Author's Note: Merry Christmas, my faithful readers. Enjoy the chapter. Any and all comments are welcome.
In the dark reaches of space, after returning to his ship, Dr. Hamsterviel held Peter Quill's Walkman in his hand to examine it. He pressed the play button and heard a feint beat. He followed it down to the headphones that were connected to it. He picked them up and placed one of them to his ear. That's when he heard the song better. He was so entranced by the song, he began to dance to it.
"Evil grows in the dark
Where the sun, it never shines
Evil grows in cracks and holes
And lives in people's minds
Evil grew. It's part of you
And now it seems to be
That every time I look at you
Evil grows… in me"
Hamsterviel's dance ended when he turned around and saw Gantu and the prisoners who were behind him. Gantu just stood while Peter, Rocket, Lilo, and Stitch stood in the same platform and shackles that Jumba was in during the trade-off.
"How long have you been standing there?" Hamsterviel asked.
"Since you pressed play on that thing." Gantu answered.
"Which reminds me, I'm gonna need that back!" Peter demanded aggressively.
Hamsterviel cleared his throat before placing the Walkman to his side. "No. I think I'll hold onto this. This 'evil' song would make a good national anthem when I take over the galaxy."
"That's not going to happen." Lilo said. "We already freed the Experiments."
Hamsterviel snickered stepping closer to Lilo. "You think you're so…" He stopped himself realizing that he was looking up at the prisoners. "Phone book! Phone book!"
"Phone book. Yes, sir." Gantu said walking out of the room.
Everyone stood in awkward silence as soon as Gantu left. Everyone began feeling a little uncomfortable until Hamsterviel spoke up.
"One second."
"At least you're still as egotistical as I remember you to be, Jacques." Rocket remarked with a sly grin.
Hamsterviel growled before Gantu returned with a stack of phone books. After he placed them down in front of his boss, Hamsterviel climbed up to the top and resumed his speech.
"You think you're so clever, don't you? You think you have outsmarted the infamous Dr. Jacques Von Hamsterviel. Well, guess what. No matter what you do, I'm still going to win."
Peter scoffed. "Yeah, right. You and what army? Man, it feels good to say that to someone who just lost an army."
"For your information, you music-loving, leather-jacket-wearing Earthling," Hamsterviel said, "You and your friends made one grave mistake. You delivered to me Experiment number 626. I will now clone him and create my own personal army! HAHAHAHAHA!"
"What shall I do with the other prisoners?" Gantu asked.
"Rocket will accompany me as I clone 626. He and I will have words." Hamsterviel said. "As for the others, they are of no use to me."
Hamsterviel took control of the platforms holding Stitch and Rocket guiding them out of the room. Stitch and Lilo took one last look at each other before the sealed door separated them.
"I have to admit, Rocket," Hamsterviel said, "When I set foot on that blue-and-green mudball, the last thing I expected was to see you there."
"Funny," Rocket replied with a threatening tone, "Because the whole reason I went to Earth was to find you. You got a lot to answer for."
"What? Is this about the whole 'leaving the labs without you' thing?" Hamsterviel asked.
"Yes! What else would it be about?!"
Stitch emphasized Rocket's frustration by blowing a raspberry in Hamsterviel's direction.
"Look, I understand why you're so upset, but look at it from my point of view. I was half-considering staying in the hanger and bringing you with me, but as soon as I saw those scientists, I thought for sure they'd catch us all if I stayed. It was a split-second decision and I stand by it."
"You stand by it?!" Rocket snapped. "Lylla is dead!"
Rocket's red eyes popped out. "What? Really?"
"Of course, really! After you left, Lyla and I went to another ship while the scientists shot at us! I made it out alive, but Lylla didn't! If you had just stuck around for just a few seconds, all three of us would've made it out safely! Instead, one of us died because you're a coward!"
"Don't take that tone with me, you with your mask-like stripe thing!" Hamsterviel shouted back. "In case you've forgotten, I was not the first to neglect his friends! You already built a density destabilizer, but you waited another month to build another one before we could escape! I was unnecessarily experimented on for an additional month because of you!"
"That's what you're upset about?" Rocket asked. "I told you, if we escaped then, we'd be leaving Lylla behind! And in case you've forgotten, you weren't the only one who was tortured! I took as much of a poking, prodding, and implanting as you did! But I powered through it because the three of us promised we'd all escape together! And we all know how that turned out!"
Hamsterviel growled angrily before he took a breath. "All right. I can admit that I've been a little impatient and abandoned you when you needed it. But now's my chance to make it right."
Rocket raised one of his eyebrows. "You wanna run that by me again?"
"It wasn't easy putting this whole thing together." Hamsterviel said. "After escaping, I started committing a series of crimes and amassed a great fortune. Then, I met that crackpot, Jumba, at evil genius school and offered him a great funding for his evil experimentation in the hopes that he'd build me an army! Once he did just that, all I had to do was fink on him to the Nova Corps and take the Experiments from under their nose. But much to my surprise, Jumba took the Experiments with him to Earth, so I had to hire Gantu to get them back."
"Is there a rest stop between now and the point?" Rocket asked.
"The point is, none of that was easy. But with the right motivation, it was worth it. The whole time, the only thing I could think about was being subject to all those experiments day in and day out. I don't even remember my life from before being abducted. It's enough to make anyone angry at the galaxy. I do so hope you feel the same."
"Well, sometimes, I suppose. I mean, most of the other Guardians want to save the galaxy because it's because it's quote-unquote 'the right thing to do'." Rocket said. "Me, I like looking for a good profit. Because sometimes, to me, the galaxy ain't worth saving. So what?"
"Just think about it, Rocket. We don't owe the galaxy anything. It's they who owe everything to us! We can finally have our revenge by ruling over them all with an iron fist! HAHA! I had planned to do it alone with Gantu as my secretary or something, but now that you're here, maybe we can be partners. Share in the terror we'll wreak with our monster army. Torment them all like we have been tormented. What do you say?"
"What do I say?" Rocket asked as if the answer was obvious. "I'd say you are completely out of your mind."
Hamsterviel's hopeful smile became bitter. "What?"
"You heard me. You went mad by all the experimentation, so now, you want to take your anger out on the rest of the galaxy? I may not be their number one fan, but I wouldn't do something as petty as universal domination. Sorry, Jacques, but you can take your offer and shove it up your…"
"ENOUGH!" Hamsterviel yelled. He cleared his throat and continued walking with Rocket and Stitch following him. "We'll see if you change your mind after I crush the Galactic Alliance under my boots."
"You don't even wear boots." Rocket stated.
Gantu took Lilo and Peter to a room with a teleporter at the center. He grabbed Lilo's platform and held her up.
"Let me go!" Lilo demanded.
"You heard her, Shamu." Peter stated. "If you don't let her go, I'm going to cook you into sushi."
"You don't scare me, boy." Gantu said. "And as for you, little girl, I know nice zoo that will pay handsomely for an exotic specimen like you." He looked back at Peter. "And as for you…"
"Let me guess. Another zoo?" Peter asked rolling his eyes.
"Someone else, actually." Gantu said. "I admit, I didn't know who were are at first, but imagine my surprise when I learned that you were the son of J'Son!"
Peter's eyes widened before narrowing them up at him. "What about him? My friends and I got him banished from Spartax."
"It matters not." Gantu said. "He's still holding up a nice bounty for you to be brought to him. I guess he wants to settle things with you himself. So after I remove the girl, you'll be teleported right to his doorstep." He proceeded to drop Lilo into the teleporter pad and get it started up.
"One minute to teleport! Warning: emergency alarm activated!"
Gantu raised his head from the control panel to direct his attention to the computer. "Location."
"Detention cell 2."
"Not again." Gantu groaned before pulling out his pistol and leaving the prisoners in the teleportation room.
Gantu made his way to the detention cell expecting a fight. But as soon as he arrived, he was more than confused to find Experiment 625 on his own with a phone in his hand.
"625? What's the emergency?"
"I need to know our coordinates." 625 said. "I just got us a deal on a bunch of bologna." Gantu growled in annoyance.
Stitch fought as hard as he could, but his arms and legs were strapped to a metal table which was placed in a gigantic room lit up with red light. Hamsterviel operated the control panel above him with Rocket still cuffed behind him.
"Struggle all you want." Hamsterviel said to Stitch. "You think you are so super-strong with your 'I can lift up to 3000 times my weight'. Well, that is exactly why I designed this restraint to hold your weight… times 3001! HAHAHAHA!"
"You are so easily amused by yourself, aren't you?" Rocket asked.
Hamsterviel ignored Rocket's remarks and looked back down at Stitch. "Unfortunately, my patented cloning process has one nasty side effect." With a push of his button, a laser poked out from high above Stitch. "I have to cut you… IN HALF!"
The laser fired an orange beam that burned through the steel table at the furthest edge from Stitch's body. It slowly began to burn its way to Stitch, who tried to move his torso away from it.
Meanwhile, Rocket tried to escape on his own. He thrusted his body left and right trying to break free, but he had no success at all.
"The suspense if killing me." Hamsterviel said eager to see Stitch cut in half.
Just then, without anyone knowing, Sparky zapped himself into the room and flew to the top of the laser. He looked down seeing Stitch in mortal danger.
"Cousin." Sparky said before flying right into the laser. As soon as he went inside, sparks exploded from the machine and it shut down. The beam was shut down too just before it could fire at Stitch.
"What's happening?!" Hamsterviel yelled out.
Sparky cackled flying out of the laser. He joined Stitch's side and used his powers to release his restraints.
"Ooh. Thanks, cousin." Stitch said before the two of them looked up at the frightened Hamsterviel.
"Well, look at the time. I gotta…"
Hamsterviel didn't have time to run away. Sparky flew up behind him and landed next to Rocket. One zap from his paws, and he was finally free. As soon as he was released, Rocket grabbed Hamsterviel by the front of his fur and pulled him into his angry face. While he did that, he snatched back the Walkman from Hamsterviel.
"You gotta what, Jacques?"
Stitch and Sparky grabbed Hamsterviel and carried him back down to the same table that the former was strapped to. Hamsterviel soon found himself in the same restraints that held Stitch.
"I wasn't really going to cut you in half. It was a joke. Didn't Jumba put a funny bone in you?" Hamsterviel chuckled nervously. He then looked up at Rocket, who was manning the control panel in his place. "Come on, Rocket. You wouldn't… would you?"
Rocket narrowed his eyes at him while Sparky used his powers to turn the laser back on. With the control panel restored, Rocket raised his claw over one of the buttons.
"This is me turning the laser back on."
Rocket pressed the button and activated the laser again. The beam continued creeping closer to the rodent who began to panic.
"Please! Rocket! Don't! I'll be your best friend! COME ON, ROCKET! I'M BEGGING HERE!"
Hamsterviel's words fell on deaf ears. Rocket turned away and closed his eyes. He awaited for the sound of the laser hitting its mark, but a thought kept lingering in his mind. It was a thought he didn't want. But no matter how much he tried to block it out, it stayed within his mind urging him to do the right thing. He eventually gave in and turned off the laser.
"And that… was Lylla, the friend you left to die, turning it back off."
"Oh, thank you." Hamsterviel sighed in sweet relief while Rocket jumped away from the control panel and landed right next to him. "I knew you wouldn't… OOF!" He was knocked out by a hard punch coming from Rocket's fist.
"I was getting sick of him talking." Rocket said.
"HEEEEEELP!"
"Lilo!" Stitch gasped hearing the distant sound of his friend's cries for help.
"She and Quill need our help." Rocket said. "Let's go. And on the way…"
Rocket held up the Walkman he took back from Hamsterviel and put on the headphones. He then followed Stitch across the cables and out the room while listening to the music that blasted into his ears. It played into his head while he and Stitch raced across the ship and into the teleporter.
"I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure and he's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
Larger than life"
After a laong hallay, a misleading vent, and a drop down the power conduits, Rocket and Stitch finally found their way into the teleportation room. By the time they got there, however, the glass dome was filled with a yellow vortex of light ready to transport whatever's inside.
"Ten seconds! 9! 8! 7! 6!"
Stitch wasted no time trying to dismantle the teleporter with Rocket to free whoever was inside. They worked as fast as they could, but it was all in vain.
"5! 4! 3! 2! 1! Teleporting now!"
The light inside flashed before Rocket and Stitch could finish the job. When it finally darkened to the natural light, they were upset to see the teleporter empty. Stitch crawled to the teleporter and planted his claws on the glass.
"Lilo."
"I don't believe it." Rocket said glumly falling to his knees. "They're both gone. Quill. The kid." He dropped both his hands and began to cry. "This can't be! That idiot Quill! He just had to disappear on me! Now… Now I'm gonna have to miss him forever."
"Aww! You really care about me."
Rocket and Stitch raised their heads up and turned to see Peter Quill who was in front of another teleporter, one that had Lilo still inside. Peter had on a smug grin across his face.
"Hi, guys." Lilo waved.
"You… You…" Rocket huffed with his fur rizzing out. "How… Then what…"
"Oh, that?" Peter asked. "Yeah, it turns out Gantu had to delay our teleportation because 625 insisted that he sends a bologna order first. But I gotta say, I think it's really sweet how you cared for me, Rocket. I gotta say…"
"Not another word, Quill!" Rocket growled. "In fact, don't you ever mention this to anyone ever again! Got it!"
"Sure. Whatever." Peter chuckled. "Now, would you mind?"
"Bologna order sent! Sending little girl in 10 seconds! 9! 8…"
This time, Stitch and Rocket deactivated the teleporter without coming close to failing. After Lilo was free, Rocket tinkered with Peter's restraints and freed his hands and feet.
"Glad you're okay." Lilo said.
"Yeah, you too, I guess." Rocket said before reaching to his belt and pulling out Peter's Walkman which he then tossed to him. "Here's your music device, you idiot."
"Wow. Tears and a gift?" Peter asked with a merry grin on his face. "Is it Christmas already?"
The heartfelt reunion was cut short when the blast doors opened and Gantu stormed into the room.
"What are you doing in here?!"
"Getting outta dodge!" Peter replied.
Gantu pulled out his gun and fired his plasma blasts, but the four of them dodged and headed out the door closing it behind them. Gantu gave chase breaking the door down. As soon as he entered the hallway, he found the door that leads to his ship which was attached to Hamsterviel's. It opened up releasing a cloud of smoke.
"You're not taking my ship!" Gantu yelled as he ran through the smoke.
He entered the control room to his ship and noticed someone sitting in the seat. He aimed his gun at it, but when it turned, it only revealed 625 with a bunch of sandwiches.
"Hey, Gantu, where's my bologna?" 625 asked. "I got nothing here but cheese."
"Where are they?" Gantu asked impatiently.
"Who?" 625 asked.
"The Guardians, the Earth girl, and 626."
"I don't know. Not in here."
It was then that Gantu realized he had been tricked. He turned and looked out the window seeing that his targets were still on Hamsterviel's ship along with Sparky. He ran back to the door and forced his fingers through its cracks. He pulled them apart with all his might, but just as he could see the other side of it, the only thing he saw was Peter Quill aiming his quad blaster. He pulled the trigger and the blast knocked Gantu away from the door.
"I think he got the point." Peter said twirling his gun around his finger like a cowboy.
"Hit it, Sparky." Lilo instructed.
Sparky eagerly flew to the door and bounced around its locks. The shock forced the two ships to detach from each other. When Gantu's ship separated, the electrical overload spread throughout causing every electronic equipment inside to lose all of its power. Gantu tried to fly the ship back to normal, but he wasn't able to.
"The navigation is disabled." Gantu growled.
"Warning: navigation disabled."
While Gantu was annoyed by the computer before it shut off and 625's cheese sandwiches were being roasted into grilled cheese, the ship quickly spun out of control until it returned to where it was previously.
Gantu's ship dropped from the sky and crashed right into Kauai. It lost all of its power right before it slid into the middle of the forest and stopped suddenly right near a waterfall.
Gantu dropped the landing gear and walked out of the ship recovering from the crash. Experiment 625 followed him with a stack of sandwiches in his hands.
"Well, I don't think we're going to be going anywhere." 625 said sitting next to Gantu. "Looks like you and I are working together, huh?" He offered the stack to Gantu. "Sandwich?"
"No! I don't want a sandwich!" Gantu roared before calming down. "Unless you have egg salad."
"No. Just cheese." 625 said. "Have you not been paying attention."
Gantu grunted. He had a feeling he was going to have a loooooooong stay on Earth.