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Description
Gaz watched the men dressed in black rummage through her living room. She was trying to find any identifying features as to who they were. She doubted they were the police, they were dressed too nicely to be patrolmen and too uniformly to be detectives. Besides the police had just questioned her less than an hour ago with no indication of wanting to search the place. Then she heard something, “I recognize those names. Those are some of Dib's stupid paranormal investigator friends.”

“How do you know that?” Zim inquired from over Gaz's shoulder also eyeing the men.

“Dib isn't nearly as discreet as he think he is during his conference calls,” Gaz said matter of factly. “Maybe they aren't intruders so much as annoying guests.” she half inquired to the air.

“Doubtful,” the computer chimed in as the current screen quickly scanned through additional rooms of the house showing that the only presence there were the men dressed in black. This worried Gaz, where had Dib gone. She also couldn't be entirely sure as the image went by too quickly but it appeared as if the Irken ship he'd been stashing in the garage also seemed to be missing. She quickly refocused her attention, Dib was grown up enough to look after himself. “Why are his investigator buddies searching our house?” she wondered allowed.

“Why don't you ask them yourself?” the computer chimed in again.

“What do you mean?” Zim didn't even have time to finish asking his question before the doorbell rang and the screen in front of them switched to a view of two men dressed in black standing at Zim's front door.

Gaz and Zim both exchanged apprehensive looks. Zim didn't like having paranormal investigators at his door, even if they were known for scoffing at Dib's constant accusations of his being an alien. However he also knew he couldn't let Gir get to the door before he did. “Keep Gir down here,” he shouted as he took off towards the door applying his disguise along the way.

Gaz watched Zim run off and noticed that Gir had wandered off while she and Zim had been focused on the screen. Once again she found herself alone and feeling uneasy. Although this time she had memories to connect to her uneasiness, recalling the time she had been cursed to only taste pig and was confined to observed quarantine. That was by her father, she couldn't imagine what would happen under the scrutiny of these men.

“What do you want?” Gaz heard Zim's voice come from the screen. She groaned and hoped that these investigators were as clueless as the rest of the planet and didn't connect Zim's distinct lack of social skills as alien.
“Good morning young man,” One of the men spoke, “We were wondering if you'd be willing to assist us.”
“Depends on what you want assistance with.,” Zim stated in pompously.

“We are attempting to find the young woman in this photograph,” The man continued as he held up an extremely blurry photo of a glowing Gaz that must have come off a random security camera last night, “We have reason to believe you may know something about her whereabouts.”

Gaz held her breath, glaring at the image of Zim, hoping he wasn't stupid enough to acknowledge the photo as her. He stared at the picture for what felt like far too long a time. Eventually the two men exchanged glances and pulled another photo from behind the first, this time it was Gaz's school photo.

“Have you seen her recently?” The second of the men asked Zim.

Zim eyed the two men before he shook his head, “Can't say that I have.”

“Thanks for your time” They said as they pocketed the photos and began to walk away. Zim closed the door. Gaz eyed the screen of Zim's now empty yard as she tried to figure out how Dib's typically clueless gang of investigator's attached her to last night's events so quickly. It had to be because this was a different group, from what she could remember of Dib's group they weren't nearly this organized or uniform. Maybe some of these men had infiltrated Dib's group in order to monitor them? How had she not noticed that sooner. She cursed her lack of inattentiveness again.
What was going to do now? She could be certain that no matter which group was currently searching for her they would still be monitoring her house. Depending on how well they pieced everything together there was a good possibility that they were also watching Zim's house now. Was she effectively trapped here?

She didn't have long to think on it before she heard Zim's foot steps behind her. She turned to eye him. She wasn't sure if given recent evidence she'd be comfortable staying here or going back home anyway. She exhaled as she stared at the ceiling in resignation, at the moment it seemed the only allies she had were this half-wit alien, his gluttonous robot and their sentient base.

“All right,” she said, “we need a plan.”

“We?” Zim asked as he turned around and began to go back to the room he'd been in earlier in the day. “You are welcome to stay for as long as you need, and work out whatever plan you like. What I need is to fix my pak.”

Gaz glared at Zim's back, well clearly he'd figured out she couldn't go back home. She soon followed him and explained further, “You really are dense. If they established that blurry photo was me, who knows what else they got from that security footage.”

“They made no indication of suspecting anyone other than you” the computer now chimed in, “What would you be requiring for a comfortable stay?”

Gaz now glared at the ceiling. “You all seem pretty quick to leap to I need to stay here.”

“Well don't you?” Zim said over his shoulder sounding almost half pleased. “After all if they've already narrowed down where you live. Probably going to stake it out or lay down surveillance and wait for you to return in order to lock you up.”

“How?” Gaz could hardly believe that Zim was this capable of a logical leap on his own.

“Gir went through a detective show phase.” The computer interrupted again answering Gaz's thought's “Now Miss Membrane, I'm assuming you'll be wanting some form of video game console. Regrettably we currently don't have one nor do we have much of a wardrobe for you.”

“I never said I was staying here.” Gaz interjected, “I could just leave and go.”

“Go where?” Zim interrupted this time, “The only thing you have right now are the clothes you wore here. Which are in my possession at the moment.”

“Technically they are in my possession, as I'm washing them.” The computer chimed.

“All the same.” Zim said as he went to the table he'd been at before and leaned on it as he eyed Gaz smugly.

Gaz massaged her temples as she tried to find a chair, “Don't you realize they are probably monitoring you.”

“So?”

“So, if they are as tenacious as you think, how long do you think it will take before you inadvertently tip them off about your own paranormal secret? Or before Gir does something to tip them off?”

“You'd be surprised by how blind some humans could be.” Zim spoke up again,“besides, what do you propose we do now? I've tried the running in first and think as you go, it doesn't work. We hardly know anything about the enemy, I am not at full capability with a broken pak, and you are undergoing some sort of breakdown that is inhibiting your own abilities. So even if we were to do something how would we know that you wouldn't lose control?”

Gaz couldn't argue with that. She stared at Zim a little dumbfounded. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Most of all she was shocked by how blinded she'd been to the development of Zim's deduction skills. She looked around as she contemplated any argument but was incapable of thinking of one. Reluctantly she had to admit that Zim was correct in that she needed a get better control of the abilities she'd tapped into the previous night and that she needed to learn more about the men dressed in black in order to fight effectively.

Gaz noticed a smirk come across Zim's face. She quickly stood up and left the room although she knew she wasn't going far. She also knew that Zim was fully aware of that fact as well and it just made her angrier. She stopped and propped her back against a wall before sliding down to sit on the floor. There had to be something else she could do.

Description
Gaz watched the men dressed in black rummage through her living room. She was trying to find any identifying features as to who they were. She doubted they were the police, they were dressed too nicely to be patrolmen and too uniformly to be detectives. Besides the police had just questioned her less than an hour ago with no indication of wanting to search the place. Then she heard something, “I recognize those names. Those are some of Dib's stupid paranormal investigator friends.”

“How do you know that?” Zim inquired from over Gaz's shoulder also eyeing the men.

“Dib isn't nearly as discreet as he think he is during his conference calls,” Gaz said matter of factly. “Maybe they aren't intruders so much as annoying guests.” she half inquired to the air.

“Doubtful,” the computer chimed in as the current screen quickly scanned through additional rooms of the house showing that the only presence there were the men dressed in black. This worried Gaz, where had Dib gone. She also couldn't be entirely sure as the image went by too quickly but it appeared as if the Irken ship he'd been stashing in the garage also seemed to be missing. She quickly refocused her attention, Dib was grown up enough to look after himself. “Why are his investigator buddies searching our house?” she wondered allowed.

“Why don't you ask them yourself?” the computer chimed in again.

“What do you mean?” Zim didn't even have time to finish asking his question before the doorbell rang and the screen in front of them switched to a view of two men dressed in black standing at Zim's front door.

Gaz and Zim both exchanged apprehensive looks. Zim didn't like having paranormal investigators at his door, even if they were known for scoffing at Dib's constant accusations of his being an alien. However he also knew he couldn't let Gir get to the door before he did. “Keep Gir down here,” he shouted as he took off towards the door applying his disguise along the way.

Gaz watched Zim run off and noticed that Gir had wandered off while she and Zim had been focused on the screen. Once again she found herself alone and feeling uneasy. Although this time she had memories to connect to her uneasiness, recalling the time she had been cursed to only taste pig and was confined to observed quarantine. That was by her father, she couldn't imagine what would happen under the scrutiny of these men.

“What do you want?” Gaz heard Zim's voice come from the screen. She groaned and hoped that these investigators were as clueless as the rest of the planet and didn't connect Zim's distinct lack of social skills as alien.
“Good morning young man,” One of the men spoke, “We were wondering if you'd be willing to assist us.”
“Depends on what you want assistance with.,” Zim stated in pompously.

“We are attempting to find the young woman in this photograph,” The man continued as he held up an extremely blurry photo of a glowing Gaz that must have come off a random security camera last night, “We have reason to believe you may know something about her whereabouts.”

Gaz held her breath, glaring at the image of Zim, hoping he wasn't stupid enough to acknowledge the photo as her. He stared at the picture for what felt like far too long a time. Eventually the two men exchanged glances and pulled another photo from behind the first, this time it was Gaz's school photo.

“Have you seen her recently?” The second of the men asked Zim.

Zim eyed the two men before he shook his head, “Can't say that I have.”

“Thanks for your time” They said as they pocketed the photos and began to walk away. Zim closed the door. Gaz eyed the screen of Zim's now empty yard as she tried to figure out how Dib's typically clueless gang of investigator's attached her to last night's events so quickly. It had to be because this was a different group, from what she could remember of Dib's group they weren't nearly this organized or uniform. Maybe some of these men had infiltrated Dib's group in order to monitor them? How had she not noticed that sooner. She cursed her lack of inattentiveness again.
What was going to do now? She could be certain that no matter which group was currently searching for her they would still be monitoring her house. Depending on how well they pieced everything together there was a good possibility that they were also watching Zim's house now. Was she effectively trapped here?

She didn't have long to think on it before she heard Zim's foot steps behind her. She turned to eye him. She wasn't sure if given recent evidence she'd be comfortable staying here or going back home anyway. She exhaled as she stared at the ceiling in resignation, at the moment it seemed the only allies she had were this half-wit alien, his gluttonous robot and their sentient base.

“All right,” she said, “we need a plan.”

“We?” Zim asked as he turned around and began to go back to the room he'd been in earlier in the day. “You are welcome to stay for as long as you need, and work out whatever plan you like. What I need is to fix my pak.”

Gaz glared at Zim's back, well clearly he'd figured out she couldn't go back home. She soon followed him and explained further, “You really are dense. If they established that blurry photo was me, who knows what else they got from that security footage.”

“They made no indication of suspecting anyone other than you” the computer now chimed in, “What would you be requiring for a comfortable stay?”

Gaz now glared at the ceiling. “You all seem pretty quick to leap to I need to stay here.”

“Well don't you?” Zim said over his shoulder sounding almost half pleased. “After all if they've already narrowed down where you live. Probably going to stake it out or lay down surveillance and wait for you to return in order to lock you up.”

“How?” Gaz could hardly believe that Zim was this capable of a logical leap on his own.

“Gir went through a detective show phase.” The computer interrupted again answering Gaz's thought's “Now Miss Membrane, I'm assuming you'll be wanting some form of video game console. Regrettably we currently don't have one nor do we have much of a wardrobe for you.”

“I never said I was staying here.” Gaz interjected, “I could just leave and go.”

“Go where?” Zim interrupted this time, “The only thing you have right now are the clothes you wore here. Which are in my possession at the moment.”

“Technically they are in my possession, as I'm washing them.” The computer chimed.

“All the same.” Zim said as he went to the table he'd been at before and leaned on it as he eyed Gaz smugly.

Gaz massaged her temples as she tried to find a chair, “Don't you realize they are probably monitoring you.”

“So?”

“So, if they are as tenacious as you think, how long do you think it will take before you inadvertently tip them off about your own paranormal secret? Or before Gir does something to tip them off?”

“You'd be surprised by how blind some humans could be.” Zim spoke up again,“besides, what do you propose we do now? I've tried the running in first and think as you go, it doesn't work. We hardly know anything about the enemy, I am not at full capability with a broken pak, and you are undergoing some sort of breakdown that is inhibiting your own abilities. So even if we were to do something how would we know that you wouldn't lose control?”

Gaz couldn't argue with that. She stared at Zim a little dumbfounded. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Most of all she was shocked by how blinded she'd been to the development of Zim's deduction skills. She looked around as she contemplated any argument but was incapable of thinking of one. Reluctantly she had to admit that Zim was correct in that she needed a get better control of the abilities she'd tapped into the previous night and that she needed to learn more about the men dressed in black in order to fight effectively.

Gaz noticed a smirk come across Zim's face. She quickly stood up and left the room although she knew she wasn't going far. She also knew that Zim was fully aware of that fact as well and it just made her angrier. She stopped and propped her back against a wall before sliding down to sit on the floor. There had to be something else she could do.