Experiment 626 knew what the galaxy thought of him.

Abomination.

Monster.

Weapon.

Thing.

It.

The soldiers that had arrested him. The delegates in the council chamber. Even Jumba, his own creator. All of them considered him nothing more than this thing meant for nothing but causing destruction and chaos all across the galaxy. It was as Jumba said to him right after his creation: his entire purpose was to wreak havoc.

So why fight it? 626 was smart enough to know that everyone's minds had been made up the second they'd seen him, after all. And if nobody was ever going to see him as anything but a monster, then, well, 626 would live up to their expectations.

As he snapped and growled out at the council from inside the tiny glass case they'd forced him into, 626 heard Jumba and the lead delegates talking back and forth about him.

"What is that monstrosity?" A massive being on the central podium glared daggers at 626, who snarled back like a good monster was supposed to.

Jumba chuckled, obviously flattered on his creation's behalf. "No mere 'monstrosity', captain. What you see before you is first of new species. I call it Experiment 626." 626 imagined the chuckles were also out of relief that the delegates were horrified by him as opposed to finding him 'cute' and 'fluffy', the same traits that Jumba'd been so angered by when he first saw his creation.

"It is bulletproof, fireproof, and can think faster than supercomputer." Jumba began listing 626's traits and abilities, visibly enjoying himself more and more. "It can see in the dark, and move objects three thousand times its' size. It's only instinct: to destroy everything it touches!" And with that Jumba toppled over laughing, as 626 continued to play the monster.

"It is an affront to nature." The being from earlier declared. "It must be destroyed!" Pounding his fist down on the platform for emphasis, he was about to say something else - presumably how disgusted he was by the abomination standing before him, or something to that effect - when the smaller, grey-green being to his side laid a hand on his arm.

"Calm yourself, Captain Gantu." She admonished. "Perhaps he can be reasoned with."

626 immediately froze, one claw still poking at the bottom of the case even as his attempt to escape was suddenly blasted from his mind.

He.

Not it.

He.

"Grand Councilwoman, listen to yourself." The being named Gantu scoffed. "Look at that thing: it's behaved like a wild animal ever since they unveiled it."

"Ever since we forced him into a glass capsule, you mean." The Grand Councilwoman shot back. "Would you be able to stay perfectly calm and collected in that scenario, captain?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Exactly." She turned back to 626, who was even more thrown for a loop. Was she expressing sympathy for him? It couldn't be. All he was to anyone was a monster, after all.

And yet…

"Experiment 626?" The way she called out to him didn't seem like how one would call out to a monster. "Can you understand what I am saying to you?"

Almost automatically, 626 stood up as straight as he could, turned, and nodded. "Ih. Meega can."

The chorus of shouts that echoed around the council chamber was almost as impressive as the one from when the delegates had first caught a glimpse of him. It can talk? He imagined them saying. But monsters can't talk!

The Councilwoman let the noise abate before continuing. "Excellent. Now, Dr. Jookiba claims you are built for no purpose but destruction, but is this really true? Show us that it is not. Show us that there is something inside you that is good."

"Hmph." 626 heard Jumba mutter after she spoke. "Is ridiculous. There is nothing 'good' about you, is there, 626?"

626 made a show of clearing his throat, trying to buy time to think. Maybe Jumba was right: he really did love destroying things, after all, not to mention that the entirety of the room save the Grand Councilwoman still plainly saw him as the same abomination they'd been seeing him as.

That was it, then. 626 thought of the most vulgar and offensive phrase he could think of, one that would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that everyone's view of him was correct, and then began speaking.

"Meega…" It was three simple words: Meega Nala Kweesta. The worst profanity known to the galaxy. All he had to do was say those three words, and he'd prove them all right.

"Meega…"

Three words…

"Meega n-nal…"

She'd called him a 'he.' Not even Jumba had done that.

Was that why the words were caught in his throat?

"What in space is it trying to say?" 626 whirled to his right and saw a squid-like being studying him, a look of curiosity on their face.

"Maybe it doesn't know anything else?" Another councilor responded, a robot sitting to 626's left.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Gantu scoffed. "I doubt something like it would have the capacity for higher intelligence."

Aggaba. Naga say 'it'.

"Lies!" Jumba protested. "As I said before 626 has the brain of a supercomputer! It's vocabulary is far more extensive than just three words! Just because it was built to destroy doesn't mean that it -"

Slam

The entire council chamber jumped as one as 626 punched the side of the case imprisoning him. "Naga." He growled out. "Meega naga animal! Naga 'it'."

That set them all whispering and yelling, while Jumba stared at 626 in abject confusion. 626 glared back for a moment before turning to the Grand Councilwoman, oddly worried as to how she'd react.

Her reaction, it seemed, was to hold up her hand in a plea for silence. "Experiment 626," she began. "If I am hearing you correctly you wish not to be referred to as an 'it.' Would it be accurate for me to say that referring to you as 'he' would be preferable?"

"Ih."

"So it -er, I mean, he- can be reasoned with, then?"A three-eyed counselor on the front podium asked.

"It seems that way." The Councilwoman smiled down at 626. "Even if it's not exactly 'showing something good,' I consider this a start."

"It certainly seems to warrant further investigation." Replied the squid-like counselor. "Although I can't help but wonder if we're getting a little sidetracked?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the original reason we're all here was to ascertain the guilt or innocence of Dr. Jookiba. And as fascinating as speaking with 626 is, shouldn't we save that until later?"

"A fair point," another councilor replied from the far back of the room, "but 626's behavior may have some bearing on the sentence of his creator. After all…"

626 turned them all out, bored, and returned to the bottom of the case. Maybe if he inserted a claw right at the base he could pull up, and…

No good. The thing was stuck magnetically to the hoverpad he was on. And come to think of it maybe trying to escape wasn't the best idea anyways? Especially since some of the council seemed to no longer see him as a monster.

So he stopped and sat back, trying to content himself simply with the idea of tearing the case out and smashing the glass. It…sort of worked? His paws were still itching to break something, but at least he was able to keep things in check while the council sorted out whatever they were going to do with Jumba.

Suddenly a case appeared around Jumba's hoverplatform; 626 forced himself to tune back in.

"...and due to the nature of Experiment 626, this verdict shall carry with it a sentence of eight years to be served on Prison Asteroid K-37. Do you have any final statements for the court?"

Jumba, who was taking the sudden appearance of the case surprisingly well in 626's opinion, turned to 626 and studied him a moment before returning his gaze to the front of the room. "Yes, Grand Councilwoman."

"And what would that be?"

"Simple. Just…do not be being too harsh on him, alright?"

Gantu rolled his eyes and scoffed, but the Grand Councilwoman merely nodded. "I hope I do not have to be, Dr. Jookiba."

Jumba's hoverplatform started to descend into the bottom of the chamber, and as 626 watched it go he couldn't help but notice that Jumba almost seemed relieved.

"What about 626?" The three-eyed councilor asked once Jumba's platform was gone.

The Councilwoman thought for a moment. "Captain Gantu, send 626's platform to my office. I wish to speak with him personally."

"As you wish." Gantu stood up and keyed something in on his wristband, glaring at 626. Then without another word he stormed off, obviously disappointed with the trial's outcome. After favoring 626 with one last gentle smile, the Councilwoman followed suit.

And then it was 626's turn to leave, as his case began to hover away from the council chamber.

"I apologize for the guards," the Councilwoman said as she spun her great chair around the face 626, "but Gantu thought it imperative that -" Seeing 626, she tilted her head in confusion. "Um, is that…slobber on the glass?"

"Ih." There hadn't exactly been anything to do while his case had been transiting to the Grand Councilwoman's office, so to keep himself amused 626 had started licking the glass and drawing patterns in the spit. "Gaba Ika Tasoopa?"

"Well, uh, it's…let's just say it's not exactly considered polite."

"Oh. Soka." Suddenly ashamed, 626 began using his sleeves to wipe the spit away as best he could.

The Councilwoman watched him, bemused, and when he was finished she cleared her throat. "Right, with that over, allow me to get straight to the point: you have, thus far, shown at least some capacity for reasoning and that there is at least some goodness inside you."

"Yuuga let me out then?" 626 took a moment to marvel at how quickly he'd gone from playing the 'uncontrollable monster' to politely asking for things.

The Councilwoman sighed and shook her head. "As much as I would like to, your earlier behavior in the Council Chamber makes me…reluctant. All that growling and attempts to break out of the case, understandable they may be, didn't exactly give the best first impression -not to mention that you nearly swore at the entire Council with the single crudest phrase in the entire language."

"Yuuga knew?"

The Councilwoman smirked. "Of course. I wasn't elected to this position by chance, 626. But returning to the wider subject at hand, the upshot is that for all I want to be able to trust you, I am as of yet unsure that I can." She waved a hand. "No, it's not because I think you're a monster. It's more that I'm unsure as to whether or not you know how to properly conduct yourself in Intergalactic Society."

626 felt a sudden dread settle into his stomach: was this whole affair just a roundabout way of sending him off to prison? Or worse? He tensed, preparing to renew his efforts at escaping as soon as the Councilwoman said the wrong thing. "But, meega can learn!"

"I want to believe you, 626. I really do. I just…don't know if I can." The Councilwoman stood up and began pacing the room. "Hmm…what to do… what to do…"

She circled 626's case, muttering to herself with her chin cupped in one hand, deep in thought. 626 took the opportunity to begin studying escape vectors and considering how easy it would be to overpower the guards and take one of their staves, and was halfway to forming a coherent plan when the Councilwoman abruptly stopped pacing. "Ugh, what am I saying! I sound like Gantu." She turned to 626. "Forgive me. Just now you said that you could learn how to behave like a civilized being, and here I am all but disregarding that. Still, I have a question for you: would you be willing to work at it?"

"Gaba?" Now it was 626's turn to tilt his head. "Meega confused."

"It's simple: are you willing to learn how to behave yourself? Because if you are, then I promise that I will devote as much time and energy as I can to personally teaching you how to be a model member of society." She smiled again, the same gentle smile she'd given him in the Council Chamber. "Well? What do you say?"

She was giving him a chance, 626 realized. A chance to grow, to be more than what Jumba wanted him to be or what everyone saw him as. A chance to be more than just a monster.

And it was a chance he was going to take.