A/N: I know, I know, I'm not delivering on my promise of being on-time, so this fic feels like it's moving quite slow! My sincere apologies :( But really - my focus is on characterisation, so hopefully you'll still keep on with this (: I like to sneak in bits of canon so hope this also helps to be a little nostalgic step back into the books (: Enjoy!
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
::Marco::
I had completely lost track of how many hours or days it had been since this nightmare had begun. I didn't even really want to think about it, but it hit me when I took flight as an osprey for the third? fourth? fifth? time and thought about my dad at home.
Yeah, my dad at home. The one that doesn't know what the hell is going on. As much as I wanted to deny his existence for the one that was living in a cabin in the Hork-Bajir valley several time warps away, I couldn't help wondering what would happen if I went back to the house only after several nights. What would he say? Would he be frightened if I went missing? Would he accept the fact after his wife had disappeared too? What would become of him?
Actually, it's only been a day since I last saw this man, but it tore me apart to think about it.
So how did David feel when his parents got turned into Controllers?
When everything was taken away from him, including his humanity?
When we were the ones who did it?
Okay, I'm not trying to be philosophical here, but when you're flying and there're no thermals and you have to flap goddamn hard in order to keep going, it's not exactly the most enjoyable journey. So I think. A lot.
I think about Dad and Mom.
I think about what David wants. Of course, revenge.
But how can he obtain it? Why does he have the ability to morph in this reality? How was he able to have the upper hand all this time?
He had to have struck a deal with someone. Someone omnipotent. The natural option was Crayak, but something bugged me. Crayak could do it on his own – create an alternate reality. Why did he need to strike a deal with that bugger of a David? Why would he grant David so many benefits when the boy had nothing to offer him? Did Crayak hate us so much that he was willing to jump at any opportunity to torture us?
Okay, shut up, Marco, I said to myself as I circled over The Sharing below. Time to get into action.
I landed on a nearby tree that had a great vantage point. I could see through one of the windows in the main hall of the building that there were a few people gathered there. One of them was Tom. Another was...
Visser Three in human morph.
"...time to get them."
"Visser, it is the most opportune...?"
"You will do as I say," snapped Visser Three. "We need access to the paediatric section of the hospital, and I trust you know why."
"The children," said Tom, smiling sinisterly. "The children are our future."
"Yes. And your host is the son of paediatricians. How perfect."
There was silence. I tilted my head to get a better view.
"What is wrong?" demanded Visser Three.
"S-sorry," said Tom, clearly discomfited. "M-my host was rebelling."
Visser Three snorted. "You should know better, Filar One-Three-Six-Six, about self-control."
"Yes, Visser," said Tom.
There was some more activity going on, but I heard enough. There were far too many priorities now and they were all bad enough to warrant the attention of all of us. I struggled to take flight as my thoughts came flooding in again.
Jake could not lose his parents. No, we let it happen once. It won't happen again.
I couldn't let it happen again.
Especially not to someone who barely even knew what shit he was in right now.
-.-.-.-.-.-
I was hoping I didn't have to see this look on Jake's face again.
Turns out I'm not really a lucky charmer.
The incredulity morphed into horror, then back into skepticism, and then about a few other emotions flitted across his pale face. Cassie was rolling her eyes while Ax remained grave. It was Loren who broke the silence.
"Umm, hello? Is this your plan? Just standing around here and receiving all these bad news?" Loren got up from the hay bale. "I need to remind you that my son is currently in the hands of some psychomaniac, and all you guys are doing is just gathering intelligence? What about some action?" Her sarcasm cut through all of our thoughts and I found myself glaring at her.
"What?" Loren returned the glare. "Excuse me for doubting your capabilities when despite the fact that all of you can turn into dangerous-looking creatures, you're still sixteen-year-olds at heart!"
"We still have to wait for Melissa to bring the package," said Cassie. "That might give us some clues as to where David might be."
Jake was gripping onto a nearby table, his face becoming whiter by the minute.
I chewed on my bottom lip. "You know what? We have to kidnap Melissa when she comes. There's no way we're going to get anything out of her unless we ask the necessary questions."
"That's going to add to the list of problems we already have," snapped Cassie.
"Oh, you have a better plan, Miss Know-It-All?" I retorted.
"As a matter of fact, yes, I do."
All of us turned to stare at her.
"This should have been fleshed out about an hour ago!" Loren folded her arms, eyes flashing.
"I'm proposing..." Cassie shot a grim look at Jake. "That we give them what they want."
"Are you kidding?" I whispered. I couldn't help that my voice was shaking.
"With extra toppings."
I stared at Cassie.
"We give them another two people they want. Jake, we need your help. You're going to be part of this."
"Part of turning his parents into Controllers?" I seethed.
Cassie rolled her eyes again. "Come on, Marco. This reality isn't real! Our priority now is to save Tobias and Rachel and get the hell out of this place! Oh, and maybe some side servings of burnt Yeerks. I don't mind that."
The bloodthirstiness in Cassie's voice was irking me terribly. I may have appreciated it on a day of battle, especially when Cassie usually gets all mopey about killing innocent people and stuff, but now was definitely not the time that I needed a Rachel-like Cassie.
"That's easy for you to say," I said, sharply. "Jake here believes this reality is real. This is real for him. And there's no way he's gonna let his parents follow in the footsteps of Tom – knowing what this Yeerks can do to them! Come on, Cassie, you of all people should understand that!"
"Let her finish," said Ax, quietly. I shot him an incredulous look.
"As I was saying," Cassie's voice carried a hint of annoyance, "Jake, we're going to need you to pretend to be a Controller and be at home very soon, just in time to catch your parents being taken away."
"What?" I began, horrified, but Cassie continued, "And you're going to tell Tom that as you watched your parents being taken away, two other people noticed it."
"You're implicating other people in this? Are you out of your mind?" I couldn't believe what Cassie was saying.
"I do not follow you," said Ax.
"You're going to tell them who this two people are, because you know who they are."
"And who are they?" I asked, for Jake was too bewildered to say anything.
Cassie's eyes glinted. "People who will make David come out from his hiding place."
It took me all of two seconds to reply.
"Are. You. INSANE?"
