Controlled

Rachel regained consciousness and found herself in a dark room. She tried to move but found she was tied up. Her head ached and she couldn't figure out why.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called out. Her voice was scratchy and it seemed to echo in her head.

'No one will hear you, Rachel,' an eerie voice resounded in her mind. Rachel's eyes bulged. She'd been Yeerked! Tom had kidnapped her and Yeerked her against her will.

'You're wrong. I know how to beat you. You won't win,' Rachel shot back.

'You think you're so strong? I will find what I am looking for soon enough. They won't let you go,' the Yeerk responded coolly. Rachel squirmed, feeling the slug worming its way through her mind.

Rachel opened her eyes and was met with the dark room. They had to know something about her to keep her tied up like this. Maybe she'd admitted something when she was drugged? She tried to control her breathing, trying not to panic. If she morphed they would know. They probably had morphing censors all over the place. But if she didn't, she was putting her friends at risk.

'You humans worry too much. So many emotions,' the Yeerk remarked.

'Just shut up!' Rachel shouted in her mind.

Rachel suddenly blinked, bright light shining into her eyes. It was painfully bright as a figure walked in. She tried to figure out who it was but her eyes refused to adjust to the brightness.

"Who's there?" she called out, blinking in rapid succession. A blurry figure was approaching her, slowly coming into focus. It was Visser Three. Rachel took several deep breaths to try and not freak out.

"Don't be afraid," Visser Three told her. Rachel felt a hand on her chin as her head was lifted up.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I think you know," he snickered. He reached behind her, untying the ropes on her hands. He then pulled her to her feet. Standing proved to be fairly difficult with her legs tied together.

"I will never tell you," Rachel hissed, fighting the Yeerk's control. She now realized how hard it had been for Jake.

"Of course you will," he sneered, his lips mere centimeters from her ear. She shivered. How gross was this? Not only did she have an alien slug squirming around in her head but she had some old guy trying to molest her.

Tobias! Anybody, please…help! Rachel called out in thought-speech. She seemed a little shocked herself that she'd been able to call out when not in morph. Furthermore, she was surprised that the Yeerk hadn't tried to force her to say anything about it to Visser Three. Vissers Three smiled at her, leaning down to try and kiss her.

"Get away from me you sick freak," Rachel spat, regaining control of her body for the moment.

"You will tell me what I wish to know, Andalite," he snickered.

"Go to hell," Rachel seethed. He didn't seem to like that at all. He took a step back, smacking her across the face. Her hand flew up to feel her stinging cheek.

"I will learn what I wish to know," he shouted. Rachel stumbled backwards until she tripped over herself and landing hard on the ground. He glared at her but left the room, shrouding her in darkness again.

Tobias? Can you hear me? she called out again in thought-speech.

'Calling out to him won't help,' the Yeerk sneered.

'You won't win, Yeerk,' Rachel said, a little less confident this time.

'But I've found something very interesting…something that will serve Visser Three quite nicely,' the alien slug sneered. Memories flew by, Tobias was telling her about Elfangor being his father.

'No! You can't,' Rachel screamed. She didn't realize that she'd verbally screamed as well. The door flew open again and Visser Three was grabbing her.

"Tell me," he bellowed at her.

"No," Rachel whimpered, tears flooding her eyes. She would not let her stupidity cost Tobias his life. They'd find him and kill him. She was sure of it. Across town, Tobias suddenly felt woozy.

"What's wrong?" Cassie asked.

"I don't know…it's like I can hear Rachel. She's calling to me…but it's weird…it's like she's not in morph," he explained. Ax looked at him.

"Perhaps it is the child within her," he suggested.

"You really think a two month old fetus can use thought-speech?" Tobias asked, trying very hard not to laugh. Suddenly Tobias clutched his head.

"I think….they got her," he gasped as the pain suddenly went away.

"They Yeerked her?" Marco exclaimed.

"I'm going to find her," Tobias announced.

"Wait…how? Do you know where she is?" Jake called after him.

"And how do we know it's really Rachel. Maybe the Yeerk is using her morphing powers," Cassie added.

"I don't care. I'm going to save her," Tobias answered.

"We'd better follow him to make sure he doesn't get caught," Jake groaned.

Back in the room Rachel was now nursing a swollen eye. Visser Three was growing impatient with her. He had her against the wall and had managed to slip his tongue between her lips. She was struggling against him. She felt his hand move over her stomach and towards her jeans. With all the energy she could muster she shoved him off.

"I said no you disgusting pig," she shouted, reaching down with enough time to untie her legs.

Tobias was flying overhead when he felt Rachel calling out to him. It was getting stronger so he must be getting close. He spotted an abandoned warehouse. He swooped down, landing just outside the entrance. He pressed himself against the wall as he saw people walk out. One of them was Tom. He had to keep himself from attacking him. He had to keep his presence unknown as long as he could. He closed his eyes, focusing on Rachel. He could feel her. She was very close. He rounded the wall, spotting a security guard. Taking a minute to figure out what to do let out a whistle. The guard turned his head, moving towards Tobias. Before the guard knew what hit him, Tobias had knocked him out and stolen his gun.

Rachel, I'm here. Where are you? Tobias called out, trying to focus his thoughts directly to her.

In the time it had taken Tobias to find her, Rachel had been moved to a small room with a miniaturized Yeerk pool. Visser Three was holding her head over it and the Yeerk slithered out. Finally completely free of the Yeerk's control Rachel began screaming as loudly as she could.

"Someone…help me!" she screamed. Tobias heard her, heading towards her voice.

"No one is going to help you," Visser Three whispered just as the door was kicked open. Visser Three's back was to the door.

"Get the fuck away from her before I put a bullet through your head," Tobias hissed, standing behind him, the muzzle of the gun pressed firmly to the Controller's head.

"Who are you?" Visser Three asked, trying to turn around.

"Somebody who you just really pissed off," Tobias whispered. He grabbed the man's arm, twisting it so hard that it sent him flailing into the Yeerk pool. He grabbed Rachel and dragged her from the room just as Visser Three resurfaced.

"Stop them!" he howled. Controllers seemed to appear from everywhere. He forced Rachel around a corner. He aimed the gun and pulled the trigger. He didn't hit anyone but a group of Controllers scattered.

"Do you even know how to use that thing?" she asked.

"It's easy…point and shoot," he replied, ushering her further down the hallway. He had to fire a few more times before they were out of the building. By the time they got far enough away to not risk being captured the rest of the team appeared.

"Are you ok?" Jake asked, pulling Rachel to him.

"Thanks to Tobias," she answered. After she'd hugged everyone else and Ax had verified that she was indeed Yeerk free she turned towards Tobias.

"He tried…he tried to…" she tried to get out but she couldn't make the words form.

"I'm going to kill him," Tobias growled, his hand tightening around the handle of the gun.