To Olearthshaker14 and Tyhoomboom08 who wouldn't stop asking for more.


Max

The door swung open… Now I didn't really know what to expect, and yes, cheering and laughter was at the bottom of the list but I didn't expect the horrified screams and cries, or the snickering, to make it to the front door.

"You still want to do this?" I asked, passing a glanced at Kim, my nerves getting the better of me. Kim wasn't much better. She was biting her lips as her eyes stared fearfully down the dim lighted staircase, covering her ears.

She looked at me in horror, but only for a moment. She quickly shookit off, took a deep breath and stared fiercely at the door. "There's no going back." She instantly stepped through, without any hesitation or pause as she made her way down the staircase.

I sighed before following her lead. Taking in a deep breath to calm my nerves, which surprisingly didn't work, I took my first step past the threshold.I was taken aback instantly at the lack of rail and the steep staircase. It was like the Yeerks were encouraging you to fall. I can't imagine how they get the old grannies and their walkers down there… You'd think they would at least have an elevator.

What's worse, despite logic, despite how clearly you could hear the terrified screaming, there was no end to the staircase. I was sure neither of us would be in any shape to sneak around and rush back out when... and I do mean when we got caught. I guess this is what we get for being a video gaming society, WHY COULDN'T POKEMON GO COME OUT SOONER?

I lost track of time as we continued to descend. I couldn't see the bottom and my legs already felt tired. Once in awhile we would hear talking, faintly in the distance. We would slow down, realizing we were gaining on the hosts who beat us into the girl's locker room. Kim would often pass me a glance with a finger over her lips, I guess she wanted to reinsure I wouldn't open my mouth.

After a while the staircase finally lightened up, just a little, as the rock walls widened out. It took me a moment to realize we'd entered a huge cavern, though I use huge loosely. It was an understatement. You could easily have built a small city there. You'll probably need a skyscraper to touch the roof and forget about ever reaching the circular outline in the centre, which I could swear gave the dark cavern a shimmer of light.

Definitely important, note to self, wreck it.

"There's a lot more entrances then I expected." Kim gulped staring upwards. I took a look to see what she meant, noticing the other staircases like ours all along the outer edges of the cavern. There were so many, coming out of everywhere along the rock walls, leading to the floor surrounding the large pool… no, maybe small lake, of water in the centre with two metal piers reaching out to the middle.

It was kind of amazing I didn't hear it before. The deep sloshing, swooshing sound of water, like gentle waves breaking along of some beach, could now clearly be heard over the crying. Only, it looked weird. It didn't look like water, the colour was all wrong and when I really inspected it, it looked more like something that had been melted. Kind of smelt like lead.

Also from up here, though I couldn't make out much but, I was sure something was swimming in it. "Found the Yeerk pool." I muttered, dumfounded, watching the Yeerk swim around, and making the pool ripple.

"This is bad." Kim whined under her breath. Turning my attention back to her, I found her face quickly losing what colour it'd still had as she stared down in disbelief. "Really bad. How are we going to deal with this?" She asked. I glanced down to see what she meant and I had to admit; even I felt my heart lodge itself in my throat as I took a clearer look.

Everywhere you could see did not bode well for us heroes. There were small buildings, sheds, caves that were man made lining the outer edge, with humans and aliens alike trapped behind a red laser grid. Except the worm things, none of which were in cages, but roaming freely among more people I couldn't see the point to count, all of them walking around armed with deacon beams and another breed of reptiles with numerous blades coming out of their bodies.

This wasn't a fight two teenagers with attitude can win. Suddenly I could see the others' point of view. I doubt even six moody teens and their intergalactic pal could do any real damage to their forces. At best we can throw a monkey wrench into the machine; best case scenario we'll only lose our lives, if not by our fellow enslaved humans than by the multi-bladed reptiles or the giant worms who were happy eating rocks.

"Let's go back up." I almost fell off the staircase, which would be bad because there was still quite a drop. My head snapped to Kim to see her brown eyes still scanning over the cavern.

"And what about the plan?" I asked, a little outraged by her sudden change of mind. I mean I get where she's coming from but it's ALEX! She's my sister, I can't just leave her to be a slave, not without kicking some Yeerk butts first… you know if they had one.

"This is bigger than what I expected Max." She replied, ripping her eyes away from the Yeerks below and onto me.

"It's an alien invasion." I replied a bit louder and angrier than expected, speaking in my duh-tone of voice, which, according to Alex, if I use it then something must be painfully obvious. "What did you expect?"

"We got info, that's good enough for now." Kim answered, ignoring me. I looked away from her and back down to a group of hosts. They were laughing at the captured. Anger boiled up in me, my hands turning to white as I balled them into fist, shaking at my side. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and another hand on my cheek forcing me to look at Kim. "I don't know what you're feeling Max, but I can understand that you want to do more, I feel that too…."

"Then why don't we do something, look around a little bit longer, get closer?" Even I know that wasn't logical, but it's hard to walk away hearing the cries for help. I mean hearing the horrifying screaming is bad enough but knowing my sister was one of them… I couldn't just leave, not without feeling a crippling level of shame and guilt. I'd never be able to look myself in the mirror again!

"We can't do that! Not right now, not like this." Kim hissed, her fierce nature returning. "We're out numbered, out gunned; we would probably die if we try anything."

She was right. I didn't like it, but she was right. And Alex wasn't even here to be rescued.

"Is everything prepared?" I jumped, twice, once for hearing the nearing voices coming down the stairs, the second when Kim grabbed my arm. I looked at her, and even without being able to read lips I knew she was wordlessly saying we need to move.

We rushed down the stairs, the voices becoming distant behind us. "Yes everything prepared." Another voice travelled from the rock walls. "Three weeks and we'll have them." My mind raced. They were planning something, soon. I couldn't tell if Kim heard them or not, she was probably focusing on turning her blond hair to dark brown, almost black. And it must have been hard rushing down the stairs during a growth spurt. I ran through my head for everything that was happening in Empire City, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out the significance of a week.

I watched as the men came out from above us, walking causality down the steps, unfazed by the cavern around them as they continued to talk. Meanwhile, I just had enough time to stop before crashing into Kim, who was suddenly moving a lot slower, now a little taller with tanned skin. Kim was now my sister Alex.

My heart ached at the sight of her.

She walked slowly and causally down the steps, just like the men above us and unlike the girl she was trying to impersonate. She stood up straight, head held high. I couldn't see her face, but I knew she must be looking calm with the air of confident swaying around her, acting as if she truly belonged. Best thing about it, it was working. The guys behind us passed a glance to us once; looking at me suspiciously before noticing who I was with and returned to their conversation.

Plan Trojan horse was a GO! That's right I know what that is, who wouldn't know about the story of the cat and the box.

We walked calmly to the bottom of the steps. I tried desperately not to look around, to hold my head up and straight like Kim. Last thing I wanted is them to think I was an outsider and fight over who gets to place a Yeerk in my head, but sadly I couldn't help it. Now that we were close I could make out those aliens I saw from above and man were they nightmare inducing.

The worm wasn't a worm, more like centipede just with jellyfish like eyes. Why is that the first thing I noticed? It wasn't, it was the second, right after the terrifying large, round mouth set with razor sharp teeth that were pointing directly at me. Like all insects, they have a lot more legs then most creatures, though unlike most these ones had at least a dozen, possible more, I didn't bother to count, I was too distracted by the mouth and series of lobster-like pincers.

The other alien wasn't as scary. Sure, they look like something out of Jurassic park or Godzilla with a long, snake-like neck and razor sharp blades coming out all over their bodies, but the centipedes got them beat. Still, I would rather face a human with a Dracon beam then one of those.

The bouncers at the bottom of the stairs didn't even ask for ids, they let us pass without a second thought. We moved far away; empathise on FAR, from everybody else. We walked over to the wall farthest away from the Yeerk pool, away from the caged humans, mentally and physically alike, and deadly aliens.

"So what's the plan?" I asked, ensuring no one was around. Kim wasn't listening though, her attention was focused on the captives, her eyes full of sorrow as she looked down at the broken down, crying and possibly insane prisoners.

I didn't blame her; it was hard to stay on track seeing all of this. It gave me feeling a dread, making my blood run cold and heart stop beating. I couldn't imagine what it was like to be robbed of free will, to do horrible acts to innocent people, to do wrong by your own friends and families without the power to even warn them.

That would tear anyone apart, but I couldn't allow myself to think about that. I couldn't even look at them. The dull lifeless eyes that lost everything, the ones that held no reason to live, to fight, it was heartbreaking. It was only a reminder about my sister, what she must go through, how she must be feeling trapped within her own body. She might be like those broken souls, comatose bodies, or the ones that rock themselves in place, chanting, muttering obsessively about something I couldn't make out.

"Kim, we should leave." I nudged her shoulder, no my sister shoulder. She yelped softly as she came back to the world of the living. "Remember you only have two hours."

"I know Max." Rage bubbled up inside me, hearing my sister voice in her knowing tone. I supressed it as Kim continued. "We can't leave right away, not now. They'll know something up."

"Well, we can't stay here much longer either." I reasoned, the thought almost killing me. It's not like I want to go, my sisters trapped in her own head for crying out loud, but I'm starting to see Kim earlier point. Though I hate to admit I can't do much now. I also had to remind myself Alex's wasn't even here; she will be at the mercy of the Yeerks for another day either way. After a moment Kim nodded solemnly in agreement, her eyes never leaving the broken civilians.

"We'll check this place a little, make some notes and leave." I nodded my head in agreement, despite the nagging voice in the back of my mind. We move around the Yeerk pool, taking in the large surroundings. Surprisingly no one really paid us much mind. We duck our heads into the sheds, most were the same.

There were seven Sheds all up. The one to the far left seemed to be the Armory. It was painted red, the only shed to have actually been painted. The rest were just plain old silver. It was also quite larger in size, as big as a garage. We stared for a while, fascinated by the alien tech, each weapon looking similar to human devices. The flashlights, similar to what's-his-face had, were all line up in the wall, but there were others like the pistols.

I could see Kim nudging forward, tempted to grab hold of an alien weapon but ultimately left. She said she wouldn't really know how to work it and was afraid of harming the host. Fair enough, that didn't stop me from pocketing one; never know when it'll be useful.

Probably very soon.

All the others sheds were like living rooms, small, but comfy all the same. They had carpet mats, a TV, an IPod connected to an iPod dock, a couch, and a small fridge holding different kind of drinks. At first we didn't know what to think. Maybe Yeerks had human tendencies, a conclusion we came to together when we witnessed a middle age man and a young girl, just old enough to be out of school, eating popcorn watching the latest Avengers movie, Age of Ultron. It didn't feel right though, the shed was still locked from the outside, they weren't allowed out.

"I don't believe it." Kim words work the silence. I turned to her, her face pale in realization. "Max they're…" She mumbled, so low that I could barely hear and I was right next to her! She couldn't finish though, another unfamiliar voice speaking above Kim.

"I can't believe it either." Two men, in their late twenties, stood behind us. The dark haired man with a smug look on his face came towards us; sweat poured out of my body, and admittedly a sense of peeing washed over me. Were we caught? Did he catch on to us? My nerves only relaxed, just an inch as I realize he wasn't interested in us but the people in the window. "Volunteers pfft, it's more fun to break them, dominate over them."

It took every fibre of my being not to slug the guy, almost did too if it weren't for Kim. Hand balled into fist, a glare of death, Kim was a second away from punching his face in and honestly I would have loved to see that. Sadly we'd be dead if she did.

"Right; and have to work every second just to keep them in line every day?" The Asian man replied amused. Well, we're all screwed. "No way, give me a volunteer any day of the the pleasure, none of the work."

"What he said, or what an Earthling says, ten four good buddy." I chipped in, Kim turned her head to me shockwhile the Asian man smiled in delight as the first guy shock his head. "If you don't mine we have to get ready to take a dip." Getting the picture, Kim pocketed her fist and follow my lead to the lake, my focus never leaving those guys, ensuring I haven't instigated any red lights. It didn't seem so, the two went back to talking among themselves. Looks like we're good, for now.

"Monsters, the lot of them." Kim grunted beneath her breath. Her eyes were watery, vulnerable, yet full of hatred; her hands were out again, shaking. It looked so wrong, not only because Kim was in the form of my sister, my only one, the one that never once looked anything close to this vulnerable, helpless and hatful, but because it was Kim.

From how long Max knew her, he knew she had a temper and that she could be very emotional depending on how strong she felt about something, but he never once saw her like this. This version of her, the girl ready to break, to snap. It was unsettling.

"Let's get out of here…"

"SHUT THE DOORS!" We jumped at the sudden alarm, hosts of all kinds, armed to the teeth all rushing around everywhere. Chaotic was the thought that came to mind, though if you watched carefully you would realize the, unorderly scrambling was just them rushing to secure their station, most blocking the staircases out.

"Oh crap!"


AN: Yes I know this chapter is really late and I can't tell you how sorry I am about that. I'm not going to give an excuse on why its late. To the view loyal readers I have I hope this short chapter give you a laugh while I finished chapter 7. hopefully if all goes well I'll be done by the end of July. No promises this time, just hoping.

I've already did the last chapter so all I have to do is Chapter 7.

Next Time: Chapter 7 Kim (Boom goes the dynamite! Boom!)