Disclaimer: Rights to Animorphs and its respective characters belong to the respective parties.

Warning: Just remember, higher-than-likely chance that things may be lifted directly from the text without warning, scenarios imitated, battles poorly written.

[~.~.~]

A/N: Up to Book 10, The Android

[~.~.~]

My brother and I stood by the stream, drinking. There was still a slight bit of hostility from my brother. It wasn't from anger, mostly, but confusion. Why, he must be thinking, did I want him to spend time with the humans?

Would it be wrong of me to say it was because I wanted Aximili to stop following me like a, as the humans say, lost puppy? Please, someone, just take him so I can have a few hours alone. Anyone, that is, except the Yeerks.

My official answer was that Aximili had to learn about Earth from the natives. He still seemed to think Earth was the ultimate death trap, was arrogant about the planet. That angered me, but I knew it was because I had a fondness for this world. And I couldn't expect him to understand the beauty of Earth.

So I had asked the children if they would take him around the city, just short of ordered Aximili, so I could have the afternoon without a little brother shadow.

Apparently, as the birds of prey descended, I had made a mistake.

‹What is the matter?› Aximili asked, mostly to me, but loud enough that the children could have heard.

‹What's the matter?!› Marco screeched. ‹What's the matter! I'll tell—›

Thankfully, he crossed over the thought-barrier limit. Marco hadn't mastered the ability to screech in a way that was pleasing to my nerve-plexus.

‹What is wrong?› I sighed when their mouths appeared. Aximili looked a cross between worried and angry.

"It's what he did!" Marco exclaimed, pointing as the last of the feathers disappeared at Aximili. Aximili's head reared back, angry and, I saw, nervous, as his eyes quickly turned towards me.

‹What did he allegedly do?›

"He messed with my dad's computer!"

I tilted my head, confused. Aximili had reported what he had done yesterday, and he made much of mocking the computers. I made vow to myself to never tell him of my involvement in the budding computer industry all those years go, in case he should decide the current level should reflect on me.

‹I just played the game, Elfangor,› Aximili said, defending himself.

"Game?! What game?!" Marco yelled.

I was confused. And then, I groaned and closed my main eyes. ‹Aximili, what sort of game did you play?›

‹It was a primitive Cayilli on signaling energy,› he said warily, but still defensive. ‹There were many errors.›

For a minute, I stared. Then I chuckled, laughed. I couldn't help it. It was beyond hilarious.

"Ummm … Elfangor?" Rachel said, sounding like she thought I had lost my mind.

‹I am fine. I had forgotten what human computer programming looks like. I should have warned my brother.›

‹You mean I … it wasn't a game?› Aximili said, worry growing.

"No, it wasn't! It was my dad's work!"

"His dad is going nuts over it," Jake explained. Aximili had a quick look of confusion at the term, and he probably would have asked how "delicious nuts" were involved if he had had time.

Unfortunately, Marco took over. "Dad says you might have opened a whole new branch of computer software, as well as for astronomy. He showed it the guys at the observatory and they're going bananas over it!! They're losing it, taking about Nobel prizes and papers and science stuff. My dad thinks you're the next Einstein, even when I said you were a complete idiot!" he snapped to my brother.

"Marco," Cassie scolded, and I frowned. Aximili seemed to pale.

‹That is enough, Marco. Your father works at the Observatory, currently?›

Marco nodded.

‹What was the program used for? Originally.›

"To aim a radio telescope or something, I don't know," he answered, flippant but frustrated.

I thought about this, then about what Aximili said he thought the "game" was about. My eyes widened. ‹Oh my.›

"What?" Tobias asked.

‹We could contact the homeworld.› I was stunned at the realization.

Aximili gasped. ‹I transferred technology?› he whispered, horrified.

"This is great!" Marco exclaimed, a great turn-around from his previous stance. "You can tell the rest of the Andalites to get the butts here!"

The children all grinned at each other, while Aximili looked sick.

"Of course, the Yeerks will know an Andalite made the software," Rachel added.

Yes, this I realized as well. ‹It does them good to be correct a few times, I suppose,› I sighed. ‹Return home. We'll take care of this.›

Soon, the children were gone, and Aximili whirled. ‹I … I didn't know, Elfangor!› Instead of the aristh he was trained to be, he sounded like the little brother, the young child he was. Scared.

I smiled. ‹Pay it no mind. Some good will come of it.›

‹But I broke the law!›

I gave him a look. ‹In comparison, I think I'm the one the High Command will be more upset with.›

Aximili looked surprised. Obviously he had forgotten about my action in breaking Seerow's Kindness, probably because he was daily confronted with the fact and it lost its shock. Then he looked ashamed. ‹Oh … yes, I'm sorry. I …›

‹As far as the High Command will know, you did not break the law,› I said.

‹Really? You would hide this from them?› He sounded amazed. I do not know if it was at the idea of keeping something from the High Command or that it was me who would keep quiet. I hoped it was the former.

‹What they don't know won't hurt them.› Or you, I added quietly. Or me. ‹Now, tell me what you did.›

[~.~.~]

The observatory was on the coast. It wasn't yet operational, but there were a few cars in the parking lot.

Aximili was silent. Since yesterday, he had been quiet, no doubt silently panicking that he had broken the law. If only he knew how often many of our laws are broken, but I would not tell him that. It would only make him feel worse.

He followed me as we dove inside an empty office. I started demorphing and Aximili did so as well.

‹Are you sure this is safe?› he asked.

‹No, of course not. But I would rather be Andalite than human here, where Yeerks might be.›

We walked across the floor to the main observatory. I heard Aximili slipping slightly, as he was unfamiliar with just how to step on these sorts of floors.

‹Keep a lookout,› I said needlessly, going over to the computer. I quickly disabled the computer's security. In short order, I arranged the program to make the necessary requirements to send signal. ‹There.›

I looked over at Aximili, who was standing nervous. I gave him a small smile before I initiated the communication. And when the sour-puss expression on the Andalite's face appeared, it was almost a pleasing sensation.

‹Who is – Prince Elfangor?!›

I almost winced. It is bad enough the Yeerks all know me, that I am some sort of idol to the civilians on my world. I do not need fellow warriors being awed. ‹Yes. May I ask whom I have the honor of addressing?›

‹I am Ithileran-Halas-Corain, assistant to the Head of Planetary Communications, Prince Elfangor,› he said quickly. As if he didn't introduce himself fast enough I'd be upset.

‹Yes. As you are no doubt aware, I'm making this transmission in an unauthorized manner, so time is of the essence. To report: the Dome ship GalaxyTree has been destroyed. There is only one aristh and myself who have, to my knowledge, survived. There is currently a Blade ship of Visser Three in orbit, several hundred, perhaps thousands of Yeerks, numerous bug fighters, and a variety of weapons.›

‹Earth is lost?› he asked.

I frowned. ‹It will be if reinforcements are not sent immediately. The whole reason the Dome was lost was because our information was negligent in the actual situation!›

‹Prince Elfangor –›

He was suddenly pushed aside and was replaced by the Head of the Council. I stood straighter. Great, Lirem-Arrepoth-Terrouss, the most … no I cannot say it. It is most impolite and shouldn't be said by decent warriors.

Who am I kidding? The old goat was a braggart, an arrogant, blind, idiotic, pompous, hypocritical, the most egotistical –

‹Greetings, Prince Elfangor.›

‹Sir,› I bowed. ‹This is a honor.› I crossed my fingers behind my back. It was a stupid human custom that I did even when I returned to my true life. It made me feel better when I lied.

‹I am sorry to hear of the lost of the ship –›

I interrupted. Rude, yes, but I didn't like the Head of the Council, and I had to speak. ‹Sir, we have little time. About the reinforcements.› I heard Aximili draw a deep, startled breath. Interrupting Head of the Council is not normally done.

‹How are you communicating with us?›

He was changing the subject. Not good, especially since he was questioning superficial things when there were more important ones to be discussed. It was like Lirem, what I understood of him from other warriors speaking. He was, if anything, a master of redirection. While it might be needed to calm the People, I did not appreciate it. ‹Minor alternations to some unused human equipment. Easily removed.› It won't be considered not breaking the Law if they were merely led to think we were using things humans didn't have access to. That is called salvaging, which is perfectly acceptable, provided, of course, other species don't get the salvaged bits. That should save Aximili from any danger of being in trouble. As for my own breaking of the law, I would merely admit to it later. Now wasn't the time. ‹The reinforcements?›

His nostrils flared. ‹I apologize, Prince Elfangor, but we have, as you are aware, limited resources. We can't --›

‹So you are proposing to give a billion hosts for the Yeerks?› I said with barely constrained anger. ‹A planet filled with natural resources? Yes, that will help us win the war.›

Lirem narrowed his eyes. ‹I understand this is a difficult situation for you, but our forces are spread thin. Our reports --›

‹Didn't even indicate there was a Blade ship in orbit!› I snapped. ‹Let alone the Blade ship of Visser Three!› Had we been warned there, I am certain we would have fared better.

He straightened. I knew Lirem was not in the habit of being spoken to like this, though, honestly, I had the unfortunate habit to speak so when angered. Blunt and to the point, yes, but there isn't always time for politeness. And Lirem, though he was old and a veteran of many battles, was not nearly as great as rumor would have it. He was enlisted when my father had been, during the times of peace. Yes, he fought the Yeerks, but hardly turned the tide. He had been an advisor. He used his scars to give the illusion of greatness, but now … now he was on the Council.

That told me what he thought of being a warrior. I could not even pretend to respect him.

‹Prince Elfangor, I believe you forget yourself.›

‹No sir, I know exactly who I am! I am the one leading a band of children against Yeerks! I am the one who organized the destruction of the ground-based Kandrona, dealt with three separate Yeerk ploys to gain access to important humans as well as a creature they engineered to find and capture anyone morphing – and if other Yeerks use such a creature, it is vulnerable to water – and am surviving—no, hiding on a technology-defunct world waiting for help! I am leading the only resistance to Yeerk in taking this planet, its people, its resources!›

‹These inhabitants of Earth are not Andalites. It might hurt to see people taken. I understand. I was an advisor to the Hork-Bajir --›

It was out of my head before I could stop it. ‹Yes, and the Yeerks certainly are benefiting from that!› Aximili sucked in another deep breath, and I saw all of his eyes staring at me in shock. I signaled him to look around, and he quickly regained his focus.

Lirem stepped back as if I struck him.

I didn't apologize, and I didn't give him time to tirade against me. ‹The Hork-Bajir were the Yeerks' best acquisition yet, their shock force! And you want to give them the humans? Whose numbers are a million times more numerous? Yes, humans are not as useful as Hork-Bajir in battle, but they can work controls, breed obnoxiously fast, and can live in more environments than many other species. And you're going to advise -- ›

‹Elfangor! Someone is coming,› Aximili said quickly, and the thought echoed over the communication.

I looked the Head of the Council. ‹Send help.›

And I ended the transmission, ordered Aximili to leave, and quickly sent the spare virus to erase the entire system – cruel to the humans, yes, but hopefully they would blame the action on the new software – before rushing after Aximili back the way we back. I shut the door and locked it even as I started to morph. Aximili was already in up in the window, waiting.

Just as the door was unlocked we were gone, up in the air, flying away.

Aximili didn't wait long. ‹I can't believe you spoke that way to Lirem-Arrepoth-Terrouss!› he whispered. Awe completely colored his voice.

‹It helps that we are over 50 light-years away,› I said.

‹But to the Head of the Council! And the whole Council probably heard you!›

I laughed quietly. ‹They are probably used to reports of my opinion, Aximili. I admit though, I should have been in better control.›

‹Yes. It was the Council!›

‹There is that, and the fact when they learn I gave the children the morphing ability, they will want to get back at me.›

‹They would use that as an excuse?›

I sighed at his naiveté. ‹They are only mortals.›

We flew in silence. ‹Do you think … will they send help?› he asked timidly.

‹Eventually. But not soon enough. But I won't let the Yeerks take this world, not while I live.›

‹It is a nice world,› Aximili agreed carefully. ‹Perhaps if the Council knew about Cinnabons, they would act quicker.›

‹Yes. A most valuable resource,› I said in the ultimate deadpan, but I had to smile on the inside at my brother's comment. If the inhabitants of this world did not soften him, the food certainly would.

‹Indeed.›

There was the aura of hopeful silence between us. Finally, I said serenely, ‹Perhaps we shall go to the mall today.›

‹I think we should.›

I smiled in my form. ‹Come along, let's not dawdle.›

Aximili suddenly appeared in front of me. ‹Indeed.›

I laughed and focused, planning to show him how a true pilot flew.

[~.~.~]

I kept my meeting with Loren a secret, even from my brother, even from my son, though Tobias of course did not know our true relationship. I longed to tell him, but was unsure how to broach the subject.

I had to lead the group of children, of Animorphs, what they called themselves, though never in my presence and they probably thought me ignorant of the silly name. My brother, Aximili, even after a month on (the surface of) Earth, still did not understand how I could have dared to give them the morphing ability, but he no longer questioned me about it. I perhaps spoke too harshly to him. I did not care. I was not going to leave Earth defenseless, and despite the propaganda my brother believed, two Andalites were not going to make a very big difference.

Aximili, I think, resented my treatment of the human children, though the emotion seemed to slowly be lessening. Even still, I could tell he thought I was too open with them, too kind. He no doubt was jealous, since I will not deny that I was not nearly so strict a Prince to the humans as I was to him, a true aristh. It was not intentional, and he probably forgot that if we had been on a ship with other Andalites, I would not be giving him nearly so much leeway as I was now – I was letting myself be more a brother than a Prince to him. Perhaps it was an unconscious desire on my part, but I saw no true reason to follow the bounds on decorum on Earth with my little brother, to not allow myself to know him.

Still, while my treatment of my brother was favorable, there was an obvious difference in how I treated him as to how I treated the humans, especially of Tobias. Yes, I admit it, I favored my son, though not as much as I would have liked. Indeed, I doubt any casual observer would notice that much of a difference in my actions to any of them. However, Tobias liked me, visited me almost every day, and I welcomed it, took part in the casual conversations. I knew his actions were to avoid returning to his home, to his uncle. Perhaps my brother did not sharing my attentions, because Aximili's resentment was tangible to me. Part of me thought that I may have to tell him to truth so that he would, if not accept, understand.

It was another conversation I was avoiding.

I hadn't ignored one conversation, an idea I thought up because of my meeting with Loren.

"You're going to buy a house?" Jake asked. He had, by this time, become the unofficial leader of the human children, the one who would speak their concerns to me. I did not think they needed him to act the capacity, but he did it and I would not remove him.

"How?" Marco added.

‹Human finances are easily created and obtained. I have already accumulated approximately $945,000 in a savings account at the local bank,› I said dismissively.

This surprised them. My brother merely looked unimpressed, ignorant of how money was usually obtained and the value of the amount I had accumulated in so short of a time. He was not in favor of purchasing a house, though he would not question me in front of the humans. It was a concept so alien to his Andalite mind that he might have thought me mad.

"Again, how?" Marco repeated, interested.

I looked speculatively at him, understanding the inner workings of this human's mind. ‹I have merely tapped into several companies that make many transactions, among other things. Stocks, of course.›

"You want to make us an account? For college, you know, in case we actually beat the Yeerks and everything."

‹Yes,› I said dryly. ‹For college.› I let the skepticism color my voice without restraint.

"Marco, I don't think he's buying it," Jake smiled.

"Pity, though," Rachel said speculatively. "That's like a full degree at some places. Marco'd never have a chance getting in there. None of them have majors in Video Games and Comic Books."

"Why are you getting a house?" Tobias asked, very interested.

‹For all of you, of course,› Aximili said disdainfully.

‹Yes,› I said, giving him a small frown of disapproval as well as concern, for I wondered if he thought I was doing this so I would not be by him. Perhaps I would have to look into this. ‹Instead of meeting in Cassie's barn or at public venues, this would offer a safe location to meet, discuss plans, practice morphs, and, as humans say, chill out.›

"Yeah, in a big, empty house," Marco said sarcastically. "What fun."

‹Well, I had planned to purchase a full entertainment system and furniture for your use as well, but if you believe you would have more fun in an empty house, I do not mind.› I smirked.

Cassie smiled. "That's very nice of you."

"Nice?!" Marco countered. "Elfangor, man, I love you. Adopt me, please!"

‹I am sorry, Marco. You are not what I am looking for in a son.›

‹Like Andalite,› Aximili muttered snidely so that only I could hear him, and part of me winced as I unconsciously looked at Tobias.

"Keep me on retainer, then!"

Rachel smacked him on the head. "Shut up!" She looked at me. "So you're just going to buy everything? Do you even know how?"

‹Of course he does!› my brother defended.

"She didn't mean it like that, Aximili," Cassie said calmly. "It's just that buying a house is very difficult and time-consuming."

I nodded, remembering when Loren and I had bought our first, and only, house. That had been a nightmare.

"Not to mention getting all of the furniture," she continued.

"And no offense, but I doubt you have any sort of idea what humans put in their houses," Rachel added.

Well, what I pick may be out-dated, but I was pretty sure I could manage. However, I said, ‹I was hoping you would assist in choosing the furnishings and home. My only requirement is that it be near the outskirts of town, as Cassie's is.›

"We'd get to decorate your house? Buy whatever?"

I smiled. She was such a shopper, our Rachel. I would not deprive her of the fun, especially since I had considered prolonged shopping tantamount to Yeerk torture. ‹Within reason. We shall not need a trampoline or pool, despite what some may state. And I will give final approval.›

"Deal!"

Marco snorted. "Rachel's in heaven, now."

"I get this. You're making us do the dirty work, shopping," Jake added, smirking.

‹My brother and I do have a two hour limit,› I said innocently. ‹I have already determined three homes that I find satisfactory and have spoken with realtors. I merely require all of your input,› I said, looking pointedly at Aximili with my main eyes.

"You don't dawdle, do you?" Cassie whistled.

‹We may look at these locations at your convenience. I must also purchase a vehicle.›

"You're going to buy a car?" Jake gasped.

"Well, I insist on helping you pick out a car," Marco volunteered enthusiastically.

‹Thank you, but I have already chosen two vehicles that will suffice. I merely have to purchase them.›

"What'd you pick?" Jake asked over Marco's disappointment.

‹There will be a minivan to transport all of us, and I have purchased a grey mustang as well.› No sense waiting on that, in my opinion.

"You're getting a MUSTANG?"

‹Yes, Marco. A 1974 grey Mustang. I … enjoyed driving it very much.› I would have tried to find a yellow one, similar to the one I drove on the Taxxon world and when I lived on Earth, but deemed it unwise. Visser Three may recognize it.

"Elfangor, if I live long enough, please, please, please allow me to drive this car when I get my permit. Hell, this weekend. I've got – I mean, I'm great on this video game, you know. Highest scorer," Marco begged.

No. Marco would not touch my Mustang. Ever. I remembered his driving abilities – or lack thereof – when we had to deal with the Veleek. And I wasn't the only one.

"And you're totally not great in real life!" Tobias shuddered.

"I got better!" Marco defended.

"Yeah right. And you know that game? Isn't that the game where you're supposed to chase, and you crash and burn and die?" Jake asked. Marco scowled. "Repeatedly?"

"We won't have to worry about the Yeerks with Marco on the road," Rachel pointed. "Of course, I don't know if he can reach the pedals."

"Probably why he had so much trouble," Cassie said pragmatically.

"Hey!" Marco protested while the rest snickered.

I smiled at the teasing. ‹In any case,› I said, interrupting, ‹I wish to finalize the purchase by the end of the month, after the dreadful escrow,› and dreadful is merely the polite description, ‹and to have whatever building chosen to be completely furnished by the end of next. It must look lived in, of course.›

"Won't it be odd if they never see anyone going in and out of it on a regular basis?" Tobias asked. "You're not actually going to live there, I mean. Are you?"

‹I will be present enough so questions will not be asked. I shall concoct a reasonable profession and history.›

"But it will be a lot of money. Monthly bills and everything," Cassie said.

‹I will manage.›

[~.~.~]

It certainly started to be important to find a home, since the Yeerks decided to try to hunt us by logging the woods. It was utterly disgraceful that they would do such a thing, ruin a beautiful forest. But, then again, they are Yeerks, who have little sense of decency or morals.

I realized it was the Yeerks by, aside from the force fields and sentries and whatnot, the name – Dapsen. Wasn't quite as funny as before.

Aximili was worried, unsure of what to do. They didn't cover this sort of thing at the Academy. Of course the Yeerks had to be stopped, but how? I wasn't sure just yet.

"It is a logging company," I explained to the children as we sat in the park, before licking my ice cream cone. Then I pressed the scoop back centered with my fingers. It'd be nice if they could make a triple scoop that didn't risk falling apart with each lick.

"But it's a national forest!" Cassie exclaimed.

I didn't understand why such a thing would matter, why it made some forests okay to chop down and others not.

"So what do we do?" Jake asked, dribbling the ball and trying to keep it from Marco.

"We have to stop them!"

"Yeah, obviously," Marco said. "Oh, and he misses! But how?"

I shrugged. "But we have to do something soon."

Aximili tried swallowing his large spoonful of ice cream. I thought it better he get a blizzard, because there would be no doubt that if he had a cone and the scoop fell, he'd happily eat the dirt-covered lump. "The force field doesn't go to the ground-duh, but to the debris. Something small could crawl under it. An insect or similar. Ar. There are insects in the building. Ing."

I beamed at how much better Aximili's speech was. I had started to lay down the law, as it were, about playing with sounds. I didn't mind the odd time, but it had to stop so attention wouldn't be drawn to us. However, I didn't like his suggestion. It wasn't because it was a poor one. I didn't want to try insects, because I didn't want to admit I couldn't do such small morphs. My translator chip was too old. Sometimes it would present no problem, but other times … it could be fatal. Aximili wouldn't have such a problem, because his chip was newer, over three times smaller than mine.

It meant there were some forms I couldn't join them in. Though it had never been an issue before, now I wished I had gotten a newer chip. I should have realized that just because I had never needed to morph such a small creature, eventually I might have had to.

"Perhaps we could even dig under the field. Some small creature that's not too tasty-looking. And can see at night." I looked to Cassie.

She tried to think. "There's mice and moles and chipmunks, animals like that, but we'd have to worry about owls and stuff. And I know a bunch of animals that can dig, like for insects and stuff, but I'm not sure if they could make a nice tunnel. I mean, we've got skunks and stuff."

"I've seen a skunk around. I've avoided it," I said wryly.

Aximili looked up. "What is a skunk? Is it dangerous? Us?"

"It'll merely make you wish you were dead, if you bother it," I said.

"Skunks are harmless," Cassie said.

"Umm, hello, skunks? The smelly things, right?" Marco called.

"They are! They're some of the friendliest animals around."

"Oui, madoiselle. Just ask Pepe Le Pew," Tobias said in a fake French accent.

"I always thought he was sort of cute," Rachel said, and it was possible she was joking. She laughed after she said it. "So skunks are all right."

"Cute. Yeah, that explains everything, why we can all love skunks," Marco said.

"Cute excuses a lot with girls," Jake said. "I think you know it, otherwise you wouldn't keep telling yourself you're, oh so cute. Two points!"

"Hey, dude, I am cute."

"Poor delusional midget," Rachel sighed.

I had finished my cone. "In any case, Cassie, if you could perhaps look up any animal that could be useful. I would rather have to use to use an insect, especially not one from a hive."

"Why not?" Tobias asked.

"Hives have queens, and the queen has a large pull on the rest of the colony. All of our other morphs have been autonomous, thus far." My hands were sticky, and I dug into my pocked for a napkin.

"So?"

"It will be a different experience." I paused, wiping my hands slowly. "For example, the Taxxons have a queen, or similar. Or had one. I don't know if it's still around. They called it the Living Hive."

"Then the Yeerks met it and they became BFFs," Marco said.

"No."

"I thought you said the Taxxons were Collaborators," Rachel said.

"Most of them are. But there are … were some that fought back. A hopeless cause, worse than ours. Anyway, the voice of the Living Hive, it was like planet spoke. Huge, massive. My head felt like it almost exploded. And all it did was say hello, more or less."

"You … you spoke with such a thing? Ing? When?" Aximili asked.

"I didn't speak with it. It spoke about me," I corrected. "And when … it was a very long time ago. The point is, at one time, Taxxons were basically insects. They evolved, and yet this giant Living Hive still could sound so loud in my head. And I was not even a Taxxon."

"If the Taxxons have such a thing, a queen, then how come they joined, even when she didn't want them too?" Jake asked, holding the basketball still.

"A Taxxon, while part of the hive, is still autonomous. But they must always combat a terrible hunger. Always. It is never-ending, always present. Hold your breath, and when your body starts desperately craving oxygen, that is what it is like. Except all the time. And imagine that you continue to not breathe, live with that feeling and drive that you must breathe. Their instincts … they are nearly impossible to fight against." A shudder went through me at the memory. "Even the Yeerk is helpless to stop the Taxxon body when there is food present. While the Living Hive didn't want its children to serve the Yeerks, the fact is that the Yeerks give Taxxons a supply of food to try to quell their insatiable hunger."

"You morphed one, didn't you," Tobias said.

I nodded. "Once. And I've promised myself I would never again. I cannot imagine living as such a creature." I closed my eyes and thought of Abron, forced to. I wondered if he was still alive. "Anyway, my brother and I will be going to the city offices."

"Why?" Jake asked.

"I don't know much about humans, but they need permits for everything. Buildings, hobbies, transportation. I assumed for this as well."

"They would," Cassie agreed. "They can't just chop it up, because that'd just draw news crews and cops and everything. The forest is protected."

"So we shall figure this out. All of you, have a good day. Come along, … Ax." I did not like the shortening of my brother's name, but I would have to use it. And I had to think of a good humanized name for him, where Ax would be an appropriate nickname. A nickname that would not require a long back story.

I had a feeling I was going to have to go to the bookstore and look through a book on baby names.

[~.~.~]

It was easy enough to get the records and permits for Dapsen Logging Company. There were lots of records, because Dapsen Construction was currently helping to rebuild the mall. Rachel would be pleased that the Yeerks were using their powers for a less-evil reason. (It was the mall.)

I was pleased that apparently there was no actual permission to destroy the forest, not at this time. There was a committee of three humans that had to vote on it. One had already nay and another, yay. (I noted his name and address as a possible Controller.) The last vote would be from a name named Louis Farrand. I noted his address. He had a very high chance of becoming a Controller.

Pleased with the information, I put the records back and went back outside. Aximili was still sitting on the step, happily eating the hotdog. I had given him ten dollars in ones and told him he could buy one at a time while I was inside. (It seemed wiser than risking him dripping ketchup onto forms. Besides, it was a lovely day. Both of us didn't have to suffer.)

"How many have you had?" I asked, grinning at the mess on his face.

"Eight." He beamed.

Shaking my head, I went to the vender and asked for one as well, before we started to walk. (The vender must have felt disappointed at the loss of his new favorite customer.) "Here, wipe your face," I said, handing Aximili a napkin. Then I took it from him and put in the trash receptacle we passed.

"What did you la-learn?"

Swallowing before I answered, I said, "Not much, honestly. They're not allowed to log, at least. They must get another vote of approval from a man named Louis Farrand. If we can get inside, we can examine their computers. I am hoping that we can upload a virus that could make us able to hack into their computer network from another computer."

Aximili appeared to think about it. "I don't think that would be too difficult."

I laughed. "I should hope not. The day one of them can out-program one of us is when we are truly lost."

"That is true."

"I should get around to getting a computer or three. After the house is bought, I suppose."

Aximili was quiet. "So there is another reason to purchase one, a house? I did not realize it could be so necessary."

I turned to look at him, curious at his tone. "We could manage without one, and I will admit, I am not too eager to live in a house. The forests are a saner choice."

"Yes, they are." Was it my imagination, or did my brother look relieved? While I had given a thought to the idea that he might have felt like I was trying to avoid him indefinitely, I had not thought it a serious concern.

"I do not expect you to move in," I continued, "though it would be best if I resided in the building more often than not."

"Why?"

"Humans expect homes to have someone inside. And it will make contact between the humans and us easier."

"Really? Well, I suppose human technology should be able to do that," Aximili agreed.

I laughed. "Yes, and the home will be very helpful in other ways. The others cannot always meet this way, out in woods or parks, where we still risk being overheard. And we would have a television and radio for news, and the telephone so the others could contact us. Plus, I can't keep sending everything to a PO box, especially if I'm going to get shipments." My lips quirked. "We would also have a kitchen."

"A kitchen? What is that?"

"The place where meals are made. It'd be nice not to have to visit the city every time I crave human food."

At that Aximili nodded a bit more forcefully.

"And I could at least get the motor vehicles I have chosen out of a parking garage. I know some are videotaped for security, and it would be too much trouble if all of us are seen together on tape."

My brother was quiet. "I should have been more supportive-tive about your decision, obeyed your orders without being so …"

"Obstinate," I supplied, internally laughing.

He blushed and said quietly, "Yes. I apologize."

"Well, rest assured, you are not the first under my watch that had been less than thrilled at my decisions. Though you are probably one of the less vocal."

"It wasn't my place to question," he said, still ashamed of his prior behavior, whatever his true reason.

"Ax, sometimes we need others to question our actions, to see the mistake we can't see by ourselves. But don't tell your other superior officers I said that. They'd have my tail." I touched his shoulder in a kind squeeze. "Still, it would be nice if you could trust me on the little things," I teased.

He tried to smile. "I am. It is just … is it always so easy?"

"What?"

"To … to … you do not look confused about anything here. Ear. You do not trip or play with sounds. Or let taste overcome you." Again he blushed.

Now I felt guilty. "I have had an extra month than you to grow accustomed." And several more years.

"Even still … if I were alone, I would not be like you. I would not think of such things, like purchasing a, a house or cars. Or getting money."

"Yes, well, that is where experience comes in. Cadets are supposed to be a little green. Clueless," I explained at his look.

"Are you ever scared?"

I laughed. "All the time. But I am no longer allowed to show it. And you become inured to certain things, over time. They are no longer terrifying, or as terrifying."

Aximili nodded, like he might have understood. Perhaps he did.

[~.~.~]

Cassie's response was so obvious that I nearly laughed when she said it. "Rabbits."

"I thought you were going to think of something that didn't get eaten by everything," Marco said back.

‹It will do. We have that morph.›

‹I don't,› Aximili said.

"Neither do I," Marco said.

"That's because you were a chicken and didn't join when we did," Rachel said sweetly.

‹Rachel!› I scolded with a force of sharpness they did not often hear from me. Even my brother flinched. After a very dark look – I have told her that I did not want it brought up anymore – I said calmly, as if I hadn't given any sort of reprimand, ‹Rabbits are easily captured, and I'm sure there may be a few in the Clinic.›

"We do have a buck," Cassie said.

"Since last I knew, a lot of things eat them," Marco repeated, though he did look pleased at my support. It was subtle, but I saw that Rachel's comment had hurt him.

‹Not all of us have to be rabbits,› I said calmly. ‹It would probably be best if we weren't. An owl, to act as surveillance for other predators.› I smiled at Marco. ‹A few other creatures.›

"So, we get through the force field using rabbits. Now how do we get in the building?" Jake asked.

‹It is a log cabin. A few squirrels or chipmunks, or a bug of some sort. The rabbit is only to dig a tunnel to get to the other side. It is much too big to risk the run across to the building.› I then gave a bit of a smile. ‹Of course, I do plan to give the Yeerks a bit of a distraction. They cannot avoid chasing an Andalite.›

"That's a good way to end up dead," Marco commented in a dry voice.

‹There are worse ways to die. Aximili can manage the computers, when you get inside, take care of the trace. Make sure it's good enough that it will transfer up to the ship, if possible.›

‹I'll do my best.›

I nodded. I knew he would.

"We should probably go bug, once we get in," Jake stated. "Flies. They can get in anywhere. Plus, they're smaller."

Yes, that did make sense. ‹Then you shall have acquire them.› They all gave each other a strange little look, and I rolled my eyes once I realized what it meant. Apparently they had acquired that form to do some mischief. ‹Or since you've already done so› – and I took pleasure in all of their even more guilty looks, and their fidgeting – ‹that will be one thing that you don't have to do.›

They were all silent for a moment, until Rachel spoke, "So, the plan is, one of us goes rabbit, digs a hole, the rest go fly, infiltrate this place, and all the Yeerks go running after you."

‹More or less.›

"Do you think it'd be better is maybe one of us acted as a distraction as well?" Tobias said. "I mean, less Yeerks chasing you is always better, isn't it?"

"The person in the rabbit, maybe?" Cassie suggested.

I was against putting one of the children in such danger, but it did seem a reasonable request.

"I'll do it," Rachel volunteered, before I had even given my approval.

‹Very well. A wolf would probably do. But being a rabbit won't be necessary. I will take care of that once it becomes dark, and my brother will act as guard. And if the Yeerks become suspicious, maybe I will allow him to pretend that he wants to eat me. Provided he won't kill me when he does so.›

‹I wouldn't!›

I merely smiled. ‹Come at three o'clock, tonight. We'll meet at the Clinic.›

"Come on, why can't we meet at my house?" Marco whined.

‹Will that make you feel better?› I responded.

He thought about it. "Well, it would mean I wouldn't have to wake up a half an hour early."

‹We'll meet at Cassie's. Fly there as owls. Oh, Cassie, you don't have to. You can just walk out.›

[~.~.~]

Aximili did not have to pretend to want to eat me. I managed to dig the hole with little trouble, thought I was careful so the hole was not too obvious from the Yeerk side of the field. It was the smallest it could be.

At the prescribed time, we flew to the Clinic. Cassie was outside, pretending to check on the patients. Rachel was there, human as well, pretending to spend the night. The boys arrived soon after us.

‹Fancy meeting all of you here,› Marco yawned.

‹I want you all to remember this is all very dangerous, so you must be careful,› I said rather needlessly. ‹After we get to the site, you will change into flies. I will guide you to the hole, if it is necessary, and you will go to the door. When once Rachel and I have drawn away and distracted the Controllers, you will get in. Work quickly and efficiently.› I looked at all of them. ‹Honestly, perhaps would be better if just Aximili and one of you entered.›

‹You mean I could have stayed in bed?› Marco whined, joking.

‹We'll be flies. We'll need all of us to find what we need,› Jake said.

I sighed, trusting their judgment. ‹It is clear for you to morph,› I said to the girls. Once they were done, we flew to the camp.

‹There is the tunnel,› I said. ‹Do you see it?›

After the affirmative, I told all of them to go to the ground and do their appropriate forms. Even as an owl, I had a bit of trouble seeing the small insects, but I managed to help guide them to the tunnel. I did roll my eyes when they reported that there was a window open and were going in – obviously the Yeerks put too much faith in their force field – so I welcomed them to find a computer room before flying to the ground next to the wolf and demorphing.

‹Are you ready?› I asked Rachel.

‹Totally.›

I shook my stalks at her but trotted to the opposite side of the compound. ‹Would you care to get their attention?›

She did, because she howled like they do in the movies. Spotlights were on us and I gave a mocking sort of salute to the Controllers.

‹Now we run?›

‹Yes.›

And we took off, Rachel giving a slightly insane laugh. I made a mental note to watch that human. She could become a liability.

We split up after a few hundred yards, and so did the Yeerks behind us. More followed me. I was forced to choose a certain less-cluttered path, because it was night and the moon wasn't that bright. My eyes couldn't see well. (Thankfully, neither could the Controllers, otherwise I would have been in serious trouble.) However, even though my vision was poor, I was faster, and I knew this forest reasonably well. It wasn't long before I lost them. In the distance, I could hear Rachel howling, drawing them to her, and I hope she knew when to stop doing that.

I started to go back, getting rid of the occasional Controller than wander too far away from his prescribed group. I paced back and forth, desperately waiting just outside the complex. In the shadows, Rachel soon trotted upon me, looking, if a wolf can look so, very smug. It wasn't a long wait after that, because in ten minutes, five wolves bolted from the place and into the forest. Aximili must have shut down the fields. Clever.

With the wolf noise, they caught our scent, and we ran to them.

‹I got the program set up, brother,› Aximili reported.

‹And that guy, Farrand, he's making a special trip out here,› Jake said.

‹When?›

‹End of the week.›

If he was making a visit, he probably wasn't a Controller, yet. But he probably would become one at that time. ‹Good job.› I looked at Marco. ‹And tomorrow, Aximili and I will meet at your house.›

‹What for?›

‹Because you were so disappointed when we met at Cassie's.›

‹Oh, ha.›

‹We'll need your computer. To hack into Yeerk mainframes.› I planned to have a bit of fun fixing their orders.

‹Will pizza bites be okay?›

[~.~.~]

I never let myself have enough fun, but I made up for lost time as I sent the most ridiculous things to the Yeerks and gave silly orders. Not too much, of course, because I didn't want to give them any idea that we could access their computers.

Aximili decided he would come by daily until we got our own computer, under the pretense to keep track of Yeerk activities, but I had a feeling it was more along the lines of emptying Marco's refrigerator. I allowed him to use the excuse that Marco's father already knew his human morph, that he wouldn't be too out of place if the parent should see him there. And meeting my brother daily might convince Marco's father that he wasn't as brilliant as creating such an important program might imply.

I chose a bit more a direct approach, dug out Henry Agincourt, and visited Mr. Louis Farrand.

I got his wife. She was a chatty human with a home perm and dye job. She was trying to be blond, but she missed the roots, and she told me to call her Cynthia. And it was possible her nails were claws in disguise.

"I don't know anything about this logging thing, but a national forest, you say?"

I nodded sagely. "Yes. I mean, it's such a beautiful place. I can't understand why. I thought, maybe if I spoke with your husband, he could perhaps tell me the real reason. I mean, it was all so sudden. I've tried asking others, but they won't talk to me."

She patted my knee, or a little above it. "Well, I'm sure Louis will be happy to answer all of your questions when he gets home, Henry."

"You're so kind. I don't mean to be such an inconvenience."

We made small talk, which actually consisted of me nodding and occasionally inching down the couch to get away from her patting hand. When I did talk, I made a point to exalt the virtues of the forest. She was an easily-led woman or willing to humor me. In any case, perhaps she could convince her husband of the proper way to vote. Wives have a special knack for getting husbands to bend to their will. (I learned that from personal experience, as it was how most of the furniture got picked.)

There was the sound of a car, and Mrs. Farrand rushed to the window, saying, "Oh, that must be Louis now!"

She almost sounded disappointed, which I thought was odd.

Farrand was inside and giving me a most suspicious look as his wife introduced me. He was an older human, growing bald. If I was in my Alan Fangor morph, he would have been shorter than me, but in this form he was even.

"Mr. Farrand, a pleasure to meet you," I said, holding out my hand. He reluctantly shook it.

"How can I help you, Mr. Agincourt?"

His wife took over. "Oh, Henry has been asking so many questions about this logging project, Louis. By the company Dashing –"

"Dapsen," I corrected. "I was just wondering if you could explain to me the reasons for the logging. I mean, isn't this for—"

"Henry tells me it's a national forest, Louis."

I nearly scowled at the woman.

"I mean, that sounds simply dreadful."

"Many forests and periodically cut, to promote new growth," Farrand said. "As well as to help the economy."

"So how much logging is going to take place?"

"That hasn't been determined yet."

"It's old-growth forest—" I said.

"They're very old trees," Mrs. Farrand said. She wasn't being very helpful, judging by the way Mr. Farrand was looking, and I realized I had to get her to go away. Or leave here.

"Perhaps you'd like to discuss this somewhere else, Mr. Farrand? My treat."

"Oh, dear! Henry is so—"

"Just Mr. Farrand, Mrs. Farrand. My … er, my wife thinks business and pleasure shouldn't mix. One side always gets short-changed, she says." Loren had never said that.

Mrs. Farrand looked like something had soured her mouth, before she sniffed. "Don't bother. Louis, dear, I just remembered I have an appointment at the salon. Have a good day, Mr. Agincourt."

While I didn't understand her change into attitude towards me, I was relieved when she left.

"You're married?" Mr. Farrand asked me. "You're not wearing a wedding ring."

I looked down at my left hand, then put it behind my back. Being caught in a lie probably wouldn't help me. "I married a long time ago. It doesn't fit anymore." I cleared my throat. "About the forest."

"What's her name?" He was suspicious.

"Who?"

"Your wife."

"L-Loren."

He looked at me, and I struggled not to fidget. After a very long, tense moment, he finally said, "Why don't you sit down and we'll talk."

"Thank you."

And so we talked about the logging project. I played the slightly pushy concerned citizen and tried to get him to promise to vote no. "Are you even sure you can trust the company, Dapsen?" I asked, slightly desperate.

"What about them?"

"I've heard some negative things about them, is all. Nothing concrete, but they're not very … friendly."

"I'll see for myself. I'm visiting the site tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" That was a surprise.

"Yes. It was supposed to be later in the week, but they asked for an earlier meeting."

I looked down and frowned. That meant they were desperate to start hunting for Aximili and me. We had to prepare to save this human. "You could just vote, no, now and save yourself a trip," I tried.

He gave me a small glare. "I will be visiting their operation."

"I see." A pause. There was nothing else to do here. "Well, I guess you've answered my questions. I do thank you for your time, Mr. Farrand."

"It was my pleasure. It always is nice to meet a concerned citizen. I will keep your concerns in mind, of course."

"Thank you. I guess that's all I can ask."

He showed me to the door. "Send my greetings to your wife." Again, another suspicious tone.

"I will. And … and it was a pleasure meeting you. Good day."

Walking away, I shook my head. Foolish human. He almost wasn't worth saving. The forest was though. And Aximili and myself, of course.

[~.~.~]

"Okay, do you have a mole in the Yeerks?" Marco demanded. "I mean, it's not even up on their computers yet."

‹He's coming tomorrow,› I repeated, carefully watching Jake's dog with one eye. I wished the boy hadn't brought the creature, because he was too curious of a creature, if you understand me. I nearly kicked him with a well-placed back hoof. Now the dog was hovering around his owner and giving me a curious, but leery look.

"So, what do we do?" Rachel asked.

"The Yeerks need Farrand to vote yes," Cassie said. "He's the key. He either votes yes or he's made a Controller."

"So, what? Are you thinking we should kidnap him?" Tobias asked.

"Show him the boys in blue, maybe," Marco said.

‹No.›

‹That wouldn't be wise,› Aximili agreed.

"Could we make the Yeerks look bad or something? Assuming they won't just make him a Controller," Jake said, scratching the dog's head. "Blatant disrespect or whatever? Get a dead bald eagle and pretend they shot it?"

"Sure, pick on the bald eagle," Rachel said.

"If they are doing illegal things, they would get shut down," Cassie pointed out.

"We could say they're clear-cutting to grow wacky tobaccy," Marco said. We all looked at him. "It was just a suggestion!"

‹What's wacky tobaccy?› Aximili asked.

"It's an illegal drug," Cassie said.

"Also called pot, weed, Mary Jane, grass, marijuana –"

‹Thank you, Marco. We'll keep it in mind.› I kept an eye on the canine as he left Jake's side and trotted off, examining the surrounding brush. He did start to go to Aximili, but my brother gave a small tail twitch that the dog noticed. Several of the children laughed.

We tried to think of a plan, but there didn't seem to be any that would work. I was reluctant to say what I had to, but I did. ‹We're going to have to wing it.›

"I love those kinds of plans! They usually have me screaming in terror," Marco approved.

"So no different than usual?" Jake replied.

"Actually, then we have planned screams of terror," Tobias said. "So it is different."

I looked heavenward and wondered, why me. ‹We don't know when Farrand is going to visit, so Marco will have to watch when the meeting going to be.›

"Great, now you've given Marco an excuse to sit on a computer all day," Rachel drawled. "Just what he needed."

"It'll give him a break from losing all those games," Jake said.

"Hey, I do not lose." But then Marco looked at me seriously. "You know, I expect better from you, Elfangor. And then you steal my strategy for writing papers."

"God, we're doomed," Tobias said.

"What he said."

I gave a small frown. They expected me to think of brilliant plans, but that is challenging and I've probably met my quota for the year, and my quota was never very high to begin with. ‹Short of leading a revolt of forest animals,› I said, sarcastic, ‹I haven't thought of anything. Do you have any suggestions?›

"How about flooding news stations?" Jake said. "Get everyone to know about it. Homer! Stay close!" The dog barked but seemed happy to dig in the brush.

‹Even if we could, that wouldn't help Mr. Farrand, not since he is coming tomorrow. Humans take too long to get interested and organized. No, I am afraid we will have to see what tomorrow will bring.›

"And what if we can't? What if we're too late and he gets taken or votes yes, anyway?" Cassie demanded.

‹Aximili and I will purchase the house sooner than later. We'll go deeper into forest, and then we'll just have to survive in the house.›

"But the forest—"

I consoled her. ‹It is not pleasing for me to think on, either, but I doubt it will go on too long. Humans will get interested and protest, and the Yeerks will not continue if they do not find us within a reasonable time. A month or two, at the most.›

Cassie was not pleased at such a forecast. Neither was I, but I had no choice if it came to that.

‹Is your dog detecting something dangerous?› Aximili asked, his ears twitching. ‹He is barking—›

And then the barking turned into a whine and the dog ran back. Close on his heels was one of the worst smells in the world.

"Homer, Homer, what's the ma—oh, jeez! I told you to stay close," Jake said as the canine whined pitifully. The children, either gagging or laughing, were stepping away.

"Oh, man, Homer got hosed!" Marco laughed, covering his nose.

I was already moving back, covering my nose as well.

‹Fascinating. That is possibly the worst thing I have ever smelled,› Aximili commented.

Jake was pushing the dog away, telling him to go home. Love for pets only went so far. "Man, my parents are going to love this," he groaned as Homer disappeared. "Homer coming home reeking of skunk. Oh, can we please move away from here."

I was already trotting several yards away.

‹I think that smell is causing me to become deranged. I might have to run away in a panic,› Aximili said.

"Take me with you," Marco gagged.

‹What caused that smell?› Aximili asked.

"That, Ax, was a skunk," Tobias said.

"I hope he doesn't get into my room," Jake said, looking off the way his dog had run.

"Just bathe him in tomato juice and leave him outside for a few days," Cassie said.

I snorted. ‹Only if you want a dog that smells like a Bloody Mary and skunk. Eh, I hate skunk stench,› I muttered, trying to wave away the smell.

"You sound like you've had personal experience, Elfangor," Rachel said.

I looked at her, slightly horrified at the idea. ‹Hardly.› But I had driven by skunks killed. One time one was hit on the street I had lived on and the city hadn't removed it for several days. And my neighbors had had dogs, who very stupidly decided to roll in it and then greet me after I returned from work. Do you know if you spill your drink on a skunked dog, it actually makes them smell, if possible, worse? (And I was not just highly sensitive, what some persons claimed!)

"Then how do you know?"

"Forget that – how do I deskunk my dog?" Jake countered.

Thankfully, my neighbors had had lots of experience with dogs that had met skunks. (My suit, I deemed better to just throw away.) ‹Take an unopened bottle of hydrogen peroxide, mix with some dish soap and one-fourth cup of baking soda. Let it sit for ten minutes on your dog before you wash it off.›

"That works?" Cassie asked.

‹Yes.›

"I'll have to tell my dad. He got sprayed one time and now he makes me handle all of them. We try to have some tomato juice around."

‹All tomato juice does is mask the smell. And not very well. The spray is made up of thiols, and the bonds are disrupted when you use an oxidizer and base, which eliminates the smell. Simple chemistry.›

"Right. Chemistry."

‹It does make sense,› Aximili agreed. ‹And the scent is a very formidable weapon.›

Marco snickered. "Yeah, formidable weapon. We'll fight the Yeerks waving skunk butts. That'll get them running."

‹It very well could. Hork-Bajir have a very sensitive sense of smell,› he said, dryly, probably missing the sarcasm. ‹As do Taxxons, but they are used to being around foul smells. And humans obviously do not like the smell. Or Andalites,› he added as an afterthought. ‹But it wouldn't be a very effective method of battle.›

"Would it?" Tobias asked suddenly. "I mean, right now? We could get them to postpone the meeting or something if we got that camp smelling of skunk. Maybe long enough for us humans to get organized and protest."

‹They will merely take the human and infest him in another place. I doubt they will wait on this,› I said.

"Farrand's the key," Jake said. "And if they're just going to make him a Controller, shouldn't we just nab him?"

"The guy's probably got a Yeerk with his name on it," Rachel agreed.

"Yeah. They're not going to leave it to chance," Marco agreed.

‹But they might persuade him and let him go,› Aximili said.

"But if they can't or don't, they'll take him," Rachel said. "So we nab Farrand when we can."

‹And then what?› I asked, reminding them of reality. ‹Keep him indefinitely? Where? And when we release him, the Yeerks will take him to find what he learned. And if Farrand goes missing, they will just appoint someone else in his place, someone who will probably already be a Controller. Yes, it will give us time, but not much.›

They realized the truth, which took some of the wind away.

"If they're going to bring Farrand into the camp, won't they have to shut down the force field?" Cassie asked.

‹Yes. Yes, they would.›

"We could attack then," Rachel said.

‹You do think of wonderful plans,› I said, growing annoyed. ‹Attack them.›

"Everything we've suggested you've turned down!" she said. "Face it, there are some things we can't plan for! So tomorrow, we'll go in and kick their butts."

I narrowed my eyes at her, at her tone and manner. ‹Then you are a fool. You are acting as if we need this forest, all of you! As if it is our last haven, our last stand. I have no more desire to see the Yeerks destroy it than any other creature, but the fact remains – it is not important enough to risk our lives. Yes, we will try to save the human; yes, we will try to save the forest; but first and foremost, for this situation, we save ourselves.

‹Tomorrow we will see where we stand,› I said. ‹If it is obvious that Farrand is free and will be taken involuntarily, we will do our best to rescue him. Otherwise, we will beg for the forest's forgiveness.›

[~.~.~]

Farrand was to come at four o'clock. While the children were at school, I kept busy by watching the logging company. They were busy little Controllers, making it all look pretty. And they were anxious. Nervous. I could see them peering over their shoulders and past the force field.

Worried about us.

I jumped to flight and flew to my area. To cover all options, Aximili and I had dissembled the make-shift scoop with its television and related electronics, deposited of them somewhere we could retrieve them, if necessary.

Aximili saw me. ‹How does it appear?›

‹They are waiting for us to attack, I believe,› I said as I demorphed. ‹They are all very nervous.›

He waved a stalk and started to walk. Once I finished, I caught up with him. ‹I hope we can stop the Yeerks,› he said. ‹In this, at least. It is disgusting.›

‹Yes, it is.›

We walked and fed in quiet contemplation. Aximili trotted off to investigate a noise, and then called me over. ‹They are little ones, I believe,› he said, bending to examine them.

‹Then we'd best get away before their parents return,› I said as I approached, smiling. However, I stopped smiling when one exceptionally brave one peeked out. ‹Aximili, that is a skunk.›

‹It is?›

‹Please come away. I don't feel like being sprayed,› I said in a very calm voice, stepping back very gently and looking for the parent.

Aximili looked at me curiously before coming away with less care than I had done. The small skunk stared at us before one of its siblings joined it. ‹So that is a skunk?›

‹Basically. If it black and white, get out of its sight.› That saying applied to police cars, according to an old roommate, but I thought it applicable to skunks as well. And if the little things did not get back into their burrow, they'd end up predator-food.

‹You really do not like them?›

I waved my tail, dismissive. ‹I have no preference for them, merely for not being sprayed. I do not know how the mother will act when she sees us hovering over her children, and I'd rather not find out.›

‹True, their mother could be very protective. And Cassie was right; they seem very friendly.›

‹They were young. If they continue acting like that, they will end up eaten.›

Aximili looked a little disappointed at that. We have few predators on our worlds. Few animals, in general. Lots of plants, though. ‹Earth does have many predators. Nearly all of the morphs we have taken have been such.›

‹They are the most powerful. Earth has many animals, in general, though.›

‹And a large variety. Even the Zoo on Ala does not have so many creatures.›

We made mild conversation, did another fly-over of the Yeerk base. Very little had changed, except one important thing.

‹Do they seem … unusually nervous for a mere infestation or a possible attack from us, brother?› Aximili asked.

‹You took the thought right out of my head.› They were even jumpier than before; I had not thought that was possible.

‹Do you think … he is present?› he asked, a slight venom in his voice.

Aximili's point had merit, a lot. ‹Perhaps. Or he will be. He must be very certain about capturing us, if he is going to be here.› I gave a laugh. ‹What an over-confident idiot, to think we'd be captured so easily.›

‹Perhaps he is interested is something else?›

‹The human? Hardly. The only other thing is us. He always did count his hits before his swipes.› I clicked my beak. ‹This does make things interesting.›

‹Why?›

‹If we cannot save the human, we can at least make Visser Three's existence a bit more miserable.›

‹So we are going to attack?›

I would have been smiling. ‹Not attack … annoy. And humiliate.›

[~.~.~]

The children arrived soon after school let out, and we told them what we had learned and seen, mostly Visser Three's human form appearing. I didn't pay attention to the details, but I felt the aura.

"Visser Three's there, waiting to capture us, and you want us to attack?" Marco asked. "I thought you wanted us to live?"

"Do you have a plan now?" Rachel asked a bit snidely.

‹Of course not. I have an idea.›

"Why are you both smiling?" Tobias asked.

‹The tunnel to the other side of the field is still open. And I need a volunteer—›

"I'll do it," Rachel interrupted.

‹You should learn to wait until I tell what you are volunteering for,› I said calmly. I knew she would volunteer instantly. ‹But very well. Morph and keep an eye out for the arrival of Farrand.›

For a moment, Rachel gave me the fiercest scowl before stomping off to morph into her eagle.

‹And I will need a few more volunteers.›

"You did that on purpose," Jake said, smiling.

‹I have no idea as to what you are speaking of. We will have to work fast. If the human is ignorant, he must be made unconscious. And the next volunteer is going to have to get very close to Visser Three.›

"What is this idea of yours?" Jake asked.

"Will it save the forest?" Cassie added.

‹At the moment, it is not about saving the forest. It is about humiliating Visser Three. Though, if we're lucky, the forest will be saved. This time, anyway.›

"Isn't it a bad idea to piss Visser Three off?" Tobias asked.

"I think it usually ends in heads rolling."

‹True. But the very amusing part is that, while heads will roll, the whole of the Yeerk empire shall know of his little encounter. Believe me, the Yeerks do not tolerate failure well. Imagine the possibility of demoting him in rank. Though, I admit, that it is a small chance.› I had little worry about Visser Three actually advancing in rank (at least as long as Visser One remained competent). He had been Visser Three since I left Earth the first time.

‹As to the plan: Cassie, we borrowed an animal trap.›

"Why?"

I nodded to Aximili, and he bent to pick up the trap that was hidden in the bushes. Inside was the sleeping mother skunk. (We had also taken some tranquilizers, because, for some things, it was definitely better to be safe than sorry.) ‹Perhaps you can see where I'm going with this?›

"We are going into battle with skunk butts, aren't we?" Marco grinned.

‹Only one or two of us. The rest while be using our more dangerous forms. The problem is, one person is going to have to allow themselves to be captured. It is the only way to get close enough to the Visser.›

"You're actually going to let one of us be bait?" Jake asked. I knew why he was surprised, because I didn't let them risk such dangers.

‹I need to be present, visible to the Visser. Aximili as well. Quite frankly, Andalites have to be seen.›

"Otherwise Visser the Turd might wonder why, and think we're human," Marco finished.

‹It does give him a bit too much credit,› I smiled.

‹It will also make the human-Controllers less likely to think any humans are involved,› Aximili added.

"I want to volunteer," Cassie said. The boys all looked at her, surprised. Even my brother realized this was out of character for the gentle human. I merely shook my stalks at her, at the predictability.

‹This still won't negate your previous actions,› I said to her, and just her, before I spoke aloud, ‹Very well. You will have to make it convincing.›

"You can't let Cassie –" Jake started.

‹It is her decision.› I turned my attention at her. ‹It will be very dangerous. You have to be captured, but you can't make it appear like you wanted to.›

"I understand." Even still, her voice trembled.

‹You will also need to be in a … less threatening form, and something small enough that they can carry.›

"… My osprey?"

Birds were too easily taken out of the air with bullets, too easily killed, but there wasn't much time to find something better, or even if there was something better.

"Elfangor, you can't –"

"Jake, I'm going to."

Marco waved a finger at her. "No more hanging out with Rachel, young lady! She's a baaaaad influence on you!"

It broke the seriousness.

"I'll back her up, then," Jake volunteered. "You said you need two of us to be the skunk."

‹You have one of the more powerful forms, your tiger,› I denied. ‹Marco or Tobias have less useful forms – ›

"Big Jim would Donkey Kong your head if you told him that."

‹If I gave Big Jim an apple, he'd forgive me for anything. And are you volunteering?›

"A wise man once said, never volunteer!"

"I'll do it," Tobias said.

‹Very well. Both of you, acquire the skunk, and the Aximili will return her to her den. Cassie will allow herself to be captured, but if something happens, Tobias can enter by the tunnel. The rest of us will sufficiently distract the Yeerks. The rest, of course, is obvious.›

Marco shook his head while Cassie and Tobias acquired the skunk. "There is something fundamentally wrong with a plan that makes one of us need to get captured. I think it's the part about getting captured. It's, I don't know, completely insane."

‹It helps to be a little in this war,› I commented.

[~.~.~]

There is something immensely satisfying about a plan that works out, even with a few kinks. While my hearts did momentarily stop when Cassie was shot, the fact was I would forever treasure the look on Visser Three's face after being skunked.

‹Very good, Cassie,› I smiled when she waddled into view, then down into the little tunnel. I think all of us were smiling.

‹Thank guys. Farrand's still knocked out back there.› She paused. ‹He might have seen me, mid-morph, though.›

It wasn't exactly good news, but I consoled myself that the human probably also had a concussion. ‹Do not worry.› Then I took a deep breath and called in the lightest singsong voice, ‹It appears that we have a standoff.›

His eyes were wild on me. ‹Elfangor!› he hissed.

‹Esplin. It is funny to see you here.›

‹Do not try to toy with me. I have forces on the way.›

‹No doubt. Tell me, how long shall your Blade ship smell after you grace it with your newly acquired stench?›

‹The smell … it will go away.›

I couldn't help it. I laughed. ‹Obviously you have never traveled the human roads and met a deceased one on the highway. Though, it will go away, in about one Earth week.› I chuckled again. ‹If you are in the open air. But we all know what happens in an airtight, closed-up spacecraft. The smell will never go away. Ever. At least, not without a major refit.›

He was twitching Prince Alloran's tail in barely repressed anger. ‹I'll dispose of you myself, you Andalite filth!›

‹If you did that, I wouldn't be able to tell you how to remove the stench. A trade. I will give you a formula. And you release Farrand. He doesn't know the truth. And try to avoid chopping down any other forests.› A deliberate pause. ‹And please tell me you did not think you'd drive us out this way. We may be Andalites, but we're not foolish. We already have covers in this human world. In fact, one of my warriors has homework to attend to tonight. Tomorrow he is to learn how to shake hands and sit.›

‹You will regret telling me that,› he vowed.

‹Not as much as you will regret not agreeing to my terms. We do not care if the human is taken or if the forest is destroyed. At least, not more than another Andalite would. Release the human. You know I will uphold my part of the bargain.›

For a moment, Visser Three just stood there before his tail and stalks drooped. He ordered the human retrieved, made the regular threats to his minions that probably didn't make him feel as good as they usually would.

‹Have one of your men drive him to the nearest human hospital. Once he's safe, we'll tell you want you need to know. And we'll be watching, so no tricks,› I said, looking up at Rachel.

He did have to give his one last threat. ‹One day, I will have you all. I'll take pleasure in torturing you, torture and kill all of your little warriors before I at last turn to you, Elfangor. For all your grand plans and tricks, I will find all of you.›

I smiled, though it wasn't very nice. ‹I await it.›

‹Though we are sure to smell him coming,› Aximili said to me, smirking, but a look Visser Three told me that, once again, it was not nearly quiet enough.

After Rachel returned, reporting Farrand was safely at the hospital, I told Visser Three the formula to remove the skunk smell.

More or less.

Formula, ineffective wives' tale. Mask, remove. They almost mean the same thing. Grape juice, tomato juice. They're both fruits. It can hardly be my fault if Visser Three had his human-Controllers so terrified they would not tell him that I was confused about the proper method.

Though it might be my fault if the Yeerk databases periodically showed images of Visser Three lounging in a grape juice pool.

But I shall plead the fifth on that.

[~.~.~]

I liked the building the children had chosen; secretly, I had hoped it would be the one they would pick. There were beautiful, large windows to see the forests and fields in the living room, kitchen, and in another sitting room, the living room having a window seat. The furniture was comfy and, while large, certainly was also minimal, leaving the much space that Aximili and I would require in our Andalite forms. I had stepped in there, actually. When I joined them to see their preferences, it was with the most supreme amount of self-control I merely politely thanking them instead of calling them idiots. Rachel and Marco had very absurd ideas on necessary furniture, and I think all of them were very surprised that I could quickly pick out more pleasing alternatives and successfully manage to decorate a human abode.

There were three bedrooms on the second floor, all furnished. Towels stacked in the bathroom and linen closets, clothes in the dressers, hampers, and closets. There was a full set of dishes, a stocked refrigerator, a cookie jar that usually only held crumbs. A full entertainment system of videos, DVDs, CDs, and games. Garbage heaped up, dishes in the sink. The closets had coats, boxes, bags, and cleaning supplies. A computer was hooked up in the corner, a computer meant for normal things. In the bathrooms, there was shampoo, soap, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other hygiene products.

Yes, it certainly could fool anyone into thinking someone lived there. That was the point. The children were very impressed. I think even Aximili was as well. Whenever we went shopping, he was always surprised at my boundless knowledge about human culture, and he was embarrassed whenever I subtly corrected him about something they had taught him wrongly in class.

As part of my cover, I spent at least three to five hours a day at the house, usually when the children were in school. I made sure my neighbors – if we can call them that, because they were a good quarter of a mile away, and a privacy screen of trees surrounded the house – saw me, that my yard was well-managed, that the house was in a good balance between disarray and cleanliness. I cooked food so there were just enough leftovers to seem right, that garbage was seen at the curbs, that laundry was done, that the food didn't go to spoil. (Not, of course, that I had to worry. Aximili and once again myself, to my chagrin, were embarrassingly unpicky eaters.) I was a typical human.

More or less, anyway.

It was refreshing, almost, returning to my old life. There was something simple, uncomplicated about being human. There was no Andalite honor or rules choking me, weighing on my tail.

I was surprised when I heard a knock on the door. Turning down the heat on the stove — I was cooking hamburger, which I planned to put in a casserole later – I went to the door. Through the window I could see a van in my driveway. Not mine. My vehicles were kept in the garage.

I opened the door and contained my surprise when I saw the human-Controller Chapman standing there with another human, male. College-aged, I suppose, dressed professional-casual. "Hello?" I smiled, slightly wary. Did they suspect me? Did they wish to sell me something?

"Hello, Mr. Fangor, isn't it? I'm Mr. Chapman, the vice principal for the schools. This is Robert Young." We shook hands, a strange human custom that was done originally to prove that the greeters were not holding weapons, I believe. Such a thing would never work for Andalites.

I invited them in and we sat in the kitchen, so I could attend to my cooking. After inquiring if they would like anything to drink, I asked, "So, why are you here? Am I going to get detention for not turning in some homework twenty-odd years ago?"

They laughed. "No, Mr. Fangor. Our records show that your brother is under your care. He's school-aged. We were surprised you did not enroll him."

"Ax – Alexander," I pretended to correct, "is home-schooled."

"We thought as much, of course. I understand you moved from Canada."

Well, someone nearby must be a Controller, or knows someone on this bit of road, I mused. It was good to know. "Yes. I went to college in this area. With the loss of our parents," – I would not say death, because they were not dead – "I thought it would be a nice area for Ax to grow up. Canada was too cold for me, honestly, after this weather."

Young laughed and said nothing beat this weather.

"Did you come here to ask if I was going to enroll my brother in the next term, then?" I asked, knowing summer vacation wasn't arriving exceptionally soon. It would be hard to not know, with the children. I found it suspicious that they were coming to me now and not during the summer months. It sounded like a handy excuse to visit.

"Partly. The school is one of the best in the state, you know. Are you?"

I shook my head. "No. My parents home-schooled him, and he prefers it. I do not think he'll adjust well to the structures of school life." And I remembered human school, albeit the "advanced" portion. I would not inflict that torture on Aximili.

"Perhaps he could spend a day at the school and determine for himself," Young suggested. "The death of his parents must have been very traumatic for him."

Again, I would not lie. "The separation is difficult, yes. However, we both are coping."

"Yes. This is a very nice home. You bought much here new, didn't you?"

"I inherited a solid sum from my parents, as did Ax. It was easier to sell our old home and buy new," I said dismissively, amused that my finances had been examined as well. They would see nothing. I transferred money from a Canadian bank as well. I had a credit history. I had regular "paychecks" directly deposited from a company I made-up. I had a tax record, all the proper forms under record, at least according to the computer. I (and Aximili) had a social security number and birth certificate. There was also a high school equivalency and bachelor and graduate degrees from the local college, again according to the computer. I knew what I needed to have to make the transition as smooth as possible, and the second time was even smoother than the first.

I continued, "Otherwise everything had to be driven down and I would have had to move it in. This way professionals did it for me."

"Clever," Chapman agreed. "And how do you find our city?"

"Remarkably unchanged in twenty-one years. Except for the Gardens and that construction site by the mall, it's like I never left, really. Even the old Mickey D's is still open on Vine, and I swear for the same price. And I'm pretty sure it's the same cashier, as well." I was lying, of course, but that was expected in this sort of small talk.

"Seeing any old faces?"

"Yes, actually." I smiled faintly.

Chapman smiled as well. "Well, if you need any help meeting others, there's a group called the Sharing."

"Yes, I have heard of it." I crinkled my nose. "Reminds me of the horrors of boy scouts, honestly. I swear, if I'm lost in a forest, just start planning my funeral. And another time I couldn't right my kayak and practically drown. My parents learned from me and didn't subject Ax to the torture. Like alien brainwashing, all that Be Prepared and Do a Good Deed Daily."

"Well, the Sharing isn't so geared for survival," Chapman laughed. "We're just a group for people looking to meet others, have a fun time."

"Sounds geared to survival for me," I pointed out, mentally adding, for Yeerks, anyway. I looked at them pointedly. "And are you trying to recruit me?"

"If you're interested. And we offer help for families having difficult times."

I nodded to it. "I'll think about it, though, honestly, I'm about as anti-social as they come. As is Ax. You're better off getting Bigfoot to come than the pair of us."

Young laughed. "Well, you're only as involved as you let yourself be. Tell me, what do you do for a living?"

I shrugged, feeling we were cutting to the chase. "I'm a decent computer programmer and have a PhD in quantum physics. I basically do what the people in Forlay tell me. Make this work, make that work, balance the books this way – oh, do ignore that last one."

"Quantum physics?" Chapman questioned, interested.

Again I shrugged, as if to say what are you going to do about it? "Find a square peg, fit it in a square hole." I paused. "Or a bigger round one or use a hammer. I keep up to date in the field, but I haven't done any work on it since I got in touch with my parents, because of their condition." When I returned to being an Andalite, returned to my parents, whose condition was that they were Andalites, I had to give up studying human physics.

"Were they ill long?"

Yes, they had been Andalites their entire lives. "All of their lives. Their parting, though unexpected and tramatic, may have been a blessing in the long run."

"Remarkable neither your brother nor you are afflicted, then. Lucky."

"Perhaps we are. We just don't know it yet." Of course, usually it's obvious from birth.

Young and Chapman looked at each other. Was I possibly an ill host prospect? Good, and all because I was an Andalite! The irony was marvelous.

"Well, if you should need someone to turn to, the Sharing is always there for you. Many women your age do attend," Chapman added with a look.

I laughed. "Marriage? I think my brother's head would implode." And I was interested in my Loren, not possible Controllers.

Young grinned. "There are girls his age as well."

"As I said, his head would implode."

"He'll learn to like them."

I gave him a look. "I'm willing to hold back that present future. Ax does not need encouragement to make my life miserable. His entire status as little brother covers that just perfectly."

As if timed, I heard the door open and careful footsteps. "Al?" I noticed the very slight accent of El, the abrupt halt to stop my full name.

"In here, Ax. We have company."

Aximili stepped into the kitchen and his eyes widened at our guests.

"Alexander, this is Mr. Chapman, the vice-principal of the school, and his friend, Robert Young," I introduced needlessly. I watched as the Controllers took in the vast differences in our appearances. My morph was pale-skinned, tall and muscular; Aximili's was olive-colored, still tall, but obviously never going to match me. We hardly looked to be of the same family. I took care of that issue as well. We were only half-brothers, according to the paper trail. My mother had died when I was young, and my father had remarried. I considered my stepmother my mother. Simple.

"Say hello, Ax," I added at the quiet.

"H-hello. Oh." His look plainly asked what they were doing here as they returned his greeting.

"Mr. Chapman was interested in seeing in you would be enrolled in his school next term. Unless you wish, I have declined the prospect," I said quickly as his mouth opened. "They have also told me about a club thing. The Sharing."

Ax nodded slowly, eyeing the Controllers.

I had to put an end to this. Not only did I have a meal to cook, I also have to demorph in thirty minutes. "Well, gentlemen, your visit has been a surprise and a pleasure. Let me see you to the door. I still have to make supper. Ax, watch the hamburger, please."

I saw them to the door and accepted the pamphlets they heaped upon me, the repeated invitations to come to the next gathering. Then, I soundly shut the door in their faces and waited until the van had departed from the front of the house, watching from the window.

Aximili did not. "What were they doing here?" he demanded, slightly hysterical.

I shushed him. ‹Do not speak freely until we have checked for surveillance materials, Aximili,› I said quickly, before adding aloud, "They are merely playing the concerned neighbors."

The home was not bugged, not that I had expected it to be. However, one cannot be too careful.

‹Do they suspect?› Aximili asked in his true form as I cooked. I had drawn the blinds, of course.

"No, I doubt so. Of course, I do not doubt they are interested in making me a Controller." I drained the grease from the meat and put the cooked materials in a bowl.

‹What?›

"I fabricated a reasonable history, Aximili," I said calmly. "To them, I make a great deal of money programming computers. Too much to be merely a regular programmer. I have given myself a degree in a difficult branch of human physics. I am an interesting prospect."

‹You should not use that morph, then. It is dangerous.›

"This is a war. Everything is dangerous. However, I have tempered the problem by saying I possibly have a life-threatening disease."

‹What?›

"The same that our parents have, actually. I'm an Andalite." Aximili was confused. "In the end, it doesn't matter. I will remain inactive in any specialized field, will not draw additional attention. For all appearances, we will merely have settled here."

Aximili was quiet. ‹Why do you stay in your human morph so much?› he asked me finally, as I started on the casserole.

"It is better to do human things as human, Aximili. It is better to be human here."

‹It is not right.›

"Aximili, you will eventually learn that even though it is not right, it is not necessarily wrong." I turned and gave him a weak smile. "And one day you will find out I am not as great as you would believe. That I am no hero."

‹You are!›

"Aximili," I said quietly, turning away back to my cooking, "you'll find that I'm only human." I do not know if he could have heard my words. He certainly didn't correct me.

[~.~.~]

"Alan, you cook wonderfully!" Loren beamed. "I could get spoiled with you cooking me these things."

I laughed. "Trust me, you didn't used to think so; it was through many months of practice that I reached my proficiency."

"Practice well spent!" she said. "How is your brother?"

My smile dimmed, though Loren wouldn't see it. "He is well, I suppose." I moved the food around on my plate contemplatively. "I think he's starting to see that I'm not quite the big brother he always thought I was."

"It is a tough time in his life. Moving in with you full-time when you only used to visit, what, once every few months. And there is an age gap. Don't worry; he'll come around."

"I do not know," I disagreed, taking a sip of my water. "I know this is a difficult time for him, but I wish … I wish he'd try more. That he would mingle with the other children around. I wish … I don't know what. Of course, but for the meddling of Elli—God, I could have been him."

Loren said quietly, "Just give him time, Alan. People grow on you, after a while."

"Yes, you humans are a persistent lot." I smiled at my personal joke. "Of course, now I must ask you a familial question. You know what I am going to ask."

She turned her face away from me. "I don't think I should. He's better off without me."

"Loren, no child is better off without their mother." Or father, I added mentally. "I've seen his home, seen his uncle. He's been spending time at his friend's home constantly." Actually, he had been spending time at my house constantly. I did not mind. I knew Tobias was safe there, comfortable. I knew where to find him. And he kept the place tidy. Eventually I thought he would eventually commandeer one of the remaining bedrooms once he gained enough courage to ask if he could. "And his uncle doesn't even care."

She bit her lip. "I don't know if I can."

"He's only eight blocks away. He's not going to ask to move in, you know, though he'll probably want to. Wouldn't you want to know what happened to your mom if she just disappeared?"

Loren chewed her food thoughtfully. "Would you come with me?"

I hesitated. "Of course."

"You're hiding something from me, Alan."

Of course I am, I thought bitterly. "I've already met him, Loren. Ax introduced us."

She sat up straighter. "You didn't tell me that! When?"

"Before I met you. I didn't know he was your son then," I lied. "And then when I looked up the records, what was I supposed to say? That, hey, I know this kid. My baby brother consents to be his friend. And I couldn't tell Tobias about you, obviously."

"So you've been manipulating me?" she said, anger in her voice.

I said nothing. What was there to say? Instead, I stood up and started washing my dish.

Few words were spoken the rest of the night, and I left early.

[~.~.~]

"You're here because a human didn't smell?" I asked of Marco and Jake, chewing on the popcorn. The bowl was already half gone because I was sharing with Aximili. And the rest of the children.

"He was a total black hole of no smell," Marco said.

"Did you ever think the guy could have just taken a lot of showers?" Rachel said. "I mean, just because you two smell doesn't mean that is the actual requirement to being a guy. Just a slob."

"We were dogs. You've been a wolf. Their sense of smell is almost as good," Jake said.

"What does it mean if a kid doesn't smell like a human?" Tobias asked.

Rachel smiled. "Maybe you guys just couldn't smell him because the small monkey on Marco's head is totally over-powering your nose."

Cassie snorted.

Marco bristled. "Hey, my stylist assures this is the peak of perfection."

"Marco, you know what they say about mountains and molehills," Rachel said sweetly.

"Is it a high peak?" Aximili asked. "This mountain?"

I hid my smile.

Marco was laughing, after a moment's pause. "He made a joke! Totally unintentional, but funny."

"You should take notes," Jake said.

Aximili looked around. "What did I say?"

"Humans find humor is the strangest phrases," I said. "How did you find this human, or being, with no smell?"

Marco and Jake looked at each other, and I was a bit more curious. "We were tracking possible Controllers," Jake said.

"Yeah, exactly. Doing our sacred duty and all," Marco added. "Like Buffy."

"And where was this?"

"… It was at, you see, there was this concert …"

"You were totally went out and abused the morphing ability!" Rachel accused.

"You too, Jake," Cassie added, giving the human in question a disappointed look.

I didn't say anything, because the two females would do enough, though my expression said I was displeased as well.

"Hey, if we hadn't, we wouldn't have learned about this guy. This guy who is handing out flyers for The Sharing," Marco defended.

"So he's connected with the Yeerks," Tobias agreed, perhaps showing male solidarity.

"But the Yeerk should smell, if he's infested," Cassie pointed out.

"We do not smell the Yeerk in other hosts – human, Hork-Bajir," Aximili countered, licking his hand to get all of the butter off. "Can we have more popcorn?"

I nodded and stood up, getting the microwave bag. "Who is this person?"

"Erek King. He used to go to our school," Jake said. "But he transferred out last year."

"Do you know where he lives?"

"No, but we could trail him. Go to the concert and find some clues. Oh, god, I didn't just turn into Nancy Drew, did I?" Rachel said.

"And you guys could hack into the records," Marco said.

"Or we could look in a phone book," Cassie countered with a sly grin.

I smiled and dug into the drawer by the phone. "I don't suppose anyone knows his parents name." No, of course they didn't. "Here, do any of these seem more likely?" I asked, turning the book towards them.

"These six seem are the only ones in the right area," Cassie said, pointing them out. "We can check and see if any of them are his house."

"Or Aximili and I can hack into your school's records, find his parents' names, and do that. If it comes to that, we could hack into his school's records to get his address."

"Why did you make us check the phone book?" Tobias asked.

The microwave dinged and I pulled the bag out with my fingertips, then shuffled the steaming bag between my hands. "Honestly it just occurred to me. Besides, his family might have an unlisted number." I looked over the names as I passed the butter-rich popcorn to my brother. "We'll break into his school records tonight and get the address. Then we'll figure out if we need to break into his house."

"Do you think he's an alien, a Frebreeze one or something?" Rachel asked.

"Frebreeze gets rid of smells, not masks them," Cassie said.

"It is possible. Aximili and I will do surveillance on him during the school hours. The rest of you will work in pairs for the remainder of the daylight hours."

"For how long?" Tobias asked. "Until we prove he's a Controller or what? I mean, we can't tail him forever."

That was true. "Three days should be long enough to determine if he's infested. If he is, the Yeerks would know what he is. For all we know, the Yeerks may be testing some anti-scent formula. Though I do not know why."

"Put the deodorant people out of business," Marco commented.

"What school does he go to?" I asked.

"Truman," Cassie said.

"After the 33rd United States of America president?" Aximili asked.

"… Sure."

"Most likely," I answered. "We'll tell you the address."

[~.~.~]

Aximili broke into the school records and found the address, and we flew to the home. I was immensely surprised to see that Erek King's father was named Anthony King. I wondered if it was the same Anthony King that had lived next door to Loren and me, though technically he had only lived there during the holidays. He had been a good lawn-mower, though he should have been, with the amount of money I gave him.

At first I didn't continue the idea that it was the same human. There were probably many Anthony Kings in this city. But then, flying over the house, peering into the window … it may have been eighteen years, but the face was too familiar.

I felt a pang. I didn't want Anthony King to be in danger, already taken by the Yeerks. He had been a nice boy, his parents had been kind. They'd visited Loren and me within two days, bringing food! They even offered to get us a dog, but Loren said she had to train me first. (I don't know what she meant by that, though Mrs. King seemed to.)

I slept on the thought, the memories, and the next morning I took first watch of this young human. Aximili and I altered, because two Andalites were not needed to watch a human student sit in class. Aximili would then be relieved by two of the children.

Therefore, I wasn't surprised when the harrier appeared over my head. ‹Hello, Aximili.›

‹Elfangor, he is something. The others will be arriving soon.›

I blinked. ‹What happened?›

‹Erek King … he got hit by a bus.›

‹Is he all right?› I asked, concerned.

‹He is fine. Completely. He isn't human. I saw … I think I saw … he was some sort of machine.›

I blinked again. ‹A machine?›

‹It is what we saw!› he defended, as if I would doubt his eyes.

My mind was racing. If the Yeerks had machines that looked like humans … it was too ghastly to think about. ‹Go to the house. I'll be there in a few minutes.›

At the house, Aximili told me everything he could – how, when Erek King was hit by the bus, suddenly he wasn't there, but a grey and white machine. It was only for a few seconds, and then he was human, again. The children trickled in and waited with bated breath.

"Well?" Rachel finally demanded. "Do you know what he is?"

"Not human seems to about cover it," I said back.

"Yeah, but what?"

"Andalites do not know every alien species in the universe," Aximili said.

"Do you think the Yeerks made it?" Jake asked.

"I don't want to believe it."

"What about someone who got robotic things added to him? Like that TV show," Tobias suggested.

Aximili cleared his throat. "I don't believe it can be an organic creature, at least fully," he said slowly, looking at me. I indicated he should go on. "Both Jake and Marco told us about its lack of scent, which could coincide with machinery that has not been handled by any sort of creator in a recent period."

I nodded. That made sense.

"And, from what I've seen, this machine is far beyond the grasp of Yeerks to have created without outside help," he added.

"So … if they recently acquired this technology or another species that could wield this technology, why would they masquerade it as a human child?" I asked, mostly to myself.

"I want to know what happened to the real Erek King," Marco interrupted. "Did they kill him or something?"

"Or … or do you think that … that android was always him?" Cassie suggested.

I was shocked at such a suggestion. Such technology, always on Earth? And then, connected to the King family? Connected to Anthony King?

Tobias looked around. "Well, on the bright side, the Yeerks probably don't know about him." When we looked at him, he explained, "He got hit by a bus and got up. Do you really think if the Yeerks knew they had something like that, we wouldn't have already met it?"

"On the field of battle," Marco added, obviously quoting something, but I didn't know what.

"Unless they just bought it at the hardware store," Jake said.

"Why would they buy a kid?" Tobias said back. "Or send him to school? You got this powerful thing, you don't hide it, especially if you're Visser Three."

Rachel nodded. "Tobias is right. Something like that, Visser Three wouldn't have even bothered to read the instructions for. Just programmed, Kill bandits."

"If he is a machine, he had a hologram. Why did it fail?" I asked, then answered my own question. "He was hit by the bus."

Aximili nodded. "It overloaded him, temporarily. But what could power him every day, hour after hour?"

"Maybe Erek's gone nuclear," Marco joked.

Aximili laughed – and I smiled – until he realized Marco was serious. "I … I thought you were joking. It is a very primitive means."

"We need to see under this hologram," I pronounced. "It is still possible that it is a very strange alien. You three saw it from a great distance."

"Marco said Tom told him about a water-skiing thing, so Erek will probably be there. We can try again," Jake said.

"But how can we see through it?" Cassie asked.

Rachel agreed. "We can't hurl buses at him."

"Little conspicuous," Tobias said.

"But it would be fun."

"The hologram was probably designed to fool human eyes," Aximili pointed out. "And, if it does hide among the Yeerks, Hork-Bajir, Taxxon, and Andalite eyes as well."

My brother was right. "Such eyes pick up similar wavelengths of light. A completely different wavelength might see through the illusion. We, in effect, need different eyes."

Cassie was already thinking. "Not mammals or birds, for sure. Reptiles see basically the same thing. I think some insects see different things."

"Flies do," Jake said. "But they don't see very well."

"We want something with good vision. Of course, bugs don't have the greatest vision if they're only an inch from the ground."

"I'll look up something with good vision," Cassie promised. "And some of us can be flies."

"And some will be backup." I was already demoting me to that group. Stupid translator chip!

[~.~.~]

Cassie told me about the choice, a wolf spider, and I agreed, because it was all I could do. In the end the children decided to draw lots to see who would get to be the spider. I deflected the job by saying I would monitor them, watch for troublesome Controllers. Aximili would go with them. He was knowledgeable and I trusted his opinion.

I had been very amused by Marco's math, and I had to correct his faulty thinking. "Marco, you assumed the last straw picked will be the short straw. However, any of the straws drawn at any time have an equal chance of being the short straw. In fact, what you did gave you the highest probability of picking the short straw, because it put you in complete control and not reliant on another's actions."

"You couldn't have said that before I drew the straw," he had whined.

We flew to the skiing event, and I wished the children well as we separated. I didn't get very far until Marco demanded, ‹Is he telling the truth? Is my butt going to get side-swiped by a ship?›

‹Pardon?›

‹I merely told them about the very slight chance of our mass being destroyed in Z-space, Elfangor,› Aximili defended.

‹Oh, that.› I settled onto a branch and looked around at the area.

‹You mean it's true?› Jake demanded. ‹I'm already a fly!›

‹Marco, Jake, just find Erek King. And Aximili, try not to tell them things that will scare them›

‹I will try.›

I chuckled to myself and their childish fears. (Though, if I could become a bug, I might feel the fear a bit more personally.) The lake was filled with humans, some having fun, some merely pretending. And, ah, there was the human in question. ‹Erek King is near a picnic table. Marco, Aximili, go twenty-five degrees right. Yes, now continue.›

As they approached, I waited with held breath, gripped the branch tighter. There, they were there, they should see him, if he was strange.

‹It is an android, Elfangor,› my brother called.

‹Hey, Jake, if you see some shimmering thing, that's our guy.›

I tried to find Jake, but there were too many flies around.

‹I see one. Whoa, and another one!›

‹There's more than one?› Marco demanded.

Even I was shocked at such information. I wasn't prepared for more machines. I also wasn't prepared for a giant bird to ingest Marco. ‹Marco!›

He was screaming. It terrified the crow that had just ingested him, made it fly away. The children were demanding to know what was happening, the humans were looking around curiously, the Controllers were arming Dracon beams. I was already in the air, chasing it. ‹Marco, a bird ate you. Stop screaming!›

A bird just ate me!

I think he was trying to tell me he was entitled to be screaming. Even still, it wasn't helping. I dove on the crow, aimed for the head and crushed it with a claw. The body hung limply. ‹Calm down Marco! Start demorphing!›

‹Already on that!›

Indeed, he was. The dead body was getting heavier, but I was already on the ground. Just in time, because suddenly Marco burst through like one of those horror pictures humans are so found of. I should have told him to stop, but he had just been eaten. He already might have been fatally wounded.

So I watched. But I wasn't distracted enough not to notice someone was coming. ‹Marco, go back. Someone is coming!›

‹NO! I am so out of this morph!›

He was panicking, and it wasn't helping. Not when humans, possibly Controllers, could see him. And then, there was the human. Or android. Erek King.

He did look like his father. If his father was his father.

And there was nothing I could do! I was a goshawk, on the ground. There was no time to demorph. All I could do was puff my feathers up.

Erek King looked at us. I could jump to the air and clawed him, give Marco a chance to at least run. "Marco, didn't you used to have longer hair?" He noticed my stance. "I will not tell the Yeerks about you."

Was I supposed to take him at his word?

A girl came up, and the robot made introductions. And then they didn't tell the Controllers about us. It was a point in their favor.

‹Who are you?› I asked in a rather demanding tone.

"Are you Prince Elfangor?" Erek replied.

‹Are you currently androids in the employ of the Yeerks?› I replied. They knew my secrets, I knew theirs. I could only hope they actually were secrets.

"You know what we are?" Jenny asked.

‹I know what you could be. What I do not know is if I can trust you.›

"We could have called for the Controllers. Or I could tell Visser Three about Marco, be his new best friend," Erek said evenly.

‹But you won't. Not because of any loyalty to us, but because Visser Three's best friends have an annoying tendency to get their heads lopped off when they stop being his new best friend. Not helpful if you want to be unknown to the Yeerks.› I was bluffing. So terribly bluffing.

"Perhaps they already know about us," he said.

‹But they don't.› By my tail, I hoped not.

"Do you know where I live?"

‹We can figure it out.› I looked at Marco. ‹Morph and leave.›

He looked between the both of us, before turning to osprey and taking to the air. I could literally feel his apology for possibly putting all of us in danger.

"Come to my house tonight."

‹And walk into an ambush?› I demanded, fluttering to the air to look down from a tree.

"If I wanted you captured, I would have told them about Marco. Visser Three would have broken him. You know that."

Yes. I did.

"It is not what you think, Prince Elfangor. It will be a meeting of allies. We fight the Yeerks."

I looked down at him severely. ‹You do not fight the Yeerks when you add to their numbers. But we will come.› I wanted to threaten him, that if it was a trap, he would never be safe from me. But what could I say that would scare an android that had been hit by a bus and remained undamaged?

[~.~.~]

We were probably the only warriors that came by minivan. Even I realized there was something vaguely humiliating about it. But the fact was we wouldn't all fit in the convertible. We barely fit in the minivan.

Rachel demanded being back-up, certain her grizzly could take whatever they were. I didn't think so, but if it made her feel better.

So we went to the door and knocked. I did a double-take when Anthony opened the door. For a moment, he looked like his father. "Come in," he invited.

He didn't even recognize or remember me. I think that shocked me, but it was foolish, because no one remembered me.

I inclined my head as we stepped inside. For a moment, I nearly made a comment about the house being lovely, but then we were greeted by two dogs. "You always did like dogs, Anthony," I commented.

Mr. King gave me a strange look, while the children petted the eager things. "Is Erek here, Mr. King?" Marco asked.

The parent nodded before asking if we would like some beverages. Cassie declined before I had to tell my brother no. He led us through the kitchen and to the basement. Aximili and I started demorphing, because, if this was a trap, I was not going to be helpless. Our clothing was left in a small pile. Mr. King waited for us to be finished, before he turned the floor into an elevator. I felt the sinking sensation in my stomach. We followed Mr. King through one of the walls and down the hallway.

And when the doors opened, I admit I was speechless at the sight of all of the dogs. Perhaps a thousand of them, running around. ‹I think you took joining the kennel club a bit too literally.› I hoped it was aplomb. A Prince cannot act too surprised at surprises.

There were less than a dozen of the silver and white androids walking around, caring for the canines. One of the androids approached us, and when the hologram came up, it was Erek. "Welcome. You're probably a little surprised."

‹Only that P.E.T.A. is not here scolding you for so many dogs in such a small area,› I replied. Though it really wasn't a small area. It was a huge area, a park larger than any Andalite Dome. Perhaps it was enough room for all of the dogs. At the reminder of the creatures, I made a mental note to watch where I walked.

The android looked at me, surprised at my comment. "All of our dogs are given the best care."

"Rubber bone for all of them," Marco tried.

The father and son gave each other a nod and Mr. King departed. Erek indicated we should follow him to a tree, and once there, the sound of dogs barking dimmed. (Thankfully! Some of them were especially yippy!) "We are the Chee."

‹You are androids,› I said.

"Yes."

‹You have a very high level of technological sophistication,› Aximili added.

The Chee appeared modest. "We are but the product of our creatures. They are the true genius."

"Why are you showing all this to us?" Jake asked.

"We want you to trust us. You are suspicious of us; you have to be. No doubt you left some of your people outside, just in case we betray you. I want us to be equal. I want you to know our secrets, since we know yours."

‹And what do you know?› I asked. ‹Aside from the obvious,› I added. I didn't need him telling me he knew I had recruited these children.

For a moment, he looked a little exasperated. "Isn't it enough that we know their names?"

‹I am determining how many of our secrets you know. If you are going to claim to know all of them, you had better.›

"Perhaps if I told you our story, you would not be so suspicious of us."

"Don't count on it. Elfangor eats a hearty bowl of suspicious for breakfast," Marco said. "And lunch and dinner. And don't forget snacks."

Erek smiled. "You would see that some of us want to help."

Help rarely went one way. That was a lesson all Princes learned.

The world around us shifted as Erek told his tale of his creatures, the Pemalites. How they were much older than Andalites – though I was pretty sure we knew how to make fire at that time, or at least knew enough to keep it going! – and humans, how kind and innocent they were, how they made the Chee for companions. And then, how a race called the Howlers destroyed them, a race that would not fight back. I admit, I felt sick at the images, the sheer brutality. Desperate for choices now, how they returned to Earth and put the essence of the remaining Pemalites into wolves, made the domestic dog.

"So you hide as humans?" Marco asked.

Erek nodded and explained the depth at which they did. And I realized Anthony King had been an android all those years ago, and his parents. From on the other side of the fence, they were androids playing at being human. Hiding. Like what I was doing now, what I had done then. Andalite playing human.

"How long you been doing this?"

"I helped to build the great pyramind."

"You designed them?"

He smiled. "No, of course not. We have never interfered in human affairs."

I gave a soft snort. ‹Like Ellimists never interfere,› I said to myself. The very act of being causes interference, despite what someone might claim. How could anyone think they could never interfere with humans, who drew their inspiration from all around them? A casual word might have changed the universe.

"So you could have taken over Egypt," Tobias said.

Erek's voice was cold. "No, we are not the Yeerks. When our creators made us, they hardwired us for nonviolence. We are not capable of hurting another living being. No Chee has ever taken a life."

Intentionally, I thought. I wondered how many had died by their inaction. Their creators, yes, but how many others? Perhaps it wasn't fair to think such thoughts, not of a being who could manage without killing another, but it was a poor claim to say you never took a life when you could have saved lives if you had. But my musings were interrupted when I saw four Chee approach us very quickly, and Erek looked annoyed.

"What have you done? What have you done, you fool?" one demanded.

They looked at us with their android eyes. "What have you told them?"

This was interesting. Malcontent in the robotics division.

"Everything," Erek said definitely. "These are the ones who have been resisting the Yeerks, who can morph. They are the ones fighting the battle we should fight!"

I snapped my eyes to him. I would never make that claim. You did not send children into battles. And that is what these Chee were, even more so because of their innocent programming, if it was as they claimed.

"We were Chee. We do not fight." The android turned on its hologram and looked like an old woman. She looked vaguely like one of my college English professors. "I am Chee-lonos. My human name, for now, is Maria. I did not mean to seem angry at you humans, or you, Andalite friends. My dispute is with this Chee called Erek and some of his friends."

Erek was standing with the passion I have seen in countless beings. "We stood by helplessly, uselessly when the Howlers destroyed our creatures. We can't do the same on Earth. Dogs and humans are intertwines, have evolved a dependency. If humans are destroyed, dogs will die, and with them the Pemalites."

I have heard of silly things, but to fight to save dogs ….

Well … perhaps it was no worse than fighting to save Cinnabons. Not that I would ever claim that.

Maria continued angrily. "We do not fight or kill. You know that, Erek, and yet you bring these outsiders here. You blurt the secrets we have kept for thousands of years. Why? What good will come from it? We cannot fight to save the humans."

But Erek disagreed. "While you hide, others have been infiltrating the Yeerks. And we can fight, now. The Yeerks control a company called Matcom." I recognized the name of the company. It was a human company interested in new technology, and I was moderately aware the Yeerks ran it. "They are working on a master computer to infiltrate and rewrite all the software in all the computers on Earth. When they have achieved sufficient force among humans, they will launch this computer bomb, and, in a flash, control all computers. They received a crystal from a trader, far more advanced than Andalite technology. And this crystal they are using is over fifty-thousand years old."

"A Pemalite crystal!" Maria gasped.

Erek nodded. "Yes. And with this crystal we could rewrite our programming, assist these fighters." Ah, that would be the part where we help them. "There is little the Yeerks could do to stop us!" He looked at me to plead his case. "If you get it, we will be a great boon to you."

Maria disagreed.

‹How have you fooled the Yeerks?›

He turned off his hologram, became his truth self, and the front of his head opened. There, nestled inside, was a grey slug, a Yeerk with wires attacked to it.

‹Yeerk,› Aximili hissed.

"Yes. The Yeerks believe I am human. I have accepted infestation. But I cannot be a Controller, so I made a place for him. He sees and knows nothing. I tap his memories and I pass among the Yeerks."

I was nearly sneering, but I regained myself. He was almost a Collaborator. To accept a Yeerk for any reason.

But, it was tempting. These Chee, they could fight, could offer a turn. But then again, they were children. Worse, they were children who thought they understood what they were going to do. They would not listen to me.

Not that I was the best to listen to. I could admit that. I wasn't a great leader, but I was a good one. And I understood this life, at least better than these peaceful machines.

"How do you keep the Yeerk alive without any Kandrona rays?" Cassie asked.

"I can generate Kandrona rays to keep the Yeerk alive. I trick the Yeerks into thinking he leaves me every three days by using a hologram. The Yeerks do not often communicate in their natural state."

I sighed. ‹You said you wished our help. What do you want us to do?›

Erek turned eager and excited. "We could become allies, fight against the Yeerks together. But first we need the Pemalite crystal. But the Yeerks have a maze of defenses to the crystal, kept at the center of the Matcom building. Hork-Bajir are everywhere, the best Visser Three has. And the crystal itself is guarded by an ingenious system, concealed in a room of absolute darkness – any type of light will set off an alarm. And there are wires that will be set off at the faintest touch."

‹So you wish us to do a nearly impossible task? Get something you could get yourselves?› I asked.

"The Chee do not do violence!" Maria protested.

I glared at her. ‹There is no violence in sleep gas or trapping them in another part of the building. There is no violence in removing the power. There is no violence in using your holograms to hide yourselves, your obvious computer knowledge to work around it.› I looked at Erek. ‹You wish us to risk our lives doing something you could do yourselves if you put planning into it!›

"But someone might be hurt," he protested.

‹Someone will be hurt when the crystal is stolen,› I countered. ‹What about the Controllers running this place? Do you think Visser Three will react kindly to their failure?› Then I shrugged. ‹Then again, someone will be hurt if the crystal stays in Yeerk hands. They certainly aren't working to save puppies. Is your nonviolence programming obeyed so long as you are not around to see the violence taking place because of your action?›

"Elfangor," Cassie scolded quietly.

"You mock us," Maria hissed. "We who have caused no harm, none of us, to another living creature. No other creature can claim that!"

There was the very not subtle message that she criticizing me, but her words were too … I drew straight up and approached her, but she did not back away. ‹You are too bold and too stupid to make that claim, unworthy of it,› I spat. ‹What of the trees? The grass, the plants? Are they not alive? Do they not speak, or feel? Or can you not hear them? Or your so innocent, kind creators? You dare claim to be the only creature that has not harmed another, here and now, when you are nothing but machines?›

"… Umm, Elfangor, okay, let's back away from the really powerful android now," Marco said.

I did so, not before saying, ‹And just because you do not see the blood on your hands does not mean it is not there.›

"My friend did not to insult you, Prince Elfangor," Erek said.

Maria appeared embarrassed and apologetic, but she stayed to her argument. "… I might have spoken hastily. But no Chee had ever harmed another, taken a life. Would you give Erek the chance to destroy that?"

There was something in that sentence, I felt it, but I was still angered. ‹If he wished it, I would. Because …› And then the sentence bounced in my brain and I stopped, turned to look at Erek with my main eyes.

"Elfangor?" Tobias asked.

"What's wrong?" Jake added.

‹You can change your programming,› I said distantly to Erek.

"I could."

‹The Yeerks are going to use the crystal to control all of the computers, rewrite them as well and gain control.›

"Yeah, that'd be what the android said," Marco said.

‹Elfangor, what is it?›

I looked at the Chee, all of them present. ‹Answer me truthfully, answer me honestly – could the programming reach, could it infiltrate the Andalite homeworld?›

Aximili gasped as he suddenly saw it as well. I continued.

‹Could it be used on the other worlds the Yeerks are attacking? Leera. Outposts. Andalite Dome ships. Could the Yeerks use it, send it from a distance, and gain control of the computers and weapons on those worlds, those ships? Could it order the ships to self-destruct, the weapons turned on the civilians?›

Their faces blanched, even the ones without the holograms. Such monumental horror had never occurred to them. I wasn't surprised. Programmed for nonviolence, they did not think as the violent did. (And I suppose since I thought of such a thought, it did not reflect well on me.) They probably thought once a treaty was made, it would last, be obeyed without fail.

"Prince Elfangor, the Yeerks have no means of doing that," Erek said in a quiet voice, desperate, hopeful that such a thing would never come to pass.

‹Yet.› Because it would be a matter of time. They didn't even need to find a way to get the programming there by force. Take an outpost, use the computers, send it through proper channels. It could spread like a plague, and we would be destroyed.

"So we're definitely going to get this crystal," Jake said.

"Because, you know, saving earth wasn't enough. Now we have to save the universe," Marco agreed.

‹And the Chee,› I said in a quiet voice, still lost in thought.

"You want us to fight, would make us fight for you," Maria demanded.

Aximili stepped in. ‹You misunderstand my brother. It is so you are not made to fight for the Yeerks.›

‹You would be the next Hork-Bajir.›

"I don't understand," Cassie said. "How could they ..."

‹If Earth is taken, it will only be a matter of time before the Chee are found.›

"We have hidden for thousands of years," one of the unnamed Chee spoke.

I took over, spoke in a low, even tone, like I was explaining it to a child, but I wasn't patronizing. Just spoke to make them see. ‹You were hiding from humans, humans who had no means to even learn of you. Now, imagine the Yeerks are here. Yes, it may be years before you are discovered. You will go into hiding, be Collaborators. But one day, they will learn what you are. We knew what you were, or at least that you were not human, before you learned of us. If Marco had not been eaten, you still would not know who we are. We weren't following Erek because we thought he was a Controller, we weren't at the park monitoring events. We were there because we wanted to know what you were. And we did.

‹And when the Yeerks learn of you, they will capture you. You will not fight back, will not harm them. They will use the crystal and rewrite your program without your permission. They won't care about your morals, your peace, your pacifist nature. They took the Hork-Bajir, simple gardeners of tree bark, because in their hands, they were weapons. You would be the replacement, the upgrade. They will turn you into murderers and you will kill even while you internally scream against it. They may even rewrite you so you enjoy the kill, so you become like those … those Howlers.› I looked at them. ‹There is more than one way to be infested.›

There was a quiet for a very long time.

"That's our Elfangor. Knows how to give a great speech," Marco said, shaky, desperately trying to make light. "You should have heard our recruitment speech."

"We have to get it," Jake repeated, sounding a bit sick at the prophesy.

"But we cannot join this fight," Maria pleaded. I think she was shocked that there was a way she could be forced to kill. "You would not make us killers?"

‹I have made many people killers,› I said. ‹But this … this is not my choice. I am not going to get this crystal because I care about your perfect history or wish to destroy it, but because I will not let my people be slaughtered. Though I do not even know how we can get this crystal.›

"Umm … I might have an idea about that," Cassie said.

That would be our Cassie.

"You won't regret this," Erek vowed.

I looked at him with a stalk. ‹Probably not. Will you, though? How many battle fields have you been on? Walked among the dead? But not of your side. The enemies. Killing the survivors, because it is a mercy to them. To see the bodies you cut up. To have the images in your head before you go to sleep each night, of their faces just before you ended their life. Will you regret that? I do, and I have never been programmed for nonviolence.›

"You … you are telling him not to?" Maria said, surprised.

‹I am telling him the same thing I told the children before I asked them to fight,› I said. ‹I do not know how you see this battle, but I know how I see it. And I know how I saw it before my first kill. I do not know how you think it will be, Erek King, but it will be hell.›

"I understand that."

‹No. You don't.› I sighed at his face. ‹You are innocent, even more so than these children. They are human, mortal. They understand things die, they will die. They evolved from prey and predator. Live or die. You, the Chee … there is nothing there to draw from. You are supposed to be computers, cleverer than me, and yet you did not comprehend the true atrocities that your Pemalite crystal could wreak until they were pointed out. Because you cannot. You are not programmed to.›

"Why are you trying to convince me not to fight?" he demanded.

"Yeah, why?" Marco agreed. "Elfangor, with these guys on our side, we have a chance!"

Yes, we would, but it was just with more children. But I didn't get a chance to respond, because Erek cocked his head. "One of your friends has joined us."

"Rachel," Tobias said.

"Oh, man."

"We have been down here a long time," Jake said.

‹And Rachel has never been patient. We will take our leave of you,› I said.

We left the dog-park and went back the way we came, following Erek. Once in the basement, Aximili and I morphed and redressed, while I called to Rachel to stop whatever damage she was causing as the others ran up the stairs. Her roars ended.

‹Where have you been?! I've been waiting as long as I could! I thought you guys were dead or something!›

‹My apologizes. Demorph,› I said as I helped Aximili tie his shoes.

When we were upstairs, the other children were already filling Rachel in. Apparently Mr. King had held Rachel's grizzly still and it had impressed the girl.

"Tell us what you can learn of Matcom," I said to Erek. "And we will get you the crystal."

"Thank you."

I looked at him. Maybe he did understand his choice. Or at least maybe he understood it as much as the humans had.

He must have understood my expression. "You think I am making a mistake."

"You will make a mistake in either choice. I agree, you will be a great asset. We will have a chance to win Earth. I should not presume to doubt your choice, but I know war, the experiences and feelings." I looked over at the human children, playing with the pets. "Do you think I am proud I have brought them into this? Yes, the Yeerks are here, their lives would have been bleak if they win, but there is something to be said about ignorance. It is bliss."

"I stood by unable to help while my creators were brutally slaughtered," Erek said.

"If they had wanted to, they could have changed your programming. They chose their death long ago. This won't bring them back."

"It will save what is left of them."

"Curious. By destroying their legacy."

"You don't want me to do it," he hissed.

I shook my head. "No, I want it very much. What I don't want is for you to do what Aristh Apinahola did."

"What did he do?"

"Some of us are not made for war. He was not my aristh, but a fellow warrior's; there was nothing very memorable about him. Just a regular aristh, but apparently he was a musician of sorts, had a great sense of humor. It was after his first battle. He was part of a boarding party on a captured Yeerk vessel. He acted finely, didn't flinch in the battle at all, according to the superior officer. Two days later, he was dead. Of course records show it was an accident. But there is little accident when an Andalite slices his own throat, even if he is tossed in an explosion. Especially an explosion caused by purposefully faulty wiring."

"You believed he killed himself."

I shrugged. "What I believe is that it was so soon after his first kill. His mind could just as likely have been distracted in his actions after the first mission. There is something … hypnotizing about all that blood on the deck and on your tail. Like being in a dream. I ran away from such evidence after my first kill. But I still remember it. Not the details, of course. I wasn't able to comprehend much during it. But sometimes, in some battles, all you see are the details and they stay with you. And I do not doubt they stayed with Aristh Apinahola until he died."

"Why are telling me this?"

"You asked. While I want you for an asset, greatly desire it, I have to make sure you will be one. That means making sure you won't give yourself a fatal error, as it were. For all I know, maybe your Pemalites made it so you will shut down if your program is changed. That there will be no mistake, that you will not forget we are your allies and kill us." Then I shrugged. "And I worry for you."

Erek gave me a strange look. "I am centuries older than you. I may look like a child, but I'm not."

"I am aware of that. But, in this, you will be a child. It is one thing to observe history. It is another to be part of it. If it makes you feel better, I only worry about you as far as it will influence me."

"Oddly, it doesn't. I'll call when I get any information."

"Good. Have a pleasant evening."

We left and got into the minivan. I would drive each of them home, though we would first go to Cassie's to determine the creature she thought we could use. They were busy filling in Rachel.

"Elfangor, we need them," she said, leaning forward so that her face was alongside mine. "They could totally help us. They're super-strong, have the technology, and are already infiltrating The Sharing. They double our chances. End of story."

"Rachel, please sit back and put on your seat beat."

"And it's not end of story," Cassie countered. "No Chee ever took a life. Do you want to be known a thousand years from now as the people that made them into killers?"

"Just because we give them the means does not mean we make them killers," I said. "Giving someone a gun does not mean they use it. It increases the probability, but it does not make them. Do you think, if they could have gotten their crystal alone or years ago, it would be our fault if they chose to use it?"

"But we are helping them now," she said.

She was taking it too personally, I felt.

"Hey, you know what I want?" Marco interrupted. "A thousand years from now, I don't want people to go, you know those humans? Too bad they went the same way as the Pemalites."

"What about the rest of you?" I asked, curious as to how they stood. "Jake?"

"He would be a lot of help," he said, giving Cassie an apologetic glance. "And he wants to."

Tobias said, "We still have to get the crystal to stop the Yeerks doing what they are. I mean, what they do with the crystal after that, isn't that up to the Chee?"

"Exactly. They're thousands of years old," Rachel said.

"They have to be responsible for their own mistakes. And I think I just sounded like my dad," Marco said.

"But we don't have to help them make mistakes," Cassie said.

"It's their crystal," Tobias said. "Do you think we should just not give it to them, because they might make a mistake?"

"No, no," she said. "But we're pressuring them."

"They're androids!" Marco scoffed. "They're immune to peer-pressure. And Erek wants to. We're not pressuring him to do anything!"

"Is it just one Chee that wants to change its programming?" Aximili asked.

"I think there's more than Erek that want to," Marco answered.

"But not all of them?"

"Based on Maria and her friends, I'd say no."

"Why are you asking?" I asked my brother.

"Everyone is speaking in absolutes, as if all the Chee will alter their programming, all of them will kill. While I feel badly about helping another species become violent, especially one as ancient as the Chee, we are only helping individuals. Not the species."

"They are computers. It is usually absolute with them, no greys," I said after a moment. "If one changes, they all do, or they feel it."

I pulled into Cassie's driveway and by the barn. Everyone got out and followed inside. Cassie was going into the corner and came back holding a small cage. "Total darkness, can't touch the walls or floor, can get around invisible wires. Meet the animal that can do all that."

"Cool. First I was Spiderman, now I'll be Batman."

I examined the small creature. The only thing I knew was that bats could carry rabies. "A bat."

Cassie nodded. "They pick up sounds that bounce off things."

"Do they have a gland or something in their brains?"

She giggled a little. "No. They make squeaks. With their mouths."

"How much can they carry?"

"Ummm … I'll find out. But I think they can carry their young, at least. "

There was a question I had never asked the Chee. "Did any of them mention how big this crystal is?"

"I don't think so," Jake said.

I stood up. "We have to find out. This bat might be too small."

"But if we're too big, we might hit the wires," Rachel said. "And where are we going to get giant bats anyway? We're going to be stuck with these guys."

"Perhaps. We have time to decide if that's the case."

"We should acquire this guy while we have the chance, anyway," Cassie said. "He just banged into someone's window. We're going to release him in a day or two."

Her argument made sense and each of us acquired the little brown bat. I was very relieved that neither of her parents came to check on her.

"Well, let's get the rest of you home. I will call Erek King and try to think of something about this."

We bid Cassie good-bye and I took each of them home. Jake first, then Rachel. At Marco's, the boy sat for a moment. "Elfangor, not to add any pressure or anything, but we've got to take this company down."

I turned to look back at him. "Of course we do. This crystal –"

"No, it's not just that. Before, when I called Jake, Tom said … they're after my dad!" he spat. "Just because he might work there. I won't let that happen. If we get this crystal-thing, maybe the company will fall apart."

"We'll do our best, Marco. Good night."

Finally, we stopped at Tobias'. While it wasn't in the best sort of building, not like the other children's homes, it was at least a house. Under-cared for and slightly unsafe, but a house.

"This is me. See you guys," he said with a sort of embarrassed lightness and hopped out.

Both of us bid good-bye and drove away, and I noticed Tobias waved at us until we were out of sight.

"Elfangor?"

"Yes, Aximili?"

"Do you think it is … right for us to interfere with the Chee?" No doubt Andalite law was preying on his mind.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Honestly, I do not look at it as interfering, at least not strongly. If the crystal was no so extremely guarded, the Chee would have retrieved it themselves."

He nodded. "I guess. And they will be a boon in the fight."

"If they don't self-destruct themselves." I turned down the road. "Don't misunderstand me – I would not say no to any of them joining us. But they are, ultimately, machines. They function and see things differently than we do."

"Do they?"

"Well, I am making an assumption," I admitted. "Tasteless, speciesist, perhaps, but I'm erring on what I hope is caution."

Again he nodded. "I have never been in Tobias' home."

"I believe few have. He finds it embarrassing."

"Why?"

I struggled to find the right words. "Tobias' situation is … delicate. His father died before he was born, and his mother disappeared shortly after. For much of his life, he's been shuffled from one aunt and uncle that divorced. Several states separate the two, so it does not seem to have been a very amiable parting. I would suggest that his guardians merely pass him back and forth to bother each other. Neither are especially fond of him."

"That is … that is repulsive." He was quiet. "I did not know. Did he tell you?"

"No, no, of course not," I said with a small chuckle. "I did extensive research on each of the children before I approached them. And he would not mention it either. Having such a family situation embarrasses him."

"I see."

The rest of our ride was in silence. At the house, Aximili bade me a good-night before disappearing off to the forest while I set out to calling Erek and figuring out a viable plan.

As I did so, I realized one of the next orders of business would to be buy a cordless phone. I had always hated the limits the cord gave one – usually it only allowed on to just reached the refrigerator handle. There was also the issue of it tangling around one's legs.

His number was listed in the book, and it was answered before the third ring. There was dog barking in the background, and then Mr. King's voice answered. "Hello."

"Hello. I'm sorry for the hour, but if I could speak to your son about his missing object, I would be much appreciative," I said, vague enough that those eavesdropping wouldn't understand and those who knew would. Then I winced at my rudeness.

"Just a moment. Erek." For a moment, there was the hold music composed of dog barking, and then Erek's voice.

"Erek here."

"Hello. That object you are looking for, how big is it?"

"I didn't mention that, did I?" He sounded amused and a bit contrite. "It's the size a small grape and weighs about the same."

"What type of grape?" I asked, because I knew – I had done extensive … research on this all those years ago – there were many types.

"It weighs about two ounces and is approximately one inch long, half an inch wide."

"I see." I made a note of that. "This should help."

"Anything I can do."

I paused. "What do you know about bats? Specifically a brown bat native to this area."

"None of us are experts in bats."

"But I'll wager any of you would know more than me. Could they get through this maze you mentioned?"

"I think so. I know personally they can get through many small spaces and the dogs enjoy barking at them. When they notice them, that is."

"I see. Anyway, thank you for this information. I'll let you get back to bed."

"No problem. Can I call you on this number if I think of anything else?"

I paused. It honestly hadn't occurred to me until just then how much danger I had just placed myself in. Stupid, unthinking fool that I was, I had done this without realizing the consequences. They had my number; they could then figure out my address. We were too new of allies – if we were even that – for such a thing to sit comfortably on me. But it was too late to do anything about it. "Yes. And the corresponding address is also viable. Have a good evening."

I hung up before he could respond in like, then hit my forehead against the phone. "Terrific. Robots in disguise." This was not pleasant. I needed chocolate.

[~.~.~]

There was something dreadful about phone calls. Especially ones that required to me morph, bounce down the stairs, and not even the good stairs, the ones that were open. No, I had to fall down the one that was completely walled in and narrow, and lay I tangled on the floor. And then the answering machine picks up. Another note to self – buy three more phones! Or at least one to go in the master bedroom.

"… guess you're not in. I'll call Marco, but that thing we were going to do, I think we should move it to tonight."

Great! Ow, elbow, knees, hurt. Why the sudden change in the plan, I wondered as I limped over to the table. Ellimists, I was bleeding. Red blood. There was still something vaguely disconcerting about the color, even after my previous years as a human. I knew why it was red – the iron hemes – but red blood? It was wrong. The only proper color's blue.

Not opinion. Fact.

I sighed and got back to my feet and limped to the sink. First I had to wash the blood off my hand before I would replay the message. After listening, I hadn't missed much. I sat back down at the table and flexed my knee, working through the pain. I'd call the android in fifteen minutes, in case he would speak for a long time, or perhaps call the rest of the children.

During the wait, I checked the foods in the kitchen and made it so a few of them wouldn't have to worry about expiring. Then I made a shopping list, putting it on the refrigerator with a magnet shaped like a daisy.

The King phone number was dialed from memory – why humans had such difficulty remembering seven numbers, I never understood. Erek answered. "It's me. Why are you advancing the schedule?"

"It's necessary. There are new … issues."

I sighed. "Very well. Are we meeting at any time?"

"I suggested to Marco we could meet at eleven. He suggested your house."

"Very well. Have you contacted the others?"

"Marco was going to call them."

"Very well. I will tell my brother. Until then." Contact severed, I squeezed the bridge of my nose. This couldn't be good. To go into battle tonight, with hardly any preparation.

I went out into the woods, demorphed, and hunted out my brother. At least I could dine the proper way, though there wasn't the same satisfaction when I ate as a human. Aximili was watching television, something that amused me, though he quickly ceased when he saw me.

‹Elfangor!› I think he tried to subtly turn the television off, and I momentarily wondered what he had been watching.

‹Something is happening. Come to the house at eleven tonight.›

‹What is going on?›

Alongside him, I indicated my unawareness. ‹I assume the android wishes us to retrieve the crystal tonight, but I don't know his reasons.› For a moment, I pondered teasing him about using the television, but it wouldn't be nice or especially appropriate in light of the current situation. ‹I was hoping at least for a chance to try these bat morphs, to see if they can even pick up a crystal.›

‹Cassie said it could probably carry something equivalent to its young,› Aximili pointed out.

‹I'm not worried about carrying it. From what Erek said, I think the form could manage the additional weight. But I don't know if its feet have the muscles or ability to hold on it the crystal. I already determined we can't carry it in the bat's jaws.›

‹Why not?›

‹Three hours of internet searching. Not especially productive, but I learned the basics of bat physiology. If the crystal is held in the mouth, the bat can't emit the sounds it needs to sense its surroundings.›

‹Ahh, I see. And you didn't find any information about the feet?›

‹I know bats can hang upside down, that they rest that way.›

‹How curious.›

I nodded. ‹Also, apparently they cannot fly directly from the ground. They must fall and catch the air.›

‹That would be a problem if we morph them. Can they climb?›

‹Reasonably so, as long as there are grips. But I can't be certain.›

Aximili voiced what I had been pondering. ‹What if this creature cannot hold the crystal with its hind legs?›

‹I do not know. Most of last night was spent trying to find another creature that would meet the requirements to get past the defenses. Needless to say, it was a fruitless endeavor. It was too much to hope Earth would have another creature that would meet our requirements.›

‹Could we make a basket or pouch to hold the crystal?›

‹We don't have time. With a basket, we risk hitting the wires. Already we risk it with the wings. And I don't think any of us have the expertise to construct a pouch that would hold the crystal and not impede with the flight. A pity bats aren't marsupials.›

‹What is a marsupials?›

‹An animal, a mammal, that has a pouch to hold its young. The bat's young just cling to the parent's fur.›

‹Interesting.› He kicked a hoof. ‹Could we merely fight our way out?›

I gave a little laugh at the idea. ‹We have no idea about the room it is kept it. It could be concrete and steel. We could not be able to escape. And even if we can get from the room, I don't relish the idea facing an unknown but certainly high number of Controllers who will be armed with automatic weapons and/or Dracon weapons. In a small space such as a room or corridor, we would be, as the humans say, fish in a barrel. And, if we get past them, we shall have to deal with a specially-trained Hork-Bajir squad. Perhaps five on top of the humans, we could manage, but I wouldn't hope to get lucky. Add to that the other defenses that could be present, it doesn't look promising.›

‹No. No, it doesn't.› He sounded a little frightened by my rundown. One thing I've learned in my tenure – figure out what you're probably going to face; triple it and prepare for that if you want to live. And hope what you face isn't quadruple what you figured. At the moment, I wasn't sure how to prepare for one shot from a high-powered rifle or Dracon beam, let along three. ‹So we must tell Erek we cannot do it?›

‹Not tonight, if that's what he suggests. At least, not without a very good idea.›

‹The humans … they are creative,› Aximili said with a great confidence, hopeful as only the young can be.

‹Someone better be, otherwise the Yeerks will get the crystal for another night.› And the one night could be the start of forever.

[~.~.~]

When Erek arrived, the rest of the children were already present and eating some fruit I had sliced, and he didn't waste any problems. "There's a problem."

"Houston, you getting this. We have a problem," Marco joked before eating the apple slice.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The Yeerks are putting a brand new security system on top of the existing systems. It's not active yet, but I can't find out what it is."

"So we wait until you find out," Tobias said, giving a small yawn. "It's no big deal."

Erek disagreed. "The crystal is already so well-protected that any new system may make it impossible to get. And the Yeerks want to use it to take over every computer on Earth. The longer we wait …" He trailed off meaningfully.

"Man, I thought we'd get to practice this," Marco whined.

"I can tell you everything I know. It's not too complicated."

I interrupted him. "We can't do it."

Everyone looked at me, and Erek almost looked betrayed. "But Elfangor, we got to do this," Jake argued.

"We can't let the Yeerks use that thing," Rachel agreed.

"We got to destroy that company!" Marco was especially vehement.

I raised my hand. "It's too dangerous."

Cassie frowned. "How? We can use the bat morph to get the crystal. They won't even know we were there."

"Provided we don't die on the way," Tobias pointed out.

"The bats seem like a good idea," Erek agreed.

I took a sip of my Dr. Pepper. "And how do they carry the crystal?"

That got everyone to be quiet for a moment. "Bats don't have hands," Cassie pointed out.

"It's easy. We'll carry it in our mouths," Rachel dismissed.

"And then that person won't be able to vocalize squeaks it needs to fly," my brother pointed out.

"That's right," Cassie said, growing dismayed. "I didn't think of that."

"I didn't think about it until after I did the calculations to see if a bat could carry the crystal," I consoled.

"Well, then we fight our way out," Rachel said boldly.

I then repeated to them what I told Aximili. Everyone blanched and looked away.

"Can I vote no to that?" Marco asked, looking down and away. I knew what it cost him to say that.

Erek agreed. "I agree," he said in a soft voice. "I can't ask you to risk yourselves that way."

Jake said, "But we can't just … there's got to be something we can do. If we don't get it tonight, we might never be able to."

"If we can think of something, there is no need to call it off," I replied. "Just, as it is, I cannot allow the mission to happen, no matter how much I want to. I apologize."

Erek nodded. "I understand."

The children were quiet, thinking. "Bats hang upside down. We could hold it that way," Rachel said.

I tossed her a grape. "Try it. It's weighted to the right size and shape. It isn't very easy. And if it is dropped …"

"Game over," Marco said.

"This might sound disgusting," Tobias started, "but what if one of us ate the crystal? I mean, a lot of us eat a lot of things that are bigger than what we morph, and we don't have problems."

"Can I volunteer to be the one not to do that? I ain't passing that," Marco said.

Tobias winced. "Eh, good point."

Aximili added, "It is also possible that the crystal would remain as it is when the person morphs and might be dangerous in the form."

"Then how does what we eat not hurt us?" Cassie asked.

"The morphing technology sees that as natural byproducts of the body," Aximili explained. "But a crystal, especially one so large, is probably not going to be. It is one of the drawbacks of the technology. First warriors of the technology faced issues about the lower limits on the animal's size. None of them could, for instance, become small insects like we have."

I took a drink of my Dr. Pepper and avoided anyone's gaze.

"Why?" Jake asked.

Aximili said it like it was obvious. "Our translator chips."

"You guys have translator chips? Where?" Rachel asked.

"You mean everyone in the Universe doesn't speak English?" Jake joked.

"Star Trek lied to us?!" Marco gasped.

"They're embedded in our brains, of course," Aximili said. "In our language centers. Years ago they were the size of a perhaps a nickel. Sometimes the morph would proceed properly, but a third of the time it was fatal. New ones are the size of an … an eraser point, and none of the warriors died. Soon they will be even smaller." He was proud of the ingenuity of our scientists. I was too.

"Those poor Andalites who never got the chance to be a bug." Marco sniffed. "How I envy them."

"How old is your chip, Elfangor?" Cassie asked.

I sighed. It was too much to hope no one would notice. "I suppose you noticed I never morph insects. I do have an older model of the chip."

"You didn't get the upgrade?" my brother said, surprised.

"Many warriors didn't. I didn't think I'd ever have to worry about it," I said.

"Besides, who wants brain surgery again?" Marco said.

"Well, you probably do need a new brain," Jake commented.

"There's also the fact I would have had to be re-exposed to all of the languages I had been. It was too much trouble."

"Can we please return to thinking of ideas we could use to get the crystal?" Erek said in a deceptively calm voice.

There were few possible ideas, and all were summarily rejected as impractical or impossible. Someone couldn't, for example, morph a spider, and then ride the bat while holding onto the crystal. The fruit tray ran out and the children each went into the kitchen and bathroom to wash their hands.

And then Cassie yelled something and rushed out, hands still wet. "I've got it! Sticky! We can stick it to one of us."

"Is there anything substance that could hold onto the crystal even as a bat flew?" I asked.

"There's got to be something," she said.

"Duct tape! The answer to everything!" Marco grinned.

"Super glue?" Tobias suggested.

"Those sticky fly stripes," Jake offered.

"There's lots of stuff," Cassie added.

"The super glue is probably the best. That stuff holds," Rachel said.

"Except we'd have to fly over with it," Marco pointed out. "I say we use tape. More risky, but we can put that on in the vent."

"Sure, we'll just bring a roll with us."

"Use that double-sided sticky tape stuff," Jake said. "Then we can just peel off the backing."

"Great, we have an idea. Let's go!" Marco said.

"Do we have this tape?" Aximili asked.

"We can pick it up at a gas station," I said. "Erek, why don't you give us the details?"

And he did, in immense detail. He told us about Matcom and its security, what we could expect at each point.

"I guess we go. Do you want to ride with us, Erek?" I asked.

"Yes, if you have room."

"To the minivan, Batman," Jake grinned to Marco.

"Minivan," Marco said, shaking his head.

"I know," Rachel agreed. "Especially the color he got."

"What's wrong with it?" I asked. "I like the color."

"I do too," Cassie said.

"It is a pleasing color," Aximili added.

"It's sea-foam green," Rachel said, rolling her eyes. "I mean, ewww."

"It's a minivan. You can't really improve on it," Marco added as he got in.

"But he didn't have to make it worse."

I shook my head, waited until everyone was inside, and then drove to the nearest gas station. I went inside and purchased, among other things, the tape. (I couldn't seem too strange.) There wasn't much of a selection. I knew the clear scotch tape wouldn't hold, nor the masking tape. But there was duct tape, electricians, some colored tape, and a bunch of other brands. As an afterthought, I threw in the superglue before I went to the cashier. At my collection – various tapes, glue, chips, candy bars, gum – he gave me a strange look.

"Class project. Due tomorrow." I tried to look like a frustrated parent. "And failing isn't an option."

"Ahh. How long has he had to work on it?"

"I think a week or two. But he did think it was due next weekend. His friend had to call and tell otherwise, though."

"Well, it's a good thing. I see your supplies can help for all-nighters. That'll be $13.67." The cashier smirked. "I know you'll have fun making it."

"Me?" I gave him fifteen dollars and hefted the bags, waited for my change.

He laughed. "I did it all the time to my parents. A dollar thirty-three is your change. Have a nice night."

"You too."

I went back to the van, and the children all looked at me.

"What were you doing? Buying the store?" Marco asked as I passed the bags back.

"Marco, we're breaking into Yeerk facility. We will possibly leave some evidence behind. We're supposed to be Andalites. I do not want the Yeerks hunting up records of who bought whatever we use. It would look suspicious if I just got the tape, if they do search for clues. Yes, paranoid, but at least afterwards I have the food to eat, which, if I possibly am shot at, I will appreciate." And if my brother doesn't get to it first, I sighed to myself as Aximili eagerly dug into the bag.

I drove to the industrial park where the Matcom building resided, though Erek said he altered his hologram so it looked like a completely different vehicle. All of us got out and the children dug through the bags a bit more freely while Aximili and I undressed.

"I thought we weren't using super-glue," Jake said.

"Humans have things like that in their junk drawers. I could use it."

"… Or …," Cassie said. "What if we bring it with us? We can tape it to one of our backs. I mean, if we need it, we can have it. This tape might not be strong enough. Besides, then we can see if we can fly with something attached to us."

"It is a good idea," Erek said.

I shrugged and looked at the buildings. "That one is Matcom, isn't it?"

"Yes," the android answered. "There's a vent in the northwest corner. You should be able to slip in."

"Bats can get into spaces as small as a centimeter," Cassie agreed.

I nodded and kept the direction in mind as I demorphed. ‹We should have Erek place the tape on us. I assume you have no fingerprints.›

"I don't have to," he said. "Here, you morph into bats and I'll put tape on each of you."

"Who's carrying the crystal and the glue?" Cassie asked.

‹Tobias thought of the glue, so he can carry that,› I said.

"Motivation to tell more ideas," he said.

‹Does anyone want to carry the crystal? Otherwise I will.›

‹I'll do it,› Aximili said, very possibly beating Rachel.

"Now, time to be … Batman! Bruce Wayne, the millionaire," Marco said grandly. "Na na na na na na na na BATMAN!"

"Who'd win – Batman or Spiderman?" Jake asked.

As I shrank, I shook my head. Why did I have to recruit children? Then, as a bat, I felt Erek pick me up. He carefully placed a stripe on my back, between the wings. "I'm putting two layers on each of you, so you don't pull fur. And each side will be fresh. Just pull the tab with your teeth."

‹Thank you.›

He set me on top of the van and I moved a bit, getting accustomed to the feel. It wasn't that troubling, but I wasn't flying yet. All I knew was that there was a bit of tightness, a pull.

Once each of us we taped and set on the car, (Tobias promising to never volunteer an idea again,) I asked, ‹Ready? Follow me.› And I jumped and flew.

Sight had become … interesting. My brain understood the echoes and made a picture, one that jumbled and faded with each call. It was a good thing I had pointed myself in the right direction. If the buildings all look alike with human eyes, bat eyes ignored the details. I couldn't read flat signs. But my innate sense of direction guided me, and I landed against the grate of the vent. The other joined.

‹This thing is not fun,› Tobias grumbled.

‹What's wrong?› Cassie asked. ‹Is it too heavy?›

‹It's just awkward. It's long and Erek had to open it to make sure it wasn't sealed. If you think super glue smells annoying normally, try it with this nose.›

‹You're getting high?› Marco demanded.

No!

‹Come all, let's slip in.›

‹I better fit.›

We all did and we started down the vent, crawling as fast as the bat body would allow. It seemed like we were making a lot of noise, but I doubted Controllers would hear it. Periodically, there were grates that looked over offices. Offices that looked painfully familiar. Some jobs were not worth the money, in my opinion.

There was the small issue with a rat, who probably came to investigate the noises, ready to fight another rat, but we scared him away. Perhaps if the rat had faced just one bat, he would have attacked, but there were seven of us. So he went a different way and we continued on, dropping down a level. A little bit further and it was exceptionally warm.

The furnace. It must have just turned off. It was probably set to a temperature and had just turned on to keep the temperature at that annoying not-quite-warm-enough temperature.

‹Let's not dawdle here,› I called as we went over the spires.

‹This is the furnace, isn't it?› Marco said. ‹Wait, I don't want to know.›

We came upon the maze section, designed to keep the firelight from reaching the secure room. Annoying because we had to go one way and then the opposite on the next side. But then we made it to the security room. The sudden drop. ‹We're here.›

‹Yippie-kay-yay, mo … er, my friend,› Marco corrected.

‹Crawling around in ducts. Stopping terrorists,› Jake said.

Cassie said, ‹Least it's not Christmas.›

‹This is so Die Hard, though,› Rachel commented.

‹So then who's McClane?› Tobias asked.

‹Oooh, me!› Marco said.

‹You're a little chicken. You totally can't be McClane.›

‹Well … you're a girl, so you can't either!›

‹What are you talking about?› Aximili asked. ‹Who is this McClane?›

I had no idea about this probable cultural trivia, and I didn't care. I examined the room, saw the strings of wire and the platform.

‹You stay here. I'm going to try to reach the center table,› I said as I crawled out. It would safer. They were still in the vent, and in case I hit a wire, they didn't have to go far to get away. With one final call, I allowed myself to drop and fly, twisting and weaving towards the center table. And there, I landed.

Actually, it was kind of fun.

‹It is possible. One at a time, please.›

In a few minutes we were all on the small little table. Seeing the crystal, I gave an amused smile when it was just sitting there, completely in the open. Yeerks were far too confident.

‹All right, everyone circle Aximili and the crystal. Let's see if we can get this thing attached without anyone having to demorph.›

It was a bit of work nosing the crystal over and onto Aximili. It was even more work getting the superglue off Tobias and the cap open. It was too difficult for us.

‹I'll do it. I handle animals all the time.›

‹I am not an animal,› Aximili sniffed.

‹Just stay close to the pedestal. We can't be sure if Erek is completely right about the floor.›

‹Right.› She went to the edge and, as she demorphed, she pushed herself off. As an estreen, Cassie had the ability to grow her legs first and hold herself up. "Wow. It's really, really dark," she whispered. Her hands were ghosting over towards us.

‹Just be calm. We'll help. Aximili, go to Cassie by her left hand. Marco, push superglue over to her right. Rachel and Tobias, roll the crystal to the superglue.›

She worked slowly, gingerly. First she opened the superglue, holding the crystal in her hand, and then told Aximili to spread his wings as far they could go. "I think it'll be better if you can go as far back as possible. It'll feel odd, but at least you won't pull on your fur."

‹Of course. Though the smell is most annoying. My nose membranes and eyes are becoming irritated.›

"There. Do you think it'll be okay? I can put my glue on it."

I saw Aximili try moving around. ‹It is very awkward.›

‹Do you think you can fly?›

‹I believe so. Maybe a strip or two of tape as added security.›

"Okay. Just come back to my hand. You got one on your back. And someone else?›

‹I'm here,› Jake said.

"Thanks, Jake. All right, Ax, what do you think?"

‹It seems secure. But I am not flying; though I can't see the glue completely failing, the tape should act as a fail-safe.›

‹There is only one way to know for sure,› I said. ‹Put the superglue back on Tobias, Cassie. Then, try to smudge wherever you might have put your hands with your forearm.›

"Fingerprints?"

‹Better safe than sorry. I can't be sure you don't have a police record.›

‹Cassie?› Rachel laughed, and the other children giggled as well.

‹And then morph back. Be sure to get on the top of the table. Bats can't fly from the ground.›

‹I should go last,› Aximili said. ‹Just in case.›

I agreed and after Cassie was back to her bat-form, we went one by one back to the vent and slid back it. And then Aximili went. For a breathless ten seconds, I waited, listening for the clink of a dropped crystal. But it was for nothing, because Aximili was at the grate, slipping through.

‹Excellent.›

‹We got the crystal, we got the crystal,› Marco chanted.

‹Just imagine tomorrow – they come in, see it's missing,› Rachel dreamed.

Part of me felt sorry for whomever had to tell Visser Three. ‹Come on. We will want to avoid the furnace.›

‹You had to remind us. Some of us are carrying flammable materials,› Tobias said.

‹We are flammable materials,› Jake said.

Thankfully, we made it past the heater with no problems. But we could not go the way we came, because bats cannot climb straight up on a smooth surface. And we couldn't fly.

‹So … now what do we do?› Rachel asked.

This was troubling. There weren't any open vents to drop down, and that probably wouldn't be wise anyway.

‹Could we climb on top of each other?› Cassie asked. ‹Maybe we could reach the top, then the bottom person could climb up.›

‹We'll try it. Otherwise, someone is going to have to half-morph to get the height and hope we don't break the vent.›

We made the ladder in the corner, so we had two walls to support us. Aximili was the base, and then me, and then each of the children. Rachel was at the top, and she stretched and squeaked, trying to find the edge. ‹It's too far,› she said, frustrated.

We collapsed back down.

‹Some plan this is,› Marco grumbled.

‹I'll demorph again. I can control it best,› Cassie said. ‹I'll just try to turn myself into a giraffe.›

‹Half-bat, half-giraffe, half-human.›

‹That's our Cassie,› Jake said.

‹Too many halves, though,› Tobias pointed out.

We backed away and watched as she grew up and slightly out. The vent buckled under her weight, but didn't break.

‹I've got it. Start climbing, because I don't know how long I can do this.›

Aximili went first, then each of the children, then myself. On the edge, each of us took whatever hold of Cassie we could, until she was bat enough to pull herself up.

‹This is so much fun,› she said.

‹Isn't it?› Rachel agreed. ‹You're McClane.›

‹Yippie-kay-yay, my friend.›

‹Come on. Let's just get out of here,› I said. We started moving again until we finally made it to the vent. And then we were in the air, flying back to the van.

With the bat's echolocation, we saw through Erek's hologram – I guess we didn't need to use spiders to learn the truth – and flew to the ground.

"Did you get it?"

‹You had any doubt? Where is your faith in us, Erek? We are the ones that can get you what you need,› Marco said.

"Forgive me."

Eventually we were ourselves, and Aximili pulled the crystal off his chest, wincing, before handing the prize to Erek. Tobias was pulling off the superglue and tape on his chest as well, and all of the children were dressing.

‹When do you plan to change your programming?› I asked Erek.

For a moment, he hesitated. It was one thing to want to do something; it was another to be able to. This … this would bring into conflict his morals and desires. "Soon."

‹Take your time,› I advised as I started to morph. ‹You cannot take back a murder.›

He scowled at me.

Completely human, I started to dress, and when finished said, "Everyone in. I'll take you home." Erek joined, probably to keep the hologram up. I dropped each of them off, even if I had to stop a block or so from the children's homes. And then I went back to the house, put my feet up, and shared my treats with my brother.

"We did a good job," Aximili said.

"We did our job," I agreed.

"And we have a new ally to join us in this fight."

"An ally, yes, but to actually join … probably not."

"What do you mean? He has the crystal."

"Erek hesitated."

Aximili didn't quite understand. "Huh?"

"I doubt he will. His nonviolence is too ingrained. Fighting, maybe. But, murder, killing." I shook my head and took a few chips. "It might be too much for him." Chewing a chip, I admitted, "Though maybe I'm wrong. We'll see."

[~.~.~]

I was gardening when Erek appeared, over a week later, on his bike.

"Hello, Erek," I said, stopping the lawn mower. "Can I help you?"

"No." He paused. "I do not even know what you call yourself, now."

"Alan Fangor," I said, shutting off the machine so we could hear each other. "So what brings you out this way?"

"I came to bring you this?" He held out his hand.

"No."

"No?"

"I'm not taking that crystal from you. You're still a pacifist?" I asked, going to my water bottle and taking a drink.

"You knew I would be."

"I hunched. I thought you'd probably stay this way. Maybe change your nature, but you'd come back once you realized what would really happen." I gave him a crooked smile. "I'm not upset."

Erek nodded. "Then why won't you take the crystal?"

"Because it's yours." I leaned against the lawn mower, water bottle in my hand. "And because you will keep it safe. None of you will let anyone get that if it could risk your characters. You'll put it somewhere safe, where no one can get it, or you'll destroy it. What you will not do is make me reasonable for it."

He slid it into what appeared to be a pocket. "I'm sorry for my presumption."

I smiled. "And your carelessness."

"I don't understand."

"You're thinking too kindly."

"You wouldn't use it."

"Would I?" I asked, sounding serious. "Well, now I wouldn't, I admit. But … I can get captured, my home could get broken into. My people may not share my current ethics. Or I might decide to be a right bastard to you Chee. Lesson the first – trust your allies, but look out for yourself in the long run."

"Not a pleasant lesson, Mr. Fangor."

"Lessons in war never are. And you may call me Alan, if you like."

Erek nodded. "We'll still help. Here, you can use this number to contact us," he said, drawing a piece of paper from his pocket and holding it out. I took it. "They can't tap or break it, even if they want to. Just leave a message if you need me. We'll do the same."

"Thank you. It will probably get used." I looked at it. "Will this end up on my phone bill?"

He chuckled. "No. We are that good."

"Good. I've had people checking me out. I've already had a visit from overly friendly school officials and Sharing members."

"Do they suspect you?"

I took a sip of water. "You didn't do background on me?"

"We trust you." A pause. "For now."

"Better. Anyway, I had too much money from my 'job' at a computer company. Someone must monitor the bank. I fixed that. Also, I have a degree in quantum physics." I shrugged. "I was interesting."

"I'll keep an ear out."

"Thanks. Oh, and my brother's name is Alexander, but he goes by Ax."

Erek nodded. "Is there anything I can do for you? You were looking out for me, for us, while you looked out for you."

I gave him a speculative look. "Well, you don't tire. How about you finish mowing the lawn for me?"

"You've almost got it done."

"Still got the backyard."

Erek gave me a speculative look and then smiled. "Deal."

I laughed and stepped aside. First "father," now the "son." Full circle.

"I don't suppose I can interest you in a dog?"

"Erek, you are too much like your father and grandparents, do you know?"

[~.~.~]

A/N 2: I always really disliked the very short-sighted approach the Animorphs took to the Pemalite Crystal and its abilities, and the assumption that the Chee had that they were safe from the Yeerks with their holograms.

Also, FYI, bats cannot fly from the ground. They have to jump and get air under their wings. If they fall into sinks or laundry baskets they can't climb out of, they're trapped. Personal experience.