Author's Note: Wow, I finally wrote the chapter! Go me! Jeez, I had no idea how the heck I was going to write this chapter, but I decided to do it in both Marco and Ax's POVs. I hope you guys like this chapter, and I really hope you don't all band together to burn me at the stake because of it...

Be Stupid Chapter Eleven: When Ax Negotiates and When Marco Forgets

Ax - Possible Futures

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Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill was yet again at a loss of words. Ax looked at both of the creatures in front of him. One of them was very familiar, though not to Ax's liking. That creature was the Ellimist, known as a tricky meddler throughout all the galaxies in the world. The other creature was a complete unknown. There was something about it that the nothlit found familiar, but he had yet to place his finger on it.
WE HAVE A DEAL TO MAKE. The new being said in a raspy and dangerous voice. A voice far, far too familiar. Ax's eyes widened as the realization of who, or what, this shape-shifting creature had to be hit him like a ton of bricks. He had to be dreaming! The Andalite-turned-Human thought in desperation. This could not happening!
The shape-shifting creature then changed its form to a mixture of human and Andalite. "Oh, but it is."
The creature's voice had come out as a strange mix of human speech and thought-speak, spoken from lips that were not quite there. "You can't escape yourself, my little plaything." The creature told Ax in a singsong voice.
THAT IS MORE THAN ENOUGH. The Ellimist's voice boomed out. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TORMENT HIM.
The creature turned to the Ellimist, glaring at him with both stalk eyes and regular human eyes. "I'm not!"
Then the ever-changing mix of Human and Andalite turned towards Ax. "I'm just telling him what he knows by now." With a careless shrug, the blended mix looked over Ax, who had somehow kept from collapsing in shock.
"I can see through you, you know." The Thing told Ax. The same voice that haunted him. That tormented him at any moment of bewilderment, of confusion. The same force that had led him to attack two human youths against his will. A voice he could not forget. "I see every part of you." The voice continued. "Your thoughts, your feelings, your doubts..." A cruel smile of sorts began to form on the face of the creature. Ax felt the blood in his body boil at each new word the creature was uttering. Would it never shut up? "Your fear, your shame, your soul. I am you."
Just at the moment Ax was going to abandon all reason and attack the creature, he found himself unable to move.

I TOLD YOU TO STOP, ONE. The Ellimist's voice echoed out towards Ax and the creature.
AXIMILI-ESGARROUTH-ISTHIL, CALM YOURSELF. Ax did as told. He released a shaking breath he wasn't aware he'd even been holding. Ax then figured out he was trembling with anger. Had the creature really angered him so much? The thought terrified him. Accepting his fear, Ax turned his head towards the Ellimist.
IT IS AS THE ONE SAYS YOU ARE HERE TO STRIKE A DEAL. The Ellimist told him.
"What sort of a deal?" Ax asked, ignoring the shifting creature and facing one of the beings he trusted the least.
The Ellimist looked at Ax with an expression of pity and sorrow. THE ONLY DEAL POSSIBLE.
"What do you mean?" Ax asked the Ellimist. It would only be later that the nothlit would realize he'd begun to shake.
YOU ARE A PART OF THE ONE. The Ellimist explained, motioning towards the shape-shifter.
THE ONE IS A SYMBIOTE. IT TAKES BEINGS FROM OTHER PLANETS HOSTAGE, FEEDING UPON THEIR INSECURITIES, FEARS AND DOUBTS UNTIL IT HAS GAINED TOTAL CONTROL OF ITS HOST. THROUGH THE HOST, THE ONE CAUSES HAVOC UPON THE WORLD THE HOST INHABITS. Ax said nothing for quite a while. He shut his eyes and refused to look at either the Ellimist or the One.
It was not true. It was not happening. This was an Ellimist trick. That had to be the answer. You could never trust the Ellimist; it was something only a fool would do. He would not play along, Ax promised himself. He would not do it.
"Are you frightened?" The One teased. "Is that it, my little plaything? Are you frightened to lose everything?"
Ax opened his eyes and berated himself for allowing the One to play with him with such ease. Curse them both, neither the Ellimist or the One could be trusted. Why was he even bothering to hear any of this?
"Because you know it's true." The One piped up. "It's not as simple as just losing your head. Even though you have, you know. Look at you, Andalite!" The One smiled a smile so happy it was frightening. "You've given it all up."
Unable to stand by and just take the One's insults, Ax shot back. "What have I given up?" He asked.
"Your people and your family." The One said. "You can never go home now. Before you even left, they were all tiring of you. They didn't want to hear your new ideas, the things you'd learned from Earth. You know it as well as I do, there's no room for a warrior with newfangled ideas in Andalite society. And it turns out you're a homosexual as well! Imagine the shame your family must be enduring by now. They must be glad to be rid of you."
Ax did not dignify the One's remark with a reply. Even if there were fragments of truth in what it said.
"I won't even mention the humans, either. That's a whole barrel of monkeys I'd rather not discuss."
Ax's head snapped up at that, and a lipless sort of smug grin crossed the One's face.
ONE... The Ellimist growled at the other being. The One paid no heed.
"How long, Nothlit? How long before the humans get rid of you, too? You know they are not the kind to accept differences. Look at Christopher Ralph Tompson! Look at the Alliance! Think of all you've seen. They're still people who fight amongst themselves, who insist on separation! They kill based on religion, oppress due to sex and race! What kind of a chance do you have living with them? Just with Andalites, you will not be tolerated."
Ax opened his mouth to protest, but felt it be closed against his will. Had the One done that?
"You have your human friends, is that what you were going to tell me? I am not so certain. Jake and Cassie respect you, but would they stand up for you if their society would rebuke for doing so? Your shorm abandoned you to mourn his dead love. Is that loyalty, my dear nothlit? Is that true friendship? Is it?"
"Oh, and him. How long before he tires of you? How long before the repercussions of your relationship becomes too much for him? How long before he runs, afraid of the possibility of being close to you? How long before your differences become too glaringly obvious? Listen to me, Andalite. It will never last."
ONE! The Ellimist shouted in rage. The One trembled. STOP IT NOW.
Ax also fought an urge to start shaking, both from the Ellimist's rage and the implications of the One's words.
AXIMILI-ESGARROUTH-ISTHILL, LISTEN TO ME. The Ellimist commanded. Despite his fear, Ax did turn to the Ellimist. THE ONE IS STARTING TO INFLUENCE YOU. YOU DO NOT HAVE MUCH TIME. "Much time until what?" Ax asked, aware of the waver in his voice. The Ellimist shook its head, looking so sad.
UNTIL YOU TOO SUCCUMB TO THE FATE OF ALL THE ONE'S HOSTS.
UNTIL YOU DESTROY BOTH YOUR PEOPLES.

Ax was stunned. No words were flowing from his mouth. No tears were leaking from his eyes.
Then, after what seemed like ages upon ages, the nothlit opened his mouth. "I will destroy them?"
The Ellimist answered back, and it was obvious he got no pleasure from his answer. YES.
"Figures." The One scoffed. "What are you, anyway? Andalite or Human? Some unallowed mix? A being with two homes, two peoples, but no real place to belong? If I were you, I would kill them all as well."
Ax glared at the One. To his delight, the being seemed surprised by his action. He still had his free will.
NOW IT IS TIME THAT YOU CHOOSE. The Ellimist said. STAY ON EARTH, OR...
"Wait!" Ax protested. "You played games with my brother, and my shorm. How do I know you aren't lying?"
The Ellimist regarded Ax for a long time before he spoke, his eyes reflecting pity, sadness, and amusement.
BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD, AND EVERYTHING YOU'VE SEEN. I CAN SHOW YOU, AXIMILI. IF YOU WISH, I CAN SHOW YOU. I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU STAY ON EARTH.
Ax said it without a moment's hesitation. "Show me, Ellimist."

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There was a moment of displacement. Then the moment continued. Ax had no idea where he was!
The Human Nothlit looked around him and realized he was on what looked like a ship of some kind.
It was not an Andalite dome ship. That much was for certain. Ax had the strange feeling that this ship was human.
What year was it? Ax had no idea. There was no doubt that it could be the present. Humans hadn't yet begun space travel. There were a few prototype ships being made now, but nothing as advanced as the ship he was in.
Knowing humans, it wasn't that far from the present. It still worried Ax how intelligent humans, as a species, could be at times. Though not all of the time, of course. Anyone who'd been on Earth for ten human minutes knew that.
Ax watched as a person stepped into the room. A man in his mid-twenties, though a bit taller than the usual height for that age. The man commanded a sort of immediate respect despite his youth. Ax had always known that.
The man was Prince Jake. He was a few years older, but Ax had no doubt in his mind to the man's identity.
"Jake!" Ax started at the panicked tone in voice, which was coming from outside the room he now stood in.
Ax knew that voice as well. It was Cassie.
Prince Jake then ran into the other room and despite better judgment, Ax ran in after him.
What he saw made his blood run cold.
Cassie was knocked out beside what looked like a control panel. Ax also noticed dark blood under her head.
That sight was enough to make him nauseous. Tobias was on the ground as well. His wings looked broken.
Jake was gaping in horror at the sight, and Ax had no reason to doubt he was doing the same. Then he saw it.
He hadn't even seen it at first, but now he couldn't tear his eyes away. Marco was wrestling someone for what Ax guessed was the weapons control. Marco was also losing. Badly. In less than a second, a fist reached out and hit Marco square in the jaw. Marco lost his balance and hit the deck, landing on his head. Ax then saw the dark red blood pooling under him, and the nothlit fought an urge to scream. Then the attacker, who had remained shadowed from view, called out in a merry voice. "Prince Jake! How are you?"
Ax felt his legs collapse underneath him. Neither Jake nor this twisted version of himself noticed.
Prince Jake's voice escaped from his lips with a frightened tremble. "Ax, what are you doing?"
The Twisted Ax turned to face Jake and Ax felt a feeling of disquiet. There was something wrong with this version of himself. There was something wrong with his eyes. Those weren't his eyes!
The other Ax's eyes were a strange bright red and showed an obvious bloodlust. "They asked me that, too."
The Twisted Ax then motioned around him to his unconscious companions, his hand stopping to point at Marco.
"Him in particular. Many times. It got very irritating." Twisted Ax smiled an ironic smirk. "They don't understand."
"Understand what?" Jake asked, his voice showing his suspicion and fear.
"The Andalites are the meddlers of the galaxy, Prince Jake. They're the most self-righteous and arrogant creatures of all time, humans being the only close equal. Think about it for a moment. They refuse to share the morphing technology with any other species regardless of the fact that it could do the whole world good. Look at the Taxxons! They could be freed of their hunger through the power of morphing! Look at the Yeerks, even! If they had the power to morph, they could stay in an adequate body with no need to infest! Yet we arrogant Andalites refuse to share our miracle. Do you think a people like that deserves to continue on?"
Prince Jake had grown pale as a sheet, Ax realized. Jake was shaking in fear. Fear of this version of himself.
Ax was reeling from the events unfolding before him as the other Ax began to speak again. "I will set this ship to Maximum Burn, right above the planet. It won't cause a complete genocide, but many of my people will die. Isn't that wonderful?"
"You're killing your own people!" Jake shouted. Twisted Ax smiled. "I'm aware of that."
"Now, with the utmost respect, I can't let you stop me." Twisted Ax then let a fist fly and Ax heard a crack as Jake slumped against the wall, unconscious. Twisted Ax smiled and then laughed. "Computer? Maximum Burn!"
As Ax hit the ground, his mind unable to take any more of this onslaught, he felt himself leave.

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NOW WHAT DO YOU DECIDE?
Ax's eyes snapped back open as he regained consciousness. He was back here with the Ellimist. So that had been the future the Ellimist had wanted to show him. Ax had only one question. "What happened?"
The Ellimist sighed before answering. YOU HAD BEEN UNDER THE ONE'S CONTROL FOR CLOSE TO A YEAR. THE ONE HAD DECIDED THE TIME HAD COME TO ERADICATE THE ANDALITES AND HUMANS. ALL OF YOU ANIMORPHS HAD BEEN HEADING TOWARDS A MEETING ABOUT A TREATY BETWEEN YOUR PEOPLES. AS YOU CAN SEE, THINGS DID NOT END IDEALLY.
"Ellimist, was that me?" Ax asked. The Ellimist shook and nodded his head. IT WAS YOUR BODY, YES. IT WAS NOT YOUR MIND, HEART, OR SOUL ACTING ON THAT SHIP. THAT WAS ALL THE DOING OF THE ONE. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?
"Yes, it does." Ax said. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Now, what choices do I have, Ellimist?"
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO STAY HERE ON EARTH AND FIGHT AGAINST THE ONE'S CONTROL, IF YOU THINK YOU CAN. THE OTHER CHOICE IS TO BE PLACED IN ANOTHER TIMELINE. I CANNOT MAKE ANY GUARANTEES, BUT YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO BREAK FREE OF THE ONE. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF FREEING YOURSELF AND ALL THE ONE'S OTHER PRISIONERS.
Ax frowned. He knew things could not be as simple as the Ellimist was describing to him. "There's something else."
YES, THERE IS. WILL YOU BE WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT? The Ellimist asked.
"What would I have done, Ellimist? After destroying the ship, what would I have done?" Ax asked.
The Ellimist frowned. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW? Ax nodded in a fierce gesture.
YOU WOULD HAVE KILLED THEM ALL. JAKE, CASSIE, TOBIAS, AND MARCO ALL WOULD HAVE DIED AT YOUR HANDS. ALONG WITH COUNTLESS INNOCENTS. YOU WOULD HAVE KILLED THEM ALL.
Ax stayed quiet as that sunk in. He would have killed them? Killed the only family he had left in the galaxy?
THE CHOICE IS STILL YOURS, AXIMILI. The Ellimist told Ax. I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT. WE DON'T INTERFERE IN THE LIVES OF OTHER SPECIES.
Ax laughed a bitter but amused laugh. "Bullshit." He said.
The One gaped, glaring at the Ellimist, then at Ax and back again. "Ellimist, that wasn't the deal!"
NO DEAL HAS BEEN MADE YET, ONE. The Ellimist said. AXIMILI, WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE? TO STAY UNDER CONTROL OF THE ONE, OR DO YOU ACCEPT YOUR CHANCE FOR FREEDOM?
Ax took a deep breath. "I accept." He said. "I accept."

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Marco - Premonition

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Unlike Ax, Marco hadn't gotten any sleep that night. He'd been up all night answering calls. Blowing off the reporters was no big deal; he was more than used to that already. Cassie had called him every few minutes to make sure he and Ax were doing okay. Marco really loved Cassie, but he was getting very tempted to tell her to knock it off. The funniest call though had been the one from his parents. That wasn't a conversation he wanted to relive again anytime soon. To his sheer horror Marco heard the phone ringing. He leapt up to pull the phone out of the wall, but then he spotted the Caller ID. It read Cassie Branch in teeny tiny letters.
Marco then seized the receiver with a flare. "Cassie, I love you, but this is, like, the twentieth time!"
"Uh, Marco?" The voice on the other end said. "It's not Cassie. It's me, Jake."
"Jake?" Marco repeated in surprise. "What're you doing with Cassie's phone?"
Marco could almost hear Jake's shrug. "I'm driving her back from the hospital. I just wanted to say hi."
"Yeah, hi back." Marco said. "I can't believe you guys aren't back from the hospital yet."
"Well, it's a long drive, not whatever you're thinking." Jake quipped back. Marco laughed. "Okay, whatever you say, big guy. While you're at it, could you tell Cassie that while I appreciate it, I don't need five zillion calls to know how much she cares?"
"Will do." Jake said. "See you later."
"Yeah, see ya." Marco replied back. Then Jake turned off the phone. Marco hung his up. Then, as an afterthought, he unplugged it. With a groan Marco threw his head backward off the chair. His mind was reeling with the earlier events of the day. Seeing Tobias again had been something he wouldn't have expected in a million years. Marco would be the first to admit that he and Tobias weren't close any sense of the word, but that didn't mean he didn't consider Tobias a friend. He was just not the kind of friend you hung out with all the time.
He didn't worry about him like Cassie and Ax had, nor did he have Jake's guilt. He did worry about the bird now and then, but he understood the reasons Tobias had done what he did. He got it. Even he knew that Rachel and Tobias had been in love. Though he didn't want to admit it, he understood Tobias's feelings.
More now than he had before. That was something Marco didn't want to explore, though.
The Birdboy had returned. That was weird event number one and it didn't measure to weird event number two.
His career was not unsalvageable but picking it back up was going to be rough. He was an Animorph for Christ's sake, so he knew that the general public would respect him for that. If he wanted any of his career left, he was going to have to rely on that fact a lot. He'd been outed, and top that off, with a member of another species.
Oh yeah, the ratings on the show were going to plummet for a while. The book sales, too.
The funny part was that Marco felt it was, all in all, damn worth it. Not like he'd ever say that, but it's what he felt.
Speaking of which, there was weird event three. He had joked now and then about Ax staying on Earth for good (the boy was a cinnamon bun addict), but he didn't give a flying flip about the fact that Ax was an alien. Maybe it was something about the fact that he'd changed his shape about thirty times a day that made him appreciate how little outside appearances meant, but it hadn't mattered to him. Granted, it was weird to think that the lips he'd been kissing weren't real human lips. But did it matter that much in the end? Sure as hell didn't affect the kissing in any way, Marco thought with a grin he couldn't quite hide.
On that thought Marco wondered if Ax was still awake. He doubted it, but he was still curious.
Then he fought back a feeling of disquiet as he realized he hadn't heard any sound from upstairs in a long while.

Abandoning all reason Marco started to run.

I'm just being paranoid; I'm just being paranoid. Marco told himself as he ran, more than once falling flat on his face, only to pull himself back up again. Nothing happened. He's just asleep and I'm freaking out.
Marco could not deny the feeling of dread that was rising up in his stomach, though. It had been obvious that something wrong had been going on with the Andalite. Ax had admitted to it earlier today. Something about a voice, about hearing a voice...Marco's next thought could only be described, as a four-letter word not said in polite company.
Marco increased his stair-flying speed and cursed himself for having bought such a big house. Couldn't his legs move any faster? For a moment he considered flying up the stairs but then he figured the morphing would take too much time. It was faster to just run like this, exhaustion be damned. He hit the door with a thud and came close to falling on his butt. Thanking the powers that be for a sense of balance, Marco wrenched the bedroom door open.

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It was not the sight he'd quite expected. Not like he'd really known what to think, but this wasn't something he would have imagined. Ax was standing next to his bed and in front of him was a being too familiar for comfort.
Ax was standing in front of the Ellimist. Marco also saw another creature near the two of them. It looked something like a mix between an Andalite and a human. Sort of like they'd caught an Andalite in mid-morph, but with results that were only somewhat more pleasing to the eyes. "I accept." Marco heard Ax say. "I accept."
Marco cried out in shock as Ax's human form began melting, shifting, morphing back to Andalite. It wasn't possible! He'd been there the very moment Ax had lost his power to morph, the exact moment he'd gotten trapped as a human! How was this happening? What was going on here?
Things then sped forward in an insane acceleration. Ax's eyes widened as his stalk eyes had glimpsed Marco standing outside the door gaping in shock. Marco's eyes widened as he saw the One unnoticed by Ax or the Ellimist, staring at Ax with a concentration of a murderer. He never could explain how he knew it, but something in Marco's mind told him that was the exact intention of the One. The One was going to kill Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill.
Not sure what he was thinking, not sure where his common sense had flown off to, Marco rushed into the room. He felt Ax falling underneath him as he shoved the Andalite to the ground, locking his arms around his neck. Not tight enough to cause any harm, just tight enough to make sure he still had a hold on him. Marco felt a strange sort of heat pass over his back. It made Marco think of a Dracon Beam, which was what it was.
Marco saw Ax's eyes with surprise as something seemed to have occurred to him.
Before you forget, I want to tell you something. Ax said. I love you.
It happened before Marco had a chance to ask Ax what he was babbling about. A warmth of sorts filled his body, but the pressure of it caused him to shut his eyes. When he opened his eyes Marco saw nothing.

His arms were in a circular position like they'd been holding onto something.
Holding onto something, he knew that much. Something.

Holding on to what?

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For the Strange People That Like This:

Kitai-Shinsei: Woohoo, I'm converting people to M/A! That was the whole point of this fic! =P No, seriously, I'm glad you like it. Wow, I'm still weirded out that people love my crazy lady. I'm glad you like her, though! Phew, I'm relieved about the nothlit thing. I thought people were going to hate me for that. It is Hilton backwards? That's so weird! The weird evil voice is Ax's demented psyche...no, really, it is the One. Once again, I'm glad you like the fic!

Doctor Strangelove: Ahhh! It's a double review! Yes, I love Adventures in Clubbing and you have to update it soon or else I'll smack you. Or set my muses on you, one of the two. Yay, go cycles of writing and insipiring! It's true, Adventures in Clubbing helped me write more! You know, I'm going to have to tie you to a chair and gag you because you keep figuring out my plot twists. STOP DOING THAT! And I'm sure that Marco and Ax wanted to knock boots and all, but isn't that moving a little bit fast? They've been together barely two weeks! Well, okay, I confess I can't write straight-out NC-17. An R I can do, but NC-17 isn't in me. At least not m/m NC-17. My apologies. I'm glad you liked the food fight. That was just thrown in on a whim! I have it under good authority that Mr. Tompson is honored by receiving the "Most Hated Character In All Mediums Award".

GregNorc: I'm glad you liked the story so far! I hope you liked this chapter, too! I'm always so worried I can't write these slash stories right, being a weird het girl and all...nevermind that, if I keep talking about that I'll never shut up. Like I said to the reviewer before, I admit I can't write "hot and heavy" stuff, and I know it's sappy. I'm going to try to make any other stories I write a little less corny. Kind of interesting it's my two guy reviewers who want this to have a high rating. Hmm...no, I'm just kidding. But I promise I'll write a makeout scene or something like that in another story. Is that good for you?

Myst: Read Desperate Freedom! Read aaaallll my stories! =P ALL OF THEM! Whoa, I'm Great and Glorious now? I'm not sure I can handle that kind of pressure! **panics** I confess the Tobias/Ax stuff was corny, but they haven't seen each other in three years! It seemed approriate at the time. Um, why would Jake feel left out by Ax telling Tobias that he still had him? Unless you meant Marco, and all is okay there because he wasn't in the room. It isn't you, I'm not that good at writing Birdboy and the food fight was an exercise in "Things the Characters would never do", but all for the sake of the funny. Oh, yes. Yes, Ax is not the amazing food monger any longer. Most of the time. Tobias is an evil birdie, didn't you know? And I'm going to try to hold my tongue in an as much as possible here, but I wouldn't bet a hundred bucks on the C/Ronnie thing. Maybe it's just cause J/T isn't my bag. No offense to J/T fans or fics ('cuz those are good!), it just never appealed to me that much. Oh, and sorry about the slow chapter-writing thing. I'm a bad procrastinator/writer. **hands Myst a paper fan** Hit me as much as you want.

Lauren: Look for more hysterical Marco, he'll be showing up still. I'm glad you like the food fight! Yeah, the world ain't too happy about Marco and Ax. Sucks, don't it? Yay, I'm loved! **cheers** I love you too, you're nice and you always review my story! My kittens are doing fine now. In fact, they're tearing up my house.