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Into the Web	By : Florville Category: +G through L > Invader Zim > Crossover Views: 2436 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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CHAPTER THREE

It was around noon, and as Dib had expected, the mall security guard he’d spoken with the night before had forgotten to get the surveillance tapes ready for him. So after waiting at the disgustingly busy mall for about half an hour, Dib stalked irritably back to his car, the video records in hand.

Sitting down at the desk in the shabby excuse for an office that the precinct was letting him “borrow”, Dib opened his laptop and set it down in front of him, wiring the second-rate VCR into a port in the back and turning it on.

After the first hour, Dib sighed and paused the tape, going out into the staff break room and putting a pot of coffee on. As he waited for it to finish brewing, he looked out the grimy window at the street, watching the people passing mindlessly by and shaking his head.

He felt so out of place. He always did…like he didn’t belong here.

Pouring a cup of coffee, Dib returned to his task, sitting back and watching the surveillance tape until he spotted Walscott. Dib scowled, his lip curling hatefully as he watched him grab the arm of a little boy who was quite obviously separated from his parents.

Dib didn’t know who he hated more: the parents for allowing it to happen through their neglect, or the pedophile for taking advantage of it.

Pausing the tape again, Dib zoomed in on the child, heightened the resolution of the image, and printed the picture out, looking at it for a moment. The boy couldn’t be more than seven years old.

As he ran through the footage again, Dib tapped his pencil idly against the desk. A knock on his door startled him, and he rolled his eyes. “It’s open.”

One of the younger officers poked his head through the door, then stepped in, saluting and carrying a file over to Dib’s desk. “There’s been another murder, Sir. In the same alley we found that guy yesterday.”

Dib frowned, looking through the file, his eyes instantly stopping on something. “There was semen on the body?”

The cop nodded. “Yes, Sir. She was raped before he…well…dissected her, I suppose.”

There was a moment of quiet, and then Dib shook his head and closed the file, handing it back to the young officer. “It’s not relevant to this case.”

“Wha—but…why not?” The officer blinked at him in surprise.

“It’s a different murderer, not the one I’m after. You guys can catch that one, I’m sure. Fuck only knows he left enough DNA evidence on the body.”

The officer gazed down at the file, then looked at Dib curiously. “How can you be so sure it’s not the same guy?”

Dib sighed, turning around in his chair to face the younger male. “When you do the kind of work that I do, you get to know the ins and outs of the criminal you’ve been assigned to track down. You try to determine his motives, his methods, and his state of mind.” Leaning forward, Dib shook his head. “For one thing, rape is not my killer’s M.O. And for another, he never kills at the same location twice when he’s out and about in the city. As for what he might bring home…well, I would have to find his home first to know that.”

The young cop nodded, then cleared his throat. “Um…permission to speak freely, Sir?”

Dib blinked at him, then nodded. “Er, granted.”

“For a guy that’s only in his twenties, you’re damned good at what you do.”

The compliment made Dib blink in surprise at first, then he blushed a little, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Wow…you’re…the first person who’s ever said that.”

“Are you kidding?”

Dib laughed and shook his head. “Not in the slightest.” Lifting his head, he nodded to the young officer. “Thank you.”

Saluting, the officer turned and walked out.

Turning back to his laptop, Dib gazed at it for a moment and then sighed, folding his arms on the desk.

It was his first compliment, although he hadn’t mentioned that for fear of sounding as pitiful as he felt. Twenty six years of age, and never once had a positive word been directed at him.

Pathetic.

Taking the picture he had printed out, Dib rose to his feet, locking his laptop with a complex series of passwords and turning off the VCR before walking out into the main hallway, going down to the Police Commissioner’s door and knocking sharply.

“Yeah, come in!” a rough bark came from behind the door, and Dib rolled his eyes. Stepping into the office, Dib closed the door behind him, walking up to the Commissioner’s desk and setting the picture down.

“This is our witness. For the murder last night. I want you to make copies and put one in every cruiser in the pre—”

“What, that kid?” The Commissioner snorted and tossed the picture back at Dib. “Christ, the boys’ve taken that little bastard home so many times they all know his address by heart. 775 Elmwood Lane. Name’s Toby or Todd or something. Calls himself Squee.”

Dib blinked at the man in shock. “What do you mean, take him home? Does he run away?”

“Nah, his parents are just idiots.” He chuckled.

Anger began to surge up in Dib’s being until he couldn’t stand it any more. “Let me…get this straight. Every single officer in your precinct has returned this kid to his home at least once…and you know that it’s due to irresponsibility on the parents’ part.”

The Commissioner nodded, stretching and leaning back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. “Yup.”

Taking his glasses off, Dib pinched the bridge of his nose. “And children’s services hasn’t done anything about it?”

“Can’t do sweet bugger all unless there’s obvious bruises on the kid.”

Slipping his glasses back on, Dib placed both of his hands on the edge of the Commissioner’s desk, looking down at the beautifully stained oak surface. “Have you ever heard the motto, To Serve and Protect?”

The old cop quirked a brow. “Yeah…can’t remember where it’s from, though. I think it’s the Marines. Either that or the Navy.”

Dib slammed his fists down on the surface of the desk so hard that half of the Commissioner’s mug of coffee spilled onto it.

“How about CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE, you fuck?!?” he shouted, absolutely livid. “That kid almost got molested by a fucking pedophile last night because his parents could give a shit about his well-being, and you’re sitting here on your fat ass doing nothing about it?!”

He wanted to put his fist through the Commissioner’s chubby face, but miraculously withheld from doing so, instead storming out of his office and slamming the door.

*

Standing outside the front door at 775 Elmwood Lane, Dib straightened out his tie and coat, then knocked loudly, pocketing his sunglasses as he waited.

A few minutes later, the door flew open and a man in nothing but a pair of thin striped pajama bottoms scowled at him through a grimy set of bifocals, his face unshaven and his grayish hair tousled and unkempt.

“We’re not interested.” He snapped, trying to slam the door.

Dib’s leather-gloved hand shot out and held the door open, his eyes narrowing as he pulled out his identification. “Federal Agent Dib Membrane. You have a son, about six years old?”

The man’s left eye twitched, his scowl darkening. “Yeah, so?”

Again, the urge to punch someone was diligently restrained. “I need to speak to him.”

Rolling his eyes, the man stepped back and shouted up a set of uneven wooden stairs.

“Hey KID!! Get your ass down here!”

A few seconds later, the small boy Dib had seen on the surveillance tape came scurrying down the steps, clinging to a ratty old teddy bear.

“Here,” the man grunted, hauling the child up by the scruff of the neck and throwing him at Dib, “he’s yours, take him and get lost.”

Dropping his briefcase and laptop in order to catch the child that was thrown at him, Dib jerked back when the door was slammed in his face, scowling and having to fight very hard not to break the door down and put the sorry excuse for a parent straight on a few things.

What stopped him was the bundle in his arms. Blinking, Dib looked down at the young boy, quirking a brow. “Uh…you okay?”

The boy nodded, although he didn’t meet Dib’s eyes, his expression fearful as he clutched his teddy bear tighter to his body. “Squee…” he murmured, biting his lip.

Smiling in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, Dib gently set the boy down on his feet, taking one of the child’s small hands in his own and shaking it lightly. “I’m Dib. Nice to meet you, Squee.” Kneeling down to put himself at the same level as Squee, Dib quirked a brow and extended a hand again, patting the teddy bear on the head. “Does your bear have a name too? Y’know, just in case I need it.” It had been a while since his job had required him to speak to a child, thankfully; even so, he took a careful approach.

Squee looked at the ground, nodding. “Schmee.”

“Well hello there, Schmee. It’s nice to meet you too.” Still smiling encouragingly, Dib sat down on the front step, looking over at the boy, who was still standing. “I came here to talk to you today, Squee. I’m a police officer…” he pulled his FBI identification out of his inside pocket and offered it to the boy. “Well, I’m more of a secret agent, I guess.”

Taking it, Squee sat down on the front step as well, putting his bear down next to him as he held the ID badge in both tiny hands, looking at it. “You’re in the FBI?”

Smiling wryly, Dib nodded. “I am. I’d let you keep that, but I kinda need it.”

For the first time since Dib had laid eyes on him, Squee smiled. “That’s okay.” He handed the ID back over to Dib, then folded his hands in his lap, kicking his feet a little. “So…howcome you want to talk to me?”

“You were at the big shopping mall with your parents-“ he paused as the boy pulled his teddy bear into his lap again, “oh, sorry…you and Schmee. You and Schmee were at the shopping mall with your parents last night, right?”

Squee nodded, still kicking his feet. “Uh-huh. I got lost. Mom and Dad always walk too fast.”

Dib ground his teeth. Yeah, I’ll bet they do, he thought. “Really? That must’ve been scary. What did you do when you got lost?”

The boy seemed to withdraw into himself at that point, hugging his bear tightly. “I yelled for my mommy…but a man came. He said that he knew where my mom was.”

Dib nodded silently, although inside he was seething. The fact that a child’s parents could be so negligent…the mere thought of a child like Squee having to go through what that pervert had grabbed him for…it made him want to scream.

“I told him that I wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers.” Squee looked at Dib uncertainly.

The words were a relief, if a small one. At least there was some hope for this boy… “Good. You did the right thing, then.”

Squee smiled for a moment, but the smile faded just as quickly as he added, “But he didn’t listen. He picked me up and took me to the door. He was scary.”

As it sometimes did, that horrible sick feeling started to gnaw at Dib’s gut. “What happened then?”

Hugging his bear tightly, Squee looked down at his feet. “He put me down on a box outside and started saying stuff…I said my name is Todd…everyone just calls me Squee, though. But…I told him my name and he got angry at me.”

It was taking every ounce of strength in Dib’s being to keep from picking the boy up and holding him. He knew where Squee…Todd…might be going with this story, although he was hoping that the killer had intervened in time…

“He didn’t hurt you, did he, Squee?”

Todd shook his head, looking at Dib again. “Not really…he picked me up and shook me. I thought he was gonna hurt me, but then the scary neighbour man saved me.”

One of Dib’s brows shot up at that. “He saved you? How?”

Squee clutched his teddy bear again, clenching his eyes closed. “Don’ wanna talk about it.”

Dib sighed softly, then reached out and rested a hand on Todd’s back, rubbing gently. “It’s okay, Squee. I understand. I’m glad that the neighbour saved you. That was nice of him.”

“Uh-huh. He’s always nice to me. He says to call him Nny. I don’t know if that’s his name, though. He always needs bandaids.”

Dib blinked at the little boy, cocking his head slightly. “So this neighbour…Nny…you’re friends with him, then?”

Squee blinked at Dib as if he didn’t understand the question. “Um…I dunno. Schmee says I shouldn’t be friends with him.”

“Oh? Why does Schmee say that? He seems like a smart bear, after all.”

Squee looked down at his bear and then up at Dib again. “He says that the scary neighbour man does bad things. That he hurts people, and he’s gonna chop me up and put me in the garbage.”

Dib blinked at the little boy, both shocked and curious as to where Todd could have come up with something so horrifying. Turning to look at the decrepit ruin of a house on the next lot, Dib quirked a brow. “Is that his house there? Number 777?”

“Uh-huh.” Squee nodded, cuddling his bear.

Turning back to the little boy, Dib smiled. “Thank you very much, Squee. And you too, Schmee. You’ve both been a very big help today.”

Squee smiled, seeming very pleased with himself.

Dib couldn’t help but follow through with the urge to gently ruffle the boy’s hair. Turning and kneeling on the ground again, Dib grinned. “Hey…I can’t give you my badge, but you can have these.” Pulling his sunglasses out of his pocket, he offered them to Squee.

Wide-eyed, Squee took them, blinking. “Real FBI sunglasses? Are they X-ray ones?”

“Not yet,” Dib chuckled. “But keep your eye out…someday you might be able to trade them for a pair.”

Holding the sunglasses and Schmee tightly, Todd gazed at Dib in awe for a moment, then put Schmee down and threw his arms around Dib’s neck, holding him tightly. “Schmee says you’re a good guy. Is he right?”

Dib caught his breath at the sudden embrace, then cleared his throat awkwardly, patting Todd lightly on the back. “Yes.” Dib nodded. “Yes, I am. Schmee is very smart.”

Squee sighed. “He is.” Pulling away, Todd picked his bear up again, looking at Dib sadly. “Are you going to come back?”

Dib felt the sad gaze on that pale, almost gaunt-looking face wrench at his heart. “I…we’ll see. I might drop by to check on you, and make sure everything’s going okay with you and Schmee.” He forced a smile, rising to his feet. “Remember, no talking to strangers, okay?”

Squee nodded, smiling and going back to the front door, trying to turn the knob and sighing, turning around and sitting dejectedly on the front step.

Frowning, Dib stepped forward and tried the handle, his eyes darkening when he found that it was locked. Looking down at Squee, Dib smiled warmly. “Squee, could you just stand over there on the grass for a moment while I open the door for you?”

Nodding, Todd hopped to his feet and did as requested, watching curiously from a spot on the front lawn.

Cracking his knuckles, Dib took a step back, inhaling deeply. In one movement, he stepped forward and kicked the front door in, feeling a little better when splinters flew off of the doorframe.

“WHAT THE F—” the pajama-clad man came running out of a side room with a can of beer in his hand, blinking at Dib in shock.

“Sir,” Dib snarled, spitting the word out, “I would highly recommend that you do not lock your son out of the house in future. Because if you do, I’m going to do far more than kick your door in, do you understand?”

The man just blinked at him stupidly as Todd trotted into the house and waved goodbye to Dib before disappearing up the stairs.

Returning to his car, Dib set his briefcase and laptop down on the passenger seat, closing his door and starting the car, pursing his lips for a moment as he flexed his foot.

“Ow.”
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