ELEVEN

What? How? Why?

When did Kelly get captured and forced as a Controller?

How did this happen! ?

("Don't. If she sees you, it'll be over.") A hand pushed me down, trying to stop me from leaping out of the bag.

Was it my fault that I let Kelly be an easy target because we put all our focus on my dad?

How could I let this happen?

"Would you care to explain? You're not making sense," the brown-haired man's Yeerk asked.

Kelly glanced left and right, smiling with eerie confidence. "No one followed you?"

"None." Except for two birds.

"Good. The way it should be." The Yeerk smiled uncannily through Kelly's face. I could only imagine Kelly screaming through a face that was taken over from her.

I felt revolted. At myself. A while ago, all I could think about was making sure my father didn't have the same fate I had. A Yeerk controlling him. And the result, Kelly took his place instead.

"I found out who those bandit scums are. Would you believe it? Five human children. All this time, it has been five humans and one Andalite runt who have been stopping us for more than a year."

It was happening all over again. A Yeerk finding out our secrets because of one slip up. Just like me.

"Are you expecting me to believe this? Humans?" the Yeerk uttered with stern disbelief. Or pretending to.

"It gets better. The Black Massacre is also a human. She's from the future. And this host, is her present self."

The Yeerk in the brown-haired man raised an eyebrow. "Sounds far-fetched."

"Does it matter? I know everything. I even know the Black Massacre's real name. Elias Vanguard. Such a disgusting name indeed."

I felt the bag strap gripped tight. Glynn's face didn't show it but the tension in his hand did.

The Yeerk knew. It knew the same secret Glynn's Yeerk knew.

"I know who exactly those bandits are. And their morphing powers. I know this host has a particular power too. I tested it out on her own animal." The Yeerk twisted Kelly's laugh. "She was easy to break when she saw her beloved 'Horatio' ripped by her own creation."

I turned cold.

Kelly's campsite and Horatio.

Ax said the damage didn't look like it was done by Yeerks.

Her home wasn't destroyed by a Dracon Beam. Her dog wasn't hurt because of Controllers.

The Yeerk used a Talith on them.

"I have to say, I almost thought that mutt was a bandit too. It was immediately aggressive when I came to her little safe area."

Horatio...he must have sensed something was wrong. Must have known.

"I even got her friends spinning around in circles. Right now, a few brothers-in-arms should be capturing the human, Jake. Can't wait to see his face when he learns about his poor friend."

Just like Glynn and his Yeerk said, it was a trap.

By the Yeerk in Kelly's head.

Those three Controllers were supposed to wring me up and take me to her. To see the consequence I've made.

I'm sorry, Kelly.

I'm so sorry.

I said that again and again, even if she'd never hear them.

"So you've shared these secrets to them, I presume?"

I stopped. Listened.

"Of course not. I just told them to capture him because he 'may' have information we need. Why should I give out free glory?"

"Then...have you told the-"

"The Council? The Vissers? Why should I?" Kelly's Yeerk laughed. "Think about it, Orekor. I have those so-called bandits in my grasp. I know everything about the Black Massacre and what that human did. I could easily rise up to Visser just by catching all six of them."

The Yeerk, it hasn't told anyone yet?

"I'm guessing you have a plan then."

"Of course. And it's that simple. I already got them rattled with this human missing. I'm thinking I'll contact one of those foolish humans and tell them, 'Kelly' just had another prediction. I'll have them go to a place, defenceless. Then I'll take them out with this human's power."

I tensed. The Yeerk was using Kelly's premonition to its advantage.

Of course, it'd be like that. A Yeerk could easily use the morphing power through a person. Same went for the calling power.

"So you'll be meeting them face to face then?"

Kelly's head shook. "Not with that Andalite with them. He may prove the hardest to take care of. No, I plan to take them down one by one. After all, they'll do anything for this friend. This one human who is greatly connected all because of that Black Massacre."

The Yeerk knew everything. How valuable Kelly was with the whole time alteration. How much of a risk it would if anyone did something to her, changing the course of history for Elias. Even by us.

Everything.

"To think, that Black Massacre was holding out so many weapons. And I have one at my disposal," it sneered.

"And you're going in alone? That's rather reckless."

"Come now. Like they'd do anything to me? I'm controlling their friend. She makes a perfect hostage to use against them. But I'll bring in Weblric and Astric along if needed. And you too, Orekor. I need a...what was that phrase humans say? Oh. A meat shield."

The more I listened, the more I was seeing something off. This wasn't like a typical Yeerk conversation we'd overhear.

Frankly, it was more like one party was being sarcastic to the other. No, more than that.

"So you want me to keep tabs on the Vissers and make sure no Yeerk interrupt you?"

The Yeerk, Iubic then strangely clapped her hands together. Kelly's hands. "Bravo, Orekor. Always the loyal lackey. I've always like that in you. And no matter what, out of all this, you're still the Devourer."

Orekor kept silent.

Devourer?

The other Controller called him that too.

Iubic strolled around Orekor happily. Mockingly. "I'll have the bandits in one go. And all you'll do is help me and get no reward. No opportunity. Like always. Because a Devourer is only good at being a scapegoat. And you can't do anything about that."

Orekor did nothing to rebuff back. Accepting all that in with no defiance.

For some reason, this one Yeerk was getting a different treatment.

"Now then. You know where to find me, Orekor." Iubic strolled off.

"When was the last time you went to a Sharing meeting, Iubic?" The Yeerk, Orekor, suddenly asked.

That stopped her. "Hm. This morning."

("So we have only three days then.") Glynn's voice explained to me. "If you're planning to keep this from the others for the time being, they will find out in the next meeting. You plan to gather the bandits before then?"

The Yeerk laughed in a hum. "Don't worry. What was it humans said? A meal taste better after a good work-out?"

I watched helplessly as the Yeerk was taking Kelly away. To where, I didn't know.

(I'm gonna follow her,) Tobias said. (We got to save Kelly somehow.)

Out of the blues, I was moving away from Kelly. The opposite direction instead.

(Jake?)

(What are you doing! ? We have to save Kelly!) I yelled at the Yeerk, Orekor. He was walking away, not me. I was just a helpless rider in a satchel bag.

He said nothing.

(Let me out! If you won't do anything, then I will!)

("Don't give Iubic reason to think you know.")

That was the Yeerk's reply.

It was crazy talk. We were leaving it at that, letting a Yeerk take her away, along with the knowledge of us. Even Elias.

But I also saw reasoning behind his answer.

Right now, Kelly's Yeerk didn't know and only Tobias and I knew. She just 'believed' we weren't any wiser.

("Tell your friend to stay with us.")

I was reluctant...but...

(...Tobias, follow us.)

I could tell by the silence from Tobias. Bad idea. What were you thinking, Jake?

What have I been thinking before? My father's safety? Just that?

Five minutes later, the guy, Glynn found a quiet, isolated passage.

He let me out of the bag.

I demorphed.

"We need a strategy if we all want to help that human. I know you don't work well with Yeerks but-"

I didn't give him a chance to finish.

I shoved him into the wall, placed my morphing half-tiger, half-human hand at his throat.

(Jake! What are you doing?) Tobias yelled.

"You're going to listen to me, Yeerk," I demanded. "You're gonna tell your friend to come back to us. Do anything funny and I'll dig a hole into you."

The Yeerk sighed through the brown-haired man's face. Unimpressed by my threat. "Please, I've seen worse things by Elias. Yours is nothing in comparison to what she could do."

"Shut up! Don't say her name." I was so angry. So furious.

A Yeerk was saying her name like she was her pal. A Yeerk.

"Are you that uptight? Our intention is not to take you to the Yeerks. We are on your side."

"No, you're not," I spat. "You're not our friend, Yeerk."

"Think rationally. Iubic has not spoken to any Yeerks but me. She expects me to follow through," Orekor stated.

I grounded my teeth, ready to fully morph into tiger. "And you're going to take me to her, right? I won't let you-"

"Answer this then: why have I not told her about you?"

I stopped.

"I could have said I had an Andalite Bandit in my bag at any time. But I didn't. I could have told her I am using technology used by the Black Massacre. I didn't. What reason do I have on holding this information back?"

"Oh, I don't know. Gain my trust? Try to get me to lose my guard? I know exactly what you are. So don't make it like we're allies, Yeerk!"

Orekor didn't persist. He eyed wordlessly at me, seeing I wasn't going to be swayed.

Then his face changed to an irritated one and a sigh escaped from his mouth.

"It doesn't matter, Orekor. He's not going to listen. Now we have to clean up his mess."

I felt offended. "My mess? I don't know who you are but stay out, Yeerk!"

"Hey, for your information, the human here is talking to you! And you think we don't, kid?" Glynn barked, showing no restrict to let it go. "We know you and a few others are fighting the Yeerks as well. We've known for a year now!"

"What! ?"

"And you know what else? We know that recently, your brother has informed the Yeerks that he needs to take care of your father. And thanks to your recklessness, now you got Elias' secret exposed and that girl a Controller!"

I glared him. He glared back. I was really tempted to shut him up. He did nothing to retaliate.

Just...looked at me, disappointed and angry.

In frustration, I let him go. Demorphed. But that frustration eventually fuelled out.

Because he was right. As much as it irritated me, the man was right. I got Kelly captured. I let a Yeerk learn everything about us, Kelly and Elias. What was making it worse was the fact a guy who was supposed to be under control of another Yeerk was telling me all this.

Glynn shook his head and glared back. "Don't get why Elias left for you lot."

"Don't say her name!" I yelled. "You don't know her. You or that Yeerk don't know what she had to go through!"

"And you do? Did you know what she was doing before she met you? Did you know she had another life? Or that she stopped working and made arrangements for everyone she knew, including you?"

I glanced at him, bewildered.

A life? Arrangements?

"Or the fact that she told me and several others to stop fighting this war? To go on with our lives and forget everything? And none of us knows what really happened to her after she left? Did you know all that? Elias did more than what you think, kid! A lot more than what Orekor and I have been doing to save your sorry butt!

You're too stupid to realise the fact that she dropped everything to help you kids!"

I didn't snap back. I held it down, taking everything he said all in.

Because I was dumbfounded to hear that.

And soon, I was asking myself...

What was Elias doing...before she appeared for the first time to us? Before the whole chaos happened last week?

There was another life the others and I didn't know about. More secrets she kept, more skeletons in her closet.

I didn't know anything about Elias before.

"So don't say we don't know Elias when you don't too."

The final blow by my enemy. Like a Dracon Beam right into my gut. I kinda wished it was just that instead of those words.

"Enough. This isn't going anywhere." Now it was Orekor, calmly putting a standstill between me and his host. "We got off badly. And I don't expect you to take anything from me kindly. So how about we start over?"

He positioned himself up with a stern, cool face.

"I am Orekor 1821." The expression was replaced by a slacked but slightly irritated look. "And I am Glynn Knight."

I glanced at him, shocked. Wondering if the guy, not the Yeerk, was joking.

"The VP in the news? The Glynn Knight?" I uttered.

"Actually, that's an identity Elias created for me," Glynn explained. "My real name is Glynn Reilly. At least to everyone in the Sharing."

The expression changed back to the cool one. I was starting to understand who I was talking to.

"We already know you are Jake." He looked up to the building edge. "And the red-tailed hawk is...Tobias, right?"

(You know?) Tobias blurted before he could stop himself.

Orekor nodded.

I bit my lips. Finding myself talking to a Yeerk was always difficult. "Not much of an introduction," I hissed.

Orekor simply shrugged his shoulders. "At least you now know that an enemy knows your names. Why hold that back?"

I glared him down. Unconvinced.

"If I really was intending to capture you, I would have done so the moment I knew. Besides, with my status, it would have been useless anyway. Someone else would have taken the credit off me," he explained.

I was mildly convinced. Mildly. But the rest of the sentences got me curious.

Status? Credit? Exactly what was he going on about?

(What, the Yeerks don't think of you highly?) Tobias asked.

And that was when Orekor shut down. The cool expression changing into a pitied one.

I began wondering.

"That Yeerk inside Kelly's head...and the Controller back there... They both called you Devourer," I said.

Orekor twitched unpleasantly.

"Why did they call you that?"

Nobody from the brown-haired man said anything. I began wondering if Orekor was reluctant to explain that.

That would have been the first I'd ever see in a Yeerk.

"...Tell them, Orekor." Glynn. "It'll give them more reason to trust you."

Another sigh after a long pause.

"Have you heard of chimerism?"

This time, it was Orekor. I didn't reply because I've never heard that word before. Once he realized it, he continued.

"You humans are researching on this genetic condition. You describe it as 'a rare disorder in which a person can have more than one set of DNA'. Usually because of two non-identical twin embryos merging together. It's not just a single race that has it. I have it too. Only it's called devouring by us instead."

He glanced at me, ready to see what my reaction would be.

"I devoured my higher twin before we emerged from our grub."

I was somewhat startled. Maybe I should have expected it. There had been one Yeerk we knew who was into cannibalism. Cut open hosts' heads to get the Yeerks inside.

But I never heard about a Yeerk eating another when they were emerging, just being born.

Orekor didn't seem repentant through Glynn's face. It was like every day ordeal, nothing to get shocked over. For a Yeerk.

"It's a rare condition among the Yeerks. But it really depends. If a higher twin devours its other twin, then it is given superior standards. If the other way, the lower twin is simply ranked further down the chain and given no privileges. Branded as a Devourer. A lower Devourer is only good for dying in the frontline. No Yeerk will care if it has done anything grand for the cause."

"I'm...sorry?" It was a completely different treatment for a Yeerk.. Particularly the opposite of being a Visser.

(Sounds rough,) Tobias said softly.

Orekor shook his head. "I have already accepted who I am. And this condition benefits to me. Only a few Yeerks know about it. So I'm not known very well in my people. Makes it easier for all of them not to take notice. Henceforth, I make the prefect double agent."

I tightened my fists, expecting Orekor to do something. "For the Yeerks?"

"No." He looked at me. "For Elias."

That completely got me by surprise.

For Elias?

Someone who had been slaughtering his kind for years?

"And thanks to her, we've been able to hold a few identities. We play as the loyal, devoted trooper for the Council on one card while being the enemy on another. We can do our own business without them prying in too. I prefer it that way. I don't want them using our research for their own benefits."

I didn't get it.

This was a Yeerk. A Yeerk that Elias hated.

Why did she have an alliance with one when they ruined her life?

"Why?"

"Because it's that easy to be ignored. Even we Yeerks can do mix-ups. They can't keep track of a host's many profiles very well and certainly wouldn't on one controlled by a Dev-"

"No. I mean...why for Elias?" I asked. "She's your enemy, right?"

I was amazingly baffled when he answered back after a moment of silence. Of respect.

"She was."

He then leaned back on the wall. Tired. Sentimental.

"I never cared much about what would happen to me... I've used to think that as long as I could help my people, it would be enough. And yet...because of her, I began having second thoughts," he admitted. A Yeerk, admitting that. "I found myself asking...why was I doing anything just for my people? What could I accomplish? Nothing. I wouldn't be a champion to them. I was nothing to begin with."

He gave a soft laugh. Finding something amusing that he kept it to himself. A memory, I guess.

"Until Elias gave me something worth fighting for."

"And that is?" I asked.

"A purpose."

It was unexpected to hear that from a Yeerk.

An alien, reduced to almost nothing from birth and not even a self-sacrifice could redeem him. The Yeerks wouldn't care about him, whether life or death.

But the one person to change that...was surprisingly his foe.

Orekor stepped away from the wall.

"I know a lot of things about Elias. And about you and that human, Kelly. I know you also made a few Yeerk allies. That's enough for me to help you save her. But only at our own pace."

(What? But the longer we take, the more likely that Yeerk will spill out the beans,) Tobias hollered.

"Yes, it'll be only a matter of time. But I know Iubic," Orekor explained resolutely. "I know how she thinks. How she plays her games. I've worked with her far too long to know just how she plans to capture you. She's the ambitious type. She wouldn't share the opportunity."

"How would you know?" I quietly demanded, trying to see his reasons.

"She almost tried to usurp three Sub-Vissers before. The same one twice even. Each time, she has always taken her time in planning. If anything, she'll want to get you all in one package before revealing anything to the Council. It's also difficult now because she has what Elias had."

At first, I wasn't sure what he meant. The only things Kelly and Elias had in common were that they were the same person and the visions. And...

"The calling," I gasped.

Orekor nodded. He also knew. "You have the morphing power. The human, Kelly, has the calling power. Do you think you can go heads on with a Talith?"

I thought about it.

I've seen those Taliths fight. And I very much doubt a tiger, a wolf, an Andalite, a hawk, a bear and a gorilla can take down a creature that popped out from a video game.

(You're saying...this Yeerk can use the calling power too?)

"Use it to apprehend you, yes."

It was looking grim. A Yeerk holding all the cards and I knew she'd easily use them against them.

"So...what do we do then?" I found myself asking that question. Sounding weak.

I was the leader. Now I couldn't figure out how to save Kelly.

"She's still waiting for her moves to finish. I took them out. So it'll be a while before she makes her next one. When she does, she'll tell me. She knows that I'm just a pawn to her. That I won't betray her."

I was on edge at the last part. "And you still won't, right?"

He smirked. "I can imagine how furious she'd be if she learned how many times I have behind her back."

"You really are a double agent, huh?"

Orekor nodded. As if honored.

"Only you two know about us. Until we find out more what she has in mind for you all, you have to warn the others. You can't play into her games, no matter what."

That was an impossible request. We couldn't just leave Kelly alone. "But-"

"We know this is hard but you have to trust us on this. Iubic trusts only me. Who better to relay her plans to you?"

I was still edgy. Would I really allow a Yeerk to play espionage for us? Even when Kelly's life hanged on the line?

"Elias wouldn't have asked us to help you if she didn't trust me," Orekor said. "And I won't go back on her word. Not after everything we've done."

It was really strange to hear a Yeerk speak so highly of Elias. But then again, after everything, I wouldn't question how far his loyalty to her was.

Glynn then unbuckled a watch off his wrist. Just an average-looking watch. Nothing classy like a Rolex.

He took my hand and put the watch on.

"What are you doing?" I asked cautiously.

("CoNDI, unlock key security. Allow free access,") Glynn ordered. ("Deactivate cloak.")

("Affirmative,") said the robot voice.

SHAANSH!

In a burst of blue light, the watch suddenly melted down into a liquid that terrified me. I jumped as I watched my whole arm get swallowed by it. It hardened in something. Black. Faint blue neon lights.

If I had a better way of describing it, I'd say it has the same design as Elias' suit of armor.

I was instantly wearing a futuristic gauntlet piece.

(Whoa!) Tobias uttered.

I stared at the thing on my arm. Expecting my arm to come off. The piece just shimmered in blue light.

"We can contact you through that. Still need all of your thought-speech patterns for it to work. CoNDI will do that once you meet up with your friends," Glynn explained. "You'll be able to talk normally through it. Not just to me and Orekor but also other people involved. I think you might have met Ar't."

My eyes bugged. That name was really getting common now.

(You know the guy?) Tobias asked.

A glower. I think that was the Yeerk. "As much as I hate it, yes."

He then waved a hand over the strange gauntlet and it instantly deformed back into the watch. Glynn unbuckled the strap and handed to me.

"See it as a sign of good fate."

I took the watch. The strange gadget. I still found myself amazed I was carrying something that has Elias' technology.

Glynn then took out the sunglasses from his bag and wore them on. In an instant, his face, clothes, everything rippled like water. Changing into a completely different person.

The tourist from before.

He was about to turn away. Leave and continue on with the double agent façade.

(Wait, where are you going?)

Glynn stopped. Glanced at Tobias. "To do what Iubic doesn't expect me to do. Go behind her back."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. "What is it you want from all this?"

Orekor thought for a moment. Hard. He had been asked this before.

"As a Devourer, I've never expected anything out of my actions. Now... What I want is..." He stopped, smiled weakly and shook his head. Hurt. "No Yeerk has ever accepted a Devourer's opinions... You hearing mine won't make a difference."

I said nothing. And Orekor expected that. He turned away quietly and left us there.

Left us to think what to do next. Until we'd hear from them.

(What should we do now, Jake?) Tobias asked me.

What else could we do?

Go back and meet the others.

All of us met at the barn. Maybe a bad idea, considering the Yeerk in Kelly's head had to also know about our usual place.

Tobias made two checks about before he calmly, without blame, related what had happened that day and afternoon.

Including Glynn and Orekor.

And Kelly as a Controller.

Marco had this to say after absorbing all of that, pulling his hair.

"HOW DID THIS HAPPENED! ?"

(That, I'm not really sure,) Tobias admitted.

Marco and Cassie were both...mildly angry at me about what happened at my house. What I tried to do to save my dad. All that changed once everyone learned about Kelly's grim fate.

(Kelly...) Ax said worriedly.

"What are we doing here? We got to save Kelly," Rachel uttered impatiently.

(We can't. We don't know where she went.)

"And whose fault was that?" Marco snapped.

"It wasn't my decision to make," I barked back.

"This Orekor is a Yeerk. He's one of the bad guys. And he works with the Yeerk that got Kelly. He's playing with you."

(Marco, he and his host were using Elias' tools. They particularly saved Jake.)

"And how would you know he's still in arms with Elias, even after she's dead? He could be a double double-agent."

(Perhaps but I find that a bit uncertain,) Ax added. (If they are right that he is a Devourer, then his social status is truly degraded. He is simply an outcaste to his own race.)

"And what? He's just willingly on Elias' side because they treated him bad?" Marco uttered. "I don't buy it."

(Devourers are rare but they are also perishable. Their survival rate, even among their kind, is near zero. They really do not have any privileges at all. Even breeding.)

"And he hasn't revealed anything to the Yeerks for a year. Not about us, or Elias," I stated.

"Really? You're taking a Yeerk's word? We know how the Yeerks operate. Not all of them are friendly. All you know is he could be waiting patiently for the right moment and then, BAM! He got us on a silver platter. He might even have second thoughts and turn back on us."

"He's not like other Yeerks," I said. "If he was, I would have been dead. You've seen what he did back at the mini mall."

Marco shook his head, seeing there wasn't going to be any convincing in this debate.

"What were you thinking? This guy can't be trusted," he hissed. "Or any of these guys. Just because they know Elias, doesn't mean they're on our side. Why haven't they approach us after Elias' death, hm? Why haven't they talked to us?"

I glared at him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? This is payback for when I doubted you over your mother."

"I was ready to do what had to be done," Marco said.

"So am I!"

"No. You're not. You endangered all of us. You demorphed on your roof! On your roof! In broad daylight. You let the Yeerk take Kelly away and right now, she could be plotting anything! And you're going on a whim by another Yeerk! I wouldn't be surprised if we all are heading down in the Yeerk pool right now!"

"What's the matter with you all! ?" I cried. "Do you think that I don't feel terrible about all this?"

"Well, it's because of your dad, Kelly's in the mess in the first place."

I felt my face burning. "You're going too far. That was my father! My father! I'm supposed to just stand by and do nothing?"

"Exposing us and risking everything, including Kelly wasn't one of your choices."

"Ok, enough! This isn't solving anything and this isn't helping Kelly!" Rachel stepped in. "What's done is done! We've been protecting his dad since this Ar't person stepped in to help. And we know that a Yeerk knows about Elias. That doesn't change anything. Jake was also a Controller and we saved him."

"How? Wait for this Yeerk spy to contact us? Lead us right into a trap? We don't know anything about him. We can't be bubbies with him."

That was when Rachel put her foot down.

"Alright, Marco. Explain to us exactly why did Elias ally herself with a Yeerk? And if you got a good answer, does that mean we go against everything Elias has done?"

Marco dared to open his mouth wide open. But stopped.

If he had any good answer, he'd be kicking himself at even thinking of doubting Elias.

Elias was a killer. A known slaughterer at the Yeerks for nine years. They feared her terribly, even Visser Three himself.

It seemed so...uncharacteristic for her to be friends with just one Yeerk. And a Yeerk with absolutely nothing.

"That's what I thought," Rachel said. "Now can we please go save Kelly?"

"You're really going to believe a Yeerk about this? That his main concern is about helping her?"

"If this Yeerk is the only one doing that, then yeah," Rachel hollered. "Because from what I'm hearing, he's our best lead right now."

"I'm not being unreasonable about saving her. I want to shake that Yeerk out of her just as badly as you do. But there's no way I'm putting my trust on this other Yeerk!"

He marched off to the table.

"And a sign of good fate?" Marco picked up the watch Glynn gave me. "For all you know, this could be a bomb."

SHAANSH!

"Gaaaaah!" He flew across the room, dropping it like it was a hot poker.

Before it hit the hay-covered floor, the watch stretched and shaped into the familiar gauntlet, immediately hovering off an inch away.

("Thought-speech pattern analysis complete.")

"That voice, CoNDI?" Rachel uttered.

The familiar weird electronic sounds beeped throughout the barn for about a minute.

("So,") a voice spoke. Glynn's voice. ("Is it a good time?")

Marco twitched back. Everyone jumped. Hearing the same kind of communication Elias had used before. And with another voice on the line.

("I take from the silence you're still clearing up some stuff.")

Orekor's voice too.


Vickie: Sooooo...we have a Yeerk/Controller ally. And yup. Yup. They know Elias. :3 Never expected that, did ya?

Then again no one expected Kelly to end up as a Controller in the first book but there is a reason for an early fall. But don't worry. You know what Yeerks are like, power hungry for most of them. And how this relationship will be between a Yeerk Devourer and the Animorphs, it'll be something. Especially when you all have yet to hear what is his true motives. A purpose is something but exactly what is that purpose for a Yeerk to defy his own race too.

A much better question will be how all this will play out. One end is Tom trying every attention to get Jake's Dad while Kelly's Yeerk, Iubic is making new plans to bring the Animorphs down. On the other, the Animorphs have three new allies in the shadows (one more coming, spoiler :P ), a mysterious man named A'rt and a Yeerk/Host capable of using weapons like a spy. It's gonna be very interesting because it's mostly taking a different angle than the original story.

Also, I may take a while longer on the next chapter. It's still in progress but also because I'll be doing some projects and looking for a job. I'll try my best but you may not expect it to come as swift as like my previous chapters. In all, please be patient and look out for it. :) The suspense is of course killing you all and I don't want to leave this as a haitus and make you disappointed. So no worries.

So for now, hope you enjoy this chapter and r'n'r. Feedback is great. Thanks for reading! :D