The next day before lunch, Krel and his classmates were at their lockers, shoving away their morning textbooks and getting out their materials for afternoon classes. Krel had just shut his locker door and slung his backpack on his shoulders when he heard a familiar voice nearby.

"Hey Steve." (Y/n) was standing by Steve's locker, looking expectantly at the taller blonde.

Steve squeaked a high pitched noise and turned to face (Y/n), his eyes wide. He brought his hands up to defend himself—from what Krel didn't know as he watched the exchange. (Y/n) however, disregarded the strange behaviour.

"Do you know where Brandon is?" She asked Steve in a brusque manner. "You're his apprentice, right?"

"Y-yeah, that's me!" Steve nodded quickly, pointing to himself and smiling nervously. "The Palchuk is Brandon's apprentice, yep!"

"So," (Y/n) blinked at him, "do you know where he is?"

"I think uhm—he said something about being in the earth science room!"

"Okay, thanks." (Y/n) gave him an offhanded wave and went off to presumably find Brandon, Steve still trembling as he watched her go.

That was very odd from Steve. Sure, lots of things scared the big oaf but this was particularly pathetic. Krel didn't think his mentor would be a person to strike fear in anyone, much less Steve Palchuck. Curiosity overtaking him, he went up to Steve and asked, "Why are you so nervous around (Y/n)?"

Steve jumped again at the sound of Krel's voice and spun around. "Who is nervous?" He asked. "I never get nervous!"

"Steve, did (Y/n) do something to you?"

"No she didn't! What are you talking about? And why are you asking all of a sudden anyway?"

"I'm her apprentice," Krel pressed. "I have a right to know things about my mentor, correct?"

Steve stayed silent, unwilling to answer. Krel narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. What could he do to make Steve tell him? An idea came to him and he snapped his fingers. It was sure to work. He turned back to Steve and said smoothly, "Ah, it's okay Steve. I think I understand."

"You do?" Steve asked nervously.

Krel crossed his arms over his chest. "Humans get nervous around the ones they have 'crushes' on! I've seen it on the romantic comedies Varvatos watches! You are nervous around (Y/n) because you like her, but you're also scared because you know in your conscience that you are being disloyal to Aja! She'd give you the most painful death if she found out what you're doing."

An outrageous lie, but if Krel learned anything about humans during his time on Earth, it was that when accused with lies they'd be desperate to prove the truth.

Steve stared at Krel, appalled. "Are you crazy?! That's not it at all! The only girl I want is Aja!"

Krel ignored him. "I'm calling my sister," he said, and took out his communication device that teenagers were wildly obsessed with.

Then Steve snapped. He clenched his jaw, eyebrows knitted together and grabbed the front of Krel's shirt and shoved him against the lockers. Krel winced.

"That's enough butt-snack!" Steve growled right in his face. "If you shut your mouth, I'll tell you."

Krel fought a triumphant smile. The oaf had taken the bait.

Steve released him and looked around to make sure no one was listening. He pulled Krel to him and spoke in a low voice.

"Do you remember the dare I did a while ago to go up to the second floor?"

"Yes." Krel nodded seriously. "You were disappointingly scared the whole day and then one of the older students yelled at you. What about it?"

"The person who yelled at me was . . . (Y/n)."

"Are you sure? (Y/n) shouted at you?" Krel almost wanted to laugh.

(Y/n) who was so kind and innocent looking, how could she have been the one to scare Steve? It seemed absurd, but Krel could see the very real fear on Steve's face.

"Now don't tell anyone what I just told you, okay?" Steve hissed. "Or I'll make the rest of your life here on Earth miserable."

"I don't think my sister would like that," Krel scoffed. He had enough dignity that none of Steve's threats seriously scared him, though his stinging back from being rammed into the metal lockers cared to disagree, and he walked away with self-importance.

* * *

"(Y/n), I have something to ask you," Krel announced once he met up with her in front of the Gaming Lab after school, both hands raised over his head.

"You don't need to raise your hands, Krel," she said in amusement, taking his wrists in her gentle hands and lowering his arms. "What is it?"

"Steve informed me that when someone dared him to go to the second floor of the school, you were the person who yelled at him. Is that true? He seems terribly afraid of you."

(Y/n)'s face flushed and she looked away in embarrassment. "Yes, I did yell at him," she admitted, her voice sounding meek. It was nothing like her confident and bubbly self from yesterday.

"You don't seem like the kind of human to be angry," Krel remarked. "You have been rather nice to me."

"I didn't mean to yell at him," she said. "I mean, I kind of did because he wasn't allowed up there. I don't get mad often but when I do, I just explode because I have a terrible temper. I know Steve deserved to be told off but I think I took it a little too far."

"You exploded?" Krel stared at her. "How did your body remain intact?"

"I didn't mean literally. Since I don't get angry a lot, it's extra bad when I do get angry. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, I seem to understand now." Krel paused for a moment, mulling it over. "I think I like the fact that you yelled at Steve."

"How come?" (Y/n) looked at him in surprise.

"My sister is kind of dating him," Krel explained. "I don't know what she sees in that blundering oaf."

(Y/n)'s eyes went wide and she did a double take, spluttering. "Your sister—with Steve?!"

Krel nodded solemnly.

"Oh god, I feel so sorry for you."

"I feel sorry for myself too."

"Come on, why don't we get started?" (Y/n) suggested. "That might take your mind off it."

"Are we going to play the MOBA game again?" Krel asked hopefully, all thoughts of Staja forgotten.

"Not today." (Y/n) shook her head with a smile. "I have something else planned."

What could possibly be better than the MOBA game? Krel wondered, but he didn't complain. Perhaps (Y/n) was going to show him something truly incredible.

She led him inside the Gaming Lab. It was much busier this time; all of the computer stations were occupied while five people were bunched together on the bean bag chairs in front of the big television monitor. Krel remembered (Y/n) telling him yesterday that team practices and hangouts were normally held after school hours.

"We're just passing through." (Y/n) held a hand up to silence anyone who wanted to protest about Krel's presence in the G-Lab despite the verbal permission he had been given from her. "This way Krel," she spoke to him, gesturing to a doorway on the far side of the G-Lab. She opened the door and turned on the lights, the dark room illuminating under the fluorescent light bulbs.

Counters and tables were piled with equipment and machines Krel had never seen before. Just like the Gaming Lab there were computer stations here too but they didn't look nearly as fancy, and there were only four of them. A wide closet at the back contained glass jars and other fragile items.

"This is our Robotics Lab," (Y/n) said. "It's kind of like our tech lab that is for everything else that isn't gaming."

Krel almost wanted to ask her if they had a Daxial Array, but he learned long ago that human technology wasn't anywhere as advanced as Akiridion tech, impressive as the Gaming and Robotic Labs were. It was just impossible.

"What are we doing then?" Krel asked instead.

(Y/n) gestured him over to one of the computers. "Since you liked playing League so much, I thought you'd like to try making your own video game."

"I can do that?"

"Of course you can. It's easier than you think."

Krel was a genius when it came to Akiridion technology but human computers and machinery mystified him. But with him situated in front of the computer and (Y/n) sitting next to him, she guided him through the computer program's tools to first make a landscape and setting for his game. Krel decided he wanted to recreate Akiridion-5 and the Royal Palace. To (Y/n), it would simply be a product of his imagination.

He worked quietly, muttering small curses when he misclicked something or something didn't go his way. (Y/n) was busily typing on her own computer and they basked in the silence as they did their own tasks.

"I'm done," he finally said after touching up the last of his beloved home. It was a much simpler version of the Palace but even the modest replica made Krel yearn for his life before the attack on Akiridion-5.

(Y/n) came over to see his creation. "It's beautiful," she breathed, staring at his computer screen in awe. "How did you design something like this?"

"It was just something I was thinking of," Krel mumbled bashfully.

"I just need you to make some kind of item now," (Y/n) said. "It can be anything, even a weapon if you want."

He made a sword instead of a serrator. He knew lots of people liked swords and he didn't want to share all of Akiridion-5's way of life with the humans.

(Y/n) put everything together for him with a few quick keystrokes, overlaying the Royal Palace with his Akiridion-5 landscape. She set the sword inside the Palace walls and brought up a faceless grey character that stood motionless in front of the tall structure. It looked a lot like a Blank to Krel.

"Give it a try." (Y/n) gave Krel an encouraging smile.

Krel took the mouse from her and used the computer keys to move the Blank through the Royal Palace. He climbed up the flight of stairs that had been so tedious to build and claimed the sword in the topmost room as his prize. If he ignored the Blank on the screen, he could almost believe he was actually home.

"What do you think?" (Y/n) asked.

He couldn't speak for a moment. Fresh grief crashed over him as he remembered the fateful day that had sent them crashing down to Earth. Their parents were gone, General Morando was still terrorizing the citizens of their planet and bounty hunters were still after them.

"I think," Krel finally said with a heaviness in his chest, "that it is truly remarkable."

(Y/n) shifted over to her own computer and began typing on it. After a few moments, Krel heard a whirring sound behind him and he turned to see one of the big machines on the counter had been turned on. Something inside the big black cube moved in janky, irregular movements.

"What's happening there?" Krel asked (Y/n). Did she turn the machine on?

"You'll see," (Y/n) said with a knowing smile, her eyes on the strange contraption.

Krel watched the machine with her. Slowly, he saw something blue being assembled inside the machine, the moving part seeming to add layer after layer over it. It took a few minutes for it to completely finish and soon after, Krel was staring at a miniature version of the Royal Palace he had built on the computer, no more than a few inches high. (Y/n) plucked it from the machine and placed it in Krel's hands.

"A small souvenir for you," she said.

Krel stared down at the model of his home. The material felt cheap; it was very light in his hands and the small ridges dug gently into his skin but it didn't seem fragile at all. In fact it looked quite sturdy.

"How did you do that?" He asked, still in disbelief.

(Y/n) explained how the 3D printer worked and Krel listened in fascination. If human technology had been more advanced Krel bet he could have just printed a new Daxial Array and they'd be on their way back to Akiridion-5 in no time.

His fingers curled over the plastic model of the Royal Palace and his chest panged at the thought. They were stuck on a mud ball and couldn't escape because of the planet's incompetence in technology.

"It's an amazing piece of technology," Krel murmured. But not amazing enough to help them get home.

"It is," (Y/n) agreed with him. She continued telling him about the equipment in both labs, using words he had never heard of before like 'scholarship' and 'the D.O.E.' but from what he gathered, (Y/n) and her friends had worked very hard to get these privileges on the second floor.

"This will all be yours next year," (Y/n) said, looking at Krel with pride shining in her eyes. "And if you score within the top ten percent of your grade at the end of the year, we might even have some classes together."

Next year . . . that was a long time. Would he still be on Earth in a year's time? He probably wouldn't. Surely it wouldn't be that long until they fixed the Mothership and were able to go home.

But (Y/n) thought he was human. She thought he was staying. How would she react, coming back to school next year and seeing he was gone?

He didn't know how much time he had left on Earth while they sorted everything out. But he knew he wanted to enjoy everything he could before that day came, and he walked home later thinking the dump heap known as Earth wasn't as bad as he initially thought.