CHAPTER 11

"Debbie Darko?" Marco uttered. "That Debbie Darko who sits in the darkroom in photography class all day? She's a Controller?"

We met up at Cassie's barn that evening. I was in the rafters, at my usual spot. From up there, I could see Cassie's house and the driveway through the hayloft. It was the best vantage point - I could hear sounds coming from outside, I could know if someone was sneaking up on us.

And as I had expected, the moment I arrived, Cassie had quickly and closely questioned me. I related everything about my meeting with DeGroot, watching her listen intently word by word. DeGroot's weird behavior was already a red flag to Marco, immediately coming up with about eight different ways it could be some scam.

Then I told them this new piece of information. That the Yeerks were targeting me, or this document. And Elle was a Controller. But nothing about DeGroot talking to Mr Liang, and Rebecca.

Marco then made the connection between Elle and the nickname, Debbie Darko when Cassie told him she was from photography class.

"Debbie Darko?" It was the first time Rachel and even Cassie, from the look on her face, had heard that name. "Ok, even if this is a Controller, that's kinda mean. She has a name."

"Hey. I didn't give her the Debbie Darko name," Marco defended. "Now if her name is Elegant Elizabeth, that's a name I can go by."

"Marco, that's the dorkiest thing I've ever heard from you and I'm sure Elle will hate you for it. Wouldn't surprise me if name-calling was what got her involved with the Sharing."

"So you two know this Elle person?" Jake asked right to the point.

"We know her a bit because of the restaurant, Yan Fú Wok. Her family runs it. She sometimes helps out with delivery."

Right. She talked about this restaurant before.

"Yan Fú Wok?" Jake had a grim look. "My family orders from there."

"Same with my dad." Marco frowned. He was already nitpicking at that fact. "That's not good. We've got a Yeerk walking right to our doorsteps."

"Yeah. That is a concern. We also need to know if DeGroot is also a Controller. And where this possible cousin, Aria, could be."

"I still can't believe it," Cassie said sadly. "El's a Controller."

"Why is that so hard to believe? Everyone's got a Yeerk in their head," Marco pointed, a hard tap to his forehead.

"Yeah… But I've never heard her talk about the Sharing. Just her restaurant."

"Oh really? Maybe Yan Fú Wok is a Yeerk location too. Right under their basement is a Yeerk Pool. Or a secret underground spy operation."

I didn't see anything close to those possible points back at the restaurant. But I kept quiet.

"Are you sure?" Rachel found that hard to believe. "Mr Liang's the chef, Elle's aunt and uncle run the rest of the shop. Kinda small for an operation."

"Hey, they could be like Chapman and his wife. We don't know if they're all Controllers. Maybe Tom's secretly contacting them."

"No," Jake interrupted. "My mom's the one who does the calls."

(It would be impeccable to cease making contact to this restaurant then,) Ax suggested.

"Oh, sure. I can say I don't want takeout. The only one against three other family members who do," Rachel uttered, folding her arms.

"Well, the food's good. You can't deny that," Cassie said.

(Food? It is delicious?) Ax had a bright gleam in his four eyes.

"Of course. You can try some next time my dad orders."

"Hang on. There won't be a next time. What if this is some ploy the Yeerks are doing? Using the takeout delivery system to get our family members to become Controllers?"

"Ugh, can you not make Yan Fú Wok sound bad?" Rachel groaned. "We've been ordering from that place for years."

"Hey, same for me and my dad. But it's time to move on. Controllers everywhere."

(Um.) There was one small thing I haven't told the others yet. The conversation had taken off after I told them that Elle was a Controller. (There's something you should know about this Yeerk.)

"What? That she's a Sub-Visser? A cannibalistic Yeerk cutting up the heads of people?" Marco asked.

How should I say it without sounding odd? Even I had never seen such a thing before.

(She talks to herself.)

Marco narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure she wasn't talking on some Yeerk device to someone else?"

(She had nothing on her. She kept on saying 'we', instead of 'I'. Even said a second name.)

"What kind of name?" Jake asked.

(I think a Yeerk's. It was V'trix.)

(V'trix?) Ax repeated, looking rather puzzled. (I've never heard of any planet or Yeerk spacecraft with that kind of name.)

"Maybe it's a new name the Yeerks made up," Marco was swift to give that hypothesis. And that sounded plausible.

Yeerks go by the names of where they were born from, but ended it with numbers. Like Aftran 942. And there are so many of them - the number of names can reach in the thousands.

(That isn't just the weirdest part. She wants to avoid me. Not the hawk me, obviously. The Tobias me who went to see DeGroot, I mean.)

"Avoid? Why?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah, that's a bit weird," Marco interrupted before I could answer that. "She's a Yeerk. Isn't she working with that man in the suit?"

"I don't think that's the case. Didn't you say the man in the suit was demanding answers out of her?"

(Yeah. Her visit was unexpected to that other Controller.)

"It sounds like she's unwanted. An outcast."

Outcast. For some reason, I couldn't help but feel that name worked for me. An outcast to what a real hawk should be. An outcast to a human.

"Really? Aren't Yeerks supposed to work together? Take over the planet is a big thing they're doing."

"Since when has Yeerks ever been cooperative to their own kind?" Rachel pointed. And Marco agreed with a shaky nod.

"Still, it's kinda specific," Cassie said. "El's Yeerk, I mean."

"And? Our lives are already pretty specific. We're nothing but game characters," Marco continued, rolling with his own outrage. "We're going through hallways with blasters drawn and the enemies are endlessly spawning at every corner. We blow 'em up but they keep coming until you kill the Mother Brain. What's next? This weird Yeerk's gonna be like a little ally from that one game because it imprinted on the hero?"

Ax snorted angrily. (Please tell me you are joking, Marco.)

Even I laughed. A Yeerk ally. That will be the day.

"He is. He never shuts up," Rachel droned. "I mean, for goodness' sake, Marco. You were never this crazy about conspiracies before we became Animorphs. Where's the old Marco who was picking the next girl to annoy?"

"Well, who says I'm still not?" He grinned smugly, resting his chin on Rachel's shoulder.

She laughed and shoved him off.

This was a dumb, little routine they do occasionally. But I was a bit jealous. I can't have the little intimacies a human can have. Shake hands, hug, or rest my chin on anyone's shoulder.

I'm not normal anyway. Not a human. So I can't do those kinds of things.

"Specific or not, it doesn't matter about this one Yeerk. She might be crazy. I wouldn't pass the idea that's why she's shunned by her own kind. She's like those insane people at the asylum. Yeerks got nothing to hold her up so they just let her wander off," Marco said.

I didn't agree with him there. Unless Yeerk insanity was very different from a human's.

"Whether or not this Yeerk is a loonie, we do have a bit of an issue here. This Yeerk's going to our homes," Jake returned the conversation back to its original point.

"Really?" Marco uttered. "It's just one Yeerk. Like Cassie said, an outcast."

"We have a Visser with morphing powers. That is one Yeerk too. We should check Elle's Yeerk out. No taking chances."

"That's the thing. We don't know if we could be hitting a hornet's nest. I'd vouch for leaving it alone till we find out exactly what's up with this 'weird' Yeerk."

"So you agree or disagree?" Jake retorted.

"Partly agree. From a safe distance."

(I agree,) I said. I almost thought I gave it away when everyone looked at me. But I pressed on. (There's something odd about this Controller. She's not like other Controllers.)

"That's a first. A 'different' Controller," Rachel laughed.

"Well, we won't do anything if we just sit this one out. You all know the routine." Jake was already off taking the lead. Like a second nature. "Marco. Head to the restaurant and find anything about Elle's Yeerk."

"The restaurant's not where Elle stays," Rachel corrected. "She lives near the city exit in the suburbs. Four blocks from my place."

"Alright. Cassie and I will go there. See what we can find. Marco, Ax? Still check the restaurant. Inside, outside and underground. If there really is a Yeerk Pool or secret base. We also need to know how many more Controllers there are."

"Uh, dude, is that a good idea? An Andalite at a Chinese restaurant?"

Jake rolled his eyes. "Fine. Cassie goes with you."

(I am not incapable of having control at locations handling human substances, Prince Jake. Neither will this 'Chinese restaurant'.)

"Oh really? Do you want us to go over how many places you 'were' in control?"

(I cannot compute what you might mean in that regard.)

"Huh, a witty remark from Ax. The world's ending," Marco blurted.

Jake just sighed heavily. Back to the subject. "Lastly, this lawyer and cousin. Rachel, you're with Tobias. Figure out if they are Controllers too."

(Aria might be a problem. DeGroot didn't tell me where she is.)

Cassie furrowed her eyebrows. "But she's your cousin, right? Shouldn't he tell you in your best interest?"

"I've said this before. He's not letting out more than he should," Rachel stepped in with a fold of her arms. Now her game was on. "DeGroot represents Aria, right? He's gotta meet up with her now and then. To talk about lawyer things."

"So what are you proposing?" Jake asked.

"I say Tobias and I go follow DeGroot and he leads us to this Aria person."

"It's a long shot but better than nothing. How many days till your birthday, Tobias?"

(Four. I think.)

"You think?" Marco said with a raised eyebrow. Then he realized I wasn't joking.

(I'm not too sure. DeGroot said my birthday's on the 25th this month.)

"That's a bit creepy."

(No kidding. For a lawyer, he surprised me. At least he never asked how old I am in bird years.) I forced a laugh. (Uh, don't ask either.)

"Well, let's hope there won't be any more surprises. We've already got our hands full with this Elle person," Jake cautioned.

No more surprises. Right.

Like me finding out about my great aunt, with my father's estate plans. But I withheld that information in. Because it was irrelevant to my situation.

It was a piece of the puzzle I couldn't see it fit in all this. Right now, I couldn't trust it. Not until I'd learn more about Aria. So that was what Rebecca was to me right then and there. I didn't know her, other than that she's Aria's mother.

She wasn't important to me.

A/N: Heyo again! New chapter is up! Hope you'll enjoy this and review/kudo! I really appreciate your support and feedback!

And yes. If anyone remembers the plot of Pretender and wonders "wait, that's not right," don't worry. ;) Like I said before, taking this story down a different path.