Notes: Sorry for the wait. Hindsight is getting the most attention, because I have it completely planned out and can work faster on it.

Chapter 8: Your Thievin' Heart

Angel growled and pointed forcefully at Shego. "Get cousins!" she ordered.

Yaarp literally sprang into action, letting loose with a foghorn blast that thundered throughout the hallway.

But Shego stayed right where she was, the noise obviously not affecting her in the least. "Nice try, blue boy. Now try mine!" She thrust her right hand forward, plasma flying from her fist and Splodyhead's forehead.

Yaarp tried to twist in mid-air, but the first glob of plasma plugged up the horn on his head, while the second caught him in the belly and tossed him into Sample.

"You're next, Pinky!" Shego cackled, advancing on Angel.

Angel backed up a few steps and burst into song. But when Shego kept coming, that manic smile still on her face, Angel began to worry.

Shego grabbed Angel by the legs as the experiment tried to run. "Hate to break it to you, Pinky, but your song doesn't work on me. Right, boys?"

Plasmoid and Splodyhead hissed and growled at Angel, respectively.

"Now, call off your troops, or I'll-"

Shego never got to finish her sentence, because in the next moment, a steel pipe collided with the back of her head, scoring an instant knockout. She dropped like a rock as DNAmy stepped up behind her.

"NO ONE hurts my Cuddle Buddies," Amy sneered.

Angel was so shaken up by the failure of her song and her near-capture, that she ignored Plasmoid and Splodyhead for the moment and called an immediate retreat. Her fellow experiments and Amy quickly moved to obey.

None of them noticed that the Chewie-shaped dent in the wall was curiously empty.

Kim almost lost her nerve and decided to go back into the school for Chewie. But that was when she noticed something that demanded her attention.

DNAmy was climbing into a cleverly disguised van with Middleton Animal Control plastered on the side. Surrounding her feet was a small group of experiments, including the one that had just attacked her.

"So much for keeping them out of the wrong hands," Kim muttered, breaking into a mad run. She didn't see Chewie, but she couldn't take the chance that they might have him, anyway.

She hadn't gotten far when a section of the school's wall exploded outward, showering her with debris. Kim ducked, but still got a face full of dust. As she coughed and waved away the dust, a hand seized the back of her neck.

"You stay right there, princess. I'll deal with you in a minute."

Kim nearly gagged in surprise. "Shego?" Her eyes widened as the orange creature attached to Shego's right forearm snarled at her.

Shego raised her left hand, shooting two thin but bright plasma beams. The first blew out the van's left front tire, while the second shattered the driver's side window.

Once Kim regained her bearings, she tried to toss Shego away with a judo throw. But Shego's grip tightened painfully, forcing her to stay still.

"Don't even think of pushing me, Kimmie. I'm having a really bad day."

Kim got the message when the orange creature fired a blob of plasma that purposely missed her feet, but came too close for comfort.

Shego started to approach the van when it suddenly lurched and flew straight at her. She quickly fired four large blasts, and the van exploded, hurling her back a few feet.

"Crap. They got away."

"How do you know?" Kim demanded.

Shego waved away some of the smoke, revealing a large hole in the ground. "They left the same way they came. Sound waves at the right frequency can tear through just about anything."

"So how come your ears aren't ringing like mine?" Kim asked, wincing slightly.

Shego plucked what looked like green gumdrops out of her ears. "Super hardened plasma. Filters out anything really loud." Her eyes narrowed. "Now, what to do with you?"

Kim began to step back, but Shego's arms became a green blur, and suddenly Kim found herself trapped in a gooey blob of lukewarm plasma.

"You're lucky I can control the temperature. Otherwise you wouldn't be so pretty anymore."

Kim struggled helplessly. "Haven't you learned anything from Monkey Fist, Shego? Altering your body doesn't mean you're going to win."

"Well, I'm not losing right now. And I didn't alter a thing. These little guys aren't permanent, though I'm starting to wish they were." As Shego spoke, the creatures on her arms unbonded and crawled up to her shoulders, glaring at Kim.

"They're experiments!" Kim realized.

"And I'm declaring them a success in the field. Might need to work on detecting threats from non-experimental sources," she added, glaring at greenish, multi-legged experiment, "but other than that, they're great. So let's get down to business, Kimmie. Why are you experiment hunting?"

"None of your business!" Kim said defiantly.

"Oh, really. We'll see about that." Shego raised her left arm, allowing the greenish creature to get a good look at Kim. "My little friend here says you've been in contact with 625 and 626. I'm betting you know exactly where they are, too."

"Even if I did, I'd never tell you!"

"Hmm. You've got a point. You wouldn't care if I did something to you. But if I threatened someone innocent, I bet you'd be plenty lippy, Kimmie. It's just a matter of keeping you with me until I find someone to torture."

Shego was about to put in a call for pickup to Dr. Drakken, but the greenish creature hissed at her.

"You think so, huh? Well, she does always escape. Maybe a change in locale is in order."

It suddenly occurred to Kim that Shego was actually communicating with the creatures, but before she could ask how, the greenish creature let out a loud warbling that made Kim wince.

Almost instantly, a large shadow fell over them, and a black spacecraft broke through the clouds.

"I see you upgraded the hovercraft," Kim murmured in awe.

Shego snorted. "As if Dr. D ever made anything that cool." She hauled Kim over her shoulder and headed for the ramp that extended from the spacecraft.

"So that's vandalism, breaking and entering, and kidnapping."

"You forgot the part where I didn't just dodge and let that van hit you," Shego reminded her.

Kim rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. As if you'd ever let anyone else finish me off..."

Neither of them noticed the ball of yellowish fur that rolled in behind them.

Lilo grinned as she finally spotted her 'uncle' and 'aunt' in the baggage claim. "Jumba! Pleakley! You made it!" She got a running start and launched herself into Jumba's arms.

The former evil genius mad scientist laughed. "Ah, little girl! So nice to be seeing you again. But where is 626?"

"I left him with Ron, in case there was trouble. But look, we already got an experiment!" She held up Skrump for his inspection, then gleefully tackled Pleakley.

Jumba frowned as he studied the lifeless doll. "Something is seeming very suspicious about this. Does not act at all like 375 should."

"For once, one of the little monsters isn't acting like a little monster, and you're complaining?" Pleakley asked.

"Is not acting, because it cannot," Jumba declared. "375 is no longer habitating little girl's displeased-looking doll."

"What?" Lilo cried, snatching Skrump from him. "But he was there! I saw him go into Skrump! I did!"

Jumba shook his head. "375 has escaped. He is no longer having any reason to be hiding from us."

Lilo frowned. "But...if he's not here, where is he? And how long has he been gone?"

At that very moment, Angel was enjoying the fruits of her labor, with a little help from DNAmy. The positive effects of her recent transformation were growing by the moment. She discovered that her memory had improved, and recalled all those hours of watching Jumba in his lab. After that, it hadn't taken much effort for her to walk Amy through converting a gene splicer into a long-range teleporter (of course, it helped that Amy herself was a genius).

Plus, Angel could now use her song not only to seduce her fellow experiments, but to seek them out as well. The first test of this had won her a new ally in Phantasmo.

And that was why Angel was now standing in a certain prison, waiting for her song-enchanted guard to unlock a certain high security cell. She had borrowed Amy's Flamingoat for the trip, to act as a body for Phantasmo, who in turn was acting as her lookout.

As the cell door slid open, Angel found herself staring at two of her own.

"Move it, Clyde!" the little one ordered, hopping down from her top bunk. "It's the fam!"

The big one yawned, but crawled out of bed and dutifully followed her out of the cell. "Ain't a little early for a jailbreak, Bonnie?"

"It's never too early for a jailbreak, numbskull!"

Angel smiled at them. "Angel rescue cousins. Cousins free!"

"Yeah, yeah, and we're all emotional about that, toots. So what's the scheme?" Bonnie asked.

"Cousins join Angel's Ohana!"

Bonnie didn't look impressed. "Thanks, but no thanks, Angie. See, me and Clyde, we're strictly a two-experiment gang. You understand."

Angel frowned. "Cousins...no like Angel?"

Bonnie plastered a fake grin on her face and slipped an arm around Angel. "Sure we like ya! It's just that me and Clyde, we do our own thing. But we never forget when someone's done us a solid, see? So let's say we owe you one. Since you're so big into getting the fam back together, hey, that's what we'll do! We run into any cousins, we'll send 'em your way. Sound fair?"

Angel nodded. "Be safe, cousins." She gave Bonnie a big hug.

Bonnie suppressed the urge to gag, and then actually did gag as Clyde gave them both a bone-crushing hug. "Back off, Clyde! Told ya I'm allergic to hugs!"

"Sorry, Bonnie," Clyde replied, letting go. "I forgot."

"Whatever! Let's just get outta here!"

Angel led them back to the teleporter. "Cousins come home first? Share food?"

Bonnie stared at her warily. "No usin' your pipes on us?"

Angel shook her head. "Cousins free. Even from Angel."

"I like your style, Angie. You're alright."

Ron turned green. "It's settled. Mystery meat looks the same coming up as it does going down, Rufus."

Rufus made a face as Stitch finished emptying his stomach into the nearby bushes. "Yuck!"

Stitch stood up, wiping his mouth. Then he noticed a message in the dirt near his feet.

"Hey, what's that?" Ron asked, leaning over it. "And why's it written in mustard?"

"625," Stitch answered. "Cousin say Shego have Kim. Will follow."

"Aw, man! I knew we should've stuck together! Now we have to find your cousins AND save KP! Could this get any worse?"

"Ih! Stitch smell Gantu fuel!"

"It was a rhetorical question, dude! You NEVER answer those!"

Stitch grabbed Ron's sleeve and began dragging him.

"Hey, shouldn't we get Lilo first?"

Stitch shook his head. "No time. Find Kim now!"

"Okay. But you should know I'm kinda inexperienced when it comes to dealing with talking shark men."

"It'll only take a minute, Bonnie," Tara insisted. "I just want you to meet him."

Bonnie sighed as Tara dragged her down the hall. "Fine. But I don't see what the big deal about a bird is."

"But he's not just any bird! He's purple! And he sings like an angel!"

"If you say so," Bonnie muttered.

Tara opened her bedroom door. "Presley! I want you to meet...Presley? Where'd you go?"

Bonnie looked over Tara's shoulder to find an empty birdcage. "You left him out?"

"No! I put him back in, right before I left!" Tara dropped to her knees and peered under the bed. "Presley? Where are you, boy?"

Bonnie noticed a slip of paper under the cage. She pulled it out and frowned. "Um, T? I think someone swiped your bird."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because they left a note?"

Tara scrambled to her feet. "Oh no! This is terrible!"

"I'll say. This handwriting is awful. 'Give us the hair-eater, or the lovebird gets it.' How'd they know about Furball?"

"I don't know. But they have my Presley..." Tara looked close to tears.

"Well, we'll just have to get him back."

"But I couldn't ask you to give up your little sheepdog..."

"I don't plan to. I said we're going to get him back, not trade. And would you stop calling her a dog? She's nothing but fur and claws!"

Tara blinked. "But...that's what a dog-"

"Yes, I know! But she's LITERALLY nothing but fur and claws!"

"If you say so, Bonnie. But how do we get Presley back?"

"They left an address. All we have to do is take Furball there."

"But what if they have a giant razor or something?"

Bonnie shook her head. "You've been hanging around Stoppable again, haven't you?"

Next Chapter: Gantu and Shego make a deal, and Kim gets rescued.

Reviews!

Eternal Sidekick

Another stellar chapter in this fantastic story. I absolutely loved the scene of Lilo taking Sumo-Boy's photo, a great reference to the original movie.

I've got to admit, having an appearance by DNAmy completely surprised me, though in retrospect it makes perfect sense. I'm having a feeling that she'll be more than a little overprotective of her newest "children" if any attempts are made by anyone (villains or heroes) to reclaim or free them.

Gantu is not only physically impressive, but he is showing a welcome flair for diplomacy as Dr. Warren's envoy. He knows or has been thoroughly briefed about Shego and what she is capable of, and has shown graciousness and courtesy when dealing with her, particularly in her earliest moments with Plasmoid and (snicker) Splodyhead. Once she gets over her initial fear of the symbiotic relationship of Experiments 617 and 619, I truly hope that she will remember and appreciate that he explained their powers and the power that she now possesses with them.

Now, I am a hopeless romantic, particularly with those characters who are rarely given a happy ending. As far as Gantu/Shego, definitely count my vote for weird yet interesting. Given the chance, I truly believe that Gantu's loyalty would be unswerving if he had the chance to find someone who truly gave a darn about him. If anyone were to show him some honest caring and concern, I wholeheartedly believe that he would take a bullet for them. And while I had always envisioned Shego as someday getting romantically involved with Dr. Drakken, if she were to find happiness with Gantu, I would be just as delighted. Surprised, amazed, and utterly overjoyed.

Thank you for keeping this incredible story going! I eagerly await the next installment.

I wondered if anyone would get the Sumo Guy scene.

I think DNAmy's involvement was largely inevitable. How could she possibly resist cute little monsters that delight in destruction? Mind you, she'll be much more protective in Angel's sway.

It's easy to get the idea that Gantu is a big goof, especially if you only hear Lilo's side. Before Stitch came into his life, however, I think he was quite capable (if not guilty of excessive force at times). Like Shego, he can be very quick to anger. I happen to think he's good at his job, it's just that you can only do so much against Stitch under pressure and without help. Maybe if he'd eaten more sandwiches...

Shkspr1048

You think that Jumba and DNAmy would hit it off with each other, whacked-out geneticist to whacked-out geneticist? You know, professional courtesy? Of course, I can also see her and Pleakly trading recipes, for some reason.

I think Jumba would be upset that anyone altered his experiments, but ultimately impressed that DNAmy increased Angel's effectiveness. I would hope even she had better sense than to trade recipes with Pleakley, though. Something tells me his people have a strange sense of not only style, but taste. Just look at how things turned out with Mr. Stenchy. But I have to give Pleakly credit for developing a massive taste for Earth foods, and apparently improving his cooking skills.

Eternal Sidekick

Once again, I am in awe of how well this story is coming together. You've put a lot of thought, effort, and research into this tale and it really shows.

The latest turn with DNAmy and Angel was a surprise. Looks like Angel has her own plans now that her powers have been augmented.

Pretty imaginitive how Stitch and Chewie (the wonderfully characterized 625) were smuggled into school. It is terrific that Kim kept to her word to count on 625 if things went kablooie. (More on that shortly...)

The subplot with Bonnie and Tara, while I kind of suspected where it would go, was beautifully written. I am hoping that there won't be a heartbreaking change if Hunkahunka's powers on Tara are broken. I await the resolution of this one with hope and dread. Great cameo appearance by Furball as well.

Glad to see that Shego's transition period in getting acclimated to the experiments symbiotic relationship with her was brief and successful. I'm definitely reassured with the opinions of Plasmoid and Splodyhead, that she sees Gantu as a good potential partner. Perhaps the combination of them together will be able to shrug off the effects of 624's Siren song? If not, then who would lead the rescue mission to save Shego, Dr. Drakken or Gantu? (Hopefully they won't waste time bickering over the leadership of such a mission and simply get on with the overwhelmingly important task of making sure that Shego was safe.)

I absolutely loved Ron's section of this chapter. Favorite line: "Of course, it helped that Stitch seemed to be a genius in virtually every subject, and apparently had no moral deterrents whatsoever." The interaction between him and Mr. Barkin was priceless! Great reference to a favorite KP episode, as well.

Terrific section with Kim and 625. Second favorite lines: ""...and the bunny goes down his hole. See? It's easy...um, if you practice," Kim said, getting to her feet.

"Wow," Big Mike rumbled from far above her head. "Thanks, Kim. I never could figure out why I kept tripping..."

Light humor up front and surprising action and drama afterward. Really glad that 625 stepped up to the plate and gave his best shot to protect Kim. Sometimes a distraction is all that is needed. (Hey, it works for Ron.) I certainly didn't expect the school to be crawling with experiments by the end of the chapter, with Shego having the final word.

Another superb chapter! Keep up the phenomenal work! Can't wait to see what happens next.

I didn't do as much research as you might think. That is, as a fan of both shows, I already knew plenty. (I figured keeping an updated chart of all the experiments would come in handy, and it has)

As for Tara, I should point out she's had prolonged exposure to "Presley," and that will come into play later.

I like to think Shego can roll with the punches and adapt quickly to most things, either because of natural toughness or comet power.

I try to fit Barkie in whenever I can, he's such a fun character to me. But then I like all of Patrick Warburton's characters.

A lot of places will crawling with experiments, with Angel's Ohana growing and the arrival of Jumba and Pleakley (they won't be alone).