A/n:

Hello again everybody, I am back with an update after over a year. During that time I had a baby and now I'm working as a full-time artist so I have very limited personal time anymore. I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but I made a promise to see this story through to the end and I will still be doing that, so please don't think I'm abandoning it! I've already done that with a number of stories, but this one I've put too much work and dedication to just to give up on it. So hopefully the next update won't take as long this time, but life is very busy now being a mother and working full-time on top of that so I have to make the most of it when I do get time to myself for personal works.

The final few chapters of the story will be rocky and dealing with some dark themes leading up into the finale, but for those that have stuck around despite my long absence, I sincerely thank you. Since it's been so long, my writing may have changed but I think for the most part I can get my mind back on track from where I left off!

Regardless of my ramblings, I hope you continue to enjoy the story and what's still to come.

Lilo took awhile to come back into me. She said nothing as she appeared in the doorway, instead she simply reached out her hand in gesture to me. I sighed, drawing in a breath to speak, but paused. I had nothing. Absolutely nothing came to mind at all. So I just took her hand and followed her as she led me into the living area. Mr Kuakini was there with Kalia but Alanna wasn't.

"Sit down, Mitch."

I stared at the man before doing as he asked. He looked troubled, confirming this by running his hand through his hair from front to back—a move I'd often seen Jumba do when stressed.

"Alanna..." He sighed, as if hesitant to continue. "Alanna will take some time to come around. I'm afraid by the time she does, Mitch... well... it'll be too late."

I gave a nod. I had already expected I wouldn't get closure and had spent the time before learning to accept it. Mr Kuakini just continued to stare at me before continuing quietly.

"Mitch. I don't want you to feel as though your mother doesn't accept you anymore. Just remember that she will always love you."

My eyes narrowed. "Will she?"

"Of course. She's your mother."

I looked away. "Not anymore."

His fist clenched. He went to say something but Lilo interrupted him. "Stitch is right, Mr Kuakini," she said softly. "He has his own life now. With me."

I looked at Lilo at that. For now, I did. Deep inside I knew that was going to end soon.

The only thing that was on my mind currently was stage one and when it would activate. I could barely even focus on talking to them because all I could see reflected in front of me was endless rows of destroyed buildings. This whole time I had a horrible feeling what Chopsuey had seen was confirmation that Demon 626 wasn't truly done with me and that the cell was completely corrupted. The fact that chair had taken so long to vanish before me was also playing on my mind, alongside that nightmare I'd had just before. I'd figured out that my dreams were trying to tell me something—showing me cryptic messages. If Demon 626 was truly gone and this was all over, then wouldn't I be free from those dreams?

No, they weren't dreams. They were nightmares. And just like I'd had them when I'd glitched, I was having them again. Those dreams I had before preceded bad events. I had died after those and now the same thing was happening again.

By now my fate as pretty much clear to me. I was just waiting to see what Chopsuey would say. What he'd seen that had made him so startled. Part of me already knew what it was—I just did not want to admit it to myself and in order to cope I knew I would ultimately keep denying it until the end.

"Stitch?"

They had noticed my long silence. When I looked up again, they were all staring at me to such a point it made me feel much worse than I already did. I sighed.

"Lucha. All I want is closure," I spoke flatly. "I want to be able to move on. I'm not getting it."

"What do you mean?" My former father sounded puzzled.

"I mean I got no closure," I repeated. "I told you I was Mitch, ih? You want me back, so I come back. You get closure. But not all accept Stitch."

"Because mom can't accept you, you don't get closure?" Kalia spoke up eventually. "You can't move on?"

I nodded. "Ih. I need to. Before tonight."

"Why?"

I frowned. Lilo and Kalia looked confused, but Mr Kuakini knew what was on my mind. He looked troubled.

"Mitch, I accept you. Your sister does, and so does everybody else. You can be reassured that won't ever change. I found peace with you, even with the way you are now. I was the one that wanted you back, not Alanna. She moved on by shutting you out but I refused to do that because you are my son too. And perhaps, that's all you need. I know it's not exactly what you want, and neither do I, but believe me, I've tried. Lilo's tried. And I..."

He was about to continue speaking, but went quiet. I realised why when I saw that Alanna had appeared behind us. She looked at me and I just looked back at her with no expression on my face.

"Is that what you want, Stitch? Closure?"

"..."

"Is that why you came back? Because as far as I'm concerned, closure was when Mitch died and was free from pain—and that 'closure' back then took us years to accept. The pain of that was worse than when he was here with us, suffering day in and out because I LOST my son. My little boy."

I had nothing to say to that.

"Three years. Three!" she cried. "And when I'd only just started accepting that I could finally handle him being gone was right when John chose to start reopening up old memories. Like cleaning up Mitch's room! And putting up those pictures! His actions set me right back again because he said NOTHING to me about what was going on!" She hugged her arms to her chest tightly. "And now I just have to accept this! That this is the way it is now!"

I raised an eyebrow. "...And?"

She looked stumped by my response. But I couldn't hide the fact I was annoyed, even if she was upset.

"And, well. That's it. I just have to be okay with this."

"Ih, you do," I stood up and gestured to myself. "Just as I had to be okay with coming back as this and EVERYTHING else that I've been through."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't ask for this. Mitch did. I didn't ask to be what Jumba wanted Stitch to be, I had no choice!" I explained, but she flinched at the tone of my voice. "I had to accept 621 hating me for being who I was. I had to accept LOT of things I didn't want to!"

She went quiet.

"I have to accept worse thing possible now too. Own fate."

"..."

I walked over to her and peered up at her. "Can you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Call me Mitch. Could before. Now you're avoiding it."

She rubbed her arm. "..."

"Naga?"

No response. The room remained silent. Mr Kuakini looked deeply troubled. He'd gone to interject a few times but I think he realised this needed to be solely between us.

"Doesn't matter. Not yours."

"STOP IT." That made her snap. "Just stop it! Please!"

I tilted my head. "Why?"

"Because this HURTS, Stitch."

"Should not hurt if not yours, ih?"

She couldn't face me. I continued. "Hurts 'cuz you KNOW I'm yours but you don't want to accept. Everyone else has."

"..."

"So why won't you?"

Still no answer. I rubbed at my eyes. This was hopeless. I wasn't going to get closure and the longer I remained here, the less time I had to be with Lilo and to find out what Chopsuey saw. Mitch was hurt by Alanna's actions, but considering she wasn't my mother I couldn't really feel anything towards the woman.

Perhaps I was just demanding closure because I wanted it at that point. Did I really need it? I thought about that and I soon concluded that I didn't need it. But I knew Mitch did.

I'd never known what it was like to have a mother. If anything, Nani was the closest thing I had to one. It was an entirely alien concept to me that I'd only just started warming up to months after I'd become a part of Lilo's family.

Sure I had a father. Two even—but having a mother would always remain a foreign concept to me. Gamada would never fill that void.

I tried to feel something towards her at that point. I really did, for the sake of Mitch. But I just couldn't. All I could feel was resentment that I wasn't getting closure, and that resentment was growing and growing fast. My mind raced.

I had a brief vision of attacking her. I couldn't comprehend what was happening.

Before I could process my thoughts and feelings after that horrific vision in my mind, I barely realised it had got to a point I almost very nearly snapped on her, and only for Lilo distracting me by taking hold of my arm was I startled out of it. She sensed my anger. Only after looking up at them I realised they all did. Some of what was coming out of me must have showed.

The monster.

"Come on Stitch. I think... we should go and sit down for a bit," my angel said calmly but I could hear a quiver to her words.

Alanna turned her back on me. As we walked out I couldn't stop my paw from shaking.

Lilo led me into the bathroom, closing the door behind us. She knelt down to me, putting her hands to my face. In turn I gripped them.

"Stitch...?"

I avoided looking at her. "Stitch changing Lilo."

"W-what?" My angel looked startled. "What do you mean?"

"..."

She pushed her face right to mine so I couldn't avoid looking directly into her eyes. "Stitch... please..."

"I'm sorry..." was all I could say as I felt a tear leak out. "I'm so sorry."

"I promised you I'd be there for you Stitch..." she responded. "I don't ever intend on breaking that, okay?"

I shook my head. "Lilo, I know. But reality is, I'm going to lose you. I don't know how. But it will happen."

She fell down to her knees slowly and looked at the floor. "..."

I sighed, before kneeling down beside her and cupping her face in my paws. "Lucha. Naga want to do this anymore. Just want to leave. Taramba jutifa ba."

It took her a moment or so to look up at me. "Taramba jutifa ba?"

I nodded. She knew what it meant.

"Are you sure?"

"Ih."

Basically it was a phrase I only ever used when I was at the end of my rope, and was pushed past my breaking point. In English it was similar to the phrase 'burning bridges'. I could handle a lot thrown at me, but when I started to break—which was extremely rare—Lilo knew me well enough not to question me on it.

No, I didn't exactly want to burn bridges with Mr Kuakini and Alanna, and especially Kalia, but this had to be done. I wouldn't be fully accepted by them on my terms, which was by tonight, and I was about to destroy their lives again anyway if my dreams reflected reality. Getting too close again was just going to end in my own emotional downfall. I was going to lose the closest to me, I couldn't go through that all over again. It would drive me to truly end it all.

Even though I'd got to this point with the Kuakini's, for my own sake, it couldn't go forth. So the best way forward for me now was to leave. Leave them behind.

I would just focus on Lilo and my family until it was time.

Half an hour or so later, Lilo was packed and ready to head back home. There had been no more words spoken between myself and Alanna and she'd left the room a little while back, but I hadn't bothered to go after her. Mr Kuakini was busy looking for his keys to drop us back home and I'd figured they'd got lost after the commotion with my cousin.

Kalia sat beside me as Lilo shuffled between rooms.

"Mitch... look. I know it's hard for mom. Honestly it's been hard for me to. But after you died she was completely broken. We couldn't get her to leave the house for months and all she wanted to do was throw herself into her work. It took her a long time to even face us again and even today I don't believe she has fully gotten over you dying, even if she says she has. She acts strong for us, but she spends a lot of time in the garden at night and I've seen her cry down there when she thinks nobody is looking," her voice was monotone. "Personally I think the reason mom is so reluctant to accept you is because it's too soon and she doesn't know how to handle it, let alone the fact you're... you're this now."

I frowned at her gesture but figured it was better to just keep my mouth shut. I didn't want to get angry again because I had no control over what I would do. I'd learned to switch off my emotions once with Demon 626 and it seemed like the best thing to do right now because after all, I wouldn't feel anything if the Metamorphosis System activated.

Kalia noticed my reaction and sighed.

"I still do find it hard to believe, but if it makes you feel better I accept it. I'm just glad to see you again. And so is dad."

I just nodded. "I... need to leave."

"Are you going to check on your cousin?"

I paused a little at that. "Ih..."

"Well, maybe we can come by and see how he is later then. I'll tell dad to give some space and I'll try to talk to mo—"

"Naga." I cut her off. I knew there wouldn't be time. "Just let it be."

She stared at me a little hesitantly. "Okay. Do you still want us to come by?"

"No."

"Oh..." she looked away.

Lilo had walked back to me by that point and she'd heard my response. She didn't say anything but just looked at me sadly.

"Let's go, Stitch."

I nodded, but I didn't look at Kalia. "Bye."

She didn't respond to me but I could sense how she felt. Mitch felt torn and I did a little as well, but I think he sensed this was for the best too. I wasn't going to leave sad, but I wasn't going to leave on the idea that everything was all okay either. I had to focus on now and only that. My old family was past and a door in my life that probably should never have been opened.

But had it not opened, then I would never have met Lilo. That made me pause for a second, and when I did Kalia tried one more time. "Mitch?"

I faced her slightly. "Thanks."

And that was the last thing I said to her as we headed out to Mr Kuakini at the car.

We never ended up leaving in the car. It wouldn't start for some reason. I could tell Mr Kuakini was frustrated when he banged his hand on the dashboard. It startled Lilo but I knew it was probably more to do with how his wife had been.

He wanted her to just accept that I was her son as easily as he had, but we both knew it wasn't going to happen.

"Sorry Lilo..." he muttered. "This isn't the first time. You'd be better off walking because you'll be home by the time I get it up and running."

"Okay."

As we climbed out of the car I caught a glimpse of some blue blood smeared on the car seat, but I didn't say anything. Lilo hoisted her backpack onto her back and I made sure she had her jumper zipped up as it was windier than usual that morning.

"Just be careful, Mitch." Mr Kukini said to me. "No matter what happens, you'll always have a home here."

Lilo looked at me at that.

"Ih... but my home is with Lilo now."

"I know." He stared into the distance for a moment or so before he knelt down in front of me and put his hand on my shoulder, leaning close to my ear. "If this is the last time I see you, well... I just thank God I had another chance to see you again and even though you're a part of their family now... you will always have a home here."

I pulled back slightly to stare at him at that. I knew he was giving me the closure I wanted. I wasn't going to see him again after this. Despite Kalia asking to see Chopsuey I knew Mr Kuakini wasn't going to allow it to happen.

I felt something slip over my paw. When I looked down he closed my claws around it.

"Take this... keep it with you and keep it safe." He put his hand over mine and stroked my ear gently. "I love you, Mitch. You'll always be my son."

Lilo was watching from the end of the driveway. Mr Kuakini stood back as I walked away from him and over to her.

"Goodbye Lilo."

I just watched my angel as she smiled and waved back to him as he waved to her. She didn't think anything of it because to her it was just another casual goodbye. It was much harder for me to process.

After all I'd been through with Mr Kuakini, this really did feel like that opened door was closing. Like Alanna, Mitch also felt it was too soon and was struggling but I resisted, because if I fell apart we both would.

My former father's eyes crossed mine as we walked away.

"Goodbye Mitch."

I didn't look back. I had to hold it together just for a little longer. I had to steel myself.

For Lilo's sake.

The walk back into town felt like the most longest walk of my life. Lilo seemed to be positive but I could tell she was worried about Chopsuey. That little line of worry I could always note greeted me when I looked into her eyes and I could see the slight frown on her face.

That, and she gripped my paw harder than ever. I did it back, though not hard enough to hurt her of course.

"Is Mr Kuakini going to come by and see 621?" she eventually asked me as we stopped for a small break in the centre of town.

"Naga nota..."

"Well... despite everything with your cousin, did you have a good time?"

No. No no no! Of course not Lilo!

I wanted to scream and pound my head into the ground because I knew it shouldn't be this way. It shouldn't BE the last time I would ever see her again, or do something fun together. I just wanted to tell her, make her understand how precious this time together was. It was doing my head in.

I didn't know how she'd react knowing that Chopsuey's answer was entirely dependent on if I destroyed her life, destroyed Kauai or possibly killed her and her family.

It had taken me months to have the courage to face her reaction to me destroying Turo. It had torn me apart. There was no gentle way to break it to her that I had no idea how long I had left until I turned on her. For all I knew it was mere hours. What was I supposed to do?

Perhaps just being truthful with her was the best way because she absolutely despised being lied to. Mertle and those other brats had lied to her frequently so I'd made it a point not to ever put Lilo into such a position where she would lose trust in me. I had ended up just dodging the question instead or buying myself as much time as I could but I couldn't do that anymore.

Lilo seemed to notice my inner turmoil despite I was still. "Did you not have fun?"

It took me more than a few moments to answer her without screaming in rage.

"With you...? Ih. I always enjoy being with you, Lilo. With Alanna? Family? Naga."

"No?" she looked at me sadly. "Stitch... I know it was hard for you to deal with that. But you know that we are your family now, and I think that's all that matters the most, isn't it? Mitch has accepted that too and moved on, hasn't he?"

I nodded.

"Then let's just go forward from here. Nani accepts us and so does your dad. As long as we can be with each other, that's all I care about."

"Me too, Lilo."

She hugged me tightly before looking deeply into my eyes. I gazed back into hers before closing my eyes as she gave me a small kiss on the cheek.

The walk back home was slow. We had been held up just a little ways up from the end of Kaona road as there was a bunch of damage to the road from recent flooding and there were construction workers there trying to fix up the concrete. Similar to the hole that David had almost driven into, the damage here seemed a little less severe, but we opted to walk back home along the Guava River trail considering the footpaths were closed.

Nobody was about today, so it was a serene walk and it had given me some extra time to think about what exactly I was going to do. It seemed like being upfront about what I was going to do was the the only way forward.

Lilo was busy looking at the river flowing beside us. With my eyes I could tell instantly the flooding had occurred from this river and the waters were a little more rampant that usual. Lilo shivered suddenly and I quickly put my arm around her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah.. just... I don't know, I felt something weird."

"Gaba?"

She looked at me and rubbed her arm. "I don't know Stitch. Like a bad feeling."

"..."

I couldn't face her. Instead I just sat down beside the river. She joined me a moment or so later.

"I'm okay Stitch. But I don't think you are."

"I'm not, Leelo." I responded quietly. "I just want to go home."

"We can go right now, we don't have to sit here."

"Ah-rumba..."

She sighed. I felt her put her head against my shoulder and in turn I put my arm across her back before drawing in an almost shaky breath.

"Leelo?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think if something bad ever happen between us... isa something really bad... you would ever forget 'bout Stitch?"

She looked a little puzzled. I squeezed her hand in mine.

"Like... something bad that cannot be fixed. Cause a big..." I gestured with my paws repeatedly, trying to think of the right word for something dividing us.

Lilo tilted her head a little. "...Uh... split? Rift?"

"Rift." I confirmed. "If big rift between me and you... would you move on from meega?"

"No."

She was quick to say it, as I predicted. "I know you say that Lilo... but I mean, something that can never be fixed. Ever."

She looked scared. "Like...?"

I looked away from her. "Like... Stitch... Stitch kill. Family."

From her reaction I could tell she wasn't expecting to hear that from me. She knew about the Metamorphosis System, but I think up until now she had never thought she'd be in a position that I could potentially kill our family, not just hurt them. I knew because she was young, the reality of what I'd done to Turo was only a vision in her mind. That was why she was so quick to forgive me for it. But if she saw me kill her own family, saw what I truly was... I needed to know how she'd feel about me.

She couldn't grasp the extent of damage I'd done to Turo because she hadn't lived through it. She hadn't lived through the trauma of seeing somebody she loved die in a terrible way. She hadn't seen the horrors Jumba and I had. Yes, she'd seen me die, but I wasn't damaged on the outside and I'd died peacefully in her arms. She'd only been told that her parents had died in a car crash and she'd never seen their bodies or had to identify them like her sister had. As horrible as it was to lose family, the trauma of seeing family die was far worse than just being told about it and I wondered how her mind would process that.

With what was happening to me, and what I'd become, I knew that Nani, Jumba, David or Pleakley could end up how Gamada had. I could kill them in a violent way, because I had absolutely no control over what I was doing. And while the thought was enough to nearly make me jump headfirst into the river in front of me, I needed to prepare Lilo for the reality that I could do something that would destroy us.

"S-Stitch?"

"There is no nice way to put it," I said bluntly, gazing down into the river. "Lilo, I'm scared of what I might do. And you won't be able to stop me."

"Not at all?"

I sighed. "Lilo, I killed. Killed aliens."

"I know that Stitch but... they always attacked you first so that di—"

"Naga! No, Lilo!" I cried, cutting her off mid-sentence and shaking my head frantically before standing up to face her. "Listen to me, 'cuz I need you to understand. Not just those ones. When Stitch say killed, I MEAN killed! I ripped them in half, I mutilated them. Brutal, painful deaths. Torture!"

I saw the colour drain from her face.

"It was like that on my missions too. I wasn't me, Lilo. I was monster. Real monster."

"..."

"Remember when I tell you never to touch spines? On back?"

"Because doing that people can blow up?" Her voice was very quiet. "You mentioned it was like a balloon popping."

"Ih. Popping."

"But... like, just a pop right?" she asked. "Exactly how a balloon does? It just pretty much vanishes."

"Naga. Explode. Blood shower. Organ shower. Like balloon with water."

I knew now she was starting to visualise just how bad what I was saying really was. She'd seen plenty of horror movies, but those were just B-grade, cheesy, low-budget movies that she could view accompanied by a guardian as they had a PG rating. She'd never been exposed to actual violence. The kind that was psychologically damaging and humans needed counselling for. I knew Jumba had what humans would often refer to as 'post traumatic stress disorder' (on Kweltikwan it had a different name) and I knew what that was from my time on earth. But he was strong enough to cope through what he had without help. Jumba had always been alone so he was resilient in turn. But Lilo? She was just a child that had already dealt with family death.

I had helped her move on, but I was also going to be the one to set her right back.

"Why... why are you saying this, Stitch?" There were tears in her eyes.

"Because I..." I had to catch my breath before I broke. "I could hurt family in a way that you will never, ever forgive Stitch for. And not know I've done it. Iga baka dooka."

"Hurt? Like..."

"Kill, Lilo." I was blunt again. "In way that would damage you forever if you saw."

She went quiet.

"Way that you would never ever want to see Stitch again."

"..."

"Isa why I'm saying this. Because you promised you would be with me, ih? Despite terrible things I've do—"

"My parents were killed, Stitch. If you did it to Nani I'd have NOBODY."

"..."

"Are you seriously going to do that?"

I couldn't answer her. I didn't know. I didn't know what was going to happen tonight. I knew Lilo had other family, but it wasn't the same as having a mother, father and sister. If I did wipe out Nani and David, she would truly be alone.

"Stitch! Please, tell me!" she cried, shaking my shoulders. "What is going on?!"

I couldn't answer her right away so there was a long gap of silence between us.

"Lilo. If I did something bad, would you still want to be with me. Ih, or naga."

She looked away. "Bad as in... that?"

"As in, what Stitch just told you."

This time she was silent. "I-I don't know. I don't know!" She began to cry. Automatically I went to comfort her but she backed away a little from me.

"...?"

"I... I—" She shook her head. "I don't know what to think Stitch! I love you, but if you took my family away from me? I-I don't know what I'd do! How am I supposed to know something like that?! Why are you even saying this?!"

"..."

"Stitch!"

"Because..." The words nearly came out of my mouth. They were right there on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't speak. I felt like my brain had broken.

Lilo just stared. She breathed in a deep sigh before turning and bolting away from me.

I couldn't bring myself to go after her. I had a feeling what I said to her would cause her a lot of distress, but it was better than her just seeing me change into something I wasn't and ruining her life without warning.

Right now though, I needed to be away from her to allow her to process it. As much as it had broken me because I didn't have long left, I let her go and sat there for a while, gazing down into the river. I wanted to cry but I was just too defeated at this point. I was done.

And then I remembered, I still hadn't told her what the term 'boochibu' meant. Even so, somehow I strongly doubted she wanted to hear it now.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed before I decided to return home. Even if I didn't see Lilo before the storm hit, I had to find out what Chopsuey had seen inside of me. At least then what I had told Lilo would be somewhat justified, rather than just telling her it all to scare her.

Jumba was quick to greet me when I arrived at the ship. Lilo wasn't there and I felt my heart stab painfully at the thought of what was happening between us but I had only one thing on my mind to worry about now.

"626..."

I stared at my father. "How Chops?"

He nodded slightly. "Better. Small scare just before you came, but main thing is he made it through the night as I told you which was biggest relief for Jumba of course, but is not out of woods yet. Arm regrowth is nearly complete and I should be able to attach it to him within next half hour. But oh-oh boy, whether he lets me do so without killing me is another story."

My father rolled his eyes, running his hand through his hair. "Course, got all that stuff to worry about with him now 626. Lots of things to resolve. Bad time."

I stared at the floor at that before looking directly at him. "What you mean by all that?"

"Hm?"

I sat down on the floor. "When you say 'full extent' before. What mean?"

He sighed. "All you need to know 626 is that I did not want to repeat same mistakes with you. Everything I have done preceding up to now, well... I just hope it has been enough."

He wasn't going to tell me. I knew it wasn't the time to ask right now either.

"Let me see him."

My father simply nodded and gestured for me to follow.

Chopsuey was propped up on a type of old gurney. I recognised it from Jumba's old lab as being the same one I'd recovered on when he'd shot me.

"So you haven't destroyed the world yet? That's a miracle," 621 commented as I walked over to see him.

"How arm?" I asked, eyeing his flank also wrapped up. "Glad to see you okay."

"Non-existent, clearly."

"You know what I mean."

His expression softened, but only very slightly. "Sore. Nothing compared to the pain I felt back on K37, but thanks for asking." He cocked his head at me. "How's hatchling?"

"I... don't know. Shol asahiah shula."

He looked at me weirdly. "Ooooh, so hatching finally grew tired of your shit did she 626?"

I growled and went to grab him by the neck to pull him forward to my face but Jumba got between us pretty much instantly. "EY! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!"

I scowled at my father but he held me back by the scruff of my neck. "Now is NOT the time for rivalry. 626, you are about to go nuclear on planet and 621 is not out of woods yet. Remember your priorities!"

He was right, I couldn't let Chops get at me. It was still a game to him. My father put me down before looking at 621.

"And you! I know things aren't so hot-shot between us right now, but bickering like this only sets us back. I appreciate what you did 621, more than you can imagine, but put it behind until things are sorted. Yes?"

"Whatever Jumbo."

Jumba just shook his head, sitting down beside us on a chair. Chops picked at a claw before eyeing me. "If you want information from me 626 you better learn to back off, got it?"

"On the condition you keep your mouth shut about Lilo." I sneered.

He smirked. Jumba cleared his throat. "621... what was happening in there?"

Chopsuey looked between us. "I know why you're here 626. First of all, I will be fine. I'm not going to die, so let's clear that up, yeah?"

I frowned, but then relaxed a little. I truly was glad he hadn't died. "Ih..."

"Bad news is... well..."

"Well...?"

Jumba looked concerned. "Go on."

621 looked down. "There was damage. To one of your circuits. I don't know how else to describe it... and I don't know what that circuit would control in you 626, but considering you're still walking and talking it mustn't have been critical."

"I'll run a scan... wait here," Jumba said, standing up swiftly and leaving the room.

"Isa that why you looked scared?" I asked my cousin, watching the door shut behind him before turning back to face him. "I saw you have funny look. On face."

He eyed me. "You're not going to like this 626."

I drew in a deep breath. This was it. "What did you see?"

He sighed. "The damage wasn't caused by our fight. I had already got to that area before that stupid fucking demon clown got to me and it looked like that. I think he lured me there on purpose. But after I released the nanites, that circuit started flashing a different colour to everything else. It looked broken, hard to tell with everything going on and me trying not to DIE, but I think it might have been corroded. It looked... different. There was a pattern to it."

My ears fell. "G-gaba...?"

Chopsuey sat upright slightly to directly face me. "That look was because I realised only when I got out that the cell had already been corrupted. No idea when he did it, but it was before I went in there. I destroyed him, 626... but it was a trap. The nanites killing him initiated a countdown somehow. He lured me to that area so I would figure it out, only by the time I did it was too late. I had noticed a sequence in the flashing. Morse code."

I felt sick. "So then..."

"That's it. I was simply too late."

That explained the dream of the shelter and the ghosts... why that chair had taken so long to vanish after Chopsuey had defeated Demon 626. I couldn't even look at Chopsuey. My mind went blank.

Jumba eventually returned with the scanner, but I barely noticed at all. Everything around me was a blur.

"Damage was located at N4N3419 branch beta20D. Vessel was narrow, 621, correct?"

"Yep."

"Can see it on scan. Is occult section. Was there something unusual in there, 621? Anything you may have noticed just by being there physically? I know there is nothing you understand about 626's internal systems but let's say something out of the ordinary that you were quick to pick up on?"

I looked up at that.

He thought for a moment. "Well... there was some kind of vacuum sensation. Like trapped air. Sucked the nanites towards the back-up and away from me."

"Vacuum? No, there should be no air inside of 626. Do you remember where it was coming from?"

"Swear it was coming from that damaged circuit. Felt like it was circulating in there or something."

"One you mentioned was corroded?"

I wondered how Jumba knew that as he'd left the room when Chopsuey had spoken to me, but then I remembered Jumba could hear feedback through the B.U.G. It had been hovering above us the entire time.

"Ih."

"Hmm."

Jumba put his hand on my head to force me to stand still as he scanned me again. He looked very confused before a strange, almost deflated look crossed his features.

"Pa?" I asked hesitantly. Chopsuey just looked on quietly.

"Remember microchip sent out frequency 626?"

"Ih?"

"Also remembering how I sourced chip via black market?"

I didn't like where this was going. "Yes papa."

He sighed. "Frequency released must have been gaseous composition. Enough to corrupt cell, but corroded through one particular organic circuity track based in brain, which in turn travelled down branches into N4N section, where 621 was when encountered back-up. Explains compression of vessel due to air pressure."

"I'm confused." Chopsuey said, sitting up again. "How exactly did that trigger the circuit to flash like that in a Morse code countdown?"

"N4N vessel you refer to is half organic, half circuit. You said looked corroded, yes?"

"Yeah, it looked weird. He looks weird inside just as he does outside."

I wanted to slap him, but I refrained. "...So what then pa?"

"Did any nanites hit that circuit?"

"No. At least, I don't think so. He can still move."

"Curious..." Jumba sounded distant. "Am wondering, if back-up planted a trigger in corroded circuit. Would have known about nanites and impending death, which there was no way back-up could have avoided of course as is impossible... BUT perhaps used damage to circuit from frequency to his advantage. Was able to manipulate internal nano-structures to create trail up to brain and then to cell. Airflow. If nanite hit that particular circuit by any chance, even if just one of them, vacuum would have sucked it up and it would have followed trail into colliding with cell."

"What?" I asked. I was so confused.

"In simpler terms 626, frequency from microchip was made of stronger component that was able to corrode through organic circuitry—specifically one Chopsuey ended up in. That one, known as specific N4N structure, runs up body 626 to brain, and then into pathway to cell. Gaseous component from microchip was type of air released into body—possibly due to budget manufacturing. Air created vacuum type of path up through N4N vessel. Are you following?"

"Ih."

"So, back-up is data, yes? Manipulated nano-structures, traces and tracks of circuitry, so airflow bent around those instead of what I programmed. Air trapped in there so it flows back and forth between there to cell, yes?"

I was beginning to understand what he was trying to tell me.

"Of course, nothing changes with you 626 as the damage and airflow is not enough to cause significant damage to systems. However, with enough patience back-up set up in such a manner it would be to his advantage. Was also quiet approach—not detectable or noticeable. So when had fight with the nanites, must have been confident one would hit off there and get sucked in. It was all he had, and on the off-chance it worked with the airflow loop circulating through there, it was all he had to go by."

"So basically, the nanite got sucked up that circuit trail, went through his brain and then down into the cell and activated it?" Chopsuey asked.

"Direct hit with cell would destroy cell, but if nanite hit off something, like a trace perhaps, and cell was corrupted JUST enough... would be enough to trigger it into activating without directly destroying."

"So that little shit set it all up. He led me into that vessel just hoping his plan would work. Hoping there was enough of a vacuum loop one nanite was bound to go in that circuit even if he was destroyed."

"Yes." Jumba responded. "Very cunning. Just as I programmed the back-up to be."

I was trying to wrap my head around it all, but for the most part it made sense.

Chopsuey frowned. "So why did it flash then?"

"Back-up's programming. Manipulated in such a way successful nanite hitting against trace, or whatever was hitting against, would generate code to activate countdown. You are smart 621 and instantly determined Morse code pattern. Very elaborate trap, making use AND taking advantage of 626's body."

"So overall, a failure." Chopsuey sounded dull. "Pretty much did all of that for nothing."

"Like to think not." Jumba went quiet after that. I'd seen this before though, and I knew why instantly.

"You blame yourself again pa." I said to him and he looked at me at that. "Gaseous substance came from microchip that you bought, and you implanted into meega. And back-up too, Demon 626—YOU also created—was manipulating meega, Ih?"

"Correct, 626." He sounded so utterly defeated. "Seems I only set up to destroy what I create, even if unintentional."

"Absolutely no denying that," Chopsuey remarked, but it just infuriated me and before I could stop myself I found myself completely losing it on him.

"AMA-GUNDA! JUST SHUT UP! ALREADY WORSE ENOUGH AS IS, I DON'T NEED MORE OF YOUR BLITZNAK."

He looked shocked for a moment or so, but then he looked just as furious as I felt.

"626 YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE THIS FAT BASTARD OF A 'CREATOR' HAS CAUSED ME! HOW HE TREATED ME!" he roared. "SO BACK THE HELL OFF WOULD YA! I JUST SACRIFICED MY OWN DAMN ARM SO I COULD SAVE YOUR ROFPLAR-FORSAKEN LIFE WHEN I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BECAUSE IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE TO YOUR SORRY ASS IN THE END WHATSOEVER! YOU'RE STILL GOING TO KILL US ALL AND LEAVE US HOMELESS!"

I froze up at hearing that. He was right... I had NO idea how Jumba had treated him, and my father had refused to tell me. From that alone I knew it was bad.

They were both staring at me. For the first time in my life I was at a complete loss for words.

Lilo had gone. I'd scared her away just when I needed her the most. I'd probably change before I could say goodbye to her. Chopsuey had saved my life at a huge cost to him, and his effort had been in vain after all. Jumba was struggling with his role as a father to both of us.

Things had gone from bad, to worse, to what felt like a living hell. And now I was trapped there because the Metamorphosis System was counting itself down to activation. Demon 626 had won. Just when I thought I had a sliver of hope left, that had been stolen from me to.

And so, all I could do was stand there. I couldn't avoid the tears building in my eyes. I had never wanted Chopsuey to see me like this. I wanted to stay strong, but I'd had enough.

I'd long reached breaking point and this had tipped me over the edge.

"Soka," was all I could say to 621. "Stitch... sorry."

I didn't stay for his response. Or my father's. Instead I just ran out before they had a chance to say anything.