Any questions or comments you have about this story can be asked here or you can search me on deviantart, I still house an account there. The artist name is still megadoomingir.

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Reep had locked himself away. Since Eleven reawoke him a couple hours prior he'd been on edge. He had decided to watch the video feed of the newest change while Eleven kept an eye on him. He hadn't changed that time, but he was sure it would happen again. His knowing that this thing controlled him, that it was in his very thoughts and nestled deep within the pit of his emotions, terrified him.

Reep was actually afraid.

And so, he locked himself in one of the storage rooms to sit and think. He knew the smeet couldn't tell the ship to change course and so wasn't fearful Eleven would escape. So just sitting and thinking and trying to gain his sanity and body back was all he could do at the moment.

A tiny knock came at the door of the room and Reep growled, "Eleven, I told you to stay back. We don't know when this could happen again," he could feel the creature within him stirring, wanting the smeet close again; Reep snarled, "Get away from the door."

The smeet pouted on the other side, "But th' 'puter said I gots t' get you. There's a beep-beep-beep an' a planet an' other things an' I would go an' fix it m'self, but your ship said that I am a no-no."

The older Irk crouched on the floor and held his head tightly. Think. Focus. Think…

Reep finally stood after a few minutes and went to the door, unlocking it, "Fine, I'm coming out. But you must hide yourself away. Don't tell me where you are and don't be near the computer console or flight controls."

Eleven scuttled away from the door and hid in the kitchen, climbing into one of the cupboards. When Reep was sure he was safely tucked away, he came out of the room slowly and went over to the computer controls.

"Computer," he murmured, "Status update."

The computer beeped to life, "Multiple updates ready. Ship status: poor. Fuel low, transmission low, engine block two and six at less than twenty percent power, cooling tanks at less than half full. Designation status: adequate. Seventy-eight percent of course traveled. WARNING: planet inbound. Rebelios, the Rebellion Planet, at your direct right."

Reep covered his face to hide his stress, but nodded, "All right… We're going to land then. Thank you for your services."

The computer beeped back, "It has been an honor, sir," then powered down and remotely navigated the ship downwards towards the planet.

Reep had been to this place before. He knew what to expect. When he first established the R.A.I., he had come here first, looking for followers. He had stayed for many months to understand why these fellows fought and to see if he could gain any secrets about the Empire he hadn't already thought to exploit. But it had been useless. This cityscape planet was just as dirty and filthy as every other planet the Irken Empire had conquered and the inhabitants were slaves to their own ideas of what the universe should be like; nearly half, he was sure, were insane.

But they were here again, flying through the enormous dust storms the planet suffered from every now and again, and landing on a runway strip that had been abandoned nearly as soon as it was built.

Reep sighed when they touched down, growling, "And now I must suffer the companies of beings who know nothing of fighting for beliefs…"

Eleven peeked out from his hiding place and whimpered, "Choo?"

The older Irk's antennae perked and he shook his head, "Not yet, you stay hidden until I say so."

The smeet let out a small peep and hid again.

Reep looked out the cockpit window and sighed before going to the side door and peeking out. The area was empty. Most of the planet had been long forgotten. He nodded to himself, then went back inside, looking around.

"Eleven?" he didn't get an answer, "Smeet, I'm telling you to come out now."

Reep frowned when he didn't get even a squeak and started looking about the room, "Eleven, answer me now!"

The monster snarled and began ripping open cupboards and tossing aside cushions and chairs looking for the little Irk. But his efforts were proving fruitless.

Reep panted angrily, feeling the monster within him starting to fester. It was bubbling up, screaming to be loosed. The Irk fell his knees and tried to steady himself, but he felt the monster clawing up inside him and out, reaching out into the light, tearing…

Reep suddenly became calm. His eyes turned black and dead to the world. The creature was awake again.

It peered around the room carefully, then snorted angrily when it realized Eleven was no longer in the ship. No longer in the room. No longer close to him.

The monster roared and ran out the door, seeing little footprints left in the sands on the tarmac leading away from the ship. Its black eyes glared angrily and it ran as fast as it could into the newly forming dust storm. The winds whipped into its clothes and tried to pull him off target, but soon the monster saw its prey.

Eleven whimpered and fought against the wind as he tried to walk, but it was getting harder to see. He couldn't hear the monster coming up behind him, claws outstretched for him. The smeet held tightly to his clothes and whined, yelping when dangerous hands snatched him up.

The monster growled loudly but suddenly settled when the smeet clung to him and squeaked, trying to hide from the dangerous winds. It purred softly and cradled him, then marched along in the dust, striding forward.

Eleven's tiny claws gripped against the body as tight as he could. He knew this wasn't Reep right now. He knew this was dangerous. But getting lost here was much worse.

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The monster's eyes stared down at the little smeet as they slowly drew closer to the city. The dark orbs gently reflected what little light they had back at the smeet and Eleven just kept his gaze down. He didn't want to give the monster anything, not even eye contact. And he was very sure this was the longest he could tell of Reep being stuck like this. He didn't like it. The monster didn't talk much. He just held him and hissed a little.

The monster had finally made it to what seemed like a road and on the side was a small building, lost and as abandoned as they were. The smeet was carried tenderly inside and set down on a lone table, then the monster sat in front of him, smiling and watching.

Eleven hummed and glanced back, causing the monster to twitch in anticipation.

Finally, the smeet drew a breath, " … Hi!"

The dark eyes watched him carefully.

Eleven fidgeted, "Umm… you gots a name?"

The monster just stared.

The smeet pouted and crossed his arm, "If you're nah gonna talk t' me, den I'mma nah gonna talk t' YOU!" he turned away angrily.

The monster gasped and whined, getting up to sit right in front of the little Irk, trying to gently touch his cheek, but Eleven pulled away, "No!"

The monster snarled, but the smeet glared at him, "No, no, no!"

Black eyes glared back into blue ones, yet Eleven didn't let up. The monster hissed lowly and stood up in front of him.

The little Irk didn't want to back down but at the same time he was very afraid of what this monster would do. The monster was breathing raggedly, glaring and hissing darkly, but he wasn't tackling or grabbing at him yet.

Yet.

Eleven finally relaxed a bit, "If you wan' t' be near me, den you have t' talk t' me."

Black eyes wavered and a groan escaped the monster's mouth. It was clear it understood. It was also clear that it couldn't speak the language Eleven wanted.

The smeet hmmed, "Well, you can nod, huh?"

The monster's head cocked to the side, but it nodded all the same.

"Good!" Eleven chirped and dropped to the floor; the monster quickly snatched him up to hold him, but the smeet expected this, "Then you can nod if you like something and shake if you don't."

The monster nuzzled him close and sighed contently, letting its host body just fall to the floor to sit. Eleven squealed at the sudden drop, holding tightly onto the monster's dusty shirt, then cooed when he saw a small bug scuttle across the floor.

"MMMMINE!" he squeaked, launching out of the monster's grip to catch it.

Black eyes grew darker and sharp claws suddenly latched on tightly to the smeet's little body, dragging him back into the monster's waiting lap with a snarl. Eleven shrieked as the claws dug in and tried to pry them off, but Reep's body was bigger and stronger than his. And the monster inside him wanted him close.

Eleven felt the larger arms beginning to crush into his body, squeaking the air out of him and causing him to whimper. The monster growled angrily and kept curling in, tighter and tighter, squishing the little smeet in as close it could get him to be. Eleven had tears escaping his eyes as he tried desperately to get a breath, and he could feel the last little bit of air that he head just about ready to leave him.

"R…" he tried, "ee…"

But the arms just kept squeezing him.

Eleven trembled as the grip continued to worsen when a sudden burst of energy pushed from his chest, fighting the arms off his body just enough for him to get a breath in and scream, "REEP, REEP, WAKE UP!"

The monster gripping him laxed immediately and Reep groaned as he dropped Eleven and rolled over. The smeet coughed and crawled away to hide under the table as fast as he could, a little orb of light under his shirt poking out the top to look around.

Eleven curled up and cradled the sphere, his Guardian, as he cried softly.

Reep sat up slowly. He looked around, saw Eleven, and asked no questions. He shakily extended a hand to the wailing child, who flinched away, then gently took him by the arm and pulled him out, resting him in his arms as he carried him out of the building.

"I'm sorry," he murmured multiple times, "I'm sorry this is happening."

The smeet didn't speak to him, he only held onto his Guardian tightly.

Reep sighed, walking slower, "If I knew what this was, I'd have it fixed, but in light of what we are dealing with, I don't think a doctor can just whisk it away…"

When Eleven didn't respond again, he instead tried to change the subject, "Ahem, it's… nice I suppose to see you have your orb again. How is…" he remembered back, "um, 'he'?"

The smeet shrugged, hiccupping as he curling in on himself and closed him eyes.

"That's good…" Reep grumbled.

He looked ahead much farther down the way and almost sneered when he saw what they were approaching, "Oh, how quite unfair…"

It was a docking bay full of ships. And one in particular caught his eye.

"Smeet," Reep hissed, "if you do not stay very quiet in the next few minutes, I will personally call this creature within me up to see you…"

Eleven stayed stock-still and didn't move.

The older Irk smirked, "Good."

He crept quickly over to a rather nicely sized ship for maybe seven or eight occupants, but inwardly laughed when he saw the entirety of the Resisty pouring out, screaming at the fresh air and some kissing the dirt at their feet. Lard-Nar yelled at them to stop wasting time and to head to the shops they wanted to go to. They would be leaving again soon.

Reep liked the way that sounded. Except they would have to leave in something else.

He waited for the last Resisty member to vacate the area before running to the door and peeking around. Eleven rested in his arms and he wouldn't be able to do this properly without both arms free.

He hissed down at the smeet, "Remember what I said?" Eleven didn't look at him, but he did nod slightly, "Good. My PAK is going to hold you. If you scream or try to get away, I will let this creature have you for as long as it cares for. Understand?"

The smeet nodded again and was quickly enveloped by a pair of tentacles, holding him against Reep's back snuggly. The little Irk only whimpered slightly, and Reep let it slide due to what he must have gone through earlier; he didn't know specifics, but he could imagine.

Once the smeet was settled, Reep pounded harshly on the door and stepped to the side. Spleenk opened the door enthusiastically and cheered, "You brought the plunger-"

Reep grabbed him by his shirt and threw him out roughly, closing and locking the door with a laugh when the alien yelled 'hey'. It only took mere seconds for Reep to activate the ship's engines and shoot off, all of which he did with a smug grin on his face.

"There, that wasn't so bad," he mused, allowing Eleven back on the floor as he began to input coordinates, "And you were such a good little smeet. How proud you do make me."

Eleven shrugged and sat in the chair Lard-Nar usually sat in, "Do I?"

Reep was taken aback by the forwardness of the question, "Well… yes. You listened to me and did what I asked of you, what's not to be proud of?"

Eleven thumbed at Guardian, the pulsating light of a familiar presence calming him, "Den next time, dun you say you're gonna kill me."

The older Irk was very taken aback by that. He hadn't threatened the smeet with death; he said he was going to let the creature out-… Reep paled. Had the monster inside him, this dark black thing… had it tried to kill the smeet? The monster within him rumbled, but he was not presented with a feeling that this creature denied it.

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Looks like Reep is slowly starting to understand this monster now. I don't think he wants to fully understand it though. That could end badly for him…