The day had started out just like any other. Lord Hater was woken up by his third in command around noon- still half asleep as the watchdog dragged him into the bathroom to brush his teeth, before getting him to dress in a clean- and ironed- robe. After that was breakfast, where Hater was handed his coffee and his brain began to actually stir. It was when pancakes were placed in front of him did Commander Peepers start rambling about reports- how the troops were doing, what the tech lab just came up with, how he needed Hater to sign for the new budget arrangements, and blah blah blah. The skeletal overlord honestly didn't care- he was busy eating freaken PANCAKES! He was in the pancake zone, the butter mixing with the taste of the krickleberries, and ooooh how they melted in his mouth- no. This was HIS time, no time to care about whatever Peepers wanted. So he grunted with every word asked of him, signed the documents without even looking, whatever he could do to get the guy to just SHUT UP!

Afterwards was the morning conference when Peepers would go and tell him his new plan to conquer whatever planet was next on the list- something like Bajor? Bebop and Rocksteady? AGAIN with the not caring! Hater was more interested in the jams he had on his walkman and just said whatever he thought sounded like an appropriate reaction . Sometimes Peepers was pleased, other times the guy glared and looked furious. Either way, it got the job done and soon it was Hater's free time.

And naturally he spent the next seven hours playing his video games.

It was around 2100 hours when Peepers came in to check on the overlord and give him his dinner.

"Aaand your burgers and fries, with an extra large Coo-Koo Cola- just the way you like it. Is there anything ELSE I can do for you then, sir?"

Hater had been very invested in his game, sunk deeply in the large beanbag he had been sitting it for the past some odd hours. All day he had been trying to beat ONE level- ONE GLORBIN' LEVEL- and he REFUSED to give up until he had beaten it. Ooooh, how hard could it be to get a Slipdarriun Horned Frog to cross a busy road- AND WHY WAS THIS SO IMPORTANT TO BEGIN WITH?!

"Yeah yeah, sure, whatever," the skeleton grumbled, not even tearing his eyes away from his game. "Can't you see I'm sorta BUSY here, Peepers?!"

"Quite busy." Hater didn't need to look at the guy to tell he was giving him his usual dead-pan expression. "Alright, sir, if that's everything then I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow then."

THIS, however, snapped Hater out of his game straight away- causing his poor frog self to get ran over by a truck and instantly die. The overlord, however, was not paying any attention to his horrible demise as his focus was completely on his third in command.

"WAIT! Uh… does that mean… does that mean you're, you know…. going out again tonight?"

Peepers stopped, but didn't turn around. He sighed- Hater was going to try and make him stay, wasn't he? Well, he was ready for it.

"Yes, it means exactly that. But! Not to worry, sir, I'll be back in time to get a solid night's sleep, and be well rested for tomorrow's duties. " He spoke the words rapidly, with little interest, clearly a rehearsed reply. He only took a step when a gloved hand came down on his shoulder , halting him. Well, glorp. Hater might not have been able to make him stay by order, but he could definitely make him stay by force if he wanted to. Peepers glanced back at Hater, cautiously.

Hater gave his best smile- as fake as it was. He opened his mouth to speak, and the words that spilled out sounded a lot more confident than he was feeling.

"That's cool, y'know, whatever. Been thinking about it, and you deserve some time to yourself, pal!"

Peepers gave him an incredulous glare. Oh, this wasn't right. This wasn't right at all. Hater would never say that. Not in a million years would he say that... suddenly, Peepers wanted more than anything to get out of there.

"...Thanks?" The lead ball in his stomach lifted when the hand on his shoulder did. He turned to leave again, and stumbled forward when a hand slapped him on the back. It took him a moment to realize it had been meant as a friendly gesture, and not an unexpected attack. He mentally scolded himself for forgetting one very important rule; never turn your back on a potential enemy OR a potentially ticked off or mentally unstable boss.

"Have fun!" Hater sang. Oh, that gave Peepers the creeps. What was WRONG with him?

"Yeah sure..." Peepers mumbled, and practically jogged out of the room, not planning on slowing until he reached the hanger.

Hater stood in his room, and he watched his third in command leave, waited a few moments, and then scrambled to his dresser drawer. He yanked it open, and pulled out an electronic box, about the size and shape of a hand held video game. He switched it on, and with a click of a button, a flashing red dot appeared against a vague sort of grid, numbers and coordinates rapidly scrolling through up in the corner. Now Hater's smile was true... and decidedly mischievous.

The tracking chip he's stuck to Peepers' back before he left would make sure Hater got the answers he was looking for.

Hater waited a good ten minutes more before dashing out of his room- not even bothering turning off his game system- as he made sure to give his commander a good enough head start. He wanted to be able to track him… not instantly get spotted, after all. Years of gaming had at least taught him THAT much. It was when he went down to the hangar and got into one of the hovercrafts- not even bothering signing for it- did he realize he didn't think this through. UGH! Of COURSE he would be too big for it! Stupid army of little people! He looked around to see if there was ANYTHING he could use that was more his size. That was when he saw, in the far corner of the docking room, a vehicle that resembled a mix of a scooter with a loading truck. ….Yeah, okay, that would work. Lame ride for a totally top secret skeleton spy, but it would have to do. So with his handheld tracker held out in front of him, Lord Hater started up the hoverscooter and made his way out into the vast night.

Leading him straight towards a casino planet.

No, wait, that couldn't be right. The overlord looked at the device in his gloved hands once more, glaring at it and DARING it to lie to him. When it still blinked at the same location, and even a good smack from the guy not changing it, Hater came to the conclusion it was one hundred percent correct.

"Why the heck would Peepers come to THIS stupid place?" Hater questioned aloud. " What, he's gotta gambling addiction or somethin'? He BETTER not be stealing MY money for his own dumb problems!"

The skeletal overlord made his way towards the planet, still following the red blinking dot, as he made his way towards the planet's largest casino. It was there he saw the watchdog's ship parked in the parking lot-amongst a sea of others. Yeah, no, there was no denying it… Peepers was there, all right.

Hater took one step through the large glass rotating doors, and instantly cringed. It was loud, it was colorful, it was crowded, and the lights were blindingly bright compared to the ones on his ship. He was about to turn around and leave when he spotted a familiar face from all the way across the building... or did he? It was hard to tell with all of those colorful flashing lights everywhere, but he was certain he saw one of his greatest nemeses chatting it up at the bar- no doubt picking up some hot lady to take back to the ship with him for the night.

Although not the reason he was here, there was no reason he couldn't scope out what Awesome was doing, too. He didn't see Peepers anywhere, and besides, getting secret intel on your enemies was always a good idea. He just had to get past the sea of people, loud casino machines, and betting tables, without being seen.

Hater sighed before going into action. He tip-toed further into the building, before plastering his body alongside the wall. The skeleton smiled to himself, as he realized just how cool and badass he was at that moment- acting like a real spy from some of his favorite movies. The name's Hater…. Lord Hater. Yeah… really had a ring to it! Double-O Hate- ooo, just the name sent a tingle down his spine! Hater continued to make his way down the long hall, ducking behind every plant, and barrel rolling every time a large entranceway from another hall opened up and took his wall space. All the while he could practically HEAR the awesome music he would have if he really was Double-O Hate.

Unbeknownst to the overlord, many a person walked past, staring, wondering what the overgrown doofus was up to.

Some odd minutes later, Hater was finally at the end of the hall. Hiding behind a potted fern, he peaked his head out and around the corner to see if he could spot his rival once more. He was first greeted with how blue the room was. Neon spiral lights were on the ceiling, looking more like a giant tentacle beast was getting ready to attack the place than anything else. The black floor seemed to take in the light, just like the white chairs and sofas lining the room, making the room mix with its blue and purple hues. Hater's eyes found their way to the bar- the large fish tank against the wall alive with electric eels swimming about and illuminating the place even more.

It was at the end of the bar, sitting in one of the circular chairs, where he saw Awesome. The shark-man was smiling brightly- his red lips a contrast compared to the rest of the room. The emperor laughed, as he rested a hand on the back of the chair next to him.

It was then Hater noticed just who was sitting in that chair, accompanying him.

"PEEPERS?!" Hater cried out, before covering his mouth and hiding back behind the wall and fern. That… That wasn't very spy-like. But he ignored his blunder as he thought over what he had just witnessed. Peepers, HIS commander, was… was meeting up with AWESOME?! The biggest and most conceded walking fishstick in all the galaxies? What in the name of the nine galaxies was HE doing there… and… AND WITH THAT GUY?!

All of his questions were answered and everything suddenly fell into place, as Hater watched the two raise their glasses in a toast. So that was it, then, wasn't it? His right hand man, his most trusted ally, the guy he'd intrusted with his every secret for years... had betrayed him. And what was worse, he'd run off to none other than his second most hated person in the universe. And the little jerk didn't even have the nerve to tell him! Sneaking around like-

Hater gasped. Peepers hadn't left, because he was acting as an inside spy! The overlord's blood began to boil to think that that no good, unappreciative eyeball thought Hater was dumb enough not to catch on. So he thought he could just continue to come and go as he pleased, all the while gathering secrets and classified information to feed to his new best buddy, huh? Right under his nonexistent nose? Well then he had another thing coming!

Hater wasn't even watching them anymore. He was sitting on the floor, slumped over, arms crossed, mumbling to himself like a grounded child, back facing the disgusting display. It wasn't until his handheld device beeped that he came out of it, scrambling to locate the thing and see what its deal was.

The Peepers dot was on the move again... Hater looked up, frantically searching the crowds. He shot up to his feet when he spotted Emperor Awesome leaving with his third in command. Now he was faced with a decision; tail them, or go back to his ship and start thinking up the best way to dispose of the little traitor when he returned.

Nah, there was plenty time for disposal options later. He was getting way too good at this super secret spy stuff- MUCH better than Peepers - to give it up now. The overlord didn't even bother being discrete, running at full tilt across the crowded lobby, knocking gamblers and tables out of his way as he did so. Luckily, Emperor Awesome's ship still hadn't left the parking lot by the time he skidded to a stop outside of the casino.

However, he could see the hangar already starting to close- causing him to let out a panicked and shrill cry. Going by instinct alone, Lord Hater dashed for the large vessel- leaping and doing his best to use his upper body strength and his long legs to flail and pull himself up the closing ramp. He landed inside of the ship, falling on his face, as he laid there for a moment trying to create the will to go on. UH, seriously, that hurt WAY more than he thought it would. A large chunk of Hater's drive was suddenly gone, as he nursed his aching face in a gloved hand. All he wanted to do now was go home, crawl into bed, as Peepers helped make him feel all bet-?!

WAIT A MOMENT! PEEPERS! That guy, the traitorous watchdog, was the reason he was even out and about in the FIRST place. Anger swelled up inside the skeletal overlord, as he used it as momentum and drive to pick himself up. Yes, right- mission. He was on a mission to gather all the intel he could before disposing of his third in command. Hater needed to find out just what those two were up to, see if they had any plans on assassinating HIM and trying to steal HIS empire!

Once more Hater sprinted- this time running down the only hall available. His spy movies had always taught him that staying in place too long was NEVER a good idea- it was how they got caught, after all. And the LAST thing he wanted was to get caught in enemy territory- Awesome was the WORST when he bragged! Making his way down the first double corridor, he made a quick turn before plastering himself along the wall- looking from side to side before running down the hall, hoping he was going in the right direction where he might find SOMETHING of interest.

On the other end of the corridors, where Hater had failed to even look, were two fistfighters watching this with curiosity.

"Uh," the first one said to the other, unsure of himself, "should we… ya know, report that?"

"What? Naaah. Dude, no. I don't know what the guy's up to, but if I know anything after all these years of working with Awesome… Lord Hater is a riot and known to trip himself up sooner or later."

"So… security cam watching then?"

"I'll make the popcorn!"

Surrounded by doors that lined either side of the long corridor, Hater was already feeling frustrated. He knew how it was in video games; he'd try every one of these doors, and every one of them would be locked. What was he looking for, anyway? Documents? Battle plans? Where did people keep those things, anyway? Peepers had always been in charge of those kinds of things...

The door at the very end of the hall easily caught his attention. The door frame was lined with florescent tube lights, and Awesome's stupid insignia hung proudly in the center. None of the other doors mattered now, that was obviously the door he was looking for.

A cloyingly sweet odor made him wrinkle his nose, as he slipped inside the dimly lit room. He flailed a hand up and down the wall until he found the light switch. Hater actually yelled when the lights came on, and nearly blinded him. These lights were even brighter than in the casino! What was WRONG with people?! He quickly switched the lights back off- the tacky mood lighting should suffice for what he needed.

Hater glanced around the room... yeah, not much had changed. Same stupid waterbed. Same stupid bathroom door. Same stupid walk in closet. Same stupid everything that he'd modeled his own bedroom after. Not that he'd ever admit that to anyone but- never mind.

Hater loomed over the first dresser drawer, grinning maliciously as he wrapped a hand around its delicate handle- Awesome's secrets were about to be his.

That grin quickly fell into a scowl, as he pulled out an odd array of things that told him nothing. A few bottles of lotion, a bottle of something else he didn't recognize- he realized with a gag it exuded the same nasty sweet smell that hung in the air, and chucked the bottle over his shoulder before he yarked all over the place. This was getting him nowhere.

Hater then noticed something else very… strange in the drawer. Raising a bony brow, the overlord reached in a pulled out an odd looking toy that looked more like a lightsaber than anything else. Except.. except it was all WRONG! The silver handle was WAY too short, and the actual light sword bit was made out of a red rubbery material. How in the world were you even supposed to SEE the thing light up when you turned it on through something that thick? UGH! Amateurs, Awesome couldn't even tell he was buying a knock off collectible- no WONDER he kept it locked away in a crud drawer!

The skeletal overlord had been too busy looking the thing over that he didn't realize his hand had slipped. The fake lightsaber turned on, scaring Hater. He screamed.

"GAH! Oh, uh, HOW DO I TURN THIS THING OFF?!"

He didn't have too much time to think, however, as he suddenly heard people coming down the hall and familiar voices outside the door. WHAT?! It was… IT WAS AWESOME AND PEEPERS! In a panic, the skeleton shot out his powers, frying the thing, before shoving it back in the drawer. Hater had only enough time to dash towards the closet, closing the door behind him, as the emperor and the commander entered the room.

The shark-man was the first to enter.

"Dude, I'm just SAYING. If you're going to go for something, might as well go BIG!"

"I'm sure that's your opinion on most things," Hater could hear the watchdog snark, no doubt with that unimpressed stare he always seemed to have. " But *I* tend to have a budget to manage and look after. It's one thing to give into Hater's whims of childish fancy, but I REFUSE to spoil the troops with such ludicrous and ridiculous gifts."

Not that anyone could see it, but Hater scowled from the closet. Childish whims, huh? Talking about him behind his back, huh? Did they always do that? ... Of course they did! It's what traitors did! Yeah, well, let them talk. Let them discuss all of their plans and secrets, obviously Hater had known this was their meeting place, their plan... discussing... room! Yeah. All was going according to plan. Hater couldn't remember ever feeling so smooth as he did at that very moment.

"Soldiers work harder when they get solid downtime, bro. A television and a pool table just won't cut it." Awesome replied, casually. Peepers had climbed up and was sitting on the edge of the bed, and was kicking off his shoes... was that weird? Because it seemed a little weird.

"They're lucky they got the pool table!" Peepers snapped back. Awesome snickered and seemed about to reply, when he kicked something laying on the floor, and bent to pick it up. He looked at the bottle of lube and raised a brow.

"Hmmm... heh." Awesome turned to the bed, smirking. "So! Peeps... whatcha in the mood for tonight?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Hater peeked the door open a little more, as he took in the commander's expression. Was that… embarrassment? " The… thing you got last time seemed like it worked well enough, I suppose."

"Vibrator. You can say 'vibrator', dude. Nobody is around to hear you." The shark-man smiled wider, this time his teeth peeking from behind his red painted lips. "But whatevs. You're the big honcho in charge here, lil' man. Your wants is my pleasure~"

"You're starting to make me want to reinstate that 'no talking' rule."

It was fair to say the skeletal overlord was beyond confused as Awesome walked around to the side of the bed where his stupid crud drawer was as he pulled out the lightsaber toy. Hater found himself flinching… not that he would ever admit it, for course, as he witnessed the emperor frowning as he turned towards the watchdog.

"Thing looks like it's totally been fried…. oh well, I think I might have something better for you anyway, if ya totes want to experiment with a bit more girth, broseph."

"Yes, fine, whatever."

"Sweet. Pick a color. Blue, pink, or green?"

Hater witnessed a blush come across the commander's face, as he turned away from Awesome, glaring at the wall as he crossed his arms across his chest- mumbling.

"Green."

"Pfft! Should have figured. You and your boner for Bonehead."

Hater's metaphorical heart sunk like lead. Hater, admittedly, had never heard that phrase before, but it sounded an awful lot like "a beef with Bonehead". And Hater knew what that meant. Was Peepers really that upset? Uhg! What was he thinking; Peepers had already betrayed him, and a traitors' feelings were of no concern to him.

He always, in the back of his mind, knew he shouldn't keep Peepers around. He was too smart, too capable, too shady. He didn't know, however, that his traitorous activities would include running off to one of his most hated enemies to talk about him behind his back and play with crappy lightsaber toys.

Why had Peepers never played lightsabers with HIM? ... Stop that! He had to mentally scold himself and force himself to focus on the task at hand.

"You call that a BIT more girth?!"

Peepers' sudden cry of shock, perhaps bordering on fear, had Hater opening the door a crack further to get a better view of the two. Awesome was holding another crappy toy... green, but just as light-less and cheap looking as the first. It did seem wider, Hater guessed, but why should that make a difference?

"Aw, come on, you can handle it! Besides, the bigger, the closer to the real thing, am I right?" That was a legit question. Awesome had no idea if he was right or not. Peepers, by this point, had seemed to make it a point not to look at Awesome at all.

"How should I know!"

Peepers was lying. Hater knew it just because of the sound of his voice. His voice always went a bit shrill when he was defensive and lying about something. ...Why the overlord knew that, however, was a different story. He never quite realized he DID pay all that much attention to his commander. Though… obviously he did! That was why he was able to figure out Peepers was a double agent, after all!

The question was…. why WAS he lying to the guy?

Hater was interrupted from his train of thought, however, by the overly familiar nasally voice once more.

"Just FINE. Alright, let's just try it. But I swear to glorn, Awesome-"

"Yeah yeah, bad threat most likely involving sushi or other related fish puns. Totally like a broken record, dude." The emperor was making his way back to the bed, while Peepers was beginning to take off his helmet. Both the skeleton and the watchdog jumped at the same time, as Awesome's arm shot off to stop him.

"Woah, hey, hold up now. Keep the helmet on."

"What?! Why?"

"Real talk, it looks good on you. What can I say, always dug a bro in uniform."

Peepers' hands left his helmet, but he rolled his eye and muttered, "Weirdo".

Hater's unease was growing, as he continued to watch. Didn't Peepers get a lightsaber? How was this a fair fight if Peepers wasn't armed? When his third in command began slipping his pants off, Hater's jaw dropped- thankfully he managed to catch it before it clattered to the floor. Peepers was expected to fight without a weapon OR pants? He knew Peepers was GOOD, but...

"Come on, little man, dramatic pauses are so two minutes ago. Lose 'em."

"Don't RUSH me! I don't care HOW long this has been going on, it's still WEIRD, okay?! Sheesh!"

A hint of a smile pulled at the corners of Hater's mouth. Good, he wasn't the only one who found this weird. Whatever smile that had managed to surface was instantly gone when Peepers hastily pulled down his underwear- oh dear grod. What was this, really? Luckily, the overlord managed to cover his face before they got low enough to flash anything he really probably didn't want to see.

Hater peeked between his fingers when he heard the sound of squirting. Curiosity got the better of him as he looked out the closet once more, seeing Awesome squirt some of the pink gunk onto the toy. That horribly strong fruity smell entered the air once more, and it took everything in Hater's power not to gag. Still, the skeleton watched on as the shark-man continued to spread the funky gel over his hands as well.

Hater really felt like he was going to lose his dinner once Awesome began to… to… to TOUCH Peepers down below with his fingers!

Okay, there was no denying what was going on- the overlord might not have been the most… INFORMED in matters of most species reproductive habits… But even HE wasn't stupid enough to not realize what this… THIS THING WAS! They were… but… oh, Hater was starting to feel really sick as he could hear his commander moan from outside the closet door. Disgust flooded his senses, as his brain tried to figure out why… WHY would PEEPERS have sex with THAT guy?! He… he thought he HATED Awesome!

What was that buzzing sound? It sounded like...

Ohhh that was gross. Hater suddenly realized that thing he'd touched earlier must have been some kind of sick sex... thing. Despite the fact he'd been wearing gloves, Hater hastily began wiping his hands on a cape hanging beside him, his tongue hung out to complete the vision of pure disgust. He turned back out of reflex when the two began talking again.

"Is it really necessary to turn it on before it... goes in?"

"Just makin' sure this one works, Peeps. Alright, ready? Remember to relax..."

"I am relaxed! This is me relaxed!"

Peepers wasn't relaxed, Hater noted. But Awesome seemed to be taking his word for it. The emperor moved in closer, and- oh grod. Shifted to the side; now Hater had a full view of his commander's compromising situation. Hater did his best to keep his eyes on Peepers' face, but the blush and unfamiliar expression there were making him feel just as awkward.

It wasn't until the lightsaber... THING was positioned and the squelching sound began, that Hater was able to tear his eyes away and stare into the darkness of the closet, instead. Why was he here? Why was he WATCHING this?

And.. and why did it make him feel so… so… sad?

No, Hater wasn't sad. Why would he be? He was… he was betrayed! YEAH, that's right. Here his SUPPOSEDLY most trusted soldier- his right hand man!- had been sneaking off to… uh, get way too personal with one of the skeleton's most hated . And it just didn't make SENSE! Sure, Awesome was… good looking, he guessed. You know, if you were into annoying sushi dudebros… who just happened to be built with muscles that could make even a professional bodybuilder jealous. And there was the fact he was like, ridiculously popular… with practically everybody the guy met. But… surely that wasn't enough to start DATING him over!

Hater felt his stomach churn over the word, completely confused why the word "dating" would make him sicker than what the overlord currently had going on in front of his presence.

"Yo, don't be getting TOO excited," Awesome said, breaking the silence and taking Hater away from his private thoughts, "you know this party ain't even CLOSE to being over yet!"

Lord Hater watched in horror as the emperor began to strip, removing his shirt in a gross seductive manner. Oh dear grod, could this POSSIBLY get any worse?!

Yes, the answer was yes. That much was obvious when Awesome's pants joined his shirt on the floor, and those underwear didn't cover nearly enough.

"Uhhg!" Hater couldn't stop the sound that escaped his throat as his stomach did another flip. Luckily, it didn't seem like either of them had heard him. When he'd built up enough courage- or curiosity- to peek back out, he was met by an even worse image. Awesome was sitting on the bed now, back up against the headboard, legs spread, and what the grop was that?

Oh. Of course. Of COURSE Awesome had two! The guy couldn't just ONE up him, he had to go all the way and TWO up him! And...

And now he took notice to Peepers straddling both of them, back to Awesome, facing... the closet. A bolt of panic shot up the overlord's spine, and he wasn't completely sure why. Those things were going to rip his commander in half if he tried what Hater thought he was about to try, but isn't that what a traitor deserved?

The skeletal overlord let out a sigh of relief he didn't even realize he was holding as he witnessed the emperor place Peeper's loins among his own- oh… so they weren't… Good! Last thing he wanted to see was the watchdog die of blood loss, or something- even if the traitor totally had that coming! Betray Lord Hater, and you die of some crazed reproductive organs related way!

… Okay, that sounded weird to even him.

But no matter, that thought quickly passed as the mixed sounds of squishing, buzzing, and moans filled Hater's skull. Hater blushed a brilliant and vibrant shade of green as he hid deeper behind the royal purple capes- yet finding himself unable to look away. Oh… oh dear grod… the movements in themselves were almost hypnotizing to watch- as Awesome's hands pumped their collective… uh, fleshlings. Yeah, those things. Up and down they went, the two individuals rocking their hips along with it. Hater's gaze soon switched to Peeper's face as his noises became more of a needy whine- his helmet clanking and bobbing along with them.

One of the watchdog's hands went up to grab the head wear, as the other held onto the emperor for dear life.

"Oh, oh, ohoooooh…"

"Yeah, that's right, babe." Awesome's voice was low, almost a whisper as he seemed to taunt the shaking soldier on top of him. Hater found himself glaring as he caught the next words. "Just the two of us, let it out."

Perhaps it was a sense of morbid curiosity more than intrigue that kept Hater's eyes glued to the display practically in front of him, even though everything else in his brain was screaming at him to look away. This was a private matter, one that he was obviously not supposed to be a part of, and yet...

Hater had only a... vague idea of how things like this worked. Reproducing through... mating, wasn't something that was done, or even possible in his species. He'd heard stories, sure, accidentally clicked the wrong thing on his computer and was forced to watch something like this, yeah. But he'd never actually seen how it ended.

It only took one word yelled by his- former- commander to bring the world rushing back, and crashing down around him.

"SIR!"

"Wha?" the look on Hater's face, if any were to bare witness to it, was one of complete and utter heartbroken betrayal. He'd just witnessed his most trusted ally call his number two enemy... Sir. That was HIS title! HIS! Could this night possibly get any worse?

"Oh, YES! You are! The greatest in the! Ohhh... The Galaxy!"

Oh. Oh no. Not that. ANYTHING but that. He couldn't! He wouldn't! He... he just had. Hater never realized that Peepers' opinion meant anything at all to him, until he felt the tears burn his eyes. But he was finally able to turn away now, huddled up, back facing them, as he sat there and pouted.

"LORD! HA-HATEEER!"

Oh no, it- wait, what?

Hater found himself whipping his neck back around- it cracking in the process- as he stared. Did… Did Peepers just say…his name? Why in the nine galaxies would he do that?! The overlord began to panic, growing hot in the face as the closet was becoming far too small and stuffy for him. No, the whole SHIP was becoming far too cramped for him- Hater needed to escape. He needed to run as far away as he could from this awkward and confusing situation. He needed to go back home, hide under the covers and wait for Peepers to comfort hi-

GYAH! NO! PEEPERS WAS THE PROBLEM HERE!

And yet, all the same, Hater felt frozen to the very spot- fear and confusion making his brain want to shut down and stop processing anything at all. It took the overlord some time before he focused back on reality, as he caught the two outside of the closet talking once more.

"Wow," Emperor Awesome whistled, as Hater could hear the sound of most likely Peepers still panting. "Dude, totally rode that one like a champ. Impressed, for reals. One of these days you'll need to totes share what kinky fantasies you're having 'bout Bonehead with the rest of the class."

"Not likely."

Peepers' words were mumbled, agitation evident, but barely. In fact, it was possible this was the first time Hater had ever heard his commander use such a calm-

Fantasies?

Peepers was already up and pulling his underwear back on. Awesome was watching him in a way that would have made Hater's skin crawl if he had any.

"Same time tomorrow night, Peeps?"

"What do YOU think." Hater was having trouble placing the angry edge in Peepers' voice that had replaced the contented one he had shown moments before. He completely missed Awesome rolling his eyes- he was far too focused on watching his third in command.

"Bro... you KNOW I don't mind giving you a hand now and then, but you're gonna have to fess up eventually-"

"Oh HA. Wasn't funny the first time you said it, and it's even LESS funny now. I can stop this whenever I want to! I have got this completely under control, nooo problem!" The commander had finished dressing during that conversation, and made haste to the bedroom door, exiting without so much as a farewell. A second passed, and the door reopened.

"COMPLETELY UNDER CONTROL!" the door closed and stayed closed this time.

Awesome chuckled, swung smoothly off of the bed, and stretched. Then, to Hater's sudden horror, began strutting toward the very closet he was currently using to hide in. The overlord backed up as far as he could, hoping to Grod the garish capes and uniforms would conceal him.

The closet doors opened. Awesome's razor toothed grin almost seemed to glow in the gloom.

"Enjoy the peep show, Hatey?"

Lord Hater had never felt more trapped.