Disclaimer: Truthfully, I never would have thought up Invader Zim. So…no, I do not own.

Summary: Zim has finally thought of the perfect way to stop Dib from interfering. Cliché idea, but mine has a twist. Dib isn't going to stop trying, even as he tries to find a way to reverse what Zim did to him.

'thought'

"speech"

-0-0- is a scene/character jump

Chapter 2

As soon as the bell rang Zim was out of the classroom and running towards his 'home'. Dib, seeing him book it out of the room, was instantly suspicious and took off after him, trench coat flying behind him as he dodged students who were mindlessly heading off into their boring, routine lives.

So close…Dib was catching up, having longer legs than the Irken. So close…Zim glanced over his shoulder, a slight annoyed look coming over his face.

"No! Dib-filth is going to ruin everything. I must've looked suspicious somehow! I do not know how, as I am Zim! Master of deception! But, enough of that, how do I get him distracted? It will be another day at least until I have everything ready!" Zim hissed under his breath, dodging a large, fat kid waddling towards the buses.

Dib was grinning wickedly. Zim could not get away! He was not going to get away!

And then…

…a foot…

WHOMP!!!!

With a loud 'oof!', Dib landed flat on the ground, his momentum carrying him a few feet forwards. Dazed, and angered at the smug look Zim shot him before the alien disappeared around the corner, Dib looked up into the eyes of his sister. Or, rather, he looked up to see her playing her ever constant game.

"Where are you going in such a hurry? Don't you know we have to go meet Dad after school?" Gaz ground out, her voice irritated. But never once did she look up from her game.

"But…Zim…" Dib tried, pointing weakly in the direction Zim had disappeared to while Gaz began to drag him home with the back of his jacket. Dib struggled to his feet, but Gaz did not let up, keeping a firm hold on her errant brother to stop him from disappearing on her.

"No. Forget it, idiot. We are going to meet Dad. He's going to take us out to dinner, and he never does that except on family night! And since we already had it for this year, this makes this special. Now, we are going!" with that, she gave a especially hard yank to get her point across, before releasing her brother and began to play her game once more.

Sighing in disappointment, and casting one last longing look in the direction of Zim's house, Dib hung his head and kicked a empty can into the gutter.

He'll just have to try later tonight, or tomorrow maybe.

Hmm…tomorrow would give him more time to prepare, and give him time to scope out and make sure that whatever Zim was up to did not have a trap for him involved in it. Yes, he had learned his lesson from the last few times he tried to stop Zim's evil plans and ended up being captured. The first time he had been saved by Gaz, the second time had been pure chance he had escaped, although he had been stuck in that time warp until it was canceled.

Yes, tomorrow after school he will find out what that bothersome Invader was up to!

-0-0-

Zim heaved a sigh of relief as he shut his house door behind him. If The Dib had followed him, and started trying to spy on him, then his excellent plan may have been compromised before it had even gotten off the ground! And that would have been unacceptable.

"Master! You're home!" Gir screeched, latching onto his master's leg and nuzzling him.

"Gir, get off me! I have important work to get done, and it has to be done by tomorrow!!" Zim howled, shaking his leg in an attempt to get his 'advance' robot off of him.

"Ooh! Can I help?" Gir cried, releasing his leg and bouncing around.

Zim sighed, rubbing his temples with one hand as he removed his contacts and wig with the other.

"No."

"Aw, please?" The look Gir gave him made him shudder, and he spun around and marched towards the toilet that would take him to his lab.

"Fine. Stake out the base, make sure Dib-filth is not going to try and spy on my secret plans. You got that?" he turned on his heel and pointed at the robot.

Cyan eyes became red as Gir went 'duty mode' and snapped a smart salute.

"Yes'sir!"

Red eyes faded to cyan and Gir was off and running to do Gir-like things.

Zim shook his head and went to the lab.

"Now, let's see…Computer! Give me status report on the experimental DNA concoction that was started last night!" Zim commanded, sitting back and tenting his fingers together, narrowing his eyes as stats and numbers began to roll across the screen.

"Concoction is at 97 efficiency rating." The computer answered.

"Is it compatible with human DNA?" Zim asked. He would really like his brilliant plan to work, not just so that Dib will be distracted and too busy to bother Zim, but also because the pure irony of the plan was so delicious! The pitiful human-filth was about to become the very thing he was seeking to destroy!

But if he died from incompatibility it wouldn't be a shame either.

"Affirmative."

Ah, so it will not kill him at least. Now, for the crucial question:

"Computer, will the concoction convert The Dib's DNA into Irken, completely and totally?" His eyes narrowed further.

"…"

There was silence, other than the constant hum of machinery, as the computer processed his question and ran tests and calculated results.

"…Affirmative."

Zim leapt up from his chair, whooping. It was going to work! It was really going to! He began to laugh, the cackle echoing through the large base.

Oh, Dib was going to get a surprise tomorrow…

-0-0-

Dib wanted nothing more than to bash his head repeatedly into the table. His sister had her game out, as always, and occasionally would stop to take a bite of pizza. His father was talking to one of his underlings, giving instructions for the next day's busy schedule.

This is how family night was. They would get together, go to Bloaty's pizza, and then ignore each other as they did their own thing.

Dib did not like it.

Sure, he liked being around his dad. He wanted his father's respect. Hell, he'd stand for his father's acknowledgement right now! He was tired of being ignored by his father, pushed around by his sister, and taunted at school.

But what could he do about it? All those things happened because he was the way he was, and he was not about to change who he is just to have people treat him differently. He refused to lower himself that much. He had pride, for crying out loud!

WHAM!

Whoops, it seems he had done what he had been wanting to do, and now he had a sore forehead to deal with.

His father glanced up, then went back to his conversation. Gaz ignored him completely.

With a heavy sigh, Dib rested his arms on the grimy table and put his head down on them. Was the night over yet?

-0-0-

School! Dib shot out of bed. He was late, he was late! Grabbing his glasses, he snagged his bag and ran, not bothering to get anything for breakfast. He was going to be late!

Gaz hadn't even bothered to make sure he was awake, she had just left without him. With a low growl of annoyance, Dib ran his fastest towards the school.

Sliding into the classroom just as the bell rang, Mrs. Bitters glared at him as he took his seat, panting for breath.

Zim gave a low snicker, a grin stretching unbidden across his face, revealing his semi-sharp teeth. Today was the day…

Dib, once again, began to zone out as Mrs. Bitters gave one of her lectures. He idly doodled a ghost in the margin of his paper, but stopped when he felt eyes on him. Again. Glancing about, he spotted the culprit.

Just as he had thought: Zim.

Zim gave a broad grin, and it was as clear as the sun outside the classroom that the Invader was up to something. Dib growled, crumpling his notes without meaning to as he considered the possibilities of what it could mean that Zim was so smug right now.

Did he have a plan that he had already put into motion while Dib was stuck with Gaz and his father? Something that he couldn't fix since he had been too late to find out?

No…the look said something else. There was something sly there, in those fake eyes of his. Something that said 'I know something you don't know, but you are going to find out very, very soon, and you are not going to like it…'

…Yes. That is what it was saying.

Lunch went by, with both Zim and Dib maintaining eye contact, a smug look on Zim and Dib glaring as hard as he could to intimidate the Invader. Gaz, ignoring the tension from her brother, played her game, stopping occasionally to eat a spoonful of slop.

It seems that all she ever did was play her games, eat, or watch tv. Did she even sleep? 'No! Not supposed to be musing on that!' Dib thought, mentally focusing on Zim again.

After lunch, class went by with the two still shooting each other looks. Ooh, Dib was filled with anxiety. Something was up, and he was going to find out whatever hair-brained scheme Zim had come up with this time and stop it!

Zim, however, was enjoying just how much of a rise he was getting out of the human-filth just by staring and grinning at him. Dib-beast was going to get what was coming to him, alright.

The bell rang and once again, Zim blasted out the door and towards his house, just like he had the day before.

And, just like the day before, Dib was hot on his tail, and this time Gaz was not going to get in his way and stop him!

Dib did not realize how much he was going to wish that she did stop him…

-0-0-

End Chapter

Well, thanks to those who reviewed/favorited/watched this story. :D you make me feel loved.

Alright, so maybe the idea is not cliché, per se. Not many people have actually written about it, maybe about three or four. But the idea is not new, lots of people have done fan art on it, or have presented ideas about it. And the majority of those ended up with Dib joining Zim in his quest.  now I, for one, would never see Dib doing that randomly, out of the blue. So, I always thought of a story where he didn't. and here it is.

Hmm, and, according to some readers, I need to put in more details and descriptions. I hope I have successfully fulfilled your wishes, as I have tried to put in more. This is my first Invader Zim story, so I might make a few mistakes. Okay, enough ramble. Thanks to all who have reviewed and such, and I hopefully will have the next chapter up soon!