A. N: The plushie goes to Twilighter80. No one else told me who they wanted. I used a quote in this chapter from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. No copyright infringement intended. Enjoy!

CHAPTER 12: Tricked

Marco's POV

"Leaving? Right now?" I was pretty hesitant, partly because I didn't completely trust the Cullens. And for all I knew, this "Resting Place" may not even exist despite what Edward said about seeing it in my mind when we first met. I figured, though, that if it were that important, there would be nothing stopping him from just picking me up and carrying me away with his abnormal vampire strength.

"Fine," I said, "but it will have to be quick. Dad and Nora will be back soon and I don't want to have to explain myself."

"So, Superman, what are you waiting for? Let's go already."

Edward grabbed my arm and ran off into the night.

"Hey, wait!" I yelled, "I can get there myself you know,"

"We'll get there faster this way,"

Onward we went. I was beginning to think that the big vamp here was just showing off. He was jumping and doing flips when we got to the forest. I was to the point where it wouldn't be long before I puked all over him. I was also starting to get angry. I don't think he thought that I could take care of myself.

"Okay, enough with the fancy stuff," I complained irritably, "I'm as sick enough already."

"Fine, then," he answered. We were now in a part of the forest that I don't think even Cassie had ever seen. We went even further, past gnarled looking trees, what I could have sworn was some kind of a cemetery, and all of the nocturnal creatures that stalked the forest at night.

Eventually, we reached our destination. We stopped and I held back my vomit. I didn't see anything special, just a wood board lying on a random spot on the forest floor. Was this what Edward had brought me for? A random board in the middle of the forest?

"Okay, joke's over Edward. Let's keep going."

"What joke?" asked Edward as he lifted the board to reveal what looked like a bunker. There wasn't really anything special looking about it. It was probably where some convict had hidden to escape the police and stash his weapons.

"Come inside," Edward said, already inside the bunker, waiting for me.

Inside, there were Dracon beams mounted on the wall and it looked like there was a portable Yeerk pool in the corner. Was this what Edward had brought me for? Was he really a Controller?

"Edward, what is going—,"

WHAAAAM!

The next thing I knew was that Edward had punched me against a wall and I was slowly slipping into unconsciousness.

[--Three Hours Later--]

I was just waking up inside the bunker. The entrance was closed up tight so I had no idea what time of day it was. I could have been out for a whole day. I noticed a throbbing pain in my arm and then I saw it. There was a thin needle in my arm. The needle was connected to a tube leading through a hole in the bunker's wall. I looked around for Edward but he was no where in sight. In his place, I realized with a gasp, was the Drode.

"You!" I shouted and then I began to morph,

"Naughty, naughty," said the Drode, mockingly shaking his finger at me, "The more you morph, the more venom gets released into your bloodstream. That would be such a shame. My master, the great Crayak, would be very, very upset if you were to…leave us…so early."

"What did you do with Edward?" I demanded,

"You foolish little Animorph. I lead you here," a huge smile covered the Drode's ugly face, "I'm a very good actor if I do say so myself. The real Edward has no idea that this is even happening, so don't expect to get out of this one so easily."

I took a second to grasp what was going on. When Edward had knocked on the door it had not really been Edward. It was the Drode. This whole Resting Place thing was just a trap set up by the Drode. I thought back to the list of vampire attacks. If I only looked at the first letter of each one, it spelled…Crayak, of course! That's what had been so strange. Then it hit me. Crayak was the one sending me the pictures. The Drode had probably opened my locker and snuck into my room to place them there. He was trying to get me to lose my trust in the Cullens. If it was so important to Crayak that we don't fight together, then we must continue with the alliance.

"While you're here," the Drode started, "why don't you tell me about your little friend, Jake? How's old Jakey been doing? Is he ready to crack yet, with all the responsibilities of being leader? Or is he still just pretending to be fearless and courageous?"

"Why should I tell you anything, you piece of crap!"

"Oh now, Marco," the Drode mocked, "you know your hatred for me is far greater than that. How about 'son of a bitch' or 'asshole'?"

"Because I'm not a low-down scum bag like you!"

"I'm so sorry. Am I upsetting you? Maybe you'd like to talk about your feelings instead?"

This guy seriously needs to go boil his head. Like he even gives a rip about my feelings.

"How's the rest of the group? How's Rachel? She always was my favorite Animorph. So violent, so ruthless, and yet she uses her power to protect people. Bah! But not for long, soon her mind will break. Her lust for blood will soon overpower her. She would be the strongest human being on Earth. Imagine how she could crush those puny Yeerks with her might!" The Drode took a long pause,

"But perhaps you would like to have that chance yourself. After all, Rachel does nothing but mock you. She hates you, Marco. Wouldn't it feel good to silence her forever? Perhaps you need a reminder,"

The Drode disappeared and in his place stood Rachel. The Drode/Rachel spoke, "Marco, just shut up! No one needs your stupid jokes. I don't even know how anyone puts up with you!" Then the Drode reappeared.

"Is that how you want to be treated? Like an idiot? Crayak could give you the power to crush Rachel and anything else that may stand in your way!"

"Oh, yes, your Greatness. I will gladly accept your offer, which is really just a trap to use me against my friends so you and your big, red pimple can get to Jake. I'm not that dumb, you evil little freak."

"There is no good and evil, Marco," the Drode pointed out, "only power and those strong enough to possess it."

Ohh, now he was getting all wise on me. Like I'm stupid enough to believe that load of garbage.

"I think Crayak needs to learn some new tricks," I countered, "we've heard it all before, 'I can give you power', 'Crayak could use you, Marco'. Use me for what? I would just be another useless slave like you, Drode. You talk about strength and power, but in reality, you're weak. You gave in to Crayak's demands, and now look where you are: trying to convince a puny human teenager to make the same stupid mistake that you did. What kind of power is that?"

The Drode faltered and I could tell that I had hit him where it hurt, "By insulting me, you insult the great Crayak himself! You will feel Crayak's wrath, Marco the Animorph! Just remember, when you have to kill your own mother in order to stop the Yeerks, that it could have all been avoided, the pain and the suffering, by committing yourself to Crayak's great plan!"

The Drode had pulled the final straw. Something, I don't know what, snapped inside of me when he spoke of my mother. He had gone too far this time. Even if the venom within the needle killed me, I had to take him down with me. I began to morph gorilla.

As soon as the black fur had sprouted all over my body, I began to feel an overwhelming pain. Pain beyond anything I had ever felt in any battle. Even greater than when my gut had been split open by a Hork-Bajir's blade. I began to demorph, hoping the pain would go away but it didn't. It just got worse. It got worse, and worse and worse to the point where I couldn't even scream anymore. I collapsed on the ground and started writhing in agony. It was as if my entire body was being struck with white hot metal rods.

I stopped writhing, not because the pain was any less, but because I didn't want the Drode to see me showing signs of weakness. This was pain unlike anything ever experienced on Earth. I was surprised that I was still living. All I wanted now was to die. To die and not have to feel this pain anymore. The pain became emotional as well as physical because I knew I had failed my friends by giving in to Crayak. This must have been the plan all along, to anger me into morphing. By doing that very thing, I had pretty much signed my own death certificate.

After an hour or two, the pain somehow became even worse. I became aware of a shrill, merciless laughter in the background. It was the Drode. I knew then, in that laughter, that this was the end.

I was going to die, helpless on the ground, writhing in agony. The last sound I would ever hear was the Drode's cold-blooded laughter.

A. N: Dun, dun, dun! Will Marco die? What will the other Animorphs think? Is my microwave broken? Don't forget to review!