A/n: I've got pics of 24 and 188! This time I didn't draw them. I, to quote Beboots fic The MPD Of Our Favorite Experiment, 'borrowed-without-asking-for-permission-with-little-intention-of-returning' them from a L&S RPG I used to go to. I was planning on keeping it to look at as I write for inspiration (which I did.)
And I don't really hate Pleakley. Ozzy just makes fun of him because...well, it's so hard not too!
******************************8
I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything
(Nine Inch Nails, Hurt. I felt like I had to use it because a) Johnny Cash died on Friday and b) It describes 188 and to a lesser extent 147.)
CHAPTER 4
"Oh no! No haunted evil demon houses!" Pleakley protested.
"Stop exaggerating," Ozzy said.
Stitch kept looking at the house. "This is where he went. The blood scent goes right in there."
The house didn't exactly look haunted. But it was old, dusty, and probably empty. Probably. Everyone knew if 188 went into a confined place like that he must be desperate and in pain.
"So what do we do?" 147 asked.
"We go in, what else?" Ozzy said as if it was obvious. "He practically butchered Estelle alive. I'm not going to let him get away with that! Especially not when we're so close!"
"Wow, Ozzy has feelings," Stitch muttered in genuine surprise. They all followed the aquamarine experiment, who was already halfway through the window.
******************************
"Everybody split up into pairs. 188 is less likely to attack you together than if you were alone," Jumba explained.
"Uh, Doc? There's five of us here. Who are you planning to go with-Juju the imaginary shrub?"
"I'm going alone."
Ozzy shrugged and started to walk over to Stitch. He found a certain mouse-deer experiment already standing there. To her surprise, Ozzy started to laugh.
"What?"
"147, we all know you like Stitch."
"No I don't," she snapped, turning crimson under her white fur.
"Yes, you do! It's as obvious as Pleakley's sexual preference!" He didn't notice the alien's expression-it looked like he was going to take a leaf out of 188's book and butcher Ozzy slowly.
"I wouldn't insult him. If Jumba's going alone and 147 goes with me do you realize who you're going with?" Stitch said.
Ozzy thought for a minute, looked at Pleakley, then back at Stitch. "Oh come on! What if 188 attacks us? This guy can't shoot!"
"I'll shoot you!"
Jumba had to restrain Pleakley's gun hand to stop him from blasting Ozzy. "He's not worth it!"
*********************************
Ozzy and Pleakly grudgingly headed into the basement. Jumba went upstairs. Stitch and 147 took the downstairs. There they listened carefully for any abnormal sound. They knew 188 could be anywhere, doing the same. Stitch worried that 188 would hear the sound of his pounding heart.
But his partner looked perfectly calm.
"147? How do you do it? You don't seem afraid at all," he asked her.
She sighed sadly. "I hate that thing more than you'll ever know. 24 was my best friend and he murdered her. Maybe it's my fault. I should have known she'd go to him. I tormented him to make him hate us." She stared ahead into space. Something her her voice said she'd been waiting to say this for a long time. "It seems so long ago. I know we all don't age, but I feel old. I've watched experiments being born, made friends with them, and then watched them get taken away. Like you."
Stitch hung his head. "Why did you bother coming into the cage room to talk to me? I was insane. Not much better than 188."
"Don't say that! You were born to destroy things-188 destroys lives. I think he only does it because it makes him happy. You'll never be like 188. You were my friend." There was another long pause. "Then the council took you and Jumba away. 600, 625, 613-they all left the lab after that and I lost more of my family."
"How did you get away the raid?" Stitch asked. He hoped it wouldn't upset her.
"I didn't. They caught me and threw me in one of the cages. I was able to escape later but I never knew what happened to the other experiments."
Stitch shook his head. "It sounds like you've had a horrible life." 147 smiled.
"Before I found you and Jumba again, I would have agreed."
Then there was an series of small explosions and a scream from upstairs. The two expiriments shot towards the stairs, Pleakley and Ozzy following. One thought occupied all their minds.
Jumba!
***************************
"Remember me?"
Jumba hadn't heard that voice for years, and it had grown deep and wicked-but he remembered it as well as ever. His four eyes scanned the dark room for any sign of his creation.
"You! Come down here and fight! Don't tell me you're going to hide in the shadows-I created you better than that!"
188 laughed quietly. "Really, Jumba-do you think I'm that stupid? You where the one who gave me black fur so I could hide like this."
'Black. I could have gone with blue or gray, but I had to pick black, didn't I?' he thought. "Why don't you just kill me now instead of taunting me?"
"Don't worry, I will. But this is more fun."
"188, why do you hate me so much? I gave you life but when have I ever hurt you?"
188 growled. "A year of tests you ran on me, all the times you shocked me with that collar, the transmitter, and let's not forget the darts! You made it impossible for me to escape when I needed to the most*. I have plenty of reasons to hate you, Jumba. And you keep giving me more."
"You were dangerous! You still are!"
"Then you should have destroyed me when I was helpless!"
"I should have!"
"THEN DO IT NOW!"
The vicious tone of 188's voice said he was about to attack. Jumba looked wildly around for any sign of him.
In the silence, he vaugly heard the sound of liquid dropping, saw the flash of crimson in the air. He understood; the wound on 188's hip was bleeding again. Right above the dropping blood he saw it-the shadowy outline!
He fired.
****************************
That was what had happened a minute ago. 188 dropped from his perch, letting out an unearthly scream of pain. That was what had brough Stitch, 147, Pleakley, and Ozzy running. Additionol shots from their cannons hit 188. The black lump of bloody fur on the ground rolled his eyes up to look at the gathering group. He had torn out that transmitter to save himself.
But he'd really dug his own grave. The thought blazed in the back of 188's brain like fire. In a moment, the fire went out. Thus ended the life of Expiriment 188.
to be continued...
*I'll explain that in the prequel.
