Chapter 9

Aximili was able to remain still enough, according to the lack of action from the Animorphs. The hours passed as if nothing had happened, and soon enough, the team was preparing for the infiltration into the Kelbrid base. Everybody was awake and fed, but there was an awkward tension hanging in the atmosphere.

Jake was the busiest, still reiterating orders and plans, going from one person to the other to ensure everybody knew their role. He was most brief with me.

"You stay on the ship for the duration," he said. "Keep your eyes on the surveillance, especially while Tobias is flying us into the base."

That was all he said to me. My role was minimal, to say the least, but that didn't matter to me.

He spoke loud and clear when it was time to begin. After informing Marco and Santorelli to morph, he went aft to talk to Tobias, who was still keeping watch over Aximili.

"Time to go bug," Marco said with a readying huff.

"Ladies first," Santorelli replied.

Morphing is never easy to witness, even after so many occasions. Nothing can prepare you for the horror, especially when the creature morphed is so anatomically dissimilar. Marco began to change first, his body adjusting to form three separate segments, much like that of an ant. Only, the rest of his body was still entirely Human. Seeing his body segment like that was utterly, disgustingly dreadful. Even Santorelli decided it best to look the other way as his changes began. His first change was in the legs, his limbs transforming into hardened, luminous spears that arched up and then back down. Two sprouted from his chest with an awful splurt!

Their heads both began to change at roughly the same time. Their eyes remained similar in structure but grew in size relative to their simultaneously shrinking heads. I could hear the dissolving of bones and the rearranging of bodily tissues. Soon, they were both shrinking at an alarming pace and falling onto their front. Santorelli landed on purpose-built legs, while Marco's had barely developed, causing him to hit the floor with a thud.

((Ow!)) he complained in thought speak. ((You know, you'd think, at some point, we'd get used to this.))

((Dream on, Monkey Man.))

Soon, they were fully-morphed. They were two small alien insects sitting on the hard flooring, spinning their antennae wildly, their bright colors shimmering in the light of the ship's interior. They didn't say much but, instead, butted heads. They looked to be fighting.

((Marco, Santorelli,)) I called down. ((Control your morphs.))

((Wha… Oh. Oh, right,)) Marco said, sounding a little embarrassed. One of the insects appeared to retreat from the other.

The other, however, kept coming, slamming into Marco's side.

((Hey!)) Marco barked. ((Take control, Sarge! Leave me alone!))

((I'm in control,)) Santorelli replied. ((Just didn't want you to get away without knowing who's boss bug.))

((Oh. Ha-ha. Very funny… Quit it.))

Sarge spoke through to Jake. ((Hey, boss! You done in there? Monkey Man and I are gettin' tired o' waitin'!))

((We're almost done!)) Jake called back.

Moments later, they emerged. Tobias had morphed the Kelbird, and in one of its claws dangled Jake, in the body of the same insect the others had morphed. The small, blue bird landed beside the other two insects.

((All aboard the bird bus,)) Tobias said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. ((Calling at Hell, and… well, that's it.))

((Oh goody,)) said Marco. ((That's always my favorite holiday destination. Been there more times than I can remember. Really lives up to the advertisements.))

Jake spoke to us all. ((Okay, we all know the plan. We need to be quick, but more importantly, we need to be cautious. Mendy, keep watch on surveillance. Any issues, morph something that can fly and warn Tobias. He'll take it from there.))

((I understand. Good luck over there.))

((Thanks,)) he replied blandly. ((Tobias, let's go.))

((Hatch, please,)) Tobias requested.

I went over to the cockpit, located the hatch switch, and opened it up. The hole appeared in the center of the bridge.

((Cameras,)) Jake instructed.

I retrieved the case in which the small cameras were kept and went through the tedious task of attaching them to each of the three bugs. Marco and Santorelli were compliant, but Jake was a little more fidgety.

"Hold still…" I told him.

He replied, ((This bug mind really doesn't like this… Just be forceful.))

I did so, clutching a leg firmly and attached the tiny camera. With that done, I allowed the bugs to regain their grip on Tobias and retreated to the surveillance screens. After some fiddling with the controls, three separate screens showed views of Tobias' underside. "Cameras are functioning," I told them.

((Right, time to go,)) Jake said.

And with that, the small blue bird dropped out of the hatch and into the Kelbrid world. On the screens, I could see the abandoned site zooming by as Tobias took them away and towards the base. I kept watching until I saw them approaching the base. They were far enough away.

((Aximili,)) I called in thought-speak. ((It's time. The Animorphs have left.))

((Okay, Menderash.))

I jogged back to the aft compartment. Groof was immediately alerted, speaking, "You're not allowed back there! Hey, my nothlit friend, Jake won't like this!"

I ignored him. Why pay attention to a criminal?

Aximili fidgeted on the uncomfortable table, stretching his muscles, having held dutifully still for so long. He would not be moving easily.

I knew that the ties around his limbs and torso would be tight. When I tugged at them in an attempt to undo the knots, they would not come loose, and I couldn't dig my fat Human digits into them. "Aximili, I can't undo the knots by hand. I need to use a tool."

((There is a knife down there,)) he said, indicating with both stalk eyes to the far corner of the compartment. There sat Santorelli's daysack, distinct for its desert camo pattern. Sticking out of a side pocket was the unmistakable handle of a knife. I grabbed the item and removed the sheaf, unveiling the shimmering metal, the sharp edge of which was suitably jagged. I ran back around the table to where Aximili's tail blade was tied to the leg, down by the floor.

"What are you doing in there?!" Groof shouted from beside the cockpit.

"It's nothing to concern yourself with," I said back. "Now keep quiet! Aximili, do not be shocked by the creature in the cockpit. Groof is tied down, much like you are now."

((Very well,)) he replied.

After a good few slices against the rope, Aximili's tail finally came free. Without hesitation, he began to slice at the rest of his restraints. His movements were sluggish and awkward, and he cut himself in a couple of places in the process.

"Be careful," I suggested as I helped him to his hooves. He moved both with urgency and caution, well aware that his muscles had not seen action for some time. He was wobbly, and I had to hold onto him for a few seconds before I could be sure that he could hold his own weight. Then I guided him out of the aft compartment.

Groof looked shocked and expressed as such. "Jake won't be pleased. You should put him back."

We both ignored him. Aximili went to inspect the cockpit and eyed up the controls. ((We should get moving quickly,)) he said.

"We will," I replied. "I just need to secure the aft compartment first."

I rushed back in, first storing away the sliced bits of rope in an overhead storage space. Looking around, I saw nothing else loose and was satisfied that the ship was indeed free of unrestrained debris. The next step was to replace Santorelli's knife. The last thing we wanted was for a knife to be loose on a moving ship.

I squatted down beside Santorelli's daysack and placed the sheaf back on the blade. Then, I forced it back into the pocket. It didn't go back in, even as I shuffled it. My spare hand reached into the pocket to make room for the item, and I froze when I felt a familiar shape brush my fingertips.

The bottle that I pulled out of the pocket was white and cylindrical. The label indicated that it was a bottle of anesthetic – the same type we'd been using to keep Aximili asleep for so long.

Upon further searching in the pocket, I found a batch of unopened syringe cases and a few discarded ones.

Surely, it could not be true. I felt cold. Weak.

I hurriedly opened up the bottle, smelled the fluid contained within. Chemical. The bottle was used but far from empty.

I slowly put it all away and then buried the bridge of my nose in my fingers.

What could I do?

It must have been a coincidence. They can't have known.

Of course, they could have known. And they did. What a fool I had been even to try.

I felt numb. Defeated. They had tricked me.

((We must be going, Menderash! Why are you delaying?!))

I had no choice. I had to face the consequences of my actions. Slowly, I got up and moved to the ship's main compartment where Aximili was waiting. He watched me with his main eyes expectantly.

((We need to move before they return!))

"Yes, Aximili," I said.

My shaking legs brought me to the cockpit, where he stood watching over me. I could feel his blade swishing the air. Then, it curled forward and hung around my neck.

((You thought you could get away with him, didn't you?))

My voice was shaky. "I had to. It was my duty. I had to save my Prince, no matter what."

The surveillance screens came to my attention. Through the fuzzy images, I could see that the others were returning to the ship. They would be back in seconds.

((Come away from the console. Sit down over there.))

I obeyed the order, moving to sit where he had pointed, by the port bulkhead where I was far away from any of the ship's controls.

The others returned and immediately began to demorph: one bird and two insects. The third insect was nowhere to be seen.

Marco was the first to speak, and his words cut deep. ((Thought you could just leave us here? Sounds familiar, doesn't it?))

"I intended to return for you," I replied truthfully.

Aximili, too, was changing shape. As I watched, brown feathers began to sprout from blue fur. Tobias.

((He did everything that he said he would,)) he said. ((Waited for us to leave, then freed Ax. He was going to take him to Andal.))

"Where is the real Aximili?" I asked bitterly.

Marco replied, ((We stored him in the machinery space, somewhere we didn't think you'd look.))

They finished demorphing, and they stood around me like statues, their eyes hot with anger. Jake stepped forward, demanding the attention of the room.

"So. What do we do about you?"