TEN: JAKE

We didn't go back to the barn - too dangerous to bring a Controller there. We've learned our mistake the last time. So we picked one of the abandoned shops nearby.

Crack! Thud!

Marco pulled the boards off the back door, with El on his shoulder. We hustled inside while he placed her down on a chair at the back and Ax tied a rag over her eyes and ropes around her hands. If this was Chapman or Visser Three, they wouldn't do this gently.

She may be a Controller but she was still a kid, trapped by a parasitic alien. Rachel might also have been right that she had Stockholm syndrome to be mentally sane. So this was a bit personal to me, when you've been in a similar situation as hers.

It wasn't by choice. It was a slip up that got my head right into a Yeerk pool, ending up being controlled by one who used to be Tom's.

Three days I spent being locked in my head. Taunted by that Yeerk, seeing myself trying to escape. If it weren't for my friends, I would have been far too gone to be saved.

And there we were again.

"Should we-"

I quickly cut Cassie off with a finger to my lips. We couldn't talk right next to a Controller. Quietly, I signalled everyone to move to the next room.

"Are we really going to do this?" Cassie asked meekly. "She's been through a lot."

"We've already discussed this," Rachel pushed. "We can't let her go. And we need answers."

Cassie bit her lower lip. She knew where and how this was going to end.

We were at war. Our lives were more important than one person. If El really did know enough about us, then we'd have no choice.

Even if I didn't totally agree.

"She knew our names and she has a Yeerk," Rachel pointed. "She's dangerous."

"As much as this girl's bad news," Marco started. "There are way too many unexplained things. And her actions so far have not proven us one bit she knows us."

"And I've said it before. She could be faking it."

"Rachel. She called us bandits. I'm already convinced she's not the same girl we saw from before."

"Maybe that's part of the act?" Rachel didn't sound certain.

I sighed. "This would be a lot easier if she just outright said she knew us."

"Since when do Yeerks ever make it easy for us?" Marco droned.

Then we heard shifting and groans in the other room. El was waking up.

"For now, let's get to the bottom of this," I whispered. "That's why we are doing this."

It was all we could do.

"Alright, Ax. She's all yours," Marco said, patting him on the shoulder.

"But gently. This is a kid, Ax. A kid," I told him quietly. "She's already dealing with that Yeerk in her head."

He nodded and took position. The rest of us morphed into animals as backup.

"...W-What?" El's uttered. She tried to look, move her hands.

Oddly, she wasn't panicking like we expected her to be. Unusually calm for someone in her situation.

"Hey… Are you the same ones from before?"

Same ones? That was an odd thing to ask.

Then her body relaxed.

"Who are you?" came out the strange tone.

This was the Yeerk.

I nodded at Ax and he moved forward, hooves clopping on wooden floors, circling around the girl on purpose, letting the Yeerk know who she was dealing with.

This was all an act. I told myself. Just an act.

I was asking a lot from Ax. None of us had the will to do this, not when you were interrogating a kid. But he was determined to play the role.

(You are in my power, Yeerk. If you want to live, you will answer my questions,) Ax said with exaggerated Andalite arrogance.

The Yeerk was strangely calm. She didn't shudder or whimper.

(Now tell me. Where did you find the decadron box?)

First major question. But she frowned, tilting her head.

(Answer me, Yeerk filth!) Ax roared. (Where did you find it?)

"You are not in charge."

I jumped.

I first thought, did she find out? No. Did she remember?

Ax was also taken by surprise but it took a few seconds for him to regain back his composure.

(Do not defy me!) For good measure, Ax whipped the blunt part of his tail blade at her throat. (Know your place, Yeerk.)

She definitely felt it, her right hand tightening on the wooden arm of the chair.

Then she huffed through her nose.

"Oh. We perfectly know our place. Is this some newfangled tactic you're trying out or did the big boys let you try the wheel for once?"

(Excuse me?)

"Please. You're wasting your time. If this was a real interrogation, you wouldn't be handling a Werch."

His two wide eyestalks wheeled to me.

This was going bad very fast!

(Should we bail?) Marco asked.

Ax heaved a deep breath and glared back. (We are at war here. You do not get any mercy for this intolerance.)

"Oh, that's fine with me. You Andalite care only for our extinction. Humans are nothing but collateral damage."

Ax's body twitched again as he tumbled back.

(Ax, don't listen to her. She's messing with your head,) Rachel snapped.

I should have pulled him out. Stop the interrogation and have Marco maybe, knock her out or something.

He then puffed up his chest and fixed all four eyes on her. (You've forgotten who has your life. I'm the one in control.)

She snorted. "An amateur like you? This may be war but I can tell just how exaggerated your acting is. Don't you have a second witness while questioning the suspect? Never a lone interrogator. Or one lacking any skill."

(You-!)

"So why don't you stop this charade and let me talk to your leader."

(I am the one in charge!) Ax demanded.

"No, you're not. If you were, your friends would have already asked the questions by now."

(She's bluffing,) Rachel pushed.

(Enough,) I said. (Ax, we have to stop.)

He tightened his fists. He didn't like that he was being called back, away from his enemy in the same room as him.

"I want to know." Before I could make the next decision, the Yeerk continued. "You have absolutely nothing to gain from a Werch so why this pointless interrogation?"

(That's because we want to know-) Marco was about to shout until Cassie stopped him, a headbutt to his arm. (Ouch.)

"...I will cooperate if you tell me the reason. But only on my conditions."

(And that is?) Ax asked.

"I talk to your leader and you take off these binds."

(Ha, yeah right,) Rachel snorted.

(And what if I simply finish this 'pointless interrogation'? End your life now,) Ax tossed a last-ditch effort.

"Then what was the point of capturing me from the start?"

Ax frowned reluctantly. She got him there.

"You need answers. And you believe I have them. I'm willing to listen, on my terms."

She was determined to put us at a stalemate.

There was no other choice. (Ax, you're going to have to coach me. Rachel, get ready if she tries anything.)

Ax nodded, giving me the stand.

Oh, I did not like the idea. I was going to force information out of a human being. A kid. I really wanted someone else to do this.

This was a Yeerk, I told myself. An enemy. Act Andalite. Act...alien, I guess?

(I am the leader,) I spoke, trying the best I could at imitating Andalite tone.

"Ok. How about taking off the blindfolds so we can see? You're only holding half of the bargain."

I nodded to Ax to take them off. Once that was done, the Yeerk glanced about with a languid expression.

"So. The infamous Andalite Bandits," she mused softly. "Fine. Let's get over with this. Is it information you want? Targeting an important Visser? Top-secret Yeerk location? Or war data kept at your military bases?"

What?

Ok, this was definitely not what I expected. Least a Yeerk willing to hand over intel to us.

"However, I know less than the normal Yeerk grunt. That is why I've said it was a wasted time apprehending us."

(No,) I replied. (That's not why you're here.)

(Actually, wait. Go back. We could use all that,) Marco said privately. I ignored him.

"Figured as much. You Andalites wouldn't risk jeopardizing yourselves on low-priority Yeerks unless you have a reason to."

I had to be careful. This Yeerk was more analytical than most Yeerks we've faced.

She glowered impatiently. "So? What is it? Tell me this hasn't been some game you enjoy playing during your leisure time."

(More like you've played us,) Rachel grumbled.

(You're not like other Yeerks, are you?) I asked.

"That I'm not as obtuse as my people? Of course. I value our lives more over stupidity."

Our? Weird thing to say.

(Do you know who we are?) I asked.

"Who in the Empire doesn't know you." She leaned back lazily. "Andalite bandits stranded on this planet, a last-ditch resistance group protecting the humans."

So she was still sticking to the "You are not humans" answer.

I was hesitant on pushing questions. If she was at the site, she'd still know our names. But she still took us as the Bandits like any other Yeerk.

I decided to take the risk. (You approached us at a location. Humans called it a construction site.)

(Jake,) Marco hissed privately. (You sure about this?)

"Again with this construction site nonsense," V'trix snapped. "We were not there today. And I have no quarrels or qualms to meet with Andalites."

Andalite. Not human. The same story she said to Tom.

Then...was that really not El we met then?

"Still…" She glanced at us suspiciously. "If we 'did' approach you, what was the reason?"

(You presented to us a decahedron-shaped blue box,) I answered straightforwardly.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "The box you're asking me now? Hmph. You must be mistaken for another Yeerk-"

(All of us witnessed you handing it over to us. You cannot deny that,) Ax demanded.

The Controller's expression looked legit. She really had no idea. "You've lost us. The only boxes we've been carrying are takeout."

I could have sworn I heard her tone change, mid-sentence.

(There is no point in pretending to be your host. Your facade was already broken from the start.)

She frowned but her expression was more like Rachel's "are you being serious?" kind. "Ok, genius. If we did give it to you, then you should have it, right?"

Nope. We didn't. And the hesitation in Ax's face showed that.

"Called it," she uttered. "Was a bluff all along."

(It's the truth,) Cassie interrupted. (You gave it to us.)

(And you are in no position to ask for proof, Yeerk,) Ax snapped. (One final time. Where did you find that box?)

The Yeerk calmly pushed the blade away from her throat. "How should we know? This is the first time we've heard of this device."

This was familiar.

I felt a chill down my spine.

I remembered this.

(But you're the one who brought it to us!) Marco hollered.

I remembered exactly what she was going to say next.

"Why?" she asked. "We are your-"

(Enemy,) I finished.

She glanced at me, mildly surprised but didn't take offence. "Yes. That's pretty obvious."

I swallowed. I had been holding this off for too long. But I had to be sure.

Because I was afraid I could be right.

"Hmph," she huffed arrogantly. "I didn't expect the Bandits to be as simple-minded as that Varx. Think clearly. Why would a Yeerk work with Andalites? I might as well hand my life over to the Council if I wanted my noose tighter."

All good points we couldn't argue. And she added one sentence that put the hatchet down for me.

"Unless you're saying another version of 'us' came from a Sario Rip," she sarcastically joked.

Yup.

The magic words.

They were something I shouldn't be hearing at all. But she said it. Right at us. I had to accept the fact.

We were dealing with a Sario Rip. Again. Only this time, someone else came from one.

(A Sario Rip?) Ax seemed to calm down, slowly accepting that possibility.

(So...the other El went through one?) Cassie pointed.

It was an answer to...maybe some of our questions but it was one we were least expecting. So of course, everyone in the room was accepting it.

Except for one.

"...You're pulling my ceratas, right? Come now. Sario Rip travel is only a theory," V'trix pointed. "You do know that."

I'm gonna assume she meant, 'pulling my leg'.

(It's not really...that farfetched,) Marco said.

"This is absurd." She frowned disappointedly. "Be reasonable. It's a theory. Time travel of any sort is. A. Theory. Nobody has ever survived a Sario Rip before."

(Oh no. We know somebodies who did.)

"Please stop." She was getting mad. Why? "There is a more sensible explanation than rips."

(Ok,) Rachel muttered. (Got a better explanation why we were given a box by you?)

"Of course," she replied smugly. "Obviously, it's one of you Andalites who took El's DNA."

That rattled Rachel's cage. (What?! Of course not! Why would we do that?)

"I should be asking you that question. It's more reasonable than Sario Rips."

(Is it really that?) Marco privately asked, taking a step back to think.

(It's still possible another Andalite took her DNA. We could do it too,) Tobias said.

(No,) Cassie interrupted. (No, I don't think it's that case.)

(Why?) I asked.

(Because of what the other El said.)

(Huh?)

Cassie didn't explain. (We can prove a Sario Rip happened.)

"Oh, really? How pray tell?"

She readied herself with a deep breath. (...Your favourite constellations are Rhesam's Link and Orion's Belt.)

I didn't know what that was about but the words immediately sunk in for El.

"Wait...H-How… Where did you hear that?" The Yeerk asked. In El's tone.

(You told us,) Cassie explained.

"No. We've never met you. What trickery…" V'trix looked even more confused. Her tone switched again. "How could you have known?"

(We're not lying. You told us. As a passphrase.)

"A passphrase…?" Suddenly, she frowned angrily and spoke out in the strange tone. "You could have easily overheard us. We've talked about asterisms openly before."

(What's with this 'we' business?) Rachel demanded with annoyance.

"Hmph," she remarked. "You wouldn't understand."

(Wait. We have more-) But Marco suddenly stopped himself, clutching his fists. (Great. Wish I'd brought that pocket watch.)

"Pocket watch?" she repeated quietly with El's normal tone.

(Look. It's hard to believe it,) Marco continued. (We don't either. But all of us saw you.)

"And yet, we've never met you before till now," V'trix retaliated tiredly. "That is the truth-"

Ax snorted. (A Yeerk speaking the truth. You are merely shortening your lifespan by spinning this tale of yours.)

"I am a Werch. I gain nothing from withholding information, whether or not you've fooled yourself into thinking I have it."

(Your status doesn't exclude you from lying. You are still a criminal to your people.)

"And actually when are you going to believe me?" she countered

(Until you have exhausted all of your answers to us, Yeerk,) he threatened. (Even if it means we'll keep you here for three days.)

That should have been it. A final attempt to shake a Yeerk to the core. Three days was all it takes for a Yeerk to die from starvation. Keep them locked away from any source of Kandrona rays and they'd shrivel up away.

But V'trix showed absolutely nothing but a spent sigh.

"This is pointless. You cannot keep us here any longer."

(Or what? Your Yeerk allies are going to come to your rescue?) Rachel snapped.

V'trix raised an eyebrow. "No. El's family is going to put out an amber alert if we do not return back home before 9."

...Oh, great. What we didn't want to hear.

(Hmph. And what is an amber alert?) Ax asked, the only one who didn't know.

"A public message to alert humans someone is missing. Her family is very strict on her curfew."

(Are you serious? More problems?!) Marco groaned.

Nothing could go easy on us today, could it?

(This is another attempt at bluffing,) Ax exclaimed arrogantly.

(Um, Ax. She's not,) Cassie pointed privately. (El told me this before.)

(Yeah. I heard her mom saying something about that too,) Rachel said.

(As I've said, it's a bluff. This Yeerk told you that.) Ax turned back to El with renewed conviction. (We are not easily swayed by your tricks.)

"Fine." V'trix just gave up on the spot without any resistance. That went way too easy. "Keep us here for as long as you like, you'll eventually hear the sirens."

(You really have high expectation nothing is going to happen to you,) Marco muttered.

"Because it's the logical outcome," she said frankly. "Opposing you would only endanger El further."

(Oh, would you cut the act?) Rachel demanded. (We know your kind doesn't even care one bit about humans.)

(It would be best to keep her restrained until the three days are up,) Ax proposed openly, one eyestalk glaring down at El. (Maybe then, this Yeerk will be more willing to speak.)

Suddenly, her emotionless face changed to frustration at the drop of a hat.

"Oh, stick a sock in your hooves, you pigheaded centaurs!"

That wasn't what we expected to hear. So it kinda got us by surprise.

(P-Pigheaded?) Ax hollered. (I do not have the head of an Earth domestic animal, Yeerk-)

"V'trix isn't the only one talking to you. I am."

I?

(Didn't we already said to drop it? It's not gonna work,) Rachel barked.

"How about this isn't an act so stop ignoring me? Because I've had enough of you lashing at V'trix."

Again, this open frontal attitude. Just like back at the site.

(Wait a minute,) Cassie stepped in. (Is this El talking to us?)

Ax grunted. (So you're a voluntary Controller-)

El frowned irritatedly. "Don't put me with those nutjobs. I want no part in this invasion."

(What?) I uttered.

"We want nothing to do with this war. It's your problem and the stupid Empire's."

(Wh...You have a Yeerk in you!) Rachel pointed.

"And? I can't be friends with her? You aren't the boss of me."

(She's completely different from a normal Controller.) Cassie said. (Does this Yeerk really not have complete control over her?)

(It's impossible,) Ax quickly rebuked. (There is no Yeerk that will let a host have free control. She is a hostage that knows no better.)

El narrowed her eyes tightly. "So I have Stockholm syndrome? That is the most stupid melodramatic cliche reason you can pull," she hissed. "I'm not sick in the head. And V'trix can't control me even if she wanted to."

That was an oddly specific sentence. (What do you mean by that?)

El froze in her seat, as if what she said was an accident. Then she rebutted back. "I-I'm not telling the reason to a bunch of aliens!"

That was a strange reaction. But before I could push further, Rachel was hammering down the next statement. (She's manipulating you! How can you trust someone whose race is taking over this planet?)

El laughed mockingly. "And you make better allies? I wouldn't put my life on a race with a superiority complex."

(We're the ones saving you from the Yeerks!) Rachel was holding herself back from giving the whack of a bear.

But El's next words took it to a whole new level.

"Where were you when I needed saving?"

(W-What?)

"If it weren't for V'trix, I wouldn't even be alive. She did a lot more good than you stupid centaurs did saving your own skins!"

Hearing that just sounded...like it should have been a joke. But none of us retorted.

I think this was also hitting hard on Rachel and Cassie. They knew her better than the rest of us but from what El was saying, there was a lot more they didn't know.

"So keep your oaths to yourself. I don't need saving from V'trix, this invasion or from you lot. Now let us go."

(I've said this before. You have overplayed your tricks, Yeerk. You can keep using this host's facade,) Ax warned. (Three days is all it will take to stop it.)

(Ax,) I called. That was going a bit too far. But I couldn't disagree that this was still the Yeerk talking to us, not El.

But El pulled out one card I didn't even think she could have from her sleeve.

"If you kill V'trix," El began. "Then you'll kill me."

We were taken aback. It was a serious threat that I couldn't even tell if this was a ruse

She then glanced aimlessly with a look of concern. V'trix spoke out, "El-"

She shook her head. El switched back. "V'trix and I aren't like normal Yeerks and Controllers. V'trix rooted right into my nervous system that if she dies, I go too."

(There is no such thing-)

"And how would you know?" El cut Ax short. "Such a rare case but hey, why bother learning about your enemy's biology?"

(You're lying,) Rachel barked.

"Then go right ahead," she threatened, catching Rachel by surprise. "You don't care about us humans anyway. Why should I make any difference?"

This aggression was different. It wasn't a Yeerk's malice throwing at us. More like a classmate giving a mind of her own.

"You've so convinced I'm trapped in my head." she hollered. "'Saving' me will do you good for your egos."

(Now wait a minute-) Marco pleaded uneasily but there was no stopping El.

"Don't even bother. The only reason you're "saving Earth" is to clean up your past screw-ups. It was your race that brought the Yeerks here in the first place!"

We couldn't deny that fact. We also knew the truth.

"So shut up about your self-proclaimed chivalry! Because you're only proving one thing with that schmuck attitude."

(And that is?) I asked, my patience tested.

"That you're no heroes."

That stopped me. It smarted me. I wanted to rebuke back. All of us did. We've been protecting this planet for the longest time!

But her glare. It spoke history. Hostility. Distrust. El saw something we didn't.

Her right fist was shaking. Ready to punch one of us.

"Don't say you're fighting for us when none of your people can't keep to your word."

All of this really hit hard, even if those words were at Andalites. Ax was especially frozen. He knew more than most that his people could be ruthless. He had only recently learned of the Andalites' methods on the Hork-Bajir world. He had seen a captain betray his entire ship for the Yeerks. His own government had charged him with the 'crime' his brother had committed rather than defame a war hero in the apparent interest of propaganda.

We knew Andalites were not the benevolent saviors of the galaxy we once wished they were, back when the only one we had known was the one that died giving us our only weapon.

I wasn't an Andalite. I was human, just like El.

But that sentence told me volumes. Because that was what I had felt. Waiting for the Andalites to come solve this invasion problem. It was their problem and not ours.

The only difference between El and us was that she stopped waiting.

"...V'trix. I wanna go home."

Her anger quickly mellowed out. "I understand."

And before we knew it, she lifted her left hand.

(Wait, what?!) Marco uttered.

Somehow, V'trix managed to slip free herself and was already working on the other hand. Once that was done, she stood up and brushed the dust off her left hand on her jacket. "Child's play. You Andalites should learn how to tie better knots." She slouched back with a posture that read untouchable. "We'll be taking our leave."

It was honestly irritating, hearing her use that demand as protection.

(W-Wait!) Rachel barked. (We're not letting you go.)

"No. You will." Talk about a brash Yeerk.

(Seriously?) Marco uttered loudly. (What possible reason would you have to believe that?)

"Simple. Because a Werch is useless to you," V'trix explained. "I have been abandoned by my own people. I've long stopped caring about them to give a Varx's jaek about them. This interrogation of you has been nothing but fruitless and tiresome to all of us."

(Man, she got us there...) he groaned quietly.

"You can keep forcing answers out of me but I don't care about your matters or my people's. The only thing that I care is El's safety."

(You're just using her safety as your own shield!) Rachel hollered.

"Believe whatever you want," V'trix barked coolly. "You're going to check it out all the same. But even you Andalites need sleep and food. You can't afford to keep us here. Neither can you risk it. Besides, I'm assuming you already know where to find us. We'll see you tomorrow."

And just like that, she shoved her way past a bunch of animals for the door.

(We are not done-!)

"Yes. We are," El cut Rachel short, her anger back in full force with her normal tone. "You go and solve that stupid box riddle yourself!"

That outburst stopped a bear in her tracks. Sounds pathetic to say it but honestly, it would have been easier if we were dealing with an older Controller or an alien.

Don't take it the wrong way. We wanted to stop her. We could have and we should have. But if we did, we would be exactly what El accused us of being.

We were the good guys. And yeah, I know, everyone thinks that. But we were fighting for Earth and that made us the good guys. We had done a lot. We had each of us killed more Hork-Bajir and Taxxons than any of us wanted to know. All were Controllers and casualties were inevitable in war, but that didn't make it right.

Without nothing stopping El, she kept going for the door.

I found my voice, shaky and unsure. (We will be watching, Yeerk. Of that, you can be certain.)

She stopped, giving us that broody look. V'trix. "We wouldn't expect nothing from you." And walked right out of the shop.

Leaving us completely stunned.

(Did we...just let our captive walk right out?) Marco asked.

(El's not thinking at all. That Yeerk's got her wrapped around her finger tight,) Rachel pointed but it only sounded like she was trying to convince herself. Convince us.

It wasn't working.

All I could think was...ugh, what a headache.

A bit late on the schedule but here is chapter ten. Where the Animorphs finally meet El and V'trix. A second time, I suppose. It took some building up because this was also an original chapter but revamped several times. It's also my longest chapter by far but I hope that's alright with ya. Also inspired by the Chapman chapter in the Conspiracy. Which to me honestly, it didn't really felt like a conspiracy to me.

The one thing I did fear is that some of the Animorphs got themselves a bit more involved with the conversation that I was afraid if the dialogue was either out of character for them trying to act as Andalite OR that it'd be giving their secret a bit too easily. And this is gonna continue on throughout the chapters for sure. So this is a major challenge for me. :x

Anyway, hope you guys like this chapter! If something bugs you, please let me know. I am always striving to improve this fic to the best I can. I might have some trouble with the next chapters but do hope I'll get the next up for the biweekly deadline.

Also shoutout to Artisan219's fanfic, Animorphs Reboot #1. It's an awesome fic on his take with the Animorphs being older and in our modern time. Give it a whirl.