Lullaby

C/By: Kenjaje

Edited/Revised by: raVen

­­­

Chapter 4: Experiment

"Are you sure it's Gantu, Stitch?" Lilo asked, sniffing horribly, her headache was now thumping in her temples; she feared she was getting sicker then before.

"Eh. Naga sobudga, let's get Slushy." This is what Angel was talking about. "Attack Gantu, he will be waiting." But now he wondered, before she ran off, did she know something about Gantu's plans in advance? Was he being lead into a trap?

"Turn left! Turn left!" Lilo cried to Stitch, his concentration back on the road, he had almost missed the turn-in to Slushy's place. It wasn't long before they parked their car in front of the Shave Ice store, and went inside.

"Gutcha." Said Slushy, bowing to Lilo and Stitch, "Chakuda miga oetra?"

"bara, Slushy, igas naga majibu. Clatamo juba sertoba, akatta Gantu."

"Eh." Slushy said, and dropped his cap to leave. "Cereso trapitoc mandabu?" He asked Stitch.

"Metulaba on the way." He responded, as Lilo sneezed again.

The black van pulled up to the blue house atop the hill. The bald man in black, tightened his tie, shifted his glasses, and cracked his knuckles. He walked slowly up the stairs to the front door of the home; taking time somewhat to survey the bounty of the yard, as he quietly stepped up and knocked on the door.

When no one answered, he had no choice but to open the door, and step inside unannounced. He glanced over the vestibule of the home; perfectly normal. He took a few steps in, and heard soft crying coming from the kitchen.

"Nani?" He said, in a deep bellowing voice, entering the kitchen. Nani looked up at the unsuspected, and rather unnecessary guest.

"Bubbles!" She cried in relief, formality, and embarrassment at the same time. She always felt horribly indecent if she was found crying over the table while a guest came in. "What are you doing here, at a time like this?"

"There have been numerous reports of land destruction caused by an unknown source. I have convinced my division that it is one of Stitch's cousins, and so they sent me here to investigate. May I speak with them?" he said referring to Lilo and Stitch.

Nani began to get teary eyed again, Bubbles knew something was wrong; he sat down at the kitchen table adjacent to her, and looked at her in the eyes.

"Where are they?" He asked, in both fear and impatience.

"I don't know," Nani said panicking, "There are holes in the walls upstairs, Jumba and Pleakly are missing, and Lilo and Stitch are-"

"No one was here when you got home?" He interrupted.

"No, I came home to this." She motioned upstairs, and Bubbles slowly stepped up glancing toward the stairs. He couldn't spot anything wrong from where he was; he went quietly up the stairs to see. He spent ten minutes examining the massacre of the second story hall; taking pictures, making notes, asking Nani questions. "Do you know who would have done this?"

"I don't know…uh…Gantu?" she said questionably, although she thought she was right. Bubbles closed his notepad, and put his camera away. He motioned for Nani to follow him.

"Lilo is with Stitch, I cannot afford to have her in any danger, do you know where Gantu is?" They stepped outside; he let her out first, bowing.

"No, from what Lilo told me, he's at a different location on some mountain." They walked to the car, and opened the doors.

"Then we'll find it." Bubbles said, determinately.

"I…I think I'm going to wait in the car…" Said Lilo, hazily to the two experiments.

"Something wrong with Lilo?" Stitch asked, quickly coming to her side of the car and peering in the window, to check for anything wrong with Lilo. "Wounds bothering Lilo again?"

"No!" she said fast, and in effort to stop Stitch, which was a bit too late. "I mean, no, I'm just exhausted…that's all." She turned away from Stitch and pretended to fiddle with something in between the seats.

"Eh," he said, "I understand, you can come if you feel up to it." She looked back, smiled, and locked the door. Instantly, she could feel the humidity of the hot day circulating within the vehicle, making it seem more smoldering every second.

"There they are!" Said Hamsterveil deviously, "They are falling into my hands, is Angel with him?"

"Yes, Hamsterveil, I'll tell 625 to open the door when you wish." Gantu said, motioning to his referred standing at the door; 625 glared like a lion at Hamsterveil. He hated how Hamsterveil was playing he, Angel-and Stitch for that matter-as a side element to help his own experiment gain power.

"Would you be so kind as to do what I wish, 625?" Hamsterveil asked in a demanding way, 625 growled deeply. "Or shall I have you be punished as well?" Hamsterveil said in response to the threatening gesture. 625 pushed the button and opened the door, knowing only to sick that horrible monster unto Angel.

"Torupot?" Asked Slushy, as they made their way through the pipes of the ship; Slushy, blowing on thermal detection wires to freeze them and help their stealth, while Stitch guided Slushy through the ducts that he knew so well.

"Not far ahead," said Stitch, "only a few more minutes."

"Bombi naga crouga primadoc?"

"Because, Angel said Gantu knew Stitch was coming, go through front door just cause ambush." He replied, taking off a metal grate, then jumped down. "Beyond that door, Gantu will be there." He pointed to the metal mass blocking the way. They went on either side of the door where they couldn't be seen when it would open, and Stitch prepared to push the button, and take ambush on Gantu.

Lilo couldn't take it anymore, her head hurt far too much, and she was beginning to feel drowsy. She had spent ten minutes in the oven-hot car, and was beginning to feel claustrophobic and suffocated. She opened the door and fell out of the car in a surprisingly sweaty heap.

The fall was rather hard and quick, and if anything made her head hurt worse then ever; outside the car it was hotter, the sweat over her seemed to isolate the heat more. Her moo-moo stuck to her back and stomach because the perspiration drenched her so much all over, even her hair stuck to back. The top of her head, felt matted and heavy, like it was slightly damp with rainwater, and a bit heavier as well, but it wasn't even the slightest bit moist.

"Stitch…" she said dully, as she got to her feet; she could barely keep her balance standing, let alone walking, as she made her way to the front door of the ship. She jumped up, and pulled down on the latch that opened the door, this was also a bad idea for her; her head felt pain that moved around her cerebrum like liquid, as her feet clopped onto the loading dock under the ship.

She sighed in an agonizing way, as the pain gave her a sudden dizziness as well. She could barely make out what she was looking at, her eyes were blurred and her vision faded on and off, she almost felt herself sleep walking, but knew she couldn't be; she wanted to sleep but her head hurt too horribly to keep her eyes closed for a second or two while walking.

Casually slumping straight into the belly of the beast, she was met with Gantu and Hampsterveil-in person-but did not care at all. Her body quivered terribly at a sudden coldness she felt all around her, especially around the matted dampened area of her head, and her breath becoming rasp as she clutched her stomach and fell to the floor.

"Stitch, help me." She cried, her voice convulsing as well.

"Get her Gantu! Take her to the experiment!" Yelled Hamsterveil. Gantu, at full speed, within two steps grabbed Lilo-making her head hurt worse yet again-and carried her through the doorway, just as Stitch opened his door, perpendicular to Gantu.

"Lilo!" he cried, just hearing the conversation, "Slushy, come on!" He pleaded, and grabbed Slushy by the scruff to pull him along. They were about to enter the door, when Hamsterveil pushed a button on the console.

"Ship lockdown in five…four…three…two…one…boop" went an automated voice, Hamsterveil laughed as a machine took his body and floated him through a hole just above the door, which shut behind him.

"Follow me if you can!" He screamed through the metal on his way down. Stitch tensed his muscles and rammed his fists into the door; bits of fur flew off of his knuckles as he pounded the metal. He started to get angry, he couldn't break through the door, not even after Slushy froze a part of it; the metal was just too tough.

"Miga naga podi…" he said in defeat, sitting on the ground. He lay for only a few seconds, for he heard a noise, a loud and high-pitched scream, which brought him to his feet and his palms against the door. "Oh no, Angel!" He cried, he could recognize that cry anywhere, but this was horrible, it sounded as though Angel was in pain.

"Slushy, help!" He begged in desperation, pounding his fists into the metal door again. Slushy tried as best he could at freezing the thick metal, and every second that passed Stitch could hear Angels screams-along with Pleakly's, and Jumba's-seemingly ascending louder and more painful every time.

In his own scream-a scream of rage-he bore his head through the door, and tore the metal apart with inhuman strength. His head stung deeply, but he shook the pain and looked ahead. There, another door was before him, but he was too ferociously angry to let it get in the way; in another scream of rage, and another head butt, the door gave way quickly to, to unveil a horrible scene behind it.

Stitch halted in subtle surprise and fear, as he saw before him the back of a giant barbaric creature; standing at fifteen feet tall, sharp quills on his back, red and black leathery scales covered it's body; its arms were small-yet precise-and underneath them, a small wing was folded in the rift between its arm and side; sharp talons mounted on its tail, as well as the back of its elbow and short, hunched feet.

Jumba and Pleakly, whom were in capture cells that were ringed across the outer layers of the room, screamed toward Stitch. The monster turned its head toward Stitch, revealing its slanted green eyes; its pupils narrowed into slits as it gazed at Stitch.

Inundating through Stitch's veins, was the fear toward amplitude of this creature's immense power; the anger was sapped from Stitch and replaced by the sudden shock of an impossibly strong foe.

"You like my pet, no?" Entered Hamsterviel, from the door behind, along with Gantu holding Lilo, and 625 with a bandage around his arm. "I created him solely to kill you and your cousins." Hamsterveil boasted with excitement.

"Go help Jumba and Pleakly." Stitch told Slushy, silently, not caring about what the rodent said, "Where's Angel!" He demanded at Hamsterveil.

"Are you sure you want to see her?" Hamsterveil snarled. Stitch leered at him, and nodded at him with a threatening growl. "Fine then. Akibaba Kino, show 626 where Angel is." The dragonish creature that stood before Stitch, still gazing at him emptily, turned his mass around to reveal a pink and red bundle within its claws. "May I introduce to you," Hamsterveil started again enthusiastically, "my ingenious creation, an experiment I call 'Akibaba Kino'." He stated with a bow.

"Here," asked Gantu, to Hamsterveil, pointing at Lilo, "would you mind if I feed it another snack?"

"But of course, although I feel we are spoiling him." He replied laughing menacingly. "Toss her in. Akibaba Kino needs an opponent who is utterly enraged, and torturing 626's family will ensure the best rage from him we could possibly get." He sneered at Stitch.

"Lilo!" Stitch cried, as Gantu tossed her onto the ground. For a second he surveyed what was going on, Slushy had just broken Pleakly's cell, and Jumba was already free, running to pick up Lilo. Achie-baba Kino let out a deep throated, blood-curdling, roar, and turned at Jumba as he ran off with the Lilo; Angel woke in the creature's clenched hands, and screamed in pain. "Angel!" Stitch cried in the same way as before with Lilo.

"626, save Angel, that monster is going to kill her if you don't hurry!" Jumba shouted to Stitch, whom was already on his way up to attack the Cousin Killer. The slick hide of the dragonish monster provided no traction for Stitch's feet, Achie-baba Kino took one fist and hurled Stitch off its leg with a light jab. Stitch was helped up by Slushy, who immediately had to jump out of the way as a giant tail slammed with a force that was familiarly earth shattering.

The two able combatants did not linger over the similarity however, they quickly made action as a team to help get up; Slushy froze the ground before Stitch as he ran at full sped, finally jumping at an upward ramp Slushy formed. Achie-baba Kino roared another siren, with such intensity Stitch was hurled through the air, and slammed abruptly on the adjacent wall, knocking the wind out of him.

Slushy covered Stitch with icicles and ice bullets to fend Achie-baba Kino away as Stitch recovered from the blow; the tactic was barely working to begin with. Stitch took long to recover; Achie-baba Kino quickly broke through Slushy's siege, and managed to crush Stitch with his wide foot.

Stitch's bare knuckles reeked with pain as he tried to push himself up, as fast as he could he switched to his palms to better concentrate on the three thousand ton limb about merge him with the cold metal floor. He could slowly feel the breath returning to his eager lungs, the warm air rejuvenated him, as his arms now quivered to resist the force of Achie-baba Kino's leg.

The dragon shifted his weight to his other foot, to get another forceful stomp onto Stitch, which backfired as soon as he did; Stitch took the shifting weight to his advantage and managed to thrust the dragon off of him. Achie-baba Kino merely stumbled a few steps, and looked back at Stitch's quivering body.

As Stitch panted, he looked into the dragon's claws to see if Angel was all right, she shook; he could just barely make out her deep, dark, violet eyes, staring at him in agony and pessimism.

He was horrified as the dragon loosened his hands to reveal Angel, laying twisted in it's palms. She had gashes on her cheeks and around her eyes, slow and thick streams of blood meandered down from her torso. She painfully turned to completely face he, her lover, and in a languid voice that lacked air, she barely managed to plead:

"Pasha…miga…" "Help…me…"