Peace

C/by: Kenjaje

Chapter 3: Suffering

"How is he reacting?"

"As expected. It has taken effect, give it another day and he should be completely under our control."

"Excellent. And I have you to thank, I'm so glad you didn't screw it up."

"Do you honestly think I would let you down?"

"...Maybe."

"By the way, whatever happened to that glitch the computer had? You know ,the one about 625?"

"I'd...rather not talk about that right now..." "I still can't believe I was knocked out then..."

"Very well, is no matter. Continue watching our prisoner, just in case he's playing possum."

"Right, doctor."

Lilo jerked forward in her seat as Jumba brought the car to a dime-step stop. The three of them quickly dispersed from the buggy in its concealed location behind thick vegetation, and made their way toward the waterfall, and the jet-black ship.

"The coast is clear." Lilo whispered, coming out of the brush and into the clear. The purple-tinted evening appeared darker to Lilo, as she dawned a pair of shades taken from the glove compartment of the vehicle. Jumba stepped out next, his hand in his pocket, which contained a blaster should things get messy. Angel followed meekly behind; still quite uneasy about the situation she'd gotten herself in.

"As much as I want him to be here, I hope he isn't. I can't face him, it's too soon...what was I thinking?" The distressed girl thought as she tailed Jumba's mass. The dull sound of feet thumping on dirt, and of Jumba's shorts, were all that gave them away if anyone was outside.

Lilo motioned for Jumba and Angel to stand still, as she crept up to the ship's hull and patted her hand against it. Searching for the spot where Stitch had pried it open from a few weeks ago. With luck, she managed to find the grooves of his claw marks, and followed them to a small sized pore; big enough for her hand to get through. Aggressively but silently she pulled the hull door open, and leapt up onto the ramp. The sound of her landing was hampered by her sandels.

Jumba allowed Angel to take lead as he stayed behind for a few moments before proceeding in himself. Inside, the three crept along the walls, under consoles, and out of site to avoid being spotted by any cameras, or other surveillances. Lilo put a hand and head around the corner to survey the clearing before proceeding any farther, and quickly darted herself back as she heard footsteps come by. 625 rounded the corner, as the three intruders hung back against the wall, hoping he wouldn't notice. Their hearts thumped wildly in their chests as they struggled to keep their breathing low and unheard. 625 passed them and took a few more steps, and turned toward the hull door.

"Oh now would you look at this?" He complained; the group felt a spine of panic run through them. They didn't shut the door, a costly mistake. "I completely forgot to shut the door after my bread run. I gotta remember that next time, or ol' fish-face will never let me hear the end of it." In unison, the party let out a shuddering, silent sigh, as 625 walked over to shut the door, not suspecting intruders. But they quickly flinched as he turned around and spotted them hiding underneath the consoles. "Hey! You three!"

Jumba reflexively drew his blaster and pulled the trigger in one fluid motion, hitting 625 square in the jaw; knocking him out, but only after a goofy look took his face before he fell over. Jumba's arm quickly drew back, and he took out from under the console.

"Cover is being blown, must go in or flee."

"We're going in." Lilo decided instantly. Jumba nodded and proceeded first; trigger-finger ready in case something went wrong. The low hum of computers and beeping of data drew tension and sweat across their faces, as they quietly kept their backs to each other to prevent an ambush from Gantu.

"Naga shotsua." Angel whispered. Lilo's eyebrow raised, Angel hadn't spoken at all up until now, excluding their stealth, she seemed troubled. But Lilo quickly dropped the issue for the present, as they slowly made their way to the molecular-transport station. With no sign of Gantu, the group relaxed their shoulders-slightly-and proceeded into the chamber.

"Is nothing here!" Jumba exclaimed. Lilo narrowed her eyes.

"Stitch has to be around here somewhere, or at least something that might tell us where he is."

"I will check computer data and see if I am able to be finding something there. You and 624 should look around for physical evidence."

"Right." Lilo agreed. "C'mon Angel, let's check around." Angel remained quiet as Lilo took her by the wrist and took her along to the outside of the chamber. Lilo once again grew concerned. It was like Angel was too deep in thought; she didn't try to struggle or break away from Lilo's grasp, and followed lazily.

Angel half rummaged, half kept her mind elsewhere. "What if I say something I don't mean?" The two girls found nothing, they'd searched almost the whole area, and not the smallest thing could be found; not even a strand of blue fur. Angel stopped searching for the last few minutes while Lilo continued onward, still lost in thought.

Jumba ticked away swiftly on the keyboard, simultaneously searching through multiple files, applications, and images. Many containing failed captures of experiments and other such data, but every now and then a fragment of a major file would come up that interested Jumba.

"Where are you hiding at?" Jumba coaxed the computer to help his thinking. "I know you are being around somewhere." While Jumba's fingers still blurred across the keyboard, Angel and Lilo came up from behind and stood beside the genius, trying to see what he was so interested in. "Come out, come out...Aha!" Jumba exclaimed; the two girls on either side of him leaned in closer to see what he'd found, but couldn't understand a single bit of it. "Oh no..."

"What?" Lilo asked, her eyes on Jumba, and her face full of worry. "Is this bad?"

"Is being worse then bad, is being-"

"Hatoota." Angel whispered, placing her hand on Jumba's mouth. "625 sirre okuba."

"Ok, ok." Jumba repeated, in a hurry to type in some commands on the computer. "Will download and take to home, explain more late when have researched." While Jumba spoke, a disc popped out of the computer. He seized it in his hand. "Let us for to be making escape."

"Hey, who's there?" 625 shouted. "I know someone's here!"

"Quick, hurry!" Lilo whispered. "We have to get out of here!"

"Is no time...unless..." Jumba looked at the molecular transport platform. "Could be tricky, this I like. Little girl, please for to be getting on transport platform with Angel; will be joining in one minute." Jumba ran to the computer and clicked a few keys, the transport pod opened, and the computer immediately began to speak.

"Transport in 5 seconds..." Jumba ran to the pod as the lid closed, locking the three inside with a tight squeeze. "3..." The shadow of 625 came running around the corner, but just as he came into the room, "1. Transport Executing." As 625 came upon the transporter, a bright flash of light quickly illuminated the room, as the three intruders escaped before he could identify them.

"Gantu." He shouted, running over to the computer and switching on the com. Link. "Gantu, this is 625. Do you copy?"

"What is it." Came Gantu's voice.

"Lilo and two other's were just here, but they esca-"He paused. "I mean...I fended them off..." He said casually. "They won't be coming back again."

"I see. Gantu out." The communication ended. A sour look crossed 625's face.

Stitch breathed heavily. He sat on one knee, regaining his strength to pound on the glass again, an activity he'd been doing as much as he could since he woke again. He lifted himself up, deciding he was ready for another attempt at breaking the barrier. He backed up to one side of the cell, and ran full speed to the opposite end, jumping and clawing at the glass shield. He felt his body give way, as he fell hard onto the metal floor.

"What's happening to me..." His voice spoke in his mind; stuttering, quavering, panicking. Again he felt his pulse quicken, a cycle that had happened before was about to repeat itself. He curled up as his heart sprinted inside of him; every artery burned. Each time this occurred, Stitch feared he was about to have an aneurysm.

His lungs heaved as he tried to control himself; he could feel an amazing amount of anger generate inside of him, but had no idea what was causing it, and where it came from. He turned over onto his stomach, and cried with pain as his body burned worse; he felt his hand to the left side of his neck, and yet he didn't feel a degree warmer then normal.

As he lay in his dripping sweat, the fear and panic inundating him, he cried with suffering sadness. He didn't want to feel like how he was; angered and focused. It took all of his strength just to try and suppress the feeling. He could feel something slipping; something that he didn't want to lose; something internal was leaving him. As he panted, small whimpers came from deep within his heart. He knew that soon, that internal feeling would be lost; he was fighting a battle inside that he couldn't win. The whimpers grew louder and more painful as his suffering grew worse. He lay flat on the ground; tears spattered across the floor around him. He slowly gave in to the rage, knowing full well it may change him for good. His eyes closed softly, another tear falling to the ground.

As he opened his eyes, an illusion appeared before him. It was the one thing he desired to see before he succumbed; it was the illusion of his hope. He reached out, and managed to plead two final words to it, before he closed his eyes, and felt his free will slip away in one final tear.

"Lilo...pasha..."