Chapter 6:
Inverse
I
626's voice was different to Lilo than it was to him. She heard a much higher tone that was somewhat gargled like a growl. The girl seemed frozen and pale since he had repeated her. Thinking quickly for his stratagem, the stranded Experiment gave Lilo the most convincing hug he could. It became simplistic once he figured to pretend that he was hugging 624.
"...Wow..." Lilo muttered in shock, as her face slowly became colorful again. Once they pulled away, she thought to test his obedience. "Sit, boy." The extraterrestrial was confused, yet this did nothing to slow his reaction; he sat cross-legged on the hard cement. "Roll over." A smile grew progressively wider on the girl's face. 626 promptly flowed backwards like a spring, bouncing off of his fingertips before concluding the backflip on his feet. His stomach responded negatively to his obeying this weak and feeble creature, though his brain forced it to bear with the plan for the time being. "Play dead." Lilo merrily and gently ordered. 626 began wheezing similarly to when he dreamed of being strangled by 627 mere moments ago, grasping his neck at the same time. He eventually dropped to his knees, and subsequently to his back, keeping his eyes half-opened. "...Well, that's convincing," Lilo remarked, slightly disturbed yet excited at the same time. She recalled the sensation she felt when taking in one of her father's horrific fictions, becoming infused with a gleefully fuzzy sense of nostalgia. Kneeling by the false corpse, she began playfully scratching his belly with both hands. Remembering his hellish eyes, which now opened completely to give her a confused look, Lilo was surprised to find how soft his ocean blue fur was. 626 was initially irritated by the spontaneous massage, but soon couldn't help but lean his head back and purr; her hands seemed to fill his stomach with butterflies. He thought he would have to fake the pumping motion with his foot that the previous dog had demonstrated, but found his leg two steps ahead of him already.
"You wanna go home?" Lilo asked, halting her rubbing. She was at the height of disbelief that the freckled ginger before her would walk right past this fascinating creature. At the same time, she was overjoyed that he was left over for her. 626 nodded happily at the request, looking forward more to reconnoitering the planet than seeing the girl's home, yet still pleased to know he had found a suitable temporary shelter. 'So gullible.' He thought. His only hope as he followed Lilo out of the bright blue hall of cages was that the rest of her species would be just as easy to deceive. His hope partly dashed when Nani and the shelter worker jumped like bats from Hell at his appearance. The worker's seemingly permanent beam finally died as she restrained whatever the blue creature was, while Nani got in front of her younger sister like a barricade, backing them both up towards the brightly colored wall.
"W-W-Where did you find this, uh, this, uh-?" The worker became a broken record and turned as pale as a phantom.
"He just came up to me!" Lilo answered excitedly from behind Nani. "He came out and smiled and gave me a hug! I don't know what you guys are so scared of; he's super nice!"
"Well...Is it even a dog?" Nani reluctantly inquired, keeping her eyes on 626.
"Whatever he is, he's the coolest pet in the universe!" The young girl reacted like it was Christmas morning. The Experiment had to calm himself when his stomach turned at the word 'pet.'
"W-We have, uh, better dogs, you know?" The worker tried her hardest to revive her beam.
"Not as good as Stitch!" Lilo gladly objected. Everyone, even the bizarre animal, looked confused. "That's what I'm gonna name him! You like that name, boy?" The terrorist was caught off guard by the question, but, thinking quickly once again, faked a smile and nodded. "Come here, Stitch!" The younger sister emerged from behind Nani to hold her arms out for her new friend. 626 broke free of the worker with a simple and firm movement of his waist, giving her a quick glare before turning back to Lilo with his false smile again. He leaped into her arms, picturing 624 in his mind again. "See?" The girl looked up at her sibling, smiling wider than she had in ages, as she hugged 626. "He's perfect! Can we get him?! Please?!"
'Please, Miss? I won't stay long.' The Experiment thought as he looked up at Nani similarly. The elder sibling looked at the strange creature with a mixture of anxiety and uncertainty, and then back at Lilo's face-spanning beam. She pondered the decision carefully for a moment, and then abandoned her reluctance when she remembered the purpose of the trip.
II
"I don't know how you convinced me to buy that strange dog, Lilo," Nani exhaled a lie as she shut the front door, trying to remain optimistic that it would remain unbarred for a considerable amount of time.
"Stitch!" Lilo corrected, rubbing her new pet's belly again, interrupting his silent scheming of searching for the crashed pod again when night fell. His foot acted like the motor of a speedboat.
"Stitch," She repeated. "Alright, you and Stitch can play for a while, and then I'll take you to hula practice, alright?" She walked into the kitchen as she spoke, leaving the two children in the living room.
"Okay!" She stopped rubbing to scoop him up under the back and legs, like a heroic figure carrying a helpless bystander from a burning house.
"Ack! Igat youga deka?!" Stitch questioned irritably. He hadn't felt so clueless since his first meeting with 345.
"I'm taking you to see my bedroom,"
"Bedroom...Rest?" At the very least, he was about to have his first lesson on this species' lifestyle.
"Rest, playing around, or just chilling out to some Elvis." She explained gladly as she carried him upstairs almost effortlessly. Despite being almost the same size as her, Lilo found Stitch so light and nimble that she felt like she was carrying an armful of pillows.
"Elvis?" He sounded less annoyed and more curious.
"Ooh, just you wait, Stitch," She sounded excited, though the liar found this typical by now. He was too busy adjusting to his temporary alias to borrow any enthusiasm from the energetic girl. He was finally allowed on his feet again after they entered Lilo's room. "Say..." She began once she laid eyes on the bunk beds. "We can share the bunk beds now!" Her suggestion was met with a raised eyebrow. "Nani and I used to share them before she got her own room. So, you want the top one first, or the bottom one?"
Stitch stepped up to the option closest to him, intrigued and amazed at the bed's size and shape. The multitude of beds in the medical ward back at base now seemed like cup holders. He quickly noticed Lilo's handmade doll on the sheets, exposed by the messy state of the green duvet, as if they had been thrown off earlier in an excited rush. "Igata?" He asked, curious of Scrump's purpose if she wasn't actually the corpse of some repulsive creature.
"Oh, that's Scrump." Lilo scooped up her creation to show to her new friend. "Scrump, this is our new dog, Stitch!"
"...He looks like a pig with rabbit ears!" The doll scowled. The Experiment scoffed at her and turned his attention to scanning the other unusual objects in the room.
"Hey, I think he's cute!"
"And the way he's looking around..." Stitch had wandered to Lilo's desk during his search, and her school bag was just by his feet. "I bet he'll try to kill you in your sleep,"
"Why would he do that?!"
"For shits and giggles, probably. Kinda like Mertle,"
"Don't swear, Scrump!"
"Sorry..."
"Sure, he might not look like other dogs, his eyes are really creepy, and he sounds like someone's burning helium in his throat, but he could turn out to be really cool. We just need to give him a chance,"
"Well, that'd be more than what Mertle or Mrs. Robinson ever did..." Scrump turned her egg-filled head. "Or he could just be a nosy little bastard," Lilo glanced up to find the new arrival kneeling by her bag, reading intensely over a crumpled piece of paper, as if he were a teacher examining a student's poorly completed test.
"Hey!" Lilo suddenly sounded as irritable as Scrump. Stitch was surprised that she was capable of such an emotion as the test was snatched from him.
"Paper...Ruined...Why?" The terrorist decided to try using more English, not only to extract information from his 'owner' more easily, but in case someone were to recognize the rebellion's tongue.
"It's nothing..." Lilo muttered in frustration as she recreated a jagged sphere with the paper and turned her back. "Just don't go poking into my stuff without asking!"
"Can...Stitch just...Show youga?" The Experiment peered around her sternly.
"No, just forget it!"
"Lilo!" He exclaimed, loud and firm enough to petrify the embarrassed girl. She saw the flame in his eyes roar for just a second. "Give Stitch paper now!" As he was hurriedly given the messy paper ball, he couldn't help but feel as though he were Number 300. "Table..." He sat in the chair and unwrapped the humiliating 'C-', while Lilo timidly came up next to him. "Why...Give...Tests?" He inquired, taking a pencil rolling freely along the desk.
"Um, to see if we were listening, I guess," She answered reluctantly.
"Naga...Listened?" The girl was surprised by how stern he had suddenly become.
"I-I tried, but Mrs. Robinson just rambled on for ages and ages about nothing and-"
"Okitaka!" Accidentally using his translation of the word only frustrated him further. He now longed for the girl's previously chirpy attitude, as her strange and insolent tone now only made him wish he were governing now.
This oversensitive girl who spoke to repellent toys, her dull sister, and the insane and squeamish shelter worker were all in desperate need of the Experiment's discipline. He dreaded encountering more examples of this unsightly species. He looked back down at Lilo's work, finding numerous results of unsolved, incorrect, and even unorthodox fractions beneath the C-, crimson as 627's fur. To Stitch, these equations were merely a matter of simple logic. This girl really was hopeless. He couldn't be as blunt as he preferred, yet he could still stamp out the weakness in front of him.
"Lilo...Made...Decimals?" He found the first question; 7/10 ÷ 3/5 = 2.3/2', followed by a visibly rushed red 'X.'
"Yeah, Mrs. Robinson just said to divide the tops and bottoms like normal, then put the answers into a fraction,
"Robinson is stupid," The Experiment snapped more quickly than his previous attempts at the second language, although he wished to insult the student instead. "Two fives...Ten...Yes?"
"Uh-huh,"
"Like ten on bottom...In first fraction..." Though the Rebellion's timid medic was irrelevant, Stitch was still reminded of him. "So make two...of second fraction...so both have ten..." The equation was altered to '7/10 ÷ 6/10.' Lilo leaned in curiously. "Multiply...Across..."
"Oh, yeah, cross-multiplying." The question changed again to '7/10 x 10/6.' "I know that." The revolutionary had not expected her to catch on so quickly. He was unsure if he should be pleasantly surprised or irritated. He wrote out the answer; '70/60.' "Which makes one and 10/60...One and 1/6...And then 7/6...?" The girl simplified the answer completely. "Is that right?" She inquired to her speechless dog, who answered with a reluctant nod. "Really?" A more confident nod was given as Stitch strained his fuzzy cheeks into another false smile. "...Hey, could I try your trick with the other ones?" Her previous energy was slowly returning, as though a photograph fading into visibility on paper.
"Yes,"
"And then we can play darts!"
"Darts?" The alien was both confused and intrigued.
"Yeah. There's a round, green board downstairs with a picture of a one-eyed stupidhead on it. I can finish a few questions if you can bring it up?"
"Okay." The Experiment surrendered his seat for Lilo before leaving the room and descending the stairs.
The dart board on the sofa stood out like a potato in a head count of Sontarans, primarily due to the monstrous doodle of the bandaged Mertle still stuck to it by tape and magnetic darts. The target-like formation of the increasingly large, green and white circles hinted blatantly at its purpose. It also reminded Stitch of similar patterns put on metallic dummies, upon which 621 would spend portions of his spare time practicing his marksmanship. He became absorbed into his own memories like water into a sponge, so he experienced an unpleasant thud when he found his legs had automatically carried him back to Lilo's room. After shaking the reoccurring gallery of reminiscence from his focus, the stranded revolutionary found his frustrating student still humbly writing away. He took the opportunity to survey the room some more, in particular the unsightly doll still upon Lilo's bed.
Whilst one hand kept hold of the dart board, the other picked Scrump up without delicacy. He glared at the craft like he would glare at Hamsterviel and Jumba before too long, while Scrump stared back at him with her permanent, sewn-up grimace. As he examined the doll, feeling her skull made of eggs which he felt all too tempted to crush, he couldn't help but feel an ice cold shiver run through him, as if he were standing beneath a harsh, hammering rainfall. Stitch dropped the hodgepodge back on the bottom bunk with a scoff, randomly turning his attention eastwards, discovering a framed photograph depicting four joyous people. Two of them were smaller than the others, and they bore startling resemblances to the two girls he was currently stuck with. The two taller creatures' absence in reality sparked his curiosity. He quickly abandoned it, though, to return his focus back to maintaining a sturdy a sturdy disguise.
"All done, Stitch!" Lilo called at last. The Experiment, keeping the dart board in hand, came to check her work. He was surprised to find the new amount of correct answers, yet disappointed that he would have to be the first Experiment to compliment a subordinate.
"Good..." He muttered, still looking at the quickly improved and still-wrinkled exam.
"What?"
"Not all...But nearly..." He raised his voice and faked a smile at the girl.
"Really?!" She beamed bright enough to cause blindness. She was answered with a nod, which she responded with an airtight hug. "And it's all thanks to you!"
"Oh..." Now she was the first subordinate to abandon stubbornness for gratitude. Hundreds of fully grown citizens in the quadrant, all like difficult teenagers, and then one small girl who found the value of his abilities. He still felt disappointment, though it now made space for pleasant surprise. "On Monday, when Mrs. Robinson gives us another bible of homework, you think you could help me with it?" She asked merrily as she pulled away, keeping her hands upon the Experiment's fuzzy shoulders.
"Okay," He answered, his beam becoming slightly less false.
"Great! Thanks!" Her expression softened. "I should've just asked asked you for help, huh? Then we wouldn't have had to yell at each other,"
"Yes..." Stitch responded warmly. "Want answers...Ask." He then wished that investigating for the elusive Jacques Hamsterviel had been that simple.
"I'll remember that,"
"Yes, remember, remember,"
"What?"
"What?" Silence for a moment.
"...Oh, we were gonna play darts, right?!"
"Right!" Stitch handed Lilo the target he had placed alongside the desk. "Who...Is...?" He glanced at the bandaged girl's picture as his temporary owner took it.
"Just Mertle. Like I said; a one-eyed stupidhead,"
"Hm...Stitch knows stupidhead..." He showed her four fingers as she stood the board up atop the desk. "...Eyes,"
"Wow..." Lilo beamed with fascination as she removed the darts and Mertle's photo. She recalled thinking that there were some who could see the true flame behind the black eyes; was this four-eyed creature one of them? "I guess having exactly two eyes can make a big difference, huh?" She chuckled.
"Yeah..." He followed the girl to the room's center, taking the dart that she offered him.
"Alright, watch." She flung her own dart at the target, landing it just above the second smallest circle. "You've gotta try to get it-" Stitch had his dart on the bullseye at lightspeed, ending up in a dynamic pose like a Spartan who had just thrown a spear. "...In the center," The girl finished, her face blank with both surprise and amazement. "Nice shot," She smiled. The terrorist also smiled with satisfaction, masking the dread of not knowing how long he would have to endure this simple drudgery.
III
Stitch was thankful for many things when it was time to go. He was thankful for a chance to stretch his legs, and he was thankful to observe the planet during its daytime. Above all, though, he was grateful for the end of Lilo's droll activities. His relief was impeded, however, when Nani gave Lilo a leash, which was placed around his neck like a chain upon a prisoner. It wasn't already uncomfortable enough, but the leash's crimson color reminded him distinctly of his nightmare mere hours ago. The young girl had insisted that she walk her new dog to hula practice, rejecting her sister's offer for a ride to the destination. The only regret she had was now witnessing his intensified eyes, burning even hotter than when she first saw them, as they walked; her on two limbs and him on four. His wandering gaze seemed ready to transform the leash into ashes at any moment.
"So, Nani wants us to walk over to her luau for dinner after practice..." She managed to state, overcoming her dread that the dog would pounce on and maul the next source of sound. She held his leash in one hand, while the other held her school bag, now containing her hula costume, which included a grass skirt of the darkest green. Little more than a low growl was given in response. Only mere steps later did Lilo deduce the cause of this ominous behavior. "You want your leash off?"
Stitch felt relief again. He stopped in his tracks, forcing Lilo to as well, and turned to face her, faking another smile. "Please?" Within seconds, his neck could taste the warm air again. He continued his walk whilst preserving the smile, observing the many colored buildings of brick or steel, all models compared to the whales of vessels the military commanded. Despite his less ominous expression, Lilo still felt dread at even an indirect look from those hellish eyes.
"You can walk on just your feet if you want," She said, wrapping up the leash into a circular mound.
"Hm?"
"You walked on your legs in the shelter and at home. Why are you on all fours now?"
"Um, better exercise," He quickly fibbed. He was baffled that walking like a dog was the one thing amiss to this odd girl.
"Oh, okay," Lilo smiled and it was returned. "Nani will want you to wash your hands when we get to the luau, though,"
"Okay,"
"And to wipe your hands and feet when we get home,"
"'Kay."
"Great." Stitch was surprised to find her stopping to bend down and hug him.
"Lilo...Keeps hugging Stitch," He began, half confused and half irritated.
"Yeah,"
"Why?"
"Because you're fluffy," She chirped, pulling away to ruffle the fur on his belly. After witnessing the ginger girl's treatment of the white, hairy dog, he had anticipated this amount of random affection. The fascinating and troublesome part to him was how he pondered it, having been feared or antagonized by so many feeble civilians before Lilo; the kindness and hugs began to feel almost satisfying, like a surprise birthday present he had never realized he wished for. He quickly forced the contentedness from his massaged gut, though, substituting it with thoughts of his angelic 624. To his annoyance, as if it had not been tested enough today, his lust was interrupted by gush of wind rushing behind him, followed quickly by the unpleasant sound of tires skidding against concrete. As Lilo stood up, she found her least favorite bandaged person in front of her, sitting upon a bicycle of the most pretentious shade of purple. Hanging from her back by two thin ropes was a similarly purple sack, out of which the end of a skirt nearly identical to the one in Lilo's bag protruded.
"Hey, Mertle," She attempted to be friendly, though the disturbed and disapproving glare from her one functional eye seemed ignorant to her efforts. It filled Lilo with an unpleasant anxiety, although Mertle's glance was upon Stitch.
"Lilo?" The girl in glasses began, speaking like a bomb about to detonate.
"Yeah?"
"What the hell is that?!" Her glare was being answered by a raised eyebrow.
"This is my dog, Stitch,"
"...That is not a dog!" The answer changed to a grimace not unlike the ones Stitch and Scrump had traded earlier.
"Yeah, he is. I got him from the animal shelter,"
"Well, it doesn't look like any 'animal' I've ever seen." Mertle turned her head away from the blue creature but kept her eyes on him, as if he were a piece of ancient, spoiled food laying on the pale yellow sidewalk.
"I know. Isn't he cool?" She scratched behind Stitch's long right ear, earning a small smile, a quiet purr, and some more rapid tapping from his left foot. The revolutionary was thankful for it, as it provided a momentary distraction from the obnoxious cyclops.
"Are you sure he's not a demon?"
"Yes!" Lilo lied, remembering Stitch's gaze.
"Hm...You better not be bringing him to hula class!"
"How come!?" Something in Lilo's forehead felt like breaking free of the layers of skin imprisoning it.
"Because he might infect someone, and Moses would have to call the police and arrest you both!"
If Stitch had to create a scale with the most pleasing sounds at the top and the most agonizing ones at the bottom, he would place 624's song above the clouds, and Mertle's voice past this planet's core. He recalled Number 258, who was born with no voice, and became appalled at the forces above that the same fate was not given to this creature, whose mouth was overflowing like vomit while her threats were like ghost towns. The remainder of Lilo and Mertle's argument became gibberish in his ears, as he finally accepted Lilo's earlier offer and rose to his two legs, returning to Mertle the same glare he gave Scrump, 627, and countless others beforehand. He intended only to intimidate this blight on the planet, but it only took one step to pale and silence her with a short gasp. His glare stretching into a devious smirk, Stitch took another step, upgrading this one to a firm stomp. Mertle hopped backwards on the foot keeping her bicycle upright, nearly having the device topple onto her in the process. The extraterrestrial briefly glanced back at Lilo, who seemed concerned but showed no immediate desire to interfere, and gave her a gleefully unimpressed smile. He then turned back to Mertle at a terrifying speed, growling like an infuriated lion, revealing his nightmarish forest of teeth and his small spearheads of claws. With little more than a blood-curdling yelp, the paling girl turned her bike around and fled into the distance. A few unfortunate passers-by a ways off had to dodge the bike as if it were a motorcycle. Stitch, a satisfied smile upon his muzzle, returned his attention to Lilo, who was initially pale, but quickly brightened up with a smile.
"Good boy, Stitch," She scratched behind his left ear. He purred as his claws retracted and his foot beat the pavement.
"One-eyed stupidhead?" He inquired as she finished.
"Yep, that's her," The girl answered in a chirp as she looked off at where an orange spot vanished into a distant building.
"Why...Only one?" The Experiment has a more curious tone.
"Oh, uh, I punched her there," Lilo answered, her beam fading. "Hard,"
"Good,"
"Good?!" She was surprised not only by his indifference, but that there was somebody who supported her choice of violent action.
"Mertle...Stupid. Need...Lesson," He spoke with the proud firmness of an army commander.
"Well...I guess..." She couldn't help but see some logic in Stitch's words, but tried eagerly to blind herself from it. "But that didn't really show her that I was smarter than her, did it?"
"No; shows her...You...Stronger. More...Powerful,"
"...Is that what you do when stupidheads are mean to you?" She was answered with a firm nod. The flames in his eyes roasted her like a deadly sun. "...Does it make you feel any better?"
"Yes,"
"...Are you sure?"
"Yes!" The frustrated exclamation silenced its announcer as effectively as it did its audience. It was only when Stitch's eyes relaxed and his shredder-like teeth retreated behind his lip that Lilo found the courage to speak again.
"We should get going, or we might be late." She slowly resumed walking and her dog quickly followed, returning to all fours.
"Lilo did good," Stitch said, softly but firmly, after one block. He was irritated not only that she hung her head over her one quality that he admired, but at a sickening feeling like one of her darts had struck a target within his chest. "See when Stitch...Scare Mertle...She know now...What happen when...Talk...That way...To me,"
"I guess..."
"And you say...Stitch was...Good boy,"
"Yeah, I did." Lilo never thought she could say so many things that she didn't want to. "But she keeps bothering me even though I hit her,"
"Then...Again." He surprised her with the suggestion.
"I don't know...I think Nani once said...I don't remember, but it was about doing the same thing again and again and again, and waiting for something different to happen,"
"Everyone...Learn...Sooner...Later," Stitch growled. He looked up at her, and she looked back, his glare meeting her anxious gaze. His fiery eyes had mystified her all day, but in that moment, she learned exactly what why they burned so furiously. "Like you with fractions."
Lilo searched frantically through her brain for a response, but forfeit her search when she found they had arrived at their destination, with the most immediate giveaway being Mertle's pretentious bicycle collapsed on the sidewalk like an abandoned getaway vehicle. It was a short building, barely below the average height of the many others surrounding it. It was made of bright yellow bricks and had a dark red door, reminding Stitch faintly of a color he and his allies so often encountered in their quest. A fire hydrant of a much brighter shade sat just a few steps hula class building's primary distinguishing features were the two large, square windows, upon which were many drawings and posters of women and men in grass skirts, many of the former dancing gracefully, and many of the latter juggling sticks inflamed at either end. The words 'remember, remember' came to the revolutionary's mind, though he only became further irritated that the fire was held by a nameless subordinate.
"Alright, here it is." Lilo sighed with relief as she unraveled the leash again. "Look, I know you don't like wearing it, but you're really supposed to while I'm in there." She was thankful that Stitch looked more unimpressed by the situation than annoyed. "Tell you what, if you think nobody's looking, you can take it off for a bit..." She continued as the blue creature allowed the obnoxious band to return to his fuzzy neck. "But put it back on if somebody might see. Just push on these two buttons here, see?" She briefly demonstrated the mechanism before leaving it closed and tying it to the nearby fire hydrant. "Okay?" She was answered with a firm nod, beginning to anticipate his recurring scowls and grimaces. "I'll only be an hour. Be good, alright?"
"Alright." And then, for the first time since they met, Stitch was separate from the bizarre girl. He noticed a few passers-by across the street, though nobody seemed at all interested in the strange, blue dog leashed to a fire hydrant. If they only knew. Seeing his chance, Stitch quickly undid the leash just as he had been shown, though not simply to comfort his neck. He darted up the wall of the short building like a snake ascending a tree, discovering a superior view of the town from the roof. The boost in height was small, but the lack of anything near or far that was much taller meant he could clearly see a wide radius. He tried to focus on observing his temporary home, particularly on the seemingly infinite ocean in the distance and the tall, white lighthouse near it like a sword stuck in the ground, which might make for a place to send a signal if he could, but found his mind idling on something else.
'Does it make you feel any better?' The question looped in his head like a broken record. He had answered Lilo so strictly purely to silence her, but the riddle still poked at his brain like a woodpecker against bark. After the agitation rained upon him and his cause by Jumba, Hamsterviel, 627, Gantu, the Grand Councilwoman, and countless of the galaxy's feeblest creatures, why shouldn't their punishment satisfy him?
'Punishments are for making the punished's victims happier, aren't they?'He thought to himself. 'Like how 621 and everybody punished 21-ack, Pig, and compared to her, Mertle's just a little shit. Really, she's a little shit on her own, but still.' He shook his head to return his attention to the vast view. 'Don't be stupid, 626. Pig deserved it, and so did Mertle. You've got more important things to worry about.' With his mind now clearer, he continued to survey his peaceful surroundings.
IV
"Hey, Stitch." It felt like an eternity when the Experiment finally heard the odd girl's voice again. Within the time she had been in her class, he had toured over several of the rooftops surrounding the one he had begun with, observing the mundane tasks of the planet's inhabitants. He found some walking with joined hands, some with smaller ones perched upon their shoulders, and others simply beaming, laughing, or otherwise in either small or large groups, or to somebody on small audio communicators they held to one ear. All the while, he couldn't imagine the feeling of storming through life so purposelessly. He had an increasing confidence that this was the planet Earth; far too primitive to even discover the Galactic Federation. He was optimistic that this prehistoric planet might provide some added inconspicuousness from both the Federation and Hamsterviel, but his heart sank when he realized such inconspicuousness also applied to his own allies, on top of being surrounded by zombies. Even with the several minutes he'd spent exploring, he was still made to wait once he'd returned to the leash, replacing it around his neck with a sensation of exhaustion and dread. He did arrive in time, however, for a short, dark rainbow of cars to appear parallel to the sidewalk, whose drivers all seemed reluctant to exit at the sight of the cross-looking dog. Lilo reappeared in a crowd of other girls her age which included Mertle, who took off hurriedly across the street on her bicycle. She was followed almost immediately by any others who did not rush into a departing car. "You okay? Sorry you had to wear this thing again." She removed the leash without hesitation, much to Stitch's relief.
"Thanks, Lilo," He said, smiling, although he was confused that she was smiling with him, as if she had forgotten about their debate only an hour earlier.
"You alright, Stitch?" She had noticed his smile fade. The Experiment had already taught himself not to repeat the misstep of indulging her hollow concerns.
"Yes,"
"Is it about what we were talking about earlier?" What was this girl? Stitch began to feel as though his thoughts were like a book to her, free for her to flip through its many pages and read any passage. At any moment, he briefly pondered, she'll simply recite the chapter detailing his comrades, his deception, and all to whom he had or will deliver much more vicious treatment.
"...Yes." No point in lying; she'd only pry further until he confessed.
"I guess you were kinda right; I did feel a little better after hitting Mertle,"
"See?" He smiled.
"For a little bit..."
"Hm?"
"...Never mind...To the luau, then?" She returned his smile in the hopes of turning their thoughts to something lighter.
"Okay." Stitch followed Lilo back down the sidewalk, not speaking again until his stomach felt strangely tight, not unlike how it did in the pod en route to his first mission. "Hula was good?"
"Oh, yeah, it was great!" He was surprised at how quickly she had returned to her cheerful demeanor. "Well, except for Mertle and her friends, I mean clones, no, yeah, friends, I think...That reminds me; I still have to show you some awesome Elvis songs!"
"...Okay." He tried to imitate her merry behavior. He was relieved that he was earning her approval, but the compressing in his stomach still poked at his brain like a parasite.
V
The luau was illuminated by orange torches like how the evening sky was illuminated by the scarlet sunset. It was a warm reminder for Lilo of the rainy and furnace-lit evenings on which her father recited his horrific tales, while Stitch only saw a pale imitation of the Rebellion's blazing flag. His irritation only increased when a flamboyant and muscular man in a grass skirt emerged from a stage at the furthest end of the establishment, waving around two flaming sticks as if they themselves were the same flag. Lilo, however, was thrilled by the performance, just as she had been the many previous times she viewed it. She wound up paying the fiery spectacle more attention than her dinner of Brussels sprouts and a sweet potato. Her new friend, initially assigned to the warm, sandy floor, now sat beside her, observing the show with disapproval as he ate his potato like an apple.
"Oh, wow, did you see that, Stitch?!" Lilo cheered after the man tossed one torch into the air and caught it behind his back.
"Mm. Very good," He pretended to be entertained; he smiled and spoke more merrily than he cared to.
"You alright?" The child inquired, now slightly concerned.
"Yes." He answered firmly.
"You sure? You sound kinda ticked off,"
"Stitch is okay, Lilo." He spoke more firmly, but tried to seem more personable than he had been for most of the day. He swallowed what remained of his sweet potato before speaking again"Stitch could...Do that," He added, looking back at the familiar display with an outward smirk and an inward scowl.
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. Really,"
"I'd like to see that. Then we could just watch your fire dancing at home instead of coming all the way here and watching David," She gleefully suggested. Stitch was surprised that anyone outside of the Rebellion would delight in his waving fire through the air. He wondered if Lilo would support the Rebellion if he revealed it to her.
"Okay." He picked up all the sprouts on his plate and engulfed them like they were crumbs.
"Holy crap, where did it all go?!" Lilo joked. They both laughed.
"To better place, Lilo." He added. "To better place." His laughter had decreased to a chuckle, while Lilo's was hysterics had ceased, Nani passed their table, dressed in just a light blue top covering only her chest, and a thin dress of the same color that seemed more like towel. Stitch had noticed two or three other women in similar uniform, and couldn't help but doubt if Nani enjoyed wearing it. She gave them only a quick glance; it was obvious from both her hasty speed and the empty trays in her hands that she still had at least one pending task. He was surprised she didn't tell him to descend from his seat to the floor.
"All done, Nani!" Her sister called as she passed.
"Already?!" She turned to quickly retrieve their plates, both littered with crumbs like fallen soldiers. Lilo's, however, still had one wounded warrior standing. "You didn't finish your sweet potato!"
"Uh...Oops,"
"I thought you liked them,"
"I do..." She glanced over at Stitch, who was distracted again by her old friend David's fiery spectacle. His inward scowl had become visible in his irritated trance. "Can we have dessert now?" She chirped. "I think Stitch could use some cheering up,"
"You know, he shouldn't be sitting at the table, Lilo," The elder said sternly, as if Lilo's request had been inaudible.
"He didn't sit there when we started. He asked me if he could sit up here with me," The younger explained. "It's my fault for saying yes, so you can yell at me instead,"
"No, it's alright. Remember our deal?" They both smiled. Lilo did recall the agreement, which would be maintained so long as she never harmed Mertle. With the recollection of this condition, however, came the memory of Stitch's philosophy. She glanced at him again, still glaring at David's performance. The flames reflected in his black eyes clashed with the fire already there, standing out only from its paler shade. Lilo wondered if he was ready to enact his harsh reasoning upon the entertainer. As much as the girl wanted to, she couldn't say that his answer was wrong, although she was beginning to be believe that there was more than one answer. "Doesn't look like Stitch likes David's fire dancing, huh?" Nani observed. "Can't imagine why..." She looked towards the performance as well, nearly drifting into a trance heavier than the Experiment's. She momentarily felt sharp shards of regret jabbing at her innards.
"He said he did. He was probably lying," Lilo replied, pulling her sibling from her sorrowful reminiscence.
"How's he turning out, anyway?" She quickly fabricated the illusion that she had never drifted at all.
"He's great! I don't think he and Scrump get along very well, but he showed me some helpful stuff with math. Plus, he's amazing at darts,"
"Awesome." The elder doubted the credibility of these statements, but was thankful that her sister's potent imagination was being used more positively. She had made the correct action in allowing Lilo to keep the unsettling canine.
"I think he's a bit...I don't know...He seems sad, but angry at everybody else because of it...Or maybe he feels mad so he won't have to feel sad...I'm not sure..."
"Well...Maybe you could show him how to feel happy?"
"...Elvis helps,"
"There you go." Nani ruffled her sister's sleek black hair. "Right, just a wild guess, but you probably want dessert,"
"You guessed right!"
"Alright. I've probably spent too much time talking with you anyway," She joked quickly before dashing off with the used plates.
Lilo hailed her sibling's suggestion; she began by scooting her chair closer towards the irritable Stitch. "Dessert's coming, Stitch." She leaned her elbows onto the table and her cheeks onto her hands, created a smile with cheeks spherical like large bubbles.
"Dessert?" He was finally torn from his glowering. His long ears jolted up in curiosity.
"I think you'll like it. I don't think anybody doesn't,"
"Stitch...Could be one," He stated, intending it to be nothing more than an honest possibility.
"No, you won't,"
"Maybe,"
"Yeah you will...Hey, Stitch?"
"Yes, Lilo?"
"Are you ticklish?" She scooted closer.
"...No,"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes,"
"How sure?"
"One hundred sure," He snapped, not optimistic about the direction of the conversation.
"I can check for you if you like," She coated a warning in an offer.
"Stitch is fine, tha-" He was caught off guard by her wiggling fingers reaching again for his belly. He had become adjusted to her spontaneous stomach rubs, although he'd been taught by 624, 621, and 221 to counteract any unwelcome grasp. The giggling he now struggled to repress as Lilo's fingers erratically stroked his gut, however, was never covered in his training. "St-p, L-l-oh!" He spat out through a wall of clenched teeth.
"Start?"
"No!"
"Okay!" Lilo persisted, tickling more fiercely. It wasn't long before the terrorist's toothy barricade toppled, rewarding Lilo's ears with a surprisingly delightful laugh. His rough yet squeaky cackling was like that of the most childish old man in the world. Though it was painful to cease the strangely adorable laughter, she finally allowed her new friend some breath. "Feel better?" She cheerfully inquired.
"...Little bit." Stitch was staggered to find that, despite wishing for his fit of laughter to cease when it was current, it had left a small swarm of butterflies in its place. It was a warm, soothing swarm, more so than the belly rubs Lilo surprised him with, and not unlike that he experienced since 624 kissed him for the first time.
"It feels good to laugh, doesn't it?"
"...Yes...Laughing...Feels good." He returned her smile, making it grow wider.
"Hey!" A stern voice suddenly snapped from behind Stitch. Both human and alien turned their heads to find a respectable wall of a man, whose red t-shirt tucked into his beige pants somehow emitting an aura of authority, approaching their table. "You're not allowed...Pets to sit in the chairs, young lady," He had to pause when he got a proper look at the blue Experiment.
"Sorry, sir," Lilo said calmly. She found Stitch giving the manager the same unnerving glare that he sported when the leash was clamped around his neck. "He's being good. He washed his hands in the bathroom. He ate all his sprouts,"
"I'm sorry, but it's just not allowed," The manager tried to be softer. "Could you ask him to come down, please?"
"Um...Stitch, the manager says you can't sit in that chair,"
"Hm?" He raised a furry eyebrow, the rest of his face forming a hot and jagged expression. "He, uh, wants to know why," The girl conveyed to the bulky man.
"...For sanitary reasons," He said warily to the blue creature, who scoffed in response. Frustrated, the manager picked Stitch up from his seat by his underarms. "Stop!" He ordered when the alien struggled against him, as if he were commanding a dog. "You can sit down here on-" He continued strictly as he began to lower the Experiment, but never concluding due to a sensation like a brick striking his nose and left cheek. The tables surrounding them suddenly silenced, as if they had all suddenly dropped dead. The wall of a manager was bent over, his nose slowly painting the ground red from a distance. Stitch was upright, the back of his raised left hand still tingling from the violent impact. Lilo darted up to him, her hands coming down firmly onto his shoulders. He glanced at her pale face from the corner of his glaring eyes, his towering ears detecting her quickening pulse at the same time. He took note of how slight the change in speed was. A few customers arose from their seats to see to the bleeding employee, but they were slower to his side than another redheaded waitress.
"Oh my God, Mr. Kekoa, are you alright?!" She kneeled down to see his face.
"...I've been better." He held his nose to the dimming sky and the blood began to reverse towards its proper place. "...But I've also been worse. Don't worry; just carry on,"
"Do you need to go to the hospital, alaka'i?!"
"No, no, just get me some paper towels-"
"Right here, alaka'i!" As if summoned like a genie from a lamp, Kekoa turned his eyes to the left to find Nani grasping the desired object. As he took the crumpled cloth, he noticed she looked even more anxious than he usually saw her, like she had been running for her life from God-knows-what.
"Nani..." He began once his nostril had been sufficiently plugged.
"Y-Yes, Mr. Kekoa?"
"Is that your dog?" He gave a strict nod in Stitch's direction. Nani looked down at him, wrapped in Lilo's arms. They both looked back at her; one set of eyes encased in ice and the other engulfed in flames.
"Um...Well, yeah..." She stammered, trying to speak at the pace that her thoughts tore through her mind like arrows. "I mean, I got her for my sister today, so, uh, yeah, I guess...Yes,"
"I see..." Kekoa said softly before turning to the other employee. "You go back to work now, Kai,"
"Yes, alaka'i." She quickly turned her attention to returning the onlookers to their seats, while the manager then brought Nani somewhere out of view to them all, including Lilo and Stitch.
"See, Lilo?" The navy blue alien said softly to her when he knew nobody was listening, gently taking her arms off of him. "Stitch and manager angry, Stitch show who is right. People only listen when they...Know they...Wrong...Weak..."
"Well...He was being kinda mean, picking you up like that..." The girl pondered, her face gradually returning to its typical tan color.
"See?"
"...But what about everyone else? You scared them, too," She inquired discontentedly.
"They learn, too. Learn easier...Than big man." He found her looking to the sand, as if the ground had requested a frown from her. "Remember, Lilo..." He carefully pulled her chin up so she faced him again. "People always...Try and stop you...You...Must...Fight...Back..."
"...You said that will make me feel better. Did punching Nani's boss make you feel better?"
"Uh-huh." He could feel the flame's warm kiss upon his interior. Despite the smile accompanying his response, Lilo's perturbed gaze persisted. "Lilo...Doesn't believe Stitch?"
"No, I...I do," She finished glumly. The Experiment's eyes narrowed, but not out of anger.
"Come on, guys," Nani walked up behind them, gently nudging them away from the table. Stitch and Lilo both glanced back over their shoulders, finding Mr. Kekoa, looking somewhat less intimidating with only one free nostril, giving a firm but regretful look in Nani's direction, as if he had just given away an item of many fond and distant memories. His expression hardened, however, when his eyes met Stitch's again. The revolutionary did not hide his feelings for him, either, before turning his back on him, not knowing that this would be the final time he would do so. Before long, Lilo and Stitch were seated in the gloomy back portion of Nani's sky blue car, and its owner was creating distance between herself and her former workplace.
"...Lilo," Nani began as the car started up.
"Did you get fired?" Her sister was two steps ahead of her. Nani briefly wished that she could spout out responses like this in school.
"...Yes, I did," She answered firmly as the car's speed slowly increased. "Well, sort of...More like I saw it coming and wanted to skip Mr. Kekoa's monologue,"
"I wish I could do that with you." Despite the apprehensive knot in Nani's stomach, Lilo still earned a small chuckle from her. "Or the teachers at school. Or Mertle and her friends-clones-um-" The unemployed sibling chuckled for another second before her tone suddenly stiffened.
"Lilo," She began. She took a deep breath and decided to be blunt. "We need to take Stitch back to the animal shelter,"
"What?!"
'Shit!' Stitch cursed in his head. He then tasted an unpleasant mixture of surprise and disgust; why did he feel at all tense at such impulsive and empty threats? 'Worst cast scenario, I just have to find a new idiot.'
"He broke Mr. Kekoa's nose, Lilo!" The driver persisted. "He's violent! We can't keep him; he could hurt someone else!"
"He won't!" Lilo objected strongly. "I'll make sure he doesn't!"
"Lilo, it's not safe! What if he hurt you?! I don't have a job now because of him!"
"He just made a mistake! Everybody does; I've made lots of mistakes, and you didn't throw me out for punching Mertle! Maybe I could help him to make less,"
"We don't have time for that. He'll make Mr. Bubbles angry!"
"Nani, Stitch is my best friend! If he goes, then I go, too!" She exclaimed loud enough to even chill Stitch's blood. A few seconds of silence came in between Lilo's outburst and her softer tone afterwards. "Dad said that ohana means nobody gets left behind,"
"...He's only been her a little while," Nani argued, her volume decreasing as well, but still slightly above her sister's.
"I don't care. Even if he's not part of your ohana yet, he's part of mine." More silence, during which Stitch couldn't help but feel pessimistic that Lilo's mere backtalk would achieve anything. Had she learned nothing from him all day?
"...Alright," Nani began. Two hearts skipped a beat; Lilo's did with a twirl while Stitch's tripped. "I'll give him one more chance. But if something like this happens again, he's going,"
"Thank you, Nani!" The young girl couldn't help but part from her seat to hug her sister from behind the car seat.
"Just make sure he behaves," The elder said softly, trying not to jolt and lose control of the car from the spontaneous embrace.
"Yes! Don't worry, he'll be the best dog ever! I promise!" Lilo returned to her seat and pulled an astonished Stitch into a tight hug. "See?" She whispered to him. "She listened. I didn't have to show her that she was wrong,"
"...What youga show her?" The Experiment quietly inquired, too lost in thought to reciprocate.
"What was right." Stitch pondered some more before responding. He couldn't help but see some logic in Lilo's words, but tried eagerly to blind himself from it.
"Naga show...Youga stronger,"
"...Maybe I am...And maybe nobody else has to know." She pulled away to look at him. He had shown her frowns and grimaces all day, and still she had nothing to return but her widest smile.
"...Lilo used word...What mean...Ohah...Ohana?"
"Ohana means family," She answered cheerfully before pulling him into another hug. Stitch hesitated, but this time he reciprocated, still pondering the act he had just witnessed. His plan was working perfectly; his disguise seemed impenetrable, and the girl in his arms just may have sealed it permanently. He only had to either bide his time until his allies located him, or sneak away temporarily to properly inspect the wrecked pod. The most trying step was completed, and still his head was hurting. Along one half of his brain sat a lonely but cheerful young girl in a bright room of cages, while the opposing side held a lifeless and disturbing creation with a permanent grimace upon its mouth of stitches. Their presence was not what perturbed Stitch, but rather the fact that in their place was once a black-and-white flag, coated in hellish red flames.
VI
"There we go," 10 muttered as he tied off the snow white bandage around the glob-like waist. "Now, that should start to heal so long as you stay rested and I see to it every little while." He looked up from his kneeling position at 300, smiling at first, though it faded in front of his rugged expression.
"Thank you, 10," The shapeshifter responded as he descended from the bed he sat on. "Your presence here and not with our blind former comrades is comforting knowledge,"
"Oh, um, you're welcome, 300," The medic replied softly. "But you should really rest,"
"I'll find a place outside to rest. I can't bear to be here when progress is being made outside,"
"Um...I-I'm sure everyone will do just fine without y-..." 10 stopped when he believed he had stuffed his foot into his mouth.
"I do not doubt that, 10." To the trunked Experiment's relief, 300 did not appear to register his words as offensive. "But I would still rather be kept informed,"
"W-We could always come in here and give you updates when we find something,"
"As opposed to immediately pursuing new findings further? Such a distraction would only hinder our progress..." He said sharply before softening his tone again. "Now, shall we see how 149 and 150 are faring with the remaining government vessel?"
"Sure." 10 was quick to open the door, which was quite near, for his patient. They stepped into what was once a bustling room of their hundreds upon hundreds of brethren, but was now a prodigious memento of their battle with 627. There was an Experiment-sized hole in the ceiling, dents in the walls, broken chairs and benches, and in the center of it all, a black Federation pod. Both side doors were open, revealing 150, his prosthetic left hand upon a pitch black screen. Were he not so physically vast, 149's feet protruding from beneath the dashboard could be seen from his side. Had she also been sitting properly, a bandage around her nose would be visible as well.
"Anythin' yet, bud?" The shorter of the two asked, keeping a red wire and a blue one together with her hands. Her voice rang with a slight snort. From her inverted seat, she could see a system of the pod's wiring under the dashboard's removed underside like rainbow-colored spaghetti.
"Yup!" The black screen had flickered on with a screen split vertically into two colors; white on top and black underneath. In the middle appeared the spider-like symbol of the Galactic Federation.
"Kickass! I'll come up there..." 149 began, reaching to grab the side of the nearest doorway.
"Here..." Acting faster than his brain, 150 reached down, gently scooping his one real hand under head, while his metallic one carefully took both feet, pulling her out delicately and placing her upright on the driver's seat. "Wha-?!" It was only now that the huge Experiment's face combined pale with scarlet. "Oh..." 149 was confused at first, but the smiled and gave her ally two firm pats on his porky arm. "Thanks, 150,"
"You're, uh, you're welcome." There was no affection whatsoever in the small contact, and yet 150's heart couldn't help but sprint like an athlete. "You know, 14-"
"Right, so, seems we've just gotta crack the password," She was more focused on the message that appeared on the screen. The interruption only made his face more scarlet, his heart sprint faster, and his forehead moisten.
"How is progress here, you two?" 300 inquired, approaching the pod from 150's side, with 10 just behind him.
"'Bout what I'd hope you'd expect from us, 300," 149 began. "All we've gotta do is put in the password and-" She typed 'GANTU' on the keypad that appeared on the screen, only to receive red text reading 'INCORRECT PASSWORD. TWO ATTEMPTS REMAINING.' "Aw, crap..."
"Try 'JHamsterviel' or 'JacquesH,'" 150 suggested.
"You sure?" She sounded skeptical.
"I feel pretty confident,"
"Alright, but if it ain't, you'll be the one hackin' it open again,"
"Fair enough." He smiled innocently down at her, while she gave him a sarcastic stink eye.
"Alright, smartass..." She typed in 'JHAMSTERVIEL', and surely enough, the current screen vanished and transformed into a list-like menu. "Well, well, well; guess we're all good." 149 smiled at 300 and 10 before patting her plump comrade on the back again. Although she turned her attention to the menu screen shortly afterwards, 150 couldn't help but turn a bittersweet crimson at her contact.
"...150?" 300 sternly began. The metal-handed Experiment felt a thud in his stomach like a dropping anvil at the blob's tone. "Might I have a word?"
"Oh, um, sure, 300." He stepped out of the vehicle to follow the bandaged Experiment towards a lonelier corner.
"How's your nose, 149?" He heard 10 kindly inquire as they left.
"Still shorter than yours, 10." She merrily ruffled his hair of fins, making him smile shyly. "But thanks for askin',"
"So, uh..." 150 reluctantly began once 300 had led him to the nearest corner. "What can I do you you, 300?"
"Not for me, 150, but for the Rebellion," The shapeshifter started bluntly, making his ally even more anxious. "Would you mind putting your lust to one side?"
150 was taken aback. "W-What do you mean?"
"I understand that 149 excites you, but in our current situation, with a valuable comrade stranded and possibly endangered, we cannot afford distractions,"
The larger revolutionary was speechless at first, but soon his eyes narrowed defiantly. "So I should just stop loving 149; is that what you're saying? Just turn it off like a switch?"
"Not necessarily," 300's tone did not shift. "Just organize priorities. Your loneliness won't find 626 or overthrow the Grand Councilwoman sooner,"
"Yeah, because I planned on killing the Councilwoman by liking 149," The strict and sarcastic response passed 150's lips without his brain's consent. The blob's eyes gave a brief and demonic spark at the outburst.
"Don't argue, 150. I'm only telling you this to achieve the best case scenario for all of us. It is not my opinion, but a fact that you would be more useful if you put more attention towards finding 626,"
"What about 624? She's been dead-set on finding 626 from the moment that pod flew off! Her emotions aren't distracting her or 'hindering progress' or any other fancy words you love using! The opposite, actually!"
"Very true, but because 626 is the one we are searching for, her lust is convenient,"
"Convenient?! Alright, so what I feel isn't convenient, then?!" 150 took a step closer to 300; his heart was pounding, but somehow his unleashing of words was soothing. Despite his step, the shapeshifter did not budge from his ground.
"No, 300, it isn't. Someday, when we have our rule, you may pursue your romantic endeavors, but not until we have what we want,"
"What we want..." The larger Experiment repeated in a low growl. "...Sure." The shapeshifter's eyes narrowed at his insolence.
"I've better things to do besides listening to this back attitude, 150." The blob walked past him, and the taller one turned to keep facing him. In doing so, however, he found that 221, 624, 345, and 621 had now entered the room, the first of which already having entered the Federation pod to cuddle a certain someone. Seeing somebody he loved so dearly in such a painful image boggled his emotions; one half of the flame in his heart was a soothing fireplace, while the other was a violent and raging forest fire.
"It's not worth it, 150." He was pulled from the fire by 300's cavernous voice; he found that the blob had not traversed far from where he stood before. "It excites you, it hurts you, it makes you feel so much of everything in just one instant, but all it really does is distract you from your true goal." An unfamiliar wave of melancholy flowed over 300's words. "And when her life eventually concludes, still in the arms of your...Competition, it will only be more agonizing..."
150 was silenced for a moment, his frustration with 300 decreasing slightly, although a small amount was quickly recovered. "149 isn't 501. She's not going to blow up if she touches another Experiment,"
"...True," Was the soft response. 300 faced nothing in particular as his heavy yellow eyes shut, where they remained for several seconds. 150 did nothing but observe the shapeshifter as he briefly swam through the black ocean within his mind. It was only a short time before his eyes opened again, once again frigid and burning all at once. "Have you gotten into the radar, 149?" He called back to the pod.
"Gettin' there," Her voice came out as a chuckle. In response, he slithered towards the pod like a snake made of liquid at an alarming speed, his head reaching into the pod and getting right in the faces of 149 and 221, the latter of which had his arms around the other. "If you two continue to distract each other, I will forcibly separate you, and will see to it that you do not touch again until 626 is found!"
"Alright, alright, we'll get on it," The electrician replied, irritated. He released an equally annoyed 149 so she could return her efforts to the screen on the pod's console. "A little cuddle isn't gonna permanently strand 626, ya know," He returned 300's glare.
"Just find him!" The shapeshifter slithered speedily once more, this time onto the large gap in the ceiling. "I'm going to keep watch for any more unwanted guests!" With that, he vanished onto the roof. Only 10 and 345 were shaken by his exclamations; 149 and 221 had ignored him, while 150, 621, and 624 were all stiff with glowers.
"Um, I'll go help him," The clown said soon after. "Sounds like he could use a hug." He waved delicately to his three friends; 10 and 624, giving only a small smile, reciprocated. He then reached a lengthy leg up through the hole and ascended through it after 300.
"Well, if that's all done..." 621 muttered sternly before patting 10 once on the back, earning a small jolt from him. "That was some good training, 10. I want you to do a session with me or 624 every so often so you can feel more confident and knowledgeable about how you're going to fight,"
"Oh, uh, OK, I can do that," The medic softly replied with a shy smile.
"I know you will...Hang on, I should make sure 221 and 149 actually did return to work." The marksman departed the conversation to lean into the pod. Afterwards, 10 noticed 624's firm expression.
"You alright, 624?" He gently inquired.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Was the solid reply. "I'm gonna take you back into the practice room for another match later, alright?"
"Alright...624?"
"What?"
"You're not really fine, are you?"
"...I guess not," She sighed, her expression softening as she looked to the floor. A silence that seemed eternal followed.
"You know we'll find him, 624," 10 thought to say after a while.
"Oh, we will 10!" The pink Experiment's head raised in a single swift movement, almost making 10's stomach leap. "In fact, he's as good as found, because there's nowhere in the universe that I'm not going to look for him!"
"Oh...Good...Great!" The medic was confused that his enthusiasm was not coming through as it should.
"And when he returns, it's going to be his dream come true..." 624 continued, her face somewhere between a sadistic smile and the fiery scowl typically found upon 621. "When 627 sent him away in that pod, he might as well have been shooting himself. He's dead, 10, and so are our bastard 'parents', Jumba and Hamsterviel! I'm going to make them suffer even more than they've made me. The three of them are over at who-knows-where, thinking they're so clever and that they can't be touched...If they only knew...Because when we bring 626 back, we'll kill them all together; he and I! Not for the rebellion; for us!" For the first time, 624 had made the timid medic white as a sheet. She hung her head, reddened with fury, once again, although for mere seconds. When she arose again, the crimson was gone, leaving only her usual cheerful grin.
"That's a promise!"