Probing Call VI
Day 19, Afternoon
"No! I did as you asked! I swear!" The frantic voice said. "I really did do it!"
"Did you?" The ominous presence asked, and as I did I slowly walkied to the stairs that lead back to the catwalk. My footsteps falling slowly by instinct, even though we were invisible.
"Jake," Tobias whispered, a fearful glint in his eye...the same look that was in there the day his father died, the day Elfangor was murdered. "Be careful."
I only nodded in response when I walked past him. I looked to my left to see Alice walking up another flight of stairs, crouching like a cat, fingers and feet gingerly placing themselves one after the other on the ground so soundlessly that not even my superhearing could hear it. Disregarding Alice's surprising stealth, I reverted all of my focus to the conversation ahead, I didn't want to miss a single bit of it.
"Then why is the Antimorph venom-?" The second voice hissed.
((Antimorph venom?)) I asked Tobias. ((Is that another name for Anti-morph Serum?))
((Antimorph Venom?)) Tobias whispered under his breath before a tiny gasp of air went through his lips. ((Ben, open the injector back up. I need to take a sample!))
That answers that question, I regarded in the back of my mind as I listened back in, my head finally rose above the rim of the control center. My eyes could see the person, but the other entity was concealed by another filtration tank.
"Do you want me to castigate you and seal those memories again, for next time?"
"No no! Please please! I did everything you asked!" The other voice, the human voice, told the Intruder. "I would be stupid to refuse you again! Especially since...since..."
What in the Hell is that thing doing to him?
"Then explain to me, why the flow of Antimorph Venom hasn't stopped?"
Wait...this entity wants to stop the poison, too?
"The pipes extend for miles upon miles!" The human frantically gestured, with my superhuman vision I could see that his eyes were filled with panic. "I sabotauged the injectors weeks ago. The last of it should be leaving the plumbing by now. Please, d-don't hurt me again! I wouldn't hurt a fly, you know I wouldn't hurt anyone!"
"Wouldn't? Hurt?" The entity snapped, the human jumped backwards falling on their rear end, and that was when the other speaker finally emerged.
"What in the Hell?" I automatically whispered and shrunk away.
My eyes widened in shock at what entered my sight, my hands began trembling, all of the moisture left my mouth as I felt the blood rush out of my face.
That thing crept forward on the ground, what I could see of it was already huge, but I could tell even that monstrously big thing wasn't all of it. The entity was a giant dark cloud, like a dark storm cloud in the dead of night but made of sand, I wouldn't have been surprised if it started emitting thunder.
"Perhaps I have wiped your memories so many times that you have forgotten the act of genocide you have been placed in charge of carrying out?"
"I can prove it!" The person said, before running up to the catwalks. "Just follow me, I'll show you."
"Then show..." The ominous cloud said, following the man, the mass of darkness following him up the stairs.
((Crap,)) I said. ((They're coming right for us! We need to get out of here, now!))
((We can't leave,)) Tobias said. ((I'm still extracting a sample. But I'm almost done.))
((Who's coming up?)) Rachel asked.
((Something bad, clearly,)) Marco said. ((We can't just sit around and wait to die!))
((Warlike...)) Alice said, her words were a whisper of icy dread reverberating in my head and running down my spine.
((Wait, that...thing is Warlike?)) I asked.
((I heard his voice, too. It cannot be denied, it's him!)) Alice said.
((Got the sample,)) Tobias said.
((Too late,)) I reported, walking down the stairs back into the dip, trying not to run as fast as I could. ((They're almost right on top of us.))
((Huddle together!)) Alice said. ((If we make the stealth field as small as possible, they won't find us as likely.))
((Do it!)) I ordered, but by that time the others already began moving towards eachother, the only one who didn't was Ben, who was still reinserting the panel covering the injector.
When all of our bodies smashed together, I knelt down automatically. And as we all smushed into eachother, I realized, in the most glaring way imaginable, that Alice, underneath her very modest clothes was...really attractive. I blinked for a few seconds before looking away from her waist and redirecting my gaze back to the panel concealing the injector, where Ben was still messing with it!
((Ben, leave it!)) I said.
((If they find something wrong,)) he said. ((He'd know to look for us! Just a little longer...))
I looked over the dip and the sound of the man's shoes falling on the metal catwalk grew louder, and black tendrils began rising over the dip.
((Ben...)) I started.
((Got it!)) Ben said, jumping up to his feet, only his knees bent awkwardly and he grimaced in pain. He needed a second to readjust himself before running over to us, and that second was almost too late. They were here!
My eyes could only focus on the evil black mass as it rose over the ridge and lighted down onto the platform. The man then jumped out, onto the platform, he was breathing like he had run a marathon, and his face was as pale as death. He was middle aged and somewhat overweight, and he rushed towards the panel that Ben had finished closing just a few moments ago.
The black mass swept so close to us that I could see it, it looked like a bizarre black fog, pitch black in color, so dark that not a single shred of light could get out and it almost completely obscurred our view. I could hear Cassie's breathing becoming louder, more ragged with panic.
I heard Rachel's hand shoot out and grabbed Cassie's, even now with death or worse within spitting distance, Rachel still has strength to give.
"Cassie!" Ellen whispered. "Remain calm, they can't see or hear us!"
Right before I could reprimand her, the man spoke up.
"There!" The man said, causing my heart to stop, before the next words came, and I noticed the man swung the panel open. "See? It's not working, the Injector's not putting your venom in the water supply. The tap is clean! Just like I promised, it's clean!"
His venom? I thought. What is his venom? Is it anti-morph serum or something worse?
"And sooo..." Warlike said. "It is, you have kept your word...this time."
"Yes! Yes, I did!" The man said, beginning to laugh in derangement. "I kept my word, just as promised. I will never break my word again! Now, please, please just leave me alone, the Antimorph venom will never flow again as long as I work here, I swear!"
"I will leave you be," Warlike said. "However...why do you think the injectors are filled with my venom? I only found out about the existence of your operation a week ago."
"Oh..." the man then said a word that I will not repeat.
"Where are you getting your supply from?" Warlike asked.
"I don't know. If you want to find out, then you'll need to look in the archive for the reciept, it's in file cabinet 2 in the White Clearance Door, you should be able to find it easy!"
"And so..." Warlike declared. "You have kept your side of the deal, at last. It only took, what, 29 persuasion sessions, each ending in the memories of the event being sealed until you complied, for it to happen?"
"Twenty nine times?" Marco asked in astonishment under his breath. "That freak's tortured this guy 29 times over the last week?"
"By the Ellemist's Husk," Harry said. "No wonder he's losing his mind!"
"Now it is time to keep mine," Warlike said through the darkness. "I shall seal all of your memories of our encounters together, and leave you alone."
Through the dark cloud of pure black, I saw something move and take hold of the man.
"Huh, wait? What are you doing?!" The man panickedly asked. "You said you would let me go! Killing me would just keep the venom flowing!"
"I won't kill you," Warlike said. "However, in light of how...difficult you were to persuade, I feel it necessary to leave behind a parting gift."
"No, no nononononono NO! Ple-ack!"
Warlike lunged forward into the man, and I couldn't make out what he was doing to him, but what I could see was going to show up in my dreams. The man struggled for what seemed like an eternity, but eventually Warlike let go, causing the man's body to fall on the ground. The Antimorph then leaned down and did something to the unconscious human, the black cloud was so thick I could barely see anything!
Finally, Warlike stood up, and the black cloud surrounding him began to move away, more and more of the floor became visible until the evil mist rose up to the catwalk, and then jumped into the air!
"HuaROOOOOOOOOOOH!" Warlike howled as he rose into the air, and then suddenly changed trajectory.
He can fly? I asked myself. Did he even morph to-
My train of thought stopped when I saw the man, finally unobstructed by whatever thing Warlike used to shroud himself.
He was lying prone on the floor, his eyes unfocused and glazed over, limbs twitching eratically, his mouth was open and his tongue was partially hanging out of it, and overflowing from his mouth was a black substance that looked like a mixture between ink and sludge.
"Warlike's definitely changed," Alice said. "He wasn't able to do that before."
((Let's just get out of here and leave,)) I said hurriedly.
((What for?)) Harry asked. ((We can't just leave, what about the Antimorph Venom?))
The man then shot up off the floor and started vomiting, with which more of the black substance was purged from his innards.
"Oh my God," the man said, wiping his mouth and looking at the black sludge with horror. "I don't know what he did to me this time. But I am definitely not allowing the Injectors to turn back on."
((The Antimorph Venom?)) Harry repeated. ((Where is it coming from?))
((That's not a problem anymore,)) I said. ((What matters is that it's not in the tap water. Mission accomplished.))
((But we didn't even do anything!)) Rachel complained. ((We came all this way, and went to all this trouble, just to find out we didn't need to do anything?!))
((Who cares,)) Marco said. ((Let's just get the Hell out of here before the Antimorph comes back!))
At that we all agreed, and with that we departed from the water filtration room at once, our first encounter with an Antimorph was done. Warlike had made a strong impression on us, he was every bit the monster that the Old Bloods made him out to be.
In a moment we had returned to the ventilation system and began our trek to the outside. After twenty minutes of walking through the vents, Eyelizard finally squeezed out of the shaft we entered the facility from. And in the broad daylight everyone demorphed and reverted to our goose bodies. Our bellies and chests became more rotund with muscles, arms turned to wings, kin and nails to feathers, feet became webbed, our noses and lips were replaced with beaks, and we set off from the roof. We were invisible, the stealth cloak that his us from the Water Facility's security was still unbroken.
We all again flew far far above everything that was on the ground in the blue sky, all nine of us had escaped, and Eyelizard was piggybacking on Harry's back. The feelings of flight and powering my wings through the air helped ease my mind of the stress of that encounter with Warlike greatly, and the fact was finally setting in that we had carried out our first mission successfully. Our spirits were generally light, but there were some things to talk about.
((So, Tobias,)) I asked. ((What's so special about the sample you took?))
((Just a hunch,)) Tobias said. ((But from the way they described it, it might in fact not just be regular Anti-morph serum.))
((So serum vs venom,)) Marco added as his goose wings powered on. ((Are they two words to describe the same thing? If not, then it's secreted from an Antimorph's body in both cases, right?))
((Yay! Science lesson!)) Harry exclaimed with fake childish excitement.
((Not exactly,)) Alice said. ((The serum is produced by an Antimorph's kidneys, flows through their blood, and ends up in all of their body fluids. The venom on the other hand is found in the fangs of some Antimorphs, only a few rare individuals produce venom, though.))
((So what's the difference?)) Rachel asked.
((An insidious upgrade of the serum,)) Tobias said. ((The Serum and Venom both brings harm to their target by triggering mutations caused by attacking the morphing power within our bodies, while the serum does indeed cause an Animorph to rot away, fall apart and die, Antimorph venom won't kill you, it does worse. Instead it triggers a more deliberate mutation, a metamorphosis in fact, once an Animorphs true body is infected with Antimorph venom, it changes them, warps their form into a horrid combination between what they were before and something beastial, animalistic. This metamorphosis occurs until the victim is themsleves transformed into an Antimorph, and in their monstrous state acquire instincts to inflict unspeakable violence.))
We all were dead silent in the face of that information, for an eternity that last only half a minute we remained quiet, processing this information.
((So you mean to tell me that that demon juice in there spreads their sickness and turns us into monsters like some sort of zombie virus!?)) Rachel asked, outraged.
((Only once I actually run tests on the sample I collected will I be able to determine the true nature of the contaminant,)) Tobias clarified.
((That doesn't matter,)) I said. ((As long as we have the cube, if any of us are infected, we can touch it, morph, and then get back to normal again.))
((Does Warlike have that horrid stuff in his teeth?)) Ellen asked.
((We don't know,)) Alice said. ((I don't exactly have access to his file.))
((And there's the fact that Warlike wanted to get this stuff out of the plumbing as badly as we did,)) Tobias pointed out.
Oh yeah. He did! Why else would he have been there?
((So does that mean that Warlike and Lotr really are trying to be our allies?)) Cassie asked.
((I wouldn't bet on it,)) Alice said darkly. ((Lotr's given aid before, but Warlike? We have-))
Wait, what's that? I thought, my head turned.
((Guys, wait! I hear something,)) I said. ((something big!))
((What? Where?)) Marco said.
((There!)) Alice pointed out. ((Up above!))
I looked up and I saw it, it was huge! A colossal titan shimmering through the clouds, the sound of its flight was loud enough at this altitude that even a regular human's ears could hear it!
((I know that sound. It's The Ship!)) Tobias said.
Them, I realized, a chill running down my back at the sight of the shimmering above me.
((The one that almost ran you over?)) Cassie asked in shock.
((No mistaking it!))
((Last time it was flying in the stratosphere, why is it flying so low?)) I asked.
((I think it's closing in on its destination!)) Ben said. ((It must be trying to land!))
((Hang on! I got this!))
((Harry?)) I asked, turning to see a goose break off from our formation, Eyelizard still on his back. ((Harry! What are you doing?!))
((Stay with the group!)) Rachel shouted.
((I'm going after it, boss!)) Harry responded as his wings powered East. ((You return to the Sanctuary, I'll keep track of that thing and find out where it lands!))
((Harry, wait for backup!)) I ordered.
((What if they catch you?)) Marco asked.
((I got Eyelizard! I won't be caught!))
((Harry! Get your pin-feathered behind back here!)) Rachel shouted.
((Don't Rach, it's no use,)) Tobias pointed out. ((We need to return to the Sanctuary. We can join him when he tracks the ship down.))
And so Harry departed from us, chasing after the shimmering mass hiding their spaceship underneath it. A part of me hoped that Harry's pursuit would fail, that he would return to base and figure out a plan with the rest of us. I felt many things as we flew home, I was shocked that the ship Tobias had encountered had actually shown itself, giddy that we had finally found a lead, somewhat angry that Harry had disobeyed orders, but most of all I was afraid, the idea that he would be discovered and fall prey to The Controller's creatures created an uneasy sick feeling inside of me. If They infested him, then that would be game over, but the Eyelizard had the stealth projector, as much as I would've liked to follow, all nine of us on a recon mission would be very crowded, and our absence was already stretching the amount of time we had left, in any case, we no choice but to continue on back to The Sanctuary, and hope nothing bad would happen to Harry if he tracked down The Ship's landing spot.
"I knew that the government was bad, but I can't believe they would be capable of such horrors!" Jacob said in short-breathed shock, shaking his head.
Temrash looked on, seated next to him at an angle that would allow him to be able to switch between looking at the screen and at Jacob's face with only a glance.
"Yes," Temrash said. "And to think that those experiments would've gone on forever had we not intervened."
Jacob looked away from the horrific contents playing out on the TV to Temrash.
"The Animorphs are a morph capable people that bears a striking resemblance to humans, but are neither homo sapiens or Andalite in origin. We have no idea where they came from, what they originally wanted, or how ETCS had managed to capture them, but once they were utterly at U.S. Government's mercy, the Animorphs were experimented on and studied for quite some time, time enough for them to produce children that ETCS made into a species of monster, capable of everything the original Animorphs could do, but as they were designed to fight their ancestors, they were named Antimorphs."
"That's just horrible..." Jacob whispered. "Oh my God..."
"The Antimorph's intellect was reduced," Temrash continued. "They were made into animals to make them more compliant to the orders of their masters. When we put a stop to that mad quest for an army of shapeshifting super-soldiers, the remaining Animorphs escaped in the chaos. Despite our attempts at communication, they remain elusive, trying to find one is like trying to catch smoke with your hands, and in the years since their liberation, they proved themselves no less hostile to humanity than any other alien race."
"After what we did to them? No wonder they hate us," Jacob said, looking down in shame.
"No, not what you did to them," Temrash sternly corrected.
Jacob turned to look at his friend, blinking slowly.
"What they did to them. You're not responsible for the suffering of this people you didn't even know existed and whose existence neither impacted you, or yours theirs. The Animorphs capture and torture, then being forced to give birth to the Antimorphs, and their hostility to mankind, that is entirely the fault of the U.S. government's alliance with the Andalites, which gave them the resources and power to do those things!"
"Yes, thanks, Temrash," Jacob said. "I shouldn't be blaming myself for that, they made two enemies of mankind that day, what's stopping them from making more? Someone has to stop them..."
"We have to stop them," Temrash finished the thought. "Your leaders allied themselves with the Andalites, and in return for their technology, betrayed you. I can only assume that the Animorphs were an enemy of the Andalites, but no matter what happens, the end result that must be stopped is decay."
"Decay?"
"A societal and cultural rot has taken root in your nation," Temrash explained. "This corruption of your ideals is a cancer, upon which your government has rested to increase its own power. Eventually, this corruption will result in the total collapse of the nation, and the super-rich elites who all had a hand in this armageddon decades in the making will remake America into a nation where their every depraved fantasy can't be stopped from becoming reality by the virtues of the nation they themselves destroyed."
The gears started turning in Jacob's head.
"And that's why you're here, doing this," Jacob said. "You're here to stop the Andalites and their allies from destroying America."
"Precisely," Temrash nodded. "And we're going to need all hands on-deck for this. Even though we're preparing to suffer an Antimorph assault, a ship full of reinforcements from other allied planets, as well as more of our own kind, is coming. And once that ship lands with its weapons and other resources, we'll be able to move to deal with the menace wreaking havoc in the wilds. And who knows, we might be able to partner you up with one of Temrash's kind, and then get your family's meatstore back in business."
Jacob gasped, his eyes widening.
Carrot, and stick, Temrash thought. How I love that saying.
"My family's shop...back in business?" Jacob said, smiling as he got up.
"Thanks for showing me all of this," Jacob extended his hand to shake The Controller's, and Tom's mouth returned Jacob's smile.
"Glad to be there for you," Temrash said. "And when we save the soul of this nation, we'll all have a barbeque with burgers and dogs made from the best product in the Skridge's meat shop to celebrate!"
[2 Weeks & 6 Days before Jake, Rachel, and Cassie received the morphing power]
Evening
Hooved feet ran through the woods, the Andalite's paranoid stalk eyes peering in every direction for any signs enemies. The forest was dark, but he had night vision and his weapon, just a handheld Shredder, was at the ready to be fired on the first thing that tried to attack him. It was an Aristh, just an alien cadet, but no matter how stupid or oblivious an Andalite was, Warlike knew that none of them were to be taken lightly, not even their young, and that large satchel he was laden with certainly didn't help.
And so the Antimorph took aim, focusing his sights just ahead of the young Andalite's hooves, carrying him through the woods.
((What does he think he's doing?)) The boy fumed in thought speech, completely unaware of the assassin who has him in his sights.
He stopped breathing, his eyes hyper-focusing on the falling hooves of his prey.
((This isn't how you lead an army!))
There! The boy made a turn to the left, away from his hunter's sights, and when he was in front of the tree.
((How can an officer of his grade and age have absolutely no concern for the well-being of-))
Warlike pulled the trigger.
The explosion caught the Andalite completely by surprise, his thought speech cry barely having enough time to register existing before his body was slammed full-force into the tree so hard that the impact broke his spine and almost severed his lower body in two.
Smiling in satisfaction at terminating his target, Warlike moved on, bending his legs and leaping into the air. The wind whipped on his bare skin, and he relished in the feeling of hunting his enemy down once again. He flew over the forest trees until he brushed against a tree, his claws reached out and grabbed the bark as he moved past it, he did so again until he landed on the forest floor, his clawed feet causing detritus and almost black clods of dirt to fly into the air.
Warlike looked around, sniffing the air like a dog while holding his caster beam at the ready.
They're downwind, Warlike said before running off.
He was impatient at how fast he was going, he would be able to get to the Andalite's location much faster had he simply put away his gun and began running on all fours, he would've already been there regardless were it not for the loner he caught separated from the rest of the group. But it can't be helped, as Warlike knew deep in his mind; when eradicating an alien species, you can't let a single entity get away.
And judging by the sounds he was beginning to hear, Lotr was already in the middle of attacking the blue-furred freaks.
Rustling of the foilage ahead! Warlike scanned the area in front of him, he had reached the surveilance perimeter, what looked like little charms strapped to the trees were in actuallity the Andalite's eyes and ears, and a group of a dozen Andalites, heavily armed, were running towards him.
But Warlike knew they didn't see him, Lotr's assault was on the other side of the facility, so these ones must be trying to flank him. The Antimorph cracked a feral smile as he stopped and readied his caster beam and activated his shroud's stealth function. The air around him began growing darker, so dark that not even night vision could hope to obscure the black cloud that engulfed him, but The Shroud was his, and his alone, and so its opacity kept no secrets from his eyes.
"HAA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Warlike howled as the Andalites were blown apart by his spray of purple death.
Again and again he fired, his scanning systems ensured that he knew where the Andalite warriors were at all times, and with perfect accuracy made short work of the warriors.
"The Its are nothing but bits!" Warlike cackled as he ran forward, stepping ontop of scorched chunks as he walked past the detection perimeter.
The Andalite's base was only a three minute run away, Warlike kept counting, all the while the shroud of darkness travelled with him on his warpath.
((Warlike, where are you?)) Lotr asked him in private thoughtspeech. ((I'm in the scoop and have crippled most of the defenders, their leader and his guards are giving me a hard time.))
There! To the untrained eye, it would just look like any other hill, however, Warlike was a predator adept at rooting out people in hiding, and moreso, he was intimately familiar with Andalite dwellings. This one was constructed in a slipshod manner, these ones didn't have the proper time to make a scoop that could hide them effectively.
"Too easy." Warlike whispered.
((I have arrived,)) Warlike responded to his collaborator. ((I am about to employ the trick.))
((Took you long enough. Whatever you do,)) Lotr said. ((Make sure you leave them all alive.))
Leave them alive? Those words piqued Warlike's interest. If Lotr is insistent on leaving this group of Andalites alive unlike the others they hunted down, then that would mean they must be pretty important. No, they must be THE most important Andalites on the planet.
Their leader! Warlike realized with a smile upon his face.
((Do you hear me?)) Warlike made contact with the occupants of the big Scoop, really an Andalite mini-fort. ((This is A4-B-061, I have encountered Andalite deceased. Is there any way I can assist?))
Warlike could almost feel the relief of his prey.
((A4-B? Ha ha!)) the Andalite leader responded immediately. ((Miracle! Just in time, too! We are barricaded in the command center, we're keeping it at bay, but this thing doesn't seem to be interested in killing, it wants to take us all prisoner-))
After Warlike heard all of the details The Captain gave him, he smiled.
((There's nothing to worry about Lotr,)) Warlike said as he entered the base, his feet touching down on very short grass, the walls were a hodgepodge of foilage dressed with alien technology, Warlike rushed inside through the halls, soon enough encountering unconscious Andalites. Warlike noted with surprise that all of their faces were covered with what looked like a purple mass of pulsating silly putty.
What is this? Warlike wondered. This isn't like any form of biotech I've seen before, is that even biotech? What in the world kind of technology does Lotr's people even have?
"SHRAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!"
Warlike immediately stopped in his tracks at the sound of the roar.
((Lotr, do you hear me?)) Warlike asked in concern, speeding up his pace, passing by more unconscious Andalites.
He took down all of these freaks by himself? Warlike asked himself. That boy is no joke.
By the time Warlike reached the command room, the door had already been busted down, the Andalites were all on the ground, restrained, and Lotr was standing tall above them, his face had just finished demorphing from whatever terrible form he took to overpower the Andalites. Most notably in the background was the large computer terminal, clearly of Andalite origin. but the Antimorph entered the view of everyone present as a dark ominous cloud blocking the light from behind the door.
((Yes!)) The Andalite Leader eagerly cried out. ((Destroy all opposition, A4!))
Warlike rushed forward, the dark cloud enveloping his partner and undoing the Andalite's binds.
((Good job,)) He said to what he thought was a dark cloud, an ally to his people. ((Now, to put that thing where it belongs.))
((Not yet,)) Warlike said. ((Where is Elfangor Sirinial Shamtul?))
((Ah, your master. I don't know where he is, exactly-))
((GAK!)) An Andalite cried out as his skull was penetrated by a green rod piercing deep into his brain.
((NOOO!)) The Andalite Leader cried out as the black cloud suddenly ensnared the Andalites in the room, forcing them to their knees. ((BETRAYER!))
"Did you find anything?" Lotr said as the Antimorph yanked the rod from the Andalite's skull.
"No. He knew nothing of Elfangor's location, or any leads."
((Try to avoid doing that again,)) Lotr admonished Warlike privately before turning to face his prisoner. ((There's a better way to use that data extraction rod on living beings.))
"Well well well, you're still kicking, huh? You're a very important individual, Captain Nerefir, very hard to track down.))
The Captain remained silent.
"Oh, I thought you would have more to say, by the way, I'm not going to listen to any apologies or regrets, everything that happened, everything the Andalites under your command have suffered, was by your own choice. And speaking of the ones under your command, just about everyone who's left is accounted for here, aren't they? By the way, where's that bastard, Aximili? I figured he'd have plenty of mind to give me."
((He is among the captured-)) Nerefir said.
All of a sudden, Nerefir discovered the feeling of what a black man's fist thrown full force on his face felt like.
"Don't lie to me," Lotr said as The Captain's head finished rolling. "From Sessalni, who Warlike just pierced in the head over there, to Gleppana watching the gate, the two arisths Zanigonn and Claiminl guarding your inventory, Secrangor the Standard War Prince, War Prince Artaccran, Prince Jithlin, Prince Velttagor, Espionage Officer Texassin, don't play the fool with me, you wretched freak, I know what each and every single one of you looks like and who you are."
((Wh-what?)) Nerefir said, any sense of bravado he had left when Warlike revealed his true intentions vanished with Lotr's statement of the depth of his knowledge.
"He he ha ha ha HA HA HA! He has you by the tail-blades!" Warlike crowed. "Don't you see? It's worthless to try and resist, it doesn't matter if you fight back, because everything is ours!"
((What do you want?)) Nerefir asked simply. ((What do you intend to do?))
"Oh, what we want is simple," Lotr said, purple eyes glaring daggers at the aliens. "I fight to secure true stability, and I have partnered myself with Warlike here because we share many interests, and you, I assume, are no friend of The Parasite."
((And so you attack us right when we are at our weakest!)) Nerefir accused. ((Right after that devastating ambush!))
"We desire The Cube," Lotr said, after he declared his intention his voice took on a deadly air of seriousness. "We need The Cube, But I'm willing to make a deal with you. So I will tell you exactly what we want, unambiguously, and you are going to listen to every word I say!"
((Well, what if you don't deserve the right to be hear-AAUUGH!))
Nerefir cried out as Warlike lunged forward and raked him across the chest with his knife-like retractible talons, and when four long, dark, oozing gashes were drawn across his chest Warlike withdrew his hand just as quickly as he extended it.
"Now, don't be rude, Nerefir," Warlike cooed. "You are on your knees and being talked to by your conquerer, there's no room for your usual bad manners. So please keep that in mind before I discipline you again, okay, sonny?"
Nerefir flinched at Warlike's words, the unexpected tone and context of his speech sending shivers flying down his spine.
Elfangor, you were a damned fool trying to ever deal with that thing! Nerefir cursed his greatest warrior's decisions.
((State your terms.))
"You are to surrender to us The Cube, as well as all the data and technologies you've gleaned from studying it, you are to immediately contact ETCS High Command and command them to cease all anti-Animorph operations-"
((You think I can just order them what to do?!)) Nerefir said in disbelief outrage.
"-And seeing as you have too many enemies, yourself, you are to cease all acts of malice against the Animorphs, and offer a truce with the remainder of the Animorphs on Earth, one which I will negotiate on your behalf-"
((NEVER! How can I possibly trust you to not be biased or trick me-))
"SO AS to cooperate against the threat The Parasite poses to us both," Lotr said, his tone indicating that he was losing patience. "Disclose the location of every Antimorph you have incarcerated. And since that organization has been compromised by said parasite, you are to disclose to us everything you know about ETCS and their assets."
((I have absolutely no connection to E-))
"What did I say about lying to ME, Andalite?"
The minds of everyone in the room ground to a halt as Lotr spoke, in both thought speech and tongue, the Animorph's voice carried with it a colossal icy cold presence, a weight and fury and just as impossible to ignore as any hurricane. But to any not stricken into stillness by Lotr's voice, his changing body certainly did the trick, his purple glowing irises seemingly expanded to cover the entirety of his eyes, his shoulders became considerably broader, and yet his torso thinner, Lotr grew, taller and taller until his head bumped against the all metal cieling of the Captain's room, and multiple arms grew out of Lotr's back as he skin darkened into a pure black like obsidian.
Warlike simply stared, wide-eyed, at the monstrosity that Lotr was morphing into before his eyes, for the first time since he could remember, Warlike felt the kind of fear he himself struck into so many of his victims.
"At the end of the conflict when it is DONE," Lotr spat out of his mouth with needle-like teeth. "The Andalites of the Galaxy Tree, and every other Andalite on this planet will surrender and be incarcerated at a site of Lord Zavezz's choosing. You will confess to your crimes and you yourself will be given the choice to either be executed, or imprisoned with them to testify before both the Krethan Tassu, and then The Hague."
Nerefir then began devolving into a fit of laughter, having recovered enough of his wits to respond.
((You think you can hold us to trial? YOU? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!)) Nerefir laughed in Lotr's head, and his suicidal confidence seemed to have given the other Andalites in the room a boost to their moral. ((You still think that your legitimate, even if you kill us all here, it'll be the last victory you ever win. In the name of The Lord of Vengeance, the other Dome Ships will ensure that you, and the rest of your DYING NATION will NEVER know peace!))
Lotr backed away, purple glowing eyes widened in astonishment as he heard the full extent of Nerefir's unshakable bravado before his fists clenched in fury.
((Heh, well, point deducted for not knowing your audience,)) Warlike commented in Lotr's head. ((Come on, you know it's impossible to reason with an Andalite, don't you?))
Lotr's composure returned and he began speaking once more, making sure to demorph into his original body.
"Fine. You'll be executed. But that was a bygone conclusion."
A scratching noise alerted The Captain to something behind him, he turned an eyestalk to look behind him. The Computer Terminal! A dark crablike drone was attached to it.
((GET OFF OF THERE, VILE MACHINE!)) Nerefir ordered, The Diggy jumped off of the terminal and flew in the air before Warlike caught it. He extended his hand and a green data extraction rod came out from his palm, and The Diggy then seemingly impaled itself on it. Warlike's eyes fluttered shut as rainbow light began dancing behind it.
((Oh no.))
"Yes," Lotr said, the weight of his fury fading and transforming into sadness. "Had you agreed, I would've shown you mercy. But you, as you have always done, spat in the face of my offering of peace, and chose death for your people. All of your bravado and belief in victory means nothing; The Light Machine is about to be destroyed."
Nerefir's eyes widened in horror as he recognized Lotr's words.
"Now, Nerefir, Captain of The Galaxy Tree," Lotr said, transforming his right arm into his wingblade.
Lotr raised his arm above The Andalite Captain. "Good night. Forever."
Then he swung downwards.
Lotr and Warlike walked away from the flaming ruin of the Andalite encampment, Warlike licked the dark blood from his bare arm with his tongue.
((I'm feeling much better,)) Warlike said. ((You were definitely right about this hunt!))
((We killed them all but for one,)) Lotr pointed out. ((Aximili got away, nowhere to be seen. Where were you?))
Warlike turned to Lotr, his eyes the same orange as the blaze behind them.
((Aximili...)) Warlike pondered. ((What did he look like?))
((An Andalite, a young one,)) Lotr clarified. ((But that doesn't answer my question.))
((The reason why I was late was because I had tracked down a young Andalite. I took it out before joining the battle, to leave none alive.))
Lotr turned to Warlike, his face eager as his decoy descended from the trees.
((Really? Show me.))
And as such, the two flew away from the scene of devastation before them, the stolen treasures of the Andalite Captain Nerefir in tow.
"It's...supposed to be here?" Lotr asked.
Warlike set foot at the hill where the young Andalite had been shot, the tree was there, and so was the hole, but no body. The Antimorph began sniffing the ground, and then walking a distance away. Lotr himself set down on the ground, letting go of Warlike's decoy, and started searching, until he found a blue clump of fur stuck in the tree's bark. He took it and placed it in his scanner.
"It just got up and started running away! How is it that tough?!"
"Yep, it's Aximili alright," Lotr said, shaking his head. "That's how he got up and walked away."
"That doesn't answer anything!" Warlike said.
"He's Elfangor's younger brother."
Warlike froze, the gears turning in his head as he completely.
"That answers everything."
"Regardless of anything, we have no time to lose," Lotr said, jumping back up to grab Warlike's decoy. "If we are to have a hope of running him down, then we must get back in the-"
Lotr was interrupted by an alert from the radar on Warlike's decoy.
((Oh, it's going to have to wait...)) Lotr said.
((What is it?)) Warlike asked.
((ETCS.))
((I think you can take them, that little thing is mine!))
Two explosions then resounded in the distance, and sounding loudly through the woods at night came the bellowing cries of D0gbone suits powering up for battle.
((Clarjiatz,)) Warlike cussed. ((Why won't the humans just stop causing problems?))