"Hey kitty girl," Dib said as he stepped into the house and she threw herself against his legs. He smiled and scooped her up to put her on the counter. Ellie meowed, weaving around the toaster and headbutting his hip as he took down a can of food for her. Dib emptied the food into her dish and was immediately forgotten in the ecstasy of eating. He rubbed her back and then opened the fridge for himself. Nothing appealed to his in-existent appetite so he shut the door hard. A magnet fell from the side of the fridge, a small photo floating down with it. He leaned to pick them up, starting to put them back without thought but then paused to look at the picture. He touched the black and white outline of the face. Tiny eyes closed, fists held close to the chin. She'd been playing with her feet that day, but near the end of the appointment she'd gone to sleep. Dib smiled and put the ultrasound of his daughter on the front of the fridge. It was the last time he'd seen her.
He turned the porch light on and left the house, locking up behind him. Dib opened the glove box and took out his personal gun. A few smudges of blood dirtied the handle from when he'd replaced it to the glove box after the restaurant incident. He checked the magazine, then slid it into his coat pocket and pulled away from the house.
The address was set in a small neighborhood near the northern border of Utica. Dib parked down the street and got out, looking around as he started up the sidewalk cautiously. Most of the homes were dark with inactivity, a few seemingly abandoned. He passed one home with a dirty yellow porch light on, toys and boxes piled on the patio. This wasn't the most attractive side of town. He slid a hand into his pocket, feeling the weight of the weapon as he approached the address. The two-story house was dark and silent, but a vehicle in the driveway hinted at an owner present. He circled to the backyard and opened the screen door to the rear porch. The backdoor was unlocked and he opened it, peering inside. A single light flickered over the kitchen sink. Dib stepped into the house slowly, drawing his weapon. He moved through the living room and paused at the creak of a floorboard overhead. Dib started up the stairs quickly. The steps opened into a small hallway and movement caught his eye. He pushed open the bedroom door to his left. A slim figure stood by the bed, staring down at the sleeping man. Dib raised his gun slowly and red eyes turned on him, gleaming in the moonlight filtering through the curtains.
"Step away," Dib said quietly. The man in bed stirred and Zim turned back to him, a sharp-tipped extension sliding from his PAK.
"I said step away!" Dib shouted now, moving forward. Henry sat up quickly, startled awake.
"The fuck is going on?"
Zim lifted the extension higher and Dib ran forward. He couldn't take a shot in the dark and risk hitting the man. He threw himself against the alien, wrapping an arm around his throat and pulling him off balance. Zim twisted in his grasp and slammed him against the wall, surprisingly strong for his lithe frame. Dib's gun clattered to the floor as the alien seized him by the throat, claws digging into his flesh. Zim threw him to the floor and turned back to the old sideshow owner. The man had scrambled from bed and was trying to make a break for the door but Zim stood in his way and he backed up quickly, bumping into the dresser and feeling behind him for any kind of weapon.
"Get out!" he shouted. "I.. I called the police!"
Dib twisted on the floor and grabbed Zim's boot. The alien whirled around and slammed the tip on the extension into the floor inches from his face. Dib tightened his grip but the Irken pulled away easily. He turned back to the man and Dib lunged forward, wrapping his arms around the Irken's legs and pulling him to the floor. Zim kicked out at him and turned, rising on his knees and bringing fists down on Dib's face angrily. Dib raised his arms to fend him off and the alien got to his feet. Dib rolled quickly as the extension stabbed into the floor again. He got up and rushed at the alien but the metal cracked down across his skull, sending him sprawling to the floor beside the bed. The room darkened as Dib struggled with consciousness. Zim turned back to his intended victim.
"Stop," Dib called out as the alien approached the man. Zim glowered down at Henry as he cowered by the dresser. The human smelled of piss and sweat and fear. His pale lips moved but no sound came out, wide eyes staring up at him. He raised the extension to strike.
"Zim," Dib shouted, pushing himself up on his arms shakily. "Stop. It won't help you."
The Irken stood still, glaring down at the human that had taken so much from him.
"This won't erase that hurt," Dib said quietly as he got up.
Zim looked over his shoulder at him silently, frozen in place. Dib stared back, swaying slightly on his feet. The alien looked back down at the man, then turned and was gone, fleeing the room in a whisper of movement. Dib sank to his knees and put a hand against the floor, the other pressing against the side of his head. Blood flowed between his fingers, warm and strangely comforting. He closed his eyes and breathed a heavy sigh.