Stacey>
It was the next day, I lay on my filthy mattress in my cell awaiting my nightmarish fate to come through the door. I felt lost. Weak. I didn't know what to do. David wouldn't listen to me when I tried to reason with him. He didn't care about anything or anyone but himself and what he wanted. Now I understood why my dad did what he had done to him. He was dangerous and the only way to stop him was to put him out of commission... permanently. I stared at the wall, wishing I could burn a hole through it like Superman, but even I knew that wasn't possible no matter how hard I wished. My cell door swung open suddenly.
Here we go again, I thought grimly to myself.
But to my surprise it wasn't Visser One coming to assume his place in my brain. Someone was shoved into the room and fell to the floor next to me. I rolled over to see who it was and found myself staring straight at Rachel.
"Rachel!" I shrieked.
"Stacey?"
I jumped up and hugged her tightly. I was glad to see a friendly face. Of course, Rachel's face wasn't exactly friendly looking at the moment. I could see the vein in her forehead throbbing from the rage and anger she was feeling right then. But when she saw me she relaxed. A little.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "What's going on?"
"It's getting worse. They've infiltrated the Andalite planet and enslaved all of the Hork-Bajir."
"What were those Andalite-looking things?"
"A little science experiment he calls Tyrants," I looked at her. "How is everyone?"
"Still trying to come up with a plan to save you."
"What about Darrax?"
"He's hanging in there... barely. I knew I should have killed that creep when I had the chance!"
"David? He brought you here?"
She nodded. I had to think of something or she would suffer the same way I was. I told her everything that was happening, even about Ketara's best friend and Alloran's son. I told her about the two pools being constructed and of the humans that were already under Yeerk control.
"Alloran is a Controller again?!"
"And David has been named Visser Four by the Council of Thirteen."
"Oh great. As if his ego wasn't big enough to begin with. We've got to get out of here somehow."
"This is really going to hurt," I sighed and began to morph to Tyrant form.
The collar began to tighten as the changes took place. I could barely breathe when I finally stopped. I raised my bladed arm and brought it down on the collar around Rachel's neck then collapsed. Rachel held my deformed body in her arms.
"Stacey wake up! Morph out!" she pleaded.
"Get... out of here," I gasped.
"I'm not leaving without you!"
I changed back and sat up slowly. "It's up to you to warn people or history is going to repeat itself. All of you must work together to prevent this from continuing. Go! I'll be fine. I'm too valuable to Visser One for him to do anything to me, now go!"
"You're a lot braver than I was at your age. Hang in there." She morphed to cockroach and squeezed under the door. We will get you out of this. I promise.>
"I hope so," I whispered silently.
The door opened again and David stood before me. "Okay Rachel, time to-" he looked around the room frantically then he focused his gaze on me. "Where is she?"
I smiled in spite of myself. He stomped over and snatched me up by the hair and punched me square in the face. I fell back to the floor and he kicked me hard in the stomach. The air escaped me in one big huff. I moaned and clutched my abdomen.
"Bitch."
I wiped blood away from my lower lip and took a deep breath. I was raving mad now. Nobody was going to treat me like that, I didn't give a damn who they thought they were. I rose to my feet and targeted the area in his lower back.
"Bastard." Before he could turn around to face me I charged and buried my shoulder deep into my target. We tumbled out into the hallway. I pinned him underneath me and drew back my fist. "Let's see how you like it!"
I punched him again and again. He shoved me onto my back and stood up. We were now at a stand-off. We were about to lay into each other once more when a thunderous voice erupted throughout the corridor.
"What is going on here?!" Visser One shouted.
"She helped Rachel escape, so I'm teaching her a lesson in respect."
Visser One whipped his tail around and struck the side of my head. I fell to the floor. I could feel my face begin to swell already.
"I think she just learned," Visser One snickered.
So this is what my life has come to? Why did this have to happen to me? I never did anything to hurt anyone, so why was I suffering like this? I slowly rose to my feet and glared coldly at the visser, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening my eyes.
"Just kill me now dammit! I would rather die than contribute to the domination of the universe!"
"I would, but I need you too much to just end your pathetic existence. Escort Miss Berenson back to her cell. I will deal with her later."
David grabbed my arm and twisted it around behind my back. I struggled as he shoved me down the hall and into my cell. I turned and glared at him.
"Why are you doing this? Can't you see that he's using you? As soon as he gets what he wants he'll put a Yeerk in your head."
"You expect me to just take your word for it? Why would he make me a visser if he was going to enslave me anyway? As far as I'm concerned, you're just like your father, willing to anything to save yourself."
He turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I slid down
the wall and rested my head on my knees. How was I going to get out of
this? If I couldn't get David on my side then there was no hope left for
me.