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In a special area of the building they were in, Dib and Gaz were training Gretchen. Dib and Gretchen were paired off together as Gaz shouted instructions to her on what she was missing. Gretchen started panting hard while beginning to stare blankly at the wall in front of her. Dib studied her before looking towards Gaz as if telling her that she has had enough. Gaz shook her head before telling her to come up to her.

"Do you wonder why I'm not instructing you step by step on how to fight?" Gaz inquired.

Taking deep breaths, she thought about it. "Maybe because I'm not strong enough."

Silently cursing her throbbing foot, Gaz grimaced at her. "Your form is correct, but you are over thinking something. You are doubting yourself. Why? Are you afraid of something?"

"Don't want to die."

"If you keep thinking like that you will, but it is also good to think of yourself as human. Once you get too cocky, you get hurt." Gaz explained.

"Like you?"

Letting out a breathy laugh at that, Gaz didn't know how to respond to that question. "I wasn't being cocky, but yes I wanted to get the hell out of there quickly. I made my mistake. A mistake I won't repeat because this hurts. Also it may cost me something else if I'm not careful." She points over to her brother. "He's the only family I have left."

"I know." Glancing over to Dib, she asked. "So you have faith in me?"

"For once I do, so go back out there and get him. Think of your freedom in the end, Gretchen."

Gaz noticed that she barely smiled it seemed. It was probably because of that overbite. Or she just didn't care to. Gaz did wish she can do a training session instead of being stuck on her ass. Hearing a loud thunk, she laughed hard. "Good one, Gretchen! You put Dib on his ass."

"Damn, Gretch, that was one hard kick." Dib stated as he rubbed his stomach.

"So I did good?" Gretchen asked either one of them.

"Yep." They both replied.

"Oh I wish I had meat to give both of you." She stated happily.

Gaz grimaced again at that thought. Stupid meat tradition. "We can continue this tomorrow at the same time, maybe Brian could be your sparring partner."

"I like having Dib as my partner." Gretchen moon eyed him there.

Dib scratched the back of his head as he went to Gaz's side. "It is better to have different partners. So I'll get him to do that with you."

"Okay then. I'll see you in the other room."

Gaz poked Dib, "She wuvs you so badly."

"Ugh. So how do you like your new shoes?" Dib wondered wanting to change the subject.

"I like them. Thanks for getting them. Any trouble doing it?"

"Zim. He was there. We had a little chat. He has Iggins now after he tried to get shoes for you to wear." Leaning back, he let out the longest groan ever.

Waiting for him to stop groaning, Gaz said, "I guess that means I don't have to worry about him trying to feel me up all the time or trying to get with all the newest survivors that come in here."

"Jeez, Gaz! How could you act so cavalier about this? Don't you care in the slightest that he might die?"

Gaz truthfully couldn't give a shit if he lived or died. He was a gruesome pain in the ass. He was horrible. Always was horrible. "You got on Zim for what happened, didn't you?"

Dib took that avoidance of his question as her answer. She didn't care. "Yes of course I did."

"Wouldn't be you otherwise."

Looking at her facial expression, he nudged her. "What?"

"Just have these thoughts still whirling around my head. I'm already so bored just sitting around. Dib, I want some action."

"You mean you want to kill something." Dib shook his head. That smile that formed on her face showed how much he hit the nail on the head. "Seriously, Gaz. Look, it's time to eat so you want me to carry you?"

"Ugh... No!" Getting on the floor gingerly she made a slight painful expression on her face. "See, I'm fine."

"Uh huh." Dib snagged her up in his arms. "Come on She-Ra, you need to get something in you."

It was midnight, Dib and some others were exploring the city section for any more survivors along with some more supplies. Normally they barely branched off to explore, but tonight they did. Dib had his night vision goggles on as he went through building to building to the point it was nearing 2. Hearing muffled screaming, Dib scanned around before seeing a female running from an Irken. Readying his weapon, Dib made his way towards her.

The girl was huffing and puffing. Her clothes were in tatters. Ripped from claw marks from having to escape them the first time. Ducking into the nearest building, she removed her shoes to hopefully not make a sound as she moved around for a hiding spot. She was obviously trying to calm her breathing down as she took a deep breath in before slowly exhaling it. Her eyes were open wide as she spotted the alien coming into view as she hid in the nearest place. Praying silently, she heard the footsteps nearing. Was her foot sticking out? She wondered if anyone would find her.

Hearing struggling along with a strangled sound that ended with gurgling, she thought she smelled something in the air before the sounds of footsteps were heard again. These more heavier then the previous ones. She dared not look out until a young guy with glasses crouched down to peer at her. She eyed him taking him all in.

Reaching his hand out to her, he greeted her, "Hi. Name is Dib, I'm not here to hurt you."

Cautiously she accepted his hand and came out to notice how truly tall he was. "Hi."

"He's dead. Any more chasing you?" Dib asked as he noted the slight accent on her.

Glancing over, she turned her nose up at her before looking back at him. "Him alone."

The girl had red hair a little past her shoulders. Straight. Body looked fit. She wasn't truly shaking, and her eyes. Her eyes were way too familiar to him as he took a step back. "You aren't from around here are you?"

"Uh no. Boston."

"And your parents?" Dib pressed crossing his arms over his chest.

"California."

"And their parents?"

"Uh, California."

Dib's eyes narrowed. "OH come on, Tak! You don't think I don't know you at all? Your accent? That mole under your eye. The purple eyes and the way you stand." Waving his hand over her entire body. "Look at you, you can't even fake being scared right. What the hell kind of idiot do you take me for?"

Removing her disguise, she was still the same in height as she glared at him. "Shouldn't I be the one that is angry at you after you teamed up with Zim to stop me?"

"You. Tried. To. Destroy. My. Planet. Yes of course I was going to team up with someone to put a stop to that. What the hell do you want me to do? Let you?" Dib wanted to shot her. Did she really think he was this much of a moron not to see through her?

Smirking at him, she replied, "Well I was hoping after we..."

"We what? Had sex? Ugh... Go to hell, Tak, and while your at it, DIE!"

Sighing, she watched him as he stormed away. "They wanted to use me to flush you out because you liked me before. They thought if I did and spied on you that if I succeed I won't be on Planet Dirt any longer."

"Well you made contact with me, Tak. Congratulations! That is all your getting from me. I have my sister and some survivors to think about."

"Zim wants your sister!"

Raising his hand in the air while his back was still turned to her, he sarcastically yelled back, "Well duh!"

"The Control Brains made him a Tallest due to his height. Red and Purple may of not liked it before because he was such a screw up before, but now they find a benefit in him. Red and Purple don't want Earth. Zim did want to prove he could do it, but he wants one thing and one thing only and that is your sister!" Tak shouted at him.

Turning quickly to walk back to her, he grabbed her by the arms. "Why her?"

"I don't know, Dib except as much as you seem to annoy him he does hold a certain amount of respect for you and her. I'm not privy on why he wants her." She answered not caring he had a vice grip on her arms.

Letting her go roughly, Dib stepped away from her. "You just made yourself a traitor to your own race, Tak. What will happen to you when they find out?"

"At this point it doesn't matter anymore to me. I was prepared to go with this whole thing, but not now. Just go home, Dib. Protect her."

"And you?" He approached her again. Frustration was too much a part of his life that he almost screamed out.

Tak spoke so softly, she doubted he heard her. "I'm use to being on my own. I can take care of myself." She turned violently away from him. She hated so much as she gritted her teeth, and squinted her eyes as she balled her fists while marching off. She had to leave before she was caught by her own kind now.

Rounding a corner, she kept her steady pace as thoughts swirled around her before that vice grip returned to her arm before bringing her into a room nearby. Dib put her against the wall so hard that she nearly hit the back of her head from the force. Dib breathed down against her. His eyes were filled with fury. "Why?" He spat out. His teeth was gritting together so tightly he swore they might break from the impact he was putting on them.

"Why what?" Tak was confused by the question.

He pushed away from her forcefully. "Tak. Oh Tak. Humans are such emotional creatures correct? You should know why I'm asking that question." Dib had to look away from her for a moment. "Now I understand why my own sister doesn't want to have anything to do with personal relationships. They are nothing but garbage." Waving his hand in front of him. "Garbage." He added with more venom.

"While they knew that you liked me they didn't know that part."

"Who cares, Tak? Who fucking cares?" He had to go back home. He needed to leave there right now. Where was his sister right now to slap him in the face? He had half a mind to call her at the hide-out to do so.

Bowing her head, Tak hardly felt much regret in her life. She didn't feel it at all, but it did make her leave so she can remove herself so he didn't have to look at her anymore. "I thought I tell you about that part okay. I'm sorry if you thought I used you to that level. I didn't."

"Well thanks for telling me about Zim's plan." Grabbing her arm again, he stopped her. "You have been the only one I have ever been with." Letting her go, he decided to run out of there. He had no time for any personal relationships until after they win.

Gaz was in the common room just watching everyone that was left talking to one another as if they were family. Friends. While she was in there, she was far removed from them at the same time as she observed. In her head she heard screams of torture and pain. She saw the explosion coming from her father's lab all over again. An explosion that finally got to him and several others. The lab was sort of there, but laid in ruins. Dib and her got as much out of there as possible to transfer to a safe location. This was before the invasion. Dib became her guardian since she wasn't legal. Dib was nostalgic as he went through that place. She couldn't take it. It was weird, but at least now they would take that technology from time to time to use again Zim.

Hearing the door open, Gaz instantly spotted Dib's facial expression making her stand up to limp over to him. "Dib?"

"We need to talk." He whispered to her. "Need a lift?"

"Want some punch?" Gaz asked limping past him to wander to her room.

Dib shut the door as soon as he was in, and went to hug her. "He's planning on taking you, Gaz."

As confused as she was about this hug, she opened her eyes up wide. "Did you talk to him again?"

"No. I ran into Tak while she was trying to pose as a scared human."

Gaz laughed at the thought of that. "Sorry, I can't imagine her pulling that off well."

Smiling that at least she shared the same thought as him, he nodded his head. "She is a horrible actress."

Sitting down, she propped her foot up, and leaned back. "Tell me everything."

"Control brains made Zim the Tallest because he's tall. Red and Purple don't want Earth. Zim wanted to prove something by taking over, but the only thing he wants is you." Dib said quickly. He studied her as she kept a very immobile face on her before she broke down laughing so hard she laid on her side hiding her face over with her hand. "Uh..." What the hell is more scarier? An invasion or his sister laughing like crazy? The laughing.

"So with that last bit of funny information, did you get any from her again?" She rushed out between breaths.

"No."

Catching how sad he sounded, Gaz quieted herself up. "Sorry. I wasn't really making fun of you. I knew how you liked her."

Sitting down next to her, he took her hand. "I know you weren't. Thing is I won't do anything like that while this is going on. There is too much on my plate. Worrying about them out there and you."

"You know I hate that."

"Go ahead and hate it, brat, but I will keep doing it while you go out and create bloodshed."

Leaning against him, she asked in mock pleasantry, "Awe is that my present, big brother? I get to create bloodshed?"

"Brat. Just please watch your back with him."

"She's going to be viewed as a traitor if they find out she warned you." She said staring at the wall ahead of her.

"I hope she leaves before they get her then." Dib whispered.