A/n: I've been extremely busy with my work so I haven't had a chance to update this for a while now.

Estrella-Dorada

No worries at all. I appreciate that you take the time to write long reviews to me.

Keoni will play a part in the story. I felt it was best to expand on the franchise a little even though this is based mostly on Stitch had a Glitch and the PS2 game. Of course, I'm not going to say what will happen there, but I do have it planned out what will happen concerning his character.

Don't worry! He did get a message through!

I'm glad they are back on good terms now as well. I don't really enjoy writing the two of them so against each other but for the plot of the story to develop that's how it had to be. Demon 626 has big plans.

It was a shame! Stitch can speak much better than he let's on sometimes. His English has improved quite a bit since coming to Earth. There is another small underlying reason why he struggles but that will come about later. Did you know that you can hear him speak fluently in some Disney games? He's really interesting to listen to.

Thank you so much! ^_^ And yes, I can agree on that. To me, it doesn't sound like you're asking to much at all.

Thanks for another wonderful review!

Warmal

Thank you for reviewing for me. I will eventually get around to reviewing your story like I said—I've just been super flat out busy to the point I've not had time for anything other than just a brief browse of social media each day. I'm taking a small break at the moment.

You hit the nail on the head. It's been hard for both of them and Nani wasn't in the right for splitting them up. Being the older sister, she always does what she thinks is best for Lilo first. Thankfully it's resolved now, but there will likely be that little tension still between them after an incident like that due to how long it lasted between them.

I promise there will be more!

Other reviewers

Thank you for your reviews! TheNaturalLlama3 your review made me laugh. XD

Final note:

Since no one really answered me about my question of putting together an art pack, except for Estrella-Dorada (thank you!) I will only do so if there is enough interest considering I'm really busy and have to put aside time to do it. Considering I don't even get much time for myself nowadays, I'd appreciate your thoughts on this!

Now onto the next chapter! Enjoy! ^^

Nani stared at me, waiting for a response. I'd stopped screaming as it did no use.

Seeing my body move without my control over it was both a bizarre and terrifying experience. How was I going to clue Jumba in on this? Any of them? Demon 626 would have to slip up somehow and I had no idea how long that would take to happen, let alone if it happened at all. He was essentially me, so if I thought of something no doubt he would too. He would know my plans and intentions before I could even think of them. It was the same in reverse—I knew what he was going to do.

He was going to act like me. But he was also going to toy with my family through manipulation. Gradually turn them against me. He knew they trusted me and he was going to make them regret it. My communication with my family was completely cut off. I was just an audience of one at this point, watching my own show play out before me—and that show just happen to be my very life.

So I had to think about my severely limited options.

The only two functioning parts of my body I had right now were my eyes and my mouth. Not physically though—only here in this hellish mindscape. I had no feeling in my limbs or my body nor could I couldn't feel the ropes around my wrists and legs. I had already tried to break free with my extra arms as they weren't restrained but it was a pointless exercise. They didn't move or respond to me, just like the rest of my basically dead body. I couldn't even extend them. It was the same for my spines and antennae.

Useless.

How could I take back control? I'd need a miracle at this point.

I had no idea what this blasted demon was planning, but if that cell activated and HE was in control? Then that was it. It would be literally the end. For us all. There'd be nothing to save. I had a feeling he did have some kind of control over the cell. As Jumba had said, this programming was supposed to activate had the Metamorphosis system not done so. So surely they were linked. The question was, how?

Did this monster co-exist with the activation of the cell somehow? Was that why I'd started seeing him after the electrocution? That black figure and that sinister laugh? Perhaps this monster WAS a part of the cell or he maintained control of it. What if the cell had it's own personality? I had no idea. As weird as those theories sounded, they were plausible. They were all I had to speculate on right now.

So maybe that's why the process had been taking a while—he'd been drawing it out. Toying with my head and making me question my reality. Making me scared because it amused him. Making me change and revert just because he could.

He was sick... absolutely sick.

But considering he was me? Well... that made me sick.

I wasn't afraid to admit I was scared of him. Very scared. Because this was supposed to be me, and seeing myself like this—even imagining myself like this—was what had kept me up at night for so many years. One of my worst fears was unintentionally hurting Lilo—after all, I'd tried to leave for an isolated planet after accidentally scratching her. I couldn't handle the thought of her being harmed, it brought tears to my eyes and crippled me. I already knew that Demon 626 would do something to her and it was only a matter of time until when.

Finally he drew in a breath. Oh god... what was he going to say? I closed my eyes tight. I heard my breath intake and then—

"Gaba?"

"I asked if you forgive me."

My heart was in my gut by this point. Since he didn't sneer or laugh or make any snide response and simply had just asked her 'what', it was obvious he was planning something.

"You had gun at my face," he responded. "Hurt me. Perhaps, I do same to you. See how you feel? Ih?"

Nani's expression changed into one of disbelief. I had already started crying silently and I didn't even feel the tears against my fur.

"..."

He made me shrug. Nani hadn't been expecting to hear that from me because it was something I'd generally never say, so she was visibly confused and even taken aback, however Demon 626 was smart—he was me after all so he knew what to say and how to sound convincing enough to not give it away that it wasn't me, or that something was off. I just hoped she'd pick up on the fact she was speaking to a demon sooner than later, because I would have forgiven her instantly. Fighting fire with fire was never the answer.

"Well... I really am sorry. I thought you'd understand why I did it. I guess all I can say is that I hope you can find it in you to forgive me soon."

Demon 626 shook my head. "Muto. Just think you should see how feels to understand, ih? Do all this stuff to me, blame me, for everything."

She couldn't answer him.

"Be in my shoes for once, Naanee."

Nani was quiet at hearing that. She looked guilty, but she eventually sighed. "...I can do the rest myself."

"Okeytaka. Naga mean to hurt you. Just want you to see. I'll go home. Love you!"

"You... you too, Stitch."

I snarled. Demon 626 laughed, turning and having me walk out of the mart.

"Oh this is too easy."

I didn't answer. I didn't want to associate with him anymore after that. It made my stomach churn seeing just how easily he was going to be able to fool them.

As he walked up the main street of town, I thought to myself. I had noticed that he couldn't seem to hear my thoughts anymore so that was a plus at least. Maybe it was because he was me now, not watching from the side-lines.

I'd written a letter to Mr Kuakini just before. I had to rely on my photographic memory for words and spelling as Jumba wasn't there to help me write it this time. I'd said a few things in that letter, but one thing I'd made sure I'd said was that I didn't know what was going to happen to me and that I was going to change in someway, and whatever DID happen to me, wasn't me. That I'd lose control and not to blame or hold it against me, whatever would happen.

I personally would never get angry at Mr Kuakini for calling me Mitch, but I knew Demon 626 would have an issue and try to use it against him. So I'd written down on that letter how I truly felt about him calling me Mitch. Just to reassure him further after what I'd said to him in the bathroom yesterday afternoon before I'd run out.

It wasn't much... but it was all I had right now. So if that letter was never seen then... well, I had no chance of ever talking to my family again. So long as this monster was controlling me. Mr Kuakini seemed smart. If he saw that letter I'd have a small chance. He'd get suspicious.

My other only hope right now though was Jumba. He knew me best considering he was my father and he had created me, so hopefully he'd see right through Demon 626 and see something was wrong. If something was slightly off about me, no matter how minuscule it, he was able to easily pick up on it. Like that time he'd known I'd been concussed despite me not saying anything.

I had to try and figure out a way to let Lilo know I wasn't in control. But I truly had no idea how I was going to do that. Since Demon 626 was me, he would share the same weaknesses, which meant he would drown in water. If something happened where he lost hold of me, even if it was just for a second, I could use it to give Lilo a message. But what? It seemed impossible.

Demon 626 just made me hum as he headed up the street.

He headed home, just as I knew he would. He was excited. I sure as hell wasn't.

I just sat and stared out through the 'window' that was my eyes. I'd often heard Lilo recite that the eyes were the 'windows of the soul'. Would she be able to see my soul if she looked through my eyes? See me trapped in my own mind?

The door opened as I walked up the stairs to the porch. Demon 626 pulled a huge grin.

"Little Monster! There you are!" Pleakley came forth and put his hands on my shoulders. "Where did you run off to? Everybody was worried sick!"

Demon 626's response to that was to make me say "Great!" a little too enthusiastically causing Pleakley do a double take.

"What...?"

"Great!" he repeated, slapping my paw to my head and putting on the waterworks. "I make everybody sad! Naga mean to!"

"O-oh, right," Pleakley laughed, sounding relieved. "Almost sounded like you were happy about that for a moment!"

"Meega? Naga... of course not." He made me give a massive toothy grin and I snarled.

Pleakley looked saddened. "Well, Little Monster you don't have to worry about us, we were more worried about you! Jumba will be thrilled to see you! Especially because of..." he sighed. "I'll tell him you're here."

He hugged me and as he followed Pleakley back inside, I saw his face appear and he grinned at me. He was able to come and go in front of me as he pleased.

"Don't you ever get sick and tired of listening to that whiny voice, 626? I mean... damn. Who permanently tied up his—"

"Shut up. Just shut up," I sneered, disgusted. "Don't talk to me. Or make snide remarks about them to me. Especially 'bout Pleakley. Got it?"

He sniggered. "Oooh, touchy. I'd pat you on the back in sympathy and condolences about how pathetic your family is, but you're just as bad as they are." He shrugged. "You're in a mood so I'll just continue on then shall I?"

I growled deeply. "GET. OUT. OF. ME!" I snarled at him.

He tapped at my chin. "Nah."

I knew I was shaking in rage but the paralysis prevented me from feeling it. The chair was shaking.

He just ignored me and went quiet, looking around the house and having me pick up various picture frames around our living room. He was busy trying to scratch into Lilo's face on the one he was holding when I heard Jumba clear his throat directly behind me. Demon 626 dropped the picture down, startled, quickly pushing it out of sight and facing him but the thing was... he also fell down.

He tripped over his own feet. I snorted.

"Pa!" he said to my father, trying to mimic the way I said it as close as possible as he quickly got himself back up. He gave a sheepish grin, embarrassed. Jumba however... had a finger to his chin!

Did that mean he had noticed...? His look was too hard to read and it was too hard to tell but if there was one thing about Jumba, he was incredibly stealthy, even being as large as he was. His assassination training was to thank for that.

Oh please let him have noticed. Please!

Jumba knew how much I loved Lilo. So seeing me scratching her face out in a photo would automatically prompt suspicion from him. But the thing was, had he actually seen? Or was it just a coincidence and he had his finger to his chin because of how I'd fallen so suddenly?

Demon 626 was clearly prone to distractions. Probably because I regularly got distracted myself. And if he was me... then that must mean that...

I grinned.

If he was controlling me then that meant that my idiocy must be a part of him too. And THAT also included my clumsiness, clearly, as he had just managed to trip himself up for no good reason. It was my damaged brain in my clumsy, fat little body he was controlling. But how could I use this to my advantage? That would be hard to figure out.

I felt a little better knowing this. Not much, but... it was small hope at least. Reassuring. And I held onto that.

"626..." Jumba spoke, helping me to my feet properly. "Oh boy am glad you made it back and programming hasn't activated yet... is big relief! Was so incredibly worried... you have no idea! Thought the worst."

He picked me up, hugging me tightly. Demon 626 returned it. "Missed you!"

"Yes. You too. Come on in, son."

Demon 626 just remained quiet and said nothing to me this time. Because he knew what I knew.

Jumba carried me into his bedroom, sitting me down on his workbench.

"B.U.G returned early this morning. Have implanted chip into Lilo's band, so... you can feel rest assured knowing that message is there for her. The one you recorded." He put a hand to his head, looking a bit distressed. "I did attempt to track you with band I gave you but signal somehow broke. Anyway, I've set up everything 626, including emergency protocol messages. Those will activate at right times should things happen as I predict them too and as I mentioned to you, I had idea—one that could spare earth, but at cost." He sighed. "However, is only current option available. I'm not entirely sure if will survive it but that's a chance we have to take if it means lives saved."

Demon 626 fidgeted.

"As promised I will stick by you right up until the end, 626. I will not abandon you or make you suffer through this alone. If you die, I die."

I could tell the demon was bored. He made no indication of it to Jumba, but he made it very obvious to me. And then my father continued with something I didn't exactly expect to hear at that moment.

"Your message to Lilo was beautiful, 626," he told me. "Did not mean to intrude but... could not help but listen. I'm very proud of you and it makes me happy to know little girl loves and accepts you for who you are. Must've been hard for you to do that, very hard. I understand."

THAT did it. Demon 626 was quick to become evidently uncomfortable and my father noticed.

"If you don't mind, I'd love to hear you recite it again. Just for me. Was very cute, yes?"

He froze up. I couldn't care less if I felt embarrassed by Jumba seeing my most personal feelings expressed because right now I couldn't grin any harder even if I wanted to.

Demon 626 hated Lilo. He hated her because I loved her and he thought that was disgusting. All he cared for was death and torment—he was a black void of no emotion and no soul. So now here he was, having to tell my father how much he loved her. He had wanted to be me, so he had to act like me for everything even if that meant liking the very thing he despised the most and that was going to be hard for him.

Love was an alien concept to this beast. Now it was his turn to suffer. Clearly he hadn't anticipated that turning every member of my family against me might just be a little harder than he originally thought. If there was one thing I'd learned numerous times since I'd been created by him, it was to NEVER underestimate Jumba and what he was truly capable of. He was a madman—but he was also a genius.

Demon 626 thought about it. And then he made me cough. "Soka, t-throat sore. Can do later pa?"

"Have throat lozenge then, here you go, no excuses." Jumba opened up his drawer and tossed a packet of lozenges to me. Demon 626 stared, having no idea what to do.

Finally he just took one out, staring at it before putting it in my mouth.

"Fast working. I made them."

Boy was I enjoying this.

Once the beast had swallowed it, Jumba asked him to recite again. He knew he wasn't getting out of this easily and he hesitated, but I could tell Jumba was already thinking over his reactions. I wasn't sure if it was enough for him to know it wasn't me, but all I could do was just continue to pray my father would come through.

He sighed. To my surprise, he managed to recite what I had said, but there was underlying venom in each word no matter how 'sweet' he tried to sound as he talked. Jumba was giving me a funny look by this point because he sounded so awkward that it was enough to make even me cringe.

"What is being wrong, 626? I heard no heart in your words as I did in original message, which is odd for you? I know things are bad right now, but I will NOT allow you to push away Lilo again as you tried to last time, would be utter disaster and you know that."

He tapped at his chin after hesitating briefly. "Did something happen to you last night you are not telling me?"

"Naga! Of course not!" Demon 626 was quick to say. "Naga feeling good pa... isa just... really scared. Soka. Naga feeling like myself, I l-l..."

Jumba raised an eyebrow. "You what?"

"L... LOVE her. Love Lilo. Very much, ih?"

"I see..." was Jumba's airy response. "Is understandable. Perhaps get some rest." He reached out and touched my forehead before he moved his hand to the side of my head and I felt him start to scratch a certain spot behind my ear. The demon's reaction to that was to immediately flick it away.

However, that said a lot to Jumba. I knew it did.

Because that was my FAVOURITE thing in the world. Yep, it even beat my love of the Ugly Duckling story. My father did it to me all the time. And not once had I ever resisted it because it was our 'thing'—one of our ways of bonding. Up until now, that was.

It was a bad move on his part.

"I have... things to do, son. Please leave. I will speak to you again later." He sounded deadpan, but the main thing was he was suspicious now. Thank ROFPLAR.

"Okeytaka. Love you pa!" Demon 626 chirped.

Jumba just grunted in response. It was the first time in my life he'd not responded to that.

I smiled.

He was annoyed by that incident. I could tell.

"So how are you going to pull this off now?" I sneered at him as he stomped around in a temper in my head. "If you are me, you gotta literally be me. No excuses. I love Lilo so you love her too. Ih?"

He was quiet. I could tell he was furious. When he did answer I knew I had been right.

"Okay, yes. I get it. Jumba is smarter than everybody else. But just because that happened, it doesn't mean he knows."

"You complete idiot! Knowing ME best is what he does best! Because he CREATED me!"

He snarled and belted me hard across the face. "Just because he's smart doesn't mean the rest of them are. So who should I talk to next, 626? Hm? How about... I know! Lilo?"

He grinned at me deviously. I growled at him, prompting him to grab my face in his claws.

"You won't defeat me. I'm really going to make your life hell, just as I said... and oh boy 626, you just wait because I have great things in store..." he snarled into my face. "All just for you. And that includes what you don't want to happen the most. What you've been dreading."

"Nala kweesta choota haffu hak garoota mest fubaka ikichoska!" I couldn't help myself but unleash a tirade of swear words at him. I wanted to kill him so badly. He was everything I despised. Everything I hated the most. He should have never existed!

He just laughed at me before vanishing. I sneered after him. So that was the game he wanted to play with me? Well bring it on. As long as I knew that Jumba was suspicious, I had hope to hold onto.

Even if I dreaded not knowing what he was going to do.

Nani returned home with the shopping. Demon 626 was helping her with the groceries when Lilo appeared in the doorway and saw me, dragging Scrump behind her.

"STITCH! YOU'RE OKAY!" she screamed, running for me and hugging me tightly, crying.

"I-Ih..." Demon 626 froze up, just as I knew he would however Lilo didn't seem to notice.

"I missed you so much, I was so scared. I thought... that was it, I really did!" she cried, sobbing against my fur. "Thank goodness you're back! I felt so sick that I could barely sleep!"

"S-soka..." he made me say through gritted teeth. "I... okay, ih? Stitch fine. L-l... l-l-love you." He really struggled to get the words out. She noticed, as did Nani.

"Hm, you okay Stitch?" Lilo asked me and he nodded.

"I love you too..." She kissed me on the head. Nani asked her to help pack groceries away. When they both turned, he rubbed at my head frantically trying to get rid of the sensation.

"Where did you go? After you ran off?" Nani asked me.

Demon 626 kicked his foot. "Away."

"I see. You should have at least told us. Jumba was beside himself."

Demon 626 just shrugged. He felt nothing at that because he didn't care.

What a—

"What you buy at store?" his voice interrupted my thoughts.

Nani raised an eyebrow slightly. "Huh? You know what we bought, Stitch. You even helped me just before."

Nani knew I had a good memory and that I knew the shopping list off by heart. It was the same each week. Heck I'd even created half of it. Demon 626 wasn't very good at this so far. He thought he'd be able to pull being me off so easily, but he hadn't accounted for the little things my family knew me well for. Hopefully I could use that to my advantage.

"Uh... soka," he held his head, putting on a sob-story again. "Head hurts real bad."

"Oh. Did you want something to eat?"

"Nah."

Nani gave me an odd look at that because 'nah' was something I never said much either—I was always polite to Nani considering how hard she worked. It was obvious that Demon 626 had a completely different personality to mine in many ways other than just being completely evil. He had no mannerisms and came across as a brat.

She walked over to me and rubbed my head. "Maybe you should just get some rest for now. Who knows what's gonna happen soon." She went deadpan again. He turned to my angel next.

"Come on Lilo!"

Lilo was quick to comply and follow, and my heart sunk.

My angel. She was so close to me, yet so far away. I cried out for her painfully and Demon 626 laughed at me each time I did.

I was helpless. All I could do was watch with tears in my eyes as the demon talked to her as sweetly as he could manage. He made himself sound as much like me as he could. And he was doing a good job of it.

"I hold Ku-Tiki, see? Like you said. He keep Stitch strong."

Lilo smiled. "He will. He'll look out for you."

"Just like you will, ih?"

"Always," she responded. She smiled, going over and fetching something from her drawer before turning to hand it to me. Demon 626 watched her closely, looking down to my paw. In it was a folded up piece of paper which he opened up.

"I made that for you last night. I had hoped you would be able to see it before something scary happens. I wanted that... and I'm really glad you are here now to see it."

The picture was of us. But I was taller, as was Lilo. It was a beautiful picture, covered in glitter and stickers. She'd put a lot of effort into it. Demon 626 was confused by it but I knew what it represented.

"Gaba eiek?"

"It's us! Older and happy, see? Like we promised to be together."

"..."

Of course, the demon couldn't care less. He just grunted casually and Lilo's face fell at that while I felt my heart sink again.

"LILO! I LOVE IT!" I screamed in my mindscape.

"Don't... you like it, Stitch? Normally you like my pictures."

"I DO! ISA BEAUTIFA!" I wailed as loud as I could, even though she couldn't hear me. "I do love them..."

"Why meega big? I don't grow, you know that," he said.

"I..." she was speechless. "Oh. Okay."

"Muto you should draw it again, you bigger, naga meega? Ih?" He folded up the picture and handed it back to her. "Silly looking."

I saw her heart break through her eyes and it almost killed me.

"...I spent an hour on that..."

"Then spend two hours on next one, 'kay?" he smiled, but she didn't return it.

Lilo, don't listen to him... please...

"I don't really feel like it..."

You know me, Lilo. You know I'd never do that to you.

Demon 626 was a little surprised. "Meecha later then?"

"No. I just don't feel like doing it again."

Damn you. I appreciate everything she does for me, no matter what it is. EVERYTHING.

"Oh. Did Stitch... hurt you?"

...And once again, the waterworks started. Ugh. He made my face appear miserable and made me cry.

"Naga naga... I'm soka! So soka!"

You utter scumbag.

He threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly and crying. Lilo was tense but she hugged me back. She looked confused.

"It's okay. I know you haven't been yourself lately with everything..." she sniffled. "But why did you do that Stitch? You've never done that."

He shrugged. "I... naga nota, Lilo. It was bad 'n Stitch see that now. Didn't think. All I can say is soka..." He lowered my ears, trying to look as pathetic as he could.

"It's okay..." she smiled, putting her finger to my chin. "It wasn't that good of a drawing anyway. You're right, I can do better."

"NOOO!" I wailed. "Leelo!" My head fell.

He was going to keep doing this to her. Making her start question what she was doing. Acting like a jerk to her then pretending to regret it and make her question if she was the problem. Make her start agreeing with him.

I started screaming. I kept it up. One minute. Three minutes... Seven minutes. He'd been talking to Lilo again. Or at least trying to because now he couldn't focus. I could do this all day. Finally, twelve minutes was his breaking point.

"HOLY MOTHER OF GROOFPLOCK FIVE, WILL YOU SHUT UP!"

"NOT UNTIL YOU GET OUT OF MY BODY!" I screamed back at him.

"Would you like me to remove your voice too? Because I'm this close to doing it, I swear!"

I went quiet at that. He still had that card on me.

"I didn't think so. Now sit there, SHUT THE HELL UP AND ACCEPT YOUR FATE 626."

I scowled. If I grinded my teeth together any harder I'd probably crack them. I often struggled speaking verbally with my English, but it had always been much easier in my head and I was glad for that.

"Do what you want to me and take away my voice! I don't care! But just remember this!"—I glared daggers at him—"For as long as this is MY mind then I exist and I will ALWAYS be here. Because I AM STITCH!" I snarled. "YOU. ARE. NOT."

I could see him glaring back at me in the distance with his arms crossed. His lip curled up in agitation.

"Lilo! I love you!" he said in my voice, sounding as obnoxiously sweet as he could, rubbing his head against my angel. "So much!"

I closed my eyes. He had barely even started his takeover and it was already hell.

Jumba... please... help me.

Eventually I lost track of the day. It became a blur. Though while I was strapped down tight in my prison, I had plenty of time to think.

My brain was always on fire. Always active, always thinking. I suppose I'd inherited that from Jumba.

Demon 626 was a show off, and when doing so in front of me he'd revealed something big. The answer I'd been seeking. It soon became apparent my theory I'd been contemplating over before had been correct—he had control over the cell. Shortly after he'd shot Lilo's mood down about the drawing and she'd left our room to go downstairs for a drink, the demon had called out to me from the darkness.

"Ey, 626. Wanna see a cool trick I can make you do?"

I'd sat there, looking out of my own eyes towards our bedroom mirror he'd been facing. He had raised my arms, and then my chest had started glowing, just like in the bathroom on Nani's wedding day. I'd become that horrible, taller alternate evil version of myself. All I could do was stare blankly while he'd laughed at me, quickly reverting my body back to normal as Lilo started to head back up.

Once I saw that, the final puzzle pieces had started falling into place.

Those times I'd changed and then reverted had been his doing all along. Jumba had said the green eyes and changes had been caused by the chip, and while he wasn't exactly wrong there, it had contributed as well.

When I'd lost control of myself in the past and hurt Mertle and Aleka, it had been him using me in this awful puppet state and taking it to the next level. However, he hadn't been strong enough to maintain control at first, hence I broke out of the trance shortly after each time and had been left confused, but the more my frustration and pain grew at not knowing what was happening to me, the stronger the back up program—him essentially—had become.

The more I thought about it, the more I started figuring out exactly what had happened.

Just like Jumba had to send me out on my missions to gather an appropriate amount of data to activate the Metamorphosis system, the evil programming must've been designed the same. Jumba never strayed far between his designs—it was obvious in his Experiments, hence Chopsuey and I looked similar in design to each other despite I was Jumba's biological son. So it would have been the same for the Metamorphosis programming and the back up programming. Evil version me.

The evil programming needed a certain amount of data to make it activate, and if the amount of data collected was at the right level or even exceeded it, then it would be enough to 'awaken' the programming from it's dormant state. So in my case, that frequency Jumba had theorised being released from the microchip and distorting the cell's programming must've been the culprit—it had hit not only the cell, but that back up program as well. All this time he had thought he'd erased it when it was still there, dormant in my brain.

Essentially, that frequency had reprogrammed THAT program. So instead of my evil true programming activating from certain data in one particular way, it activated in another. And that was through my emotions.

It explained why I wasn't myself—the angrier I became, the stronger the program became. As Demon 626 WAS that programming my emotions had been feeding him. Making him grow. My emotions had become the data it needed to build up to activate.

At some point this was taking place, that programming had integrated with the cell. And once the two had fused was when I'd started losing control and having the green eyes. The electrocution might have been enough to do it.

I couldn't ask Jumba about this because... well, I was stuck here. But it made the most sense. And really, it was the ONLY way for it to make sense. The most logical too. There was just no other possible explanation as to how Demon 626 had reactivated otherwise.

So, while everything else around me had become a blur, my mind had been overworking itself thinking about this. It was the only way I could make myself oblivious to him, by focusing only on myself. Because no matter how much I wanted to block out the sound of his voice being my voice, I couldn't. The sound of this monster casually dragging my family down each time he spoke to them. Using guilt trips and subtle gas lighting techniques on them.

That wasn't the only time he hurt Lilo that day. He did it again, later on. But only just enough not to warrant suspicion from her. He knew he couldn't go overboard.

He was getting better at pulling me off. He began recognising the little things my family knew about me that he was instantly questioned on for approaching in a different way to how I did and he started changing his approach. Adapting.

Unfortunately my family fell for his deception. All of them.

Except for Jumba.

I ended up drifting off. Despite I wasn't in control of my body and was sitting in the one place in that horrible chair all day, I was emotionally burned out. I'd tried screaming again out of desperation but he'd put a clamp over my mouth and after that I'd sunk into a pit of complete, utter despair and given up. It was better to reserve what little strength I did have left.

When I opened my eyes again, Demon 626 was in the living area with my family watching a movie. He wasn't sitting near Lilo, but beside Jumba. Lilo was off to the side looking down. He was making it a point not to look in her direction.

I struggled in my chair, prompting response from him. "Awake now I see! Have a good nap?"

He manifested before me in the darkness of my mindscape, walking forward slowly with his hands behind his back. He looked different this time and my eyes widened. What looked like horns had pushed out of the skin on his head and were starting to grow. I saw he had a much longer tail now as well. It reminded me of a devil's tail with a pointed tip. He laughed at my confusion, walking over to me and ripping the clamp from my mouth.

"W-w...?"

He grinned. "See, whenever you fall asleep you black out entirely so that means I get even stronger. Since there is no conscious thought from you I have free reign. The weaker you are, the more powerful I become and thanks to your defeat, I'm almost at full power now. Why do you think I initially forced you into that chair?"

He flexed his arm at me to show off his muscles as I looked on in horror.

"Since I'm basically just an entity right now, I can do whatever I like to you. I think you look better this way, don't you?"

I spat at him. "You look butt ugly."

He smirked. "Shame. I thought you'd like it too. Aren't monsters right up your alley?" He sighed. "Oh well. Once I'm at full power to activate the program, you'll be forced to look the way I want you to because you'll be dead and I'll be in complete control. I'll BE you and you'll end up the way I did. Just a 'program' trapped in your own mind."

I paled. He laughed heartily at me.

"Not happening..." I sneered, eying the horns again. "How can you do that?"

He walked up beside me and pinned his tail against my neck. It cut into my throat.

"You mean this? Well, you ARE me, 626 and you're a monster so you may as well look the part. You do realise what the term 'metamorphosis' means don't you?" He paced around me momentarily and tapped at his chin. "Let me guess. It never once occurred to you that you have the ability to change your form too?"

I was stumped by that. "What are you talking about?"

He grinned. "Did you ever wonder why you are able to grow extra spines?"

"..."

He was right. I'd been able to do so when he'd changed me into that halfway form—horrible looking and sharp, they'd stuck out of my shoulders and upper arms. But when I was actually in the Metamorphosis program I'd had guns on my back too. Just as those pictures had shown on Jumba's computer. Organic ones. Could I really actually do this and I never knew about it? Jumba had never mentioned anything of the sort to me and I was perplexed. Something else he'd kept hidden from me, most likely. But now that I knew this I wondered if I could use it to my advantage somehow. To get a leg up on Demon 626.

"No, you're wrong—I am NOT you..." I sneered. "And I will never be you. You were not supposed to exist."

He just scoffed.

"I'd rather be a weak human like Lilo than end up as you." I continued, growling deeply at him. "They will see right through you and pa will make sure you pay for this."

"How do you expect that to happen, 626?" He put his chin on his hand, leaning beside me on the chair. "Do tell."

I looked back out of my eyes at that. My father wasn't watching the TV anymore and had been watching me the entire time. I still had slight movement in my head—even though my body was still paralysed—so I nodded forward.

"'Cuz that's how I know."

Demon 626 stared at me for a moment or so, before looking at what I was looking at. He scowled.

"Oh please... he's too dense to figure it out."

"Don't be too sure on that."

He got a little too cocky at that moment and got right up in my face, pushing his head against mine. My response was to instantly clamp my teeth down into his neck as hard as I could. I knew my own weak points so I went for those.

And finally... FINALLY he lost control! Whatever I did must have been just enough to do so as I felt the paralysis lift from my body. Boy was it ever such a relief... but I had no time to enjoy it. Despite the pain I was in, I held my mouth down clamped tight to his neck for as long as I could hold, thrashing my body against those restraints and fighting against that horrible chair as hard as I could.

There was nothing for a few moments. My heart was beating so hard I could hear it in my ears.

Please work... PLEASE!

And then it happened. Just as I was about to tire out completely, my body finally responded to me. Jumba had looked away again but as I'd started jerking and twitching rapidly beside him, he looked back in alarm. Demon 626 was trashing wildly beneath me. I used the last of my strength to reach out my arm up to my father. My paw was shaking the worst I'd ever seen it and I clenched my fist few times as I struggled to break free and maintain control, but I was starting to lose it. I had just managed to get my mouth slightly open when Demon 626 broke free of my mouth.

"J-j—he—l—" I had barely managed to say to Jumba, and then just like that, I lost control again. Demon 626 howled at me, pink blood streaming from his neck and I saw his claws extend even longer than mine when I had mine at full length. I squeezed shut my eyes and turned my head to the side, bracing for inevitable pain of having my head slashed apart.

...Only it never came. I cracked open an eye and peeked up at him.

He was heaving at me in rage. Fur bristled, those horns had gotten even longer and his eyes were glowing red. He looked like a true demon and I felt creeped out immensely by the sight of him. But then he stopped. He relaxed, his fur flattening back to normal. His features tensed greatly and his eyes narrowed.

"...?"

"...You're not worth it. You'll all be dead soon enough anyway."

He turned and left and as the restraints constricted against my legs and wrists even harder than before, a new one appeared. This time around my neck. I looked back at my father as I panted against the chair slightly.

He had gone.