer is a friend. You can head back to your lab."

Dib heard the distinct sound of the house's defenses disarming before his stepmother stepped aside. "Good to know you have my back, I guess." Dib was mildly amused by his family's willingness to fight. "Do you know what he wants?"

"No, he didn't say." She turned to head back down the stairs. "Shall I let him in?"

"Yeah, it's fine. But if you hear me like... scream or anything have dad come in with the big guns." It was better to be safe than sorry. The Syndicate were (apparently) peaceful but that didn't mean Conner wasn't going to hold a grudge.

"We'll be on high alert~" She disappeared down the winding stairs and shortly after Conner made his way up into the room. It was weird to see him (especially without Clark) as Dib and Conner's interactions had always been minimal. But, Dib assumed, Clark was still too mad to even look at him, so Conner must have come alone.

"Hey," Dib sat in his desk chair as Conner walked in, shutting the door behind him. "So... how did you know where my parents lived?"

"You're not the only one who can be a creepy stalker when push comes to shove." Conner didn't come any closer, but he looked genuinely upset about something. "And speaking of your weird creepy obsession with my brother-"

Dib cut him off. "We weren't- and it's not a creepy obsession! He really was an alien! You both are!" Conner gave him a look and Dib quieted down.

"Look, something happened, something bad. After we took the gun to the captain, we locked it in our secure, underground facility and it got stolen!" Conner was sounding a bit more frantic. Dib was surprised by how little time had passed before the spy had made their move. Skoodge really did see this coming a mile away. "And they think it was Clark!"

"What? No way." Dib had seen Clark try to hold a gun. He doubted his roommate had what it took to be some secret thief.

"Well... I mean..." Conner was clearly stressed, stumbling over his words, pacing around. "It's not like they don't have evidence." He finally came closer to Dib. "The accusation wasn't like pulled out of the Captain's ass. She has security footage from the holding area."

"And you can show me the footage?" Dib leaned back in his chair as Conner pulled a small, disk looking item out of his pocket. He pressed a button and a hologram displayed the weapon in question on a pedestal surrounded by some sort of transparent, thick wall. In the video, the metallic wall surrounding the chamber was punched clean through as Clark walked up. He reared a hand back and shattered the pedestal as all around him lasers and guns began to fire. He caught the gun, dodging the fire around him with surprising agility before firing the weapon at the opposing wall. The metal melted away with ease and Clark ran out the other side.

Dib looked up at Conner then back to the video. "That... is some pretty damning evidence, dude." Conner glared at him.

"They arrested Clark this morning but I know he's innocent. He says he has no idea where the weapon is and I believe him. That isn't my brother in the video."

"I mean, that's possible. I've never seen Clark punch through a wall before..." Dib sat back, deep in thought.

"Oh, he can actually do that. But it's not him." At least Conner sounded confident. Dib, on the other hand, was trying to figure out why, (if Clark could punch through a wall) had Clark insisted that Dib help him move the sofa last week. Obviously, he could have done the task himself.

"You're not helping your case." Dib sighed.

"Look, you were Clark's friend before you betrayed his trust and tried to turn him over to the Irkens. You have to know he's not capable of high treason!" Dib had to admit, Conner's words stung a little more than he would have liked. The Clark he had known certainly didn't seem like the type to steal. He had once walked all the way back to the cafeteria because he had absentmindedly taken a cup. He doubted Clark was capable of stealing a weapon.

"No, you're right. But why come to me? Aren't you guys mad at me?"

"Furious. But you're the only one I can turn to. The Captain and the First Officer both think Clark did it. They have him in a cell right now. I figure it was those Irken assholes. They are mad we got our weapon back and now they're out for revenge."

"Wouldn't that put you guys at war?" Dib had heard Skoodge's nervousness about the fragile state of the Irken/Syndicate alliance.

"I... I mean yes..." Conner looked annoyed. "And fucking Clark didn't even tell the Captain about the Irkens because he agreed with the fat one about it looking suspicious. And now if I come to her talking about Irkens without proof, I'm going to look desperate."

"Skoodge." Dib corrected.

"Huh?"

"The fat one, his name is Skoodge."

"Oh yeah like the conqueror of Blort. I remember now." Conner seemed a little calmer. Dib figured it was best to just let him think Skoodge was a common name and that the Irken in question was not the actual Invader.

"I don't think Zim and Skoodge took your weapon." Dib wasn't entirely sure, but he was willing to give Zim the benefit of the doubt. "When I was talking to Q, he mentioned a traitor on your ship from the very beginning. It was why he let you catch him. He knew it was going to crash."

"That's right! You did meet Q!" Conner slapped his fist into his palm emphatically. "Man, you should have seen Clark begging the Captain to let him treat you. I thought for sure we were going to interrogate you for Q's whereabouts once you were back on your feet but that breaks out 'no meddling' rule." Great, now Dib felt even worse.

"Q said that one of the members of your crew was in disguise." Dib tried to get back on topic. "They sabotaged your ship and made it crash."

"Wait... what's all this now? Traitor?" Somehow, in all his commentary, it seemed Conner had missed the part about the spy. He had just heard Q's name and sprouted off on a tangent. For a (supposedly) highly intelligent race, Conner and Clark both seemed to be lacking in the attention span department. Dib would assume it was part of the genetics, but from the sound of it, the Syndicate was a fairly diverse group and he had no idea if Clark and Conner were actually related. Their human disguises could not look any more different if they had actively tried.

"When I confronted Q, he told me about the accident." Dib explained. "He said that when he boarded your ship, he couldn't hear the thoughts of someone. He said he knew the ship was going to crash from the very beginning. Whoever caused the crash obviously doesn't want you guys to find the origin of the weapon; so, it makes the most sense to assume that was the thief."

"I thought our ship crashed due to an engine malfunction. We didn't have a proper engineer on board since the ship was primarily automated. The Captain said it was most likely a freak accident." Conner's version of the story made it clear that Q had kept his intel to himself. Why he had chosen to explain this to Dib, he wasn't sure, but Q seemed to be more than a little bit unhinged. Perhaps it was best not to try to analyze him too deeply. "But if there was some kind of spy on board then your Irken friends might have had something to do with that!"

"Probably not." Dib shut down the theory fast. As great as it would be to have these guys get rid of Skoodge, even Dib had to admit the odds of his involvement in the initial crash were unlikely. "Zim has been on Earth for nine years and Skoodge literally arrived like a week ago. The spy is probably one of your crew."

"It's not Clark!" Conner immediately stuck up for his brother.

"I mean, I don't think it is either. I saw your brother trying to handle that gun earlier and honestly he looked like he was going to shoot the wall."

Conner laughed. "Yeah he sucks with weapons. He's a doctor, not a soldier."

"He said he was a combat medic." Dib recalled.

"Oh, he made that up; that's totally not a thing."

"Skoodge said that too." Dib was mildly amused by this fact. "Look, I don't think Clark is the spy and I don't think it's you either. You are way too insistent on helping your brother. If you were the spy you would probably be okay with him getting arrested instead of you. So that just leaves the other two people on your ship."

"The Captain and the First officer?" Conner looked a little hesitant. "They both have been acting normal as far as I can tell... and neither of them would hurt Clark! He's the youngest member on the crew they all love him!"

"Calm down, it's just a theory." Dib pinched the bridge of his nose trying to think. "Okay, I have an idea but you probably won't like it."

"We burst into Q's lair and drag him back to force him to reveal the traitor!" Conner had the spirit but seemed to be missing the point.

"No. I do not want to deal with Q again unless I have lots of guns." Dib shuddered at the memory of the split, abyss of a mouth trying to devour him as voices screamed, splitting his head in two. "I think we need to talk to Skoodge and Zim."

"The Irkens!? No way! How do we know they didn't disguise themselves as my brother and try to frame him for this crime!?" Conner had a point, it sounded like something Skoodge and Zim would do- but from what Skoodge said earlier it didn't seem like that was the case.

"I don't think so." Dib shook his head. "I mean, it's plausible, but Skoodge has been really insistent about not starting anything with the Syndicate. And honestly the disguise is a little too convincing for it to be Zim." He hated to admit it, but despite his childhood conviction that Zim was some evil mastermind- the Irken was not generally that subtle.

"I can vouch for the whereabouts of the Master and his companion during the night in question." Dib's phone interjected helpfully. Conner immediately whipped out the laser gun from before and pointed it to Dib's coat pocket.

"Robot spy!"

"You've been quiet. I was starting to think Zim actually went through with your grounding." Dib mused pulling the phone out of his pocket and waving Conner to stand down with his other hand. "Relax, this little spy is just Zim's home security system. You met him at the apartment."

"The android that delivered the gun also lives in your phone?" Conner hesitantly lowered the weapon. "Were you going to tell me he was listening in?"

"I wanted a witness in case you were going to shoot me." His reasoning was sound, at least, to Dib it was. "Also, I wasn't one hundred percent sure he was actually listening. He has a short attention span for an AI."

"I do not have a short attention span. Most things are just below my intellect and therefor boring." CB retorted vaguely annoyed.

"It's an AI?" Conner looked impressed. "Well little spy, good to know you're here now."

"I was not spying. The term 'spying' indicates that I view you as a threat. I do not."

"Ouch." Conner blinked. "Rude little thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah, he is."

"It is honesty. You only consider it rudeness because you do not like the truth."

"Are you going to tell us where your Master was, CB? Or are you just going to insult us?" Dib's tolerance for CB's antics was gradually thinning. Though, he had become accustomed to have the AI around as a source of information to the point where he was considering just getting a new (CB free) phone for his personal, secret files and letting CB hang around as a bitter-but-useful digital assistant.

"The Master and Skoodge were in the base all night doing research on the initial crash two years prior. They did not leave. The baseless accusations from the Romulan are a result of its hot-headed nature and do not reflect reality."

"How did you know my species?" Conner narrowed his eyes. Dib quickly made a note to look up more about 'Romulans' the next time he had a break.

"I looked it up in the data the Master and Skoodge gathered on you and your brother during your brief confrontation."

"You actually let this thing hang out with you? It feels kind of invasive." Conner looked over at Dib. "You always gave me that 'paranoid as fuck' vibe."

"Oh I am." Dib assured him. "I didn't invite CB into my phone. He put himself in there and he's useful so I haven't bothered getting him out."

"Put himself in your phone...?" Conner went quiet for a moment. "You said his name is CB right?"

"I am right here you can talk to me directly. I am omnilingual. You could even speak Romulan to me."

"Yeah, it stands for: Computer Base, according to Zim."

"Are you sure about that?"

"That's what he said." Dib blinked. "Why?"

"Never mind, it isn't important right now." Conner waved the question off. "If the Irkens didn't do it then we have no choice but to confront Q." Coner whipped the weapon back out again, pressing a few buttons on the side causing it to flash and whir.

"I feel like we have a lot of options before we get there." For a supposedly peaceful people, Conner sure was trigger happy. "Look, I know you don't trust them, but maybe we can ask Zim and Skoodge about the footage. They are Invaders after all, if there is a spy, they might know more about how they managed to frame your brother."

"Yeah but I don't really wanna talk to those guys. I mean it's hard to play nice with someone after waving guns at them."

"So you would rather deal with Q?" Dib raised an eyebrow. Conner sighed.

"Fair." He slid his gun back in his pocket where it seemed to vanish completely. "Fine, let's go talk to the Irkens. Maybe they can shed a little light on this whole spy situation."


New Chapter! Thank you so much for the wonderful comments and feedback! You are all so amazing it really inspires me to keep working on this story! Please let me know if there are parts you really enjoyed, or characters you would like to see more of/see again. Just let me know what you think!