Dib sighed as he locked the garage door behind him and shrugged out of his coat, draping it on the counter.
"Zim?"
He leaned to rub Ellie's back as she threw herself against his legs, then stepped over her.
"Zim?" he opened the door to his bedroom and peered inside. "Are you okay? It's Dib."
He looked into his office and noticed the email open on screen. Brow furrowed, he sat down to read it over and look at the photos.
"I remember that," Zim said quietly from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at the alien sitting in one of the reading chairs by the window.
"Did you attack that man?" he asked, typing a quick thank you and then turning his chair to face Zim.
"Yes." The alien was looking outside at the streetlights, their soft glow reflecting in his red eyes.
"Do you remember why?"
"No."
Dib nodded and looked down at the bulge of the ringbox in his pocket.
"Did he hurt you?"
"Yes. Every day."
"What was different about that day?"
"I don't remember."
Dib decided not to press it and smiled, standing.
"Are you hungry? I meant to grab something on the way home but I forgot."
Zim shook his head and reached up to draw the shades closed, darkening the room further. Dib clicked on the table lamp.
"Okay. I'm going to cook something for me then."
He made his way to the kitchen and looked in the freezer, feeling uninspired. He decided on some frozen chicken and set it in the sink to thaw. Ellie jumped onto the counter, meowing demandingly. Dib took down a kitty food can, opening it into her dish and mixing a little dry food in with it. She purred and munched happily.
His thoughts revolved around the day's encounter as he went to the bathroom and ran a shower. Why would she give him the alien's 'personality'? Was she hoping he'd return the alien of his own will after seeing how apparently dangerous he was?
He stripped out of his work clothes and stepped into the warm water stream, sighing. He had lied to his supervisor about the butcher shop, that was serious. He doubted she'd stick around there long after his visit today, but still he was getting into dangerous territory with sluffing off his job duties. He had to figure this creature out though. Something about it compelled him for answers. He would ask Zim about the chip that night, maybe after dinner.
Zim glanced up as the human stepped from the bathroom, rubbing his hair with a hand towel. The alien was crouched on the floor by a bookshelf in the living room, an encyclopedia spread open before him.
"Doing some light reading?" Dib stepped over and leaning to look over his shoulder. Zim turned a page, engrossed. A drop of water fell from Dib's hair and landed on his hand. He flinched, jerking his hand back and rubbing it vigorously on his shirt. He moved away from the man quickly.
"What's wrong?" Dib asked, frowning.
"You're wet."
"Yeah, I just took a shower. Did you get a papercut?" he inquired as the Irken licked the back of his land. Zim shook his head, looking down.
"Then what?"
"I can't be wet. It burns me."
Dib tilted his head, draping the towel over his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." How odd. He sat down beside the book and took the ring box from his pajama pocket.
"I wanted to ask you about something." The setting drew up a memory of the night he'd proposed to his ex-wife. He brushed it away.
"Someone gave me this. They said it belongs to you." He reached out and set the box on the carpet. Zim leaned and took it, turning it over in his hands before opening it. The chip fell out onto his lap and he picked it up.
"Do you know what that is?"
"Yes," Zim replied, holding the chip up to look at it closely. "It's an Irken PAK microchip."
"Irken? Is that what you are?"
He nodded.
"Do you know what's on it?"
"No."
"Can you find out?"
Zim nodded again and offered him the chip.
"I need help," he said as he shifted so that his back faced Dib. He pulled his too-large shirt off to expose his PAK. A small portal on top of the PAK slid open, revealing the mechanisms inside. Dib leaned to look curiously, carefully not to drip anywhere. Grey wires twisted throughout the interior, cocooning tiny machines and mechanisms that ran soundlessly. The other orbs on the PAK pulsed with swirling pastel pink. It was really quite beautiful, and certainly fascinating.
"To the right," Zim said. "There are slots on the inner wall."
Dib looked at the chip between his fingers, hesitating a long moment before sliding it into the only empty slot. He sat back and the port slid shut again. Zim didn't move, eyes glazed over. Dib was about to ask if he was alright when the alien rose slowly.
Dib got to his feet and Zim looked over his shoulder at him. A metallic leg unfolded from his PAK, snapping across his chest and sweeping him into the wall. Dib fell to the floor as he hit, head bouncing off the wall sharply. He gasped as hot white flashed through his vision, pain bursting through his skull like a time-lapsed flower bloom. Zim looked down at the sweatshirt and picked it up, sliding it on as the extension disappeared back into his PAK. Dib put a hand to the back of his head and sat up.
Zim stepped over to his coat, searching the pockets and taking out Dib's handgun. He slid it from its case and looked it over before flicking the safety off and moving to the door.
"Wait," Dib shifted and got up, wincing. "Where are you going?"
Zim glanced at him briefly before opening the front door and walking out. Dib hurried after him but he was gone in an instant, vanished into the darkness. He stared out into the starless night a long moment before shutting the door and leaning against it, putting a hand over his face.