Chapter by LilManiac

Robert

My name is Robert Liam Kessely. I am part of a team which I have named the Black Angels. We are a side force in the Yeerk war. Pawns, if you must. We're only of use to the Animorphs when we can get information. Or save their butts.

It seemed to me, that Glass Dagger thought the same thing about us. Dispensable little pawns. Well, at least, they thought I'd be. I'd caught onto Erik's little 'plan'. Although I admired that he'd trust me so much to give me a gun and grenades, I still saw what he wanted. He wanted me to die. Well, I had news for him. Robert Kessely doesn't die while the Yeerks are still on earth. In fact, neither does any of the Black Angels team.

Black Angels, you ask? Because although it might appear we're doing good, we're still killing thousands upon thousands of innocent people. Sure, we can justify it by saying they've got Yeerks in their heads, but… nothing takes that fact away. Kill. Death. Kill. Death. An endless cycle.

I know what you're thinking. Robert has a heart? Robert hates killing and maiming? Oh there's front page news. Well guess what folks, I'm not a blood-thirsty murderer. Although my motivation is no where near justified. What's my motivation you ask? Well, plain and clear for you; every time I kill, I think I'm killing my father.

Yeah, my father. Got a problem with that? Go see a bloody shrink. That bastard did more harm to me and my mother than you could ever imagine. And no, I don't want your pity, I'm just telling it straight. As I always do.

Although, there are some times when I know to just shut the fuck up.

I'd noticed how amazingly beautiful Karen and Becky were, and seemed to momentarily shadow the strength and beauty of Jade and Amanda. But I knew, deep inside, that it's never what's on the outside that counts. After all, look at my father; he is almost normal to everyone else. Good thing I don't look like him. No, I'm not a 'mammas boy' I just get along- and I trust- her more than my father.

I almost laughed when I realised Becky was at least two inches shorter than Jade. It was funny to see, after all Jade was always complaining how short she was. Amanda was only a little taller than Jade. But Karen… she was tall, beautiful… and graceful in the way she talked… and moved. It took my breath away. At least, the first time.

Now, in a hot and stuffy sewer tunnel, it didn't seem so important. I looked over at her again, and caught Fred's eyes watching me. I looked away, a little frustrated. He was a few inches taller than me, and he was really beginning to get on my nerves. He might have been well-built, but I knew if it came down to it, I could probably get him down in three moves, five if he had a good reaction time. Nine years, plus those years with my father, had prepared me for any kind of 'normal' fight.

When we heard from Erik next, we found out what we'd wanted to know. The virus could infect Chanaibens as well. And, with Ithiell's blood in Jade, Amanda and me, that meant we could be infected as well. But what confused me was that they still believed that there were Andalite rouges were around, yet… why take that extra precaution to make it infect us? Every time we were spotted it was 'Andalite!' not 'Chanaiben!' they yelled. Then again, maybe they were just too used to fighting one that they hardly thought it could be the other.

"So, we're doomed as well I hear" I said to Ian, who looked up at me in the near-darkness.

"Hmm, seems that way" he muttered. Karen was beside him, near the ladder, waiting anxiously for news from Erik. Amanda, Jade and Becky were standing a little off to the side with Fred. I, of course, was further off from them.

"What do we do now?" Jade asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Well, now… we wait. But we might need to…" Before Ian could finish, Erik decided now was the time to tell us the bad news. He needed help. Which meant he'd been spotted. And I wondered if he'd done it on purpose or not. Karen, Becky and Fred stripped to the black jumpsuits they wore. The Black Angels didn't need to. Years of focus had taught us to blend our clothes, and anything else we needed, into our shape-shifting.

Above us, alarms sounded. Red lights began to flash through the small manhole, and I knew this was the time we fought.

"Come on!" Ian yelled, grabbing the ladder and shooting up it. Karen wasn't far behind. Jade and the others followed. Then me. A few humans came at us through the door, but I shot them before they had a chance to do any real damage. I caught Ian looking at me, but of course at that time he was beginning to shift to his Chanaiben self. The others were either morphing or shape-shifting. Jaguar, cheetah and Timber wolf emerged from Karen, Fred and Becky. Jade was going for her favourite form; the white Bengal tigress she always used. Amanda went grizzly.

"Well?" Ithiell asked me. I knew he was now up to something. Too bad I saw he knew the same about me as well.

"I've got some… ammunition"

He glared at me, then turned back to the others.

"Let's go!" He flew above the wild creatures as we all barrelled out the door, with me taking up the rear. We ran into three more humans, and a Hork-Bajir by himself, but by the time we were done with them, they were no more than smears on the floor and walls. It was cruel, but it was necessary.

Soon, we came upon more than just a few. There were at least twenty, all following a leopard which I guessed was Erik. He joined us, and when he did, I threw a grenade. The others stopped and watched as the big group exploded into nothingness. Well…

(Oh eeeeeeeeeewwww!) Amanda cried as a Hork-Bajir arm landed on her head. She shook it off, looking as disgusted as any bear can look.

(Come on, lets…) before Erik could finish, there was a shout, and then a red beam of light came within inches of my ear. We turned around to find the way we had come from was now blocked by humans and Hork-Bajir alike, all with weapons, and all shooting at us. I fired off a few rounds, and the others began to charge… but it wasn't looking good.

(Ahh!) Amanda cried as a blast incinerated her entire left paw, only leaving a bloody stump. Dammit. She was the only one with any muscle.

"Ok, change of plans! Erik, lead me to the computer room! Amanda, shift to polar bear. Robert, you're with me" Ithiell said as he landed beside me "And everyone else, hold them off for as long as you can. If you can't go any more, then pull back to the computer room, all right? Jade will lead you there"

(Hey! I'm…)

"Erik for fuck's sake just trust him!" I yelled, firing off my last round, and knowing that I couldn't throw any more grenades without hitting my friends.

(I… all right) he finally gave in, shooting past us. Ithiell flew behind him, and I ran. Another shot nearly burnt my arm off, but I kept running. We were met by a few more Hork-Bajir, but I used a grenade to turn them into Hork-Bajir pieces.

Finally, Erik led us to a door.

(It needs a code to…) Erik didn't finish, because Ithiell was already working at the keyboard. I noticed he'd become Ian again, and was fishing through his pocket for something. Finally, he pulled out a small, flat, white rectangle, placing it against the keyboard. In seconds, the door opened.

"Code descrambler" Ian explained, quickly reverting back to Chanaiben. There were four scientists in the room, and another sprawled on the floor. Erik took out one, and the others seemed to be scrambling for something. Ithiell took out two, ripping with his effective clawed hands. I broke the neck of the last one. Ithiell quickly shut the door, then turned back to the giant computer screen. I followed his gaze. On the screen were complicated equations and other data I couldn't really read.

Ithiell however, seemed to know a little more.

"How the… this is remarkable! But… it could…"

BAM!!

Something heavy hit the door outside.

"Gessah! You all needed! Fight in halls!" Came the Hork-Bajir voice.

"Just a moment" I replied, trying to sound like a scientist.

(Ian, whatever it is you wanted to do, you'd better do it quick!) Erik said, positioning himself in front of the door.

"Right" human again, he pulled something that looked like a computer disk out of his pocket. Then back to Chanaiben. He slipped the disk into a computer drive, then his fingers began to race across the board.

"Cahath! Why you not out here! You needed!"

"Tihaa mivop" Ithiell muttered under his breath, then in a loud authoritive voice he yelled "We will be out in a moment!"

But I think by then the Hork-Bajir was putting two and two together.

"Ithiell" I hissed.

"But… I'm not…"

"Then get…"

BAM!! BAM!!

(Uh-oh. Guys!)

"All right. That'll do for now" Ithiell finally said a little grudgingly. He became human again and slipped the disk back into his jacket pocket, before finally shape-shifting into something that could fight. Wolf.

I however, went into my panther form. After all, I knew we needed to be quick and effective, and although polar bears were great for a good rumble, they still lacked speed. A panther, however….

My knees reversed direction as the short black fur grew from every inch of my body. A tail sprouted as my ears, nose and mouth shifted to that of the black panther. My eyes, no doubt, turned to the golden eyes of the cat I was doing. Soon, Ithiell and I were ready.

TSSSSSEWWWW!!!

TSSSSSSSSSEEWWWWW!!! Dracon fire began to burn the door. I felt the heat and smelled it through my panther nose.

(Stand back guys! We need to get them as soon as they…)

(We know that!) I snapped at Erik. He growled at me, but other than that he said nothing. We backed up, all of us hiding deep in the shadows. I could blend in much better than the other two in the darkness. Which I enjoyed. Soon, the door was no more than burnt rubble on the ground, and four Hork-Bajir stepped in through the door. They saw the damage we'd done, and…tick… tick… tick….

"Andalite!" one of them screamed. The others muttered an agreement, all of them pointing Dracon beams this way and that. But nothing could prepare them for me. I slunk towards the unsuspecting group, and I could only guess what they saw when they looked in my direction. Golden eyes, then…

I pounced and took out one, darting back into the shadows before the other three could react.

"Demon!" Another shouted as they shot in the direction I had gone. But I wasn't there anymore, and now… it was three on three.

Erik pounced, then Ithiell, and finally I took out the last one, separating its head from its shoulders. Now we were clear to get out the door. We bolted, running in the direction from where we were hearing screams and animal cries. We were about five feet from the corner when a Hork-Bajir fell, with a tigress on top of it. Then I guess she saw us.

(Guys! It's not going good! We have to find a way out of here) she screamed as the battle began to move into the corner. I saw a bloodied polar bear hit the corner wall, and a Hork-Bajir came after it, but Jade pounced, and it was now a bloodied mess on the floor.

(What about the way we came in?!)

(Blocked!) Panted a very tired sounding Karen (too many controllers! We have to find another way out!) We joined the madness, helping to dwindle their numbers. I shifted to polar bear, putting brute force into the fight.

(Well, we wouldn't have had this problem if Ian hadn't decided to take a tour around here!) Fred yelled, even as he swiped at the face of a Hork-Bajir, leaving bloody red gashes across its face. It fell back, and another took its place.

(Hey! Whatever Ithiell…. Ian… does is for a reason!) Amanda yelled, roaring as she and I fought side-by-side. Soon, we were only facing a few human-controllers, most of which were now running for their lives.

(Yes!) Becky cried in triumph (Now let's…)

(Let's not. That'll be the place were they'll be centring their forces now. We'll find another way. Come on!) Ithiell said, running back in the direction we came from.

(Hey! Why should we…)

(Because he knows what he's talking about! Now move it!) I shoved the cheetah, and he snarled at me, but I knew he couldn't take me on alone. I pushed him again, before he gave in and ran after Ithiell, with the rest of us taking up the rear.

We ran, following the lone wolf, all of us cut and bloody. Soon, we reached a window in the place. The only few there were. Amanda and I smashed through it, not caring about the alarms now. They already knew we were there, so it didn't matter.

Then we shape-shifted or morphed birds of the night, flying out the window and into the cover of darkness. Little did I know what kind of fight there was to come.