Stitch Triverse, BOOK 1: UNION

Chapter 6: C O N F E D E R A C Y

Chapter 6
C O N F E D E R A C Y

Morning struck Kamakura once more as the ever-vigilant group of Yuna, Kyo, Chiro and their Stitches had awoken from what was a crazy night before following an uneventful breakfast.

Previously, they had helped pull the complete 180* of a alien agency out to eliminate any and all extra-terrestrials that have entered into the city of Kamakura. They even gained a new ally in the form of Jonathan Pride, forerunner of the very agency P.S.Y.C.H at that.

As the group wandered about Kyo's home in their respective pajamas (save Chiro, who fell asleep in her usual outfit due to being away from home), their chatter was fairly straightforward between the two Kamakuran urbans and Yuna's own Stitch.

"So, the matter of which I found out of this was never trust Colonel Mustard when playing "Clue"

"Kyo... you're basing that off one incident when we were kids, you know?"

"I know! It's just that kinda stuff lingers well, dude!"

Yuna on the other hand, seemed to notice Kyo's Stitch this fine morning... he had been peculiarly quiet the last few hours and yet nobody figured out why. Walking over to him, she sat down on her knees to talk to the Experiment.

"Hey, you've been awful quiet recently... what's up? Anything on your mind?" she asked.

Kyo's Stitch looked to Yuna for a moment, his beady eyes meeting her brown eyes.

"Meega... naga sure if I should tell. Isa important though..." he said, looking rather perturbed by whatever it was eating his mind.

This was clear that it was something that dawned on him the previous night, yet he kept it to himself due to the others' being tired. Heaven knows he wouldn't be able to tell anyone if they were sleeping, let alone snoring in Yuna's case.

"Guys," Yuna called, "I think Kyo's Stitch has something to say to us."

Kyo and Chiro perked up from their conversation along with Yuna's Stitch.

"Other meega has something, dude?"

"Oh? Well, what's up, Stitch? You don't have to be so secretive, you can tell us," the teens' concern for the Experiment very vocal, much the same as the Izayoi opposite.

Kyo's 626 looked hesitant for a moment, but he swallowed his worry and spat out what he was going to say.

"Tay remembers... mentioning if there was a Galactic Federation last night, ih?" he asked with his usually timid tone.

The rest of the gang all nod at this.

"Yeah, we remember that. We were hoping if there was one, it'd help stop whoever keeps cutting into our Earth tech, dude!"

"Yeah... plus, it'd be a great help on our side, you know? The Federation's always looking out for peace across the galaxy, Stitch told me that!" Kyo and Yuna put their thoughts out there.

"Truth is... there isn't. Isa gone. Naga to exist anymore" Kyo's Stitch said, rubbing his arm in shame.

The others looked utterly shocked at this, thinking this was a jest.

"Heh... you're really a kidder, aren't ya, dude?" Kyo asked.

"But how! How could an entirely peaceful organization be no more like this? I thought the Federation was huge!" Yuna followed, more curious on the fact that Kyozuki's own Experiment was saying there wasn't a Galactic Federation anymore within the universe Kamakura resided in.

Kyo's Stitch brought out some kind of orange alien monitor from his third arm, very alike that of a slideshow projector. He set it down on the table where the rest of the still-waking youth watched as he booted it up, a tap from one of the Experiment's faithful claws doing the trick. He sat down near the rest of the group as the image it projected found itself on the nearby kitchen wall.

The image projected was a news report from a much-watched alien channel, which had been hit with a "Breaking News" bulletin on what had happened that time ago. Not many could read it given the Tantalog, but it was what it was. A pink and shapely species began to read from his cards on the incident...

"This just in! We've received intel from multiple sources on an absolutely brutal attack on the Galactic Federation's headquarters in Turo. What had started off as a peaceful day around the incident quickly degenerated into chaos..."

The report switched feeds to the remains of a tall structure now in shambles due to some powerful force that massacred the place... its scraps floating around the void of space along with several lifeless alien bodies that helped out the Federation, obviously dead from whatever tore things apart.

The others looked in woe at the remains of what was to be believed as the Galactic Federation's HQ. Yuna and Stitch thought it lucky something like this wouldn't happen in their world, though the damage was still present here. Something had enough force to make short work of the Galactic Federation here in the alternate realm of Kamakura... but what?

"The Galactic Federation HQ was devastated today by an unknown source, its power slicing and destroying not only the prominent base of operations for the Federation, but also several spacecraft under license from the UGF. As the organization was under reconstruction due to a sizing down within the intergalactic collective, this attack caused something that could take several millions of Units to fix, had it not been for whom was lost..."

Sizing down? Surely this gave the hint this version of the UGF wasn't doing as strongly as it would have otherwise in Yuna's realm. Almost like the other side of a mirror, where the Galactic Federation where Yuna came from would have been massive and extended their reach to the galaxy around them, this opposite Federation was going down a slim road.

Though Yuna instantly perked up along with her Stitch at the sound of "whom", already having a clue of "whom" it was.

"Who was lost? You don't mean--!?"

"Naga takabah, gaba ika tasoopa!?"

Before getting to who it was, the report flashed to a short bit of footage from the ensuing destruction before. While it was low quality, the group could make out a single being using some form of incredible power ripping through two spacecraft like it was nothing on a planet's surface before the inevitable fire of an explosion cut off the feed into nothing but static...

"Before we cover the tragic loss of this dreadful incident, this footage of the ensuing massacre was recovered briefly. It is hard to make out, but we have reason to believe the being who caused this catastrophe was a Chryston. They are known for their incredible psychic powers within the galaxy, but as the footage we have is unfortunately a low quality one from a P.H.O.O.G unit, we're unable to confirm or deny if a Chryston of this power level does exist. Now..."

"P.H.O.O.G unit? You mean those little flying cameras over at Tokyo Disneyland's Stitch ride?" Kyo asked.

Yuna's Stitch piped up- "Ih. They're real too, bro- they patrol galaxy for UGF."

As the report continued, Yuna and Stitch's suspicions were confirmed. The next thing that flashed across the projection was a picture of the one alien form who would unite all, the Grand Councilwoman, or rather this universe's own version of her. The "tragic loss" that happened was unfortunately hers...

"The reason we said before it would have took millions of Units if not for the loss is because of who it was who died. Our beloved Grand Councilwoman was caught in the crossfire of this appalling situation and what's more, nobody is looking to take her place. Because of this, not only does this mean the Councilwoman's gone, but the entire Galactic Federation in a single loss of command... We send our regards to the Councilwoman's family in the universe along with those who died in this madness and we only hope that the menace who destroyed this once peaceful organization is brought to justice. This is A--"

Kyo's Experiment shut off the projector upon the report finishing up and nodded.

"Isa true... whoever wants meega took out the entire Federation in the process... naga takabah," he said.

Chiro looked horrified by this news, considering she, alike the others who were taking the news differently, had grown up knowing the Galactic Federation was a major part of Stitch as a character. She knew as long as they were around, the galaxy would remain safe. But knowing now that Stitch was here and the Federation was not left things far, far different...

Yuna was the first to speak up after seeing the truth of what happened to this world's United Galactic Federation.

"Hey, hold on... isn't there anyone who survived that Federation fall? Surely not everyone died in that mess... right?"

Kyo's Stitch followed that up in thought. "Naga everyone did, actually..."

Kyozuki immediately gave his surprise- "Duuuude! Who survived? Maybe they could give us help in whoever this is we're fighting, this... "Chryston".

The timid Experiment's eyes met Kyo's. "While meega's mind isa still piecing together, tay would know well who made Stitch, ih..." he stated.

The Kamakuran youth clued in on cue. "...Jumba Jookiba and Wendy Pleakley? They're still kicking?!"

"Kyo, this is blowing my mind here! I-- I... I'd faint if I was able..." Chiro stated, the fangirl about to fall in delight after Kyo gave his surprise.

"Naga sure if they're still around, but if they sent meega here... then it's possible they're trying to get into contact, ih... only a matter of time..."

Kyozuki looked at his Disney Mobile phone again, tilting his head in curiosity- "Huh... well, if they want my cell phone number, that'd be a good way of contacting us, yeah?"

"C'mon, Kyo! I think they've got a way of contacting us... it's just a waiting game from hereon in!"

Chiro had watched enough of the blue alien's adventures in TV and film to trust Jumba and Pleakley arriving when they least expected it... if the Experiment was right about this, though what reason would they have to distrust him?

Kyo sighed, knowing the stress between this impending alien coming and keeping Stitch to himself from the surrounding world was bogging him down. And knowing that they were very limited on allies in the long run considering what happened to the Galactic Federation in his world was also doing him in.

He was so mellow and laidback, he wasn't used to what was coming his way nor did he think he was ready. But at the very least, he had help with his best friend Chiro, "idol" Yuna and both of the Experiments present. And that help meant a lot to him, a la something near and dear to his heart- "ohana".

"Until then though, we may as well get our minds off of this the best way I know how. Icy treats at Aisu Machi, anyone?" Kyo asked.

"After-breakfast ice cream? Geez, you're good at reading minds, Kyo!" Chiro gave her glee for this.

Yuna's Stitch, already after downing food, piped up as well- "Ih! Gimme dairy deliciousness!"

Yuna chuckled at her Experiment with a smile, "Hey, why not? Just don't be tempted by Stitch, he might get you to buy him seconds!"

With that, the five-man group had gotten themselves ready to head out, disguise or no disguise, to the towering city of Kamakura. This time over to the Kamakura Dock again.

It wasn't for the nightly flash-mobs as it was far too early in the day for that, but for dairy delicacies, in the hopes that it would help relieve what unease was setting in from the Federation proven gone... Keyword, "hopes".

♦ ♦ ♦

Sunlight poured down on the Kamakuran cityscape as per its usual, the summer skies befitting the skyscrapers that cut the sky. It was always meant to be a monumental sight seeing these buildings complimented with ads that added more to the real world aura- like billboards with BB-8 or even kaiju like Godzilla. You could even class Mameshiba among these, but these added more to how "real" Kamakura felt.

Down at the Kamakura Dock, Yuna and Chiro sat along with Yuna's own Stitch gussied up in his own disguise like Yuna at a patio table, as they waited for Kyo at Aisu Machi.

Luckily, it didn't take long before Kyo came with two blue and purple meshes of ice cream in glasses for him and Chiro, as well as a cone at hand.

"Two Stitch Shakers for me and Chiro and for you, Flo... well, I never really knew what flavor was your fave, so I went ahead and did vanilla just 'cuz," Kyo said, handing Yuna the cone.

Yuna chuckled in that dialect that led to her Flo disguise. "Nah, nah- it's fine, dude! Besides, me and Joker'll probably share thi--"

The moment she said she was going to, her Experiment had ate the vanilla top of the cone whole, wrapping his tongue around it and swallowing in one gulp. Yuna crossed her arms at this with a scowl, quietly muttering to her Experiment under alias.

"What did I just say about sharing that?"

"Oh... eheh..." her Stitch rubbed the back of his head nervously. As much as he wanted to say "soka", he couldn't due to this being out in the open.

Yuna still wasn't all too pleased and shook her head at this. "Man... typical Joker, huh?"

Stitch Shakers were well-known around Kamakura as a mix of blueberry and grape ice cream melded together to make a smooth, sort of smoothie-like creation, straws included. Aisu Machi prefers to call how they make it a secret, but all secrets aside, it always ended up being the dairy treat of choice for Kyo and Chiro, what with being Stitch die-hards.

Just as Chiro was about to sip on her Stitch Shaker, something clouded up what was a perfectly sunny day. It was casting shade across not just the Kamakura Dock, but what looked like the whole city.

"What... the..." Chiro said. Many people looked up to the sky in terror.

"What is that!?", "No way... no way, this isn't happening, it only thinks its happening!" and many more things were said as whatever shaded the sky over hung. Yuna and the others looked up much the same as the other city folk...

Upon looking up, it was discovered that a giant spacecraft had flown over the city, blocking the sun out and making its shadow upon the urban locale. Its look was sharp and jagged all over, its colors gold and red. And most of all, wires hung from around the ship as if they were connected to something inside or outside.

Kyo's Stitch looked at this and was already set off. He growled intensely, as if he remembered that ship somewhere in the recesses of his mind...

Kyo spat out his Stitch Shaker explosively as he saw this ship.

"W-- WHAT IN THE!?" he yelled. "Nonononono, don't tell me that's who I think it is!"

Earth's technology again went on the fritz, but without any major screech to deafen the ears this time. Kyo looked over at a TV at the electronics shop nearby to see that tall and jagged alien individual return to the screens and the static in shadow. The "Chryston", it was assumed. It was quite obvious what he wanted after two previous takeovers...

"Greetings Earthlings...we asked for 626, the real one... and yet we got no answer from you vermin of the planet. We gave you time... and now that time is going to get cut. Bring me the real Experiment 626 in a day, not this absolutely appalling clone... or else..."

The figure lifted his thin yet clawed hand veiled by the black on the screen, as it began to glow in a powerful blue aura and his eyes did the same. At first, it didn't look like much would have came from this...

Suddenly, something powerful slammed the street leading up Kamakura Dock. First glance revealed it to be nothing, but as it continued up the road, it tore the concrete road to pieces, shredding through it with ease.

The heroes shielded themselves from this move, trying their best not to get hit by debris from whatever tore the road up. As it finished, a gust swirled about as the dust from the damage revealed that the entire road was wide open and in pieces, a mix of destroyed concrete and upturned sand.

Yuna backed down her arms from guarding herself to see what had happened the same as Kyo.

"Whoa... he totally just demoed the road!" Yuna said, masking her surprise under her attempted Kamakuran dialect.

Her Stitch did similarly- "No way, bro!"

"And that's.. not... all..." the shaded alien said, gripping his hand into a fist as the aura turned violent.

Nearby, a yellow Nissan car that was parked on the sidewalk near Aisu Machi was picked up by what looked to be nothing again and was violently thrown ahead. The car crashed into the side of a building down the lane from Aisu Machi, sending glass and brick crashing down below as dust settled.

Seeing this gave Kyo enough of an idea of how powerful the powers of a "Chryston" seemed. Yet luckily, even with how much force the extra-terrestrial had given into that display, nobody got hurt.

The crowd down at the Dock ran off in horror after this destructive display, as the group of Stitch owners stayed behind to watch what else this monster had to say, their eyes glued to the television set down the way masked by a shop's broken glass window.

"That is your answer... deliver me Experiment 626... or else, I will be taking a hostage every day that you don't comply. Perhaps one of the humans left standing in the square would like to be a science experiment?"

His chuckling and taunting at the humans and their alien Experiments proved to be not working, though Chiro looked uneasy at being called a "test specimen".

"We're not afraid of some alien creep, you know! We can take you!" Yuna said, quite clearly breaking her character as Flo for a moment.

Kyo egged as well, "I'm with Flo here, forget it, dude! No matter what your intentions are, I won't let you get any of him in your hands!"

"I expected you to say that, call it a hunch... Just remember, I demand 626 in a day... perhaps even less. Or else, bad things will happen to those around you. We are watching..."

Earth's tech reverted back to normal as the transmission cut, though static stayed on that TV screen in the store due to the obvious structural damage around Kamakura Dock. Through the psychic powers he had, he made a mess out of the city's most famous spot easily, the shadow of the gold and red ship lingering upon not just the damages, but the skyline surrounding the group.

Yuna's Stitch looked to Yuna for a moment. "Meega naga like where this is going..."

"Kidding me? You and me both..." the two had agreed.

Kyo looked to the others in concern. "We gotta head back to the house, dudes- it's not safe with that big ship looming over the city like this... capiche?"

The others all nodded and turned back down the other route back to Kyozuki's house, as the road where they came from was otherwise demoed.

Yuna on the other hand, looked back for a moment and swore she saw a certain flaxen-haired girl that she saw earlier run into a nearby alleyway of the city, one untouched by the damage of the "Chryston".

"Was... was that...?"

After a rub of her eyes though, nothing turned up. Thinking it was just her seeing things, she ran off, catching up to the group and shrugging seeing her off.

Truth is, the Kamihara kid's eyes weren't playing tricks on her, as in the alleys between Aisu Machi and another store entirely, the Astral Jumpers stood, having hidden well from the Kamakura crowd...

Yaiko panted loudly, almost on the verge of hyperventilation after trying to find safe haven from what happened, her partner Kyohaku Stitch near her. It didn't matter that the "girl from the Tri-Rune" had almost saw her, but the immense foreign power was more important.

"W-- What was that power, Kyohaku!?" she asked.

"Isa was a Chryston, alien with very powerful psychokinetics... tay just saw a demonstration."

"So that thing was an alien?! Why have I never heard of it where we come from?"

"Because they went extinct where we came from, takka... Such power led to their ultimate demise. Naga worry too much, it seems like this universe may be doomed to stop him, considering his sudden appearance... Ragga snabba..."

Yai tried to calm down after that, but being caught in harm's way like that found ways to rattle her.

"No... no matter though... Kyohaku, after the trash raid last night, did we manage to make what we wanted to here regardless of psychic assault on the city? This should be the perfect place where we can install and set it up" she asked her partner carefully.

Kyohaku Stitch nodded. "Ih, isa all set. Meega think when we do take our leave, it'll be ready to activate..."

The flax haired girl nodded, pleased with her Jumper partner's actions the previous night. "Good... Most excellent. Make sure we've got the co-ordinates to our location proper when we do leave. I don't wish to end up off course when these do go active."

"They should be perfectly set in all the realms we wished to tap into, ih..."

The two Jumpers nodded with devilish grins after their confirmation between one another.

"It's only a matter of time!" they said, Yaiko chuckling and of course, snorting per habit.

With that vague information towards some Jumper secret between them, the two ran off yet again, trying to find higher ground given the chaos that ensued in Kamakura Dock. Seems as though it didn't just impact Yuna and the heroes, but the Jumpers as well, though they had a plan of their own...

♦ ♦ ♦

"What in the world can we even do to stop something that's got the power to wreck up roads, huh?"

Chiro was the first to break the silence as she paced the room, the others sitting around a table in the Yamada living room as the afternoon struck and the group settled after what happened prior at the Dock.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Chiro..." Yuna retorted, stumped for words.

Kyo was already on the phone as this was going on.

"Yeah? Good on your guys, Pride. Shutting down Kamakura Dock's a solid first step, dude... Keep your guys on guard though, that "Chryston" could pull anything. Thanks, will do. Bye..."

Kyo nodded and hung up the usual Disney Mobile phone he was talking into, its inner ears based on Experiment 626 folding down.

"That was Jonathan, he told us he shut down the Dock and is looking into this ship over the city with his P.S.Y.C.H team... I'll keep in touch with him if anything else happens," Kyo explained.

"Well, Jonathan might have our backs, but who else would? If that guy made short work of the Dock, imagine what he'll do to us!" Yuna said, her Stitch nodding vigorously.

It was then Kyozuki's cell phone went off again. "Unknown name, unknown number" it read as the ringtone of a song from Kyo's reality could be heard.

"Of all the times Wolf Club has to go off..." Kyo muttered.

"I'll come back... I'll come and get you, we can run away tonight... Wherever..."

Kyo picked it up and answered after a moment of hesitance given its misleading caller ID. "Hey! If this is one of those crazy telemarketers looking to sell me some trip to Honolulu via Tsunami Air, it's not happening, dude!"

He heard static on the other end, and the consistent cut in and out of a voice. In and out, in and out again and again.

"A... Is... there... A-- Wasu--" was all that could be heard from the Disney-branded phone.

Kyo was already stressed out enough. "Look, if this is just a wrong number, stop right now, dude! This isn't the time!"

As soon as the static cleared, the voice Kyo heard on the other end made his eyes widen extravagantly.

"Hello? This call is indubitably working, yes?, a voice said with a thick accent on it, one that the fanboy immediately knew but didn't think was real.

Yuna and Chiro looked on at this. "Hey, you okay, Kyo? You don't usually get this tongue-tied..." Chiro said.

The boy nodded, his wide gawk remaining on his face, accenting his surprise.

"Answer or else I'm going to call other part of world..." the voice said on the other end of the phone line.

Kyo stirred right up with a yell. "YES! Yes, I'm here, who the heck's calling!?"

Chiro gave another look to Yuna, concerned that Kyozuki wasn't going crazy from whoever decided to ring him out of the blue.

"Who do you think is calling him?" Chiro asked.

Yuna just shrugged and gave an odder look. "I dunno, but it's gotta be important if he's this up in arms over it..." she said.

Kyo's stammered yell only confirmed what Yuna was thinking.

"J-- JUMBA JOOKIBA!?" the red-haired teen yelled, struggling to yell his words.

Immediately, the others yelled back with a collective "WHAT!?"

Yuna ran right over and looked at Kyozuki a moment. "You don't mean we just found them by a mere phone call!?"

Kyo nodded again, jittery at this discovery. On the other end of the line were THE Jumba and Pleakley who made his own version of Stitch he'd been keeping a secret so well from the world. That same feeling of geekiness that took overtook him when he first met Yuna and Stitch took him again. Was it hard not to?

"Hahaha! Yes... yours truly is Jumba Jookiba. Now... would you happen to be the person whom my Experiment 626 has somehow ran into?" Jumba asked Kyo.

He nodded as vigorously as Stitch would've, his giddy fanboy nature taking him over. "Yes! Yes, that's me! My name's Kyozuki... I'm a human being... more like a surfer city boy, but I'm a human from Kamakura!" he said, trying to get his words together.

"Ohh, so he did manage to come to Earth!" Jumba chuckled to himself, happy that Kyo had told him the truth.

Kyo couldn't help but chuckle with the "evil genius scientist". "Yeah... so, what's up then?"

"We're soon to be arriving on Earth!" Jumba announced upon Kyo asking.

"We as in... you and Pleakley?"

"Yes! Me and Wendy Pleakley, Galactic Federation Administrators of Science and Nature respectively... at your service!"

Kyo was impressed at this news. As it turned out, much differently as to how Jumba and Pleakley were in Yuna's realm (which were both under the Grand Councilwoman), this realm's Jumba and Pleakley had become Administrators of their craft, Jumba with science and Pleakley nature... to an extent. This was obviously before the fall of the Galactic Federation that the gang had learnt about earlier some time before Stitch came to Earth.

He was so impressed with this news that it almost sent Kyozuki toppling over before Yuna and Chiro caught him.

"Whoa, whoa... careful Kyo!" Yuna said, holding him up.

"You know... he never told me he was a little on the heavy side..." Chiro quipped respectively.

As he did take his fall, the Disney Mobile phone landed in front of the Yamada kid's Stitch. Figuring it out relatively quickly, he picked it up.

"J-- Jumba?" he asked.

"626!! Is so nice to be hearing your voice after so long of being separated! We're soon to be landing on Earth... would you happen to have a place where we could meet?" Jumba asked.

The Experiment was confused. "Uhh... Kamakura in..."

Chiro managed to step in after setting Kyo on the couch with Yuna- "Genjiyama Park!"

Stitch tilted his head at the girl in overalls.

Yuna looked at Chiro as confused as the Experiment was. "Genjiyama? Where the heck in Kamakura's that?"

"I'll tell ya soon, just tell them to meet us there, Stitch!"

Kyo's Stitch smiled, then went right back to the phone- "...Genjiyama Park, Jumba."

"Excellent, excellent! Took lots of deciphering to get signal to Earth. Shouldn't take as long for us to actually get to Earth. Expect us soon! Oh! Also, tell woozy human boy where we're meeting?" Jumba chuckled, knowing a thing or two about human beings.

The creator's Stitch gave a nod and a hearty "Okitaka!" before hanging up and tossing the Disney Mobile phone onto Kyozuki Yamada's dizzy self.

Chiro smiled to herself as Stitch returned to her side. "Sounds like we have a plan then! Or at least... somewhat of one against that big baddie above..." she said, petting Kyo's Stitch on the head.

Kyo on the other hand was still dazed at the phone call that had just occurred. He could barely even form words.

"That... that was... Jumba and Pleakley..." he uttered.

Yuna's Experiment piped up- "Great, he's gone delusional..."

Yuna walked over with a modest smile. "Allow me" she said, finishing off with a well placed karate chop to Kyo's head.

"Ow!" he yelled as he came back to, rubbing his head.

"Uncool, dude! I didn't deserve the karate chop of a Kamihara, thanks! Besides, I was having a nice dream that Jumba and Pleakley were coming to Earth..." Kyo said, not realizing.

Everyone chimed back. "It wasn't a dream, Kyo... they're coming to Genjiyama Park later tonight."

Kyo got up after the fan attack he had- "Genjiyama Park? Huh... good planning."

Yuna hounded the decision though. "Hello! If that guy's got psychic powers, it's pretty possible he'll know where we are! You know, telekinesis? Why choose a park like that, especially one you guys never showed me and Stitch?"

Chiro definitely knew why. "The reason I chose Genjiyama Park is because of the dense forest. See, Genjiyama's a spiritual place near the Gozan and off to the west from the city, so not a lot of people visit there often given Shintoism backgrounds. We'd have privacy and we'd be away from the city and the ship, so he wouldn't know where we were going!"

"Ohh... you know, that makes a lotta sense, now that you say that!" Yuna agreed.

Kyo's Stitch also perked in- "Meega vaguely remember Jumba and Pleakley having a mobile lab there before they sent meega down here... Maybe they still have it and we can have help, ih?"

Kyo nodded with a grin to his Stitch, seeing that he was remembering more and more about his past before coming down to Earth from wherever he was from.

He chuckled and continued- "So that's the idea, huh? We go to Genjiyama and meet up with Jumba and Pleakley and see if they can help us against this impending doom. Sound good to y'all?"

The others raised their hands to the sky with a collective "Aye!"

"Huh... maybe they can help us get back home too after all's said and done?" Yuna had thought as she raised her hand.

All thoughts aside, they had their plan in the calmest place in the Kamakuran city, Genjiyama Park... The real question is, what help would Jumba give them beyond a lab against something with enough power to tear up entire roads and send cars into flight?

♦ ♦ ♦

Waiting at Genjiyama Park for the two Administrators felt like an eternity... or at least, it did as twilight fell for the group ahead. From the hidden park, one could see the gold and red ship and just how large it was high over the Kamakuran buildings.

The park on the other hand, felt calm upon night, nature accompanying the several Shinto artifacts and statues that complimented the way to the Gozan above. It was a little peace of natural heaven in comparison to the usual Kamakuran city, with the only competition being Kyo's secret Crescent Beach.

Everyone had their own ways to pass the time, between Yuna and Stitch's chatting and Kyo's playing of a mobile game called TsumTsum using who else but Stitch as his central character of choice.

A few minutes after twilight fell and the roar of an engine came off from the distance above them, making all heads look to the sky. Coming down from the heights was a green ship that had a sleek design to it, alike that of the Galactic Federation's own back where Yuna and Stitch came from.

As it came to a landing in front of the group, a bridge folded out from the the spacecraft as a bright light flushed out of the door that opened on the side.

Two silhouettes stepped out, one large and one small. The group all knew, as the light died down and their Kweltikwan and Plogonarian forms were unveiled, that it was Jumba Jookiba and Wendy Pleakley. The two looked exactly as they did back home to Yuna, save for their outfits- which were black and yellow body suits, like what the Grand Councilwoman or Gantu would've worn.

"Yeah, that's them alright... the outfits are different, but being Admins for the Federation'd do that, huh?" Yuna said, looking the duo up and down. She didn't have to disguise her voice this late at night, thankfully.

"Not on time... but definitely still in time to catch all of you, yes?" Jumba said, looking around his surroundings of the very green park.

Kyo's own Stitch ran forward with a smile and leaped to Jumba with a hug.

"Jumba! Hey!" he said in happiness- something rare for him given his timid nature or savage way if provoked.

Jumba looked rather marvelled at this. "Oh my... who changed around 626 like this? Is impressive..."

The Kamakuran partner to that Stitch then stepped forward with the rest. "That would be me, dude! Kyozuki Yamada, big fan of you, "evil genius scientist," he happily explained.

Pleakley, who hadn't said a word up to now, scanned Kyo up and down. "Hmm... humanoid, wearing colored shades and cool clothing... seems like your usual tourist!" he exclaimed.

"Noooot even close, dude... I'm a human being native to Kamakura, no tourist blood on me!" Kyo chuckled.

Jumba took notice to the others behind though, moreso Yuna, disguise and all- and Chiro.

"Who are the others then? They have names, don't they?" he inquired.

Yuna started up- "My name's Yuna. Yuna Kamihara," following with a bow, "Nice to meet ya, Jumba!"

She was trying hard not to say she met him before back at her island home of Izayoi.

Chiro followed after in her own way. "HI! I'm Chiro, such a big fan of your work, Doc!"

Jumba then looked over to find something that puzzled him- another Experiment 626 in his guise. Yuna's Stitch grinned as this version of Jumba Jookiba looked him in the eyes.

"Are you... another 626? How is this possible? Dimension travel? Cloning? What are you?"

"Meega Stitch too. Naga a clone, takka very much!" the Experiment responded.

"It's a long story, dude... Yuna and that Stitch aren't from around here, if you get my drift!" Kyo said following both Jumba and Yuna's own alien.

Pleakley caught on quickly- "Ohhh, okay! Not from here as in... okay, I get it!"

Chiro looked at Pleakley rather humorously upon him saying a thing like that.

Jumba gave a look to these newfound people in front of him.

"A better question is how do you people know of me this well? Usually my work is better known in space, not on planet Earth!" he asked.

The Yamada teen had the answer for it and a creative one at that. He breathed in and gave it a go in a speedy tone. "You yourself and Pleakley, as well as Stitch before us, Yuna included there, were all invented by cartoonists and their interpretation of a human-meets-alien story, and thus the character known as Stitch, became really popular here in Kamakura, making TV shows, games, card games and so on and so forth all thanks to the big Mouse House!" he gasped after saying that entire spiel in one breath.

Kyo continued after he caught his breath- "Or you could just chalk that up on coincidence, take your pick!"

"I dunno, sounds like a total coincidence to me" Yuna said, replying to what was a long-winded explanation of Kyozuki's own.

Jumba merely nodded and gave a simple answer- "Understood."

Pleakley was more happy to see Stitch safe than the explanation over how exactly the humans knew Jumba, typically falling for the simpler things.

"I'm just glad the little monster's made it safe and sound to here without falling to that evil doctor's grasp..." he said, looking with his one eye to Stitch in tender Plogonarian way.

Jumba looked out to the city skyline seeing the golden and red ship linger about in the distance, blocking the sundown from hitting the tall skyscrapers and drowning them out in dark shadows below.

"But then again, Pleakley... he's also here too... best be glad we got here prematurely before that Chrystek ship could do any worse..."

Yuna raised an eyebrow to this. "Prematurely? Whaddaya mean prematurely?" she asked.

"The Chrystek could be used to amplify his psychokinetic powers to the point he could cause wanton destruction..."

"That already happened! Down at Kamakura Dock, he tore the road and sent a car flying, dude!" Kyo interjected into the Kweltikwan's explanation.

"That... or he could do far worse than doing property damage with the craft..." Jumba finished.

Chiro tilted her head in confusion. "What could be worse?"

Jumba closes his eyes in thought, not wanting to think about the consequences of the alien ship doing worse than what already occurred.

"Said Chrystek could hook itself to the highest point in the city and unleash a flood of problems that could eradicate life as we know it in... Kamakura, yes?" he asked to Kyo, nodding to his guess.

Kyo's Stitch timidly walked up to his creator. "Tay... tay don't mean?"

"Yes... the "Metropolis" project."

Yuna looked weirdly at Jumba upon the name "Metropolis" being dropped.

"Metropolis? I thought that was another name for a city... what the heck's that gotta do with a project?" she asked.

Jumba opened his four eyes and began to explain what "Metropolis" was and and who this "Chryston" was...

"His name was Dr. Helios Xanthers... He was one of us in something called the Milky Way Confederacy, something that has long since been defunct. Me and an old colleague of mine, Dr. Jacques von Hamsterviel were a part of it, alongside a human megalomaniac named Kenshin and another old colleague gone rogue named Delia. The Chryston Xanthers was one of us... but he also was unlike us. I may have dealed in illegal genetic Experiments and the others to random excursions, but Xanthers took it to a whole other extreme... psychological and techno-organic studies. He wanted a project... that could control minds like a computer would data packets. Turn things into a living system that he could control with one single mind- his own. This was called the "Metropolis" project. A project that would merge life itself into one central system with the mind controlling it serving no remorse for life or sentience in anything it linked to. With this, he made a purple substance that would cure a being of ailing or illness, something that prevented him from the harms of age for years forth... So, he named it "Helios", after his own first name. He then planned to take that for the "Metropolis" project, expanding it and enhancing the "Helios" in order to make a variant of the gel where the substance could grow and overtake anything, including cities. This would in turn create a amorphous creation that latch to anything- buildings, nature, people themselves and make it a single thing he could evolve and control as one whole network... without worrying about the loss of life or forests or oceans around. Like what the project says... a "Metropolis".

Everyone looked astonished at the story he told. A "Metropolis" with disregard towards the living? The idea seemed like something absolutely impossible. Yet Jumba seemed to imply he achieved it. This only made things feel more disturbing about the Chryston scientist, now revealed to be an eldest scientist named Xanthers.

"So his name's Xanthers... and that's what he wants to do? That's messed up, dude..." Kyo said, breaking the silence that was left after the Kweltikwan's explanation.

"He even said he wanted test subjects! Tell me he's kidding about that!" Yuna asked Jumba.

Jumba simply shook his head. "Sadly no, he is not kidding, little girl. He needs a personal "Hel" for this project."

Yuna perked an eyebrow at Jumba. "Come again? Did I hear that right?" she asked, curious if she didn't hear another word entirely.

Jumba nodded, "Hel" was a character from an old theatrical production called "Metropolis", hence its use in the project name. By this, he needs a host who can control the network and still receive orders from his mind. He doesn't care how traumatic or how much it will remove you from reality, he thought one of you could do it... Do realize that if he used the "Metropolis" substance on any of you, he could seal you into a core that would sap off their emotional strength, powering the entire process whether they liked it or not because they would not have mental choice in matter?"

Kyo looked quite worried for not just himself, but all of his friends at the mention of this. "You don't mean--"

"Yes. It will lock whoever is the host into a state of depression. Doesn't matter if you're kind, a total blitznak or a strong heart, it will lock you into that state and leave you that way so long as the substance is in your system, though the system prefers strong hearts. It could even replicate you for defensive purposes... as it only requires one flesh and blood person to be the host," Jumba continued.

Yuna looked uneasy at this, as she always made a stride to be tough and fearless hence one of her mottos- "karate masters are never scared". But the idea of being thrown into an endless depression only to fuel a calamity sounded the same in her mind as anyone else's... sickening.

"Is it poisonous or hazardous to whoever is the host though?" she asked.

Jumba shook his head again, providing some relief. "Luckily, it is not that. The most it does is brainwash the host. Its purest form though is very bitter..."

Jumba walked ahead looking out at the Chrystek levitating over the city as twilight was passing to night, thinking a more optimistic thought to combat the pessimistic ones that he gave in explanatory form.

"I'd be thankful that his research got destroyed for said project though. Only reason I know is because I was able to access lost Federation files back when the computers were active that stated his projects were barred and cancelled..." he stopped.

Thinking over the past, the Kweltikwan had took his time and continued. "When the Federation found out about his dangerous, immoral and distasteful work, they scrapped his files, destroyed his lab and threw him out. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased. And you likely already know what followed some time after..." Jumba said, closing his eyes at the last second.

"Bye bye, Federation..." Kyo's Stitch had said bluntly.

His creator nodded at what his creation had said. "Exactly. Xanthers had pulled a psychokinetic assault on the then-smaller and reconstructing Galactic Federation HQ that ripped through as much as he could in his wake... including... the then current Grand Councilwoman among..."

Pleakley held a hand up in salute with Jumba mentioning the Councilwoman, tearing up a bit. "M-- May she rest in peace..."

"One thing doesn't make sense here! Why would someone with something so dangerous want Stitch like this? He has something powerful already- why go through all the extra effort?" Chiro asked.

Jumba knew his response easily. "Simple. He needs to create a network that would serve as an army for him in the event that he cannot. Being someone who craves power, 626 would give him exactly that, if anyone dared to cross him and his "Helios" prospects. If he still has the technology for this, we have to stop him before he can unleash the "Metropolis" project upon the world... Though, now that we're on Earth, we're going to need cover..."

Kyo gave a grin at this and snapped his fingers- "Got ya covered, dudes! We can hide you and give you new lab space back at my home! I'm sure Dad and Uncle Haka don't mind."

"This kid's giving us living quarters? Well, in that case..." Pleakley said, pulling out a green remote from his Federation outfit and pressing a button.

The ship which had stood before them that Jumba and Pleakley stepped out of began breaking down, transforming itself smaller and smaller until it folded to become a lime-green suitcase, matching the color of the ship that stood before it.

Pleakley then proceeded to pick it up. "Perfect! We'd be happy to follow!"

Jumba became curious once again after Pleakley packed up space into his suitcase. "Question though... has Xanthers said anything upon his arrival?" he asked.

Yuna was the one to answer. "Other than he wants the real him in a day or else he's taking "test specimens"... no, he's been quiet."

Kyo added to this- "Yeah, that or "we'll be watching" is what we get from him."

"Exactly as expected. What he must be doing is scouting the people here to find his perfect "Hel" for the project... The one with the strongest heart to be the trigger for all of his invented terrors to come..." Jumba guessed.

Yuna and Chiro chimed after with "Not happening", while the two Stitches and Kyo all gave a collective "Ih".

Chiro looked at her teenage best friend with a giggle, knowing all too well what the Yamada boy had just acted like. "Did you just say that too, dude?"

"What? I always wanted to..." Kyozuki rubbed the back of his head in some minor embarrassment.

Jumba scoffed. "The real 626... he probably thinks the second one around isn't an interdimensional doppelganger. His psychotic yet absolutely narrow mind knows no bounds beyond the ones he attempts to read..." he said, his statement seeming like fact.

"So, our plan is to make it to the top of Kotokan Tower and stop him before he makes it up there and uses the thing?"

"Precisely right, teenage boy..." Kyo and Jumba agreed between themselves.

Though, as if it on cue, a cold voice cut through the group's plans, not one of their own either. "You forget one thing..."

Yuna began to be levitated into midair by some force. She tried and tried to break free, trying to pry her arms from whatever unseen thing gripped her, but whatever had her in her grasp wasn't planning on putting her down.

"Hey, what in the--!?"

"Yuna!" Pleakley and her own Stitch said in unison and alarm as she floated upward.

"PUT ME DOWN!!" she grunted as she tried to break this thing's grasp, whatever invisible force it was...

Though what had her in his grasp wasn't at all good, as in front of them was an abnormally tall alien form, about less than a quarter of the size of any of the trees present in Genjiyama Park. His head looked to have a crystal on the base of it, glowing blue eyes and a skeletal form to him. This was only detracted by a ripped black robe that he wore over his body, which seemed to contrast his violet and aquamarine color scheme.

With his hand raised, he had Yuna gripped via a mysterious force, his head glowing an ominous red and blue seeming to link to his raised body part...

"It appears you've caught onto my plan here... and I don't take kindly to those who dare to interfere in my game..." the being said, his voice seeming low and cold.

Yuna's Stitch wasn't having her being captured today, trying to play hero for her. He pinky swore a long time ago, after all.

"YUNA!" he cried, leaping towards the being with claws raised.

But as he tried, he was blown away by a unseen burst into a nearby tree, putting an end to the alien's attempts as he got up slowly.

"Stitch, no!" Yuna yelled, watching her "ohana" get hurt trying to save her when she'd rather have herself take the pain.

Jumba immediately called this figure out upon his appearance. Like an old friend from the Confederacy. "I should have known... Xanthers."

He gave a crooked smirk, fitting his spiritless yet insane appearance. "Jumba... been a long time... we... no, I missed your company..."

Kyo tried to act as brave as his "idol" Yuna would have here had she not been in psychic grasp, though his cowardice was telling him to back down. "So you're the monster who I kept hearing about from Jumba, huh? You let her go... or else I'm gonna let you meet a world of hurt!" he yelled.

Xanthers looked on at his shorter opposition, the red-haired teenage Kamakuran who tried to talk down to him.

"I'm afraid that's not happening... What the fat obstacle says about the "Metropolis" project is true, the files were destroyed a long time ago by those cursed fools at the UGF. But they were not forgotten..." Xanthers said, pointing to his giant crystal head with his hand.

Jumba knew what he meant- "I knew you Chrystons had a good memory..."

Pleakley blindly went after Xanthers next, trying to bring the psycho scientist down to size. "What, were you such a baby about losing your projects that you--"

Before Pleakley could even finish his sentence, he was picked up and tossed away at high speeds with Xanthers' psychic powers, smashing him headlong into a tree. Xanthers, his other hand up, merely talked back to the now downed Plogonarian.

"Fool... the Federation denied me it because they didn't want me in power. If your head was any smarter, you would've known that by now... Yet all that is going to change soon starting with this girl..." Xanthers said.

Yuna angrily yelled back at the Chryston upon hearing this- "Yeah, right! If I know these guys, they're gonna clobber you! 'Least... I hope..."

Kyo gave a stern look to the alien, his first warning didn't seem to work out in getting him to drop his "idol". Like Pleakley, he wanted to try and save Yuna from being taken by the psychotic doctor, yet his head again tried to tell him to back down.

Fighting that nagging voice inside, he made his move. Unfortunately, he went about it the wrong way here. "LET HER GO, YOU MON--"

As Kyo ran forward to try and punch Xanthers in the face, he waved his free hand, causing the boy to be sent onto the ground with a abundant flush of his psychic powers. Groaning, Kyozuki got himself back up, clutching his arm from the tumble. Not broken, but bruised.

"This... this isn't working!" he said in worry. Kyo's Stitch, seeing him hurt ran right up beside him, growling in feral way to the mad doctor ahead, remembering him well upon looking at the Chrystek earlier.

"You all are complete nuisances. Nuisances that will be disposed of when the project is finished with this girl in tow... And perhaps another one of you in tow for the trauma..." Xanther said with an low chuckle, raising his free hand again to match the glow.

This time, Chiro was being lifted up skyward. Struggling as much as she did in trying to pry her arms free, there was no way to break Xanthers' psychic hold on her, Yuna finding this out rather similarly...

"D-- Dude! I don't like this!"

"You're telling me, Chiro! N-- Ngh!"

"Let the girls go!" Jumba stood in front of Xanthers and the park's peaceful yet unfitting for the moment surroundings, Kyo, the Stitches and Pleakley all watching the tension of this moment.

"What is it you crave? I'll deliver it!" he asked, wanting Xanthers to give up his intent with the two humans in his hands.

"626 is something... I could use him, you useless scientist..." Xanthers replied without hesitation.

Jumba growled, anything but his own creation... "Save for him!"

"Then keep him... he'll make an excellent addition when the "Metropolis" project is completed..." Xanthers bit back at Jumba.

Yuna's Stitch, again tried to break through the Chryston's psychic defense. "YUNA, MEEGA'S COMING!" he yelled, but all the same, as quickly as he leapt for her, he was subdued by the very same thing that sent him flying before, this time shredding into the ground nearby.

Jumba tried reasoning... but it was very clear that he had no choice but to resort to force when reasoning should fail. From his holster belt around his Federation garb, he pulled out a standard issue Plasma Pistol, pointing it at Xanthers.

"Put... young ones... down..." he said, his eyes narrowing to the Chryston.

Xanthers on the other hand, knew all too well what he was planning to do, tapping into his psychokinetic powers. With a blast coming from what looked like the crystal on his head, the Kweltikwan who stood wanting to stop this madness was sent back, his Plasma Pistol flying into a nearby stream in the sacred park.

Kyo stepped forward again, not letting go of the alien's unrestrained assault on the group.

"You think it's tough pushing us around with your psychic powers!? You ain't so tough, dude! Put down Yuna and Chi--"

A cocking sound clicked behind Kyozuki's head, making his heart sink low. Xanthers had picked up the Plasma Pistol with his telekinesis and pointed it behind his head, ready to blast a plasma shot into his skull with one wrong move.

"KYO!" Yuna and Chiro yelled, seeing this treacherous move while being hung in the air.

"Now... I'll make a deal with you. Let me have these two specimens... Or else you'll give me no other choice but to pull the trigger of this Plasma Pistol. And let me tell you, the latter will be incredibly messy..." Xanthers said with that crooked smirk again.

Silence filled the air as Kyozuki Yamada stood frozen in a cold sweat by the Plasma Pistol pointed at the back of his head thanks to the irate doctor. He felt the closest to death than ever before here, not even large tidal waves did this to the Kamakuran teen.

His Stitch growled savagely, wanting to strike back against Xanthers, though if he did, it would mean curtains for the poor boy who had helped mould him. Jumba looked on the same as not only his creation, but the doppelganger of his creation over his partner Yuna.

"So, what's the choice? Let the boy protector of Experiment 626 kick the bucket... or let me have these two test specimens?" Xanthers urged, asking the Stitches and Jumba what their decision was.

Jumba struggled, knowing the ex-member of the Confederacy well. He knew Xanthers, while willing to get what he wanted by any means necessary, was also true to his word.

Jumba sighed as Pleakley hobbled back up to him with a groan, clutching his noodle arm. "...Take them."

Both of the Stitches immediately rebelled against the decision made. "NAGA!!" they cried loudly, as Yuna's Stitch ran right up to the Admin Kweltikwan.

"Isa "ohana", we can't just leave them behind! Nobody gets left behind!"

"Would you want the boy to be dead... or alive, other 626?" he questioned in a low tone. Yuna's Experiment had no words to come back with, his ears drooping down.

With Xanthers' head around every angle, the heroes were caught in a battle they couldn't win here. Knowing well that there wasn't any way to turn things around for Kyozuki's sake, Jumba started again, yelling to Xanthers.

"Take them! Is clear we can't win now, but we'll think of some way to eliminate what you've got planned! Just... let teenage boy go..."

"Excellent... I knew your sentiments over other flesh and blood would be your weakness," Xanthers said, dropping the Plasma Pistol from the back of Kyo's head as he fell to his knees.

No words came from the teen's mouth as he tried to pull himself back together from the near death experience, though it proved hard given the shock from the event.

"That weakness will also be your downfall..." Xanthers stopped, smirking as he levitated into midair with the two girls in his psychic command.

"Remember, one of these two won't be the same after I'm done with them... keep that in mind, as I'll be watching..."

And in an instant, as Yuna called for Stitch and Chiro called for Kyozuki, the Chryston vanished in thin air, taking both of the young souls with the psychokinetic scientist to what was assumed to be the Chrystek high above the city...

Jumba and Pleakley, along with the two Stitches, rushed over to Kyozuki after the encounter was over.

"Teenage boy... are you okay after that tremendous trauma?" Jumba asked tenderly.

Kyo's Stitch looked on at this as well, propping his head against the human's leg and rubbing it up and down in comforting way.

"I-- I'm fine... made it out "okitaka", thankfully," he said, catching his breath from the terror he felt from having a Federation weapon pointed that close to his head.

Kyo looked off to the Chrystek hanging in the sky in worry after. "But what about them? They could be in serious danger, dudes..."

Jumba heaved a sigh as he picked up the Plasma Pistol and put it back onto his belt holster. He then walked beside the teenage soul with Pleakley and looking out once more at the Chrystek same as Kyo beyond his orange glasses.

"Let's... just hope for the best, teenage boy... 626es. For now, we need refuge to battle the dark forces that will be coming from the reaches of that megalomaniac's mind..." he said, as Pleakley picked up the lime suitcase again.

Kyo looked down on himself at first, then back up given the chaos of today. "Right... let's do it. We'll get 'em back. They always do in the TV shows, dudes..." Kyozuki said, telling himself he can and will do what his "idols" would have in this scenario.

And with that, the five of them turned around, heading back to the Yamada house. Between Kamakura Dock being destroyed today and the abduction of Yuna and Chiro, Kyo's mind hadn't seen the mellow usual it had always seen when he went surfing or went to a flash-mob. Things had changed on him with the coming of Dr. Xanthers and it wasn't going to get better unless he took action.

He wasn't sure what it'd take to defeat the Chryston menace or what it'd take to get back Yuna and Chiro, but he knew he had to do it with as much "ohana" as he could on his side, or else Kamakura was doomed. He still had his fair share of cowardice to fight, but he knew he was ready... He had to be...

==============================================================================