Aximili's Headache

They found the old warehouse easily. They circled it twice; which was lucky. Two humans and a dozen Hork-Bajir were waiting where Othil had said the door would be.

They are not afraid of being spotted, Aximili remarked.

Of course not. Who'd go out here? Marco huffed. He angled his wings towards the nearby gas station. And there is how they arrived. A large, silvery truck was waiting patiently for the owners' return. The words "The Sharing – we care" were printed in large, black letters on both sides.

You'd think they'd have realised we know what the Sharing really is by now, Marco commented.

But there is a problem, Aximili said, Issetha having convinced him to speak. The two of us are unable to defeat a dozen Hork-Bajir.

Marco suddenly laughed. Oh, we mightn't have to.

Might not have to?

Follow me, was the other Animorph's only explanation, and he led the way down towards the truck in a gently sloping dive.

Two sloppy explanations and about five minutes later, Aximili again wondered; Are you certain that this will work?

Not at all, replied Marco cheerfully. Do you have a better idea?

No, said the Andalite. He let his stalks swivel lazily, tail held ready behind him, and glanced up at the gorilla that had taken the driver's seat of the Sharing's large truck.

Well, then you know the drill, Marco prompted, and waved a gigantic gorilla hand in an unspecific direction. He was preoccupied by the truck; Don't you just love those Yeerks? They've forgotten the key in the lock. How practical. He clumsily climbed out of the truck again, and went to wait, hidden nearby. Marco and the truck were back-up if Aximili's deception failed.

Best to get started, Issetha sighed quietly in the back of Aximili's head. May I?

As you see fit, Aximili told her, beginning the morph to Hork-Bajir. He felt control of his newly-formed voice slip over to Issetha, and – one by one – his arms and legs, as well as the rest of him, followed. He still held his thought-speech centres, and that eased some of the feelings of helplessness that threatened to strike each time his Yeerk took control.

But you don't mind half as much as you used to, Issetha pointed out softly.

I still tend to forget that you can read my thoughts, Aximili muttered in reply.

Get used to it, said the Yeerk, not unkindly.

I suppose I will, Aximili sighed, and then turned his attention to the outside world.

Issetha made his Hork-Bajir shape cockily wander right up to the dozen loitering outside the door.

"The girfach traitor Essar-275 lied," she growled through Aximili's mouth. "This is not darafat entrance. You return to pool. Make sure humans not see you."

One of the Controllers frowned. "Who are you, and on whose authorization do you give us orders?"

"Am Larat-789, Assistant to Etnor-323, Sub-Visser 15," Issetha lied smoothly. "I speak – and he reports you to the Visser for karfach if you not obey."

"Ah," said the Controller, nodding slowly. "That would all be a nice little tale – except for the fact that Larat and his new, human host were killed this very morning – Animorph activity in some warehouse, I believe." He raised his shredder, and at once all the shredders were aimed at Issetha and Aximili. "Although I bet you would know more about it than I do, Animorph."

Marco, Aximili called calmly in private thought-speech. We may need to revert to plan B.

That's his way of saying step on it, Issetha clarified at once.

I'm on my way, Marco replied. Five seconds.

"Actually," Issetha said conversationally at the Controllers, "In this case it actually is Andalite."

With that Aximili spun around to run. Shots were fired after him, and one hit him straight in the back, while another struck his shoulder, but he had planned this escape and without hesitation dove forwards, over a set of steel barrels and into the protection they offered. He landed and rolled further away, starting to demorph. The Controllers began following, and would probably have reached him and killed him if not for the sudden sound of a loud engine heading at full speed towards them.

Marco and the truck came around the corner, gliding several meters to the side through the turn, and then heading right at the Yeerks, horn blaring. The sight and noise made them quickly forget all about Aximili, who could watch in relative safety while they dropped their dracons and ran – or were simply run over. The turn had been very near where the Controllers had stood, and the truck had appeared suddenly. They did not have enough time to get out of its way.

Marco had already abandoned the vehicle and as it had passed his gorilla knuckle-ran to the door, slamming a Hork-Bajir out of his way in passing. Aximili, almost fully Andalite, leapt back over the barrels and took care of the human-Controller that had pressed herself against the wall to escape the truck, keeping her dracon. She slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Marco had already opened the door and the two hurried inside, before Marco slammed it shut behind them.

I'm telling you, he said in a knowing manner. When driving, focus on steering first, then speed. When driving quickly, focus on speed first, then steering.

Madness, remarked Issetha.

But it works, Marco grumbled. Where now?

Down the stairs, is my best estimate, Aximili said, and headed downwards. His hooves clopped loudly against the steps; he wished he could walk more silently, and perhaps have better night vision for it was dark, but…

You don't always get what you want, Issetha said.

That I realised long ago, Aximili told her dryly.

I know. I'm just reminding you.

Marco muttered something about his gorilla feet being too big to walk down the steep staircase and demorphed. "Othil said there was a voluntary lock down here," he said.

Yes, Issetha confirmed, borrowing Aximili's voice. I heard him.

"Care to explain what it is?"

It's simply a place where the Yeerk has to leave the host, enter a small water-filled tunnel and swim to a console, in order to turn a switch – probably to take down a force field, or make a door appear. The console is adapted for our palps, and can only be used by Yeerks.

Where does the voluntary part come in? Aximili asked.

The opening to the tunnel. It needs to be held open as the Yeerk exits the host, and after the console is used it closes again, if it is not held open from the outside; by the host, that would be Yeerk-less at the time. Which means that the host has to be voluntary – or at least cooperative.

"Of course, it could also be opened by the Yeerk's friends, still in their hosts," Marco commented.

Only a resistance member would even recognize the system, but it's not perfect, Issetha admitted. We do what we can. If you have a better version, you're welcome to suggest it.

"How about codes?"

You need a code, too, to use the console – a standard code known by the resistance. Don't worry – I've got the code. At least, I've got what was the code a week ago.

What happens if you have the wrong code? Aximili asked privately.

The corridor is locked, and I'd be trapped. I hope they haven't changed it over the last few days. But of course, then Othil should have mentioned it.

What is the code?

Secret, said Issetha in a murmur. I'm sorry; if I told you, and you were captured…

Aximili had been trailing a hand along the wall, and now he realised that the wall was turning; Othil had mentioned an underground storage, he remembered. There was supposed to have been a switch in a hole in the wall, near the left corner.

"Why are you stopping?" Marco asked suddenly.

Because – but that was about as far as Aximili got, before…

…there was suddenly a bright light shining right at Aximili's face, blinding him. He held his arms up to shield his face, but it was no use; all he saw through eyes that were aching was intense white. A loud curse from Marco behind him told him that the other Animorph was in much the same state.

"How kind of you to join us," sneered a voice from in front of them. The light was averted, up to the roof, and as Aximili's sight returned he recognized a flashlight in the hand of a man who was standing in the other end of the room, in semi-darkness.

Issetha had recognized something else. Issetha-947! she cried.

The man's expression twisted. "So you're still alive, after all, traitor," he spat. He nodded, almost to himself, and waved a hand in a universal attention-please gesture; only then did Aximili note the three Taxxons, and four Hork-Bajir, all armed with dracons, standing beside the man. "I'll do you one last favour, little sister. I'll kill you directly and spare you the trouble of being turned in."

Brother, no, let us pass, Issetha begged. Aximili – to his horror – noted that she had taken complete control. He could not even twitch a finger. He could not even shudder, or raise his tail, or blink his eyelids. The Yeerk was too distracted to notice his sudden, reeling alarm.

"What's going on?" Marco demanded, coming up beside Aximili with his arms crossed over his chest, and a wary expression on his face; he knew it was too late – and no use – to morph.

Issetha-947 shook his host's head. "Sorry, 948. Not this time. But hey, I'm on the losing side here too. I'm losing the knowledge of how to get past this wall, because I know there is a way past…" He frowned, turning towards the wall behind him; turning his back on them, in a gesture meant to show the two Animorphs exactly how little a threat he considered them. Finally he shrugged. "Of course, even worse, I'm losing the possibility of an Andalite host."

Issetha reeled back at this, probably more at the other Yeerk's cold, perfectly grave – and jealous – voice than at the words. But suddenly she had let go of her host, and her host experienced a burst of fury that sent him leaping forwards. His tail-blade was bearing down on the human-Controller's head before his own Yeerk had time to realise what was happening, and by then it was too late.

The tail-blade cleaved the human skull cleanly into two pieces, and before even pausing Aximili had moved on to the Hork-Bajir, who were attacking. Only one of them had had the presence of mind to remember to raise his dracon, while the rest simply used their blades. Aximili had to leap back – and realised that this time, he was probably in over his head.

Marco had rushed into the room, diving in towards the floor and seizing one of the dropped dracons. The Hork-Bajir above him wasted no time in aiming a knee-blade down, but Marco shot him straight in the chest at full power and the Controller simply vanished into thin air. Marco rolled, to get some distance, and then proceeded to take out two of the Taxxons before they could use their dracons.

By then two of the Hork-Bajir were motionless on the floor, and Aximili was just finishing off the last one. Marco was lowering the dracon with a disgusted face, and when Aximili turned his gaze towards the fallen Issetha-947 he understood why; the third Taxxon was feasting.

Aximili, please… wailed Issetha in the back of his head.

Aximili slashed the Taxxon across the chest and kicked the body off the human-Controller. He quickly averted his gaze from Issetha's brother and the human host, though; it was not a pleasant sight.

He turned his attention inwards and felt the sad, stunned silence from his Yeerk, that she was unable to hide. He whispered; I am sorry. I know you dislike killing; I know he was family. Forgive me.

There was no choice, Issetha told him faintly, but her voice quavered. I know my brother. If he said he would have killed us… then that is what he would have done.

I am sorry, Aximili repeated, for a fleeting moment remembering the shock of losing Elfangor, his own brother. He thought he would have felt the same even if his brother had not died bravely.

But this was not the time for sentimentality. Issetha could mourn if she wished, but he had work to do. He steeled himself against the quiet mind that he shared his head with, and focused on what he had to do.

To begin with, he wiped the blood off his blade on the jacket of the dead human-Controller. He felt Issetha shudder, in his head, and averted his stalk-eyes as well from the floor, aiming them at the roof. There was little he could do about his main eyes; he could not walk around staring at the roof, and despite doing his best he had a more or less clear view of the floor.

Marco was pale as he walked over to the left corner of the room, bending down and fumbling with something for a moment before standing back up. There was a grinding noise as the wall began rising. "I'm going to be in gorilla morph from now on," he announced, beginning to morph. "Steep stairs or no steep stairs." He peered at Aximili, who was standing very still, looking all too sombre; too dignified. "What's with you?"

Aximili wordlessly made a gesture at his head. He passed under the rising wall, and thereby the bodies of the Controllers were out of sight. He heard a half-morphed Marco follow.

They had entered a long, narrow room; barely more than an added couple of metres to the room they had left, hidden by that wall. Marco had had the good sense to bring the flashlight, and now Aximili took it from him, sweeping it over the room.

There's the voluntary lock, Issetha announced lowly.

Aximili's eyes followed the beam of the flashlight to a small, barely noticeable pad on the wall. He walked up to it, not needing to be asked to do so. But as he inspected it, and Marco peered at it past him, he realised he needed to ask Issetha anyway.

How do you open it?

Like this, Issetha murmured, taking over his arm and reaching forwards and down below the pad. She pressed his hand against a small knob and the pad slid away into the wall, revealing a hole in the wall, with water at the bottom. Below the surface was a hole, barely larger than an ear canal of a Hork-Bajir.

It's heat-sensitive; it reacts to changes in temperature. You'll have to keep your hand there, Issetha instructed softly. Or I might be locked in.

Fine, Aximili said. Make sure you have the right code.

He felt the Yeerk exit his ear and raised his free hand to catch her. He stroked her back with his thumb, whispering a hurry back, before dropping her into the water and watching her disappear below the surface and down the hole, out of sight.

Then all we can do is wait, said Marco, who stood a step back. One of Aximili's stalks could not have helped but notice how the Animorph had turned away, refusing to watch, as he caught the Yeerk coming out of his ear.

Yes, murmured Aximili, keeping his hand pressed against that knob, and his main eyes fixed on the tiny pool. He kept his stalks circling – but if he had noticed it, he would have been annoyed by the way they turned to stare down into the waters where Issetha had disappeared.

They seemed to wait for all too long. Aximili shifted his weight to another set of hooves and realised that his neck was feeling stiff from being bent forwards for so long without moving.

By the time Issetha returned he let out his breath in a sigh of relief – and only then realised he had been holding it. He scooped up the Yeerk – in his hurry almost forgetting to keep his hand on the knob, but fortunately he remembered in time. He raised Issetha to his ear, stiffening the usual revulsion as she crawled in and his ear lost all feeling, for just a moment.

The door will open as soon as you take that hand away, murmured Issetha, and removed his hand from the knob.

The pad in the wall closed instantly with a metal hiss, and instead a door appeared as a part of the wall – beside the pad – curled away.

Neat, commented Marco in a mutter. He peered into the corridor, as if making sure that it was not filled with Controllers and various relatives of Issetha. And if anything we've ever encountered has 'trap' stapled all over it, this is it.

Perhaps, agreed Aximili in an off-hand manner.

Ain't I right, though? Marco demanded. This stinks. Think about it! Told to go here by a Sub-Visser, already been in two fights, and we know there's more slimy little Yeerks lurking somewhere around here… He gave Aximili – Aximili's forehead, to be exact – a glance, but chose not to apologize.

Marco barged right on. This couldn't be more trap-like if they'd put an ad about it in the newspaper, inviting us to dinner, tea and crumpets with Visser One and the Council of Thirteen, and telling us to come alone. Not even if they'd put up big signs saying 'this way, Animorph… that's a good little Animorph'.  And I would NEVER pass a sign saying that. Not in a million years.

How about that one? Aximili wondered lowly, and pointed up at a sign hanging in the roof of the corridor they were supposed to enter.

It had a large arrow pointing down the corridor, and beside it, in large, bold letters, the text "Animorph Infestation Facility".

Marco stared at it for a moment. His gorilla nostrils flared as he took a very deep breath. Not a chance, he said weakly. Under normal circumstances, not a chance. Not even if they dragged me kicking and screaming – not even if they dragged the entire valley along as hostages – not even if there was a volcano about to erupt behind me and someone was tossing nukes at my back, not even if Jake had caught me coming on to Cassie – by the way, don't tell him I said that – or Erek had been reprogrammed to rip apart everything with a name beginning with M, and not even if Visser One was running after me crying "marry me! marry me!" – great, now I'll have nightmares about that for weeks – all of which would have to be done to get me past that sign. But… but… His already slight thought-speech voice faded away.

But right now there is no choice.

Marco nodded grimly. Exactly. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; let's just get this over with.

With that he stepped into the corridor, walking on knuckles and feet as a true gorilla; looking proud and determined and very afraid at the same time, like he was heading to his own execution.

Aximili followed, shining the flashlight ahead of the other Animorph to let them see where they were going.

I never thought I would be glad to be infested, he murmured to Issetha as he glanced back at the ominous sign with a stalk. But now I am. For they cannot infest someone who already carries a Yeerk.

Glad to be of use, Issetha said. Then she took control of his stalks and began swivelling them, just to have something to do.

Aximili followed Marco down the corridor. It was short; they reached the end of it after only a few minutes.

Switch the flashlight off and leave it here, Marco instructed, and Aximili did so. Marco pulled a fist back, struck at the glassy wall in front of them. It shattered easily at the blow and splinters of glass flew in all directions. The two Animorphs leapt back, waited for the glass to settle on the floor – waited for the soft cling-like sounds to cease.

Oh well, Marco muttered, stepping through the hole the shattered mirror left, careful not to cut himself on the shards that remained of the mirror. What's seven years of bad luck compared to the last day or so?

Aximili found himself smiling wryly at that and followed the gorilla through the shattered mirror and over to the door's room, delicately avoiding to stop on any glass; when one eats through one's hooves, one needs to watch one's step carefully.

Marco spun back towards him by the door and made a small bow. And now, my Fellow Mad Volunteer in Rescue-Operation-Doomed-to-Fail, to the grand final; I bet there are at least a dozen Hork-Bajir ready to fight us behind this door.

Aximili raised his tail in preparation. For some reason, there was no fear in his mind; only cold determination. Shall we? he said grimly, gesturing toward the door.

Of course, Marco replied, opened the door wide and leapt out, followed again by Aximili.

The two stopped dead in their tracks after only a few steps.

Oh, hell, Marco muttered loudly. Why do I always have to be right?!


_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Author's Note;

Whew. Typed this up in an afternoon. All inspiration was stored up over the last weeks or so, but due to Evil Reasons Out Of My Control (aka school) I didn't have time to write then. Now it's finished. It's not proofread, though, so if you note any mistakes then point them out, please.

Reply to Qoheleth;      a) What was wrong with chapter 9? *bites nails*      b) No, perhaps a Sub-Visser in the PM might be overdoing things a bit… I've changed the chapter a bit concerning Othil to try to explain. (And about the high-ranking part… a little voice in the back of my head insisted that there were only seventeen sub-vissers, and though I wasn't sure I believed that, and wanted to turn Othil into sub-visser 23974782 or similar, I believed the little voice. So in conclusion; does anyone know how many sub-vissers there are and what horrible number should Othil be sentenced to?) And Essar… perhaps I wasn't completely clear about him either. Changed that a bit too, in chapter 10. To put it in simple terms; he wasn't exactly given a choice, and he was weak.

Reply to Green Eyed Girl;     Nooo! Nobody prints that story yet! I haven't edited! *panics* (and yes, I've been to neopets, but I grew tired of it.)

Reply to Anifan1;     Yes, sad ending still there. Sorry, but that's the beauty of this story; it deals with an impossible situation, and one of the impossibilities is that a happy ending is impossible (not impossible impossible, but credibly impossible). The last few paragraphs are actually already written, (and posted as spoiler, but not here) and I'm very pleased with them.

In other news, second picture posted at the link in chapter 9 – the one with Ax sitting by the pool – has been "moved" to chapter 12. Didn't fit into this chapter. And by now everyone should be able to guess what AIF is.