Chapter 13

((Alright, Marco is in position, are you ready to go in?))

Tanya, in human morph, subtly nodded her head as she lurked across the parking lot from a local grocery store. It was in the afternoon, when the kids didn't have school, so no one would think to call a truant officer on what they might see as a young child skipping school. Maybe she should have acquired an adult, but she had no idea how she would be able to do that now. Unless she wanted to risk breaking and entering.

((Okay, Marco just gave me the signal. I don't see anyone looking at either of you. Go on in. Operation Sandwich is a go!))

Tanya rolled her eyes up at Tobias, up in the sky circling the store. He sort of chuckled at her in his mind as she, as casually as she could, strode into the store.

Still, at the very least she appeared old enough to not get too many odd stares as she grabbed a cart and headed for the fresh food aisle. She had a short list of things to get, mostly because they could only carry so much as individuals at a time. Still, she was pretty sure she could manage the loaf of bread, the mayo, the sandwich meat (not turkey, ham thank you), a few tomatoes and a pack of snack cakes because she needed something to distract Ax with (and if she managed to steal a few for herself that was her business).

When she first started out living in the woods like a flockless duck she had initially worried somewhat about finding food, but they eventually worked out a system. Once again, the dump turned out to be her best friend as there were a lot of discarded cans and glass bottles. Cans and glass bottles that, it turned out, could be turned into recycling centers for money. All she had to do, as a 'minor' was collect them during the week in a few large bags, take those bags to the center, utilizing a wheelbarrow she found at the same dump, and cash in. She had the distinct impression she was leaving the workers at the center with the idea she was either some homeless vagrant desperate for cash, or just a kid who wanted to earn extra money. She made sure to drop a few hints about her super Nintendo and her father's job as a janitor. If she was juding the looks she got correctly she probably had most of them convinced she just wanted more allowance money. Fine by her.

Taking what little she managed to get she took her cart to the front, pretending she didn't notice or care that Marco was a few people ahead of her in line, with his own cart filled with a few drinks and a few more bags of chips and snacks, but only enough to fit in two bags.

The cashier barely gave her a glance as he scanned her items, in fact he barely seemed to paying attention to his job. All the better. Probably meant he wouldn't remember her.

Part of her realized she was becoming almost as bad as the kids when it came to paranoia, but maybe it wasn't really paranoia if someone was out to get you. Still, she thought it was going rather well until she exited the store and started to cross the parking lot.

((Head's up, you're being tailed, Tanya.)) Tobias reported. ((Marco is leaving the stuff with the backpacks, he's going wolf. Just follow the forest's edge and he can be on this creep in a second.))

Tanya didn't nod, but did start to walk along the forest's edge, attempting to make it look like a nice stroll. She pretended to focus on the forest and the trees, as if she was simply a nature lover enjoying a nice walk home.

"Hey, kid, are you alright?" The person following her spoke up, and Tanya took a deep breath before turning and giving him a nervous looking smile. Good thing she didn't have to fake being nervous.

"Fine. My parents expect me back by four. They live near here. Who are you?" She took a step back, and let her eyes dart back and forth, a scared kid in the middle of a stranger danger situation.

The man was giving her a concerned frown. "You shouldn't be out shopping by yourself at your age, who knows what could happen out here. You don't have anyplace you can go after school?"

"Yeah. Home." She took another step back. If she hadn't been looking for it she might have missed the glitter of golden eyes at the edge of the forest. She was almost reassured, but a fight with an unknown human was probably not going to go over well.

"Listen." The man said in a gentle tone. "I get it. I'm probably coming across as a bit of a creep, but I've been there, you know? Just, I'm part of this really good group called the Sharing…"

Tanya wanted to burst out laughing. Oh, okay. Instead of a normal creep it was a Controller…what, filling his weekly host collection quota? Of course, she probably should have expected this. Spend too much time wandering around town collecting garbage and of course some Controller would see her as an easy target…now how to get him to leave.

"Look, just take this with you and think about it, I-"

"Sure." She snapped and snatched the stupid paper out of his hands like a viper. He blinked in surprise and she muttered. "Whatever gets you to go away." She didn't have to act disgruntled, but he took her annoyance as coming from a child who didn't want to be involved in the conversation and was perhaps still afraid he was a kidnapper. For a moment a look of annoyed disgust crossed his face, and she bet the Yeerk didn't like his attempt to pick up strays any more than she appreciated his lame attempts to recruit her. Then, the concerned look was back.

"Just think about it."

She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Whatever."

Thankfully he turned to leave, and she watched him go, backing away and still channeling a moody teen as best she could.

((Okay, looks like he's getting into a car, time to bail.)) Tobias said and Tanya sidestepped into the forest, dropping the pamphlet like it was infected with the Saurian flue, and stopped a few inches from a glowering wolf.

((Man, that was close.)) Marco said. ((And totally creepy, I mean, come on. Can you be more suspicious?))

"Yeah, can you scream 'stranger danger' a little louder, please." Tanya snorted.

((To be fair, most people would say you were pretty stupid to be wandering around out here with no backup.)) Marco pointed out.

"Ha." Tanya ruffled his wolf ears. "Good thing I did have backup."

((True, there's no need to fear when Underwolf is here!))

"Underwhat?"

((Like the cartoon? Underdog?))

"Never heard of it."

((You aliens have no culture.)) Marco huffed as Tanya morphed back to her real form, then started to morph the Hork-Bajir, the one morph she had that could both run through a forest and carry bags of groceries at the same time. There were two large backpacks near Marco, and while they would have been unwieldy for a human, a Hork-Bajir had no issue picked up both bags and running through the forest with them.

((And away we go!)) Marco said as he trotted next to her, keeping pace with her long Hork-Bajir strides. ((Tobias, you want to come with us for sandwiches? I doubt Mom can make mouse meat, but we got ham!))

There was a brief pause, then Tobais said (Why not? It's been a while since I've had a sandwich.))

Marco had started to hang out at the camp almost every day, for a few hours at least. Usually, it was just to spend time with his mother. Tanya wasn't sure what he was telling his dad, but he only stayed a few hours at a time before heading straight home. Sometimes Jake would be there to hang out with Marco and occasionally, with occurring frequency, Tobais would drop in and quietly accept the food that Eva provided. Tanya wasn't sure why, but on occasion Tobias would mention another tough hawk attempting to move in on his turf. It slightly worried her, but he claimed he was doing just fine. Both Tanya and Eva had let him know he was welcome in their space whenever he needed it, and while he didn't make a big deal about it, it was clear that he was at the very least quietly taking advantage of it. Tanya decided the best thing to do was not to press him. She didn't want to put him on the spot and make him defensive. Hopefully, Dr. Ann would help him with whatever emotional issues he was going through.

((So, something really weird happened to me today at school.)) Marco said.

((You finally met a girl that didn't call you Butthead?)) Tobais asked.

((Ha ha, and ha. Girls never call me Butthead.)) Marco said. ((It's usually Beavis. Anyway…I ran into this guy, and it was just…something weird came over me, just this bizarre feeling.))

((Do I need to talk to Eva about giving you the talk?)) Tanya asked.

((No way.)) Marco said. ((I don't need you and Mom ganging up on me like that. I mean, it was a creepy feeling. Like, I knew the guy from somewhere before, but in a bad way. Like a bad omen. Like the start of a horror movie when someone runs into the spooky possessed kid or someone they met in a nightmare. Like that. Like my brain just went 'Danger, Marco, danger.'))

((Huh, anyone we know, like from the Sharing?)) Tobias asked.

((No, some new kid named David. Nothing really happened. I just kinda froze, staring at the guy, he called me a weirdo and stomped off.))

((Well, he clearly knows you very well already)) Tobias laughed.

((Hey, wait.)) Marco came to an abrupt halt. ((You guys smell that…no, wait, never mind. Tobias, can you look a bit to the west? I think I smell another duck. The alien kind.))

A chill ran down Tanya's spine. Was one of the others lurking around the woods, trying to track her down? She knew that Nosedive's Yeerk had been sniffing around. Had he come back?

((I see her. It's not Mallory. I…don't know this one.)) Tobias said. ((But we have a problem. Remember that leopard?))

Tanya was about to reply when a chillingly familiar scream echoed through the forest. She now fully turned to where the scream had come from, her entire body tensing up as she shivered. Oh yes, she knew that voice.

((Okay, the leopard has her. Umm, Tanya I don't know if-))

A part of Tanya wanted to run away to the camp. Leave the traitor to her fate. Death by wild Earth predator. She wouldn't even have to do anything. All she had to do was the smart thing. –She- would be out of Tanya's hair forever and she wouldn't hurt anyone else ever again.

So of course she found herself loping in the direction of the scream, bags discarded by a tree as she raced by. It was instinctual and a part of her still wanted to turn away, but her feet kept driving her towards the screams instead of turning away like she wanted to. She could hear Tobias and Marco asking her questions in her mind, but they sounded far away to her.

It didn't take long until she found the source of the screams. She skidded to a halt and gritted her teeth at the sight of the traitor, back from Limbo somehow, pinned down by a filthy and much skinner looking leopard. The poor animal clearly hadn't been doing that well since it last encountered the Animorphs a few weeks ago. It was dirty, skinny and clearly had been in a fight with something if the odd angle of its left hind leg was any indication. The beast still had managed to grab a hold of Lucretia Decoy's leg and was currently ripping at it. The woman was attempting to kick at the leopard, but she wasn't exactly an expert in fighting large jungle cats. Espionage was more her game.

Tanya leaped forwards with a Hork-Bajir roar, blades flashing in a brutal series of strikes that Jara had showed her. As much as she regretted it, she had no way to subdue the leopard nonfatally. Instead, one blade sliced into the poor animal's throat before it could even turn its head, and the other one at her elbow sliced through the leopard's spine. It was over before the lost beast had any clue what was going on. Tanya felt a tinge of regret. The leopard hadn't wanted to be here, menacing human children and ducks. It should have been somewhere in Africa, safely in a tree. But Tanya couldn't let it kill the other duck.

Even if she knew she should have.

With the leopard no longer a threat Tanya turned to Decoy, blades still raised in readiness. She didn't really need to. Even she could tell that the other duck wasn't exactly in a position to fight. Her leg had been shredded by the leopard's fangs, and it looked like it had landed a few good hits on the woman's bare shoulders and arms. Blood trickled down her shoulders, staining her feathers, and a vicious, evil part of Tanya thought it served her right. Maybe if she wasn't trying to be a femme fatale all the time she'd be wearing something a bit more useful. Tanya glared down at Decoy, though she wasn't sure what to do now.

Decoy scooted away from her, looking up with wide, scared eyes. She gulped and spoke "Hi. I…you know Tanya, right? Please tell me you're one of her friends. I know…I know she's out here, I know about the Yeerks. I was looking for her when that thing attacked me. Please, I know she doesn't…she won't be happy I'm here, but I need you to hear me out!"

((Tanya, who is this?)) Marco asked as he prowled up next to her. ((How would she know about the Yeerks?))

((I don't know, she shouldn't be here. She should be trapped in Limbo.)) Tanya continued to glare down at Decoy, who darted her eyes at the prowling wolf next to her. ((She betrayed our people to the Saurians. Tried to drown the team. I have no idea how she got here.))

"You can't afford to let me die! I can help you! I know what you are, I know you're human children fighting against aliens called Yeerks and- "She was cut off as Marco snarled at her. "Please, just give me time to explain…"

((Tanya, what do we do?)) Tobias said. ((How in the world did she figure out what we are?))

((I don't know, but I think we need to find out. Who knows what she'll do with that information.)) Tanya sneered and raised her blade. Before anyone could say anything else she slashed at a tree, cutting downwards and slicing off patches of moss. ((This will have to do until I can find something better to stop the bleeding. Damn her, why couldn't she wear more clothing.))

((To be fair, we don't wear much more.)) Marco pointed out ((And at least she has some sense of style.))

((We have no choice. She doesn't have to dress like…that.)) Tanya grumbled.

((I appreciate the view.)) Marco laughed.

((Oh, don't you start, she already pulled that flirtation routine with Duke and Nosedive, I don't need you kids drooling over her.)) Tanya marched over to Decoy with her moss and, with a few more cuts to that holster thing she wore, she covered the worst of the wounds with the moss and used the straps of the holster to bind them to her leg, at the very least stopping the blood flow. ((Try to be a little more sensible.))

((Alright, how about this? Where are we going to put her? You aren't taking her home with you, are you?))

((And give her access to my new computers at the camp? Hell no. Is there anyplace you can think of we can confine her?))

((We could take her to that shack we kept Jake in when was infested.)) Tobias volunteered. ((It's not that far.))

((Wait, Jake was infested?)) Tanya asked.

((Yeah, before you joined up. He got infested during a mission and we had to starve it out. Wasn't a fun three days.)) Tobias replied. ((But it's not that far.))

((Sounds good, can you tell me how to get there, then go get Ax? We'll need someone to watch her while we gather the others. I don't want to leave her alone, and Ax can probably handle her, since she's injured.))

((No problem.)) Tobias gave her some brief directions and caught an updraft to look for Ax.

Tanya, still gritting her teeth, glared down at Decoy and reluctantly leaned down. Ignoring the woman's mild yelp of protest Tanya scooped Decoy up and threw her over her shoulder, making sure not to cut Decoy with her blades. That would be counterproductive.

"Well, now I'm fairly sure it's you. Hi, Tanya. Can't talk like that as a…whatever that thing you are right now is? How do you people even communicate like this?"

"Shut up." Tanya said aloud. She'd rather use the Hork-Bajir voice than thought speak. If Decoy didn't know about that it made no sense to let her know.

"Oh, so that thing can talk, can it?" Decoy laughed. She looked down at Marco. "What about tall dark and hairy down there?" Marco just replied with a wolf snort as he trotted behind Tanya. "Not a talker either, I see. Oh well…this seems awfully familiar, doesn't it though? Just like the last time we met."

Tanya was grateful she had spent so much time with the Animorphs now. A few months ago she probably wouldn't have been able to stop herself from mouthing off. But the Animorph policy of not talking to the enemy had become a habit for her now, and she was able to resist giving into the temptation to snark at Decoy. Now, she just hoped the woman would shut up.

This was such a huge mistake.

Tanya stayed at the shack (it really was a run down place), watching over Decoy as Marco split off to go and help gather the others, and get the groceries to Eva. It didn't take long for Ax to arrive, tense with his tail up and ready to slash.

((…Tobias said you had cornered an enemy, but this isn't one of your teammates, is it?)) Ax eyed Decoy, who gave him a sarcastic little wave. She had been placed in a corner of the shack, and had tried to make herself as comfortable as she could. It didn't really have anything aside from ramshackle walls and a decaying rope that Tanay was pretty sure wouldn't keep a mouse restrained. But on the plus side Decoy wasn't likely to run off with that leg, and she did say she wanted to talk to the Animorphs. So, Tanya was sure she wasn't going to run off. Unless she had been stalling for time and was planning on running off to the Yeerks the first chance she got. Or running off to Dragaunus. It could be that she planned on giving the information she apparently had gathered about the duck's situation to her Saurian master, perhaps as a peace offering in the hopes she could win her way back into his good graces. Tanya didn't think the Animorphs needed to worry about both the Yeerks and the Saurians, so Decoy would be doing that over Tanya's dead body.

((I'll explain when the others get here.)) Tanya said. ((Keep an eye on her though, she's dangerous.))

Ax scuffed a hoof. ((She doesn't look it, but your kind have proven to be very surprising and capable. If you say she is a threat, I will take it seriously.))

((Thanks Ax.)) Tanya said. ((She tries to look attractive and sometimes helpless to put people off guard, then she strikes. She's a traitor and a spy.))

((I see.)) Ax said. True to his word he kept his main eyes focused on Decoy, his tail up and ready to strike, and his stalk eyes scouring the forest for any surprises.

A few moments later Tanya heard Jake's thought speak voice. ((Alright, we're here. Rachel brought a first aid kit Cassie had laying around the barn, just in case. We are going to land close and morph battle morphs. Give us a few minutes.))

Tanya didn't even flinch when Rachel landed in front of her, a first aid kit clutched in her talons. Decoy did jump a little at the sudden appearance of an eagle with luggage before Rachel flapped her wings and flew off into the bushes so she could demorph and remorph into her bear form.

((Alright, catch us up while we demorph.)) Came Jake's voice. Tanya, meanwhile, scooped the kit and looked inside. She grunted in satisfaction at the supplies. While she talked she pulled out a spray bottle of water, for cleaning the wounds. As gently as she could Tanya took the supplies over to Decoy and began to remove the makeshift bandage from before and started to clean out the wound on Decoy's leg, ignoring the traitor's flinching. She could very well live with it.

((Her real name is Lucy Bronzefeather.)) Tanya started. ((She was a member of my clutch, a Scaleborn like myself. We used to be close. She was my best friend growing up.)) Now that the wound was washed Tanya took out a gauze pad and a bottle of iodine. She poured the reddish liquid on the gauze and gently placed it over the wounds. ((I'm not sure when it happened. We grew apart as teenagers. She acted really…weird around me. It's hard to describe. She was always shouting at me about the people I hung out with and the one time I dated this one guy in chemistry. Lots of weird stuff.))

((Wait, I thought you didn't go to school?)) Tobias asked.

((I didn't go to college, but the more duck like members of our clutch, the ones that wouldn't scare people, did go to high school.)) Tanya began to gently wrap the soaked gauze around Decoy's leg ((Anyway, I don't know why she changed, is the point. But one day she showed up with the Saurians. Somehow, she helped them get to our world and start their invasion. Originally, she was just going after the man who ran the place we grew up in. Mallory's father, a general. She specifically went after him but ended up shooting my mentor. A woman who taught me everything about mechanics and building weaponry and…)) Tanya paused and took a deep breath. ((Lieutenant Hensworth was one of our caretakers, but she really didn't know how to deal with children. It wasn't until I was more of an adult that we started to really bond but she always took care of us. She cared; she just didn't know how to handle thirty-six Scaleborn children all at once.))

((Thirty-six, what?)) Rachel gasped. ((There were thirty-six of you…this is sounding more like an orphanage the more you talk about it.))

((It sort of was, only no one ever got adopted.)) Tanya agreed. ((Anyway, to make a long story short I ended up helping General McMallard escape the Saurians, and my brother Charlie helped but in a more…sneaky way. He managed to convince Dragaunus he was also on his side, but as soon as he could he set up a kind of undercover operation to save duck prisoners from the Saurians. I out and out joined the Resistance. Lucy just…kept with Dragaunus. Stayed with him. For a while I thought I'd seen the last of her, but then this woman shows up calling herself Lucretia Decoy and I just knew it was Lucy, even though she looked nothing like she did before. It's just…I knew her so well that she couldn't really fool me. But she fooled me long enough to almost bring the entire Resistance down. I managed to stop her again, though.)) Tanya moved from the leg to the shoulders. ((The last time we met was here on Earth. Somehow Dragaunus brought her here to spy on my team. She ambushed me, tied me up in the Pond's rafters so she could infiltrate the rest of the ducks. Almost killed them, but Wildwing outsmarted her. Dragaunus ended up sending her to Limbo after that, and we thought she was gone for good.))

((So. How hard is it to get out of this Limbo place?)) Jake asked.

((Really hard. We still, I still don't know how the Saurians did it. Theoretically it should be impossible.))

((And I guess her learning about us from there is also theoretically impossible?))

((Oh yeah.))

((Hmmm, well, I guess the best thing to do will be to ask her.)) Jake said.

((She's not going to tell us the truth.)) Tanya backed off Decoy.

((True. But that doesn't mean we won't learn anything.)) Jake said as he slunk out of the tree line, immediately drawing Decoy's attention. The woman's eyes widened as the huge jungle cat stalked towards her, golden eyes locked onto hers.

"Oh, ancestors that thing is huge…" She muttered as Jake came to a stop right in front of her.

((I have a few questions for you. I suggest you be honest with me.)) Jake said, tail twitching in anticipation. Decoy nodded, gulping as Jake lifted his lips slightly to expose the edges of his teeth. ((What is your name?))

Well that threw Tanya off guard, but she managed to remain silent and still. Decoy's eyes darted to Tanya, as if hoping to find some hint of support, but Tanya remained as still as a statue.

"You're one of the humans, right?" Decoy asked.

((That's not how this is going to work. Try again.)) Jake demanded.

"Okay, okay!" Decoy took a deep breath. "My name…my real name is Lucy Bronzefeather. I'm a Scaleborn like Tanya is, if she's told you what that means…I've got a few alias's though."

Tanya blinked. Huh, she told the truth for once. That must have been the reason Jake asked that question, to see if Decoy would answer honestly.

((You've made some claims. That you know our alien. That you know what we are. That you know about the Yeerks. What, or who, told you these things?)) Jake asked.

"…you know, human kids must mature really fast because you don't act like a typical fledgling at all…"

Jake roared, leaning forwards so that his mouth was inches from Decoy's beak. The woman shook like a leaf from the force of the tiger's roar, and the good long look she got of his tonsils. Then, a very calm, reasonable thought speak voice, Jake said. ((I told you that's not how this is going to work. Try again.))

"Okay! Okay, you aren't going to believe me though!"

Jake stepped an inch closer. ((Try me.))

Decoy took a deep breath. "While I was Limbo I…met this thing. It's hard to describe, I…can't seem to remember exactly what it was really like. I just sort of remember multicolored lights and rows of rows of teeth." She shuddered, and Tanya almost believed her. "But it…told me things. It told me everything about you. Well, it let with the fact that the ducks finally turned on Tanya, and honestly I always knew they would…" It took everything in Tanya's willpower not to punch the woman right there. "But then it told me why. It told me about these Yeerk things and about you humans and that if they got to the rest of you then they would coming after the rest of our world as well. Then, it told me that if I agreed to never serve Lord Dragaunus again, it would let me come here and help you."

Tanya couldn't help choking back a laugh, though thankfully Hork-Bajir laughs didn't sound anything like human or duck laughs. ((Jake, ask her why she'd do that. She's been consistently loyal to the Saurians in the past. I don't believe her.))

((On it. Don't worry.)) Jake reassured. ((Why would you want to help us and give up your former leader? If what I've been told is true you are loyal to the Saurian Empire. Why would help the duck's home world after betraying it the first time?))

Decoy snarled. "It's not just the duck's world. Scaleborn live there too! You think for one moment the Yeerks would let my people go free? I don't care if they enslave all of them, but they're going to go after Scaleborn as well. I'm doing this for my kind, not for ducks!"

((And yet you were okay with throwing your own kind under the bus for the Saurians.)) Jake snorted.

"Lord Dragaunus was going after the ducks, not the Scaleborn. The only reason he has any issues with Tanya is because she's the one fighting against him. If anything, she's the traitor."

((Ah.)) Cassie said from somewhere in the trees. ((I see…she thinks of herself as a Saurian, not a duck…kinda like how you think of yourself as a duck and not a Saurian, Tanya.))

((I am a duck, thank you.)) Tanya said shortly.

((I'm talking about how she views things, though. And she doesn't see herself as a duck.)) Cassie said thoughtfully.

((Yeah, might want to keep that in mind.)) Marco pointed out. ((I don't know, Big Jake, this is looking more and more suspicious the more she talks. And what is this 'thing' she met? She isn't being very detailed.))

((Oh, I have a theory.)) Jake replied, then turned his thought speak back to public again. ((This…thing you say you met. Can you give me anymore details. Did it ever use a name?))

"I…no, I can't…" Decoy winched in clear pain and her hand flew to her forehead. "Every time I try to remember the details I see the lights and…it hurts. I have no idea what it could have been."

((You think it might be the Ellimist.)) Ax said privately. ((But this does not match the Ellimist's style. Nor does it match the style of the Frost King. The Ellimist was never this hidden to us, and the Frost King, if it is real, also wants to make Tanya aware of what it is doing. If this thing is a powerful entity, it is yet a third, rather than being one of the other two.))

((Great, just what we need. More ultra powerful god alien attention.)) Marco grumbled. ((Remember when things were nice and simple and it was just Visser Three turning into a dinosaur from Planet Peril and trying to eat us?))

Jake turned away. ((We are going to have to talk about this. I don't like it…)) He switched to public once more. ((Stay here. We will be back.)) He began to stalk out of the shed and switched to private again. ((We aren't going to go far, but we need to talk about this where she can't hear and I think Tanya needs to demorph soon, and-))

"Wait!" Decoy scrambled forwards and grabbed Tanya's tail, who resisted the urge to take a swipe at her. "Come on, I know it's you! I've been looking out for you all this time; can't you at least give me the benefit of the doubt just this once!"

((Okay, that's it!)) Tanya growled and began to demorph, ignoring Decoy's yell of horror as the tail she held suddenly turned into a boneless noodle and sucked itself back into Tanya's body. As she turned the thick Hork-Bajir hide turned into feathers and her beak flattened into a duck's beak. But the time she had fully turned around she was her normal self again, staring down at Decoy in rage as the woman's eyes flitted over her morphing outfit. To Tanya's sheer annoyance the woman gave her a little smirk.

"Okay, I have to admit I appreciate the change in fashion but, whoa!" Decoy fell back again as Tanya stepped forwards and shoved her back to the ground.

"You murdered Hensworth and you, you have the GALL to say you were looking out for me? You try to drown my teammates! You brought the Saurian's down on us, even knowing how the other ducks would take it and you, you, what is WRONG with you!"

Decoy pushed Tanya back. "Okay, you have every right to be made about the lieutenant, I admit that. I…I didn't mean to shoot her; it was an accident." Decoy raised her beak defiantly. "She was a trained soldier; she should have known not to try to grab a gun like that out of someone's hand. I didn't…I didn't mean to shoot her."

"But you had every intention of drowning my friends!"

"Your friends? Are you serious? Two of them were creeps, one was McMallard's little princess and your so called 'leader' killed Canard!"

Tanya blinked. "What…are you talking about? Wildwing was Canard's best friend, he'd never hurt him!"

Decoy shrugged. "Dragaunus told me-"

"And you believed him? You really are an idiot!" Tanya shook her head. "Canard sacrificed himself so the rest of us could get through the dimensional gateway. Dragaunus set an energy being on us that would have swallowed the entire ship if Canard hadn't thrown himself in its way to save us! If anyone murdered Canard it was Dragaunus." Decoy stared at her, and for a brief moment Tanya thought her stunned look was almost genuine. "Maybe you should have, I don't know, tried talking to me when you showed up on Earth, instead of attacking me on sight?"

"The last time we met you tried to turn me into the Resistance, what was I supposed to do?" Decoy shot back.

"Ummm, I don't know, maybe not side with the conquering tyrant." Tanya growled back.

"Oh, so you'd rather I spend my life constantly trying to kiss up to ducks like you do?" Decoy folded her arms and glared. "After everything they do you keep siding with them."

"Well excuse me if I don't blame every duck I met for things that have nothing to do with them." Tanya glared back. "From the day Canard formed that team the others treated me like one of them. They were more than willing to embrace you the second you stepped off that elevator! And you tried to kill them for it. And you think I'm going to let you near my second team? What's the plan now, Decoy, sob at me until I give in then turn my humans over to the Yeerks so you can win brownie points with a new evil overlord?"

((Aww, you hear that, we're her humans now.)) Marco chuckled.

"Wait, I never tried to kill them, all I was doing was delaying them. I'd planned to be long gone and taking you home before they got out and confronted Dragaunus. Didn't they get out by themselves?" Decoy seemed almost confused.

"You left them to drown, I had to break them out." Tanya replied.

"No…wait, none of them noticed?" Decoy shook her head. "I…wow you really found a bunch of idiots didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

Decoy rolled her eyes. "That pipe was faulty. All it would have taken was a single twist of that big guy's hands and it would have popped right off. Sure, it would have made a mess of the floor but plenty of time for him to bust the tube the rest of the way and stop the water. I mean, I had to make it look a little convincing for the Saurians but you're telling me he didn't even look at the pipe…wait, why didn't you notice it, you're supposed to be the smart one."

"By the time I got there the pipe was underwater, they were floating near the lid of the tube, you psychopath."

"I…okay, now I get why you're so mad at me." Decoy had the grace to act sheepish. "I honestly only trapped them because I wanted some wiggle time in between giving Dragaunus that chip and leaving. I was planning on sneaking off, doubling back to your base, grabbing you and taking you back home. Meanwhile, by then the ducks should have busted out and stopped the Saurians from melting the monkeys…and distracting the Saurians while we went home. I didn't want to deal with ducks, but I wasn't trying to kill them." Decoy shrugged. "I'll admit that you were right about Dragaunus though. I still say he's a better ally for our kind than ducks, but he's exactly our friend either."

Tanya took a very deep breath. On the one hand if the traitor was telling the truth at the very least, she hadn't lowered herself to cold-blooded murder. On the other hand, Tanya had no idea if the other five ducks would have been able to prevent Earth's conquest by Dragaunus on their own. She didn't want to overestimate her importance but who knew how different the timeline could have been with only five of them there. Not to mention the fact that she would have been abandoning the team to Earth while home. Granted she probably would have been able to figure out a way back, but…

Tanya blinked. Wait a minute. "You know how to get home?"

Decoy shrugged. "Kinda? I copied the specs for the gateway on the Saurian's ship, but I'm not you, Tee. I can't remember exactly what it looked like. But if I can get back to the Raptor I can copy it again." She grinned. "I also managed to transmit the plans back home, and hopefully by now Charlie and the others are working on it."

Tanya frowned. While a part of her couldn't help but feel somewhat hopeful at the thought of going home, she realized that having someone around who knew how to get home could be…problematic if she was taken by the Yeerks.

"Stay here." Tanya turned to look at Jake, who was lashing his tail back and forth. "We'll be back."

"Oh come on, would you-"

((Enough.)) Jake said shortly. ((Wait here. Don't bother going anywhere, you won't get far.)) Jake snorted. ((We will be back to tell you what we decide.))

"Tanya, wait, I-"

"It's not my decision to make, Decoy." Tanya said flatly.

"Then whose is it, his?" Decoy glared at Jake, who was padding off into the forest. While Decoy was glaring at the departing tiger's tail, Tanya was morphing again. Decoy managed to look back just in time to see her former friend shrink and her beak change from a duck's to a hawk's. Tanya glared back at her, although to be fair the goshawk really couldn't have an expression other than a glare and flapped her wings.

((We'll be back.)) She said as she took off into the forest.

The others had spread themselves around the shack, hidden in the trees and on the ground in their battle morphs. Tobias remained as himself, in a tree within sight range of the shack as Tanya landed near him on her own branch. Tobias moved just a bit to the side, probably because his hawk instincts didn't like seeing another hawk land so near him. Granted her goshawk brain hadn't liked it either, but she wanted to stay within sight of the shack and be close enough to the others for her thought speak to reach them. A few moments later, despite leaving before them, Jake and Ax bounded to them, as the other three begin to budge closer, making a strange collection of gorillas and tigers and wolves and bears.

((Okay, as near as I can figure we have two huge problems. One, she knows about us. Two, she is apparently in contact with a creature like the Ellimist. A third one.)) Jake summed up.

((Oh man, I really am getting tired of them.)) Rachel said. ((We have any idea what this new one's deal is?))

((Not a clue. Tanya?)) Jake looked up at her.

((I have no idea either.)) Tanya grumped.

((Any word from your ghost?)) Jake asked.

((Ghosts. Great. Dinosaur dragon ghosts. What's next?)) Marco complained, although Tanya really couldn't blame him.

((No, she hasn't said a word about it.)) Tanya glared around at the general area, waiting for the infuriating ghost that hadn't been able to shut up for weeks to speak up. To her surprise, she got a reply.

"Oh, so now you're speaking to me?" A pair of red eyes opened up next to her branch and it took all of Tanya's willpower not to fall out of the tree. "No, I didn't send your kin to you. I have no body in Limbo, although I can reach it. There's a limit to what my magic can do without a body to control it, and my body is currently in status back home. I can…sense something lingering around your clutch mate, but it's not something I've felt before. An odd presence I can't define."

Tanya blinked and for the first time directly spoke to her ancestor. ((How much can you do in Limbo?))

"As I said, not much. I'm powerful magically, yes, but your humans are wrong to think of me as powerful as this Ellimist creature. I am stronger than the young Overlord's mage, it's true, but I'm no all-powerful god. I'm just a very powerful magic user."

((Whose also apparently immortal.)) Tanya grumbled.

"Not immortal just an extended life span. The magic that gave me my power took my ability to age naturally. Until the true threat to my family is gone, I cannot pass on even if wished to. It's a type of immortality, but I can be injured and defeated. I just won't die until the threat to my people is gone."

((…wait, you got immortality…as a punishment?)) Tanya was confused. ((Because you're talking like it is a punishment.))

The eyes glared at her. "If you think outliving your children, your grandchild and their grandchildren is a blessing, then you have much to learn."

((Okay, call me nuts but I think I can kinda…hear something?)) Tobais was glaring his hawk eyes in the general direction of Polar Vortex's presence. ((Not really…words, but there's something there and I think Tanya just annoyed it.))

((Yeah…anyone else feel a little chilly?)) Marco shivered. ((Because I feel chilly.))

"I did tell you that eventually I could talk to them. They do not believe in magic, and it clouds their vision, but some things are so obvious even those that rely on mere logic can pick up on it." Vortex's eyes focused on Tanya. "I am not going away anytime soon. You are going to have to deal with me sooner or later and I am not taking no for an answer."

Tanya shivered, but still turned away from the eyes to relay what she had just been told to Jake, who by now had started bristling in agitation. Maybe he was staring to sense Vortex's presence as well.

((Anyone else kinda wish that Tanya was just losing it?)) Rachel asked with her own shiver. ((I mean, no offense, but being haunted by a dragon was not on my bucket list.))

((As long as we don't end up turning our heads around and spewing up pea soup we should be okay.)) Marco laughed. ((And remember to stay away from the light.))

((Agreed, but if she's telling the truth that at least means she's not an Ellimist level threat. Just…I don't know, an Asteroth level threat.)) At everyone else's stare she clarified. ((You know how my people come from a dimension where everyone is a duck? Asteroth is a wizard that came from a dimension where instead of science everyone uses magic. A version of Anaheim where everyone uses swords and sorcery and that kind of stuff. He was an evil wizard that could turn into a dragon. We helped defeat him a while back.))

Everyone paused and absorbed that. ((…I find it very interesting that so many of these evil wizard creatures are tied into large fire breathing lizards.)) Ax said thoughtfully. ((Not that I believe in magic as anything more than an unknown science, but it is interesting how much of it ties into giant reptiles. And they always breathe fire.))

((Clearly the universe just likes dragons.)) Marco concluded. ((But aren't we going off topic? At least we know that Casper the Friendly Dragon isn't like the Ellimist after all, but that still leaves us with an unknown thing that is apparently yanking people that Tanya knows from side dimensions that aren't supposed to be easily accessible, telling them all our secrets than plopping them into the middle of our war. Not to mention the fact that this person isn't exactly trustworthy.)) Marco sighed and scratched his head. ((We can't just let her loose, she could get picked up by the Yeerks. Even if she's being honest and her plan isn't to run to the Yeerks or the Saurians if she gets caught and infested it won't matter what her intentions are. They'll know all about us!))

((To be fair we have not fully revealed our secrets.)) Ax said. ((Perhaps we would be lucky and the Yeerks would merely consider her mad. I doubt the Visser would take it seriously.))

((It's still a big risk, Ax man.)) Tobias pointed out. ((And…look, we all heard what you said to her, Tanya. I can understand how you feel, but we really going to throw her to the Yeerks?))

((Wait, when was leaving her to the Yeerks on the table?)) Cassie asked. ((We can't do that!))

((Why not, you heard Tanya.)) Rachel said coldly. ((She sold her entire people to the Saurians. She has a track record. We can't trust her.))

((No, she didn't sell out her own people.)) Cassie said calmly. ((At least not in her eyes.))

Jake looked at Cassie. ((What do you mean?))

But Tanya had picked up on what Cassie was trying to say. ((You said it before, she doesn't see herself as a duck. She sees herself as Scaleborn, and she leans more towards her Saurian half than her duck half.))

((Exactly.)) Cassie nodded. ((From her perspective she didn't betray the ducks, she was trying to help her people, who aren't the ducks. She was trying to get them allies that would treat them better than ducks had treated them. She was wrong, obviously, but she didn't mean to hurt you or the others in your clutch. In her eyes she was trying to save them. Trying to save you.))

Tanya bristled. ((I don't need to be saved.))

((I know.)) Cassie said ((But again, it's about perspective. She thinks that the ducks are against the Scaleborn, and she has evidence to make a case for that. She might not be entirely accurate, but from what's she's experienced that's what she knows. She's told by a lying tyrant that Wildwing killed her friend. Maybe he also told her you were being forced to work for the ducks. Maybe that's why she tried to bring the Resistance down as well. Maybe she thought you've been either tricked or forced to help them. Since she's already primed to believe the worst of ducks it wouldn't be hard for Dragaunus to manipulate her.))

Tanya gave a deep sigh. It was a possibly that had never occurred to her. But it made sense. Still…

Cassie continued. ((In her eyes, her actions aren't those of a traitor, but someone whose been trying to help a friend in trouble. And that's why I don't think we should just dismiss her out of hand.))

((Yeah, but what if she gets it into her head that we're just as bad as the ducks?)) Rachel asked.

((Well, first off, the fact we aren't ducks works in our favor.)) Cassie said. ((We have no connection, one way or the other, with Saurian/duck conflict, aside from taking Tanya in. We don't have the years of negative association she has with ducks, and we also have an outsider's perspective on the Saurians, which means we don't have the same biases that a duck would have against them. We also aren't fighting Scaleborn, but trying to keep them, and everyone else, out of the clutches of another third party that also has nothing to do with her conflict. She has no reason to betray us to the Yeerks and every reason to help. If I'm guessing right, she still cares about you, Tanya, even though you're both kinda mad at each other. But we've seen that she doesn't want you dead, and I doubt she wants to see you enslaved either.))

Tanya was silent as she mulled that over. It was almost logical; it was probably true. It was probably right. But every time she glanced over at Decoy, fidgeting over in that shack, she was almost overwhelmed with anger and loathing. Save her, yeah right. All she would have had to do was talk to Tanya, and Decoy had never bothered to try. Tanya didn't need her help.

((You are probably right, Cassie.)) Jake said. ((Still, that's not the only reason we can't just let her loose. She knows how to get to the duck's world.))

Ax stamped a hoof ((And if the Yeerks gain that knowledge, she won't be able to stop them from going to the duck home world and taking hosts. They would not need to infest Tanya in this case. We cannot let her be captured. At the very least she must be sheltered from them.))

((That might be the angle we need.)) Jake said. ((I don't think we should trust her, at least not totally and not yet, but I think that we should at least make the attempt to bring her in. If Cassie is right she'll recognize that the Yeerks will take the Scaleborn along with the ducks. She did say as much, but we need to be sure before we fully trust her. What do the rest of you think?))

((I agree with Prince Jake.)) Ax said. ((But we should not give her the morphing ability. Not yet. We should observe her beforehand.)) He turned his main eyes up to Tanya. ((We cannot trust her like we trust you.))

((Yeah, a probationary period.)) Marco shrugged. ((I can get behind that.))

((Okay…alright. I don't like it.)) Rachel grumbled. ((I don't like her. I mean, just the way she talks makes my skin crawl. There's something off about it.))

((Yeah. I don't like this, and I don't like that there's some new Ellimist out there, manipulating us again.)) Tobias gave his feathers a forceful preen. ((But on the other hand, if an Ellimist is involved dismissing her will probably come back to bite us in the butt later.))

((That's a good point)) Jake said. ((Tanya?))

((I just…every time I try and give her the benefit of the doubt, she ends up stabbing me in the back all over again. Maybe you're right, Cassie, but I can't…I can't trust her. Not now, not ever. She has some angle; I just can't see what it is.))

Jake nodded. ((Understandable, but I don't see how we have much choice. Can you work with her? At least for now?))

Tanya sighed. ((As long as she doesn't go after my team again, I don't care what she does.))

((Then she's just going to have to live with that.)) Jake said. ((Are you okay with taking her to the camp with you and Eva?))

Tanya twitched uncomfortably. ((Just the three of us…I really don't know, Jake…))

((Perhaps I can move my scoop closer to the camp.)) Ax said. ((That way there is more than just her and Eva.))

((Four of us.)) Tobias said. ((I can drop in and check on you guys daily. Won't be a problem.))

Tanya nodded. ((Alright, I guess that is as good as we are going to get.))

Jake nodded and turned back towards the shack. ((Alright.)) He bounded forwards towards the shack. ((Everyone else but Ax, birds of prey and follow us from above. Ax and I will take her to the camp.))

Tanya looked at Tobias and they both launched into the air as Cassie, Marco and Rachel morphed back to human and then to birds, while Ax turned to trot after Jake, tail held high and ready. Tanya swooped low and circled the shack, and Decoy looked up to give her an annoying perky little wave. Why was the woman so annoying? Tanya could understand why Rachel didn't like her. That fake persona she put on around everyone never seemed to drop and Rachel could probably smell the fakeness a mile away. It had started in high school, a mere way to flirt with the male hockey players that eventually had taken over Lucy's entire personality like a virus, a persona that she now used to trick ducks like Nosedive and Duke into falling over themselves for her. It got under Tanya's feathers like a stinging bug infestation and she hated it so much.

Jake prowled up to Decoy, glaring down at her with his huge tiger gaze. ((We are letting you come with us. But once you are one of us that's it. I find out you are going behind my back to anyone, and you're done. You got that?))

Decoy nodded, smiling smugly. "Oh don't worry, I'll behave."

Jake snorted and turned. ((Follow me.)) He padded away, and Decoy attempted to follow, but stumbled a bit and fell back to the ground. He turned and looked at her. ((Trouble?))

"Yeah, just…a bit woozy." She winched as she attempted to move her leg, beak rippling in obvious pain.

((…okay, this is going to get us nowhere fast.)) Cassie landed and began to morph back. ((I got this.))

Decoy recoiled back as the osprey shifted and melted, but Cassie's command over her own morphing ability resulted in a more impressive display of vanished bird features that ended with her almost looking like a human decorated with feathers, an odd look that still was less horrifying than Tanya's had been. In the end Cassie stood next to Decoy, giving her a gentle smile.

"Hi, I'm Cassie. Nice to meet you." Cassie said.

Decoy blinked and sort of shuddered. "Does it always look like that?"

((Oh, it's usually worse.)) Marco apparently decided he might as well speak up. ((Hi, I'm Marco. You'll recognize me when I demorph. I'm the cute one.))

((He is not. Humans are not cute.)) Tanya retorted.

((But I'm the cutest of the not cute. I'm so not cute I'm cute again.)) Marco declared.

((Like one of those tiny, wimpy dogs with a smashed in face that can't breathe.)) Rachel said. ((A pug. Like a short, yappy, annoying dog.))

((Tanya is correct, though. Humans are a very unattractive species.)) Ax agreed.

((Angry, shrieking monkeys.)) Tanya said.

((Again, very true.)) Ax said.

((Remind me why we opened membership to tasteless aliens again?)) Marco asked. ((Since we're all throwing shade here, I'm being judged by a scorpion tailed blue centaur and a person with a huge duck face. Just right there. Just a human, with a huge duck face.))

"I mean, you do have a pretty large beak, Tanya, he's not wrong." Decoy shouted at the general sky.

((Uh-huh, yeah, you do realize if you keep making me angry I can and will banish you outside with nothing but a sleeping bag and a tent, right? We are going to my temporary home, and just because I'm not letting you wander the forest by yourself doesn't mean I have to let you in where I sleep.))

"Aww, I knew I'd make progress with you. I've gone from the enemy to 'banished to the couch'." Decoy laughed. "Give me a week and we'll be arguing over breakfast again."

((We are not arguing over breakfast. WE are in the woods trying to survive. You'll eat what we have and you aren't going to give Eva grief about it.)) Tanya grumbled.

"Eva?" Decoy narrowed her eyes up at the circling birds as Cassie began to slowly morph a horse. "Pease don't tell me you got a human girlfriend!" Tanya was a little surprised to see Decoy's eyes narrow and her hands briefly clench into fists.

((If I did it's none of your business.)) Tanya shot back and Marco almost fell out of the sky.

((What, no! That's my mom you're talking about!)) Marco objected. ((And she's married!))

"Oh wow, you judge me for flirting but who's the homewrecker now?" Decoy smirked.

((I am not dating Eva. I'm just making the point that you have no right to tell me what or who I can date.)) Tanya said frostily. ((If I want to date the entire Mighty Ducks team, including Mallory, I will and you can't stop me!))

Decoy's scowl deepened. "Oh please, as if that big dumb jock you call a leader could do anything but bore you. That's why you broke up with what's his beak in high school, after all."

((Oh wonderful. Here we go. Who I choose to date in high school isn't your concern and just because it only lasted a week doesn't mean you get to gloat about it every time we have a conversation!))

"Well, if you just admit I was right about him being the most boring bird on the planet, I just might let it go!"

((Why are you so hung up on a guy I only dated for a week, why does this bother you so much?)) Tanya yelled. ((It has been literal years! Let it go!))

"No!" And now she was stomping like a child. Tanya rolled her eyes.

((Okay! Fine! He was boring! Are you freaking happy! You were right! Congratulations! Do you want me to throw you parade?)) Tanya grumbled. ((He still wasn't a bad person and I refuse to act like he was!))

((Guys, if I ever act this way in high school, please dear God save me.)) Rachel sighed. ((All of a sudden we went from the Dragon Haunting to Teenage Duck Drama.))

Cassie had finally, mercifully, finished her horse morph. She trotted up to Decoy and tossed her head. ((Here, climb on. I'll give you a ride.))

"Oh, I see!" Decoy grinned and gently pulled herself onto Cassie. "Cassie, was it? Thanks…what is this thing, anyway, it's so weird looking."

((It's a horse. Humans ride them.)) Cassie said as she began to trot in the direction of the camp. ((We used to use them all the time as riding animals and beasts of burden, but now that we have cars and things they're mostly used for entertainment and leisure.))

"Huh, they have really thin things, how do they keep their balance?" Decoy asked, finally dropping the subject of Tanya's dating life to pepper Cassie with questions about horses.

((…please tell me you aren't going to date my mom.)) Marco suddenly asked Tanya, keeping the thought speak private.

((Marco, I know how much having your family back together means to you. Even if I did feel any attraction to humans, and I don't, I wouldn't try anything with you mom. And I don't think she'd have any interest in me that way either. I don't know your father that well, but I've heard you and her talk about him enough to know that she loves him. I could never get between that.))

((Great.)) Marco said. ((Cool…)) He seemed to think, then asked. ((…would you really date Mallory?))

((Honestly, if I were to date anyone on the team, it'd be either her or Duke.)) Tanya said thoughtfully. ((Wildwing really isn't my type and Nosedive is a bit too young and immature. And I don't think Grin and I are compatible either. So…yeah.)) She mentally shrugged. ((But honestly, I doubt either of them would be that interested in me. Duke's more likely to go for someone like Decoy and I don't think Mallory is into other hens.))

((Do…ducks do that? I mean, I'm pretty sure humans don't-))

((Humans do.)) Tanya replied. ((But I think that's a conversation you need to have with your mother. The last time the subject came up the humans got…really strange about it.))

((I mean, I've never heard of…how'd you even have kids or…you know?)) Marco asked thoughtfully.

((Again, I think that's something for your mom to talk to you about.)) Honestly, Tanya wouldn't have a problem talking about this if Marco wasn't a human child. The human's weird taboos against talking about their natural urges to children was odd to her. She could understand not giving detailed accounts of mating or exposing chicks to mating practices but the fact that humans seemed to shy away from the subject of same gendered couples was odd to the ducks. But Phil had practically had a heart attack when they had openly talked about it one day and pretty much told them to avoid the subject as much as possible. Something about the knowledge that some males went with other males and some hens went with other hens had made Phil very nervous and panicky and strange, even though no one had said anything explicit. Humans had weird taboos and Tanya wasn't even sure how many taboos there were but apparently there were a lot. Best to avoid the subject all together.

Not that having Decoy around would make any of this any easier.

She sighed and flapped her wings. What was done was done.

She just had to live with it. For now.

By the time they made it back to the camp Tanya knew that something else had gone wrong.

Mostly this was due to the fact that Eric was standing in the middle of the camp, being watched by a wary Eva, who nodded at them and smiled as the raptor group descended, only to frown in confusion when Cassie trotted out the trees with Decoy on her back, followed by Jake and Ax.

"Who is this?" Eva asked, eyeing Decoy up and down.

Jake looked at Decoy. ((Another duck. Which of your 'many aliases' do you want to use?)) He asked her with a hint of amusement.

"Let's just stick with Lucy for now, alright?" Decoy said as she painfully slid off Cassie, who began to demorph, along with Jake. Decoy winched and moved a bit closer to Eva, who was still giving the unfamiliar duck a calculated look.

"I'm Eva." The woman said, and Decoy gave her a little smirk, which only earned her a furthered calculated eyeing over. For a moment the two women simply stared at each other, before Eva scooped one of the ham sandwiches she was making and offered it to Decoy. "Sandwich?"

"They don't have actual sand in them, do they?" Decoy asked.

"No. Ham." Eva smirked slightly. "The sand is next Tuesday."

"…wonderful." Decoy chuckled and took a cautious bite of the sandwich. She shrugged thoughtfully as she chewed, then took another. "Interesting meat. What's a ham?"

"Come's from a pig." Eva said.

"What's a pig?"

"Oh boy, it's Ax all over again." Marco said as he emerged from his osprey morph.

"A pig is like a tiritik only with almost no fur, no spines and only two tusks coming from the mouth." Tanya said as she accepted her own sandwich.

"Oh." Decoy laughed. "That sounds disgusting. Shaved porcine." She shrugged. "Still, not bad tasting."

"No, not bad tasting." Tanya agreed curtly.

Erek blinked at Decoy, then looked at Jake. "You keep collecting more and more aliens." He commented.

"Really, I hadn't noticed." Jake said as he gave Erek his own look.

"How many other aliens do you have, my lord?" Decoy asked Jake, whose head spun around with an almost audible crack as he gave her a look of horror.

Marco nearly choked on his sandwich. "Mmmfthinmblel!" He hacked and swallowed, giving Jake a full bright grin of delight.

"Just. Jake." Jake said curtly.

Tanya nodded. "Whatever you say, Captain."

"Fmimbwmble!" Marco put down the sandwich as his mother eyed him.

"Don't make me break out the Heimlich maneuver, I will crack your ribs to get you to breath again." She said as her son nodded frantically.

((…perhaps we should focus on what Erek has come here to say.)) Ax said. ((Agreed, Prince Jake?))

Jake pressed the bridge of his nose with two of his fingers as Marco sat down on the grass and cackled. "…I hate all of you." He muttered.

"Unfortunately, you're going to hate my news even more." Erek said. "You see, various world leaders are going to be meeting soon very near our area..."

A/N: Still a shorter chapter, but that seemed like a good place to pause.

Marco's weird attitude to learning about homosexual people is not meant to be a portrayal of him as a bigot but rather the fact that it's the 90s in universe. It's just a concept he hasn't heard of.

I do subscribe to the fan theory that Marco might in fact be bisexual but he's also all of fourteen or fifteen and he hasn't fully realized that about himself, or indeed yet learned of the general concept.