Odie; thankyou! I noticed that too! Don't you just love it though?
Just a bit of a rating for a biiit of swearing in this, ok?
Seth
Finally, after like… forever, we reached the outskirts of the Yeerk base. But by then our Chanaiben and Andalite buddies who were hitching a ride with us were the gruesome centipede-like Taxxons and the many-bladed Hork-Bajir that had been at the station the first time we'd come onto the bridge. Well, they were… imitating them, in a sense. Still didn't mean it didn't send shivers down my back.
As for the rest of us… the ones that weren't playing the brain-stealing Yeerks, had decided to stay on the bridge, but not be human at that particular point in time. All of us became flies, clinging to the ceiling as the outer defences let us pass. So far, Nicole and the others had done well, and had found some clothes to put on so they didn't look too suspicious either. Alex had played the spoiled brat of Visser Five we'd seen before.
(You do that so well Alexis) I chided, and when the screen turned off he looked up at me and… to my utter shock, smiled.
"Too bad it isn't you standing here. You'd do it soo much better than I could"
(Smartass) I muttered, and he laughed.
"Guys, shut up for now. We need to focus if we're gonna do this right" Nicole said, not looking up at us, and for a second I thought she'd gone back to mean Nikki.
Then I saw her smile "But I think Alex is right. Seth can whinge much better than he can"
I heard the others snickering, and I scowled.
(That's it, laugh it up. You won't be later when you're in deep and you need the great Seth-dini to get you out of the mess you put yourself in)
"Guys. Shut up. Kay, I think you should get out of view, perhaps off the bridge. There's a chance they might recognise you" Toni said, and Kay nodded his head. He left, just as I saw a light bleeping on one of the stations an Andalite/Hork-Bajir was at. The Chanaibens decided it was best if they become the Taxxons, because the Andalites couldn't take the Taxxon hunger. Reasonable enough…
"We are being hailed" She said in the guttural speech of the Hork-Bajir.
"On screen" Nicole said, then "Oh, wait, Alex?"
"Not a prob. If my dad could B.S his way through something, I know I can" he flexed his fingers in front of him, then moved to stand where Nicole had been, nodding to the Andi-Bajir.
From my vantage point, I saw the screen come to life. I couldn't see who was on the screen though.
"Who are you? And what are you doing…"
"Who am I? Who am I? I'll tell you who I am you pompous buffoon! I am Visser Five!" Alex practically screamed at him.
"Visser… but you cannot…"
"Those stupid resistance and these idiot kids decided to attack us! I lost my host! I had to settle for this stupid little host as he fell into the pool!"
"The pool? But you were supposed to…"
"Like we weren't doing that you inferior being!" Toni suddenly snapped. She pushed Alex out of the way, who continued to scream like a little kid.
(Jeez this is creepy) Michelle muttered privately to the rest of us.
(No shit Sherlock) I retorted.
"And who might you be?"
"Visser Two, now shut up and listen to what I have to say!"
"How did you get this host?"
"My old host's throat was slit! It was only by a miracle that I found the ear of this creature. Knocked out cold, it was! I am surprised I didn't get flattened under this buffoons feet!" Toni suddenly knocked Cody on the back of the head, and he turned on her.
"You won't be Visser Two for long if you keep loosing hosts!" Cody snapped, knocking her back. Seconds later I saw the screen flashing, and by the way Nicole tensed up I knew who she was looking at.
"Visser Two, Visser Five. What are you doing back here so soon?"
"The resistance attacked us, and when we were fighting off them, the kids attacked us as well. It was only by a miracle we survived, and took these host bodies instead" Nicole said, not wavering a bit. I admired her cool.
"They destroyed our pool as well" Cody snarled, and Toni knocked him again.
There was a tense few moments, then…
"All right, enough childishness! It's obvious the kids bodies are affecting you. Dock with us, then go quickly feed. Visser One and I will be awaiting your report on the bridge"
"Now why would-" Toni started, but Alex cut her off.
"Yes sir. As soon as possible sir!"
"Good. Visser Three out" The screen blipped off, and Nicole almost collapsed. Alex managed to catch her before she hit the floor.
"Visser Three? He's… oh my god, he's become the one thing he despised his whole life!"
"Nicole, get a grip! What do we do now?" Alex shook her as he helped her up.
"Okay… all right… let met think. All right. We go to the Yeerk Pool, like my… like Visser Three said, and bring along as many people as we can. Probably the Andalites, since they need to morph and demorph every two hours. In fact, they should do that now, before we dock. That gives them a full two hours. We, and they, go to the pool, secure it as best we can, lock the doors so they can't get out… might have to do that later… then we go meet our superior with a… present"
"And that would be?" Cody asked, rubbing the back of his head and looking over at Toni who was smiling apologetically.
(Uh… and what about us? You know, the rest of the mini-Animorphs gang?) I asked, a little ticked that they'd forgotten about us.
"Oh, you'll come too. I think I finally have a decent plan" Nicole said, smiling up at the six grotesque flies stuck on the ceiling. I still wasn't happy though.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
After we docked, we walked through the maze of the gigantic ship, with Kay discreetly leading us. He was shackled in such a way he looked harmless. The rest of us, along with about ten morphed Andalites, were just behind and beside Nicole and the others, as their personal guards. Four of us had green armbands on (Visser Twos personal guards) four had yellow (Visser Four) four of us had grey (V Five's) and four of us had no armbands at all. We all tried to look extremely mean to whoever passed us. It wasn't hard, considering Hork-Bajir look bloody damn mean to begin with. I'd had to see one of them try modelling. I could just see it then…
"Show me happy! Ok, show me puppy eyes! Oh, oh, give me a sexy look!"
We walked down the corridor where Kay told us the mother ship's Yeerk Pool was situated. We walked, then reached a coded access panel. One of the Andalites tapped a few buttons, then put their hand on the magically appearing panel under it, then the door opened.
(Cool) I muttered, following the others in. A human controller greeted us as we got inside. He nearly fell over when he saw Kay.
"So you've… caught an Andalite. Visser Three will be very pleased" he said, smiling jealously and stepping aside to let us further into the room, indicating to a place where we could 'tie up' our 'pet'.
(Nicole, what now?) Elfangor asked.
"Wait until we get over to where he said. Then, we need Kay and a couple of you to provide a distraction while the Andalites demorph and we morph or shift. Any volunteers?" she said in such a low voice I barely heard her as we walked on.
(I'll do it) I said.
(Me too) Elfangor agreed.
"All right, be ready"
(Yes Princess) Kay said, and she nodded sightly. We got to the place where the human controller had indicated, and stood around Kay as they unshackled him. We needed to make this look real enough.
Kay suddenly 'broke free' of us, and ran around the side of the pool, going full speed. Elfangor and I chased after him, and all around the other human and Hork-Bajir controllers cried out, and attempted to catch him. We managed to 'accidentally' get in their way.
"Don't let him escape you fools!" Toni yelled in her loudest voice above the screams and cries of both controllers and free humans and Hork-Bajir. They were cheering Kay on.
I looked back over my shoulder. Behind the guards trying to help us catch Kay, I saw the others changing rapidly. Including Nicole and the others. But no-one was looking at them, they were all focused on the 'escaping' Andalite.
(OKAY NOW!) Nicole yelled, and when I looked back again I saw Andalites and a few various earth animals tearing it up around the pool, attacking with all they had. Kay suddenly skidded to a stop, since Hork-Bajir and a couple of Taxxons were about to cut him off.
(Get the ones behind us! There aren't as many!) I yelled, and he turned and bolted back, between us. Elfangor and I tore into the ones in front of us. Elfangor ripped open a Taxxon, gagging at the smell that poured out, then backing up more as his brother Taxxon began to devour him. He screamed in pain.
I slashed at a Hork-Bajir coming at me, then blinding his friend but butting him in the head with my blades. He fell back, screaming in terror. After that, it was madness! Elfangor and I managed to finish off the ones in front of us, shifting as quickly as we could so we didn't get attacked by our own team-mates.
Now wolf, I raced and bit throats out of Hork-Bajir that were going to slice and dice me. Elfangor moved forward quickly, snapping and biting the legs of the humans and Hork-Bajir that tried to stop us from getting back to the others. I saw Michelle, fully bull, slam about three into the water at once, snorting in triumph. Megan slashed and bit, and Toni's panther form moved with such ease, biting and clawing at anyone who tried to get in her way. Alex slashed a Taxxon, then jumped over it and straight into the face of a waiting Hork-Bajir.
Nicole was in a blind rage, running and biting and leaping away, using the cheetah's speed to practically run circles around the enemy. I saw Cody squeezing, literally squeezing the life out of a Hork-Bajir. His hands were around its throat, and his teeth were showing. Sean was fighting three at once and winning. I saw Aerionna and Kay were holding there own as well.
We fought on, until…
Tssseewwww!
(AHHHHH!) Dracon fire left my side sizzling. I whimpered, then turned and snarled, trying to…
TSSSSSEWWW!
TSSSSEEWWWW!
More Dracon fire!
(Arrrrrrghhh!)
(AHHHH!) Sean and Nicole screamed in pain. No! Where…
The human controllers! They were in a corner, taking well aimed shots at us. One took aim at Michelle, reared back and ready to come down hard on an offending Taxxon.
(NO!) I yelled, running with all my might, knowing I'd never get over to that guy in time to save Michelle…
"Hrrroooaar!" Sudden movement! Then a… a jaguar? Came out of no-where, flanked by a rhino. The jaguar struck! Relieving the human of his gun, and in fact a few fingers as well.
"Ahh!" he screamed, and that was soon engulfed by the screams of the others as the rhino knocked them over like they were bowling pins!
(What the…) I looked back at the others. Yes, they were all there, but…
(AARRRGGGHHH!) I screamed as a blade cut deep into my flank. I spun around, feeling the tendons in my left leg slacken, and seconds later I was relieved of my leg by another Hork-Bajir. I saw a Taxxon start to close in…
The jaguar! It leaped clean over me, taking out the Hork-Bajir in such a way that I don't think I'll ever be able to repeat here, then made short work of the advancing Taxxon.
(You're loosing a lot of blood. Shift to some other form!) came the voice.
(What… what the…)
(Come on! I'll cover you!)
So I did, watching as the Jaguar took the front of me, and the rhino protected my rear. I shifted as quickly as I could to leopard, taking off when I was done.
With the help of the two mysterious strangers, we managed to take the pool with relative ease. We all shifted or morphed back, with the Andalites fixing themselves up as well. Aerionna and Kay looked a little knocked around, but other than that they were fine.
We looked at the jaguar and rhino, who still hadn't… well, they hadn't done something, that's for sure. Unless… they were morphers and they were…
"It's all right. For now were all safe. Can I… can I ask who you are?" Nicole asked.
(Maybe) came the voice again that saved me, and as I was wondering if I'd ever heard that voice before, we watched in awe as their forms twisted and changed. Soon there was a boy and girl standing in front of us.
The girl was beautiful. She had fiery red hair, and green eyes that reminded me of someone. The boy had pale blond curls, and deep blue eyes.
"Uh, can I ask who you are? After all, I'd like to know who saved my life" I said, and the girl smiled. She seemed to think about this for a moment, before finally saying,
"All I can say, is my name is… is Lily, and I've come to help you"
"Is that your real name?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you'll never know that, will you" she said, giving nothing away. I liked this girls style. Too bad she infuriated me.
Take a guess at what happened! How and why these two strangers got here! Someone out there knows! Yes, and you know who you are!
All will be answered… next time! haHAAAAAA!