Title: The Uncalled For (Chapter 3)

Title: The Uncalled For (Chapter 3)
Author: house arrest
Pairings: Gen at first, future Tobias/Marco
Summary: The Animorphs are used to dealing with enemies that can use science way more advanced than anything humans have ever seen. Heck, they are results of science more advanced than anything human. But what if the Yeerks found a completely different approach to conquering the human race?

I heard the telltale sound of wings flapping just outside my window. With the lightning reflexes of practice and paranoia (and practiced paranoia), I minimized the media player. Tobias flew in and landed on the bed's footboard, and I was thankful that hawks weren't as quiet as owls and that there weren't any thermals at night.

"Wrong house, dude. Rachel lives another two blocks from here," I said casually. I wasn't worried about his hawk-hearing picking up the subsiding nervousness in my voice. I had a back-up story if he asks, and it ain't pretty. And it's real.

\Duh. I practically live there every weekend/ Tobias countered. I was long past the point when I'd act indignant and jealous. Believe me: it's possible to be both at once. I've tried and it was good. I think. \I came here on purpose./

I shot Tobias a surprised yet flattered look. "Gee, Tobias, you really do care! But don't tell Jake. He's the jealous type."

He responded with an intense glare. More intense than usual, I mean. \Jake sent me to check on you. He, Ax, and Toby are hatching a plan, but we need more info. What have you got?/

"Ah, to business then! I'm sure your proclamations of devout love will come later on."

\Marco./

I sighed. I swear, hanging out with Ax is slowly draining him of his sense of humor. Or maybe his recent torture did it. One of the two. "I didn't get much." I pulled up several more browser tabs, being careful of which ones I click. "I hacked into the usual information goldmines. Credit card companies, bank accounts, hospital records . . . didn't get anything. By the way, enjoying the crotchless underwear Rachel gave you?"

Tobias was evidently surprised, what with the jerking and the sudden exclamation of \What?!/

I shrugged. "Just call me Mr. Security. I had to check on the well-being of my fellow warriors, you know."

\By hacking into their credit card accounts?/

"'Her'," I clarified. "Jake and Cassie don't have credit cards yet. I guess it's obvious who pays for your dates, huh?"

Tobias began preening. \Yeah, banks tend to frown on unemployed birds of prey. Particularly world-saving ones./ If I were Cassie, I'd have offered words-or paragraphs-of comfort. But I was Marco, and I offered a sardonic smile.

I whistled. "Banks really need to get their priorities straight."

\So we've got nothing?/ He said, talking shop again.

"Hate to say it, but nada. Squat. Absolutely zero." I leaned back on my chair and stretched my muscles. I've been in front of the computer for hours; and now that my concentration was disrupted I realized how cramped my muscles were. And the other muscle down there was feeling rather strained.

Tobias hopped off the bed and flew back to the window. \I'll tell Ax and Toby tonight. Call Jake. We need to set a meeting for tomorrow and finalize everything./

"We won't kill ourselves tonight?" I asked in genuine surprise. I'd been mentally preparing for a mission, but I can't say this devlopment got me complaining. My fan club should enjoy the news. I'm sure they have microphones hidden all over my bedroom. They'd better. A man doesn't feel appreciated enough unless his privacy's been invaded, you know?

\We decided not to. With something unprecedented like this, we'll need time to consider everything./

"That's a pleasant change. Maybe we should consider things for a year or so." It was a weak attempt at sarcasm, but I was still relishing the wave of relief.

Tobias looked at me the last time tonight. \We can't. You'd have driven yourself insane by then./ Tobias flew off.

I got off the chair and lay down on my bed. I considered continuing my quest for porn, but the thought of Tobias being on my bed drew me to lie down and release my tension.

The next day found us gathered together. Again. Planning how to get killed. Again.

"The question is: how do we find her?" Cassie said, opening the discussion.

We were in the woods this time. Cassie's dad was home, which meant the barn was off-limits unless we planned on shoveling manure for two hours. I, for one, fully objected to having close contact with such. Being sane, unlike Cassie, and not being smitten with Cassie, like Jake, tend to keep things in perspective.

Besides, Ax would join us this time, and the woods were always safer for secret rendezvous for us Taxxon lunchables. When I said "teenagers with a death-wish," I had no idea things would be this complicated.

"Our usual sources for information have dried up. She has no online identity, and she's exempt from pretending normalcy," Cassie continued.

"And if she's a sub-visser, I doubt she'll make a lot of leisure trips outside the Yeerk Pool," I added.

"Then obviously, we have to go to the Yeerk Pool," Rachel said. She flashed her dangerous grin. "And for that, we'll need a diversion." The girl, and I can't express this often enough, is insane.

I rolled my eyes. "We've always done that. Whenever we do anything drastic, the Yeerks know to watch their backs. Any open attack is automatically a diversion . . . Holy shit, I just gave you an idea, didn't I?" I said, glancing at Jake.

"Ax's idea, actually," Jake clarified.

"Great. As long as I'm free from blame." I shifted my gaze to our resident alien. "And I thought you were sensible, Ax."

\Your human notions of sense are greatly distorted/ he replied. I see. So Ax has been sucking Tobias's humor after all. \But as we discussed, it's not a question of searching for this human controller. Instead, we should draw her to us. Being a sub-visser, her presence in momentous strategic events is called for./

"So we give them a momentous strategic event," Cassie said, looking thoughtful. "Such as?"

"A Hork-Bajir raid," Jake answered. "Toby's already planning on sending her troops to another Yeerk outpost. She agreed to let us work alongside them."

"Another false-capture operation? Not a chance," Rachel interrupted. She didn't look at Tobias, but we all knew she didn't have to.

\You know I'm okay/ Tobias said. \If the mission calls for it, I'll do it again./ I was about to ask him if he was sure about that when I noticed he was looking only at Rachel. And none of the others reacted to his statement. Rachel glanced at him and nodded ever so imperceptibly.

I just felt confused, but I filed it away for later perusal.

\It won't be another false capture operation/ Ax clarified silently.

I waited. The suspense was thickening.

"What, they'll hold people hostage and demand to see the sub-visser? That's not very subtle, is it?" I asked incredulously.

Jake shook his head. "No. They'll destroy it completely. And we'll wait there until the sub-visser herself assesses the damages."

Rachel seemed satisfied with the promise of violence. Cassie spotted a problem that I was just considering. "What makes us so sure the sub-visser will go?"

\Because if Erek's right, she's the only witch among the Yeerks, right?/ Tobias, this time. \And according to Toby, the outpost they'll attack is a storehouse of crystals and herbs, which are definitely not standard Yeerk weaponry./

I raised my hand. "Anyone else see the neon sign saying 'TRAP!' written all over it?"

Rachel nodded. "In flashing red letters."

A/N: As usual, points for constructive criticism in the comments please. Thanks for reading!