"Well, I don't have any secrets from Jake. I think that's the basis of a good marriage: openness and honesty," Marco said, grinning.

"This information concerns someone who was once very close to you, Marco," Erek said seriously, almost sadly.

Marco's grin evaporated like mist in the hot sun. "My mom?"

Erek turned to Jake, a questioning expression on his canine face.

"It's okay," Jake said calmly. "I know. I'm the only one who knows."

Erek nodded, then started to say what he had come to say. "Marco, your mother has returned to Earth. She is currently overseeing a very secret new project that's being run from Royan Island. Or, to be more precise, it's being run from the waters around Royan Island."

Erek looked at Marco, to see how the Animorph was taking this new information. But Marco's thoughts were still back on what Erek had first said; the part about his mother having returned to Earth. Jake understood this, of course, and took over the conversation while Marco got his head on straight.

"What are they all doing out there in the ocean?" Jake asked.

"We don't know as of yet. But we do know that such a project would have to be both big and important before Visser One herself would want to oversee it, or else be assigned to do so," Erek stated.

"Visser Three can't be very happy about that," Jake observed.

"Visser Three is not one of Visser One's favorite Yeerks, and likewise Visser One is not very well-liked by Visser Three," Erek concurred.

"That's true."

"Look, I… wasn't sure how either of you would react to this development," Erek said uncertainly. "But I felt that Marco at least had a right to know that his mother had returned to Earth. You two have to be clear about one thing, though: Visser One did not ascend to the second-highest rank in the Yeerk Empire by being nice. She is both brilliant and dangerous."

Both of them turned a not-very-discreet look on Marco after Erek had made that statement.

"What?" Marco demanded hotly, aggravated about being treated like an invalid. "You both think I don't know what Visser One is like? And I've been part of this war for how long now?"

"I know that you have had previous experiences with Visser One, Marco," Erek said, trying to be diplomatic. "Please don't think I'm trying to dismiss you. But you humans tend to judge others based on their faces and eyes, being easily fooled by outer appearances. The face of Visser One is that of someone you know. Someone you still care about. And if you participate in this mission, you may very well end up coming up against Visser One directly."

"And you don't think I can handle it, right? Thanks for having so much faith in me, you two; I'm really touched," Marco sneered.

"It's not that we don't have faith in you," Erek rushed to reassure the Animorph. "Jake and I both know how dedicated you are to this battle. However, the fact remains that you love your mother and want more than anything to rescue her. That could cause you to make mistakes that you otherwise would not make."

Marco gritted his teeth, firmly shelving his urge to hit Erek the Chee. The android would have just let him, and all that that would have accomplished would have been Marco hurting his hand.

"There is one other thing that we have found out during our surveillance. We have discovered that the Yeerks are in possession of a new species of Controller; a species that we believe are called Leerans."

"Thank you for all the information, Erek," Jake said calmly, as Marco fumed.

"Is he going to be all right?" Erek asked, indicating Marco.

Not waiting to hear Jake's answer, whatever it was going to be, Marco stalked off to be by himself. He barely noticed the woman gaping at him as he stepped out of Erek's hologram. After Erek and Jake were done speaking, Marco saw Jake walking back up to him.

"Erek didn't mean anything against you by what he said back there. He just wanted to know if-"

"I know what he wanted to know, all right?" Marco snapped. "He wanted to know that if I would kill my own mother if she ended up in a position to endanger the mission."

"And would you?" Jake asked carefully.

"I'm not sure right now," Marco said, turning away.

Jake nodded, knowing what Marco was trying to say. He had his own share of troubles when it came to dealing with family members who had become Controllers. Tom was proof enough of that. Jake sighed, as he and Marco started walking out of the mall. Neither of them really felt like looking around anymore, not after what they had just been told.

Both of them knew that there was probably no way that they would be able to avoid sharing this new information with the others, but Marco was still going to try. Jake knew that Marco would want to try, at least for the sake of his own pride. Sighing, Jake continued to make his way through the mall. He needed to call his dad, and he needed to get home.

For a moment Jake considered inviting Marco to come over to his house, then reconsidered since he knew that Marco would want to be alone right now.

XXX

As for Marco himself, he was just happy that Jake hadn't tried to talk to him into going with him on his way home. He hadn't quite been sure that he would have been able to deal with Jake trying to talk to him about his mother; trying to reassure him that things were going to be okay. Things were not okay, and there was very little chance that they were ever going to be okay again.

Deciding not to think about that anymore, Marco turned and left the mall. He knew that they were going to meet up at Cassie's barn – what had been unofficially decided to be their headquarters – to discuss what Erek and the other Chee had found out. He knew there wasn't any way to avoid it; but all the same, Marco found himself hoping that the inevitable meeting could be put off.

Just for a little while.

Making his way back home, Marco considered just morphing into the Osprey that he had acquired so long ago and just flying away from all his troubles. Flying had always been a good way for any of the Animorphs to forget whatever troubles they were feeling; Marco was just the same as any of the others in that respect, he loved flying.

But at the moment he wanted to think, to mull over what Erek had said and consider how it would affect him. How he would let it affect him. And yeah, maybe do a little wallowing too. Flying, the sheer thrill of it, wasn't really conductive to wallowing in one's own self-pity. Walking was really more suited to that kind of thing.

Marco felt entitled to a little wallowing at least; after all, it was his mother that they were going to be facing at Royan Island, or the waters around same, once the Animorphs got there to carry out their mission. It was his mother who was going to be overseeing the project. So, as far as Marco was concerned, a little wallowing was perfectly in order.

And then after that, maybe a little moping.

Looking up at the sky, pretending he could see the cold darkness of space beyond that blue barrier, Marco wondered just where his mother was at this very moment. Was she on the Yeerk mothership, trading barbs and other unpleasantries with their mutual nemesis Visser Three? Or, was she down in the waters around Royan Island, planning the next stages of whatever project it was that had brought her back to Earth in the first place?

Whatever the case was, he was going to be finding out more about that project soon. When he and the rest of the Animorphs showed up to shut it down. Sighing softly, Marco continued walking.