The Choice #3
**Author's Note** I really really think you should read the first two before this one and #33. Thank you.
Chapter One
Ax
My name is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. Brother of great War-Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. I can not tell you where my meadow or scoop is, because of one thing; Yeerks. They are the ruthless marauders if the galaxy. The Yeerks are a parasite species. This enables them to crawl into a species' head through the ear canal and take complete control. The host, which we call a Controller, has no control over itself. It can only watch in a small corner of its mind. We Andalites are the only ones who resist it.
I suppose I should tell you know that I am an Andalite. The only one on this planet, of course, aside from the Abomination, as we Andalites call him. The Abomination. The only Andalite-Controller in the whole universe. I hope there shall never be more. I am sworn to kill him to avenge my brother's death. He murdered him. Visser One, the Abomination, morphed into a viscous creature and ate him, literally. Or so the humans tell me.
The humans are a group of five that were given the morphing power on my brother's Elfangor's deathbed. Together we fight the Yeerks.
Right now, I was still paralyzed as a fly lying on a rafter. The others had gone on the mission to rescue my shorm, Tobias who was taken. It is only ironic that both of us, shorms, were both paralyzed. But he was taken and I was not. I can only hope they have rescued him. My internal clock told me that there was still about one hour to go until we were free. All part of the Ellimist's deal.
"Ax! You still here?" said Cassie. She was with the others.
They all looked down, a human expression of defeat sometimes. Of course, it has many meanings, like all of them. It can also mean sad or depressed. You must have a very intellectual mind to comprehend it, if you are another species. In this case, it meant defeat.
"No, Ax, but we tried . . ." that was human Rachel. I think she has affection for Tobias. "But at least he wasn't infested yet. I don't know why, but they're hesitating." She managed a weak half-smile in an effort to be cheerful.
"Plus Marco, he, well, uh . . . remember Cassie? He did the same thing."
"Well." That was Cassie. I believe she was trying to start conversation.
"I guess we'd better go."
"Yeah."
"Uh-huh."
They turned and left.
I felt bad about it. Our force was reduced from six to five to two. I had little hope that Tobias was saved.
Chapter Two
Marco
It felt SO good to be a normal kid again (that, by the way does NOT mean baby goat). I relaxed on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I had finished all my make-up homework and half of my report that was due tomorrow. I would finish the other half on the bus tomorrow. I mean, old habits are hard to break. At least I didn't write babble like I usually did.
I wondered what the others were doing at the moment. Probably on some suicide mission, though. Although I felt a little guilty for not helping out, I mean, what the heck! All I needed were some margaritas, I thought.
The next morning I sat with Jake, although we didn't say much. It pretty much went like this:
"Hi." Me.
"Hi." Jake.
Silence.
"So, you didn't finish your report?" Jake, obviously.
"Nah. Why would've I?"
"Don't know. Guess you might've changed."
Total silence.
"You might come back to our little group?"
"Well . . . no."
"I'll just tell you what I told Cass-Cassandra," he said, disguising her name. Partly. "Don't use the-the gift. You'll be tempted, but don't. As long as you're not an Anim-member, don't."
"Okay. Hmm. Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure there's no possibility."
"Nah, I don't want to face any life-threat thing. The only anxiety I should be getting is from almost losing to you on Doom and from my dad bugging me."
"Mm-hm." That was all.
For the rest of the day, I avoided the whole gang, although Jake almost talked to me once. It was me who turned away.
I started talking to this guy named Brian. I had suspicions he was a controller, but I thought to myself, "Shut up Marco. If you're normal, you won't know anything." I just decided to be cautious around him.
Chapter Three
Jake
I tried to talk to Marco again about his leaving, but he turned away. Cassie said she'd talk to him. I hoped she'd be more convincing than I'd been. I was really pathetic this morning on the bus. REALLY pathetic. First, she had been in a situation like this before. Second, she, well, was just better at this than I was.
"Well?" demanded Rachel over the phone later.
"Well what?"
"You know, about the disappearance or our-our thing."
"Ah. Cassie's going to talk to the pacifist of war, you know?"
"Okay. What for?"
"To find more details about our "thing" because our other supplier isn't posted there, but he is." I managed to say with difficulty.
"Okay. Bye."
"Bye."
Chapter Four
Cassie
I had a big job to do. After the animals and my homework were taken care of, I had to talk to Marco. After school I had already talked to Mr. Tidwell, the peace Yeerk. He gave me details. His advice was, "Strike on Tuesday. That's when another member will be sworn in. Don't break them, because the Yeerk that is infesting her is a peace Yeerk. Guards will be thin. I will be there. I will do as much in my power to help you. Your bird is in a wired cage with a bomb that will explode if anyone touches it. Just disconnect the blue wire and you are safe.
"Make sure to have someone to guard the entrance after you get in. It is fairly easy to break through."
"Isn't he paralyzed?" I had asked.
"Apparently not. After about roughly one hour and a half, he was free. Visser Three has fed the scientists to the Taxxons and has new ones trying to figure it out."
"Okay, thanks."
"Anytime."
Now I had to tell Jake. I called him and told him the details. He said he would alert the others. But then he quickly corrected himself and said Rachel.
I was just finishing my last "patient," a raccoon with a broken arm, an Andalite trotted in.
"AX!!!!" I exclaimed.
"Oookay. I suppose that goes for Tobias too?"
I told him the details. He nodded. "Ax, I think you should morph into a fly again, cuz' if my dad gets in here you won't have enough time to demorph. Plus, you can't morph an animal because then I can't fill out your problem except for the fact you have rabies. And then you would get an injection and then-" I sighed. "Never mind. I'm going to Marco's."
"Okay."
Marco opened the door. For a split second, I know it's crazy, but I sort of envied him. He was just so relaxed and casual, but just a bit startled at the sight of me.
"Oh, hi Cassie."
"Hi."
We went to his room. It was messy. "Okay Marco," I started. "I know you know what I'm trying to do. But relax. I was in your position, okay? I know what it feels like. Bliss, right?" He nodded slowly. "I know probably the reasons we ran away were different, but it was because we were both sick and tired to death of fighting the Yeerks. Correct?" I hated to acknowledge this, but I sounded slightly like my mother. "Anyway, the problem is we need you." I took a deep breath. He looked surprised. "We need you to distract us from everything. I know your probably thinking, who's there to distract me? But that's life, I guess. It was fate that got us stuck here. I always think, why me? Why did I get stuck as an Animorph? Why couldn't five others?
"But they didn't. I did. So I have to face the facts. It's okay to take a break once in a while. I mean, nobody can handle all that pressure. We need you to distract Jake, who's probably going to have prematurely white hair if you don't intervene. You're the one who can see the point right away. And you don't need your own wit as much as we do, but that's because you're you. You have that natural talent to do that.
"I know I'm probably sounding like a teacher or whatever. Just remember, we're there. But it's not like there's anyone else, although that's probably all our fantasies," I smiled sadly. He smiled back. "Sometimes I feel like I want to burst out to the whole world at the mall about everything, have them all use the blue box so they can take my place. And I wouldn't care. Not at all." He said in a cold, relentless, voice.
"Just let me know by tomorrow, 'kay?"
" 'Kay."
Chapter Five
Marco
I wasn't exactly sure what to do. They need me, the angelic part of me was saying. NO THEY DO NOT, the devilish part was saying.
Yes they do. Earth depends on you, too.
NO THEY DO NOT. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE PROBABLY NEED YOUR TALENT. WHY NOT SET UP A LAUGHTER CLINIC INSTEAD?
Okay, when my devilish side starts to joke, I listened to my angelic side. I would tell Cassie tomorrow.
The next day, when I saw her talking to Rachel, I pulled her aside and whispered, "I will," the two fatal two words and left immediately. I didn't want to have to reconsider it. I wouldn't be able to withstand any argument.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? Accused my devilish side. Saving the world, defended my angelic side. AND SO WHAT? WHAT ABOUT SAVING MONEY? AND ME? HEY, I'M ON A DEADLINE HERE. I clutched my head in my hands.
Chapter Six
Jake
I could barely believe Cassie and Rachel when they told me that Marco was back. "Thank you!" I said, and I kissed her. "It was nothing," she said, blushing slightly.
After school, we all went to Cass's barn. I noticed that Rachel was sort of wary towards Marco, and they fought three times as much. I swear, Rachel was so viscous that for a split second even Marco ran out of comebacks, but then he popped a lame one.
"Hey! Where's Ax!" exclaimed Cassie.
"Oh god, not another one," wailed Marco.
But Ax was nowhere to be seen
Chapter Seven
Ax
WHAT DO I WANT? HAHAHAHA. ALL SO PITIFUL, EH? WHAT I WANT IS, he paused, I WANT YOU TO FIGHT WITH ME! HAHAHA.
Laughter. When he sobered, he simply ordered the Drode to take me away. He showed me to a bare cell with some water. The Drode pressed a button and a pitiful patch of grass appeared. "What you need to survive, Andalite." The Drode said, laughing his laugh. I was angry.
To be continued . . .
The next on, Unexpected Promises-The Rescue #4
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