Disclaimer: These characters belong to the Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Jhonen Vasquez.

May God bless you all.


"What?" Asked Zim.

"We want to help you find Spork, right Dib?" Asked Gaz.

"Oh… yeah, um Gaz said you had some new evidence." Said Dib.

"Computer, reveal the names." Ordered Zim.

On the screen, 3 names popped up.

"These three are the current owners of the antique which we saw Spork wearing in our minds' journey to the future." Zim told him.

"Oh… wow."

"What was that?" Asked Zim.

"Um, don't worry about it just keep talking." Dib responded.

Zim was happy to oblige. "Well, you see these are the 3 that are currently residing in this city. Now it is unlikely that Spork is here but it's a good place to start."

"All right first thing I believe you can forget about Julia." Said Gaz.

"Yes, of course, so that just leaves the other two." Said Zim.

"I'll investigate C… the young one." Said Dib.

"Good, then Gaz I would like you to investigate the older gentleman." Said Zim.

"Wait what? Why me?" Asked Gaz.

"Because if Zim goes and it is Tallest Spork he would recognize Zim in a minute." The green alien responded.

"Oh, definitely agree with you there." Said Gaz.

"So, here you are." Said Zim as he grabbed two small devices from his pack.

"What are these?" Asked Dib.

"Scanners." Zim answered. "It takes about thirty seconds and should see the irken DNA below any disguise that Spork may be employing."

"You have to be pretty close though." Said Skoodge. "Like 10 feet at the most."

"Oh, that's just great because not like people already think I'm a weirdo or anything like that." Said Dib sarcastically.

"Good, now off with you both. Once you scan them the data will be transferred back to Zim's base." He told them.

The two left up the elevator and Zim turned to Skoodge.

"So, how is it going with that other project?" Asked Zim.

"Sorry, nothing doing there." Skoodge told him. "There's no way Tenn would request a temporal core without needing a good reason. For now, no more time travel."

"Drat…" Said Zim frustrated.

"By the way Zim?" Asked Skoodge. "Did, you see anything unique about me in the future?"

"What? Um… well you were a bit taller. Not as much as the mighty Zim!" he told him.

"Oh… cool… anything else?" He asked.

"Not really… a bit skinnier perhaps." Said Zim.

"Oh, cool…" Said Skoodge, but he sounded a bit disappointed.

"Why, what are you asking Skoodge?" Asked Zim.

"I guess… nevermind." Skoodge said.

"Okay." Said Zim. "Now, come on let's get some snacks."

The two headed up the same elevator that Dib and Gaz used shortly before.

Upstairs though…

…there were no snacks to be found. Just an oversize Sir unit looking quite pleased with himself.

"Girrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"


Tak watched as the Membrane children went in two separate directions. This was good, as it was only Dib she was interested in.

She slowly followed after him, but he must have caught her scent or something as he turned around. At first, her instinct was to hide in the nearby brush, but really what was the point of that?

"Hello, Dib." She said as she walked over to him.

"Oh… hey Tak." He replied. "What are you doing here?"

He seemed a bit more nervous than usual.

"I need to talk to you about something." She told him. "How about we go to your garage."

"Um… well I sort of…"

"Sort of what?" Asked Tak.

"Um… nevermind, yeah let's go." He told her.

The two walked back to his house and to the garage where Dib kept many things he found on his adventures.

"Tak. How's it hanging?" Asked her ship.

"How's it hanging?" Asked Tak Back.

"Sorry, been going through a lot of US radio stations. I might have picked up on some of the lingo." Replied her ship.

"Well, it's good to see you keeping yourself busy." Said Tak. "Anyway Dib, I wanted to talk to your about Spork. Have you made any headway?"

"Um, some… I jus… um yeah, some…" He told her.

Tak eyed him. "Is there something you want to tell me Dib?" She asked.

"What, what makes you… say that?" He asked with a nervous smile.

"Oh, please you could never keep a secret kid." Said the ship. "It's written all over your face."

"You know you're going to tell me Dib." Tak insisted. "Might as well get it over with."

Dib sighed.

"Okay, there is something…"

"…Let me show you."


Gaz looked at the man. He was sitting on the park bench, with a woman who Gaz assumed was his wife. Yes, it was a stereotypical scene. An older couple, park bench, if they were feeding birds then this would definitely be a family movie moment.

Gaz got close, maybe a bit too close as the woman looked over. Gaz simply decided she didn't care and decided to scan.

Scan result. *negative*

Well, that was done. It was time for a soda, so Gaz decided to head over to the nearby convenient store. After putting a couple of quarters in the machine her soda came down and taking the can, she guzzled down the fizzy drink. Upon crushing and throwing it in the garbage, she noticed something. Though she wasn't actually fully sure…

"Zim!?" She called out.


"No, match access denied."

"Well, it's not for me." Said Tak.

"What is it?" Asked Dib.

"A message." Tak answered. "An important one. You see these boxes were almost used exclusively by the irken military, to send orders to troops where comms couldn't reach. It was usually given the DNA of one or more of the troops so that if it fell into enemy hands it couldn't be opened.

"Wow, so we just need to find the irken that… no…" Said Dib.

"I'd bet money on it." Replied Tak.

Dib slapped his forehead. "Should we?" He asked Tak.

"Yes, but let's make sure we are all present when this thing is opened."


"So, what's with the beard?" Asked Gaz as the two walked to Zim's base.

"When I go alone there are usually questions like "Where's your mommy?" "Why are you alone?" And things like that." He replied.

"And the beard really makes them think you're not a child?" She asked him.

"It doesn't seem like the cashiers' at that store pay much attention." Zim replied.

"Hey… wait why are you two… nevermind." Said Dib who was waiting outside Zim's base.

"Have you scanned your human yet?" Asked Zim.

"No, I had something to show you that couldn't wait." He told him. "We should go inside."

The three did so and Dib revealed what he had (which was in a sort of grocery bag).

"Huh? Where did you get that?" Asked Zim.

"What is it?" Gaz asked as she opened a bag of chips Zim had bought at the store and began munching.

"Um… well…"

"Nevermind that, give it to Zim!" The alien demanded.

Zim practically snatched the purple device from Dib's hands.

"Scanning DNA…" the A.I. voice from the box said. "Match… Access granted."

Suddenly the box opened and… a wire of some kind attached itself to Zim's pac.

"What!? What is this!?" He screamed. "Dib-Stink! Trick…"

"Wo, no I thought. What's happening?" Dib asked.

"AHHH" Zim screamed as the device shocked him.

"Zim!?" Asked Gaz.

Then just as suddenly it was all over. The device retreated back into the box and Zim…

…Well fell over and seemed to be unconscious.

"What was that?" Asked Tak

"I don't know…" Dib whispered. "…You said it was a message."

"I said probably." Tak replied. "Anyway don't talk too much or you'll be found out."

"That looked like a similar device to the ones that they used to erase irken memories with." Said Skoodge.

"I hope he's okay."

"It couldn't erase his memory." Tenn assured him. "He's defective remember?"

"Perhaps, someone found a way." Skoodge said.

"Zim, Zim…" Gaz and Dib said.

"Get out of here Dib." Said Gaz.

"What!?" he asked.

"How angry do you think he'll be when he wakes up?" She asked.

"Good point." Said Dib as he made his way outside as fast as he could.

Once outside he spoke through the secret communicator Tak has given him.

"You guys have any idea what just happened?" He asked.

"Some, not much." Replied Tak. "Who exactly did you get that box from Dib?" She asked.

Dib scratched his rather large head.

"Sorry, I can't tell you… I have to go." He said.

With that he threw the comm down onto Zim's lawn and left. He heard small sounds of Tak asking what he was doing or where he was going, but he ignored them.

He knew what he had to do.


"Dib! Dib!" Tak shouted. "He's gone."

"I better go check on Zim." Said Skoodge as he ran off.

"Bring the box back." Tenn ordered.

"What do you think that was?" Asked Tak.

"Don't know it could have still been a message of sorts that needed to transmit itself into Zim's pak." Tenn Answered.

"As much as I enjoyed watching him get shocked, we still need to figure out who gave Dib that device." Said Tenn.

Tak dawned her disguise and began to leave.

"Where are you going?" Asked Tenn.

Tak got in the elevator.

"To figure it out."


"Get your beefy tacos! Get your chicken tacos! Get your vege… oh wait they stopped that… get your fish tacos here!" Shouted Chewy outside the taco place. Truth be told it was almost time for his shift to end, so he was looking forward to noodles and a movie. Working for this place made him thank God for the little blessings.

"Psst…"

Chewy sighed. "Dib, I told you…"

"Right…" Said Dib as he appeared. "…Listen Chewy the whole box thing went bad. It shocked and knocked out Zim… which in all honesty I wouldn't usually be mad about that but it wasn't like I planned to knock him out."

"hmmm… you know my shift's about to end. Let's head over to grandpa afterward and let him know." Said Chewy.

"Okay…" Dib agreed. "… Hey I got a question."

"Shoot." Replied Chewy.

"Did Gir really eat a baby here?"


"So he's okay?" Asked Gaz.

"All systems seem to be functioning correctly." Answered Zim's computer.

"So… do you think he'll be getting up?" Asked Gaz.

"Well…"

"AhhhHh!" Zim yelled.

"…Right about now."

Zim shot up and looked around.

"If you're looking for Dib then…" Gaz began but Zim put a talon on her mouth.

He then got off the table he was on and simply felt his body, like he was making sure everything was in the right place or something.

"I am awake?" Zim asked.

"Unfortunately." Replied his A.I.

Then suddenly Zim shot to Gaz and grabbed her face.

"What…?" She asked as she came face to face with him.

"You are not going to believe what just happened to me!" Said Zim.

Gaz sighed.

"But I bet you're going to tell me anyway."


Dib watched the scenery as the bus passed by. As he did, there was a nervous feeling in his gut. He knew that he had to make sure. He didn't tell Gaz or Zim that he knew the younger man who owned the antique. He couldn't, because that would have opened the door to too many questions which he definitely could not answer.

However, when Chewy wasn't looking, he quickly scanned him using the device.

*negative*

Dib breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, Chewy wasn't secretly Spork in disguise. No, way the founder of the Swollen Eyeball would be an alien.

"So, Chewy how you um… own an antique watch?" Asked Dib.

"It was my grandfather's but yeah, he gave it to me." Said Chewy. "Wait how'd you know?"

"Um… one of the Aliens is looking for someone who owns one of that." Said Dib.

"He's an antique watch collector?" Asked Chewy.

"No… nevermind." Said Dib.

"Here we are." Said Chewy.

The bus stopped at a suburban area.

"I thought we were going to see your grandfather." Said Dib.

"We are…" Chewy replied. "He lives in this neighborhood with my abuela."

"Wait…" Said Dib. "…I thought he lived with your parents."

"Nah… they used to live there but they got older and figured they didn't need that much space, so they gave that place to my parents." Chewy told him as they walked to a nearby house.

"This is it." Said Chewy.

Dib looked. The house was a great deal smaller, but the yard actually was a good size.

They both walked to the house and Chewy rang the doorbell.

An older lady that Dib had seen at the house actually answered.

"Oh… Chew… oh Dib, good to see you again." She said.

"Yeah… good." Replied Dib.

"Come, in I was just making dinner." She said as they walked in.

Once they were inside she disappeared into the kitchen.

Chewy sat on the couch. "Gramps should be out soon." He said. "He's usually on time for dinner."

Dib looked around. There were trophies, and paintings and pictures. So many pictures. He focused his eye on one… it was the army unit from the base in New Mexico. It was dated for 1952, just few years after the crash.

"That's my grandfather." Said Chewy.

"I know…" Said Dib.

"No, not Julio." Chewy told him. "The one next to him."

"What?"

"Julio, was my biological grandfathers best friend. He died shortly before I was born." Chewy told him.

"Oh… then…"

"Julio visited my abuela afterward. You know, make sure she was okay and things like that. It eventually turned into love." Chewy explained.

"Oh… almost sounds like one of those PG romance movies." Dib commented.

"Yes, but this was real." An older voice said.

Dib looked, to see Mr. Rodriguez coming from another room.

"Oh, sir…" Said Dib.

"No, worries son…" Said the older man as he walked over to Dib.

"…So, any luck opening the box?"

"Actually I did, but when it opened this cord shot out and…"

"Um… how about we go to the backyard?" Said Mr. Rodriguez.

"I actually have something to show you."

The two followed Mr. Rodriguez to what was one of those garages that wasn't attached to the house, similar to Dib's own. As the garage door opened Dib's eyes fixed on an object that was familiar yet different.

"Wait is that!?" He asked as the object was revealed by the light outside.

"Yes, my boy." Said Mr. Rodriguez. "That's Spork's old ship."

"Wow…" Dib said as he ran to it.

"…This isn't much bigger than Zim's… How d…"

Suddenly the sound of the garage closing caught Dib's attention. He looked back to see both men still standing outside.

"What's going on?" He asked before the garage fully closed, leaving him alone in the darkness.

"Chewy?" Dib asked. "Mr. Rodriguez?"

Suddenly the ship came to life and Dib backed away cautiously.

"Scanning individual." A ray of light scanned Dib.

"Scan complete. Dib Membrane son of Professor Membrane. Well, this should be interesting." Said the ship.

"What? What's happening?" Dib asked now even more frightened despite the ship providing a partial light source.

*clank*

"Who's there?" Dib asked nervously.

A shadowy figure emerged from deeper within the garage. As the figure drew closer Dib backed away until he couldn't anymore.

"Chewy? Mr. Rodriguez?" He asked.

"None of the above." Replied the person.

Wait I know that voice. Dib thought.

As the figure came close to the ship's light, Dib got a much better look.

He gasped.

"You!" He shouted.

"They weren't lying. The spitting image." The person said to him.

"Though the cowlick's a lot shorter."


Thank you for all who made it to the end. Don't forget to leave a review.

May God bless you all.

So let's guess who did Dib see at the end there?