A/N: I've decided to re-upload the chapters after editing them; I believe they are better now, and hopefully a nicer read than before. Sorry to those who've been waiting a really long time for an update, I'm hoping to actually get this finished in the near future. Anyhow, here's the updated version of this chapter/prologue, please feel free to review.

Prologue

"Why are we going back to Earth? Not that I have any problem with that, I mean, I'm sure you have your reasons, but..."

"I can't tell you, it's classified information," Gantu answered the little yellow experiment with a grunt of annoyance. Reuben could really talk if he wanted to, and for the last several thousand light years he'd been chattering away incessantly.

"Oh come on, I'm going to find out anyway!"

Gantu sighed. Reuben was right; it was incredibly difficult to keep his missions a secret from the little guy for very long. He didn't show it often, but he was very perceptive.

"The Grand Councilwoman tells me that a new experiment has been activated, number 700, and it's highly dangerous. We have to apprehend it and destroy the little trog." Gantu said. He was piloting his old ship back to Earth for the mission. The BRB would have been too much of a spectacle.

"If you don't mind, big guy," Reuben started, "I'm a bit touchy about the whole 'destroying my cousins' bit. And I'm willing to let that all go, but if you're gonna start using that nickname again, you'll never see another egg salad on your plate at lunch time."

"All right, all right," Gantu interjected before Reuben could say any more. But by now the little alien had turned his attention to the view screens. In the far distance, the small blue planet ceased to be a speck, and became larger and larger with each passing second.

"I just thought of something..." Reuben said after a while. Gantu sighed. The silence had been nice while it lasted. "Why doesn't the Lilo girl just nab the guy and find that 'one place where they truly belong'? She had a pretty nice gig goin' for a while there."

"Because experiment 700 is supposed to be built like 627. She can't do anything about his nature."

"Grand Councilwoman tell you that?"

Gantu nodded. "She also tells me it's far more dangerous than 627 was."

"Wonder if the big cheese has ever tried catching one of us herself."

"Remember that time in the Zeta quadrant when you tried to..."

"I wasn't motivated! If I really had wanted t' get away, she never would've caught me."

Gantu let a smile form across his features and shrugged his shoulders. They were nearly in Earth's orbit. He quickly located the landing area and began to bring the ship down.

"Same place?" Reuben asked.

Gantu answered by landing the ship in the very same place that Reuben had last piloted it from. Of course, the ship had had an overhaul since then, and was no longer powered by sandwich materials. Turning off the pickle-juice-free engines, he got up and walked outside. Reuben followed close on his heels.

"Wow, exactly the same place," said the experiment as he inspected the ship. "Not an inch off. Y'know, I kinda missed it here..."

Gantu ignored him and checked the experiment tracker attached to his wrist. Apart from the small green dot that represented Reuben, and several other purple ones bordering the edges of the tracker, a small pulsing red circle showed him exactly where experiment 700 was. "I don't believe it."

"What?"

"It's at the little girl's house."

"Shoulda seen that coming, big guy."