Disclaimer: You know the drill. K.A. Applegate rules the Animorph world, and I don't. Blah.

I hate proofs. I also hate big huge math projects that I like to cram at the last second. So I won't be around for a couple of days. So I decided that the situation between Marco and Madra just ain't gonna be kept in any longer. They're gonna be at each other's throats before long. And I can't have them dying on me while I'm away. So I had to make the situation happen before I take leave.

And finally we get to hear the long-awaited plan that the Yeerks have been thinking of. It took me a while to think up of this, and I still think it's slightly wacko. Even for the Yeerks. Oh well. Great minds crack under pressure.

And also remember to press the lovely blue button down there somewhere, and pour out your thoughts to me.

(In other words, review.)

Chapter Seven

After Rachel came back, we sat down to talk.

"So," Jake said, as I chomped down on the hamburger. He didn't want it, and though I wasn't sure why, I had a feeling it was because of the ants. "What was this information you were gonna to tell us about?"

I sighed. I put down the hamburger. "They are building another Yeerk pool."

Ax raised an eyebrow. "What? One isn't enough to contain that filth?" Apparently, this was a new human expression he had just learned, because he raised his eyebrow again. And again. And again. Until, Tobias put a hand on his shoulder and told him that it was enough.

Rachel was unfazed. "Cool. We'll just blow it up."

"Are you insane?" Marco asked. "We couldn't even destroy the first Yeerk pool."

Jake was deep in thought. "How large is this Yeerk pool?"

"Not as large as the first. It is only half-finished. Its purpose is to supply Kandrona for the most important human Controllers."

"What about security?"

I considered. "Naturally there is high-level security. But if everything I've heard about the Andalite bandits is true, then you should have no trouble getting in."

Marco laughed. "That's right, flatter us. Now I know we're doomed."

"However, if construction is only half-done, then this would logically be the best opportunity to destroy the pool." Ax pointed out.

"That isn't all." I said. "The Yeerks are ready for your assault. They won't take any chances now. They've laid out several traps for you."

"Several?" Marc shrilled. "As if one wasn't enough? Several?"

I winced at the shrilling. "Well, yes. The Yeerks are prepared. You didn't expect them to not learn from their mistakes, did you? Visser Three is stupid, but he isn't quite that dim."

"So all we have to do is not go. Easy."

"No, not that easy." I shot back. "You can't hide out here forever. Do you know where this pool is? It's underneath your town, near your forest. After a few weeks, the pool will be under your forest. You would be walking right over it. It would be a minefield."

"So you prefer we walk into this trap." Marco leaned forward.

I also leaned forward. "I know what kind of traps are in there. The sooner we get in there, the less time we give the Yeerks to plan a new trap for you. One that I will not know. So, yes, I'd prefer you walk into the trap, so you can destroy it."

"I don't like it." He replied coldly.

"How eminently obvious." I replied just as coolly, matching tone for tone.

His eyes flashed. "Whose side are you on?"

"Not the Yeerks."

"There are plenty of sides that you could be on that wouldn't be the Yeerks side… or ours."

"I'm not David." I managed through gritted teeth.

"Could've fooled me." Marco also said.

I nearly exploded. "You make one mistake and you think everyone is like that?"

"We can't afford to make so many mistakes. One almost killed us. Excuse me for thinking for being careful and trying to preserve my life!" He snapped back. The calm part of me admitted he had a lot of reason behind his ideas, but another part of me argued that I had just as many good reasons as he had.

We glared at each other. Again, I was struck at how familiar that face was. If only I could place it…

The court was loud, but we were silent. And to tell the truth, I could hardly hear the people in the court anymore. There was a buzzing sound in my ears. "So what are you going to do about me?" I asked in a low voice, daring him with my eyes.

He looked away first. "You don't know anything. We're the ones fighting this war, and meanwhile, you're the one who was up in Visser Three's Blade Ship, kissing up to him, and watching people die!" He sneered.

I flamed up at his words. "You think I had a choice?" I snarled. "You think I wasn't screaming in my head every day? You think I didn't fight for all I was worth?"

Jake spoke up, before Marco could. "We know you did. We know that you went through some hard times, but playing us for fools and ordering us around isn't worth it."

"Jake, she's been threatening us since day one." Marco shook his head. "She's just as bad as the Yeerks. We can't trust her. She thinks she knows everything, but she's just pretending half the time. She keeps secrets from us." He narrowed his eyes at me, and I saw Cassie look shamed-face at her plate.

I heard a roaring in my ears, but I controlled it. The boy needed to be taught a lesson, but this was neither the time nor the place to do it.

"You-know-nothing." I hissed in my coldest softest voice, a voice that froze the blood of my underlings, a voice full of venom and malice. "Nothing. You are the ones who believe you have suffered the most, you are the ones who believe you shouldn't have to do this, and you are the ones who believe you know it all. You have things I would kill to have. You had a life of peace. I lived in constant war. You think everyone should think the same as you, that everyone should do the same as you, that you set the standards. But none of that is true. You know nothing of the real world."

I almost couldn't breath at the end. I looked around. Everyone was staring, or looking down at their plates.

Jake finally spoke. "What do you want?"

I blinked. Whatever I had been expecting, it wasn't this. "I-" I almost couldn't say it. But then my voice grew stronger. "I want blood. I want revenge. I want to see Visser Three helpless before me, and I want him to know how helpless he is, before I kill him. I want him to die the most painful way possible, so he has a long time to think about all the things he's done." I paused. "And Visser One…" I growled. I saw Marco stiffen out of the corner of my eye. "Well, I haven't thought up of what to do with her yet."

"What about Darwin, your brother?" Cassie asked. I saw no flicker of surprise from any of the member's faces. They already knew. Cassie had told them.

Fool that I was for thinking that I could trust her with such vital information.

"I will help him and many others by slaying Visser Three." I said with utter conviction.

No one looked convinced.

What had she told them? How my voice quivered when I spoke of my brother? How I wouldn't say more about him than was necessary? How much of me had she read?

Jake nodded. "You know our goal. And now we know yours. So what else do you know about the traps?"

I took a deep breath. "Most of these traps are not very well constructed. They are hardly more than sketches. The one that is set in motion is the pool itself. It is a trap, a labyrinth that will take even an Andalite quite a few minutes to find a way out. There are secret computers along the pathway that will show us a complete map, if the computers can be found, and if we know the codes."

Jake nodded, so I went on. "The second trap is slightly more serious. The Gleet Biofilters, in theory, can be modified to eliminate all life forms that are not programmed into it. These Biofilters can be turned into weapons."

"You mean they can kill whatever creature it's aimed at and programmed to kill?" Tobias asked.

"Yes. In theory. But it is well on its way to working. Since they know your battle morphs, they know which life forms to enter in. And after that, it is a simple matter of demanding you demorph, or get annihilated."

"Is there another trap?" Jake asked.

"Yes." I hesitated. "The Yeerks have mutated their shock troops. They decided to combine the Hork-Bajir DNA with a Taxxon's DNA."

"They can do that?" Rachel demanded.

"Yes, they can." Ax replied, suddenly serious. "It has been done on the Andalite home world in laboratories, to see if we could replace a strain of our DNA with other creature's immune systems. It is very complicated. However, there has never been any known purposely created mutation beyond that."

"Yes, well, the Yeerks are taking the strengths of the Hork-Bajir with the Taxxon's strength, and combining them to create a new creature. However, they have a problem. The mutations all cannot breathe the Earth air. They are kept alive in a contained environment, or in hibernation, but they cannot be used until they have a strand of DNA from another creature, preferably one who lives on Earth."

"So what creature?" Tobias asked.

"Humans." Marco crossed his arms.

"Yes, the Yeerks would use that if it came down to it." I agreed grudgingly. "But there are other creatures to consider. They have tried strands of bird, but it simply doesn't fit. Other animals of different species have also been tried, but all have failed to work. They just don't share similiar characteristics. Humans do seem to be the best option. But Visser Three refuses to use humans, because he has something better in mind."

"Andalites." Cassie had figured it out.

"He wants to use Andalite DNA?" Ax asked incredulously. "Is he not aware of the risks? Doesn't he know how Andalite DNA is hardly ever compatible?"

"Do the equations, Andalite. You know it. You will find that Andalite DNA is very compatible with Hork-Bajir and Taxxon mix."

"Why don't they just use Visser Three's host body?" asked Rachel.

I snorted. "And risk the only Andalite-Controller ever? Visser Three dare not."

"So they're going to try to capture us, and use us to make a mutation." Jake nodded thoughtfully.

"So what are we going to do?" Cassie asked. "Will we go in?"

"Let's vote." Jake said.

"Let's do it." Rachel said without hesitation.

Ax paused. "I will do what you want, Prince Jake."

"Ax, first, don't call me prince. And second, this really will affect you, so you should choose."

He paused. "I will go." I raised an eyebrow. That was unexpected. I thought the Andalite would've tried to save his own skin.

Tobias nodded. "Another Yeerk pool under my forest? No way. I'm going."

Cassie smiled. "If we can free the Controllers…"

Marco rolled his eyes. "I'm in. Who else is going to remind you how insane this is?"

Jake looked at me. I met his gaze. "Go."

"It's unanimous, then." Jake announced. "We'll go." He looked at me.

"Tell us what to do."

Good job Madra. You really killed it right there. I mean, geezus, lighten up a little, willya?

Honestly, this girl scares me.

My bones are telling me that things go downhill from here on out. And my bones are never wrong.

Ok, before I swallow a couple packets of Skittles and get hyper again, I'm going. Need to use that energy on the project...

Stupid project.

Pour all those thoughts onto that beautiful blank sheet of paper-well, the computer screen. Note to self: How can paper be beautiful?

So, review/criticize/flame/knock youself out.