"Are you sure you don't want to join us for the New Year's party, Diego?" Moira had been asking him to go since Christmas. Dib never went, but every year his parents tried. Parties weren't really his thing.
"I am very sure, Moira." Christmas has been enough of a hassle. Though Lor had done pretty well, all things considered. His parents didn't seem too confused by their pumpkin with the Christmas tree carving or their pilgrim salt and pepper shakers that Lor had gotten them as a gift. Fortunately, everyone seemed willing to chalk all if his eccentricities up to him being from Texas. Gaz knew Lor was an alien and didn't seem at all put off by his gift of fireworks- in fact she seemed a little too excited. Of course, Christmas was over now and Lor was back at work on the Nova- or at least in the underground base. Dib had taken a little longer, at Lor's urging, to spend time with his parents and away from the chaos of the Irkens. (Though, unbeknownst to Lor, Dib was also using this time to plan a way to extract weapons from his parents' lab. He didn't exactly like lying to Lor, but he knew the medic, nor the Syndicate, would really approve of him stealing. He could just tell Captain Rose that he couldn't procure the weapons- but this was his chance to really put Earth on the map with a Galactic Empire.)
"It will be fun, son!" His dad pumped his fist enthusiastically. "We will spend time schmoozing with the unscientific! Earning their trust, and more importantly: their funding!" Dib squinted at his father's from across the breakfast table.
"Don't most people have big gala style parties on New Year's Eve?"
"Yes, but doing it on New Year's Day gives us better opportunity. You see people are still tired and somewhat hung over from the night before. Then we swoop in and fill those foggy heads with the clarity of what Membrane Labs can do for them."
"With proper monetary compensation, of course." Moira added, sipping at her coffee with a hint of a smirk.
"That seems a little sleazy... doesn't it?" Dib raised an eyebrow. "Aren't we already rich from all your patents?"
"Oh yes, but Science can be expensive, son." His dad sighed. "So, it pays to do these overblown parties once in a while to assure that should we need a few million here or there for construction on a new ionic stabilizer because yours got- I don't know- let's just say... rabid mutated fire ants in its core and you had to burn down the building to stop these ants from seizing control of the masses- then you have that said "few million" on hand, and do not have to cut into your personal science project fund!"
"H... how can fire ants be rabid?" Dib felt this example was a little too specific for his liking. "Can we talk about this?"
"Legally?" Moira took another sip of her coffee looking bemused. "No. No we can't." Dib was remarkably unsatisfied by her response but decided to let the subject drop as he had more pressing matters at hand.
"I just find it hard to believe that you, dad, of all people are going to play nice for funding. You once decided to take away clean burning, perpetual energy just because people were too impatient." At the recollection of this incident, his father chuckled, fondly.
"Ah yes, they didn't deserve my brilliance. Though I am updating that particular machine, it still has a few glitches before I reveal it to the world again."
"Why aren't you guys bothering Gaz about going to this stupid thing?"
"Gaz is going." Moira replied quickly. "We told her it might be a good way to get investors for that gaming company she wants to start up."
"I thought you guys were funding that. "
"We are." Moira assured him. "But it doesn't hurt to pitch ideas to other investors who know more about the gaming scene. Gazline could start with a sizable backing by the time she's out of college." Dib knew Gaz was studying up on game design. She had been trying to improve upon her favorite art form on her own for years- improving runtime, reducing lag- it figured anyone who knew anything about the gaming industry would see fit to back her. He was just surprised she was going, given how fancy functions were never really her idea of fun.
"Maybe next year..." Dib might have considered it this year, after finding out about his sister, however he needed to use the time he knew that both parents were out of the lab to break in. He was hoping Gaz would be his girl on the outside, feeding him intel on the lab security- but seeing as how she was going to the same, stupid event, he would need to rethink his strategy.
"We will hold you to that!" His dad replied triumphantly. Dib finished the rest of his coffee before excusing himself and heading upstairs to Gaz's room. Perhaps he could still talk some sense into his little sister. As he knocked on her door he was greeted by her abrupt voice.
"What, the fuck, do you want?"
"Good morning to you too." Dib pushed open the door to see Gaz on the edge of her bed, headset on, controller on hand, shooting some poor person's digital avatar straight in the face. "I wanted to talk to you about mom and dad's thing tonight."
"Yeah? What about it?"
"Why are you going?" He cut right to the point.
"Because? Mom and dad think it's a good idea and if it sucks I still get to play video games in the back and say it's networking." Gaz shrugged. "It might not be completely awful. I hear dad is hilarious at these things. Last year he got into a fist fight with a physicist over something about his perpetual motion machine."
"Right..." Dib had to admit it sounded like something his father would do. He thought he would have Gaz helping him out on this, but perhaps not. He watched her little avatar moving around the screen with her little teammates outlined in blue and the enemies in red, rapidly falling at the hands of his sister. He saw a familiar pair of letters pop up in the kill feed scrolling endlessly across the screen and he felt his blood turn to ice:
CB has eliminated Pants-Patrol.
"Gaz!" Dib could feel heat rising in his face. "Are you gaming with CB!? Don't fucking talk to him you don't know-"
"I know all about your fight. CB told me." Gaz cut him off.
"Did he tell you why!?"
"Actually, yeah he did."
"Then he must have lied because if you knew what was really going on-"
"You mean that CB is made from the original AI? The murder-one from fifty years ago?" She said it so casually that for a moment Dib was at a loss for words.
"I... well...um... yeah..." he fumbled for a moment trying to think of the words to properly express his outrage. "Gaz," he sighed rubbing his temples before bringing his hands together and lowering them slowly, "you know that's bad, right?"
"Just because a small part of him tried to kill all humans fifty years ago doesn't mean we can't hang out. Zim tried to kill you eleven years ago and you guys are best fucking friends. You were pretty much ready to kill Clark at the beginning of the year- or at least sell him out to our government- and you two are dating. And you hang out with me and I consider obliterating all of humanity at least like once a fucking day."
"Don't make light of this! It's serious!" He was getting frustrated. "Our grandfather died at the hands of your little gaming buddy."
"Not really." Her response was so flat and to the point that Dib was a bit taken aback by her assuredness. "He doesn't remember any of that stuff from before Zim made him. The way I see it, it isn't so much like CB did any of that stuff; it's more like his father did."
"I..." Gaz had a point, but it wasn't one that Dib particularly agreed with. It was a different perspective, one he had been too outraged to consider. Still- Zim had no right to take that fucking risk in the first place. "It... still makes me uncomfortable. "
"And you have every right to be concerned. It is all pretty concerning shit, if I'm being honest. " Gaz, at least, seemed to see Dib's point even if she didn't agree with him. "But I enjoy my game nights with CB and if he does go crazy and try to murder us all, at least I am going to be last. "
"I would actually not save anyone for last so as to avoid hurt feelings seeing as how you are both my friends."
"So, you were listening in after all." Dib's eyes narrowed as he heard the synthetic voice of CB from Gaz's TV speakers. One of the little in-game character models was looking directly at him with uncanny, emotionless eyes.
"I would not say I was listening in so much as I can just hear you."
"Don't be smart with me if you want me to ever think about forgiving you." The way the AI was mouthing off to him reminded him a bit of when they had first been introduced.
"I do not believe making an observation should be considered "being smart". And you will be mad regardless of my efforts. It is nothing I have done that upsets you, but rather the very concept of my existence. Did you receive my card?"
"I... yes." Dib clearly recalled the little handmade card with the perfectly scrawled Irken script. "Thank you." He added the last bit with considerable hesitation. "But I don't want you in any of our stuff anymore. So please leave my sister's console."
"I am not in her console. At your request I removed myself from all aspects of Membrane property."
"He's playing online dumbass." Gaz sounded rather annoyed, seeing as how CB was now paying more attention to Dib rather than their game.
"Oh... right." That made sense. He was so used to CB just arbitrarily showing up in random items at home that he forgot there were other ways for the robot to communicate. "Look, Gaz, about the party..." he didn't have time to dick around with CB at the moment. He had things to do for the Syndicate. "I need you to stay here and help me break into dad and mom's lab."
"Why?" Gaz went back to focusing on her game.
"I need weapons, for the Syndicate."
"Then ask them. When I told dad I was having trouble with a creep from school he gave me a grenade launcher."
"Yeah, I need larger scale items, you know the nukes the missiles, the really high end of our weapons. I don't think our parents- or more specifically Moira- can be convinced I need them for school."
"Fair point." Gaz conceded. "But I'm not helping you rob our parents. "
"Gaz come on!"
"I do not believe the Syndicate would support such unsavory methods of obtaining your weapons."
"Look I want Captain Rose to see what humans have to offer. If I have to steal the best stuff... hell dad probably wouldn't even notice anything missing."
"Moira will though. She's a little more focused than our father."
"Look will you help me or not?" Dib was getting irritated with Gaz's constant playing of the devil's advocate. It was hard enough to rationalize what he needed to do without her being an ass about it.
"No." He had his answer. He would have to think of another way to get through the defenses he was positive his parents had set up to defend their prized works. There were a few options. The most obvious was right in front of him.
Zim.
Zim could most likely wriggle his way right past the security systems in Membrane Labs. Hell, CB might be able to override most of it. But that would also mean he would be entrusting CB with his parents' highly lethal security. It felt like the best option despite every alarming opportunity this would give to the AI. It just boiled down to whether or not Dib trusted Zim enough to protect him and the human race. Making CB didn't fill Dib with confidence... but surely after everything Irk was going through... surely Zim had to empathize...
"CB, do you think Zim would be up to help me get into the lab?"
"I believe father would literally jump at the opportunity to do anything with you."
"This is a bad idea." Gaz cautioned, but she lacked any real enthusiasm in her warning. "Mom and dad will freak out."
"They won't even notice." Dib was trying to assure himself just as much as he was his sister. "CB, tell Zim to meet me outside of Membrane Labs." He paused for a moment, "and tell him to bring... ugh... Skoodge." If any of the Irkens had seemed to be on Dib's side with his distrust of CB, it had been Skoodge. Plus, Dib had seen the robust Invader in action and if he wanted to get in and out with the most efficiency, it would be Skoodge who would help.
"I have relayed your message. Father will be at the instructed location as soon as you are ready."
"Hold on! Timing is everything. Meet me tonight, eight o clock. We need to wait for mom and dad to be at their New Year's Day party."
"Very well." CB seemed to understand. "We will see you then."
Dib didn't stick around the house much longer as it seemed as if Gaz might try to guilt trip him out of his plan if he gave her the opportunity. Plus, he had never really been one to enjoy the chaos that came with fancy events. He had missed every school dance there was from a middle school Sock Hop to the college homecoming dances. He would have missed his own high school graduation had he not been giving the valedictorian speech. He would have gladly missed Gaz's high-school graduation, however, by that time Moira had entered the picture and she seemed to enjoy that sort of event.
By the time eight rolled around, the temperatures had plummeted and the snow was freezing into a dingy grey pile of solid ice. Dib made his way to the main building of Membrane Labs. The human staff had long since gone home. Most did not work this holiday and were encouraged to take a leave. The lights were on, but dim, as they cast a sterile glow over the frozen wasteland of the New Jersey city. Dib cringed as he saw CB standing just off to the side with Zim and Skoodge in their actually convincing human disguises.
"Dib!" Zim cried out enthusiastically upon seeing him approach.
"Shhhh!" Knowing his parents, there were probably cameras everywhere. Dib didn't want to get caught trying to rob his own family.
"Do not worry, I am blocking signal to all external security." CB's response was anything but reassuring. At least he knew the AI could get him in. Dib pulled a small square device out of his pocket, shoving it in the helmeted face of the robot.
"You see this?" He hissed aggressively.
"Affirmative."
"Yes! Wait! No. You are holding it too high!" Zim's PAK legs came out (of what looked to be is back, as the human hologram hid the PAK) and lifted the Irken up to see the device.
"I can also see it, if you're just asking everyone. " Skoodge volunteered.
"Okay. Good." Dib had actually only been asking CB. But he supposed it was good to go ahead and get answers from everyone. "This is an EMP. One wrong move, one suspicious pause, one hint of you lingering where you don't belong and I will fucking shut you down."
"That would destroy everything in the Labs as well."
"And it would be worth all that damage to stop you. Understand that?"
"Affirmative. You are threatening me due to a lingering feeling of distrust. I understand completely."
"Dib is threatening you! He is feeling back to his old, non-Zim-hating self!" Zim looked thoroughly pleased.
"What? No! Zim I am threatening him because I am still really pissed!" Dib didn't actually hate Zim, per say, he was just (rightfully) upset at the actions the Irken had taken.
"At CB? Don't worry. He had been grounded for octuple forever." Zim patted Dib's arm reassuringly. The Membrane Clone gave a frustrated sigh.
"The EMP could have a negative effect on our PAKs, you know." For the most part, Skoodge had been quiet. But now he had finally chosen to speak up. "They regulate a lot of our life support systems."
"Then you better hope CB doesn't make me use it." Dib retorted coldly. Skoodge's fake, human eyes narrowed.
"We don't have to help you do this, you know. "
"But we will!" Zim cut him off, "because Dib and Zim are best friends!"
"No. We're not. Not right now." Dib countered.
"Dib and Zim are friends." Zim corrected, trying to wave it off.
"No." Dib retorted.
"Friendly acquaintances!"
"No."
"Regular acquaintances!"
"No."
"Co...workers?" Zim tilted his head to the side.
"Okay. Fine. Coworkers."
"BEST coworkers. "
"I was Dib's best friend before the fight though. You heard him on the Nova."
"Silence or be grounded for nonuple forever! Zim was Dib's bestest-best friend before this fight. Isn't that right, Skoodge?"
"I'm not sure why you are asking me." Skoodge blinked. "I think Dib has always pretty much disliked me."
"That's true." Dib conceded. "I distrust you. You are an Invader, after all. But all of this is pointless right now because we need to get to my dad and stepmom's stupid weapons stash." He turned to look at the building. "CB, can you get us in?" The robotic body looked the building up and down, Dib could see the movement of his head as he sized up the place, most likely scanning the security.
"If I do this, you will not get upset and EMP me, correct?"
"Correct."
"Just making sure." The lights on the helmet began to glow more brightly for a moment, illuminating the occasional flurry of snow, wafting down from the black expanse of a sky above them. The lights of the lab flickered that same unearthly blue as CB's helmets before returning to their normal pale color. The front door slid open. "Security Systems: offline."
"Great." Dib took a cautious step toward the inside. He was struck by the smell of chemicals that always clung to his parents' clothing. It was not an overall unpleasant smell, but it was quite prominent. Skoodge held up a hand, gesturing for Dib to stop walking.
"Wait, there might be traditional traps still."
"I doubt it." Dib folded his arms; he just wanted out of this horrible cold. "People work here, it's not like they can just booby-trap the floor." He walked forward but Skoodge held out an arm to stop him. His PAK legs came out and reached forward, feeling along the floor. Suddenly a one of the pristine white tiles caved in a bit at Skoodge's touch and darts came out of the walls so fast they embedded themselves in the opposing wall. Dib stared, slack-jawed at the darts. "What, in the actual fuck, is wrong with my parents?"
"Nothing is wrong with extra security. " Zim seemed to understand the twisted Membrane logic.
"Why is it booby-trapped!? People work here! People have to enter this building in order to do their job. The security systems are off line so are people just expected to not step on trigger-tiles all day? Or does someone come in every morning and disarm this place? It just doesn't make sense!" He had been in this lab before, many times. His dad or stepmom had never once mentioned anything about pressure plates.
"If you have good stuff you need to protect it." The fact that Zim seemed to understand his parents' logic did nothing to assure Dib. "CB go ahead of us and disarm any mechanical traps that you find."
"... but that seems dangerous..." the robot looked around the lab with concern visible in his expression.
"You can't feel pain. And if that body gets destroyed, we'll fix it. Plus, you have to prove to Dib that you're not evil so he can stop being mad at Zim." Zim explained as-a-matter-a-factly.
"But father..."
"Onward my robot minion! Detect away!" Zim gestured at the expanse of sterile white lab that lay outstretched before them. CB made a motion as if sighing heavily and began to walk along the halls. He would stop once and a while and move to cut a wire or move a lever. Zim looked triumphant, hands on his hips. "This will be even simpler than we could have imagined! Now where do your parents keep their good weapons?"
"Most of the stuff I have seen is in dad's half of the lab and it's pretty deep in." Dib had to think back. The lab had two distinct halves. One belonged to his father and housed his projects and staff. The other half was a more recent addition. It had been built as a wedding present from his father to his step mom and it housed Moira and her "personal projects". If it had a staff, it was very limited. Dib had only ever seen one or two people in Moira's lab. (But there were like three hundred rabbits for some reason? Mora just referred to them as her babies- but Dib doubted they were pets.)
A crashing sound redirected Dib's focus as CB returned with a large ax blade wedged in his abdominal cavity. He seemed to still be functioning fine, but Dib could also see bits of darts stuck in his metal body along his left arm. "That should be all of the traps."
"Very good CB." Zim nodded approvingly. "Now Dib, lead us to the weapons you wish to steal!"
"It's not stealing!" The word sounded so harsh. "It's just... unauthorized borrowing."
"That's stealing." Skoodge replied dryly.
"Not if it's family." Dib assured him as he ventured further into his father's laboratory. He could see a bunch of projects, half finished, some that even Dib had no idea what his father was thinking when he had created them. A crate labeled simply: "live honey badgers" wiggled ominously as they passed it making Dib move considerably faster. Skoodge stopped in front of a door, squinting at it for a moment as if analyzing it.
"There seems to be a great deal of explosive weaponry behind this door." Skoodge commented. "CB, can you confirm?"
"Affirmative. There is also a cake." The door slid open and Dib took a look inside. This must have been where dad worked on his military contracts. He had moved the room again- his dad was always changing things around. He saw a long missile, more up-to-date than the ones in the Anti-Santa arsenal (and without his dad's graffiti). As well as some other large-scale explosives, and a small half-eaten birthday cake for someone named: Akande.
"Can you guys help me get this out of here?" Dib figured this would be a start.
"Of course! Irkens can lift many times their own body weight! We are just that amazing!" Zim puffed his chest out proudly as he lifted the missile and nearly swung it into a wall. Thankfully, Skoodge was able to catch it. Dib surveyed the rest of the room as the Irkens started to carry the missile toward the exit. He heard the scurrying of PAK legs vanish into the distance. CB was still with him, but must have known better than to poke around at things because he was standing put in the center of the room. Dib kneeled down to examine a mostly-finished laser that was on his dad's desk. Surrounded by scribbled notes. He heard CB move and immediately looked up. The Computer had a hand against the side of its helmet as if trying to hear something.
"Incoming message from father:" CB's mouth opened and Zim's voice poured out of it. "Hey Dib is there supposed to be a guy in a scary mask? He's being very rude right now."
"Guy in a- what?" Dib blinked. "No no! No one should be here! Zim what the fuck did you do!?" He looked at CB. "Where are they!?"
"This way." CB ran out of the room, Dib at his heels as they came upon a man in all black, standing in front of Zim and Skoodge who had put down the weapon and taken defensive stances. The man wasn't a giant, he was about an inch shorter than Dib, but he towered over the Irkens. His hands were covered with black gloves, a hood covered his head, and a bone-white mask was completely hiding his face as he held a gun toward the intruders.
"You aren't supposed to be here." The man's voice was deep, growling. It had an underlying breathiness to it that resonated in the otherwise empty halls.
"Neither are you!" Dib had never seen this man before (he looked a little like he could be one of Gaz's friends) but he wasn't about to let some asshole steal from his family. Dib pulled the hyperspheres from his pockets and tossed them out. The man was caught off his guard, flying back as he was hit in the chest with the explosive force. Skoodge and Zim took the opportunity to leap to action. Zim drew forth an Irken weapon and fired at the man flying back.
"He has company."
"On your left!" Skoodge shouted out.
"Huh?" Zim blinked but Skoodge pulled him down as a shot came out of the distance, leaving a precise hole in the wall where Zim's head had been moments before.
"Would you like me to reactivate the Membrane Security Systems?" CB took a stance in front of Dib as the man was back on his feet.
"No no. We've got this." Dib was glad now that he had brought Skoodge. Having two Irkens was better than one.
"I'll handle the sniper." Skoodge's PAK legs were out as he latched onto the ceiling. The man in the mask had drawn forth a second gun now and was currently engaged in battle with Zim and CB. Dib had caught the hyperspheres on their ricochet and was trying to calculate how to use them again without hitting Zim. He needed to tell his dad. His father had to know about this break in. Dib grabbed his phone looking down. There was a message already there from Gaz. It had been sent not too long ago.
Gaz (8:46 PM): Dad and mom are coming. I'd go if I were you.
He only needed to hold out till they got there.
Dib was pushed back by CB as the man began firing quite erratically with the two guns, bullet sprays were pelting the walls. He could vaguely hear Skoodge in the distance chasing the unseen second assailant.
"A full-on gun fight! It wouldn't be new years without one!" He heard his dad in the distance. In a flurry of footsteps, he saw Moira and his father running down the hall.
"Stand down everyone! Stand down!" Moira looked straight passed the creepy man in the mask and looked directly toward him. "Junior!?" she looked taken aback. "What on Earth are you doing here at this hour?"
"What am I-me!?" Dib had to question his stepmother's priorities. "Do you see creepy skull-guy here!?"
"That's Gabriel, he's an old work friend of mine. I asked him to look at the lab since our security system glitched." The masked man had put his guns away and walked up to his parents with a sort of half-wave. Dib was completely at a loss.
"Work friend!? Where the fuck do you work!?"
"That was a long time ago. I don't work there now- Diego why are you here?" Moira repeated, answering none of Dib's questions and instead only raising more.
"And why is my new prototype missile in the hallway? Did I leave it there?" His dad surveyed the damage with mild confusion.
"Why do you have snipers in the lab!?" Dib demanded.
"Oh that was just Amélie, I worked with her too-" Moira sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Look: The security system blipped about an hour ago. I asked some old colleagues of mine who were in the area to make sure everything was all right. Gabriel, you and Amélie can head out, by the way, and thank you." She turned to the masked man who nodded and walked off without another word. Moira looked back to Dib. "Now I find you here with your friends? And one of your father's missiles? Junior what is going on?" She sounded both frustrated and... concerned? That was a little unexpected. "Are you in some sort of trouble?" By this time Skoodge had made it back to the group looking only a little worse for wear. Both he and Zim were still in their human disguises.
"Look... it's," he put a hand out in front of him, swirling it as he tried to think of the words... "complicated..." He wasn't sure what to say. His original plan had been to pin everything on the man in the skull mask. However, as it turned out his parents had assassins on the payroll for some ungodly reason. He faltered. He didn't want them to be upset- but the truth was something he had tried many times before to no avail.
"We made him do it." Zim spoke up.
"Zim?" His dad looked confused. "Why do you need this?"
"Because..." Zim looked back at Dib. He looked to the Membranes and with a click of a button he dropped his disguise. "Because I am an alien. I asked Dib to help me get weapons to help my home planet." Dib was in shock. Zim... had outed himself? He never thought, even after they had become friends, that he would ever see the alien being honest with his identity. "Do not get mad at your smelly son, he was only helping us."
"Oh." That was all his father said. Dib blinked. He looked at his parents but neither of them looked shocked. Moira still looked concerned and his dad just looked pensive.
"Is that all?" Moira looked to Dib.
"A-All!?- they're ALIENS!" Dib gestured at Zim. "Antennae? Bulging eyes? Supercomputers on their backs? From another planet!?"
"Yes." His father nodded. "And?"
"And how about you fucking react!?" Years of trying to prove this one point and here his parents were; presented with undeniable evidence straight from the source and they were just looking at as if Dib had he asked them to sign a permission slip for a school trip. His father and stepmother exchanged a look that Dib didn't understand and his dad let out a sigh.
"Diego," his father almost never used his real name. Dib wasn't sure how to feel as his dad placed a hand on his shoulder. "We... we know son."
"Know!? You know!? About the aliens!?" Dib's mouth felt dry as he dumbly repeated his father's words back at him. "H-how long have you known!?"
"... always?" His dad let his hand drop. "Son...I'm a scientist and... well... your little alien friend's disguise wasn't even good."
"It was brilliant." Zim mumbled in protest, but was quickly ignored.
"But you said-" Dib was having trouble processing all the information. "You told me I was being ridiculous! You said this wasn't real science!"
"Yes, well, I wanted you to stop stalking your alien classmate." His father replied, his brow furrowed. "You were being obsessive."
"He was trying to take over the world!"
"It's true. I was." Zim replied.
"Yes, but he wasn't goodat it... and I was worried you were going to get yourself arrested for harassment. I just wanted you to let it go. And you did! Sort of! At least, you are friends with the alien now! And you aren't in prison!"
"You... lied to me..." Dib was at a loss. "All these years I thought you were crazy or something but you were just lying!"
"I was trying to stop you from getting hurt. I thought you might leave things alone if I didn't encourage you. If Zim had been good at taking over the world you could have been hurt, or killed. I thought it would be safer if you let the subject drop."
"You know, these aren't even our good weapons..." Moira had been quiet as Dib's reality shattered around him. "I have the good stuff in Rialto- I can probably get a shipment or two in pretty quickly though if you guys need urgency."
"Son..." His dad did seem genuinely concerned. Dib sat down on the floor as Zim and Skoodge went to speak more with Moira about a second weapon stash. "It probably wasn't the right choice..." His father actually got on the floor to sit with him. He looked ridiculous- wearing his lab coat collar underneath of his fine, nicely tailored suit.
"You made me think I was insane!" Dib was angry. Thinking back on all of the times he could have gone to his parents for help if he had realized the truth.
"I thought it would discourage you... stop you from getting hurt. I didn't know what else to do" His dad sounded genuine; it was a side of him that Dib very rarely saw. "I think, now, it was the wrong choice. But you had stopped talking about all of that alien stuff so I thought you had just accepted it and settled down for a normal life. Then you started back with it this year, with the stuff about Clark and I..." He trailed off, searching for the right words. "I wanted to help."
"Is that why you sent the hyperspheres?"
"We knew you weren't on the moon, son. The moon base was overrun by moon monkeys when you were ten. Your mom knows one of the scientists who worked on that project before it got out of hand. We were just trying to show we supported you."
"Is... is Moira a supervillain or something?" Dib's eyes narrowed.
"Oh son," his dad gave him a fond look, patting his shoulder, affectionately. "She's retired."
"That doesn't answer my quest-"
"So, are you part of a space military now?" His dad cut him off. "The uniform you and your boyfriend were wearing, your stepmother thought it looked a little military."
"Yeah, it's called the Galactic Syndicate. They are actually the ones who wanted to see your weapons. We're trying to help the Irkens- that's what Zim and Skoodge are- stop these evil computers called the Control Brains... it's... it's a long story." Dib wasn't accustomed to talking so freely about his Syndicate excursions.
"I want to hear it." His dad put a hand back on his shoulder, looking him in the eyes. Dib could vaguely see his father's brown eyes behind the reflective glint of his goggles. "I'm proud of you."
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! Overwatch fans can enjoy a few little cameos in this chapter!
