Aximili's Headache

Aximili could feel as the Yeerk in his head gave a sigh of relief. Finally, she said. I thought you'd never stop.

Don't make me betray the Animorphs, Aximili begged, now past the screaming and a part of him realizing it wouldn't have helped him anywhere – except nearer a headache.

The Yeerk laughed. As if I would! Aximili puzzlement must have been noticed, for; I'm Issetha 948. I'm part of the Yeerk Peace Movement. And as you probably can figure out, I wasn't supposed to infest you. Sub-Visser Fifteen was. But he's a slow swimmer, and I sort of pushed him aside.

So... you're on my side? Aximili asked, wondering if the Yeerk was making a fool of him, and trying to stifle his horror and disgust of having a Yeerk in his head – friendly or not.

More or less, Issetha said dully. Look, if you don't believe me, that's not my problem. I'm planning to get you out of here, and whether you'll be the one walking or I'll do it for you is not the main point. Now, I'm going to give you back control – as a gesture of goodwill. Whatever you do, just promise you won't give us away. Okay?

Aximili eagerly agreed, and felt control of his muscles slowly seeping back. He quenched a desire to rub at his ear, to jump around, to scream and scream and never stop, and instead took on his best arrogant face and glared up at the Hork-Bajir.

I am in control, he said. Your job is done. Remove these shackles.

The Hork-Bajir huffed, but made a gesture at which another Hork-Bajir unlocked the shackles, freeing Ax's tail and hands. "Then where are the rebels hiding? The Visser awaits your report."

The Visser, and the Visser alone, will hear that report. Aximili was pretty proud of that, but was horrified as Issetha slipped in another sentence; Take me to him. Now.

The Hork-Bajir glanced him over, hesitating, but then shrugged, spun around and motioned for him to follow. Aximili, still under the influence of Issetha, complied.

To the Visser? he repeated in his mind, feeling suddenly bitter. THE VISSER? Are you going directly to the source to betray me? Are you? ARE YOU? FILTHY YEERK! GET –

Stop screaming! Issetha cried again. I can't stand the screaming! Stop it!

Aximili silenced again, but he couldn't hide the doubt in his mind.

Issetha sighed mentally again. I know what I'm doing, Aximili. Now, do you have a cockroach morph? Yep, there it is. Perfect.

Would you mind explaining this to me, Yeerk?!

I've told you my name, she said, sounding hurt.

Explain! Aximili ordered.

Not until you stop calling me 'Yeerk'. I have a name. Say my name, and I'll explain.

Aximili was stubbornly silent. The thought that maybe the Yeerk was right; she hadn't betrayed him yet, claimed she wouldn't, claimed she'd get him out... he should be grateful. But he dismissed that instantly; just thinking about being grateful to one of those slugs made him feel sick.

Why do you hate us so much? Issetha wondered silently.

Don't you hate us? he snapped back.

The Yeerk sighed mentally. Maybe we do. But do you know what, Aximili? I'm betraying my species here. And you're not exactly making it any easier.

Aximili muttered something that was incomprehensible even to his Yeerk.

The Hork-Bajir led Aximili to the edge of the pool area, and into a small room. The door was closed behind them, but not locked. The Hork-Bajir muttered to him to stay where he was and went into another room. As he peeked inside, hesitating to enter without permission, Aximili and Issetha had a reasonable view of the room itself.

That's Visser One's personal room, Issetha said lowly, her voice tinted with... fear? Possibly, but Aximili wasn't sure. He is in there.

And so will we be, soon enough, Aximili muttered. Can you tell me why?

Issetha, in her anxiousness (that was obvious to even her new host), had forgotten the argument about her name. When you came down here, Visser One had all the exits sealed. They will not be reopened until he gives the order. Which will be when you've told him where the rebels are hiding.

Aximili's mind tensed, and the muscles that were left under his control twitched. Oh, calm down, Issetha snapped irritably. I'm not going to give you away. But the Visser's room is our only chance out of here; there's a ventilation shack leading directly up to the surface – Andalites need fresh air, as you probably know, and Andalite-Controllers are no exception. It's the only one we'll be able to get through.

Great plan, Aximili said dryly. The problem is, though, the –

The Visser himself, I know, Issetha replied. Let's hope you're as good with your tail as you think you are.

Aximili huffed mentally, and prepared a reply, but had no time to even think it before the Hork-Bajir came back out and signalled at them to follow him inside.

I certainly hope he doesn't hang around, Issetha muttered, as she stepped past him and into the room.

To her relief, the Visser made a curt gesture with his hand, which made the Hork-Bajir leave – quickly.

Aximili felt the cold, stolen eyes of the Visser regarding him. He felt his own face take on a similar expression, and noticed how Issetha made him take a quick bow. That sent a drill of anger through him, accompanied by another stab of fear, but the Yeerk hushed at him and again told him not to be silly.

Sub-Visser Fifteen, Visser One said coldly. Are you enjoying your new host?

Yes, Visser, Issetha replied.

Glad that you are pleased. He glared at Aximili, as if to find something to complain about, just for the sake of it. Well?

Issetha knew exactly what he was asking about, but didn't wish to answer just yet. Pardon me, Visser?

I did not offer you this chance as a reward for stupidity, Sub-Visser, the Visser growled, tail snapping through the air. You know what I am referring to. Are you going to answer me or do I have to starve you out and have the rebel re-infested by someone with more brain capacity?

N-n-no, Visser, Issetha said quickly, and Aximili couldn't be sure if the stuttering was fake or real. I... I shall... she glanced down at the table, and saw a map spread out over it. Would you care to... she made a gesture towards the map.

The Visser glared at Aximili with a stalk, but turned towards the map and –

Aximili had control again. Issetha said one, single word, and let go. At first, he almost fell together in a heap, as all his muscles were instantly relaxed. But he regained his balance and was on the other Andalite-Controller in a flash.

The Visser spun to face him, and brought up his tail to meet Aximili's furious swipe, but Aximili had the advantage of surprise. He twitched an extra muscle in his tail, made the blade leap sideways and slam the Visser's blade away, and then twitched another muscle to send the blade at the Visser's head. The strain that put on the other muscles was dangerous, as overstretching them could leave his tail almost useless, but if it worked, it would be worth the risk.

That the blade struck was probably more luck than skill. But Aximili felt that was strangely appropriate; his luck had run out during the morning, and now it had returned.

The Visser let out a groan as the blade hit his head, fell, and landed with a thump on the floor. Aximili took some time to recapture his breath, and looked, interested, down at his enemy. It would be so easy to cut his throat...

The thought was barely finished when Issetha took back control.

That was very neat, she congratulated, as she began looking around the room.

I know, Aximili said. He tried to twitch a stalk to look at the unconscious Visser, and Issetha allowed that.

You know, he said conversationally. If you let me...

No, Issetha replied at once, and even Aximili felt the sudden fear in her thought-voice. No. We won't.

'We' have nothing to do with it, Aximili snapped. It's my business.

And mine, as long as I'm in here. Forget it, Aximili.

Why not?

Issetha noticed the sudden suspicion in his mind, and how he mentally drew his breath to start screaming again. No screaming! she cried, almost begging. I hate screaming. she shuddered. Hate it.

Aximili laughed softly, amused at how easily that reaction had come. I know. And about the Visser...

But Issetha had already found the ventilation shack she had been looking for, prepared an exit through it and begun the morph to cockroach. A minute or so later, she had finished the morph, and taken control over the cockroach's brain, and began to crawl up the wall. Aximili found himself leaving the Visser behind alive, and although he wasn't really surprised he was a bit disappointed.

The ventilation shack was in a corner, so it was easy to locate even as a cockroach. Issetha squeezed in through a crack she had made with Aximili's tail-blade before she started morphing, and began crawling.

It was a long, boring ventilation shack. And it was a long, boring climb. Issetha made Aximili crawl as quickly as possible, because any moment the unconscious Visser would be found, revived, and the alarm would be sounded.

When they finally reached the top Aximili was more than happy to demorph. He grew out of the cockroach's tiny but sturdy body, and could only agree with Issetha's sigh of relief as he noticed that the room they had ended up in was empty. Empty, except for a chair, and a cluttered desk, complete with a computer that was turned on and working.

There was also a window, and Aximili's first thought was to open it and fly out – but it was locked. Wonderful.

Where are we? he asked inside the Yeerk in his head.

I'm not sure, she said. Somewhere in or near the mall, I think. Morph human, and leave the room.

She didn't take control, and as Aximili saw no fault in her idea he did as he was told, morphing human and leaving the room.

Her guess of the mall was more or less accurate. They were in a building just across the street. An office building. The room they had come out into was large, with white walls and filled with booths where people were working away at their desks, not even looking up as Aximili passed. They seemed much too busy to worry about one, stray youth in weird clothes.

That is, most people.

But from another door in the large room came two men with menacing faces. They headed straight towards the room from which Aximili had exited, and Issetha made him stoop down behind a booth to hide. He continued towards the exit, trying not to draw too much attention to himself.

The men came out of the room again, one speaking as if to himself and holding a hand to his ear, and both their eyes intently scanning the room.

Aximili came closer and closer to the exit. All he had to do, was to risk being seen, crossing an open space for a few meters between the cover of the booths and the door.

There might be guards outside it, too, Issetha said dutifully.

Are you sure?

These are Yeerks, she said. And I know Yeerks.

Noticed any other exits? Aximili wondered.

No.

Then there's no choice. Unless we want to stay here...

I don't want to get caught any more than you do, Aximili, the Yeerk stated truthfully. By now, Visser One has probably figured out who it was that helped you get away, and he'll be after my skin as well as yours.

Then we need to go for the door.

It seems so.

Aximili drew a deep breath, glanced around the corner at the two Controllers, and then straightened, and headed – as calmly as possible – towards the door.

"Hey! Stop!"

His hand was already on the handle. He swung the door open, darted outside, and slammed it shut behind him.

And found himself staring straight at a duo of Hork-Bajir. He shrank back against the door, preparing to demorph, wondering if it would do any good or if it was already too late.

But he never started the demorph. Issetha had yanked control from him, and started shaking.

"The-there's an Andalite in there..." she panted with Aximili's human mouth, staring up at the two Hork-Bajir with wide eyes as if they were her saviours. "He... he... he overpowered the... the..."

The Hork-Bajir looked down at him with their small eyes, and then exchanged a glance. They brushed him aside and stormed into the room.

Issetha had her host on his feet and running as soon as she had closed the door behind them. When two other Hork-Bajir appeared, she threw herself into another corridor, rolled, got back up, ran, and finally found an open door that led to another empty room. They leapt in through the doorway, and in under the desk.

They heard the Hork-Bajir's heavy footsteps pass the corridor, heard him stop at the entrance to the room – and then continue.

Issetha let out a sigh of relief and suddenly had to hold back a giggle.

What? Aximili wondered.

Hork-Bajir will never learn the term 'suspiciously dressed', the Yeerk explained, still a hand over her mouth to keep the giggle back. And their Yeerks are so influenced by them that... she made a mental shrug. If one of those had ever had a human host, though, there'd have been trouble. the giggle was replaced by a proud grin. You must admit, Aximili, that was pretty quick thinking back there.

I guess it was, he admitted sourly. Can I have my body back now?

Sorry.

The Yeerk let go and at once Aximili crawled out from under the desk and stood up. He glanced out the doorway into the corridor, and saw no Hork-Bajir. Careful to be as quiet as possible, he closed the door and locked it.

There was a window in this room as well. And it was not locked. Aximili was past caring for that – if it had been locked, he would have smashed it. He wanted to get out.

As it was, he opened the window, morphed his harrier and immediately jumped up to the windowsill. From there he threw himself out the window, flapped hard for altitude, and was airborne.

Issetha let out a gasp of incredulity as his wings caught air and he soared up towards the sky.

Aximili couldn't avoid smiling at her joy. Even I enjoy flying, he admitted simply.

I can see why, the Yeerk responded happily. This is wonderful. Nothing could destroy this!

Aximili's harrier eyes scanned the ground for possible enemies. And they were not hard to spot.

Wrong, he said. Something can.

At that moment, a hand was lifted to point at him, and a shout of alarm was raised.

Are they never going to give up?! Issetha sighed.


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Author's Note;

There. More later. Hope you like this, because I do. I've always wanted to make Ax a voluntary. *rubs hands* Of course, had to trick him to it, cause he'd never have actually agreed, but... it works. Just don't forget to be a good little reader and write a review.