I do not own these characters. I don't get profit from them. K A Applegate
does. Praise her for Marco, Tobias, Jake, and the rest of them
animorphs!!!!!!!!
I spent all night looking for her. But I had to eventually give up and go home.
Home. She saw me morph. If she was a controller, there would of been an ambush at my home.
I snuck in and looked around. Dad was studying on his computer.
"Hi Marco."
"Hi Dad."
"How was your date?" He grinned.
No yeerk ambush. No army of hork-bajir. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"It was okay."
"Just okay?"
"Dad it was fine! Nothing happened."
Dad returned to his work. I collapsed on my bed.
About 11.30 Jan's parents called.
"Yes. Marco's here. yes. Okay, I'll get him. Marco!"
"Yeah?"
"It's Jan's parents. Jan's missing."
I took the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello Marco. Jan's missing." It was her mother.
"I heard."
"Do you know where she went?"
"Um, no, but she took off. I looked for her." I had to lie. "I thought she would of went
home."
"Do you know why she took off?" Jan's mother asked.
"No. Um, miss, I heard Jan was going to visit her Aunts this weekend." I could at least be a bit helpful.
Jan's mother was silent for a moment. She sounded confused when she answered.
"My sister in law, Jan's only Aunt, has been missing for a year."
That gave me a surprise.
"Are you sure that's what she said?" Jan's mother asked.
"Quite sure. I'm sorry."
"You don't know where else she might be?"
"No. No idea."
Jan's mother winced. "Okay. But if you hear from her, tell us, okay."
"Sure."
I hung up.
I told Jake Jan was missing, and how Jan's Aunt had been missing for a year. Jake didn't sound happy. I hung up and went to bed. I could
barely sleep. my mind was spinning. Where was Jan? Was she a controller? Did this have anything to do with her lost Aunt?
I woke up next morning. Saturday.
I squinted in the sunlight. It was 6.15 in the morning. I put on my skintight clothing, opened the window, and began to change into and osprey.
My lips grew hard and solid like a nail. They pushed out to form a beak and my nose followed. My toes melted into four claws; three forward, one back, and scaly legs grew up my thigh and shrank my legs. I was glad no-one saw me like this, I had a beak with little chicken legs.
Feathers starting as some sketch on my skin popped out and covered my body. A tail shot out, I shrank entirely to osprey size, and finally, my arms turned to wings.
I hopped up and flew away, using the morning thermals to fly to Cassie's barn. We had to figure out what to do about Jan.
I landed and morphed out. Cassie and Rachel were there already. We waited a while for Jake and Ax to turn up. Tobias, according to Ax, was hunting. So Ax had to morph into his odd human form. Erek also arrived. Jake updated everybody around.
"So would Jan have anything to do with her Aunt?" Cassie asked.
"Why would she? We don't even know if she's a controller, if she isn't, she'll be on her own. If she is, why not tell the controllers here?" I asked.
"I don't think she's a controller. She saw you morph. You didn't end up facing a hork-bajir army last night." Cassie pointed out.
"You looked out for me! How kind of you!"
"Don't mention it." Cassie replied dryly.
"So she's on her own." I sighed. I felt even more sorry for her.
"Or is she?" Erek started to speak up.
"Oh wait! Erek going to say something!" I teased. Rachel pushed me.
"You know who her aunt is?" He asked.
"No." I shrugged.
"Better look her up." Jake said.
"No need." Erek said. "Already looked her up."
"But I just told you what happened.." Jake began to say.
"I'm connected to the cheenet, remember? Another chee might have access to her name." Erek smiled.
"And?" I asked.
Erek cautiously created a hologram of what I presumed to be her. I shook my head. Never saw her.
Rachel was the one who recognized her. "I know her! She was that woman in that shack.....when I had amnesia, she thought I was a controller."
"So her aunt knows about the yeerks!" I said excitedly. "She could of told Jan, and Jan knows as well! She's free."
"Unless she went around trying to warn everyone of the yeerks." Rachel thought. My grin dropped.
"What about the uranium mines? Mine-suh? Uuuuuu rainum....wha-wha-wha?" Ax asked, interested in the words he spoke.
"It could be a good chance to stop the yeerks, but we can't let someone tell anyone who we are." Jake explained.
"So NOW she's more important." I couldn't help giving Jake an 'I told you so' look.
Tobias flew in then. Everybody! Don't freak or anything.....but Jan's just outside watching you. She's on her own, but she's spying on us.
I gave a quick glance at the window. I saw the top of Jan's hair.
This could be a good chance to try to talk to her. Ax used thought-speak for privacy.
I shrugged. Too late. Tobias said. She's just gone.
"Follow her." Jake ordered. "We'll catch up in a moment."
Tobias flew away. Everyone but Ax morphed into their different birds of prey. Ax morphed back to andalite first.
We soared away, it didn't take us long to reach Tobias. He flew over some abandoned building in the construction site.
She's in there. Tobias explained.
Someone had better go in, then. Jake said. No-one flew down. After a bit of a pause, everyone turned their hawk eyes at me.
Okay, okay! Geez, just because she's my girlfriend. I swooped down and landed behind a pile of that white chalky stuff you find when a house is getting built.
I grew up above the pile and immediately crouched while my arms melted back from chicken-wings and my eyes turned back.
Not knowing what to expect, but knowing Jan knew I could morph, I decided to morph something defensive. A fluffy grey tail shot out from behind. I fell on all fours. My head shifted it's shape and became a wolf's head. Fur grew over my body.
I trotted over to the building and crawled through a hole. I sniffed for her scent. Dumb, I didn't know which of all these smells were hers. I listened. I heard footsteps, and looked for the source. It stopped. I tried listening for a breath, but there were other things around. She could of been hiding and knew I could of heard her.
Jan? I called.
Look, Jan, I know how weird this all is to you. Please, let me explain!
Nothing.
I tried again. I know you think I'm a freak of nature, but there's a perfectly logical explanation.
I tried looking around. Nothing. Jan?
An osprey landed on a broken window. Cassie. Find anything?
Zilch.
There's a group of people headed here. We better go. Cassie said.
I headed off, taking one last look about. I thought I saw a pair of eyes, staring.
Come on, Marco, we'll try again later. Cassie said softly.
I morphed out and back into human. And headed home. Did some housework. We were supposed to meet up in the mall afterwards.
"I'm just going to the mall Dad."
"Did you put the clothes out?" My dad called.
"Yeah."
"Do you need money?"
"No, Dad, I'm fine."
"Okay...............You need a lift?"
"Sure."
I jumped into the car. It was a pretty silent drive. Aside from the radio yelling..."The vengabus is coming! We're gonna have a party!"
"Marco, you're okay that Nora and I got married, aren't you?" dad wondered why I had a long face.
"Dad, I'm happy for you, really. It's just............I wish Mum, my real Mum, that you and her could of stayed together."
Dad started to say something. But I went on. "But I know that you have to move on."
Dad let it go. We arrived at the mall. Dad dropped me off. I walked about where the others were supposed to meet and grabbed a box of skinless chicken from red rooster. Spotted Ax dragged off by Tobias and Rachel away from cinnabon.
"There you are......come on Ax you big kid!" Rachel yanked Ax towards a table.
"Bunzuh! Bunzuh!" Ax reached towards cinnabon.
"Not now Ax!" Rachel hissed. People were looking.
"A simple hello wouldn't of hurt, you know." I put down the box of chicken. Ax seemed to of settled for chicken started pouring it in his mouth. Bones and all. Rachel watched, eyebrow twitching. Tobias just looked embarrassed. Jake and Cassie came up. "Jake, help. It's a black hole!" I said indicating Ax.
Ax finished the chicken and licked the box. I snatched it off him and threw it away.
Ax started to behave. "Sorry."
"So Marco, Tobias, you were watching her, any sign of Jan?" Jake whispered.
"No. We should try looking inside that building again." I replied.
"Mind if we write off tonight?" Jake asked.
"Why? What if she's a controller.....?" I started to protest.
"Well she obviously isn't, otherwise Marco would of already caught up in an ambush." Jake said. "And we only have one more chance to blow up that refinery in space. Erek rang me up and he told me that they're going to use another mine in Italy. So it's either tonight or never."
I slumped down. Okay, one night, maybe one morning, shouldn't be too long. Surely it wouldn't hurt. It was only one night.
But it didn't feel right. I felt like I needed to stay with her, make sure she was alright.......
I decided to look occupied and look around seeing if anyone was listening in.
"S how are we going to blow it up?" Rachel asked.
"It's uranium, so all we have to do is mess around with their controls and trigger a meltdown and get out in time." Jake thought.
"How are we going to get on their ship?" Cassie asked.
"The ship that delivers the ore should be found above ground above the yeerkpool. We split up, look around for the ship, jump on, morph cockroaches and find a way to sneak inside." Jake suggested.
"Are you sure that is a good idea?" Ax asked.
"Can you think of anything else?" Jake asked back.
"So when do we start?" Cassie asked.
"Maybe we should tell our parents we're sleeping over someone's house again." Rachel supplied.
"So at four?" Cassie asked.
"About that." Rachel said. "Better go home first."
"Okay then, we'll meet up at the woods." Jake said.
We split up. I missed the next bus home. The next bus would come in half an hour. Might as well walk home.
I was going around the construction site, still thinking about Jan.
I didn't notice anyone following me.
About half a kilometre from the construction site, someone knocked me over.
I turned over, Jan stood over me.
"Jan?" I felt surprised, worried, and happy at the same time.
She grabbed me and I crawled away a bit. She got a hold of me and pulled me up.
She had a gun in her hand.
"Don't try anything smart. You do anything......" her voice trailed off.
Jan hid her gun. How she got hold of a pistol was beyond me. She pushed me lightly.
"Move it!" She growled.
I walked back in the direction she indicated. Back towards the construction site. In the building she went in earlier. Then through some hole and I found myself in what would of been a below ground carpark if the building was finished. It was blocked everywhere else. One entrance, the one I came through, had been grown over with tall weeds and half covered with rubble.
The other had a piece of metal and wire over it, the place was covered with graffiti.
Jan stood between me and the only open entrance, and gestured her gun at a seat.
"Sit." She ordered.
"You know I can morph, why........" started to say.
"Sit." She growled again.
She started to tie me up.
"I know what you are now." Jan smiled. "Don't try to morph out. You'll be vulnerable when you do. I can stop you."
"Oooookay."
"Don't try to escape." Jan pointed her gun at me again. "Not for another three days."
Three days?
She thought I was a controller?
"You think I'm a controller?" I asked her.
"Don't try to deny it. I'm not gonna let you get away."
"This was why you ran away?
"What do you expect? Me to just go back home after seeing you morph so you would have the perfect excuse to capture me and shove a yeerk in my ear like you did to poor Marco?" Jan asked.
"Jan, you saw me morph. Controllers aren't the ones who morph."
"There's only one controller who can morph. You're him." Jan smiled again. "And now I've got you. And now the power to morph wont be in the hands of the yeerks anymore."
Of all the yeerks, only one possessed the power to change shape. Visser three.
"You think I'm VISSER THREE!?" I burst out laughing. "ME? VISSER THREE?!"
"The one and only." Jan said.
I gave an exasperated look.
"Oh hell."
Jan thought I was Visser three.
"Oh hell."
I sighed. I have not been having a good day. But at least I knew that Jan wasn't a controller, and why she ran away. I mean, I was wondering? Was it my breath? Or my face? I mean I was half fly when she ran off. Maybe that was it.
And she thought I was Visser three. Well, I knew I looked disgusting being half fly. But calling me Visser three was going a bit far. I wasn't that disgusting.
"So what's for dinner?" I asked.
"Trying to distract me?" Jan asked back.
"No. It's just that I'm staying here for three days. I was just hoping I could just spend it in a bit of luxury. Staying in a penthouse, lobster for dinner............"
Jan rolled her eyes. "Well I'm so sorry this place isn't up to your standards. You'll just have to live with it. Oh, I forgot. You can't. You're going to die in about three days."
"Yeah, yeah, you think I'm a yeerk. Blah blahblahblahblahblah blah."
"You are a yeerk. Don't try to say you're not so you can get away." She warned.
"What if I'm not?"
"It isn't possible for you to be anything else. You morphed. I saw you."
"You haven't heard of any andalite bandits that happen to be the good guys, now have you? The ones who fight the yeerks with THEIR morphing power to save humanity?"
"Ann-dlight bandits? I have never heard of any ann-dlight bandits. Don't try to confuse me!"
Well, that explains it. Anyone could of been mistaken for a controller, like Rachel was when she had amnesia and Jan's aunt tried to burn her. Jan must of thought that I was a controller too. She had watched me. Whether it was before or after she had a 'crush' on me I didn't know. But she saw me morph. She only knew of one person who could morph; Visser three. And she didn't even know he was an 'andalite'.
But why should I worry? All I had to do was sit around for three days and twiddle my fingers. Boring, but it would prove to Jan that I wasn't Visser three.
"Okay." I finally said. "I'll just sit here like a good little boy and SHOW you that I'm NOT Visser three."
Jan nodded. But she looked troubled, like she was expecting different. Probably me putting up more of a fight.
"You're up to something." Jan finally said to me.
"Yeah, nothing!" I scoffed.
"You're not going to stay here at all, are you? You're planning to run off when my back's turned, and make it look like you were here all the time. Right. Well I'm not falling for that." Jan pointed her gun at me. "I'm not even letting you out of my sight!"
"Whatever." I shrugged indifferently.
Again Jan looked troubled. "I'm watching you." She warned.
I glanced outside, towards the sky. I wondered if Tobias or anyone else saw what happened to me. Was that one of them, that duck flying? Probably. But then they would be getting ready for tonight....
Tonight! I forgot! We were supposed to fly around and get on some ship and blow up this refinery. And I would be missing because I was, well, tied up.
Maybe the other animorphs would know where I was. Maybe they could just do this without me. Or they could be wondering where in the world I am.
But surely they could do one mission without me? But they didn't last night. I could escape if I tried, leaving Jan thinking I was Visser three. But still.............
Also I was missing from everyone else, from my father, from school. They would be wondering where I gotten to.
And for three days. And what if a controller noticed?
"Um, Jan. Mind if I ask you something?" I asked, getting the attention from Jan who was looking bored herself.
"You just did." Jan smiled.
I rolled my eyes. "Right. But I'm going to be missing for three days. Some controller is going to notice. They're gonna know I'm not one of the usuall people's on the missing list. They're gonna think someone tied me up for three days and think I'm a freed controller who knows more than he's supposed to."
Jan considered this for a moment. "Hey, you're right. Never thought of that, did I? Well, I'll just have to keep you around for a little bit longer. Just so it isn't three days. Then you'll just be plain old missing."
"Well, that answers that question." I thought out loud.
"But wait a second. You're the famous Visser three aren't you? All you're other yeerk friends are going to notice you're missing. They're going to do everything in their power to rescue you." Jan suddenly realized.
"Uh..." I started to say.
"Hmmmmm......" Jan thought. "Well, let's stuff the previous plan. It isn't going to work. They'll know that Marco and I know. We'll just stay away from them forever." Jan said. Them she looked dreamily upwards. "Marco and I, alone together. On the run from the evil yeerks. Some of the only ones who are left free on this planet. Working together risking our lives for each other."
"How romantic." I said apathetically. One of the last things I wanted was to be on the run.
"Of course you wouldn't care. Yeerk." Jan spat.
"And what about you?"
"Me?"
"Did you ever, you know...like me? Or did you just act like that to get close to me?"
"Believe it or not, I did like you. Or Marco, really. And I know Marco can hear this as well, but I might as well tell you, I've had a crush on Marco for ages. But then I started getting suspicious. You kept on running off. You seemed to be busy with something. Then I found out about the yeerks, and I figured that was why you were so occupied. You were one. Then I saw you morph...." Jan explained.
"I see." I said, moved by what she said.
Jan looked away. We were both silent for a long time.
Jan already brought along food for us both. We had an early dinner. I supposed Jan wanted me to go to sleep earlier, too. So I wouldn't be so much of a bother watching. But who said I would fall asleep? I glanced at the food. I started wondering maybe she laced it with some narcotic drug.
"There's nothing wrong with it." Jan said, reading my mind.
I shrugged. I didn't feel that hungry anyway. I glanced at the sky again. There was a mosquito flying around probably wanting to suck my blood. I shuddered.
"So." Jan started to say. "How did Marco become a controller?"
"I dunno." I shrugged again.
"Was he upset or something because his Mother died?" Jan prodded.
I gave her an angry look. "My mother's alive. She's Visser one."
Jan looked surprised. "Oh. I'm sorry." She turned away again and mumbled. "So that's how." I ignored her.
"How come you're the only controller with the power to morph?" Jan asked.
I didn't say anything.
"Was it like some weird yeerk genetic experiment or something?"
"You didn't believe me." I said.
"Okay, fine. If you want to keep on lying." Jan gave up.
"Sounds like you know enough about me already." I said.
"Well, I have been watching you." Jan replied. "After I learned about the yeerks."
"How did you learn about the yeerks?" I asked her.
"I'll be the one to ask the questions." Jan warned. But she told me anyway.
"I started going to the sharing. Just looking for a place to hang out. They made me into a controller." Jan shuddered. "I sneaked into one of those meetings the yeerks held there, and I was caught. But a short time later, my aunt, she was a freed controller, she got rid of it for me. The yeerk, I mean. I don't go to the Sharing so much anymore, the yeerks didn't seem to know the turned me into a controller in the first place. When I do go to the Sharing I do my best to stop them from infesting people."
"So you were a controller?" I asked, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
"Yeah." She nodded.
I was silent for a long time after that. It was already dark.
I kept on glancing outside, trying to see if the other animorphs were around, watching me or something.
"Expecting someone?" Jan taunted. "A troop of controllers out looking for you?"
"Not quite."
"Still pretending to be a normal, everyday, human?" Jan asked.
"Who says I'm trying to act like a normal, everyday, human? I'm TRYING to act like an abnormal, not-so-everyday HUMAN."
"But you're not even that, are you?"
"Yes I am."
"Why keep up the pretense? I know what you are." Jan asked.
"No you don't. And I'm not pretending I'm anything. I'm here tied up for three days to prove to you I'm human." I pointed out.
"You're bluffing. You're just saying you are so I'd believe you and let you go before the three days are up." Jan pointed her gun at me again.
"Oh fine. Don't believe me then. I'll just prove to you I'm not Visser three the long way."
"You're so stubborn!" Jan scowled.
"You're the one to talk." I said back.
"You still believe you can convince me to let you go." Jan crossed her arms, still holding the gun.
"Nope. Given up." I smiled.
"So you're going to admit it? That you're Visser three?" Jan raised an eyebrow.
"No. 'Cause I'm not. But since you won't listen, since you believe that you're always in the right and can't accept the fact that maybe you're wrong, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. No point." I explained.
"You're just a yeerk! You can morph, but you're a yeerk! You can't fool me! All that you're ever saying to me is a lie! All you want is to get away. All you want is to TRICK me! I'm not listening to a word you say because there's no way I can trust you!" Jan started to yell.
"You're paranoid." I advised. "Take a chill pill, okay?"
"I AM NOT PARANOID!" Jan pointed a finger at me. "THE YEERKS ARE OUT THERE, AND YOU ARE ONE OF THEM!"
"You IDIOT! That all you are going to believe! You think that you're the one that's always right? Well you're wrong! All you ever listen to is yourself! You think you know everything that's going on, don't you?" Now I was starting to yell.
"SHUT UP!" Jan cried. "How can I be wrong!? I liked you, Marco, And you changed! And I know why! I know what's going on now! And I know what you're up to!"
"YOU KNOW NOTHING!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.
Jan pulled back in shock. Her fists clenched and her face grew slightly more angrier under the tears. She stepped towards me.....
TWACK!
"Owww.." I groaned. If only I could touch my now sore face were Jan hit me. But my arms were restrained.
Jan turned away and swore. "I know you!" She hissed.
My eyebrow twitched. Even my famous sense of humour couldn't calm me down. Why wouldn't she just listen to me? I turned away and glanced at the window once again. It was night time already. A clear, warm night. I tried to admire the stars. But in the east horizon there was a star, moving, bright....brighter...a flash!
It filled the night with light like a strike of lightning would, but more eerily as the sky was clear.....more like a flash of moonlight.
I gaped at the flash. What was it? Oh.....I forgot about what me and the other animorphs were supposed to be doing tonight. After all that had happened, I forgot.
I seemed that they went without me anyway. Did they know where I was? I remembered Cassie saying she'd keep an eye on me just in case Jan was a controller....they wouldn't of gone without me otherwise, not knowing what was up.
The flash was starting to die down. Did the others make it out of the refinery safe? What happened? I had better find out.....
I turned and looked at Jan. She was gaping at the flash too....Eyes wide. She then turned to look at me.
"What....what was THAT?" Jan asked, slightly more nervous.
We just stared at each other for a moment wondering.
"Well we had better follow it towards the east and find the baby Jesus like good little wise men. Hm?" I smiled at Jan, indicating where the flash was dying down.
"What?" Jan asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Well it might as well be Armageddon withrrrrr rrrauwwwrt...." I started to say, but thanks to the morphing process my mouth mutated into something that couldn't form human speech. I would have to use 'thought-speak' in a moment....
I slipped out of my bonds and out of my chair. I wanted to stay...to prove to Jan what I really was, and tell her the truth. But this was an emergency.
Sorry Jan.
By now Jan knew what I was doing, what with the beak forming and feathers growing and my arm shifting into the shape of a wing.
"YOU!.......I KNEW you were running away!" Jan yelled as I hopped towards the window.
Technically, I'm not running away, I'm FLYING. And I'm sorry, but I'm not trying to get away from you, but, believe it or not, I have a job to do! I fluttered away into the night, now fully an owl with the good night vision I would need to see but lacking the speed that I would also need. But I should be fast enough to catch up to wherever the animorphs went.
Jan swore again and fired several random shots from her rifle into the air. Some barely missed me, others were fired so lousily they were mile off.
"Come back here, you crappy SLUG!" Jan yelled as she emptied out her sidearm, running outside to catch me.
But, you know....someone should really wash your mouth! I said finally as she ran towards where I was heading.
But I had more important things to worry about.
Like the seed-sized bug-fighter I saw with my owl eyes not too far off in the horizon, above me.
does. Praise her for Marco, Tobias, Jake, and the rest of them
animorphs!!!!!!!!
I spent all night looking for her. But I had to eventually give up and go home.
Home. She saw me morph. If she was a controller, there would of been an ambush at my home.
I snuck in and looked around. Dad was studying on his computer.
"Hi Marco."
"Hi Dad."
"How was your date?" He grinned.
No yeerk ambush. No army of hork-bajir. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"It was okay."
"Just okay?"
"Dad it was fine! Nothing happened."
Dad returned to his work. I collapsed on my bed.
About 11.30 Jan's parents called.
"Yes. Marco's here. yes. Okay, I'll get him. Marco!"
"Yeah?"
"It's Jan's parents. Jan's missing."
I took the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello Marco. Jan's missing." It was her mother.
"I heard."
"Do you know where she went?"
"Um, no, but she took off. I looked for her." I had to lie. "I thought she would of went
home."
"Do you know why she took off?" Jan's mother asked.
"No. Um, miss, I heard Jan was going to visit her Aunts this weekend." I could at least be a bit helpful.
Jan's mother was silent for a moment. She sounded confused when she answered.
"My sister in law, Jan's only Aunt, has been missing for a year."
That gave me a surprise.
"Are you sure that's what she said?" Jan's mother asked.
"Quite sure. I'm sorry."
"You don't know where else she might be?"
"No. No idea."
Jan's mother winced. "Okay. But if you hear from her, tell us, okay."
"Sure."
I hung up.
I told Jake Jan was missing, and how Jan's Aunt had been missing for a year. Jake didn't sound happy. I hung up and went to bed. I could
barely sleep. my mind was spinning. Where was Jan? Was she a controller? Did this have anything to do with her lost Aunt?
I woke up next morning. Saturday.
I squinted in the sunlight. It was 6.15 in the morning. I put on my skintight clothing, opened the window, and began to change into and osprey.
My lips grew hard and solid like a nail. They pushed out to form a beak and my nose followed. My toes melted into four claws; three forward, one back, and scaly legs grew up my thigh and shrank my legs. I was glad no-one saw me like this, I had a beak with little chicken legs.
Feathers starting as some sketch on my skin popped out and covered my body. A tail shot out, I shrank entirely to osprey size, and finally, my arms turned to wings.
I hopped up and flew away, using the morning thermals to fly to Cassie's barn. We had to figure out what to do about Jan.
I landed and morphed out. Cassie and Rachel were there already. We waited a while for Jake and Ax to turn up. Tobias, according to Ax, was hunting. So Ax had to morph into his odd human form. Erek also arrived. Jake updated everybody around.
"So would Jan have anything to do with her Aunt?" Cassie asked.
"Why would she? We don't even know if she's a controller, if she isn't, she'll be on her own. If she is, why not tell the controllers here?" I asked.
"I don't think she's a controller. She saw you morph. You didn't end up facing a hork-bajir army last night." Cassie pointed out.
"You looked out for me! How kind of you!"
"Don't mention it." Cassie replied dryly.
"So she's on her own." I sighed. I felt even more sorry for her.
"Or is she?" Erek started to speak up.
"Oh wait! Erek going to say something!" I teased. Rachel pushed me.
"You know who her aunt is?" He asked.
"No." I shrugged.
"Better look her up." Jake said.
"No need." Erek said. "Already looked her up."
"But I just told you what happened.." Jake began to say.
"I'm connected to the cheenet, remember? Another chee might have access to her name." Erek smiled.
"And?" I asked.
Erek cautiously created a hologram of what I presumed to be her. I shook my head. Never saw her.
Rachel was the one who recognized her. "I know her! She was that woman in that shack.....when I had amnesia, she thought I was a controller."
"So her aunt knows about the yeerks!" I said excitedly. "She could of told Jan, and Jan knows as well! She's free."
"Unless she went around trying to warn everyone of the yeerks." Rachel thought. My grin dropped.
"What about the uranium mines? Mine-suh? Uuuuuu rainum....wha-wha-wha?" Ax asked, interested in the words he spoke.
"It could be a good chance to stop the yeerks, but we can't let someone tell anyone who we are." Jake explained.
"So NOW she's more important." I couldn't help giving Jake an 'I told you so' look.
Tobias flew in then. Everybody! Don't freak or anything.....but Jan's just outside watching you. She's on her own, but she's spying on us.
I gave a quick glance at the window. I saw the top of Jan's hair.
This could be a good chance to try to talk to her. Ax used thought-speak for privacy.
I shrugged. Too late. Tobias said. She's just gone.
"Follow her." Jake ordered. "We'll catch up in a moment."
Tobias flew away. Everyone but Ax morphed into their different birds of prey. Ax morphed back to andalite first.
We soared away, it didn't take us long to reach Tobias. He flew over some abandoned building in the construction site.
She's in there. Tobias explained.
Someone had better go in, then. Jake said. No-one flew down. After a bit of a pause, everyone turned their hawk eyes at me.
Okay, okay! Geez, just because she's my girlfriend. I swooped down and landed behind a pile of that white chalky stuff you find when a house is getting built.
I grew up above the pile and immediately crouched while my arms melted back from chicken-wings and my eyes turned back.
Not knowing what to expect, but knowing Jan knew I could morph, I decided to morph something defensive. A fluffy grey tail shot out from behind. I fell on all fours. My head shifted it's shape and became a wolf's head. Fur grew over my body.
I trotted over to the building and crawled through a hole. I sniffed for her scent. Dumb, I didn't know which of all these smells were hers. I listened. I heard footsteps, and looked for the source. It stopped. I tried listening for a breath, but there were other things around. She could of been hiding and knew I could of heard her.
Jan? I called.
Look, Jan, I know how weird this all is to you. Please, let me explain!
Nothing.
I tried again. I know you think I'm a freak of nature, but there's a perfectly logical explanation.
I tried looking around. Nothing. Jan?
An osprey landed on a broken window. Cassie. Find anything?
Zilch.
There's a group of people headed here. We better go. Cassie said.
I headed off, taking one last look about. I thought I saw a pair of eyes, staring.
Come on, Marco, we'll try again later. Cassie said softly.
I morphed out and back into human. And headed home. Did some housework. We were supposed to meet up in the mall afterwards.
"I'm just going to the mall Dad."
"Did you put the clothes out?" My dad called.
"Yeah."
"Do you need money?"
"No, Dad, I'm fine."
"Okay...............You need a lift?"
"Sure."
I jumped into the car. It was a pretty silent drive. Aside from the radio yelling..."The vengabus is coming! We're gonna have a party!"
"Marco, you're okay that Nora and I got married, aren't you?" dad wondered why I had a long face.
"Dad, I'm happy for you, really. It's just............I wish Mum, my real Mum, that you and her could of stayed together."
Dad started to say something. But I went on. "But I know that you have to move on."
Dad let it go. We arrived at the mall. Dad dropped me off. I walked about where the others were supposed to meet and grabbed a box of skinless chicken from red rooster. Spotted Ax dragged off by Tobias and Rachel away from cinnabon.
"There you are......come on Ax you big kid!" Rachel yanked Ax towards a table.
"Bunzuh! Bunzuh!" Ax reached towards cinnabon.
"Not now Ax!" Rachel hissed. People were looking.
"A simple hello wouldn't of hurt, you know." I put down the box of chicken. Ax seemed to of settled for chicken started pouring it in his mouth. Bones and all. Rachel watched, eyebrow twitching. Tobias just looked embarrassed. Jake and Cassie came up. "Jake, help. It's a black hole!" I said indicating Ax.
Ax finished the chicken and licked the box. I snatched it off him and threw it away.
Ax started to behave. "Sorry."
"So Marco, Tobias, you were watching her, any sign of Jan?" Jake whispered.
"No. We should try looking inside that building again." I replied.
"Mind if we write off tonight?" Jake asked.
"Why? What if she's a controller.....?" I started to protest.
"Well she obviously isn't, otherwise Marco would of already caught up in an ambush." Jake said. "And we only have one more chance to blow up that refinery in space. Erek rang me up and he told me that they're going to use another mine in Italy. So it's either tonight or never."
I slumped down. Okay, one night, maybe one morning, shouldn't be too long. Surely it wouldn't hurt. It was only one night.
But it didn't feel right. I felt like I needed to stay with her, make sure she was alright.......
I decided to look occupied and look around seeing if anyone was listening in.
"S how are we going to blow it up?" Rachel asked.
"It's uranium, so all we have to do is mess around with their controls and trigger a meltdown and get out in time." Jake thought.
"How are we going to get on their ship?" Cassie asked.
"The ship that delivers the ore should be found above ground above the yeerkpool. We split up, look around for the ship, jump on, morph cockroaches and find a way to sneak inside." Jake suggested.
"Are you sure that is a good idea?" Ax asked.
"Can you think of anything else?" Jake asked back.
"So when do we start?" Cassie asked.
"Maybe we should tell our parents we're sleeping over someone's house again." Rachel supplied.
"So at four?" Cassie asked.
"About that." Rachel said. "Better go home first."
"Okay then, we'll meet up at the woods." Jake said.
We split up. I missed the next bus home. The next bus would come in half an hour. Might as well walk home.
I was going around the construction site, still thinking about Jan.
I didn't notice anyone following me.
About half a kilometre from the construction site, someone knocked me over.
I turned over, Jan stood over me.
"Jan?" I felt surprised, worried, and happy at the same time.
She grabbed me and I crawled away a bit. She got a hold of me and pulled me up.
She had a gun in her hand.
"Don't try anything smart. You do anything......" her voice trailed off.
Jan hid her gun. How she got hold of a pistol was beyond me. She pushed me lightly.
"Move it!" She growled.
I walked back in the direction she indicated. Back towards the construction site. In the building she went in earlier. Then through some hole and I found myself in what would of been a below ground carpark if the building was finished. It was blocked everywhere else. One entrance, the one I came through, had been grown over with tall weeds and half covered with rubble.
The other had a piece of metal and wire over it, the place was covered with graffiti.
Jan stood between me and the only open entrance, and gestured her gun at a seat.
"Sit." She ordered.
"You know I can morph, why........" started to say.
"Sit." She growled again.
She started to tie me up.
"I know what you are now." Jan smiled. "Don't try to morph out. You'll be vulnerable when you do. I can stop you."
"Oooookay."
"Don't try to escape." Jan pointed her gun at me again. "Not for another three days."
Three days?
She thought I was a controller?
"You think I'm a controller?" I asked her.
"Don't try to deny it. I'm not gonna let you get away."
"This was why you ran away?
"What do you expect? Me to just go back home after seeing you morph so you would have the perfect excuse to capture me and shove a yeerk in my ear like you did to poor Marco?" Jan asked.
"Jan, you saw me morph. Controllers aren't the ones who morph."
"There's only one controller who can morph. You're him." Jan smiled again. "And now I've got you. And now the power to morph wont be in the hands of the yeerks anymore."
Of all the yeerks, only one possessed the power to change shape. Visser three.
"You think I'm VISSER THREE!?" I burst out laughing. "ME? VISSER THREE?!"
"The one and only." Jan said.
I gave an exasperated look.
"Oh hell."
Jan thought I was Visser three.
"Oh hell."
I sighed. I have not been having a good day. But at least I knew that Jan wasn't a controller, and why she ran away. I mean, I was wondering? Was it my breath? Or my face? I mean I was half fly when she ran off. Maybe that was it.
And she thought I was Visser three. Well, I knew I looked disgusting being half fly. But calling me Visser three was going a bit far. I wasn't that disgusting.
"So what's for dinner?" I asked.
"Trying to distract me?" Jan asked back.
"No. It's just that I'm staying here for three days. I was just hoping I could just spend it in a bit of luxury. Staying in a penthouse, lobster for dinner............"
Jan rolled her eyes. "Well I'm so sorry this place isn't up to your standards. You'll just have to live with it. Oh, I forgot. You can't. You're going to die in about three days."
"Yeah, yeah, you think I'm a yeerk. Blah blahblahblahblahblah blah."
"You are a yeerk. Don't try to say you're not so you can get away." She warned.
"What if I'm not?"
"It isn't possible for you to be anything else. You morphed. I saw you."
"You haven't heard of any andalite bandits that happen to be the good guys, now have you? The ones who fight the yeerks with THEIR morphing power to save humanity?"
"Ann-dlight bandits? I have never heard of any ann-dlight bandits. Don't try to confuse me!"
Well, that explains it. Anyone could of been mistaken for a controller, like Rachel was when she had amnesia and Jan's aunt tried to burn her. Jan must of thought that I was a controller too. She had watched me. Whether it was before or after she had a 'crush' on me I didn't know. But she saw me morph. She only knew of one person who could morph; Visser three. And she didn't even know he was an 'andalite'.
But why should I worry? All I had to do was sit around for three days and twiddle my fingers. Boring, but it would prove to Jan that I wasn't Visser three.
"Okay." I finally said. "I'll just sit here like a good little boy and SHOW you that I'm NOT Visser three."
Jan nodded. But she looked troubled, like she was expecting different. Probably me putting up more of a fight.
"You're up to something." Jan finally said to me.
"Yeah, nothing!" I scoffed.
"You're not going to stay here at all, are you? You're planning to run off when my back's turned, and make it look like you were here all the time. Right. Well I'm not falling for that." Jan pointed her gun at me. "I'm not even letting you out of my sight!"
"Whatever." I shrugged indifferently.
Again Jan looked troubled. "I'm watching you." She warned.
I glanced outside, towards the sky. I wondered if Tobias or anyone else saw what happened to me. Was that one of them, that duck flying? Probably. But then they would be getting ready for tonight....
Tonight! I forgot! We were supposed to fly around and get on some ship and blow up this refinery. And I would be missing because I was, well, tied up.
Maybe the other animorphs would know where I was. Maybe they could just do this without me. Or they could be wondering where in the world I am.
But surely they could do one mission without me? But they didn't last night. I could escape if I tried, leaving Jan thinking I was Visser three. But still.............
Also I was missing from everyone else, from my father, from school. They would be wondering where I gotten to.
And for three days. And what if a controller noticed?
"Um, Jan. Mind if I ask you something?" I asked, getting the attention from Jan who was looking bored herself.
"You just did." Jan smiled.
I rolled my eyes. "Right. But I'm going to be missing for three days. Some controller is going to notice. They're gonna know I'm not one of the usuall people's on the missing list. They're gonna think someone tied me up for three days and think I'm a freed controller who knows more than he's supposed to."
Jan considered this for a moment. "Hey, you're right. Never thought of that, did I? Well, I'll just have to keep you around for a little bit longer. Just so it isn't three days. Then you'll just be plain old missing."
"Well, that answers that question." I thought out loud.
"But wait a second. You're the famous Visser three aren't you? All you're other yeerk friends are going to notice you're missing. They're going to do everything in their power to rescue you." Jan suddenly realized.
"Uh..." I started to say.
"Hmmmmm......" Jan thought. "Well, let's stuff the previous plan. It isn't going to work. They'll know that Marco and I know. We'll just stay away from them forever." Jan said. Them she looked dreamily upwards. "Marco and I, alone together. On the run from the evil yeerks. Some of the only ones who are left free on this planet. Working together risking our lives for each other."
"How romantic." I said apathetically. One of the last things I wanted was to be on the run.
"Of course you wouldn't care. Yeerk." Jan spat.
"And what about you?"
"Me?"
"Did you ever, you know...like me? Or did you just act like that to get close to me?"
"Believe it or not, I did like you. Or Marco, really. And I know Marco can hear this as well, but I might as well tell you, I've had a crush on Marco for ages. But then I started getting suspicious. You kept on running off. You seemed to be busy with something. Then I found out about the yeerks, and I figured that was why you were so occupied. You were one. Then I saw you morph...." Jan explained.
"I see." I said, moved by what she said.
Jan looked away. We were both silent for a long time.
Jan already brought along food for us both. We had an early dinner. I supposed Jan wanted me to go to sleep earlier, too. So I wouldn't be so much of a bother watching. But who said I would fall asleep? I glanced at the food. I started wondering maybe she laced it with some narcotic drug.
"There's nothing wrong with it." Jan said, reading my mind.
I shrugged. I didn't feel that hungry anyway. I glanced at the sky again. There was a mosquito flying around probably wanting to suck my blood. I shuddered.
"So." Jan started to say. "How did Marco become a controller?"
"I dunno." I shrugged again.
"Was he upset or something because his Mother died?" Jan prodded.
I gave her an angry look. "My mother's alive. She's Visser one."
Jan looked surprised. "Oh. I'm sorry." She turned away again and mumbled. "So that's how." I ignored her.
"How come you're the only controller with the power to morph?" Jan asked.
I didn't say anything.
"Was it like some weird yeerk genetic experiment or something?"
"You didn't believe me." I said.
"Okay, fine. If you want to keep on lying." Jan gave up.
"Sounds like you know enough about me already." I said.
"Well, I have been watching you." Jan replied. "After I learned about the yeerks."
"How did you learn about the yeerks?" I asked her.
"I'll be the one to ask the questions." Jan warned. But she told me anyway.
"I started going to the sharing. Just looking for a place to hang out. They made me into a controller." Jan shuddered. "I sneaked into one of those meetings the yeerks held there, and I was caught. But a short time later, my aunt, she was a freed controller, she got rid of it for me. The yeerk, I mean. I don't go to the Sharing so much anymore, the yeerks didn't seem to know the turned me into a controller in the first place. When I do go to the Sharing I do my best to stop them from infesting people."
"So you were a controller?" I asked, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
"Yeah." She nodded.
I was silent for a long time after that. It was already dark.
I kept on glancing outside, trying to see if the other animorphs were around, watching me or something.
"Expecting someone?" Jan taunted. "A troop of controllers out looking for you?"
"Not quite."
"Still pretending to be a normal, everyday, human?" Jan asked.
"Who says I'm trying to act like a normal, everyday, human? I'm TRYING to act like an abnormal, not-so-everyday HUMAN."
"But you're not even that, are you?"
"Yes I am."
"Why keep up the pretense? I know what you are." Jan asked.
"No you don't. And I'm not pretending I'm anything. I'm here tied up for three days to prove to you I'm human." I pointed out.
"You're bluffing. You're just saying you are so I'd believe you and let you go before the three days are up." Jan pointed her gun at me again.
"Oh fine. Don't believe me then. I'll just prove to you I'm not Visser three the long way."
"You're so stubborn!" Jan scowled.
"You're the one to talk." I said back.
"You still believe you can convince me to let you go." Jan crossed her arms, still holding the gun.
"Nope. Given up." I smiled.
"So you're going to admit it? That you're Visser three?" Jan raised an eyebrow.
"No. 'Cause I'm not. But since you won't listen, since you believe that you're always in the right and can't accept the fact that maybe you're wrong, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. No point." I explained.
"You're just a yeerk! You can morph, but you're a yeerk! You can't fool me! All that you're ever saying to me is a lie! All you want is to get away. All you want is to TRICK me! I'm not listening to a word you say because there's no way I can trust you!" Jan started to yell.
"You're paranoid." I advised. "Take a chill pill, okay?"
"I AM NOT PARANOID!" Jan pointed a finger at me. "THE YEERKS ARE OUT THERE, AND YOU ARE ONE OF THEM!"
"You IDIOT! That all you are going to believe! You think that you're the one that's always right? Well you're wrong! All you ever listen to is yourself! You think you know everything that's going on, don't you?" Now I was starting to yell.
"SHUT UP!" Jan cried. "How can I be wrong!? I liked you, Marco, And you changed! And I know why! I know what's going on now! And I know what you're up to!"
"YOU KNOW NOTHING!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.
Jan pulled back in shock. Her fists clenched and her face grew slightly more angrier under the tears. She stepped towards me.....
TWACK!
"Owww.." I groaned. If only I could touch my now sore face were Jan hit me. But my arms were restrained.
Jan turned away and swore. "I know you!" She hissed.
My eyebrow twitched. Even my famous sense of humour couldn't calm me down. Why wouldn't she just listen to me? I turned away and glanced at the window once again. It was night time already. A clear, warm night. I tried to admire the stars. But in the east horizon there was a star, moving, bright....brighter...a flash!
It filled the night with light like a strike of lightning would, but more eerily as the sky was clear.....more like a flash of moonlight.
I gaped at the flash. What was it? Oh.....I forgot about what me and the other animorphs were supposed to be doing tonight. After all that had happened, I forgot.
I seemed that they went without me anyway. Did they know where I was? I remembered Cassie saying she'd keep an eye on me just in case Jan was a controller....they wouldn't of gone without me otherwise, not knowing what was up.
The flash was starting to die down. Did the others make it out of the refinery safe? What happened? I had better find out.....
I turned and looked at Jan. She was gaping at the flash too....Eyes wide. She then turned to look at me.
"What....what was THAT?" Jan asked, slightly more nervous.
We just stared at each other for a moment wondering.
"Well we had better follow it towards the east and find the baby Jesus like good little wise men. Hm?" I smiled at Jan, indicating where the flash was dying down.
"What?" Jan asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Well it might as well be Armageddon withrrrrr rrrauwwwrt...." I started to say, but thanks to the morphing process my mouth mutated into something that couldn't form human speech. I would have to use 'thought-speak' in a moment....
I slipped out of my bonds and out of my chair. I wanted to stay...to prove to Jan what I really was, and tell her the truth. But this was an emergency.
Sorry Jan.
By now Jan knew what I was doing, what with the beak forming and feathers growing and my arm shifting into the shape of a wing.
"YOU!.......I KNEW you were running away!" Jan yelled as I hopped towards the window.
Technically, I'm not running away, I'm FLYING. And I'm sorry, but I'm not trying to get away from you, but, believe it or not, I have a job to do! I fluttered away into the night, now fully an owl with the good night vision I would need to see but lacking the speed that I would also need. But I should be fast enough to catch up to wherever the animorphs went.
Jan swore again and fired several random shots from her rifle into the air. Some barely missed me, others were fired so lousily they were mile off.
"Come back here, you crappy SLUG!" Jan yelled as she emptied out her sidearm, running outside to catch me.
But, you know....someone should really wash your mouth! I said finally as she ran towards where I was heading.
But I had more important things to worry about.
Like the seed-sized bug-fighter I saw with my owl eyes not too far off in the horizon, above me.