Curious Dib

by mistytales1303

After several years, Dib's questions have finally started getting answered by the annoyed Zim. ZADF Zim and Dib Friendship kinda sort of only a short story for now. Not sure if it'll ever be considered "complete"

75. Part 74: The Van

Life may kick me in the knees, but I refuse to stop. So, I'm sick, again, but at least it isn't with COVID this time. I am home sick today, but that at least gave me the time to finish this chapter! Before my schedule starts to choke hold me again, anyway. I'm working on other fics, I just write like a snail this year, apparently lol This chapter is longer than most, sitting pretty at about 16K. Anyway, comments appreciated~

If you want, I'm more active on my tumblr curiousdibandbeyond and I sometimes discuss how chapters are coming along over there, as well. Anyway!

Enjoy!

Part 74: The Van

Dib held a cat toy aloft, swaying it back and forth, for Gir to try and snatch. Tak hadn't come back yet, and it had been almost a full day. Gaz had popped in that morning with an equal lack of knowledge on where she'd gone.

"Do you think she left?" Dib asks.

"With her ship as destroyed as it is?"

"I mean, she could have called something like a cab," Dib offered. Gaz sighed, glancing his direction.

"Where's Zim?" she asks.

"Skoodge and I debated if she left and he went down to the labs," Dib says.

"And how much longer?" Gaz asked.

"However long it takes, I guess," Dib says. Gaz flicked her eyes to him again.

"Stop with that stupid smile," Gaz sighed. Skoodge glanced up from his tablet to see Dib was smiling from ear to ear.

"I can't, I think I know what he's getting," Dib admitted with a laugh. Gir finally snatched the cat toy, weighing the toy down so fast that it flung out of Dib's hand.

"Ehehehehe! Again, again, again!"

"Okay, okay," Dib grabbed the handle, gently tugging it out of Gir's grip.

His knee was starting to bounce now. From his peripheral he could see Gaz's heel starting to bounce as well. He was trying his best to keep calm—he really was. Gaz wasn't fairing much better, though. She looked largely fine outwardly; but he could tell she was practically vibrating on the couch.

The front door creaked open and Tak walked in stiffly. Gaz sat straighter, her eyes turning sharp, and Tak paused after shutting the door at the sight of the three of them. Her hologram flickered out. Gaz sat back a little, taking in the bags under Tak's eyes.

"Uh…" Gaz hesitated, watching as Tak walked like a zombie to the kitchen. She grabbed the nearest chair and dragged it across the floor to the coffee table. She hadn't even bothered to set it up facing the table properly before collapsing into it. Gaz gave her another once over. "Did you get hit by a truck, or something?"

"…No," Tak groaned.

"Well, you guys don't sleep, so staying up all night didn't do shit to you, so what happened?" Gaz asks.

Tak shook her head sluggishly. She met Skoodge's stare, and he quickly looked away, before she sighed heavily. She ran her hands over her head. "Skoodge." Tak said evenly, her voice hoarse. Skoodge looked up at her nervously.

"Y-yes?"

"Did you know?" Tak asks.

"Um, I'm not sure—" Skoodge jumped when Tak looked up just enough to send him a venomous glare. "U-um! Uh—I don't… I just wasn't—I…" Skoodge sighed, setting his tablet in his lap. "Yeah… I kind of did…"

"You—!" Tak shot up, breathing in sharply between her teeth. She gripped her antennae, fighting back stomping through the floorboards.

"Know what?" Dib asks, looking between the two.

"Um… Zim's 'project'," Skoodge clarified. "I-I helped with the final designs a little… actually…"

"You what?! That is treason! Does every Irken who comes here lost their mind?!" Tak shouted, slamming her palms on the table. Gaz snatched at her wrist, forcing her attention onto her, and holding her gaze; glare for glare.

"I don't think it's insanity," Gaz says evenly. "It's helpful."

"It's treason," Tak stressed. "Zim's signed all our death warrants with this 'project' of his."

"My death warrant was signed the second your moronic leaders sent him on a suicide mission, and he just happened to find us," Gaz spat. "So, I don't see what difference this actually makes. You know. By your logic, anyway."

Tak fumed, her claws dragging across the top of the coffee table. She wrenched her wrist away. Gaz pouted at her, leaning back into the couch.

"Besides," Gaz began. "You're fine so long as they never find out. Not like they bother to download everything from you guys until they know you did something that warrants it."

"That's not—that isn't the point!" Tak stressed. "My ass is on the line thanks to him!"

"To be fair, you went down to the labs on your own," Dib said. Tak whirled on him, and he simply smiled back. Gir was stood still next to him, eyes red and fixated on Tak. Tak stared at the SIR unit uncertainly. Dib held his hands up defensively. "Just saying. You could have just left it alone and stayed away from his labs."

"It's not… she didn't know," Skoodge said sheepishly.

"And now she does," Dib says nonchalantly. "You're not going to oust yourself, are you?"

"No!"

"Well there you go, problem solved."

"It is far from solved," Tak spat.

"We'd be lucky to get banished for knowing this. They would more than likely execute us," Skoodge says, playing with his fingers. "No allies, an eventual stop in supplies, we'd never get to go home again."

"So?" Gaz asks. "Zim's been doing just fine."

Tak huffed out a laugh, sitting in the chair again as she wrenched her claws out of the wood. Dib dangled the cat toy higher for Gir to bat at again.

"Sometimes a few close people is all you need," he says.

"Until you die."

Dib jumped, turning to look up at the hall. Zim stood there, with a large duffle bag over his shoulder, looking at Dib solemnly. Tak looked at him, too, with a hateful glare. It softened somewhat bitterly, though. There was a distinct determination in Zim's eyes. After another moment of just taking the silence in, Zim set the duffle bag down.

"But; you won't."

He rifled into the bag, pulling out Gaz's PAK first and handing it off to her. Gaz took it with the same contained excitement as if it were a birthday gift. Dib eagerly took his out of the duffel bag next. Zim leveled his gaze onto Tak for a moment before he clapped his hands to get both siblings' attentions.

"It's a quick twenty-four-hour test. Just to see how they feel during day to day activities. And they'll be disguised as back packs. You should be able to activate the hologram setting mentally," Zim explained.

He held Dib's PAK as he reached behind his head to pull his shirt up to his shoulders. Zim set the PAK down, reaching down for another item in the bag. Gaz paused in admiring her PAK, looking up at him slowly. She let it settle on her lap.

"What are they anchoring onto…?" Gaz asked slowly. She turned to Tak quickly after. "Don't breathe a god damn word of this."

"I don't have much of a choice in the matter," Tak says bitterly.

"She does not," Zim confirmed smugly. "Nor Skoodge. I do not apologize," Zim says quickly.

"I've accepted it, it's fine," Skoodge says with a sigh. "It's not like the Tallest can hate me any less, anyway."

"I can get my bat," Gaz offered, smirking.

"Tempting," Zim admitted. "But not right now."

"That implies you're open to that for later," Tak says lowly. Zim simply stared at her a moment before smiling. Tak gaped at him. Gaz snorted, running her fingers over the skull design.

"Just let me know, Space Boy," she says. She drummed her fingers on the PAK, feeling the thrum of components running inside already. "Now… the anchors…"

"Yes. Well…" Zim hesitated a moment.

He awkwardly opened the small bag, pulling out small discs. They couldn't have been wider than half of Gaz's palm. They were a little thick, as well. He pressed the center of one, where there was a thin line down the center, and the opposite end of the device shot out. It looked appropriately alien to the siblings. Sharp "legs" shooting out from the device with an injector in the center. He fished his hand into the bag, pulling out another five and setting them on the table.

"Three for each of you. A simple numbing injection and you won't feel them at all," Zim assured them.

He stood waiting for their reactions. Both were staring at the discs. Gaz was grimacing, clutching the PAK uncertainly. She groaned, looking at the discs. Dib picked one up, his eyes starting to light up.

"I have so many questions," he whispered.

"AFTER I fit them on," Zim stressed, snatching the disc from his hands. "I do not need you delaying this by several hours."

"Not hours!" Dib laughed. He shuffled around, facing his back towards Zim. Skoodge sat straighter, leaning around Zim to look at the various discolored portions of skin. "Okay, I'm ready."

Zim shook his head with a fond sigh. A limb of his PAK came out, a needle on the end, and he kneeled down on one knee. The needle poked Dib right in the spine. He gave a small jump at the initial prick, but soon his body was relaxing again.

"Oh wow, that works fast," Dib chuckled.

"Yes, because I know what I'm doing," Zim said, smiling wide.

Gaz watched him lift a disc to Dib's back and she turned away sharply to the window. After a few long moments where nothing happened, she turned back around to see Zim watching a timer on his phone.

"Just a minute," he assured Dib.

Gir pranced up to Gaz, patting at her leg. "Can I sit in your lap, Mary? Pleeeeease?"

Gaz shifted her PAK to the side, leaving Gir just enough room to site on her leg and swing his legs as he hummed a song. Once the timer went off, she turned away quickly again. She could hear the quick rush of air as the device deployed, but no pained grunts or gasps from Dib. Gir leaned into her torso.

Dib was smiling, giving a breathy laugh, and taking his glasses off so he could bow his head without them falling to the floor. Zim counted off when he had inserted each disc, a barely audible thump sounding off when they each hit vertebrae. Once the third was in place, Zim stood and quickly grabbed a towel from the linen closet to wipe away any blood on Dib's back.

"When you're not wearing them, the discs are shut, and it's waterproof at that time. You can still bathe with the discs inserted," Zim explained.

"Oh, that's a relief. I really didn't want to do sponge baths the rest of my life," Dib sighed, rolling his shoulders to try and feel out the discs. Zim smacked him upside the head. "Ow."

"Hold still," Zim ordered. He leaned around to see if he was aligning the PAK correctly. He pressed it to Dib's back, pressing the top seal. The PAK jerked, shooting the cables into Dib's back. Dib grunted, shifting into a more comfortable position as the PAK also settled. "How does it feel?"

"Weird," Dib laughed. "But really cool."

"I meant did it hurt," Zim deadpanned.

Gaz grimaced again, looking around to the discs. She wrapped her arm around Gir, who giggled and latched on like a koala. She sighed, rubbing at her temples with her free hand, propping the PAK between her arm and leg. "Okay, okay, okay," she whispered to herself. She cradled her PAK and stood. Gir still didn't release her arm, singing something about hanging from trees.

Skoodge looked towards her, an antenna perking up. "Are you alright?"

Gaz cleared her throat, nodding. "Yep. Ready."

Zim's hands were hovering over the edges of Dib's PAK when he looked at her, unconvinced. He raised an antenna questioningly and Gaz glowered at him.

"I'm ready unless you want to wait and I'll be way past "ready"," Gaz snapped.

"Right." Zim waved her over. Gaz settled down next to Dib with a grimace, pulling her knees up to her chest. Dib shot her a reassuring smile, tossing his shirt to the side. He'd have to measure and cut a hole for the day's outing.

"It's not bad," he said. "A small prick, like a shot at the doctor's office, and it's done."

"That's so reassuring when it's in the spine," Gaz mumbled.

She handed off her PAK to Zim and started pulling the back of her shirt up. She had to shake Gir off and claw at the fabric over her shoulders to keep it aloft. Gir whined, but a quick glare from Gaz shut him up and he simply sat down, leaning against her knee instead.

Zim hesitated. Gaz sighed, bowing her head. It was a rather obvious issue, if she really had taken five seconds to think about it. She let her shirt drop and reached underneath, undoing the strap, and pulling it back up again, just enough that Zim could set the PAK in place properly. She felt the sting of the needle and hissed, readjusting where she sat to try and distract herself for the brief instance of pain.

She ignored anything Dib was trying to say beside her. She even allowed him to rest his hand on her knee and give it a reassuring squeeze. She was going to punch him for it later, because she didn't need pity or reassurances, it was just the needles and the discs she hated. The pain she could stand—she'd built up a heavy tolerance in the various fights she'd gotten into over the years—but the needles.

The minute passed and she felt something press against her back, cluing her in that her back was entirely numb. She was certain that the discs were cutting flesh, but she truly couldn't really feel anything. A thump of a feeling when they hit her actual vertebrae, but true to Zim's word, no pain. The second, then the third, and then the weight of her new PAK on her back. The chords shot into place and rocked her spine a little, forcing her to jerk in response, but aside from that, she felt nothing.

"—feeling?" Zim asks.

"Great," Gaz grunted. "No pain. Just weird."

"Are Mary and Mary gonna die, mastah?" Gir asks, rolling on the ground in front of them.

"No, they're not going to die," Zim growled. "Do you think me incompetent?!"

"No, sir!" Gir said joyfully, saluting.

"It is a little weird," Dib laughed. "But, I think I'm already getting used to the weight. It's not any worse than a backpack."

"Removal should be just as easy," Zim explained. "But the discs will remain in place."

"Fine by me," Gaz sighed. So long as she didn't have to go through that again, she was satisfied. She glanced Tak's way. She had her head in her hands. Gaz rolled her eyes, pulling her shirt over the back of the PAK. "Hey, cut this for me."

One of Zim's PAK legs extended, gently dragging down the shirt until the long slit was the length of the PAK. He grabbed at the slit and dragged the PAK leg's tip around the perimeter of the PAK until it had formed a hole. Dib held his own shirt up once he'd finished, an expectant look in his eyes. Zim scoffed, snatching the shirt. He threw it over Dib's head, laughing when Dib tried to tackle him while blinded by the fabric and his upper arms effectively pinned. Until Zim had managed to pull the shirt down entirely and the PAK leg cut another hole out of the back.

Zim bundled the pieces of fabric up as he looked their PAKs over, humming to himself as he did. "They seem stable," he mumbled.

"Can I try walking with it?" Dib asks.

"Try it in the open space," Zim said, patting his lower back as he moved away.

Tak dragged her hands down her face, turning to watch Dib's attempt. Gaz was watching with a raised brow, trying to re-strap her bra at the bottom of the PAK. It was slender enough she figured she could make it work for just a day, before she had to get some alternative methods. It wasn't working out very well at first, even when she'd loosened it. She huffed a sigh, giving up for now as Dib situated himself at the center of the clear space between the front door and kitchen.

"Okay! What do I do?" Dib asks. Tak groaned, pinching her brow. Skoodge set his tablet down, extending a PAK leg.

"It's mostly thought controlled," Skoodge explained.

"Think of the four legs lifting you up," Zim instructed. "They should deploy themselves."

"Okay…" Dib mumbled.

He tried to imagine it. The four legs he'd seen come from Zim's PAK countless times, slipping out of the back of his PAK, and settling their points on the floor. He heard faint taps on the wood and looked side to side to find the four legs had situated themselves to balance him perfectly, should they lift him. Dib smiled gleefully. He gave it a quick thought, and the PAK legs shot him up, smacking his head on the ceiling, and then collapsing. He fell to the floor with a thud, Gaz's laughter ringing in his ears. Dib held his head, groaning.

Zim was stifling his laughter, covering his mouth with his hand. Regardless, his face was changing color the longer he tried to stifle the laughter. Gir bounced over, landing on Dib's stomach, sending him into a short coughing fit before his diaphragm settled. Skoodge came into Dib's view, looking down at him worriedly.

"Are you okay?" Skoodge asks.

The only loyal ones in the room, Dib thought wryly. "M'fine…"

"You're a moron," Gaz wheezed.

"It was my first try!"

"It was a failure," Gaz said.

"Oh? You try."

Three legs extended from Gaz's PAK, two from the sides and one from the base. They lifted her effortlessly, stopping in a smooth and slow ascension long before she could hit the ceiling. She let herself dangle there, stuffing her hands in her jean pockets with a smirk. Dib glowered at her. Zim gasped, laughing as he fell to the floor. Gir was applauding her.

"It's harder than it looked!" Dib shouted.

"She's only using three legs, you managed to damage the ceiling!" Zim cackled. Dib flicked his gaze up at the ceiling, a distinct dent now present where his head had hit. He retracted the PAK legs and sat up with a sigh. Gir looked up and gasped, lightly smacking Dib's chest.

"Matchies!" Gir declared, pointing to another dent in the ceiling not far off. Dib wasn't sure how he had missed that before, but it was only a little smaller than the one he had just made. When had Gir done that?

"I'll just… try again later," Dib sighed, rubbing his head. Zim knelt beside him, handing him his glasses.

"I will teach you," he promised.

"And you won't laugh."

"Yes…" Zim gave a short chuckle. "I will not laugh."

"That is NOT convincing!"

Gaz dropped to the floor, the legs retracting, and turned to Tak. Tak was watching her, eyes following the PAK legs as they drew themselves in. She met Gaz's gaze.

"Well?"

"The ends are customized," Tak says flatly.

A leg came back out, bending so Gaz could look at it. She whistled, looking over the intricate tracing of bone designs carved into the leg's top, as it slowly rotated, before it formed a blade at the end. Gaz looked over it meticulously, ignoring both Dib and Zim wrestling to her left (with Gir commentating like it was a legitimate wrestling match, complete with whistle), and Tak's intense gaze.

Tak looked her over. The PAK legs were obeying her… surprisingly well. She had a great sense of dexterity with them already. She'd expected the same result as with Dib, with too loose of a control for a first timer, much like a smeet. Gaz nodded, smiling, and turning to Dib and Zim as the leg retracted again.

"Thanks for the detail work, Space Bug," Gaz says. Zim settled on a grapple, pinning Dib as he kicked his legs. He looked up at her curiously, then realization donned on him.

"Ah! Yes, I did that by hand. Appreciate it."

"What detail work?" Dib asks.

"You'll notice it once you learn how to use your PAK's limbs," Zim says.

"Oh, fuck off!"

Gaz shook her head at them. She disappeared down the hall, rifling through the spare drawer she'd started to keep in Zim's room. It had doubled as a guest room for her almost immediately, and she'd wasted no time moving spare clothing into the as yet half-filled dresser. It took her a while, but she'd managed to find a strapless bra to replace her now defunct one. At the very least, she was spending the next twenty four hours in some comfort.

When she'd returned, the boys had tired themselves out enough that Dib was left laying face down next to Zim, who was sat beside him, looking rather smug. Gaz snapped her fingers, garnering everyone's attention.

"Alright. Anyone who wants to get out of the house, I'm paying for lunch," Gaz offered. Skoodge and Dib immediately raised their hands. Tak begrudgingly stood, raising her hand as well, to Gaz's surprise. Zim did not, simply brushing dust off his arms and legs. "Zim?"

"I have some final diagnostics to adjust. I will skip this time," Zim says. Gaz hummed, giving Zim just as equally a suspicious side eye as Dib was.

"Riiiiiight," she said. Zim stood and Gaz started again, cutting off any chance Zim had to try and fight her on the attitude. "Well, then! I have a restaurant in mind with a killer cake. I'll grab you a slice, I guess."

"Three."

"One."

"Two."

"Fine. Dib, get your shoes on," Gaz ordered, snapping her fingers.

Dib scrambled to get them on, grabbing his wallet and trench coat. He paused to put the coat on, disappearing into the kitchen to grab a pair of scissors. He tore off his shirt, matching the hole from the shirt and starting his cutting. Gaz leaned in the doorway, tilting her head at him.

"Just a minute," Dib says, snipping wildly.

Zim hummed, looking down at Gir a moment, debating if it would be detrimental to send him with the group. Gaz followed his gaze and clasped her hands on his cheeks. Zim's eyes went wide, and he smacked at the back of her palms. Gaz didn't release him, instead pulling him closer, with a withering glare.

"Don't you dare," she hissed. Zim smacked at her arms harder until she finally released her grip on him. Zim hissed at her, rubbing down his face.

"Vile woman!"

"Pansy. He doesn't come unless you do, I'm not babysitting Gir the whole time. Dib, are you done yet?" Gaz asks. Dib held the trench coat up proudly. The hole was crude in shape; but fit around the PAK well enough when he threw it on. She turned to Zim, turning so her PAK was visible. "How do I make this look how Tak does?"

"It's just holograms," Tak mumbled.

"Yes, how do I turn that on, smart ass."

"You just think it, it's not that hard!"

"Bitch how long ago was it when you tried it the first time?!"

"You think it, or do you lack the brain cells?"

"Square up, asshole—" Gaz shouted. Tak cracked a smile at her just before Dib grabbed Gaz around the waist. He hoisted her away as he pivoted on his heel.

"How about you don't destroy the living room?" Dib says. Gaz elbowed him in the gut, forcing him to drop her. "Asshole…" he grumbled as she stomped past him towards the door.

He paused next to Zim, trying to think of what his backpack looked like. He could hear a barely perceptible buzz as the hologram came to life and he craned his head to look. The backpack wasn't his own, but a plain backpack that was a subtle dark blue, lacking any of his identifying pins. Gaz tried next, an identical backpack appearing on her. She craned her head both ways to scrutinize it.

"We will alter the design when they're actually done," Zim says. He shot a glare Tak's way. She rolled her eyes, waving him off and moving to stand by Gaz at the door. Skoodge awkwardly shuffled himself towards the door, his disguise whirring to life.

Dib hesitated by Zim, turning to him. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Zim hummed. He turned further towards Dib, tilting towards his side. Dib leaned down so Zim could whisper to him. "I trust you three can stand against her should she act out, particularly Gaz, so I am not worried. And I am tired."

"Ooooh," Dib nodded. "I'll snag you an extra slice of cake."

Zim smirked. He snuck a quick peck on Dib's cheek before pulling away and sauntering towards the linen closet. Dib walked quickly to the door, ignoring Tak's exasperated gaze that followed him, as he fumbled to pull his keys out of his pocket. Once everyone was out he locked the door and started the group off down the street, leading the pack.

"So, I think the new café is a good bet," he says quickly, pulling up the collar of his jacket to hide the growing redness of his skin. "It's got a great chocolate cake we can buy by the slice, there's tons of different teas, breads, other deserts, some lunch items…"

Gaz shook her head, drowning out Dib's rambling. She side-eyed Skoodge and Tak. Neither looked particularly pleased to be dragged along like this, but she didn't see much other choice in it. Skoodge was an awkward mess, a'la Dib in middle school, and Tak wasn't staying alone at the base with Zim. She slipped between the two Irkens and lightly bumped elbows with each of them. Skoodge jumped ahead a good foot, knocking into Dib. Dib halted his rambling immediately, flailing his arms to catch himself.

"You two need to lighten up," Gaz says. She bumped arms with Tak again, noting that she didn't flinch away quite as badly as she used to. They turned the corner and she could see the café in sight, partially blocked by the cars on either side of the street.

"Quite easy for you to say," Tak grumbled. "You don't have an Empire to return to. And we will have to return eventually."

Skoodge grimaced, rubbing the back of his head. Gaz shrugged, glancing to the street. "Geez, if you're so concerned about it why not have Zim make some PAKs for you, too. These are completely cut off from your stupid Empire," she says, trailing off. A van had started to roll slowly down the street from where it was parked.

It started to drift past them, and Gaz started to slow down. Tak and Skoodge went ahead a few paces before each of them started to turn back to her. Dib paused as well, turning towards her, and Gaz clenched her fist. The side door of the van slid open, one man with a mask shot out, grabbing Dib's sleeve. Gaz tried to step away, only getting half a step back, before another man shot out of the front seat to grab at her arm. In the brief glimpse she got of the interior of the van, the only seat in the actual van was the driver's seat.

It was instinct. Dib had years of experience fighting Zim and cryptids. Gaz had years of self-defense and mixed martial art lessons. She inadvertently copied Dib's motion, yanking the grabbed arm up towards her face. The assailant's wrist twisted with the motion and Gaz jabbed her free hands under his wrist, twisting with her hips to bend his arm painfully. She was aiming for a kick when he grabbed her sleeve, at her shoulder, and yanked.

Dib caught sight of her bracing her feet at the entrance of the van for a brief second before another pair of hands grabbed at her ankles, lifting her up and pulling her in. He wasn't fairing much better, only getting halfway through his defense tactic before it was cut off. His assailant was already moving for a grapple before Dib had a chance to try and counter. He couldn't help but think it was a lot like trying to grapple Zim.

His head knocked against the interior of the van, the wheels were already turning, and the door was slammed shut. He could vaguely recall Skoodge standing shocked still on the sidewalk and Tak behind him, looking confused more than concerned.

He was going to have to explain that this was not normal behavior on Earth.

But first, he wanted to kick in a man's teeth. Gaz was already beating him to that punch, though, viciously kicking at the man trying to hold her ankles in place. It only earned him what was definitely going to be bruised (if not fractured) ribs. And She had a hardy grapple on the man at her shoulders. He bit into the arm of the one holding him. Biting down hard enough to not only draw out a shout of pain but some blood if he was tasting this correctly.

"I warned you three," the driver said in annoyance. "You lot never listen—"

"He's biting my arm, sod off for five seconds!"

"Use the tranq, then, for God's sake—" Gaz's ankle wrenched free and she kicked him hard in the jaw. "OW!"

His grip loosened on her other ankle. She locked his neck between her ankles, trying to press them as hard as possible at his neck. Dib resolved he'd buy her an extra slice of cake as well. He was dangerously close to buying the entire thing by now. He bit harder, trying to readjust his hold on his own attackers' arms. There was a sharp pain at his side and he jerked, elbowing the man hard in the ribs. He watched as Gaz had a needle stuck in her side as well, by the very man in a death grip at her ankles.

"Sleep with one eye open, asshole," Gaz grunted, twisting violently. The man had to grip at her legs to keep her from possibly snapping his neck.

It was starting to get dark. Dib wasn't sure if it was because of whatever they gave him, a crashing of adrenaline, or a combination of both. He simply knew that he was about to pass out. And since he wasn't somehow fighting the effect off, it wasn't a feature of the PAKs that Zim was testing today, or perhaps hadn't been added as of yet.

He was going to have words about that.

A small alarm started to beep in the labs. Zim stirred awake at the desk. He rubbed at his eye, his memory registering the alarm, and he shot up. He stumbled out of the chair towards the monitor.

"Computer?"

"Spikes in their hear rates, possible drug administered," The Computer said. "Vitals are stabilizing. Oh, and Tak and Skoodge are back."

"What?"

The elevator doors slid open. Zim paused, hearing two sets of footprints sprinting down the hallway. He pulled up the vitals from the siblings' PAKs. Their heart rates were still in a mild distress, but they were currently stable. He had expected a small alarm from the PAKs themselves affecting the siblings negatively. It was odd how hopeful that seemed now.

Skoodge was the first to slide into the room, knocking and bouncing against the frame of the door, before he halted just inside. Tak came in after him more casually. An oddly docile, yet familiar, air of disconnect evident on her face.

"Where are they?" Zim asks, keeping his voice calm more out of necessity than for how he really felt.

"Um…. well… a van stopped next to us… and took them inside and drove… away…" Skoodge says warily.

"And you let them?" Zim asks, a growl starting to penetrate his voice.

"I couldn't figure out if it was a human thing or not," Skoodge admitted.

"What about that looked normal?!" Zim roared.

"This is why you shouldn't have given them the PAKs," Tak spat. Zim started to stomp towards her and Tak stepped backwards through the door. "This wouldn't be such a danger if you hadn't committed treason!"

"It's n-not treason," Skoodge says, hastily ducking away from Zim as he passed.

"And what would you have done?!" Zim roars. He didn't stop advancing on Tak until her PAK hit the wall. Only stopping short to give some breadth for his own reaction if her PAK legs took a stab at him. "Wait for them to die and be left alone?!"

Tak pursed her lips. Skoodge came up at their side, gently pressing a palm to Zim's shoulder. He pushed his shoulder, trying to get him to back up a little more from TAk. Zim planted his feet.

"Neither of you will ever find another planet to relax on like this again," Zim says thickly. "You will never find your "haven" again, either of you."

"I'll find a deserted planet," Tak spat back.

"Liar." Zim narrowed his eyes. Tak stared at him, and he stared back. Several long moments passed before her antennae flicked harshly and she growled. She shoved him away and sighed, pinching her brow, looking down.

"…So, where are they?" Tak asks. She glanced back up only to find Zim looking smug just before he turned back into the labs and grabbed a tablet.

"I have trackers in the PAKs. A general precaution should they be lost," Zim explained, pulling up the trackers. They were still moving, further into the main city. "I'll know when it stops."

He grabbed his jacket off the desk, pulling it on. He watched the tracker as it slowly moved across the GPS map. He started towards the elevator.

"You're going to start after them without making a plan first?" Tak asks.

"Of course not." Zim held the door open with his foot. He looked up at them, waving them inside. "Firstly, you both are coming with me. And secondly, I need to see what I am dealing with."

Dib stared at the glass of water on the table in front of him. He'd woken up a few minutes ago to what could only be an interrogation room. It didn't look set up for any kind of torture for them to know whatever the hell they wanted to know, at least. He didn't doubt that they would wheel in a tray with all kinds of "instruments" if they felt it necessary.

Regardless, he hadn't spoken a word since waking up and he didn't plan to. The agent sat across the table was just watching him. He hadn't openly acknowledged the glass of water, even when the agent had pushed it towards him a little, trying to open him up to drinking it.

"Dib Membrane," they began. Dib gave no reaction. The agent pursed their lips, readjusting in their seat. "We had a few questions for you, concerning recent strange occurrences in the area."

Yes, I am so sure you do, Dib thought bitterly.

The Swollen Eyeball was supposed to mitigate things like this. No doubt that they would be getting him out in short order; but that was a heavily relative term at present. He couldn't even confirm that they knew he'd been taken. He and Gaz were just plucked right off the street—Tak and Skoodge.

Dib clenched his fist under the table. If he were lucky—and they were smart—they'd have gone to Zim, right? It would be the logical first step after witnessing that. Had Gaz brought her bat, or a pocket knife, or if they could have used their PAK legs, they would have made it out. He wasn't sure if using the PAKs would have been a good idea, though. Had they been under surveillance, and if so, for how long? They had probably been tracking them for weeks. He hoped not months. He wasn't sure how Gaz was going to handle being locked up for two hours, much less two days, or at worst two weeks.

He wasn't planning to cap off his first year of college by being a witness in a murder trial.

"—or harbored any suspicious individuals? …Are you aware of suspicious activity in your area? …We know that a man by the name of Brandon Fritz was last seen alive going to your friend's home address and last seen speaking with you. If you know anything about his whereabouts—"

"Can I ask something?"

"...Yes."

"Why do you suddenly care so much? What, it only matters now that the great Membrane Son is in college? Like my opinion suddenly matters now?" Dib leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. The PAK dug into his back a little, but he tried his best to ignore it. He didn't need to convey any reason that would imply he should be removing the "backpack". The fact they hadn't removed it yet meant they didn't' think he had a weapon on him, or they were trying to appear as unhostile as possible.

Fat lot of luck that was going to get them, after sticking a needle in him.

"That's not what we're implying—"

"There's no need for denying any implications, because I can tell plainly that that's exactly what you're doing," Dib says. "Does a few years make that much of a difference on whether you listen to reports by someone?"

"The reports of strange activity were largely only reported by you, Mr. Membrane. There was no evidence anything was happening."

"Because no one bothered to investigate," Dib snapped back.

He could count on both hands missing persons cases that would have been closed if the police had listened, and looked, and taken his claims seriously. He could count them by state. He couldn't blame them entirely, though. A seventeen-year-old, and younger, even, calling in with a tip that a werewolf had kidnapped and eaten the missing person did sound a little lunatic when met without the context. The Swollen Eyeball was the only organization that routinely took his reports seriously, or at least on merit enough to do a basic investigation, and they could only intervene with aid by law enforcement less than half the time.

"Mr. Membrane—"

"You can speak with me when I have a representative present. A lawyer."

"You're not under arrest."

"No, just kidnapped."

The agent pursed her lips. She stood from the table and moved for the door. "I'll come back in an hour."

"I'll still be here," Dib grumbled. Once the door shut, he glanced at the security camera. No PAK usage… but I could make it work…

Gaz woke up swinging a fist. She'd clocked an agent right in the temple by sheer luck and vicious determination. The only thing keeping her from throwing a chair at them was two of them grappling her arms. That didn't stop her from trying to kick the table at them, though. While the PAK was undeniably making this easier for her, she was trying to hold back only because it would look suspicious if she was single kicking a table across a room.

Presently, she was stuck sitting in the chair, in a staring contest with the agent across from her, as they drummed their fingers on the table. She'd already swiped her hand across the table to send the glass of water flying off, so there wasn't anything to distract either of them.

"Ms. Membrane, we wanted to ask if you'd seen any suspicious activity in the area recently?"

"Besides the unmarked white van with four suspicious individuals? I can give you descriptors if you want, they were too dumb to wear masks," Gaz fibbed, drumming her fingers on her arm.

"That's not necessary, Ms. Membrane—"

"I know."

"… we were curious if you'd seen any other suspicious vehicles, or perhaps a drone…?"

"Misplacing your own tech? That's embarrassing."

"I'm not at liberty to discuss it further than to tell that you're wrong in that assumption."

"Oh, it was stolen, then. That's even more embarrassing."

"No."

"I can't imagine how desperate you must be to kidnap two teens in broad daylight," Gaz says, examining her nails. "Pretty reckless for a government agency. With witnesses, too. That's just shoddy work."

The agent's eyebrow twitched. Gaz felt some semblance of satisfaction for revealing at least one mistake these "trained professionals" made. "Trained" her ass—their father could have taught them better kidnapping techniques than the blatant white van play. If they'd at least tried to put a false company's logo on the side it would have been less conspicuous.

"Ms. Membrane—"

"It's pathetic, it's lazy, it's reckless, it's inappropriate," Gaz said, listing it all off in rapid fire succession with no time for any rebuttal.

"Ms. Membr—"

"It's downright laughable. I could have given them better training than what I saw. I would think a seasoned agent would think of something better when it came to grabbing the kids of Dr. Membrane. Are you dense?" Gaz asks, leaning over the table, lacing more and more sass and disdain with each word. "Do you lack the necessary brain cells? Were you short on time? Was this not sanctioned?"

"That isn't—"

"Are we going to be pulling nails anytime soon? Because I'd love to see them try."

"How about I give you a few hours to think the situation through? I'll see you in two hours, how does that sound?" the agent asked curtly, slamming the door on her way out.

Gaz watched the door a moment before leaning back slowly in her chair, balancing on the back legs. Her eyes flickered to the security camera. She couldn't see if there was a visible light to indicate if it were on. She didn't want to risk there was another agent watching beyond the two-way mirror, regardless.

Gaz assessed the room again, mulling over her options.

Zim looked at the tablet with a sneer. The office building was on the edge of a subdivision that appeared largely unpopulated. The area was not in the best of conditions, especially compared to the neighborhood their base sat, and the multi-floored building itself was in need of a good cleaning. The cars parked out front were out of date, some looking a little rusted, and the white van.

"It certainly looks the part for the surrounding area," Tak says, tapping her claws on her arm.

She leaned on the base of a tree. The small cliff-like drop off they stood at the top of was high enough to look over the parking lot of the building from this distance. Zim hummed, with a hint of a growl, scrolling through the spy cam drones. They'd landed in various spaces outside the parking spaces of the building. As far as he could see, there were a few agents at the front and back entrance, multiple patrolling each floor, only visible when they passed the windows.

He tapped his claw on the back of the tablet. They could take on the number of people present in the building, in theory. Three Irkens against perhaps a few dozen humans wasn't even a competition. The guns presented a problem. His shoulder throbbed at the thought of them and the shifted his shoulder around with a grimace.

Even with those archaic weapons, though, they were typically faster. With the hindsight that guns were present, they could dodge, deflect, or disarm far easier.

"We should try not to kill anyone," Zim mumbles.

"It would make it faster," Tak says.

"Humans tend to be more spiteful if you kill people," Zim says, flicking through screen feeds. "I would prefer to keep this as spiteless as possible since I have to live on this planet."

"…Fine."

"This is going to cause trouble for you regardless," Skoodge points out. "You can't just leave once we get back to the base if you intend to live here."

"If we must pack the house up and leave for a few decades, then we shall."

"You'd uproot them like that?" Tak asks, raising an antenna.

"It would be safe."

"Hm… Do you think negotiation is on the table?" Skoodge asks. Zim shot him a look. "…That's a no."

"Not presently," Zim says stiffly.

"We can enter through the back," Skoodge offered, looking over Zim's shoulder. He paused at the feed showing the back entrance, with a guard holding the door open for others to file in. "It appears to only have a handful of guards. And it has direct access to the staircase. Since it's the back of the building, visitors won't be coming in, if they get any, and it looks like employees and supplies are the only things that would pass in and out."

"Either entrance is equally guarded, so it doesn't really matter. Wherever their being held must not have direct window access. They're not visible through any of them," Zim muttered. He looked up at the building. "I'm going to scale it for the roof access."

"We'll take the back door, then," Skoodge decided.

"Why not the front, too?" Tak asks. "We can assault them on all three sides."

"If we only assault two entrances there's a chance that they'll leave reduced manpower at the front, if any at all, while they come for us. Then, we might be able to leave through the front more easily, if we're fast enough," Skoodge explained.

"That's not a guarantee," Tak says. "It's a bit too optimistic."

Zim set the tablet back into his PAK. Unless they incapacitated most of the agents inside, he doubted they'd be able to get out as easily they might be able to coming in. He debated taking both siblings up to the roof and jumping down. He didn't trust them to know when to deploy their PAKs legs to make a clean landing, but he could handle the added weight when calculating the landing.

"I care very little about what plan we enact. I just need to find them," Zim says. "Short of killing anyone, do as you please, it makes no difference to me. I'm not particularly concerned with how clean the extraction is against those behind this."

"You don't care about the humans?" Tak asks snidely.

"I only care about them," Zim says, without a moment's hesitation. "Tak, if you can find either of them, and bring them back unharmed, you can enter the labs again without issue."

"MOVE," Tak shouted, shoving Zim aside.

The back door of the building wasn't far from the fence. A few yards, at best. It was enough to get a car between the building and the fence gate to enter the parking lot. Zim looked up the side of the building. He could sprint across the pavement and take a running start and leap onto the wall. He knelt in the bushes, readying himself to sprint. Tak and Skoodge took up their own positions, intending to take the back door from either side.

Zim looked over to them, raising his hand. Once he brought it down, the three dashed out of the bushes. Zim vaulted the fence first, latching onto the side of the building with his claws and the ends of his PAK legs. The guard at the door hardly had time to look up at him before Tak tackled him to the ground in a choke hold. Skoodge held his arms down until the man stopped moving.

Tak released him, dragging him off to the side of the building towards the trees. Skoodge broke the handle's lock, pushing the door open. Zim waited until they were inside to start scaling the building. It was textured enough that his PAK legs were able to hook onto the wall. If he could get roof access, he could access the vents, and move through the building unseen. If they were big enough. If not, he could use the commotion Tak and Skoodge were causing to search the building top-down.

Inside, Tak climbed the center of the stairs, climbing the center of the stairwell like a spider. Skoodge shut the door at the base, turning around to find a few doors left open. The first two on his right were office spaces, the last a storage room. He rushed up the stairs to the second floor and started to check rooms.

Tak halted on the fifth floor. She could hear footsteps racing down the hallway towards the stairs on each floor as she had passed them. She waited above the doorway, her PAK legs hoisting her above the door, in the corner. The moment it had burst open, with the agent already pointing his gun, she dropped. She landed square on his back, hearing a satisfying crack under her weight. She lurched backward afterward, hitting the door and slamming it shut on the arms of another man. The gun that had been in his grasp dropped and she kicked it down the staircase.

A stupid move, in hindsight, and a miracle it hadn't gone off.

Tak opened the door just enough that the man withdrew his arms, and she slammed it shut. The man below her was still screaming in pain, but she ignored him. She grabbed the gun he'd been holding, wrestling it out of his grip, and crushing the barrel in her palm. She threw it down as well, dashing up the next floor.

She slid to the door and pushed it open. There was no one in the hall, right now, so she ran along the hallway. She could hear voices—mumbling and whispering to one another—as she moved closer to the first door. She slowed down to a stop, back against the wall, waiting for the door to open. Once it did, she reached around the door to grab the first thing she could feel.

The arm she grabbed was stuck in a vice grip as she pulled them around the door. She dragged them to the ground to kick them in the face. It was just one hit and the man was unconscious. Tak kicked the door shut, hearing a grunt as it slammed into someone else, and knelt next to the man. She set her finger on his neck, waiting patiently until she felt a pulse.

Her shoulders sagged and she sighed. She really didn't need to do the one thing Zim had alluded to avoiding. Even as much as it seemed he hadn't really cared, she didn't want to risk pissing Gaz or Dib off, either. A show of restraint—that was all she had to do—prove she had restraint.

The door burst open and Tak kicked it shut again. The man who had come out yelled in pain as the door caught him between itself and the frame.

Alright, restraint to a degree.

She took a step down the hall and paused. Her PAK deposited a small charge into her palm and she set it against the wall in a corner. She had at least fifteen of these to use, if she was systematic, she could make it work.

Skoodge made his way up the stairs, his PAK dispensing a small device to him. He calibrated it, jumping between a few different signals. Once he found the signal that linked with the electronics within the building, he pressed the center button.

Gaz had sunk in her chair considerably, glaring at the two-way mirror before her. She had her hands gripping the legs of the chair. The legs weren't that thick, but they were a sturdy metal. She squeezed the chair leg, feeling the metal bend slightly under her grip, slowly caving in more and more as she increased the pressure.

She readjusted, watching the "mirror", debating if someone was watching her. She could make her way out of the building, especially with the new augmentation strapped to her back.

Fucking typical. Dib's luck rubbed off on me today of all days, she thought bitterly.

Speaking of her brother, he was probably thinking similar things. What was the best route to escape, viability of the vents as an option (not likely. Most weren't as large as those in films, after all), the likelihood of getting shot if they left…

She was willing to risk it. If all else failed, she could leap out a window and PAK leg herself to freedom. If she were fast enough, they might not even get eyes on her after she landed.

Gaz stood, knocking over the chair and bracing her heel on the bottom. She tested her grip on the chair leg. It was welded to the bottom of the chair. She felt out the best angle… and pulled.

She could feel her muscles flexing, with an added strength that she didn't recognize. She had felt a boost in strength from adrenaline, but this was much more. The metal of the chair leg started to bend, slowly snapping away from the bottom of the chair. Gaz gave it another wrench and the leg broke free, jagged at the end.

She moved to the door next, testing the lock. The handle stuck when she tried to turn it the first attempt. She figured as much, but she'd been optimistic. She wrenched it with more force next, breaking the lock internally. The door swung open, and she peered into the hall. It was empty, with only the buzz of the lights greeting her ears. She looked down the left end, where a row of windows showcased the cityscape on that end. The windows on the opposite end were trees.

Gaz slipped out, walking briskly down the hall. There weren't any alarms, but something was… off. There should have been someone by now, shouldn't there?

She shouldn't have tested her luck. Gaz came up to the next corner, face to face with an agent. She swung the leg of the chair in time with a kick. She landed the kick right into the gut and the swing at the shoulder. He stumbled back, groping at the pistol strap under his suit jacket. Gaz reared back, bringing the chair leg down. He turned to her, flinching.

Eyes of stark determination, an utter lack of hesitation—

SHIT—

The eyes were bore down unto him as heavy as the chair leg across his face. A resounding CRACK. And Gaz sprinted past him towards the stairwell doors.

The halls themselves were stripped of any decoration, save for the bare basics in signage. The small stairwell sign was her only indication of what the door led to amidst the plain corridors.

Just don't use the PAK, don't use the PAK, don't use the PAK—

Gaz's hand hit the handle. She heard a loud bang, with searing pain in her side. Gaz stumbled into the stairwell, leaning against the door to shut it after her. It was heavy, slamming shut before she could put her full weight against it. The chair leg fell out of her hand as she gripped at her side. She couldn't catch her breath, the pain burning and blood spreading on her shirt.

Oh, great, fucking fantastic.

Gaz grasped the chair leg tightly in her palm again. The pain was beginning to subside and her mind was getting clearer the longer she leaned on the doorway.

"—at are you doing?!"

"She was—"

"Don't shoot them, you idiot! Use the baton!"

Gaz glowered at the door. She started to walk along the wall, bracing herself against the brick. She ran her hand over her side, feeling smooth skin. She stopped at the next landing, looking down at her shirt. She had a hole in the front, and a quick slide of her hand around to her back revealed another hole. The pain had almost completely subsided now, the most prominent amount of pain centered inside. She labored her breathing, rubbing at her side as she descended the stairs.

Don't bludgeon a man, don't bludgeon a man… don't. bludgeon. anyone…

Gaz grit her teeth. The next person to come across her was getting a coin flip to decide their fate.

Dib looked at the vent with a scowl. It was too small to fit him. If he were smaller, younger, he could have squeezed inside. But, he'd built too much muscle over the years and he doubted he was flexible enough to make it work. He hadn't heard any movement in the observation room for a good few minutes now. There had been a commotion outside, a lot of feet rushing down the far end of the hall, and then silence.

He forced the handle to turn, snapping the lock, and peered outside. The hall was empty, but he didn't want to risk that someone else wasn't coming his way to check on his room. He first walked down to the door that would have led to the observation room and tested the handle. It was unlocked. He opened the door quickly, readying a fist. There was no one inside. A window was on the far end of the room. He could see that he was on an upper floor based on the view.

He followed the hall on the side that would have faced the window, looking for a door that was far enough to the right. He could reason, if it were set far enough to the side, it was stairs. He spotted a good candidate around the corner. He couldn't have sprinted faster.

He skid into the stairwell, slamming against the wall. He paused, and then lunged back for the door. He stumbled trying to catch the edge of the door, the weight of it sliding through his fingers, ending with a loud slam. Dib stood there, staring aghast at the door.

So much for stealth.

He groaned, turning on his heel and freezing, the guard who was coming up the stairs already raising his baton. It wasn't that Dib wasn't a fighter. He'd proven that just in his school years fighting with Zim. Sometimes it had drawn crowds. It was just fighting other people he didn't particularly like. Perhaps years of trying to protect humanity had given him some sort of complex. Regardless, he was shit out of luck and a baton was breezing through the air to his face, so all bets were off.

Dib threw his hands up, catching the baton and twisting it down. The guard almost dropped it—almost. Instead, he elbowed Dib in the nose, which hurt, and he—like a knowledgeable person who had fought a rather sharp-clawed alien one too many times and knew to keep his distance—released the baton. Dib stumbled back a few paces before he blocked another punch. He kicked out, landing a solid blow to the guard's left kidney.

He followed up quickly with three more kicks. One to the opposite kidney, another to the knee, and finally to the guard's chin when the knee kick brought him down. Dib leapt over him, catching the railing and almost falling down the staircase. He stumbled further up the stairs, catching a rhythm as he skipped stairs to climb the stairwell faster.

He could find Gaz, he was sure of it. If he worked his way down, while they thought he was going for the exit, from the rooftop. He could do so from the outside, looking into windows to see if he could find the observation rooms. And then going from there. There was no telling how many there were. Two or twenty, he couldn't know until he started looking. It was arguably faster than trying to open every single door without getting caught. He might have better luck staying out of sight if he were on the side of the building, even. For a few floors, anyway.

Just don't use it indoors, don't use it indoors, don't use it… he thought.

He rounded his third landing and sighed, stopping to catch his breath. He looked down the stairwells. He was a considerable number of floors. At least six or seven if he were counting right. He couldn't hear anyone around him in the stairs, or at least not close. He could hear footsteps and echoes from below him, but whether that was someone moving around in the stairwell or general chaos across the floors, he wasn't sure.

He was certain that the alarms had been sounded off by now, though. He climbed onto the railing, steadying himself with the bottom of the stairwell above him. If he could leap without the PAK legs, he might be able to move faster by skipping each flight.

It was a hackney plan at best, and one of his dullest moments. He was not telling Zim a word of it. He had successfully leapt up to the next landing (he credited it all to the PAK's body enhancing effects). His attempt at a grab for the upper railing was where he'd failed horribly. His fingers slipped on the bars. Dib felt a few moments of unparalleled regret and fear as he started his descent.

He reached out his arms to brace himself. The PAK legs extended, flailing around to find a surface to anchor into. Dib hit the railing, forearm first, his weight only coming down half as heavy with the PAK legs halting his full descent. He felt something snap, but the pain wasn't immediate. Rather, it was a deep seeded ache in the core of his forearm.

'Fuck that hurt, it hurts, it hurts, it HURTS OW FUCK— Dib crawled over the edge of the railing, crumbling onto the floor.

His PAK legs meekly pulled back into the PAK, as if awaiting some sort of scolding. He couldn't put it past Irken technology to have fully functional AI to some degree in their PAKs, even homemade PAKs from Zim. The base's Computer wasn't even glanced at by Skoodge or Tak.

Dib hobbled up the stairs, feeling the pain numbing through his arm. He grazed his fingers over his arm. There was a shifting under his skin.

Are—no—what the fuck. Are they resetting—OH WHAT THE FUUUUUUUCK No, no, later. Later.

Dib scrambled up the stairs. It had taken a lot of concentration jus to orient the PAK legs enough to anchor themselves so he didn't fall down the entire stairwell, and he'd still hit the railing. He wasn't looking forward to knowing how much control was necessary to have prevented that entirely—he was going to have to practice in controlled environments.

He hit a landing and had started on another staircase when he heard the door's handle before the door swung open. An agent rushed in, getting a step down the staircase before he paused and they both locked eyes. Dib broke out of his initial freezing response and leapt over the railings of the stairs. One foot hit the man's jaw, the second landing shoddily on the ankle. There was a loud crack when Dib landed and he slipped down a few steps of the stairs before he could grasp the railing and a bar on the inner rail.

The agent grappled at his pantleg. "Sorry!" Dib whined, kicking the man in the jaw again. He let go, slipping down the stairs and clenching his jaw. Dib scrambled to his feet and turned to go back up.

The door burst open and he stood, dumbfounded, as Tak came through, trapped in a grapple for a gun with a man almost twice her height. The confusion in the man's eyes were almost matching Dib's. Tak kicked out his leg. When he inevitably fell to one knee, she hit him in the nose with a palm strike. With a yank, she brought her elbow down on his back and Dib heard a solid break of bones.

Dib looked at her, mouth agape. Tak caught sight of him and froze. The man laid on the floor, howling in pain.

Tak pursed her lips, slowly standing straight. "…he's alive."

"Y-you just shattered his spine!"

"HE'S ALIVE!" Tak shouted, gesturing to the withering lump on the floor. She dropped another charge into the corner. "Why are you judging me, anyway. I left him alive. And I heard that man's bones snapping!"

Tak gestured down the staircase to the other agent. He was still cradling his jaw, and Dib wasn't entirely sure he was still conscious, as he wasn't moving. His body looked as if it had gone a little slack. Dib stood, rubbing his neck.

"I panicked?" he offered. Tak raised a brow at him. "I… okay, fine. What are you doing here?! Did you follow the van?"

"…In a sense."

"Did you… are you actually trying to save us?" Dib asks, eyes widening. Tak scowled at him, grabbing him by the collar.

"Why is that unbelievable to you?!"

"Well do you blame me?!"

"UGH!" she shoved him away, towards the stairs leading up to the remaining floors. "Where is Gazlene?"

"Ghk—! WHAT?"

"Where. IS. GAZ."

"Sh—wh…" Dib blinked dumbly at her. She clapped her hands harshly in front of him and he jerked away. "Uh—I—I don't know yet! I was going to work my way down from the roof to find interrogation rooms."

"Fine. You do that, I'll keep working my way up, and we can meet in the middle," Tak says, shoving past him.

"Wait, is Skoodge with you?" Dib asks, following after her.

"He's taking the first section of floors," Tak says, pushing through the door to the new level. "Six floors, going down three, I'll wait at a window if you can't find her."

"Right…"

Dib waited for when the door shut to wobble his way to the next flight of stairs.

GazLENE? He shook his head clear and huffed out a laugh. Did Gaz know? He wondered if he had a coin to flip next time he saw her. Maybe he could just do rock-paper-scissors with Zim.

He eventually came up to a door on a final landing. Looking down, he could see Tak slipping out of a door to place another charge and then slipping back into the main building. He hesitated not to go and grab them, but there was no telling how many she'd actually placed at this point.

He shoved the door open, breaking another lock on his way out, and let it slam behind him. He walked to the edge of the rooftop. If he tried to climb down, he'd have to make sure his PAKs legs—he was never going to get past the giddiness of that—didn't lose their anchor points. If the wall was textured that'd work best. He'd be suspending himself off the building to peer into the windows, too. If he wasn't going to hug it, that is.

It couldn't have been that hard, Zim has done it before.

…How Zim did it was something Dib hadn't been able to crack before now, so he was just going to have to pray. Dib peered over the edge. There was movement to his right. He turned and stared. Zim looked at him the same instant, one arm still extended with his claws digging into the side of the building. They held their staring contest for a moment longer before Zim vaulted over the ledge. Dib had enough time to straighten up before he was tackled.

Skoodge stopped at a corner to catch his breath. He had knocked out thirty-six guards and/or agents—he wasn't sure if there was a difference and it ultimately didn't matter, in his opinion—and checked every room on the first five floors. Tak hadn't come back, yet, and he was starting to wonder if they'd have to worry about anyone being left in the building by the time they left.

His PAK produced the communications microphone. "Tak? Can you read?"

"What."

Skoodge let his shoulders relax. "I'm ready to meet up, what floor are you on?"

There was a pause. Skoodge recounted the floors he'd passed on his way up, noting that he was far past where Tak had begun. He'd come across quite a few humans who had been… taken care of…so he wasn't that shocked to realize he'd gone further than he'd intended.

"Fourteen," Tak responded. "Where are you?"

"Thirteen! I'll meet you at the staircases," Skoodge relayed, rushing back to the stairwell. The call disconnected on his way. He quickly ran up to the next floor, pushing open the door just as Tak came up to him.

"I haven't cleared this floor yet," she whispers. She pointed down the hall. "Second door on the right. There's at least one man in there. I can hear him."

Both started approaching the door. The door burst open when they were still a few paces away, the man aiming a gun their direction. A PAK leg shot out of Skoodge's PAK, piercing the gun. Tak shoved the man, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. She kicked him to his knees, stomping on his spine, a loud crack echoing through the hall. She dropped his arm as he wailed on the floor.

"Where do we—" Tak froze, staring down the hall.

Skoodge watched her eyes widen, her pupils shrinking, and he turned quickly, raising a fist. He lowered it with a sigh of relief when he saw Gaz at the end of the hall, exiting the stairs. She stood staring at the scene, face unreadable. A coin she had tossed landed in her palm. She idly slipped it back into her pocket. She looked down at the man, who was begging for… something… and then back at Tak.

"…he's alive," Tak says stiffly.

Gaz began walking towards them, resting the chair leg across her shoulders. "You just ended this man's whole career."

"He's alive!" Tak shouted, her face turning red. Gaz seemed to be fighting back a smirk.

"Just snapped him like a twig."

"He'll live!"

Gaz paused when she reached them, lightly kicking the ground. "Just snatch his legs while you're at it."

Tak groaned, trudging down the hall. Skoodge laughed nervously, walking side by side with Gaz.

"I'm glad you're okay," he says.

"That man is lucky he didn't come across me," Gaz says flatly. Tak shot her a look, giving her a once over, her gaze resting on the chair leg in her hand, spattered in blood. Her gaze drifted up to the clothes Gaz was in, also covered in blood of varying degree.

"He'd end up leaving the same mess on you as well, I'd assume," Tak grumbled. She spoke louder at her next words. "Your brother is fine, as well. I met up with him in the stairwell."

"I just missed him, then," Gaz mused.

"I can help him," Skoodge offered. "Where was he going?"

"Rooftop."

"AH. Yes, I can go get them," Skoodge says.

He halted in the hallway at a window. Gaz paused to watch him as he ran his palm down the window. Once he seemed satisfied with his results, whatever those were, he punched the window out. The glass shattered instantly. Gaz jumped back, swearing him out. Skoodge climbed out the window, waving them off, before his PAK started to carry him up to the rooftop.

As he ascended, his PAK extended the communicator. "Zim? I'm heading to the roof to meet up."

"Meet us at the rendezvous point, I've already got him."

Skoodge halted, slowly descending past the window. He gave Gaz a nervous wave. "R-right. Okay, I'll meet you there. Tak has Gaz." The communicator retracted and he turned to the two girls.

"Just go, we'll meet you there," Tak waved him off. Skoodge didn't question her, dropping off the side of the building to land with his PAK legs, and rushing off down the sidewalk.

Gaz stared at the mess of a window a moment before she rubbed her temple. "I'm just assuming you all double checked there weren't any cameras on the rooftop."

"Irrelevant."

"That is the opposite of irrelevant," Gaz mumbled. She felt arms at her shoulders and knees. Gaz flailed for a moment before she realized Tak was the one that was carrying her. "Ex-fucking-cuse you?"

"This is faster," Tak insisted.

Her PAK legs extended, raising them up and moving out the window. Gaz observed them as they did so, watching as the ends twisted to better anchor against the wall, hooking into whatever textured surface was available. Tak was careful to turn so that they didn't cut themselves on the shards of glass remaining in the window pane. Gaz hooked her arm around Tak's neck and shoulders, tensing up as they descended.

"I'm not dropping you," Tak says.

"That doesn't change how high we are," Gaz hisses back. "I'm usually in something when I'm off the ground."

"You are in my arms."

"…"

Gaz was staring at her, with an oddly unwavering gaze. Tak resolutely kept her eyes on the ground. It was a few minutes before they reached the ground, and Gaz was still staring at her even as Tak's PAK carried them over the fence and to the sidewalk. Even as Tak started walking normally, Gaz was still staring at her.

"…You can put me down, now," Gaz says coolly. She tossed the chair leg behind her into the trees.

"Even with technology as superior as a PAK, you still have a fleshy human body."

"Even for walking?" Gaz asks dryly. Tak paused, her face flushing a deeper shade of green. She dropped Gaz to the sidewalk. "HEY!"

Zim's communicator retracted back into his PAK and he buried his face into Dib's collar again. Dib chuckled, keeping them upright with one arm as he had his other wrapped around Zim's waist. Zim had straddled him as soon as he'd landed and had yet to let go. Dib readjusted so he was sitting properly and patted Zim's shoulder.

"Zim," Dib began. "We can do this at home. Without the threat of getting caught."

Zim mumbled something into his shoulder. Dib looked down at him quizzically. Eventually, with another pat on Zim's shoulder, Zim leaned away with a sigh.

"Fine."

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate it," Dib joked. He shimmied himself out from under Zim so he could stand. He was only able to stand for a few moments before Zim scooped him up bridal style and started for the ledge. "UH—"

"This is faster," Zim says.

"I get that, but what are you—ZIM!"

Zim leapt from the rooftop. They soared past the fence, towards the trees. Zim's PAK legs extended far out before them, two piercing tree trunks and the remainder landing on nothing substantial. The two who found anchor points were enough, however, to slow their descent until a third could stabilize them. It felt a lot like being on a bungie cord, with the sudden descent and controlled rebound as the PAK legs steadied them out above the trees.

Dib was chuckling as Zim lowered them through the canopy so he could touch ground. He carried him through the forest until they reached the sidewalk. Dib smiled, resting his head on Zim's shoulder with a content sigh. Being carried was oddly comfortable, especially when he didn't have to worry about Zim's getting tired any time soon. Though, he still felt a little guilty.

"I can walk," Dib says.

"Not until I am certain we're not being followed."

"Gonna leap leagues and bounds into the forest if we are?" Dib asks, rubbing at his arm. It was completely healed by now, but it was so surreal, knowing that bone had been broken less than half an hour before.

"It's an idea."

Dib laughed, poking Zim's cheek. Zim hissed, sticking his tongue out at Dib with a glower. Dib settled into his arms, getting comfortable. Zim rounded a corner on the sidewalk, faltering in his steps. Dib looked up to find Skoodge waiting at a nearby bench, staring at them as they rounded the corner.

"N-NOTHING!" Zim screeched, dropping Dib to the ground.

"OW!"

"Wh—n-nothing what?"

"NOTHING!" Zim roared. Dib groaned, slowly sitting up and rubbing his lower back. He rested his hand on Skoodge's shoulder as he stood, holding his back.

"Hey…" Dib greeted in a pained voice. He turned to Zim. "Screw you. Take me back to my bed."

"…"

Dib's face turned bright red. "Wait—"

"Home it is," Zim says, scooping him up once more.

"WAIT, LET ME REPHRASE THAT!"

"Too late, Dib-stink," Zim teased, chuckling. Dib started thrashing in his arms. Not enough to be dropped to the ground, but certainly enough to be a hassle. Zim just snickered at him. Skoodge stared at them, humming.

Fascinating.

"HEY!" Gaz's voice shouted out to them.

Zim jumped, nearly dropping Dib if he hadn't latched himself around Zim's neck. Both turned to find Gaz trudging up to them with Tak on her back, draped over Gaz unconscious. Skoodge stared in horror. In the silence, Gaz paused as she reached them, looking unperturbed.

"I punched her too hard," Gaz says flatly.

There was a pause, then Zim started to snicker. The snicker turned into a chuckle, and then he had to set Dib down as he laughed hard enough to double over a little. Dib sighed, moving to stand instead. Zim started to slap the concrete.

"Is it that funny?" Gaz asks.

"Was it one hit?" Dib asks. Gaz nodded and Zim started to lose himself all over again.

"Serves her right!" Zim managed between bouts of laughter. Dib breathed out his nose, controlled, and calm. He set a hand on Zim's shoulder.

"Zim, can we go home? At least laugh and walk at the same time," Dib says.

Zim collected himself, standing. Dib turned to lead the way back, or at least to somewhere he recognized. Zim scooped him up again, ignoring when Dib tried to swat him off this time. Zim looked around them, checking a full 360 degree perimeter, before he hoisted them up on his PAK legs. Two limbs extended out, forming a 'Z' much like a praying mantis. Another leg, ended in a sharp point like his others, came out to hover by Gaz.

"Put her on it," Zim says. Gaz stared at him a moment, stunned silent. "HER SHIRT COLLAR!"

"Oh."

"WHAT DID YOU THINK HE MEANT?" Dib asks.

"We're not gonna talk about it," Gaz says, hoisting Tak alongside Skoodge to hook her jacket collar onto the limb. Zim lowered the other two limbs, each with a different device on the ends, to Gaz's level.

"Lay across them, I'll carry you as well," Zim instructs. Gaz snorted, but walked to the side of the limbs, letting herself fall into them. She adjusted a little, hooking an over around one limb, before settling.

"Alright, I'm good," she says with a yawn.

"So," Dib begins, letting his head lull onto Zim's shoulder, "how many bodies are we going to have to bury?"

"It does not matter," Zim says.

"Zim—"

"So long as you are both safe, I do not care," Zim clarified. "That is all that matters."

"Zim, that's not fair," Dib sighs, closing his eyes.

"What is unfair was them taking you at all. It was not fair that you were ostracized. It was not fair that you and Gaz were the only two humans who knew what was really going on for years. It is not fair how your Father treats you," Zim says, his voice becoming a growl as his grip tightened. Dib looked up at him.

"Zim—"

"It is not fair what my Tallest did to me! I do not care about fairness! IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT IS FAIR!" Zim shouted, glaring ahead.

Dib stared at him, speechless. Gaz glanced his direction, turning her head towards them. Skoodge bit his lip, looking away. He thought to intervene, and then thought better of it, lest Zim round onto him next. There was a tearing noise, and Tak's uniform shirt split. She dropped, all dead weight, faceplanting into the dirt.

Skoodge paused, staring down at her and looking back to find Zim still walking away. Dib craned his neck over his arm and turned back to him.

"Zim!"

"Skoodge," Zim says flatly.

"I've got her," Skoodge assured them, already scooping Tak over his shoulders.

As they neared the house, the sun had begun to set and the street was getting dark. Zim lowered himself down to walk normally, his PAK legs retracting, leaving just the PAK tools to remain left out. Gaz stirred, mumbling as she started to squirm. Zim paused, carefully bending the limbs of the tools to set her on her feet. Gaz rubbed at her eyes as she walked. She turned, spotting Tak still draped over Skoodge's shoulders. He shot her an awkward smile.

"Give me her," Gaz mumbled, yawning. "I got her."

"You're still waking up," Skoodge says. "I can carry her."

Gaz shook her head, gesturing that he hand her over. Skoodge hesitated a moment. Gaz snapped her fingers and he relented, pausing so she could take her. She had Tak set on her back, holding her by the legs with her arms draped over her shoulders. The PAK made it a little uncomfortable, but not impossible. She caught movement from her peripheral and glanced over, spotting a PAK leg hovering in the air beside her. She slowed her pace just a little, watching the PAK leg, soon joined by a second, with the presence of the others on her opposite side coming to her attention. They all hovered in place, as if assessing the situation.

They rounded the corner for their street and Zim glanced down at Dib. He was asleep, head against his shoulder, glasses askew on his face. Zim's grip tightened just a little more and he held him just a little closer.

"Zim," Gaz whispered. Zim turned to her, stopping in his tracks. She paused short of him, stiff. Zim looked the legs over. "Zim, what the fuck."

"It happens when we're unconscious," he says. "They're waiting to get her to safety."

"Why now, when she's on me?" Gaz hisses. A leg twitches.

"It is just a guess. But, it is probably because your PAK isn't registered," Zim hisses back with an equal amount of spice. "It is entirely possible the PAK does not remember who she was with. You're fine. They'd have gored you if they suspected otherwise."

"That doesn't help," Gaz grumbled, but she kept walking regardless.

"Or, they're trying to walk her themselves," Skoodge offered. Gaz shot him a disbelieving look.

"Or they're what?"

Tak's eyes started to flutter open. She knew she was walking, without her own two feet, but it felt wrong. Unlike being hoisted by her PAK, and not the same uniform bobbing up and down. It took a moment for her to realize her PAK legs weren't the source of her movement. Purple hair and a familiar scent were the only true indications.

"Oh, you're awake."

Tak's antennae shot up, followed closely by Tak. Gaz stumbled, fighting to regain her own balance. One of Tak's legs landed on the concrete, resetting her balance and pushing to slowly set Gaz upright again.

"A warning—"

"Put me down!" Tak shouted.

"Okay, okay, fuck," Gaz released her legs.

Tak slid off, rushing past her to the front door. She fruitlessly tried the lock and turned back to the group, blushing. Skoodge hurried to the door, turning the lock with the temporary spare key. He held it open for them, Tak rushing inside and disappearing into the kitchen.

Zim slipped inside, setting Dib on the couch. He started to pull away and Dib's hand shot out, clutching Zim's sleeve like a lifeline.

"Sit," he ordered. Zim's antennae flicked and Dib pouted his lip. Zim sighed, sinking into the couch next to him. Gaz sat on his other side with a sigh.

Dib pulled his phone out, checking that it hadn't broken, and started to flit through his contacts. Zim looked down at it and groaned.

"Why are you contacting him?" Zim asks, scowling. Skoodge glanced over to him, antennae flicking up curiously.

"I have to," Dib says, holding up his arm as a barrier when Zim tried to grab at the phone.

"FINE. But I am getting you new clothes, you stink of those humans," Zim says. He paused, his antennae fluttering at Dib's forehead. He lightly swatted them away. "And gun powder."

"Thanks," Dib waved him off. He set the phone to his ear, his knee bumping as he waited. Soon enough, his father's line opened.

"Son! Hello!"

"Um, hi, Dad. I got some, um… unfortunate news?" Dib starts.

"That's one way of putting it," Gaz muttered.

"Gaz!" Dib whispered. He returned to the call, rubbing his neck. "Yeah, so, Gaz and I were kind of… taken? White van, ambushed on the street, woke up in interrogation rooms and all… no, I don't know who exactly… I can send you a rough address… No, we're home now. Zim wasn't with us," Dib says, glancing around the room.

He caught the gaze of both Skoodge and Tak, the latter of which raised a brow at him as she leaned in the kitchen's doorway. Dib was nodding, biting his lip. He paused, nodded once more, and then hung up the call.

"Oh, he's really mad," Dib whispered.

Tak tilted her head. "He sounded the same the whole time."

Gaz pulled her GameSlave out from the lower shelf of the coffee table. "No, he's definitely mad."

Tak and Skoodge looked to each other, both lost, but unsure how to ask any clarifiers. Dib just sighed, sinking further into the couch. "He's gonna—OI," Dib shot up as Zim passed him, carrying a duffel bag.

Zim turned to him. He froze in place, locking eyes with Dib. For a few tense moments they remained like that, until Zim made a bolt for the door. Dib shot up, using his PAK legs to vault across the living room. Zim had always been much faster when he used them to close a distance, so logically that fact would remain. It had, but perhaps too well. Dib crashed into Zim's back, sending both of them to the floor, backended by Tak's laugh.

"You're like a Smeet!"

"Give me a break, I just got them!" Dib shouted.

"Gaz has no issues," Tak retorts.

Gaz looked up. She roamed her eyes over all of them before silently letting her PAK legs extend to hoist her up, never once stopping her game.

"See?"

"Well, I'll learn—once I'm done—Ow! With him!" Dib shouted, grappling Zim.

"RELEASE ME!"

"No, because I know exactly what you're going to do!"

"RELEASE ME!"

Tak snickered, turning back into the kitchen. She paused at the fridge, opening it to grab one of the soda's Zim kept stocked inside. Her PAK extended the lifeforce scanner and she froze, unable to bring herself to move as it quickly spun it's scan around the room. The tablet was dispensed and she numbly took it in her hand.

"Report overdue. Please report," came the robotic voice.

Suddenly the fighting in the other room halted. Tak gulped, shutting the fridge. There was the sound of something scrambling across the floor and then Zim was standing in the doorway. Tak stared down at the 'REPORT DUE' on the screen.

"Report what?" Zim hisses.

Tak stared. She could see Zim looming in the doorway, with two PAK legs already extended over his shoulders and poised in her direction. She set the tablet down on the table.

"Report overdue. Please report."

"Report what, Tak?" Zim asks. His voice was unnaturally calm for all she could only guess he was thinking. Calm before the storm, Tak thought.

Could she spin this? If she worded it right—or just lied—perhaps she could talk her way out of it—

"Overdue report. Please rep—"

"I got it!" Tak shouted.

Dib peered around Zim in the doorway, bending down below the PAK legs to see her. She slammed the soda on the table with an aggravated sigh, falling into the chair and running her hands over her scalp, ruffling the holographic of her disguise.

"You, dumbass. I'm supposed to report back on you," Tak spat out, throwing the soda in Zim's direction. His PAK leg pierced it. Dib watched with disdain as the soda sprayed across the kitchen wall. He bit his tongue, opting to deal with it later rather than get between the two at the moment.

"And what am I supposed to say?!" Tak shouted.

Zim was silent as he assessed her. His PAK leg shook off the soda can and retracted back into his PAK. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Just tell them the truth."

"…What."

"I doubt they will care. I am not actively going against the Empire, and I am unofficially banished to this planet, so why would they care? Just tell them what you've observed. On one condition," Zim explained. Tak watched him, her brow furrowing. "Mention anything regarding these two," he gestured back to Gaz and Dib. "And I will tear your PAK off."

Tak gaped at him. Zim left the doorway, walking briskly to his room, leaving Dib to gape after him as well. Skoodge was staring at the floor, his head resting on the back of his palms. Gaz paused her game and sat up, watching Zim as he passed. Tak sat there for a few moments before she silently took the tablet, sinking in the chair as she typed out her report.

"You'd better hope your assumption is right, Zim!" she shouted.

Zim called out from his room. "I'm always right."

Gaz turned to the hallway. "Bullshit."

"I am always right about this, then."

Gaz hummed, sitting back against the cushions. "…I'll let it slide."

Tak sighed, setting the tablet on the table as she reviewed the report. Dib cautiously walked up to her, peering down at it. With it being the only light source in the kitchen, the screen seemed far more intimidating. It hurt his eyes to look at it in the dark, but he read the short recount that Tak had typed out.

'TARGET IS IMPUSIVE, LOUD, AND DISREGARDING ANY AND ALL REGULAR BEHAVIOR CONSIDERED SUITABLE TO THE EMPIRE. MINIMAL INTERACTION WITH INHABITANTS OF THE PLANET OUTSIDE OF DESTRUCTIVE OR DETRIMENTAL BEHAVIOR. TARGET IS STILL UNWORTHY OF SELF-PROCLAIMED INVADER STATUS, HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO BE REINSTATED. STILL MORONIC.'

Dib sent her a side eye that Tak avoided.

"I said nothing that was untrue," she says.

"You could've been nicer," Dib grumbled.

"Absolutely not."

Dib sighed, relenting on the argument, and slid the tablet over to her. "Then, I think it's acceptable. A bit short, but I don't think they'll care, either."

"If they do, it's my head," Tak grumbled, sending off the message. Dib shot her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. You can always stay here," he offered. She looked up at him, leaning back in the chair. "Well, you can stay downstairs. There aren't enough rooms up there. But, think of it like a little getaway planet. I learned recently that the Empire didn't really have plans for Earth, anyway. And they're far away. Right now."

"For now," Tak affirmed. Dib nodded, tapping his finger on the table.

"For now…" he repeated. He shrugged. "It's a big galaxy. And I hear they're still pretty busy with their current conquering quest. So, just take it day by day."

"I am not looking for sympathy."

"It's called empathy," Dib corrected.

"…"

"And thanks, by the way," Dib says, shooting her another smile. "Now clean up the kitchen."

"Wh—it was his—!"

"You threw the can in the first place."

"…"

"Cleaner is under the sink."

Tak watched him, flabbergast, as Dib left the kitchen. She sighed, getting up to grab the cleaner. She paused at the sink, her PAK producing a tablet. She opened up the window to the charges.

Dib's phone started to go off, the ringtone the X-files theme, alerting him immediately it was his father. Dib groaned, pawing the coffee table for his phone. They'd dragged his mattress into the living room for an impromptu movie night, sleepover style, and he couldn't recall when exactly he'd fallen asleep, just that he'd set his phone to charge and then that was it. He sat up, stretching, and readjusting the blankets to remain covering Zim and Gaz as he got up.

He crept to the kitchen as he answered the line.

"Hello?"

Membrane's proud voice boomed over the other end of the line. "Son! Don't you worry about those pesky government agents, anymore. I handled the matter personally!"

Dib paused in the middle of the kitchen, freezing in the rubbing of his eyes to wake up. "What?"

"Why, yes! I simply explained the situation to their superiors."

"…Other than what I told you?" Dib asks, unsure if he was hopeful for a yes or a no.

"The situation that they were in, of course!" Dib dragged his hand down his face. "Why, they did kidnap my children, after all."

Dib looked to check if Gaz had woken up, yet. He caught sight of Zim sitting up, his antennae tilted towards him and his brow furrowed. Dib returned to the phone. "Dad, did you threaten an entire government agency?"

Membrane laughed on the other end. "Oh, son, you know that's not telephone conversation! But, yes, I rather did!"

"You what?!"

"What?!" Zim shouted from the living room. Gaz groaned, hitting him in the side. "OW!"

"Quiet, 'm sleeping," Gaz mumbled, turning over and covering her head with the blanket. Dib leaned away, plugging his ear.

"What do you mean? I didn't even get their name, how did you—?"

"Well, they didn't take kindly to my first suggestion. They seemed to think I had something to do with their building being destroyed. I wasn't giving them any mind to baseless accusations. So, I just made them a separate offer. Their lives or yours!"

Dib's mouth fell open. He hardly noticed when Zim snatched the phone out of his hand. "I commend the tactics," Zim says.

"Ah! Hello, other son!" Membrane greeted. Zim's expression immediately soured.

"Not on your life."

Membrane laughed again. "You fit right in."

Zim abruptly hung up the phone. He slid it back into Dib's hand, patting his cheek as he continued to gape at the floor. Gaz came trudging into the room, half asleep and coffee-less, determined to fix that sin. She trudged directly past both boys towards the coffee maker. She set it for a cup. If Dib wanted more, he'd make his own supply.

She stood there, leaning against the counter and the upper cabinets, until it beeped. She groggily grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured herself a serving. She turned and found Dib and Zim staring at the phone.

"What?" Gaz prompted.

"Uh… Dad… took care of the agency?" Dib tried, setting his phone on the table. Gaz was silent. She rubbed some of the bleariness from her eyes before taking a sip of her coffee and setting the cup on the edge of the table.

"Did you mention me getting shot?" she asks.

"WHAT?!" Zim grabbed the edge of her top, frantic to pull it up to find the bullet wounds.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Gaz shoved him away by the face. "I WILL KILL YOU!"

"You're the one who got shot!" Zim spat back. Gaz forced him into a headlock, bringing them both to the ground.

"AND I WILL KILL YOU!"

Skoodge leaned far enough from the couch to tilt his antennae towards the kitchen, trying to hear them better. "Should we..?"

"I'm not getting in the middle of that," Tak says, scrolling through her tablet. Her antennae flicked. "I thought all that blood was someone else's."

Skoodge turned to her, mortified. "You didn't ask?"

"Why would I ask?" Tak whispers.

"Why wouldn't you ask?" Skoodge whispered back. Dib's voice filtered in from the kitchen, weighed down by fatigue.

"Hey, can you guys not this early in the morning? She's clearly fine—" Gaz shot him a withering glare. Dib shrank back, shuffling around the edge of the table and averting his gaze. "Um, so, yeah, there's never a guarantee, but, he said he did."

"What was left," Gaz mumbled. Dib sighed, running his palms over his eyes. Zim was slapping Gaz's arms, trying to stand, despite Gaz weighing him down.

"Yeah… hey, it's been a while since you've gone all…" he mimicked horns on his head. Gaz blinked slowly at him. "Um…You know. All hell beast on someone. It was that kid with the last Game Slave last time, wasn't it?"

Gaz's eye twitched and she scowled. She released Zim, kicking him harshly in the legs to bring him back down to the floor. He swore at her in Irk as she stood.

"He deserved it," Gaz mumbled, slowly sipping her coffee.

Zim watched her. "What."

"He needed therapy," Dib says.

"What?"

Gaz scoffed. "Everything has a price."

"Why did I never hear of this?" Zim asked.

"I hated you," Gaz said curtly.

"…Fair…"