The Shifter Chronicles #2 - The Controlled

by A. A. Kuehl

Anna, Ax, and the Animorphs go down into the hell of the Yeerk pool. Anna finds out who Visser One is ... and why not to swim there. In the Yeerk pool. Anna is more than a match for the Animorphs. And she is a Yeerk ... the enemy.

The Controlled
By A. A. Kuehl

Prologue

My name is Anna. Just Anna. No last name.

Don't get me wrong, though. I would love to tell you my last name. It would be a relief to tell you my address, my phone number, the names of my family, even to tell you my school would be a relief. But just saying what state I live in is a big risk. I would love to tell you my last name is LeKuh, I live on Mayapple road, my phone number is 229-6541, my dad's name is Renold, my mother's is Christina and I go to Jonathan Heart Junior High.

But LeKuh isn't my last name. I don't live on Mayapple road, I just made up that phone number, those names aren't real. And there is no Jonathan Heart Junior High school. I need to stay alive. So I can't tell. If they found us, we'd be dead in an instant. Maybe less.

I'm a second phase of a biological experiment, but I consider myself a human. Two minds live in me. Anna, a wimpy, scared, human who is convinced she'll be killed, and Lex, a waaay-too-brave Navarazzi who couldn't be happier, fighting in a war. My full, Navarazzi, name is Lex-Cossette-Keke-Blade-Huntress-Shifting Experiment II. I look like one of the characters on that cartoon show Gargoyles. Same basic look, only I have a very long, sharp, blade sticking out of my forehead. Plus, I have a very long, thin, scar across my eye. I have Aximili to thank for that. It looks pretty cool though.

Controller. There's a word you need to know. I first learned about the Controllers about ten months ago, when I moved to California. Like I said, I'll be telling you stuff that may save your life. A Controller is someone who is infested with a Yeerk. A Yeerk is just a slug, really. But no garden slug. This slug crawls in your head. This slug takes over your body. This slug needs Kandrona rays to survive.

And the others I was talking about are the Animorphs and Aximili. They can morph. They acquire an animal's DNA and turn into that animal. I just help them, I can't morph in the usual sense. It is they who fight the Yeerks.

Chapter One

"At least turn it down. Put the headphones on, or something!"

That's me talking there. Navarazzis have keen hearing, and some things are kept throughout our human form. Hearing is one of those things. So at maximum volume, Prodigy can be about one and a half times the human definition of 'deafening'.

"Hey, if you don't like it, leave!" Marco shouted, "I'm up to the challenge!"

He had meant it to entice me to stay. It didn't work. Hearing over honor. In other words, I turned the radio off.

"Hey, now!"

If you want a picture of Marco, imagine a short, Hispanic, teenager with a haircut that looks like Sonic the Hedgehog was living on top of his head. Sarcastic, witty, and annoying. A grade above me and a head full of bad jokes. He calls me Gabrielle, after Xena: Warrior Princess.

It's not a bad description, really. As a human, I have hair like the actor, but I keep it in a tight braid, and I have a very similar personality. I like to get in fights. I like the action, the adventure, and the fact I'm actually doing something. You can call me crazy.

"I thought you said you liked that song!"

"I do, or did anyway, and your dad said to-"

"MARCO! I told you to keep that racket down!"

Marco's dad is an engineer. I was told Aximili messed with his dad's work, thinking it was a game. Just shows you how advanced Andalite technology is.

"Sorry, dad!"

Jake shook his head and smiled. Jake, the leader of the Animorphs. Jake, the one Animorph who had been a Controller for three days. He is strong. Not football strong, but solid strong. He has this sense of being that says 'you can trust me'. And you can. I'd trust him with my life any day, but I'd never tell him that.

"Marco, Marco."

"What?"

"You are so sad."

I glanced at Marco's wall clock. 8:00. Breakfast time.

"Hey, guys, I gotta go."

"What!? What about our Doom contest?" Marco asked, appalled.

I was already Shifting. I was hungry.

"Marco, Doom can wait. Deer are walking around the forest, and they are out of shape. I'm just going to give them a little exercise. And the one who is the most unfit, I will punish," I explained.

"What a sweet way to explain such a preditorial act," Marco said, "but it's only 8 P.M. I thought you ate at 7 A.M.."

"Marco, does the word nocturnal mean anything to you?" Jake asked.

"That's my dinner. I'm going to get breakfast."

I unfolded my wings and flew out of Marco's open window.

Chapter Two

I was focused on the herd of deer when I picked one out. I was about a mile up, so my vision wasn't exceptional. I noticed the deer was running erratically, so I figured it was hurt. Easy target.

I narrowed my wings and dropped. At about half a mile up, I opened and adjusted my wings. Now, my talons were aimed, open and ready. I reversed my knees, and I was ready to haul.

Quarter mile...five feet...adjust speed...estimate trajectory...tense muscles...pick a target...aim for the stalk eyes.

Stalk eyes?!

It's Aximili, you idiot! Pull up! Pull up! Lex shouted at me.

About two seconds before making the strike, I managed to pull up.

Ahhhhh! Aximili yelled.

Ahhhhh! Lex chimed in.

Ahhhhh! Anna agreed.

KREEEEEYA!!!

That's one of the sounds a Navarazzi makes, not including Tele-speech. We're a pretty primitive race, surprisingly, so we use animalistic noises as part of our communication. Tele-speech takes care of everything else.

Anna, what were you doing?

Aximili talks in a weirdly calm tone of voice most of the time, so it's hard to judge his emotions. But by looking at his wide eyes, his twitching tail and the fact his stalk eyes were raised to their full height, I could tell I'd startled him pretty badly.

Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill is an Andalite. He looks like a centaur, only he has no mouth. He is covered in blue and tan fur, and has stalk eyes. His tail is like a scorpion's, curled up and over. On it, he has this scythe blade. On our second meeting, he threatened me with it.

Andalites developed the power to morph. Aximili's brother, Elfangor, gave the Animorphs their power. I don't know much else about him.

I looked at Aximili sheepishly.

"Sorry, Aximili, I thought you were a deer. I was going too fast to pull up any sooner."

You mistook me for a deer?!

I was a mile up, okay? I'm not Tobias. I don't have hawk eyes. I am designed for ground hunting, but I prefer sky hunting, so I do what I prefer. I said in Tele-speech.

Sometimes humans worry me.

Yup. We're a worrisome species. So, what's new with you?

We were walking through the woods, I was munching on a rat I had caught. Hey, I was hungry, okay? Besides, I was almost done.

What's new? What does that mean?

It means, what is going on in your life? Anything you want to talk about? I was just making conversation.

Ah. I see. Nothing special. Did Prince Jake tell you about the meeting?

Prince Jake?

Everyone must have someone over him. Arisths have warriors, and warriors have Princes. My brother was a Prince. Jake is the equivalent of an Andalite Prince.

I see. What meeting?

Aximili looked disgusted. I had just popped the rat's tail into my mouth.

I'm done now. What meeting? Jake said he had something to tell me, but I guess he forgot.

Marco hacked into the Sharing's files. Visser One will be visiting Earth again. Tomorrow, at noon, we are going to discuss what to do.

Noon, I groaned, as in daytime?

Yes

Well, I'd better get some rest. See ya!

I flew off. Daytime meant sleeping during the night. And I would need some rest. I had never been on a mission, yet, and I was eager to go.

Chapter Three

We were all in Cassie's barn, otherwise known as the Animal Rehab Clinic. I couldn't help take note of the possum in the cage above me.

Rachel, whom Marco called Xena, was in the middle of the room, waiting. Jake was on a bale of hay. Marco was too, but he was lying down, practically asleep. Cassie was nurturing a duck in her arms. Tobias was in the rafters.

Rachel was as close to a best friend as I had. Probably because we're so much alike. She and I both liked doing things. At fist glance, you'd think she was some airhead. But really, behind all her perfect teeth and hair, she's a true warrior.

Cassie is always casual. She has never met a dress she liked. Of course, neither did I, so that's not unusual. She has short, black hair and loves animals. I don't think that Cassie will ever truly stop loving animals. I hear she's the best morpher. I've never seen her morph, so I don't know.

Tobias was in the rafters. He was what Andalites call a nothlit. But an Ellimist gave him his powers back. You see, if you stay in morph more than two hours, then you stay forever. I don't really know what an Ellimist is, all I know is they are almost all-powerful, and that they help the Animorphs out occasionally.

Aximili did not come to these meetings. I guess he feels vulnerable without his tail. See, Cassie's parents are vets. They come in the barn constantly. Aximili would have to morph so they didn't see an Andalite in their barn.

"Okay, so why are we here?" I was in human form for the same reason Aximili wasn't there.

"Marco has found out that Visser One will be at the Yeerk Pool for a week. Evidently, the Sharing has computer files of this stuff."

The Sharing was a front organization for the Yeerks. My aunt and cousin wanted me to join. They're Controllers, of course. In, fact, I was going to sign up when I met Cassie.

"So what do we do?" I asked. I'd never been to a Yeerk Pool. All I knew was it was big, and the opposite of heaven.

"We ATTACK!" Marco shouted. We all just stared.

"Okay, Marco. Anyone have any other suicide ideas?" I meant it as a joke, really.

"No way! We're going down there!"

"Geez, Marco, take a pill! She was kidding." Rachel shouted.

"Marco, chill. Rachel, calm down. Anna, be quiet." Jake said calmly.

We all did. When Jake tells you to stop, you just do.

"The Yeerk Pool..." Cassie moaned.

"I still have nightmares about that place," Rachel added.

We planned and prepared. Everyone, save Marco, seemed afraid. It was obvious no one wanted to go there. And their fear was rubbing off on me.

Chapter Four

It was nighttime, or in my case, morning. I had eaten already. A plump, juicy, goose. Very tasty, except for spitting out feathers. We were all at the door of the mall. I knew my part. Since I couldn't morph, they had to find some way to get me in.

The plan was we would all enter through the dressing rooms at the Gap. There was a long tunnel leading down to the Pool. I would enter the last dressing room and wait. One by one, they would enter and morph flies. Once the last one, Jake, entered, they would hop on me. I would enter the Pool as a human. I would go into the dumping line. They would hide, demorph, and morph again. After they made a distraction, I'd Shift and join the fight. If everything didn't go exactly as planned, I'd wind up a Controller.

"Are we going, or what?!" Marco demanded.

"We aren't all here yet. Axi- er, Phillip's not here," I told him.

"I am here. Hee-yar. Here."

I whirled around and saw an amazingly cute guy. He was taller than me, but not as tall as Jake. His skin was tan, with a touch of olive, and his hair was long and brown. He had a sense of being that kind of told you that he was slightly different, like he didn't belong. But hey, my best friend Tasha told me I was an excellent judge of character, so maybe that's why.

"Hi Phillip," I said softly.

I kind of have a special affection for Aximili. Not quite a crush, but I trusted him. And I could tell him anything, my darkest, most well kept secret, and I would know he'd never tell. And I would risk my life for him. But then again, I'd do that for everyone.

"Hello, Anna. Hello, Marco, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, Prin-. Hello, Jake."

"Okay, know that our space cadet is here, LET'S GO!" Macro said rather rudely.

"Marco, you're being a little reckless, here. I know you want to get down there, but Visser One won't be here for a while. And until then, we've got an hour to kill," Jake said.

Needless to say, Marco shut it.

"Okay, here we go. Ax, Tobias, and Anna will go as a group. You guys need to get there first, so you stay together. And Ax, no cigarette butts, okay?"

"Yes, Prince Jake, no butts. Cig-cig-cigarr-ette butts. But-tsuh."

"Don't call me Prince."

"Yes Prince Jake."

Jake sighed and went on.

"Cass? Rachel? You two go together. Marco? You're with me."

Is this all we do in a mission? Lex asked. The others could not hear her.

No, Anna responded, the true terror hasn't started yet.

Thank you, Mrs. Optimistic. I said sarcastically.

Needless to say, we had a hard time getting to the Gap in an hour. Aximili wanted to eat everything, Tobias wanted to meet us at the Gap, I wanted to visit the arcade, and Anna and Lex just made everything worse. I couldn't get the two to stop arguing.

Blow off the mission? HA!

We can fake like we're going to throw up, and jump out the window. I mean, come on, we eat raw meat off the ground, how sanitary can it be?

You can't digest plants well enough to survive off them, and you know it. And I am not a coward. I am up to the mission.

I'm NOT! I didn't ask for this! We're all gonna DIE! Don't you get it?! How insane ARE you?!

Hey, I don't mean to interrupt anything, but we're almost at level 12 here. And it's really hard to concentrate on a arcade game, make sure an Andalite doesn't eat everything in sight, beat a guy who's way better than you at arcade games, while having an argument with yourself. So Lex, shut up. Anna, give up. We are going on the mission, we are not being a coward by not wanting to go, and we are not letting Tobias win the level!

Surprisingly, it worked. They were fairly quiet after that.

"No!" Tobias shouted.

"Woo Hoo! Yes!" I yelled. I had just beaten Tobias by one point.

"Rematch! Rematch!"

"Okay, I'll just beat you again though."

"Anna, Tobias, it's almost seven-thirty," Aximili reminded, "Thirty. Thirr-tey."

"Oh, man," Tobias groaned.

"Later, Tob. I'll rebeat you tomorrow."

We left the arcade and headed to the Gap.

"Man, can it get any more cramped in here? I'm claustrophobic," I complained.

Claustrophobic? What does that mean? Aximili, now in his true form, turning into a fly, asked.

She gets nervous around tight spaces, Ax-man. She likes room to run. Tobias explained.

I can understand that.

Yeah, but she doesn't eat with her hooves.

Oh.

We were in the last dressing room. I heard Rachel's voice, so I knew Cassie and Rachel were just outside, waiting.

Just let me say, watching an Andalite's face explode into a mess of valves and tubes was not pretty. I'd have nightmares for weeks.

Tobias was no more beautiful. His wings tuned clear and gauzy before they became true fly wings. I could see his veins. Yuk.

Rachel? We're ready. Tobias called.

Five minutes later, two flies flew in from under the door.

"Hop on my shoulders. Two on each side," I told them.

Cool, hop on the big tall shoulders.

"Hey, Tobias, when'd you acquire the fly?" I asked.

This morning. While you were asleep.

I sometimes get annoyed when someone mentions my sleeping habits. It's like I decide to sleep late.

A fly buzzed in from under the door. One fly left.

Jake's coming, Marco said, he can catch up.

One very useful thing about Tele-speech is I can use it in human form. Plus, I can exclude people.

Marco, why in the heck are you so psyched to go? I am not leaving without everyone.Besides, from what I hear, the Yeerk Pool is awful. I said, just to Marco.

Because I've got something down there I am going to get back.

What? Did you leave your homework there last time? We are about to go into battle with Visser One! You do realize this, right? I'm sure Visser One will be really impressed. 'Hi, Visser, I'm here to kill you and let your host walk free. Then, I'll kill all the Yeerks and go on TV.' Yeah, that'll get him scared. The only thing that will accomplish is get at least one of us a Controller, or dead.

I was doing it again. Talking a lot when I'm scared. I'd done that when Aximili's tail blade was at my throat.

Visser One is a female. Her host is a woman and a-

A what?

Look, Jake's here. Shut up, and don't blow the mission, got it?

Anna, why are your eyes glowing? What in the world are you mad at? Cassie asked.

Navarazzi eyes glow when they get angry. I guess I'd gotten mad at Marco.

Hey, guys, ready?

Yes, lets go. Marco snapped.

Marco never acted like this, from what I heard. I had been told he was usually joking at times like this. And I had hung with him dozens of times, especially now that school was out. This was not like Marco.

Chapter Five

I opened the secret door and instantly, a breeze of foul-tasting air engulfed me.

Woah!

Whew!

Man, that air smells bad! Not like last time.

I flicked my tongue out and tasted the air. Instinct. Navarazzis "smell" like a snake does. Fortunately, our tongues are longer than a human's.

Did I just see a frog tongue?! Tobias shouted.

No, that was me.

You were doing an impression of a frog? Now?! When your friends are flies?!

Tobias, Anna tastes the air, like a snake. Correct? Aximili asked.

Yeah.

By then, I could see the Pool area. One word: Big. Like, so big, you could fit about three football fields in it, and have room for the stadiums.

All around the area, sheds were built. On the side of the pool, several cages were placed. In them, humans were kept, temporarily free.

But there were other species, too. Taxxons, for example. I recognized them by the fact the looked like centipedes the size of a Redwood. What disgusted me was not their hundreds of legs, their curving teeth, or their smell, or, in my case, taste. What did disgust me was the fact they were not in cages. They were voluntary hosts. I had to promise Lex we'd take one down before we left.

Hork-Bajir were there, too. Big, seven foot tall gargoyles with blades everywhere. I shuddered. They could chop me into coleslaw in about three seconds. At least, I thought, they're in cages. Depending on how you looked at it, that was a good thing.

I also saw something that interested me. A woman, who, I noticed, looked a lot like Marco, was walking toward the dumping dock. I could see she was wearing a gold uniform.

Now, guys. And hurry. The lines are pretty short.

I did my best imitation of a Controller as I walked down the line. The woman I had seen was the person ahead of me. I noticed that there were at least five Hork-Bajir following the woman. They, too, were wearing gold uniforms. I overheard one of their conversations with the woman.

"Fool! What are you doing?!"

One of the walking razors had accidentally tripped the woman with their tail. She almost fell into the Pool. It was a good thing she didn't though. If she had, she would have knocked me into one of the Hork-Bajir in the process.

"Forgive me..." the Hork-Bajir moaned.

"Incompetent idiot! Have him destroyed," the Visser, because that is what she had to be, said coldly.

Instantly, one of the walking razor blades whipped out a Dracon beam. A Dracon beam is the real life version of a phaser. It sort of disenagrates you slowly. That's exactly what happened to the poor Hork-Bajir. Host and all. I guess you really don't want to mess with Visser One.

Suddenly, I realized with a shock I was one of the only twelve people not wearing a gold uniform. All I was wearing was my flightsuit. My flightsuit is essentially a workout outfit that's tailored. A little more room at the knees, a little flap at the rear for my tail to squeeze through, but to look normal as a human, a midriff tank top, a metal belt, all of it black, you get the idea. But I definitely did not look like a guard or lieutenant or whatever.

"You!"

The Visser was looking at me.

Right at me.

The Dracon beam was at my feet. The Visser was staring at me. A Hork-Bajir was cradling a wound.

"M...m...me?"

"Who else? You saw what happened? Didn't you?"

"Yes," I said in a small voice. I was trying to act like a scared Yeerk, and that was easy. I mean, not acting like a Yeerk; acting scared. The others had not come yet and, saving the Visser, I was next in line.

"Good. Pick up the Dracon beam and give it to me."

I immediately obeyed. Lex did not like the idea of giving an enemy a weapon, let alone acting submissive. Anna was too scared to do anything, and I was trying to control my shaking.

"Obedient. I like that in a Lieutenant."

The Visser twisted her body and shot the other Hork-Bajir. He, too disingrated. I'm pretty sure the other Hork-Bajir slashed this guy and he dropped the weapon, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was too scared to.

"Thank you," Visser One said in a cold tone, "hold this."

She gave me the Dracon beam and bent over. A slug started to slither out of the woman's head. The Yeerk dropped with a dull splash into the Pool.

It took a couple of seconds for the woman to realize she was free. She looked at me with a look of hatred and pity. Pity for my "host" and hatred for my "Yeerk". The remaining three Hork-Bajir grabbed the woman and dragged her into a cage.

"Noooo," she moaned, "not again."

Two Hork-Bajir were coming to the pier. No one else was around. If I didn't act fast, the two razors would see there was no Yeerk in me, that I was faking it. I bent down quickly and wished I'd thought to bring ear plugs. My face was within two inches of the Pool. I could see the slugs as they fed off their precious Kandrona rays. If you can see the slugs, you are waaay too close. No one wants to be that close to a Yeerk Pool.

NOOOO! Not this close! They can get inside! No! No! Nonononono!

That was Anna, of course. Lex was mainly concerned about the two Hork-Bajir, who were running up to catch the "host".

I slapped the surface of the Pool, making an identical sound of a Yeerk falling in.

I paused, then started screaming. Then the Hork-Bajir grabbed me.

"Noooo! Let me go! I'm a free person! You can't keep this up! You scum!"

I was acting the role of a temporarily free host, of course. But it was fun to curse the Yeerks and get away with it. I probably cursed and swore about twice for every four words I spoke. It felt so good. Even Anna and Lex added their choice words. And, fortunately, it kept Anna from freaking out by the fact she was being dragged by Hork-Bajir.

Oh, man! They got her! They got Anna!

I knew she'd blow it! I knew it!

Chill, guys, I'm okay. But I really hope you're ready. I told you the lines were short. I talked to our friend Visser One, by the way. The genius gave me a Dracon beam to hold. It's in my belt. And no, Marco, I didn't blow the mission. But if you guys don't hurry, I'll end up a Controller. So hurry up. As much as I like insulting Yeerks, I don't want to have to do so from in my head.

She's right! Let's go! Jake shouted.

Anna, were'd they take Visser One? Marco said, more calmly.

She's in a holding dock, by herself. She's crying and screaming. The Yeerk likes me.

What?! Did I hear you correctly? The Yeerk likes you?! Rachel asked me, shocked.

She likes obedient lieutenants. I faked it.

Anna, are you noticing a change in Marco? He seems unusually harsh. Aximili asked, privately, of course. He seemed concerned.

Yes, Aximili, he does seem to have made a big change, I said, and if you don't hurry, you'll see a big change in me!

Oh, yes. Sorry.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tiger leap out of the shadows. Following were a grizzly bear, a wolf, a gorilla, a hawk, and an Andalite. The others.

"Andalites! Hruthins! Get!" one of the guards holding me shouted.

"Take that, Yeerk!" I shouted. I had already partially Shifted, so I had very strong muscles.

ROOOOAAAAR

WHIIIINE

I had punched the guy. And let me say this: it hurt me, too. Hork-Bajir hides are about as tough as a Navarazzi's, and my skin was still that of a human's.

"Yes!"

"Andalites!"

"Freedom!"

"Free us!"

Chapter Six

The humans went nuts. I had fully Shifted and Hork-Bajir were coming after me. And Lex was dying to get into a fight. Anna, naturally, was freaked. Me? I was thinking, This is so cool.

Punch! Slash! Bite! Claw! Navarazzi instinct and human anger combined. I was an angry human in a deadly animal's body. Not a good combination for the people I was mad at.

Rachel, in bear morph, knocked a human to the other side of the room. Marco, in gorilla morph, punched a Hork-Bajir. Tobias removed a Taxxon's eyes. Jake was clawing at the face of a Hork-Bajir. Cassie, as a wolf, was hanging on a human's arm.

And Aximili was slashing at every person who came at him. His tail was going so fast I couldn't even see it. Beautiful thing, his tail. Fast and deadly. I wouldn't mind having one myself.

I punched a Hork-Bajir into a wave of oncoming Taxxons. Lex was happy at that. I saw that most of the Taxxons were eating their fallen comrades, instead of fighting. In fact, if I wasn't so civilized, not to mention a little busy with a Hork-Bajir, I might have joined them. My metabolism was fast, and my dinner was hours ago.

"Help!"

"Please! Help us! Free us!"

I looked and saw the Humans and Hork-Bajir, all reaching to us. Since I was closest, I figured I should be the one. I punched a human and ran to the cages.

"Help us, please. I know you're not an Andalite, but you're obviously on their side," a person I recognized pleaded. I knew her. I shared her room. She was my cousin, Amy.

"Thanks, it's so good to know Andalites are the only species you trust."

I was pulling the bars apart. Just enough room to squeeze through, no more.

"I'm sorry. Oh thank you! I'm Amy. Who are you?"

"I'd love to tell you, but if you are recaptured, the Yeerks will know how to catch us."

"Oh. What do I call you?"

"Strike!"

I guess Amy misunderstood. I had just thrown a Hork-Bajir warrior though the air, knocking over about twelve humans. I was referring to bowling, not her question.

"Stryke? Okay. But-look out!"

KREEEEEYA!

I grabbed a human who was about to try and kill me, using an old pipe. Like that would accomplish anything. I jumped, flapped a few times, and stared flying. All the while, the man beat my shins with the pipe.

Look, you are not making much progress here. And that is very annoying. So either you stop hitting me with a rusty pipe, or I drop you. Stop or drop. What's your decision?

The idiot did not stop. He fell between Aximili and some Hork-Bajir. I didn't see what happened to him, but I can guess pretty well.

I pulled out the Dracon gun and started firing randomly. Lots of things blew up.

TSSSEWW!

TSSSEWW!

KABOOOM!

And I saw Marco, facing the Host of Visser One.

"AHHHHH!"

Relax, I'm here to help.

I was shocked. I was told not to speak with a Yeerk. The others never spoke, from fear of letting them know they were humans. Now Marco was breaking that rule.

What are you doing! I thought we don't talk to them?!

Marco looked up, saw me, and roared.

HuurRUHNUH!

No, you don't roar at me, buddy. You are going to get us killed. Do you want that? You have been acting really stupid, yelling at me because I'm new, yelling at the others, trying to ditch Jake, and now this. Tell me, what is it with you and Visser One? You obviously have something going on here.

That is none of your business.

When I get killed, I want to know why.

You don't want to know.

Why? Are you related? She looks like you!

I really didn't think that was it. I thought it was some sort of revenge thing. I honestly didn't think that was it. Honestly.

"Look, whoever you are, get me out of here! My husband...my son Marco...just take me home!"

I looked at Marco. So that was it. Marco's mother was Visser One.

But Marco didn't want to talk about it. He stood up and stretched out his arms, straight out. Marco's mom did the same. Then I clicked. I jumped, flapped, and swooped behind Marco's mom, grabbing her gently in my talons. I started flying, and crossed over the pool. And then I had the misfortune of having her notice the Dracon beam in my belt.

"That's the Dracon beam I gave that kid! The Controller! No!"

Calm down. I took this as a weapon. I am not a Controller. If you want me to prove it, watch.

I grabbed the gun from my belt and aimed it at the Pool.

If I fire at the Pool, every Yeerk in it will boil, right?

"Yes."

Then watch.

I flew over to the top of the tallest shed. I dropped the woman off and flew back to the Pool. I aimed, was about to squeeze the trigger, when out of nowhere, a Bug Fighter flies up. Essentially it's a big, cockroach looking spaceship used by the Yeerks.

No, Aximili, I didn't notice the Bug Fighter flying straight at me, why? So now we've got a real problem. How are you guys holding up? Oh, that's got to hurt. Just a second, and I'll help you out. Hey, where'd you go?

As a...to a...

Just at that moment, Aximili crossed the line from Thought-speak to vocal speech. So he had to be a human. Unfortunately, there were at least half a thousand little humans running around. Plus, the Bug Fighter was closing in on me. I knew what I told Marco's mother, but I had to stay alive first. I aimed, fired, and the Yeerks lost a Bug Fighter.

I put the Dracon beam back in my belt. I flew over the Pool again. Then, I heard a twisted, foul, voice. A voice that was just a mockery, just a simulation.

"Hey, Stryke!"

I looked down, and far below, I could see Amy, once again a Controller, holding a Dracon beam, aim, smile, and squeeze the trigger.

Chapter Seven

I was in pain. A lot of pain. My head hurt. I think one wing was broken. Marco's voice was echoing in the cavern.

"Hey, where's Gabrielle?"

"Over here," a voice said. Only something was wrong with the voice. It wasn't something you could hear. It wasn't really even something you could feel. Unless you were me. I could tell.

"Hey, you okay?" Jake asked.

"Yes," the voice said

What's going on? Anna asked.

You mean you didn't figure it out yet? Geez. Let's see, a Dracon beam hits your wing, you fall, land in a Pool, your head hurts, and now you're talking without meaning to. Hmm, I wonder, Lex said sarcastically.

A Yeerk?

No duh, Anna.

I was wondering when you'd figure that out, A wicked voice said.

"So, what happened?" my mouth asked.

"When you flew over the pool, a Dracon beam hit your right wing. You fell into the pool," Cassie explained.

You just now regained consciousness Aximili said.

The Yeerk moved my hand to my belt. Sure enough, the Dracon gun was there. I felt my claws tighten around it.

NO! NO! NO! NO!

Just try and stop me, The Yeerk taunted

In a rush, my hand was holding the gun, I had whirled around, and had the Dracon beam pointed at Jake's head.

"Fools," the Yeerk said, "just how stupid are you?"

"What the..."

"Oh my god..."

"Not again..."

Anna!

"Oh man..."

I was a Controller. I had fallen into the Pool and a Yeerk entered my head. Now "I" had a Dracon beam positioned at Jake's head, and had no way of moving it.

I tried to move my hand, but couldn't. I tried to blink my eyes, but couldn't. I couldn't even decide what sounds to focus on, or where to move my eyes. I looked like me, sounded like me, even acted like me, but I wasn't me. Not at all. The Yeerk was dominant.

Yes, my little Shifter, I am dominant, to put it in terms even your little Navarazzi friend Lex-Cossette-Keke-Blade-Huntress-Shifting Experiment II can understand. I am the master, to say to Anna. And Stryke, or so your cousin calls you, I am the one who you will be answering to for the rest of your life.

So, one-who-thinks-I-am-gonna-call-you-master, what's your real name? Anna asked.

I was shocked. Anna never behaves like this. I expected her to be crying and sobbing. But she was the one who taunted the Yeerk. This time, it was she who was the brave person. I could tell the Yeerk was surprised, too. I could feel the little scumbag's emotions, if not his thoughts.

Sub Visser Nine. And after I rejoin my kind, I'll be a Visser.

Well, Scum Kisser Nine, you'll notice from my memories that I don't give up without a fight. And as much as I know I'm going to regret saying this later, I'm not letting you Yeerks get any further.

Big talk from someone who wants to forget all she knows, I said. You can't even handle talking about going on a mission without freaking! And now you're gonna overpower this Yeerk? Yeah, right.

"Well, well, the 'Andalite Bandits' are humans. Pathetic. I believe I can expect a promotion very soon."

"If you think we are going to let you get away, you are seriously mistaken." Marco said acidly.

"Who are you anyway?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, it would be poetic justice if I were Visser One. Wouldn't it Marco?"

"You are not Visser One."

Marco was trying to be hard. He was trying to convince himself I wasn't infested with Visser One. He was trying to sound tough, but the Yeerk knew.

"Don't try to fool yourself. But I can guarantee I will be a Visser once I deliver you to Visser One."

"Enough of the taunts. You tell us who you are." Rachel demanded.

"Ordering me? I seem to be the one with the Dracon beam at your 'fearless leader's' head. And just for the record, I don't think Visser One would mind if I toasted you a little."

"I" aimed the Dracon gun to Jake's shoulder. The Yeerk smiled, then squeezed the trigger.

"Ahhhhh!"

The Yeerk clutched my eye. The genius had forgotten about Aximili, something I would never have done. He had struck me with his tail, right on the eye.

"Grab her!"

Rachel tackled "me" and started grabbing at the gun. She and I rolled around, Rachel, punching me with growing fists, and me, snarling and hissing. She sprouted brown fur, her ears became rounded, and her nails grew to about five times the size of my claws. She doubled, tripled, quadrupled in height and developed a snout. Good old Xena. She had morphed a grizzly.

The Yeerk then discovered something. Never mess with Navarazzi instincts. You know how, even when they are infested, Taxxons basically act the same? How they eat? Well, some instincts are just too powerful. A Taxxon-Controller can't help but act like a Taxxon, just like a Navarazzi-Controller can't help but act like a Navarazzi.

In other words, I got into a dominance fight. Me against a grizzly. I hissed. She roared. I slashed. She barreled into me. I slapped her with my tail. She knocked me over with her paws. I used the healthy wing to slap at her face. She bit me.

Of course, the bite. I should have thought of it myself.

My saliva turned thinner. The Yeerk drew my lips back, showing my fangs. Fangs capable of making venom. Venom that had brought down a cougar once. Venom that would kill Rachel in ten minutes. Venom the Yeerk intended to use.

"Rachel!"

"Keep back!"

"Get the gun!"

But Rachel wasn't concerned about getting the Dracon beam anymore. Right then, the grizzly's mind, its instincts, were in control. And the grizzly knew it had been challenged.

I'd read it in a book once. When a grizzly is challenged, there is only one survivor. One. As in, if one of us backed up, even for a split second, the other would kill them. Navarazzi dominance fights are basically the same as a grizzly's. And we were pretty evenly matched. Rachel was larger than me by a few feet. Rachel was a little stronger than me, too. But I had venom. And I was a little more alert at night. Plus, I had something she did not have. I had the Yeerk in me. And the Yeerk would never let her out of there alive if they could help it.

ROWARRR

HISSSSS

GRRROWARR

GRRRRROWLL

It was just one big animalistic noise. Rachel was roaring and I was making Navarazzi sounds. And Anna and Lex found room for comments, too.

Go! Aim for the talons! Yeah! At the hurt eye! No! Not the good wing!

What are you DOING?! She'll kill you if she wins!

Better to die than to be a Controller. Besides, even if she can't hear me, I can coach her anyways. I'll just have to hope she will get the same ideas.

Anyone in this head have any ideas how to get out of this alive, WITHOUT killing Rachel? And yes, Sub Visser Nine, your ideas are welcome, too.

Why should I have a conversation with you? I can have your thoughts without having to share mine. Remember, I control you. I dominate you. I-

Am going to get us all killed if I don't think of a better idea besides getting in a fight with a grizzly. Lex said in a mockery of the Yeerk's voice.

It felt good, knowing that the others were back to normal. Anna was cringing in a corner of our mind, angry and afraid. Lex was mocking the Yeerks, proud and stupidly brave. And I was the fairly rational one, dominant and in control. Unfortunately, so was the Yeerk.

I snapped back to the fight just as I saw a steak of blue and tan. Aximili!

WHIIIINE

Chapter Eight

The Yeerk placed a hand on my bleeding shoulder. Blackish blood flowed out of the deep cut. Rachel was demorphing.

Well, Yeerk, let's see how well you fare against an Andalite.

Aximili cocked his tail. The Yeerk drew back my fangs. And then...

FWAPPP

FWAPPP

FWAPPP

My shoulder was cut in four places. Black blood, with a tint of red, poured out. I tried to move forward but...

FWAPPP

FWAPPP

FWAPPP

My other shoulder had three cuts of its own. The Yeerk just then seemed to remember the Dracon beam and tried to fire. But...

FWAPPP

Now both shoulders were identical. And the Yeerk was not happy.

What's the matter, Sub Visser Nine? Can't handle an Andalite as well as a bear? Not strong enough in my body?

Shut up slave!

Or what? You can't do anything! If you hurt me, you only hurt yourself! Face it, scum, you are going to lose.

My body was now bruised and bloody. I had never felt an Andalite's tail before, so I had no idea how painful it could be. Neither did the Yeerk, so "I" didn't know what to do. And all the while, the others looked on. Rachel looked really dissed. Cassie looked solemn. Marco just looked blank. Tobias was giving me his hawk intense-o-vision. Jake was biting his lip.

And Aximili was teaching the Yeerk why you never want to make an Andalite angry.

The Yeerk was just about as angry as one gets. I think they knew they were losing, though. I could sense that they were losing their cockiness. And that was good

Hah! Me, losing confidence? Never.

The Sub Visser had read my thoughts as soon as I had them.

"Ready to give up now, Yeerk? Or should we just tell our Andalite friend here to destroy you?" Marco asked, "Because here's the story. You are not getting out of here with that host. And I can see Ax is pretty ready to put his tail blade into you some more. So either give up, or we can see how fast Navarazzi wounds heal. What's your choice?"

Here's the difference between humans and Yeerks. Our species is insane. We will fight against terrible odds for what we want. A half dozen guys will fight against an entire army. We'd get whipped pretty fast, but we would still fight.

Yeerks have a different story. If the odds are against them, they stop. They figure that others will back them up.

Two different ways to look at our species. One of us is wacko, the other has no guts.

"So, what's your choice, Yeerk?"

"I surrender," the Yeerk growled.

"Okay, so what do we do? Where do we keep her?" Jake asked.

Aximili had his tail blade at my jugular, keeping the Yeerk at bay. Cassie was treating my wounds. Marco looked like he thought it was his fault I was infested, which it wasn't. Rachel was tying up my feet and hands.

"We can't let her go home, we know her aunt and cousin are Controllers. So are her parents, so she can't make contact with just about anyone in her family." Rachel, pointing out the obvious.

"We can't tie her up, she'd just rip the ropes. And we don't have any chains."

I saw her bend those bars at the Yeerk Pool like they were made of rubber. We can't exactly cage her. Tobias stated.

"I would like to know where we are going to keep her? Guys?"

"What I'd like to know is this: Why not play Anna? Why did the Yeerk just attack? If it had played Anna, they might have gotten away. But it came out in the open and showed it was a Yeerk. Why throw away the opportunity to get away?" Cassie asked the very question I was asking.

If the Yeerk that controls her is a powerful one, such as a Visser or under Visser, they would naturally assume they could overpower us by themself. Especially in a powerful host.

"So the saying, 'Pride goes before the downfall' really does apply somewhere." Marco said, trying to lighten the mood.

"So, where do we keep her for the three days?"

"You are presuming I am going to allow you to starve me."

I think we are right. The Yeerk is definitely a powerful one.

"Sub Visser Nine, not Yeerk."

See? A powerful Yeerk.

"Enough with the rank, our questions about Yeerk psychology, and how we are to keep her, WHERE DO WE KEEP HER?!"

Everyone got on task very quickly after that.

"We can keep her here, at her roost, but how do we make sure she stays here?" Cassie asked. "If we got some chains, we could, no, that wouldn't work."

"What?"

Rachel continued, "If we could fasten a ring in the wall, then attach a chain to it, she couldn't get it out. But the question is, how does that help us?"

"Huh?"

"That's a good idea, Ax, but were do we get all this stuff?" Marco said skeptically.

Aximili shrugged. Rachel and Jake shook their heads. Tobias looked as blank as a hawk can. Cassie looked reluctant.

"We have some chains at my barn, but I don't have anything else that could help."

"We could get one of those cages, you know, the kind designed to hold tigers, from the Gardens." Marco suggested.

"Or we could steal a Yeerk force field thingie, and set it up here." Jake offered.

Um, is it just me, or are all of these ideas really far-fetched? I mean, look, we've got chains, hello? Anna said.

This is exactly why I will win.

Shut it, Yeerk, Anna wasn't talking to you. Lex snapped.

"Um, guys, those are all great ideas and all, but, why not just tie her up with the chains?"

Thank you, Cassie. That's exactly what I'm saying!

"Okay, so here's what we do, Marco calls up Anna's folks, tells 'em she'll be taking a camping trip with us, if that doesn't work, Ax will morph Anna, then we tie her up, in chains, for three days, and she's free." Jake said.

"One problem, my host needs to hunt. How do you get around that?" my mouth said acidly.

"I can bring in some mice from my barn."

"Cool. Marco, call Anna's family. Rachel, Cassie, and I will get the chains. Ax and Tobias, watch Anna."

"What do I do?" the Yeerk said sweetly. I think I could have been sick at that.

"You stay here and don't try to escape." Marco said.

Chapter Nine

Well, this is boring.

Tobias was on a bale of hay, staring at the ground. Marco had gone off to join the others. And with me, stuck in a corner of the cave, there wasn't much to do.

What did you expect?

Aximili had the Dracon gun in his hands, but it was pointed at the ground. I think he was as bored as Tobias.

Her to try to escape, or something. I at least thought she would talk.

It was true. The Yeerk wasn't saying anything. All they let me do was lounge. "I" was slumped against the wall, one knee in one direction, one in the other. I had my left wing wrapped around me and my left one was sticking strait out, on a splint Cassie had made for me. My eyes were glowing white.

Hellooo? Are you still among the living? Anna? Yeerk? Some response here? Ax, I think she's dead.

"I'm not dead, and you know it," the Yeerk said.

She is alive! Amazing!

"Scum."

Hey, I'm bored, okay? Humor me.

"I'll humor you into Visser One's hands, Andalite servant. I'll humor you into a-"

Into a what?

Aximili had interrupted the Sub Visser and was looking straight at me. The Yeerk made my eyes glow brighter.

"She trusts you, my host. I wonder how much she will trust you when she finds out how we got to be the conquerors of the galaxy. Have you told her yet? Oh, no, you haven't. Why don't you tell her, Andalite scum, hmm? I'm sure she'd like to know."

Silence, Yeerk.

"Or I'll tell her. I'm sure you'd love for her to hear my side of the story."

I said silence.

"Or maybe my version."

Prince Seerow came to the Yeerk home world and felt pity for you scum. He transferred technology to you and you used it to conquer and destroy. There it is. Now Anna knows. Now be silent or I can make sure you get another scar like the one on your eye.

Aximili had lost his temper. Unfortunately, that's what the Yeerk wanted him to do. I could feel their satisfaction. But I was surprised. Didn't the Andalites know? Couldn't they see how desperate the Yeerks were? Were the Andalites that naive, that kind, that they would do this? I couldn't even imagine a time were the Andalites and the Yeerks were at peace, let alone trading! Yeerks and Andalites. Equals. No, that just didn't work. Obviously, the Yeerks deceived them, tricked them. They must have pretended to use the technology the right way. The Andalites would never have given them this technology and know how they would misuse it. Never.

No wonder the Andalite likes you humans. You are so loyal, his little dogs. His pet humans. the Sub Visser said to me.

"How about you, Tobias, did he tell you?" the Sub Visser said out loud.

All right. That's it. Both of you, cut it out. Ax, relax, the Yeerk is just trying to make you mad. Yeerk, he told all of us. So shut up.

"You wanted me to talk, hawk."

Just shut it, Sub Visser Nine, there's no point. You lost, so stop trying to make them angry. Just sit and be quiet and wait for three days until you die.

That worked. The Yeerk shut it and we all went back to being bored for another ten minutes.

When Cassie and the others got back, they tied me up at my feet, my wrists, and they stuck a cork to the tip of the blade in my forehead. Then they helped me to the back of the cave and tied me to a chair they had brought.

Cassie and Rachel hung around for awhile, I guess they had told their parents they were going to each other's houses, but after a while they left. So it was just me and the boys. Not a good combination for your average teens. A girl tied up, a bunch of older, more "mature" males, usually the scenario for some future counseling. But all they did was watch me. Oh, and I noticed Marco helped himself to my potato chips.

Remind me to yell at him after Yeerk dies, would you Anna?

Gladly.

Then the cell phone I keep in my roost rang.

"Hello?" Marco answered.

"Yeah, hi sir. It's me, Marco. Yeah, the guy Anna hangs with. Fine, thanks. Hey, Jake and I want to know if it was okay if Anna came on a camping trip with us. No, about three days. Yeah, Rachel and Cassie will be there too. Oh. Um, okay. You sure?"

Jake looked at Marco. Marco shook his head.

"Only that long? Well, no sir, but that doesn't give us much time. Okay. Thanks. Bye, sir. No, I promise. You have my word that Anna won't get eaten by wolves."

Marco hung up and looked worried.

"Well?" Jake asked.

"Here's the bad news: Anna has to be back in two days."

Only two? Tobias said.

"Yup, so that means either our space cadet or Bird-Boy morphs Anna."

I'll stay here. There's more mice than grass up here. Besides, Ax-man needs to learn more about how to pass as a human.

I do?

"Ax, my parents thought I'd gone nuts when you morphed me."

I know, Prince Jake, but I've practiced more now.

"And you are really weird in morph."

Am I that unrealistic?

"Kind of, Ax. But you will be morphing Anna."

"So, one question. None of us really know Anna well enough to pass as her. Oh sure, she's gone shopping with Rachel and helped Cassie muck, but do we really know Anna? How well do you know someone after playing Doom with them?"

"That she is way better than you, Jake. That girl knows her way around a joystick."

"Thank you, Marco. But how well can Ax pass as Anna?"

Maybe Ax should morph her know and see how well he can control her instincts.

Tobias, it would be like any other human morph.

"Maybe," Jake said, "but Anna isn't human."

"Yeah, we got in a pretty bad fight with some Navarwhatzzis before. I'd say they have some pretty powerful instincts."

Jake got an exasperated look on his face. He looked at his watch.

"Guys? It's already ten. Ax, you need to morph her now, I gotta be home in half an hour."

Aximili nodded and placed his hand on mine. The Yeerk made my eyes glow brighter still and hissed at him. I actually liked it, but the Yeerk felt the Andalite's touch was horrible. It was like a physical illness.

Slowly, I got kinda drifty. You know, dreamy and passive. I knew he was acquiring my DNA. It was a really weird sensation.

Then he morphed me.

It's really weird, watching an Andalite turn into a Navarazzi. First, the blade appeared. It shot out of his head. His front legs began to shrink and shrivel. His stalk eyes remained as the coarse, black-purple Navarazzi hair appeared. His second set of eyes then slipped into his head. His hooves exploded into talons. His tail lost its fur and the blade. The flesh beneath turned tougher, darker, as he turned into me.

The wings started out as two little bat wings and grew. He opened them up and nodded his more movable head. I guess he liked them.

The remaining eyes turned dark and grew as the pupils narrowed. They developed a glittery color of black, like a cat's eyes when you shine light on them.

Finally, the mouth appeared. First just a slit, then it grew wider, as lips the color of my blood formed. I saw my two fangs form.

So this is a Navarazzi. Amazing. A very efficient killer.

"Glad you like my host, Andalite scum," my mouth said.

"Other than a Navarwhatzzi's keen ability to lower the deer population, how's the morph?"

Strong instincts. Very strong. Like that of a spider or a shark. But nothing I can't control.

"Anna once said there are two separate minds in a Shifter, are there in a morph?"

Aximili paused then shook his, or my, whichever way you looked at it, head.

No separate minds. Should I try to Shift, Prince Jake?

"Don't call me Prince," Jake said automatically, "Yes."

At first, I thought he would not be able to acquire my ability to Shift, that he'd have to get me as a human. But it worked. Wings disappeared, fangs blunted, eyes shrank until I was looking at me, as a human.

"And this is Anna. This will not be a problem, Prince Jake, I can control these instincts. In-stinck-tus. Ininin. Innn. Stinct. Stinkuctss. Instincts."

"See, Ax that's what we're talking about. Humans, at least sane humans, don't do that."

"You sure, Jake? I've never seen you do that."

"Marco, time here. No time to make jokes. And I am sane. Unlike you."

"Prince Jake? Should I wait until the two days are over? I am confident I could do this now."

"No, Ax. Anna's folks expect her in three days. In the meantime, make up some camping trip story and tell it to Anna. That way, we avoid any complications. And if I'm gonna be home on time I need to go ten minutes ago. See ya later if I'm not grounded!"

Aximili demorphed as Jake, Tobias and Marco ran out of the cave. Aximili would keep watch tonight. And he'd be pulling an all nighter.

I was afraid to sleep. I knew the Yeerk could watch my dreams. And my fears were justified.

Chapter Ten

I was running down a long corridor. Memories lined the walls and floor. I tripped and fell into one.

Happy Birthday to yooou. Happy Birthday to yooou. Happy Birthday, dear Annnnna. Happy Birthday to you!

People were dancing around a cake. The candles were huge, larger than they should have been. My parents were off to one side, staring. They looked at me and stared hard, like I looked at prey. I looked into their eyes and I saw Yeerks! I could see through their eyes!

Time to cut the cake, Anna. Happy twelfth birthday!

Noooo!

Then we go swimming.

My friend Lily handed me a blade. It was shaped wrong, not a knife! A tail! An Andalite tail!

I tried to drop it, but it only fell into the cake. Blood instantly poured out.

Ahhhh!

I made it myself, Anna. I knew you'd like blood cake.

You can't eat it though. Only I can.

Now we go swimming.

It was my twelfth birthday party. I had a pool party.

We all walked to the Pool. The others bent over. Yeerks slithered out of their heads! I was at the Yeerk Pool!

Now, you Anna. Our Yeerks went swimming. Let yours too.

Lily, we've got to run! Follow me!

We ran from the Hork-Bajir. One slashed me, but I used my Dracon beam to fry him.

You can't get away from me. You are my slave.

Visser One stopped us. I pulled my head back and shot it forward. My blade cut her throat.

Anna, why did you kill her? She was my mother!

Lily was talking, but Marco said the words.

Noo! Get away! Help me! Aximili!

Aximili shook his head and touched his eye. Blood was pouring out, and it was forming a puddle on the floor.

You mistook me for a deer?!

He disappeared and the puddle of blood morphed into a Yeerk. The Yeerk wriggled toward me. It wriggled in me and tied me in chains.

Then I was in a cage, falling end over end. Falling down into the Pool. And the Pool was alive! Alive with gnashing teeth that would tear me apart.

Let me gooo! Let me gooo!

I can expect a promotion very soon.

Release me!

Ordering me? I seem to be the one with the Dracon beam at your 'fearless leader's' head.

Nooooooo!

Just how stupid are you?

You tell us who you are.

Don't blow the mission, got it?

Hey, Stryke!

You tell us who you are.

Free us!

It's so good to know Andalites are the only species you trust.

What do I call you?

Look out!

Who are you anyway?

You don't want to know.

Take me home!

You mistook me for a deer?!

Strike!

I knew she'd blow it!

Where's Gabrielle?

You don't roar at me, buddy.

Who are you?

You don't want to know.

Free us!

Take me home!

Just how stupid are you?

Hey, Stryke!

Andalites are the only species you trust.

Where's Gabrielle?

I knew she'd blow it!

Everyone except Cassie and I are out.

Who are you anyway?

Free us!

You don't want to know.

What about our Doom contest?

That's my dinner.

You tell us who you are.

Who are you?

What do I call you?

You tell us who you are.

Who are you anyway?

Where's Gabrielle?

Who are you?

Stryke!

I am Stryke.

Discovering your inner self? Or should I say AN inner self?

Shut it, Sub Visser Nine. If she wants to dream, she can. It's her, or our, body.

Oh, but you all have such interesting dreams. Anna is dreaming about unicorns right now, you, Lex, had an interesting dream about the Andalite in which-

I SAID TO SHUT UP! AND I MEANT IT!

And our dear friend Stryke just found out her name. She just decided who she was. But now you're my slave, aren't you, Stryke? Just my slave.

You know, I don't think Anna will like the idea of the Yeerk watching her dream about unicorns. And seeing her hatred for Yeerks this morning, I don't think she is going to give this scumbag an easy time when she wakes up.

I agree wholeheartedly, Stryke. ANNNNNA!

Huh? Hey! I was having a nice dream.

I know, we heard.

Was I talking in my sleep again?

No but the Yeerk was.

Talking in their sleep?

No talking in your sleep.

You JERK! You were watching my dreams! Get out of my head! Get out of my head! Get out of my head! Get out of my head!

I think not, Anna.

I looked out of my eyes and saw something that horrified me. Aximili was on the floor, unconscious. My hand, now out of the chains, reached for the Dracon beam.

You just now noticed, Stryke?

What are they talking about? Oh my god! No!

This was bad. The Yeerk had jumped Aximili and knocked him out. And now they had their hands on the Dracon gun. They might kill him!

I won't kill him, fool. Visser One wants all six bandits. But I might toast him a little.

Is this guy trigger happy, or what?

Lex, we need to save Aximili, not comment on the mental stability of the Yeerk.

Got it covered.

Suddenly, a mental wave powered up. It was like a rush of adrenaline, nothing at first, but it swelled up and took over.

The hand about to fire jerked away. The other hand grabbed my throat.

Lex! What are you doing?! You're choking us! Stop!

Anna, if she kills this body, the Yeerk will die, too. If we die, we take the Yeerk down with us. I'm gonna help.

I concentrated on squeezing. Just squeezing. I ignored the Yeerk's taunts and threats. I ignored the pain the Yeerk directed at me. I ignored the fact I would die, never telling my family I knew. Never telling my parents I knew they were Controllers. Never telling my aunt I knew. Never apologizing to Amy for not getting her out of the hell called being a Controller. A hell I couldn't allow myself to live.

Ignore the pain. Ignore the guilt. Ignore the heartache. Ignore the questions. Don't think. Just squeeze. Squeeze and die. That's it. Be your own prey. Kill yourself. Die.

Die.

Chapter Eleven

This was it. My end with the Animorphs. My end on Earth. I would die like this. With a Yeerk slug in my head. Bad death. My head was swimming. I could feel my functions shutting down. My head was doing weird things.

You know how some people say they saw their life flash before their eyes before they die? But they miraculously survive and their lives are changed? Then they go on Oprah? Those people are right. My brain was pulling up images as I lost oxygen. I saw a time when I was little and my parents-my Navarazzi parents-went flying with me. I saw a time when I went to Disneyland with my human parents. As my death progressed, the images lasted longer. Finally, a very recent one popped up.

I narrowed my wings and dropped. At about half a mile up, I opened and adjusted my wings. Now, my talons were aimed, open and ready. I reversed my knees, and I was ready to haul.

Quarter mile...Five feet...adjust speed...estimate trajectory...tense muscles...pick a target...aim for the stalk eyes.

It's Aximili, you idiot! Pull up! Pull up!.

Before making the strike, I pulled up.

Ahhhhh!

Ahhhhh!

Ahhhhh!

KREEEEEYA!!!

Anna, what were you doing?

"Sorry, Aximili, I thought you were a deer. I was going too fast to pull up any sooner."

You mistook me for a deer?!

I was a mile up, okay? I'm not Tobias. I don't have hawk eyes. I am designed for ground hunting, I prefer sky hunting, so I do what I prefer.

Sometimes humans worry me.

He was right. He should be worried about humans. We just can't take care of ourselves. We need aliens to protect us.

Somehow, thinking that made me sad. Depressed. I knew it was because I was dying, but, hey, I was just thinking how irresponsible humans were. We erode our own ozone layer, we destroy the environment, we kill what we need to survive for money. We are greedy, evil and destructive. No better than Yeerks.

Not...all...humans...Stryke. The...Animorphs aren't...like that. Anna said in gasps.

How'd you...read...my mind?

You were...talking...out...loud.

Oh.

Anna...I'm sorry. You're...not a...coward. Lex said, as weak as us.

And you're...not...insane.

The Sub Visser was silent. So was I, mostly. I was trying to hold on to what Anna said.

Not all humans were like that. Cassie, for instance, helped the environment. And Jake was responsible. Marco had learned to use very little money when his dad wasn't working. Rachel and Tobias fought for freedom of others. They were nothing like Yeerks. Aximili helped out a backward species who had no idea what the word consequence meant.

I focused back on Aximili. He was just regaining consciousness. When he was fully awake, I'd be dead.

Somehow, I didn't want that.

Guys? Is it...too late...to...turn back? Will...we die?

Fools. You forget I can leave the host. Which is exactly what I will do. I will become the second Andalite-Controller! And you will die.

What does...it mean?

It's gonna infest Aximili!

I found new energy. No way was this slug getting in Aximili! I didn't care the price. There is only room for one Andalite-Controller. And that is Visser Three. No Yeerk is getting in Aximili. I'd let it take me as a voluntary host before that ever happened. I'd take on Visser One with her whole army before that happened.

Are you sure you don't have a crush on him, Stryke?

Guys! Try to...put hands on ears!

My hands reached shakily over to my head. I was getting more oxygen as I kept breathing. And that woke up all the minds n me.

Hold on to the ears! He's waking up!

Noooo! My host! Let GO!

The Yeerk regained control. My hands let go. The Yeerk started to slither out. And I could feel it. Yuk.

And it was out! I was free!

I stood up shakily, unused to having control of my own body. I looked over and saw the slug, about to reach Aximili, who was opening his eyes.

He saw me and thrust his tail straight at me. Once again, it was at my throat. You'd think I'd get used to having an Andalite tail at my jugular. It's happened about three times. Let me tell you, you don't get used to it. A foot long curved knife is at your throat, you're going to get scared.

"Aximili!"

Silence, Yeerk. Don't make me kill you.

"Aximili, MOVE YOUR HEAD!"

To his credit, he listened. He kept his tail blade at my neck, but he did move his head.

Yeerk!

He looked back at me, realized I wasn't infested, and sliced the Yeerk with his tail. And that was the end of the Yeerk.

Chapter Twelve

"So, Aximili, how'd my day go?"

I was in my roost, reading Goosebumps when I walked in and started to demorph.

"Very well. Your cousin Nick made some excellent waffles for breakfast."

It was two days after my infestation. I had allowed Aximili to go ahead with the plan. He had morphed me for the day.

"Other than the sense of taste, how'd it go?"

"Your aunt was having a private conversation with your parents. Par-rents. Pah-ren-tus."

I groaned, "Aximili, did you do that?"

"What? What-tuh?"

"That. Where you play with the sounds like a toy. Did you do that?"

"Sometimes."

He looked a little embarrassed. So I changed the subject.

"Did you eavesdrop on them?"

Why would I do a thing like that? Aximili was done demorphing.

"Because they're Controllers and they might move me again, duh."

Oh, no, I didn't. How's the eye?

My eye was permanent. I'd have a scar for life. And I couldn't shift my eyes anymore. They would always be Navarazzi eyes.

"Irreversible. I went down to Cassie's and she looked me over. The other wounds will heal, though. In the meantime, I've got to think up a cover story about why I suddenly have cat eyes."

Any good ideas?

"Tomorrow, I'll be going for a walk in the woods. A cougar will then attack me. It will maul me and Cassie will save me. I will be rushed to the hospital and given 'immediate' care."

A cougar will maul you? Why?

"That's my cover story, Aximili. You asked me for my cover story."

Oh, yes. Sorry.

"No need. Just do me a favor."

What?

"Visit me in the hospital, okay? Animal attack victims spend a lot of time in there, and I won't have many visitors."

How will I explain myself?

"I don't know. Say you're my friend. Morph my cousin. Say you're my boyfriend, I don't care. Just come."

I'll be there.

It was boring, in the hospital. Nothing to do. Squat. I was not allowed to go anywhere out of my bed. It reminded more about being in chains. No, not like that. In chains I could still move around. I was able to get out of chains. And I'd been there for a week.

Thankfully, the door opened. In stepped the most good looking guy on-and off- the planet. I overheard one of the nurses talking.

"Lucky kid, a boyfriend that good looking and that sweet. Persistent. I'm sorry, Angie, but he's been here every day since she was admitted. I know she's not supposed to have visitors. But I figure I can let the two talk."

"Phillip" walked over to my bed and sat in the seat next to it.

"You told them you were my boyfriend?" I said skeptically.

"It was your idea. Dee-ah."

"Not in a hospital, remember? They do have a mental ward here."

"What?"

"The mouth/vocal speech/taste thing. Normal human activity does not include that."

"Oh."

"Thanks for visiting."

"I've been here every day. The doctors are very primitive. They can't even remove a simple tumor without cutting up a person!"

"Not so loud. We're primitive, okay? We're working on the cancer thing. We are just looking for a cure, not a relief."

"I see. The others are planning a thing they called a 'Surprise Welcome Back Party' for you. What is that?"

"Something you weren't supposed to tell me about, Aximili," I said with a laugh.

"Oh. Why not?"

"Key word: Surprise."

"Did I just ruin it for you?"

"Not all of it, but I'll act surprised. When did the nurses say I'll be out?"

"They said the doctors will be done testing you in about a month."

"A month," I groaned, "I'm well, okay? The eyes are fine. In a month it will be August. In September I go back to school. My birthday is in a week. I was going to have my birthday party at the Gardens. I am not having a hospital birthday party where only my family is there!"

"The nurse told me to tell you that you can invite your friends. Frien-dussuh."

"Well at least that's good."

Aximili tried to cheer me up by telling me Marco was coming.

"WHAT?!" I screeched in a very Navarazzi-like way.

"He was coming in after me. He should be here any minute. Oh, and Rachel is with him. Himmmm. Him-uh."

"Hey, Anna, how're you feeling?" Rachel, who had just stepped in, asked.

"I'd be feeling better if I hadn't just found out that-"

"Hey! Gabrielle the wounded! How are ya?"

"He was coming."

"Ah, hey. If you annoy the annoyer, he won't give you his Get Well Soon gift."

"You'll like it, Anna," Rachel said.

"Okay, let's see."

Marco pulled a box out of his backpack and handed it to Aximili, who handed it to me. I opened it and was overjoyed. A mini game of Doom, handheld. I heard a rustle at the window. Rachel ran over and opened it while Marco checked the hall. A red-tailed hawk flew in.

The hawk's feathers melted and dissolved. His beak split into teeth. His wings turned into arms.

"Tobias," I said.

"You promised me a rematch," he said.

So I gave him one.