Let's Read Animorphs! The Whole Series! Ch-ch-ch-chaaanges

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Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

don't get infested

# ? Oct 28, 2022 04:30

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# ? May 24, 2024 03:31

cptn_dr: Sep 7, 2011; Seven for beauty that blossoms and dies

If a bunch of clowns and magicians show up and start acting suspicious, hear them out.

# ? Oct 28, 2022 04:31

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

I'm fine. it was largely a bunch of people overreacting, so what started as them worrying i had COVID (I didn't) turned into them worried I was having a heart attack (I wasn't.) Plus, while i was there a bunch of people came by recruiting for a self-help group called The Sharing, so i plan to check them out.

Chapter 15

quote:

What can I say?

Some people suspend disbelief with no trouble at all. Collette was one of them.

First, I explained about Jake. That he was the tiger. I explained about morphing. That it was possible. And that we were looking for more Animorphs.

�We could do this?� Collette gasped. �I could do this?�

Jake, back to his human self, nodded.

�Are you kidding? How do I learn? When can I start?�

�Hold it,� James barked. �You haven�t heard the whole story. This isn�t just some kind of virtual reality ride. It�s about � I can�t explain it,� he admitted. �You tell her.�

So Jake told Collette about the Yeerks.

Collette�s eyes widened. �So, like, it�s dangerous? Morphing?�

�Very,� Marco confirmed. �It�s not something we do for fun. Well, most times. It�s a weapon. Personally, I hate the danger part,� he confessed. �But you�re into the whole reckless behavior thing right? Extreme sports, bungy jumping, alligator wrestling.�
Collette looked embarrassed and didn�t answer.

�Why us?� James asked abruptly. �There are thousands of kids who would sign on for a mission like this. Maybe millions. Kids with macho fantasies. Kids with healthy legs. Healthy lungs. Kids with something to prove. Kids who can run and jump. Kids who don�t need help going to the bathroom.�

How do you tell people that even aliens from outer space considered them �defective�?

�Because the Yeerks are jerks,� I blurted.

Jake and Marco smiled. Jerks. Major understatement. But true.

�They don�t want your bodies as hosts.�

�Are you saying we�re useless?� James�s voice had a dangerous edge. His blue eyes darkened.

�Not to us,� Jake said quickly. �That�s why we�re here.�

�So what do you want from me? Specifically?� he asked.

�I want you to help us. You seem to be the leader around here. The other kids here will listen to you before they listen to me. Talk to some of them. At least three or four to start.�

James shook his head. �No. It�s one thing to do something risky myself. To make that choice. It�s another thing to ask others to put their lives on the line for a cause that might or might not even be real.�

�It�s real,� Marco said.

James shook his head. �Doesn�t matter. I don�t want the responsibility of somebody getting hurt - or dying - because of me. You may think our lives don�t mean much to us, because they don�t mean much to other people. But we do value our lives. And one another.�

I knew James meant every word.

�Come on, Collette.� James turned to go, then wheeled back to face us. �Don�t worry about us talking. I won�t. And if Collette does, well � just don�t worry about that.�

�Won�t you even talk to some of the others?� Marco pleaded.

�No,� James answered flatly.

�Look,� I said. �You started out angry. You thought we were playing with your head, dissing you because you�re in a wheelchair. But don�t you see? That�s exactly what you�re doing to the others. To your friends.�

�What?� James snapped.

�Acting like they�re babies,� I said. Hardly believing it was me talking. �Or dumb. Like they�re not capable of giving informed consent. Look, James.� I knelt by his side so that I was looking up at his face. �I know this whole story about the Yeerks is hard to believe, but you have to believe. Your friends� lives are already at stake. You need to have some means of protecting yourselves if the Yeerks get any stronger. Look, they might not want to infest you. But they will want to kill you.�

The words came without interruption. But inside, my conscience was rebelling at every syllable. I was trying ton convince James to be a recruit, to recruit others to our cause. Me, the one who�d been against the plan from the beginning.

But being here, talking to James, seeing these kids, I realized in a serious way, maybe for the first time, that they weren�t helpless.

Just like our parents.

�You know what,� I continued. �You don�t really have a choice here. This is duty time. You�ve been tapped. So step up to the plate. Whatever. Fact is, we need you. Your friends need you.�

Marco and Jake looked at me with raised eyebrows.

James was silent.

Finally, he looked at Jake through narrowed eyes. Jake stared back. Neither one was going to look away.

�I�ve got two conditions,� James said slowly.

�Yeah?�

�One. I pick my own team. You may not approve of the choices. But if it�s my team I pick its members. I�m responsible for them.�

Jake nodded. �Fine.�

�Two. No matter what happens, I want Pedro to acquire a morph. A good one. He�s been in that bed his entire life. Fourteen years, flat on his back. Even if I don�t make it out alive, I want Pedro to have at least two hours of freedom.�

Jake nodded. �We can do that.�

James held out his hand.

Jake shook it.

So we have a potentially new Animorths team! and good on James for thinking of Pedro.

Also, what's your thoughts about Cassie's speech?

Chapter 16

quote:

James assembled Collette, Timmy, and Kelly. Marco stood guard at the door to the small lounge.

Collette had suspended disbelief pretty easily.

But Timmy and Kelly were ultimate �show me� freaks.

First, Jake told them about the Yeerks. Collette and James confirmed they�d been told the same information. Timmy and Kelly were still dubious.

So Jake, Marco, and I had to go through a large part of our repertoire of morphs before they were convinced morphing wasn�t some kind of cheap parlor trick. No smoke and mirrors. No ghostly projections.

Once they believed, they were excited. Very excited.

�This is our way out of here for good,� Kelly gasped, clutching Timmy�s hand.

�No,� Jake said firmly. �No matter what happens on a mission, you have to come back here. To the rehab center.�

�But ��

�Look,� Marco explained, �if a nurse or doctor or orderly is a Controller and notices any kids missing, they�re gonna know something�s up. And they�ll come after you. And us.�

�We�ll stay,� James said.

�It�ll be like an undercover operation!� Collette.

Jake cleared his throat. �That�s not all. Staying here might be harder than you think.� He paused before going on. �We don�t know how, or why, or even if it works every time. But sometimes, mosttimes, the morphing process repairs DNA.�

�What are you saying?� James demanded.

�It�s possible that if some of you weren�t born injured or disabled, you�ll be healed,� I told them. �If you are healed, would you still be willing to pretend you�re disabled? At least for the duration of the war?�

James, Collette, and Kelly were silent. Their faces revealed nothing of their thoughts.

But Timmy was incapable of hiding his emotions.

�FFF � gnnn � Fff � gnnn ��

�If I can �� James translated.

�Do � gd � YES.�

�He said �If I can do some good, then yes.��

Timmy rocked back and forth, confirming James�s translation.

Jake turned to Collette. �What about you? Your injuries are the result of an accident. There�s a good chance your body will be repaired through morphing.�

Collette�s hands fidgeted in her lap.

�Ummmm � I � Look. I wasn�t exactly injured in a skiing accident.

Timmy shot James a look and grinned.

�I�ve been lying,� she said.

Timmy let out a long, high note of hilarity.

Collette�s face fell.

�You knew?�

�Everybody knows you�ve been a paraplegic since birth,� James said quietly. �It�s on your chart.�

�Why didn�t you say anything?� Collette cried.

Kelly smiled. �It�s okay, Collette.�

�We kind of enjoyed the tall tales,� James answered. �I�m guessing we all have pretty rich fantasy lives. But yours had real style.�

�Why did you lie?� I asked her.

Collette�s dark eyes filled with tears.

�To ignore the reality,� she said simply. �My mom died two years ago. After that, I lived with my brother and his wife. But they were transferred overseas. They�re in the army. I was just supposed to be here until they got settled and sent for me. But then they wrote and said nothing was barrier free where they were stationed. It would be too hard to have me live with them. So I�m supposed to live here till they get back. It could be years.�

Marco leaned over and squeezed Collette�s shoulder. �It�s okay,� he said gently. �I�ve been known to stretch the truth on occasion.�

�Do you still want me on the team?� she asked softly. �Even though I�m a liar?�

Jake started to answer, then looked to James.

James gave Jake a curt nod.

�Yup,� Jake said.

I smiled. �Collette, you�ll never have to make up stories again. The truth is going to be stranger than any fiction. Believe me.�

Marco grinned. �Great. Now that we�ve got all that settled � voil�!� He reached into the cape and produced the pigeon.

After the show James and his friends had just witnessed, it didn�t seem like much of a trick. Especially when the pigeon pooped in Marco�s hand.

So that's the initial team....shocking, given that they and Pedro were the only ones we got names and descriptions for. I'm also not sure where the "morphing has been known to repair DNA comes from, especially given that after it's said, it;'s walked back. The only people we've seen healed by morphing are people who have non-genetic injuries.

# ? Oct 28, 2022 04:55

Capfalcon: Apr 6, 2012; No Boots on the Ground,
Puny Mortals!

Glad you're feeling better. And the Sharing is pretty great! I mean, they did that beach cleanup a little while ago! Can't argue with local efforts to change the world like that!

Epicurius posted:

Chapter 15

So we have a potentially new Animorths team! and good on James for thinking of Pedro.

Also, what's your thoughts about Cassie's speech?

Cassie remains the cruelest Animorphs, even more than the self proclaimed "ruthless master of strategy" Marco. She knows exactly what they need to hear to get with the program and is absolutely willing to drop the truth bomb that have to be dropped.

Epicurius posted:

Chapter 16

So that's the initial team....shocking, given that they and Pedro were the only ones we got names and descriptions for. I'm also not sure where the "morphing has been known to repair DNA comes from, especially given that after it's said, it;'s walked back. The only people we've seen healed by morphing are people who have non-genetic injuries.

Yeah, looking at the context around the statement, this looks like a pretty blatant typo of something more like "The morphing process repairs using your DNA.". It's funky wording, but they have a very solid practical understanding of morphing works.

Capfalcon fucked around with this message at 05:08 on Oct 28, 2022

# ? Oct 28, 2022 05:06

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006

Epicurius posted:

I'm fine. it was largely a bunch of people overreacting, so what started as them worrying i had COVID (I didn't) turned into them worried I was having a heart attack (I wasn't.) Plus, while i was there a bunch of people came by recruiting for a self-help group called The Sharing, so i plan to check them out.

Oh you stumbled into some of the scary phrases that has them double-check you out.

The Sharing sounds pretty neat though. I hear their beach parties are awesome.

What's got me a bit bug-eyed at Pedro is well, how have they not gone to the obvious place of using other humans as decoy cover bodies? What about nohlits that stay in a cover body past the two hours? I feel like that's an issue that's either already been tackled and I missed it, or really should be tackled.

Capfalcon posted:

Cassie remains the cruelest Animorphs, even more than the self proclaimed "ruthless master of strategy" Marco. She knows exactly what they need to hear to get with the program and is absolutely willing to drop the truth bomb that have to be dropped.

Healers are infamous for their ability to compartmentalize, the part of being a natural caregiver where you can and do just shut off the part of your brain that sees the other person as a person in order to get the job done. She gives the speech so sincerely because it is sincere, it's just a part of her that she knows how to keep reserved until it's needed. Marco, Rachel, Tobias, even Jake all struggle with doing the same but that also makes them better for the front line and face of operations. With Cassie's parents, it makes sense that she'd be more developed at doing that than the rest of them.

# ? Oct 28, 2022 05:24

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

I stand by my earlier statement - Cassie would be the worst of them if not for her heart.

# ? Oct 28, 2022 05:31

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

Comrade Blyatlov posted:

I stand by my earlier statement - Cassie would be the worst of them if not for her heart.

"Worst" in what dimension?

# ? Oct 28, 2022 06:02

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

Look at it this way - she's the group's conscience, and she understands people. She understands what motivates them and how to get the best out of them.

You take away her conscience and moral compass...

And now she is the group's manipulator, twisting them towards her own ends. She understands their weaknesses and how to exploit them.

# ? Oct 28, 2022 06:12

Turpitude II: Nov 10, 2014

i would amend it to "cassie could be the worst of them, due to her heart," if her ability to care is the thing that facilitates that harm. two sides of that same coin

# ? Oct 28, 2022 11:09

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

mind the walrus posted:

What's got me a bit bug-eyed at Pedro is well, how have they not gone to the obvious place of using other humans as decoy cover bodies? What about nohlits that stay in a cover body past the two hours? I feel like that's an issue that's either already been tackled and I missed it, or really should be tackled.

It sort of was, although not entirely, when David morphed Jake's cousin Sadler's body and then killed him. Going nothlit was his plan, at least, if the Animorphs hadn't figured it out. it hasn't come up much with the Animorphs themselves, because they've, for the most part, stuck to not acquiring morphs from unwilling sentients. The only time they really broke that was on the aircraft carrier. Other than that, though, the only fully sentient morphs they have are from free Hork-Bajir who consented.

# ? Oct 29, 2022 04:11

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 17

quote:

The pigeon would give everyone an unobtrusive transit morph. Like our own seagull morphs. Carefully we explained the acquiring trance and then how the actual morphing process would feel.

We waited for dark.

Then Jake went falcon. Marco and I went osprey.

And the new Animorphs went pigeon.

Three birds of prey perched on the roof of the rehab center and watched the wildest, wackiest, most joyful pigeon rodeo ever.

Because the minute James and the others had wings, they were - transformed.

And thought-speak? For Timmy, this was the biggest miracle.

<Rubber baby buggy bumpers. Rubber baby buggy bumpers. Rubber baby buggy bumpers,> he chanted. <This is fantastically fabulous. Fortuitously felicitous.>

Timmy laughed at his own alliterative excesses. <You want to know what hell on Earth is?> he asked.

<What?>

<Having a large vocabulary, an encyclopedic knowledge of musical theater, and a speech impediment.>

Colette landed on the tar beside me. <Flying is the coolest thing I have ever, ever done. I can�t believe this is really happening!>

<You didn�t mind the morphing?> I asked. <It didn�t gross you out?>

<Are you kidding? After a spinal tap or two, morphing is nothing! It�s, like, as easy as eating yogurt from a tube!>

<You know,> Marco noted, <if we were real birds of prey, one of us might try to eat one of you.>

Collette laughed wildly and lifted off. <You�re so gross!>

<See?> Marco said. 

<This is amazing,> Kelly cried. <It�s the first time I can really breathe since I got sick.>

<Okay,> Jake called. <Time to rein it in. Remember, the point is not to call attention to yourselves. To act like real pigeons.>

<Everybody!> James said. <Chill.>

And they did. They listened to James without hesitation.

Then Jake formed us into a loose squadron - safe under cover of a moonless night - and we flew out to The Gardens.

<Wait till I give the signal before landing,> Jake said.

He flew a quick flyby then gave us the all-clear signal.

<Demorph,> he said to everyone. To Marco and me, he added privately, <Watch them. This is it.>

Who would be healed?

I hurried through my own demorph. Felt my human face push out through the bird�s head. Beak stretch wider and wider, then simply fade into my mouth with an itchy tingle. Osprey body wobbled as my slim bird legs stretched out to strong human legs. Center of gravity way off, I barely managed to keep my balance as the rest of my human body emerged.

Our new recruits were not so lucky.

Timmy tumbled to the grass. Lay on the ground in a sort of fetal position as the last of gray feathers retracted.

Collette supported her upper body with her arms. Stared at her legs, stretched out useless in front of her.

Kelly tried to stand, but was overtaken by a fit of coughing. Timmy reached out and gently but awkwardly pounded her back with a palsied hand.

I watched them and felt sad and sick. They were helpless out of morph, without their wheelchairs and other supports. Even more helpless than I had imagined.

Were they wondering the same thing? Regretting their decision to join us?

Nope.

Something had caught their attention.

Standing over the group now, steady and strong, was James.

He was taller than Jake. Broader-shouldered, too. He looked down at his team, and then over at Jake.

He walked in a circle, as if testing his legs. Legs that hadn�t properly grown since the accident all those years before. Legs that only an hour ago had been atrophied with disuse. But that were suddenly long and muscular.

�Lucky you,� Kelly whispered.

James smiled, wryly. �Yeah.�

�Are you going to learn how to skateboard?� Collette.

�W � w � w � wiiiuuuu ��

�Will I stay?� James asked.

Timmy nodded, his face tense, as if he half expected James to say he wouldn�t. That now he could leave the confines of the rehab center, he was going to break his promise and run for it.

James squatted so that he was face-to-face with the others.

�I�m staying. We�re a team, right?� He looked up at Jake. His eyes were bright with tears. �What now?�

They're a team, right?

Chapter 18

quote:

It was a long night.

Jake, Marco, James, and I carried Kelly, Timmy, and Collette, one by one, into the cages of some pretty cranky wild animals.

How we did it without getting hurt I�ll never know. How we did it without getting caught by a guard or spotted by the Yeerks, I�ll never understand. The fact that we even tried such a bold move tells you how desperate we were.

The other thing? The thing that really amazed us?

The new guys got control of the morphs almost immediately. I mean, there was no lag time at all.

The animals� instincts kicked in and almost immediately, James and the others got them under control. No rampaging tempers or out-of-control panic.

I thought about that. Finally figured that James and the others had spent years - if not all of their lives - surviving by allowing mind to conquer and replace matter. Their bodies might be weak, but their wills were stronger than ours.

The new team went back to the rehab center that night. In through the windows and back under the covers before anybody knew they were missing.

We trusted them and they did us proud.

The next night, after lights-out at the rehab center, we gathered again in the private lounge. Marco�s gorilla morph kept look-out while Jake explained to a new group of potential recruits - preselected by James - that the guy at the door wasn�t a kid in a monkey suit but the real thing. And about the Yeerks.

On three more consecutive nights a few of us took a direct route to the rehab center to repeat the process.

Surveillance continued to reveal no Yeerk activity. As far as we could know, our plan was undiscovered.

At the end of the fifth night, Jake, Ax, and I flew back to camp where Marco, Rachel, and Tobias were waiting. Dawn was still hours away.

�That makes seventeen new recruits,� Jake said excitedly. �With the six of us, that�s twenty-three Animorphs.�

<In addition to the Chee and a possibly still active Yeerk resistance,> Ax added.

<And Toby�s Hork-Bajir.> Tobias.

The mood was high. Not euphoric, but better than it had been in a while.

Even so, I was full of mixed emotions. Wondered if I would have the chance to know these new team members as I�d come to know - and care for - my friends. Wondered if it mattered. Already I felt responsible for them. Like their mother. Older sister, at least.

I also wondered: Would the Animorphs function as smoothly with twenty-three members as we had with six? With James now as a leader of the majority of members - though Jake was still in charge overall?

So many questions.

Lots about the larger ramifications of what we�d done.

Yeah, sure, we�d told James and the others about the incredible dangers they faced as warriors. They�d signed on in spit of our warnings.

<When most of these new Animorphs demorph, they are physically helpless. Correct?> Ax.

�Yes,� Jake answered, his voice defensive. �Except for James and two others. But at least we know they�re not Controllers.�

 Ax countered. <They will have to be tested. If these new recruits have no training, no experience with the world of physical sport or combat, then they are of no use to us.>

�Look, Ax,� Marco interrupted. �We�ve had this conversation before. This is Earth. All people are valuable in some way or another. Humans value one another. Whether they�re disabled or not.�

Ax blinked. <If these people are valued, then why are they kept apart? Why are they unseen? It is a disturbing inconsistency.>

Trust Ax to put his finger right on the ugly truth.

Of course, I could have pointed out that Andalite culture had its own vanities and conceits. I could have mentioned Mertil again.

But I wasn�t interested in an argument. I just wanted to go to sleep and wake up to discover the whole thing had been a bad dream.

Ax nodded gravely. <Jake is the leader. He is my prince. I will trust his judgment.>

�Thanks, Ax,� Jake said quietly. �That means a lot.�

The thing I'll say is that, Ax's prejudices notwithstanding, he makes some points here. First that, the new Animorphs don't have any real combat skills, and there might not be time to train them, and when they're demorphed, most of them are not necessarily going to be able to make a run for it. He also makes the probably more uncomfortable point that a lot of Americans still aren't comfortable with the physically disabled or able to see beyond their disability. While society has come a long way since the 60s and the Independent Living movement, there's still a long way to go.(and while Andalite society isn't free of those prejudices, Marco is still living in a glass house here when he criticizes Ax.

# ? Oct 29, 2022 04:24

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006

Colette totally likes Marco.

Interestingly, James is going to have to really hide his now-strong legs from caregivers. He seems fairly independent and probably washes with only mechanical assistance, but examination of atrophied limbs would be pretty part and parcel of routine care to make sure they didn't miss any wounds or pressure sores that could get infected.

# ? Oct 29, 2022 09:39

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 19

quote:

Ax handed Jake a printout. 

Marco looked at the printout over Jake�s shoulder. �A school for the blind. Not far. If we go now, we could have another four or five recruits by daylight.�

Jake nodded. For the first time I noticed the lines around his mouth. And that he�d lost weight.

�Let�s go. The whole team this time, now that we have backup. Rachel, go eagle and carry the morphing cube. Tobias, we�ll have any recruits acquire your hawk again. Unless, of course, Marco finds a seagull along the way.�

Before we left Jake decided it was time to tell Toby about our recent recruiting missions. Her reaction was hard to read.

I had a strong sense that, like me, Toby was not thrilled with our methods. But that, also like me, she�d publicly endorsed and put her trust in Jake as leader. And she was nothing if not loyal.

�Be careful, Jake,� she said. �I will post more guards and wait for your return.�

Suddenly, a rustle of leaves.

My dad had stepped forward out of the shadows. �I couldn�t sleep so I got up to get some air,� he said. �And I couldn�t help but overhear your conversation.�

His face was gaunt and haggard in the predawn light. He seemed to have aged ten years in the last twenty-four hours.

Dad looked at me for a long time. I can�t bear to describe the expression on his face. He was looking at me like I was the enemy. Like he suddenly understood that evil existed not just in the world, not just in his own backyard, but in his very own kid. His very own flesh and blood.

�Please tell me I misunderstood,� he said. �Please tell me you haven�t actually convinced disabled children to participate in this nightmare.�

Jake spoke. �We had no choice.�

�There�s always a choice,� my father said angrily. �Jake, I thought you knew that. Where�s the boy I used to know? The boy who was so clear on right and wrong.�

I wondered the same thing.

jake wasn�t Jake anymore. His eyes were harder. Maybe his heart, too. And I didn�t like the look that came over his face now. It was the look that Rachel got when she was determined to win no matter what. It was the look Tobias got when he was closing in on a mouse.

�We�ll wait for you over there,� Jake told me. He didn�t answer my father. He just led Toby and the others away.

Even Jake�s back looked different. Straighter. More unyielding.

Jake, the Jake I knew, was going away. And I didn�t know how to get him back.

Yet I still felt I had to defend him.

�Dad,� I said. �I don�t have time to argue ethics with you. I don�t have time to convince you that sometimes you have to do something - uncomfortable - to make things right in the end. This is war. Every minute counts. We�re fighting to save the human race.�

�The human race?� my father repeated. �Okay, answer me this, Cassie. Is what you�re doing with these disabled children humane?�

My father sounded like me.

Like the old me.

But I wasn�t that na�ve person anymore.

I had no answer.

I turned and walked away. Started to morph osprey.

�Cassie!� he cried. �Cassie! Wait!�

But I didn�t wait. I finished the morph and flew.

The others were in the trees. Rachel in bald eagle morph. Jake in peregrine falcon morph. Ax, northern harrier. Marco, an osprey like me. And Tobias a red-tailed hawk.

In the daylight, six birds of prey could never travel together. It would attract attention. But while it was still night it would be difficult to observe us. And these were our strongest and safest transit morphs.

I heard the others take wing, leave branches, and cut through the sky around me.

Our destination, the school for the blind kids. Only a few miles from the rehab center.

But it seemed to me a long, long journey. Every mile dragged like ten. Every minute stretched like an hour.

My little osprey heart began to race.

What if we didn�t make it back? What if the Yeerks found the camp while we were gone? What if I never had a chance to see or talk to my dad again?

Could I live with never seeing him again, remembering the way we�d left things?

I wheeled sharply and headed back toward the camp.

Behind me, the heavy beating of falcon wings.

Jake.

<Cassie! Where are you going?>

<Back to camp,> I answered.

<What?>

<I�m going back. I can�t go with you. I�ve got to talk to my dad.>

<You can�t afford to panic. None of us can,> Jake said sternly.

<You don�t understand �>

<Hey! You�re the one who said I had to be in charge. Why are you arguing with me now?>

Birds don�t cry. So I didn�t. but it was only because I couldn�t.

I was miserable.

I just wanted to protect.

Protect my parents. Protect my friends. Protect the new team. Was this how Jake felt all the time?

Probably. Yes.

How did he stand it?

No wonder he�d wanted out.

So, sure, there's the moral question about using kids to fight, as we've talked about, but is it a special problem that these are disabled kids? Everybody we've met seems reasonably intelligent, and they did make the choice themselves.

Chapter 20

quote:

The school for the blind was easy to infiltrate. Fifteen-minute surveillance, during which we located the dormitory floor.

In through the ventilation system as insects, demorph in the basement, then the stairs up to the fourth floor.

Once in the hall, we paused.

Am I the only one who�s thinking it might be hard to convince kids who can�t even see us?� Marco whispered.

�I thought about that,� Rachel answered. �I figured Jake had a plan.�

 Ax. <Perhaps unsighted vecols are not the best prospects for a new team of warriors.>

�Listen, Ax ��

�Shhh!� Jake said harshly.

Every eye turned to look at him. Waited for him to tell us what to do.

�Well?� Marco said. �What�s the plan?�

�I�ll think of something,� Jake said irritably. He pushed open the door of the first room and walked in.

About twenty kids, roughly our age, were asleep in beds lined up along both sides of the wall.

Light from a street lamp glowed softly in the window, both eerie and beautiful.

�Who�s there?� a voice asked softly.

At the end of the room a girl sat up in her bed. Long red hair hung over her shoulders.

Rachel tiptoed down the aisle and knelt beside the girl. �My name is Rachel,� she whispered.

�Uh, sorry to wake you up. But I need your help.�

�What?� The girl sounded surprised but not alarmed. This was a good start.

�Don�t be scared,� Rachel said. �There are six of us. Me and my friends.�

�What do you want?�

Jake joined Rachel by the girl�s bed and began to talk softly. Ax stood guard at the door, tail blade poised. Tobias perched on a shelf by the window. Marco quietly went gorilla.

Everything seemed fine. And then I go the uncomfortable feeling that we were being watched. I checked. Every kid besides the red-haired girl was asleep.

Standard-issue blue covers rose and fell with the soft breathing of the sleepers. Peaceful. Jake and Rachel were still talking to the girl. Ax, Marco, and Tobias seemed untroubled. But still � Maybe I was missing something.

I morphed to horned owl. Wonderful night vision.

Suddenly, every tiny detail in the room was fully visible. Gnats swarming around the dull glow of the street lamp reflected in the window.

Clouds of sparkling dust. A salamander, streaking along the baseboard. Nothing suspicious.

Nobody hiding, watching.

A sharp intake of breath. Jake, morphing to tiger while the red-haired girl�s hand rested on his head.

Rachel holding the girl�s hand now. A dreamy look on her face.

And then it happened again. My gut screamed at me. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

I demorphed. Remorphed to fly.

That�s when I saw it. A tiny, tiny pinpoint of infrared light. A camera was surveying the room!

<The room is being watched!> I shouted.

Too late!

The door flew open. Ten Blue Band Hork-Bajir-Controllers stormed in. overwhelmed Ax before he could react. Aimed Dracon beams at Tobias and Marco.

Chaos!

Kids sat up in bed. Some screamed. Some shouted questions. �What�s happening? Who�s there? What�s going on?�

�Nothing to worry about.� A human voice. �Just some pranksters.�

The Hork-Bajir stood aside. And in walked Tom.

Tom. Jake�s brother. A human-Controller.

Tom walked up the aisle. Toward Jake, fully human again.

�Some mean kids have broken in to play a practical joke,� Tom said, grinning. �But it�s not funny and we�re going to throw them out right now.�

Tom grabbed Jake�s arm.

Jake hissed a command to Rachel. She stepped back, her face a mask of fury.

Jake didn�t resist.

Neither did Marco. Tobias. Ax. They couldn�t. not with all those innocent kids in the room.

Tom opened his other hand, palm out. �Give it to me.�

Jake didn�t move.

Tom wrenched Jake�s arm. Yanked him closer.

�Give it to me. Now.�

Slowly, without taking his eyes off Tom, Jake reached into his pocket. Pulled out the blue morphing cube. Placed it in Tom�s hand.

Tom closed his fingers around the cube. Grinned.

�Okay,� he said. �Let�s all leave quietly.�

Two Hork-Bajir-Controllers stood like sentries. The other eight marched Jake and the others into the hall.

<I�m following, Jake,> I said. Knowing he could hear but not answer me.

<Cassie?> Marco. <If it comes to it, get James.>

When we were in the hallway, Tom closed the door behind us. Then he turned and struck Jake savagely across the face. �My host�s own brother!�
Jake reeled and a Hork-Bajir caught him. Propped him up. Tom struck him again. �Do you have any idea what you�ve done to me? All that time we were
searching for you. Looking for Andalites. And it was you! Right there in my own house. Right down the hall. I could have killed you a million times! Visser One almost starved me to death for my stupidity.�

Rachel�s face was red with fury. Frustration. Ax�s stalk eyes were blank. His tail held by a smirking Hork-Bajir.

Marco was still, a Dracon beam pointed at his skull. Tobias was gripped under a Hork-Bajir arm.

This was worse than it had ever been.

Still Jake said nothing. His face was unreadable.

�Take them down to the garage off the loading dock,� Tom ordered the Hork-Bajir- Controllers. �If the girl tries to morph or escape, kill her. Make the gorilla and the bird demorph. Keep the Andalite under extra guard. He�ll make a special host body. And inform Visser One that we have the
rebels. And the cube.�

Tom turned back to Jake. �My host�s parents,� he said coldly, �were given as hosts to relatively low-ranking Controllers. This is so we can kill them without regret if we have to. So if any of you even thinks about making trouble ��

Putting inside the tragedy of the chapter, Tom's Yeerk knows that Yeerks can leave their hosts, right? You could stick the two most important Yeerks in Jale's parent's heads, and as long as they leave, Visser One can kill the parents with no cost other than the inconvenience of finding them two new hosts.

# ? Oct 30, 2022 04:25

Capfalcon: Apr 6, 2012; No Boots on the Ground,
Puny Mortals!

Epicurius posted:

Chapter 19

So, sure, there's the moral question about using kids to fight, as we've talked about, but is it a special problem that these are disabled kids? Everybody we've met seems reasonably intelligent, and they did make the choice themselves.

While I ultimately agree that giving them a clear choice is a fair thing to do, it does still feel a bit like taking advantage of them, as vulnerable people being offered a way out of their current predicament at great risk. It's not exactly the same, but it reminds me of why you can't offer experimental medicine to people who would otherwise be likely of dying. Chronic illness/disability isn't exactly the same, but you're offering a potential cure/temporary escape at the cost of a significant risk to their life.

Epicurius posted:

Chapter 20

Putting inside the tragedy of the chapter, Tom's Yeerk knows that Yeerks can leave their hosts, right? You could stick the two most important Yeerks in Jale's parent's heads, and as long as they leave, Visser One can kill the parents with no cost other than the inconvenience of finding them two new hosts.

True, but if you need them to just stand around and be hostages, then you don't need anyone important. Also, Visser One doesn't seem like the patient "Ok, please evacuate your current host so I can chop their heads off to prove a point to the Animorphs leader" type.

# ? Oct 30, 2022 04:40

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

I'm sure I don't need to point out the parallels with the Hork-Bajir Chronicles, right? God, these books are good.

# ? Oct 30, 2022 04:46

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

Capfalcon posted:

True, but if you need them to just stand around and be hostages, then you don't need anyone important. Also, Visser One doesn't seem like the patient "Ok, please evacuate your current host so I can chop their heads off to prove a point to the Animorphs leader" type.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure we've already seen the Yeerks demonstrate they like being able to kill two birds with one stone that way.

# ? Oct 30, 2022 05:41

WrightOfWay: Jul 24, 2010

Capfalcon posted:

While I ultimately agree that giving them a clear choice is a fair thing to do, it does still feel a bit like taking advantage of them, as vulnerable people being offered a way out of their current predicament at great risk. It's not exactly the same, but it reminds me of why you can't offer experimental medicine to people who would otherwise be likely of dying. Chronic illness/disability isn't exactly the same, but you're offering a potential cure/temporary escape at the cost of a significant risk to their life.

Yeah, this is my thoughts too. Admittedly militaries throughout history have targeted vulnerable people for recruitment (particularly the poor, but depending on the nation also racial, ethnic or religious minorities) for as long as there have been armies but it feels even worse here. I think recruiting kids at all is the real monstrous part, though.

# ? Oct 30, 2022 06:01

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006

It is refreshing to see antagonists with half a brain who notice a pattern and act on it, even if it is really upsetting to see the kids in this much peril.

And yeah it is so, so loving hosed up the way they're going about this.

# ? Oct 30, 2022 06:57

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

Capfalcon posted:

While I ultimately agree that giving them a clear choice is a fair thing to do, it does still feel a bit like taking advantage of them, as vulnerable people being offered a way out of their current predicament at great risk. It's not exactly the same, but it reminds me of why you can't offer experimental medicine to people who would otherwise be likely of dying. Chronic illness/disability isn't exactly the same, but you're offering a potential cure/temporary escape at the cost of a significant risk to their life.

The thing is, their lives are already at significant risk. Every human being's is. (Moreso, actually, for the kind of people the Yeerks will just kill rather than infest - at least if you're infested but still alive in Jake's vision of a future dystopian New York, there's always hope of revolution and freedom one day).

Or as Ripley puts it in Alien 3: Your asses are already on the line . The question is, what are you gonna do about it?

Cassie was bang on about James not considering his friends' agency when he flat-out rejects them, and Cassie's dad does the same thing as James here:

quote:

�There�s always a choice,� my father said angrily.

There is, and it is the choice that was presented to James and his friends.

Epicurius posted:

The thing I'll say is that, Ax's prejudices notwithstanding, he makes some points here. First that, the new Animorphs don't have any real combat skills, and there might not be time to train them, and when they're demorphed, most of them are not necessarily going to be able to make a run for it. He also makes the probably more uncomfortable point that a lot of Americans still aren't comfortable with the physically disabled or able to see beyond their disability. While society has come a long way since the 60s and the Independent Living movement, there's still a long way to go.(and while Andalite society isn't free of those prejudices, Marco is still living in a glass house here when he criticizes Ax.

Ax's actually sort of has the moral high ground here: Andalite society excludes "vecols" but is straight up about it, whereas what he's criticising here is human society's hypocrisy on the issue rather than our treatment of the disabled per se.

On a separate note, I had completely forgotten this scene and it's a great moment for Jake and Tom to come face to face again. Along with watching him morph to falcon in the driveway it's gotta be a bittersweet moment for Tom himself: yes, you're a slave and now your parents are too, but your own brother is free and fighting back. In his shoes I would be incredibly, immensely proud of my little brother.

And also lol at Tom's Yeerk's temper tantrum:

quote:

When we were in the hallway, Tom closed the door behind us. Then he turned and struck Jake savagely across the face. �My host�s own brother!� Jake reeled and a Hork-Bajir caught him. Propped him up. Tom struck him again. �Do you have any idea what you�ve done to me? All that time we were searching for you. Looking for Andalites. And it was you! Right there in my own house. Right down the hall. I could have killed you a million times! Visser One almost starved me to death for my stupidity.�

"He saw it all - my own blood bag driving the war rig!"

# ? Oct 30, 2022 23:17

effervescible: Jun 29, 2012; i will eat your soul

Why didn't Visser Three/One kill him? I find it hard to believe he wouldn't immediately get so pissed that he'd kill him in a heartbeat.

# ? Oct 30, 2022 23:25

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006

Visser Three/One is moody as hell but I imagine he's got a network of handlers to help get people that piss him off out of line of sight long enough for him to calm down. That's probably what happened when the Yeerk got starved.

# ? Oct 30, 2022 23:33

Zore: Sep 21, 2010; willfully illiterate, aggressively miserable sourpuss whose sole raison d�etre is to put other people down for liking the wrong things

Honestly its more surprising he didn't lop off one of Tom's arms. That was his go-to move for a while.

# ? Oct 30, 2022 23:36

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 21

quote:

When they�d gone I moved from my still place above the door. I had to get to a window, get out, demorph! With the crazy, zigzagging, up-and-down antics of the fly I made it to a hall window. Zipped through a narrow opening, down to the ground.

Demorphed and remorphed to owl under cover of a low-hanging tree and in record time.

Up up up! I flew to the rehab center. Tried desperately not to think about what might be happening to Jake. Knew that if we didn�t stop Tom before he left the school we�d have to infiltrate the Yeerk pool. Me, James, and the new teams.

And that was something I was seriously hoping to avoid.

No time to worry about being subtle. In through James�s open window. Heavy landing on the foot of his bed.

<James. We need you. Now!>

James threw back the covers and jumped out of bed.

The owl�s keen eyes saw Pedro�s flickering with wonder. James leaned over his friend. �I�ll explain later,� he whispered. �I promise I�ll be back.�

Then he threw himself into his wheelchair. I hopped onto his lap and he tossed a blanket over me. We wheeled into the hallway. Nipped into one room, and then another.

Moments later, the new Animorphs were assembled in Timmy�s room.

All seventeen of them.

I hopped off James�s lap and demorphed.

Timmy pulled himself up to a sitting position. �Sss � s ��

�Yes,� James agreed with a smile. He surveyed the group of kids he�d chosen to join the fight. �It is soon. But we knew things were really serious.�

James motioned to a boy named Craig. A girl named Erica. Like James, they�d been healed by the morphing process. Like James, they were pretending to still need care. How they managed it, I don�t know.

Craig and Erica were, in effect, James�s lieutenants.

�Get everyone in transit morphs,� James instructed. �We�ll follow Cassie to the school.�

Briefly I gave directions. Instructed everyone to gather in the wooded area at the rear of the building. Just outside the large metal door to the loading dock and garage.

For a moment, the new Animorphs froze. Every one of them. Then, with the encouragement of James, Craig, and Erica, they burst into excited motion.
And I found myself in a room with a variety of animals. Not all of them birds.

There was a baboon, a walrus, and hedgehog.

<NO!> James yelled.

 Kelly wailed. <The minute I thought about a walrus, I was one.> �You�ve got to focus,� I said. �Remember what you�re trying to do. Keep your mind on your morph.�

<Okay! Let�s all try again,> James urged. <Pigeons. Okay? Think feathers.>

This time, they got it. Within minute I was a girl among a strange flock of pigeons and red-tailed hawks.

I couldn�t help it. I felt so proud.

I morphed back to owl. Led the way to the school for the blind. Reminding everyone to keep watch, act like the bird.

About a half mile from our destination, I spotted a long black limo speeding along with a police escort.

<James, that�s probably Visser One. Hurry!>

Eighteen Animorphs landed in the wooded area behind the loading dock. Visser One was only minutes away.

<Now what?> James.

<Now comes the hard part.> How could I lie? How could I say everything was going to be all right - when it wasn�t?

<Listen everyone!> I shouted. <Behind that door are Hork-Bajir-Controllers. They�re going to scare you to death. They�re going to have weapons, too. But you have to fight them. You have to fight them and you have to win.>

<But we don�t know how to fight!> One of Erica�s team. A girl named Jessie.

<Are we supposed to use, like, weapons?> A boy named Liam. One of Craig�s team. <I�m pretty opposed to guns.>

Then Timmy spoke. <James, I�ve never had a fight in my life. Who�s going to throw down with a kid in a wheelchair?>

<He�s got a point. They all do,> Erica said. <We don�t know anything about tactics. We�re not used to thinking about winning over other people. About strategizing.>

My heart began to sink. This was not going to work! And Jake was waiting for us, for me.

�Everyone, just listen!� James had demorphed. It was a good move on his part. His healthy body radiated confidence and strength. �Yes, you do know how to fight,� he said furiously. �You do know how to win. People like us fight and win every minute of every day.�

<That�s different!> Kelly argued. <It�s what we do to survive. You know it is.>

�Okay!� James admitted. �But even if our daily lives aren�t about knocking out the bad guys, our Animorphs lives are. Look, we made a promise. The place is here and the time is now. Ready or not, we�re doing this. Everybody, demorph!�

A small miracle. The New Animorphs overcame their reluctance, their fear. And began to demorph.

Kelly�s tiny bird skull expanded. Tiny black bird eyes sunk into now-human eye sockets. And as soon as her human chest emerged, she began to cough.

Timmy�s human legs shot out from his torso, rocketing him off the ground. But they were far too weak to support his now completely human body. With a cry of alarm he tumbled to the ground. I heard his head make contact with a rock.

Collette had demorphed with relatively little difficulty. Now she dragged herself across the ground toward Timmy. His forehead was bleeding.

My own demorph had been unproblematic. But looking at these new recruits, my fingertips went numb. These physically disabled, incredibly brave kids were about to wade into battle.

They wouldn�t make it.

James strode over to Timmy, examined his forehead. �You�ll be okay,� he said. Timmy nodded. He lifted his jerking hand to feel the wound himself.

The gesture went straight to my heart. I didn�t want these kids to get hurt.

Why hadn�t I listened to my dad? How could we have done something so irresponsible? So stupid! So cruel. We - the Animorphs - were as bad as the Yeerks.

We were worse than the Yeerks!

I grasped James�s arm. �It�s okay. We can handle it without you. Morph to bird and get everyone out of here. Fly away as fast as you can!�

�No, Cassie.� James looked down at me. Gently squeezed the hand that held his arm.

�They won�t make it, James. They can�t.�

James smiled and stepped away. �Watch us.� To the others: �Battle morphs. Now.�

Kelly. Streaks of dark black puddled around her face. Her nose flattened, turned large and pink. Two horns sprouted from her head.

Within seconds she was a charging, snorting bull.

Collette. Her arms shortened. Legs retracted and bent. Snout stretched. Black-green skin appeared along the bridge of her nose, coursed down the length of her body. She was a crocodile.

Timmy�s shoulders hunched, rounded out. His forehead shrank, chin retracted. Body turned sleek and muscled. Short tan fur sprouted from nose to tail. Sharp teeth erupted from the bottom and top gums. He was a bobcat.

All around me, warriors. A gorilla, after Marco�s favorite morph. Another elephant. In spite of Rachel�s jealousy, a grizzly, chosen by a boy named Julio. Rattlesnake, rhino, wolf, panther, golden eagle. James�s choice of battle morph was an ironic one. Though when he�d chosen a male lion, he had
no idea David, the ill-fated Animorph, had chosen the same.

Jake is not superstitious. Ignoring our meaningful looks, he�d said nothing. Except, �Good choice, James.�

Now, watching the lion�s wild golden mane emerge from James�s own thick golden hair, the morph seemed somehow appropriate.

<We�re going in, Cassie,> he said. <With or without you. Are you going to help us?>

I nodded, closed my eyes, and went wolf.

They're game, at least.

Chapter 22

quote:

A concrete ramp led toward the loading dock and the wide metal garage door.

We gathered at the bottom of the ramp.

James, in lion morph, addressed the entire team.

<Okay. We�re going to do this. And we�re not disabled anymore. We don�t need to wait for people to open doors. Kelly, knock it down and let�s rock and roll.>

Kelly backed up, snorted, and pawed the ground.

And then she charged up the ramp, hooves thundering. When her massive skull met the metal door, it crumpled.

WHAM!

She backed away. Let Judy, in elephant morph, ram the door again. This time, it gave way.

And there they were.

Tom, his battalion of Hork-Bajir, and the Animorphs.

Jake was alive. Blood trickled from his forehead, but he was alive.

<Go go go!> James yelled.

Kelly charged three Hork-Bajir standing side by side. BLAM! Knocked them down like bowling pins.

Tseeeew! Tseeeew!

Three other Hork-Bajir fanned out, Dracon beams firing.

Collette shot forward with the crocodile�s unexpected speed. Her thick muscular tail thrashed Hork-Bajir ankles. One fell hard on his rump. Another growled and slashed, leaving a long gash along the crocodile�s back. Not deep enough to do any serious damage. But Collette was our first casualty.

<Don�t worry, Collette!> I shouted. <It�ll heal when you demorph!>

Collette snapped her jaws and shot back into the fray.

<Who wants to wrestle this big green baby!> she cried.

Maybe extreme sports really were her thing.

Tom lifted his arm. Pointed a gun straight at Timmy.

<Look out!> James commanded.

<I�ve got him!>

And with incredible grace, Timmy gathered the bobcat�s muscular legs beneath him and leaped.

�Ooof!�

Tom was knocked to the ground. The bobcat bounded off his chest. Clamped down on Tom�s wrist until he released the gun. Batted it into the shadows with his paw.

And then the morphing cube rolled from Tom�s shirt pocket.

James darted forward and grabbed the morphing cube in his teeth.

�Stop him!� Tom shrieked.

He struggled to sit up but Timmy bounded back onto his chest.

Jake and the others had ducked behind a wall of boxes and morphed. Ax had broken free of his captor, who now had one less arm. Tobias morphed then went back to a red-tailed hawk.

Just in time, too.

I spun around. Through the hold left by the destroyed door I saw a long black limo hurtle to a stop.

The doors opened.

Visser One emerged in his human form. And immediately demorphed to Andalite.

A moving truck pulled up behind the limo.

Then another.

The doors to the first moving truck opened and another battalion of Hork-Bajir clambered out. The doors of the second moving truck opened and out poured a mob of Taxxons. No doubt eager for fresh kill.

Visser One clumped up the ramp. Timmy slunk into the shadows, leaving Tom still sprawled on the floor.

<Where is the morphing cube?> Visser One demanded. No greetings. No formalities or preliminaries.

Tom�s mouth quivered nervously. Slowly he got to his feet; his eyes remained on the visser. �It�s here. Somewhere. The lion got it and ��

<So!> the visser roared. <You have failed again. This is the last time. If the bandits do not kill you, I will kill you myself.>

�I had it! I had the morphing cube,� Tom cried. �It was in my hand!�

<Then your failure is even less forgivable!> Visser One spat.

<James!>

He�d rejoined us.

<The cube is okay,> he said.

<Someone needs to get it,> Jake snapped. <It shouldn�t be out of our sight. Let�s move out.>

Slowly our team formed a line. Grizzly. Gorilla. Tiger. Andalite. Hawk. Wolf.

Then James�s team. Lion. Crocodile. Bobcat. Bull.

Then Craig�s team. And Erica�s.

Slowly the visser�s attention was caught. Maybe I imagined the look of fear that flitted across his enigmatic Andalite face as he surveyed our forces.
Maybe not.

But for the first time since this war had begun, it looked like a fair fight.

There we go! The first part of this has gone great.

# ? Oct 31, 2022 03:37

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

You can tell Ax is pissed off when he inflicts not just a de-handing but a de-arming

# ? Oct 31, 2022 04:57

dungeon cousin: Nov 26, 2012; woop woop
loop loop

Very interesting to see what morphs the new kids choose. Rattlesnake and bobcat struck me as kind of small for battle morphs, but rattlesnakes don't have to directly fight and we saw that a bobcat can at least match up against a human-controller. I've also wondered how good a crocodile would be since it seems to lack some reach but I might just be underestimating it.

# ? Oct 31, 2022 07:22

kiminewt: Feb 1, 2022

A rattlesnake would probably be the only thing that survives if the Yeerks finally wise up and install a machine gun on top of Visser One's limo.

Incidentally, this is also their first real fight when the Yeerks know who they are and they can directly talk to them.

Re: Ax. To be honest I'd love to read this book from his perspective. He must be sick of this human nonsense.

# ? Oct 31, 2022 07:31

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006

dungeon cousin posted:

I've also wondered how good a crocodile would be since it seems to lack some reach but I might just be underestimating it.

Assuming they didn't find some non-US species and just went for an American Crocodile, that would put it around 10-12 ft long on the lower end and up to 20ft long on the higher end with insanely strong bite force and excellent speed in water. You're right it wouldn't be the fastest on land but just ballparking I'd guess it'd be a good "second line" combat morph-- Gorilla, Elephant, Bull, Grizzy, Lion are the ones you'd want at the tip of the spear because they can move fast and take a hit, and then you just slide on in with your incredibly strong bite force and pretty much anything you get your jaws on is going to come off if you spiral. A Croc would make for extremely efficient cleanup crew too. Get the Bobcat or Wolf to take down a priority target, and then the Croc makes absolutely sure that whatever it took down dies.

Aaaaaand now I really want to see one get into it with a Taxxon.

# ? Oct 31, 2022 23:47

Zonko_T.M.: Jul 1, 2007; I'm not here to fuck spiders!

A bobcat makes sense for tight urban spaces. You trade the sheer brute strength of a larger cat like a lion or tiger for being more maneuverable.
Kind of disappointed nobody picked a hippo as a battle morph.

# ? Nov 1, 2022 00:31

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Taking a break tonight, as I've been ambushed by Yeerks in what everyone thought would be a routine mission to the School for the Blind. Chapters tomorrow, and then on Wednesday, we should be finishing up this book!

# ? Nov 1, 2022 04:15

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

I feel like a crocodile on dry land is not a good pick... I'm pretty sure they can put on a good burst of speed but only for about 20 metres or so, at the end of the day they're aquatic animals and aren't going to cope well in the various loading docks, warehouses, and other industrial spaces the Animorphs are always getting up to hijinks in.

# ? Nov 1, 2022 05:21

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

They're tough as all gently caress though. You could do worse.

# ? Nov 1, 2022 05:39

Star Man: Jun 1, 2008; There's a star maaaaaan
Over the rainbow

I think it's really just so you can tell which character is which with the different animals.

# ? Nov 1, 2022 06:04

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

Probably okay for the heat of battle but not for the quick withdrawals, smash-and-bash raid kind of stuff they do. A bear and a tiger and a gorilla can cover ground retreating in a way a croc can't.

(Aside from choice of battle morph, I think a crocodile has a legitimate claim to being the ~Perfect Organism~ because it's basically the only big predator unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs, must be doing something right.)

# ? Nov 1, 2022 06:06

Mazerunner: Apr 22, 2010; Good Hunter, what... what is this post?

I feel like you could add sharks and dragonflies, and honestly? As long as there's no super mega huge mass extinction I could see felines, big or small, stick around.

-this message has been approved by Visser 1

# ? Nov 1, 2022 12:06

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 23

quote:

Teamwork seemed to come easily to the new Animorphs. This was a good thing.

�Rrrrooooooow!�

Timmy leaped at a Hork-Bajir�s head. Collette chomped on the Hork-Bajir�s leg.

�Gaaallaaafff!�

The Hork-Bajir toppled over backward, blades whisking the air. Timmy and Collette hurried on to their next target. Leaving the fallen, bloody Hork-Bajir to defend himself against a voracious Taxxon.

�Hhhhrrrooowwwrrr!�

James! The mind-boggling roar of the lion filled the garage, threatening to burst the walls.

James batted a Taxxon with his massive paw. Guts spilled from the long wounds his claws had torn. Then he turned, leaped on a Hork-Bajir, sunk his teeth into the leathery neck until the Hork-Bajir lay still. Suffocated. Its throat bit out.

Kelly helped Marco clear a path through looming Taxxons. Horns punctured their baglike bodies, sending the foul contents spilling to the ground. Bulk and muscle shoved the remains out of our path.

<Yes!> Rachel. <Kick butt, folks. This is your chance!>

Slowly but surely James led his team further into the garage. Followed closely by Craig�s and Erica�s teams. Slashing, snapping, biting. Plowing through Taxxons, ducking Hork-Bajir blades, skidding on pooling blood.

<Andalite scum!> Visser One twitched his tail blade over his head, taunting Ax. <You will make a lovely host for some worthy Yeerk. That is, if you survive the next few minutes.>

Fwap!

Ax easily evaded the intended blow.

<You are losing your touch, Visser,> Ax sneered.

Jake turned and joined Ax.

<So! It takes two rebel scum to fight me!>

<Your boasting is foolish,> Ax retorted. <You have brought truckloads of troops to fight only a few of us.>

Again, Visser One swung his blade at Ax�s throat. It missed by inches.

Jake gathered his legs beneath him and leaped. Landed briefly on Visser One�s back. Dug in his claws, then launched off.

Visser One cursed and whirled. Stumbled and recovered.

<Is it my imagination,> he said, trying to sound unconcerned, <or are there more of you rebels this time?>

<There are many of us,> Jake lied. <There always have been.>

<Tell me how many and I will let you live,> Visser One coaxed. All four eyes alert.

<Release Tom�s host�s parents and I will let you live,> Jake countered.

<Your arrogance is entertaining. Of course I know the tiger is Tom�s brother. Let me tell you, human, you will regret your arrogance. You will regret it all.>

And then Visser One began to morph. I had to warn the others. This fight was about to turn even uglier.

I backed away.

Tseeeeew! Tseeeeew!

Dracon fire from all directions.

Screams, cries, moans.

Blood spraying �

<Everyone! Remember to get away and demorph if you�re hurt!> I shouted.

Tseeeeew! Tseeeeew!

I had to find James. Stood on the wolf�s back paws.

That�s when I saw Tom. Up on a pile of wood planks stacked against the wall. Pointing a Dracon beam! Tseeew!

A beam struck Kelly in the shoulder. She let out a roar of rage and turned the massive bull�s head to see who had fired on her.

<Kelly, no!>

Too late!

A Taxxon butted her from the side! Her legs buckled beneath her and she went down. The Taxxon sunk the needlelike teeth of its red maw into the bull�s flesh.

<I�m coming, Kelly!> I cried.

A Hork-Bajir extended an arm blade, attempting to slice me across the chest. To stop me. I jumped over the blade as if it were a bar.

The Taxxon was still bent over Kelly, foul saliva trickling onto her flesh. Sucking up the bull�s dark blood.

Marco! Slamming his gorilla body into the Taxxon! Sending it sprawling into the Hork-Bajir who had tried to stop me. The Taxxon impaled itself on the Hork-Bajir�s blades.

<Hang in, Kelly,> Marco cried.

<I�m � I�m bleeding,> she whispered.

Understatement. The wound caused by the Dracon beam was worse than I�d thought. And the Taxxon had opened a massive area of flesh. Kelly was losing blood and strength rapidly.

<Can you stand?> I asked.

�Grraaaath!� A Hork-Bajir, lumbering at us, blades up. 

Marco roared. The Hork-Bajir skidded to a stop, confused.

<Get up, Kelly!>

With a groan of effort, Kelly climbed to her feet.



And fell heavily.

She was hurt. She needed to demorph. Or she would die.

At least Visser One got to say "Andalite scum!". i know how much he likes that. (i was going to make a "Beef. It's what's for dinner" joke", but it would be in bad taste.. Well, great taste, really. Still, i'll let you imagine the Taxxons settling down to eat while Copland's Hoe-Down plays.)

Chapter 24

quote:

Visser One was now a giant squidlike creature. A fat body covered with gleaming black scales. Raw red eyes bulged from dark flesh. Twenty massive, spike-covered tentacles whirled and cracked in the air like bullwhips.

I nudged Kelly�s prone body. She was alive, but barely. And the only thing keeping the Taxxons at bay was Marco.

WHAP!

A tree-trunklike tentacle swept a path through the battle.

Rachel stepped into the clearing. Charged!

Jake joined her.

�Tsseeeer!�

From another direction �

Tobias!

�Aaaaah!�

Tom clutched his face. Blood gushed through his fingers. He dropped to his knees.

Swaaaap!

The visser!

A spiky tentacle snapped against Rachel�s shoulder. With a roar of rage she stumbled to her knees. Swaaaap!

Another tentacle, wrapped around Jake�s neck like a lasso! Like a rope of thorns.

<James!> I cried. <The visser�s got Jake!>

Jake planted his paws wide. Jerked his head right then left. Madly trying to loosen the visser�s grip.

Slowly, inevitably, he was dragged closer to the visser.

Slowly, inevitably, the entire battle moved inward, toward Visser One and his captive. Taxxons and Hork-Bajir surged forward. Some continued to fight the Animorphs. Others formed a ring of spectators, eager to see the leader of the bandits defeated at last.

No one paid any attention to us. Now was the time to get Kelly out.

<Kelly! Can you hear me?>

<I�m sorry,> she gasped.

<For what?> I said. <But you�ve got to demorph.>

<No! I�ll die. They�ll kill me.>

<You�re dying now,> I said. <Demorph then remorph.>



<Don�t think about that,> I cried. <While their backs are turned. Marco can carry you out.>

Her eyes closed. She didn�t answer.

<Kelly! Can you hear me?>

Still no answer.

The wolf yearned to lift its head and let out a long, heartbroken howl of anguish.

Then: <Cassie!> Marco whispered. <She�s doing it. She�s demorphing.>

It was true.

The bull began to shrivel. As if it were a paper-and-cardboard bull that had been left in the rain. The muscle and hide crumpled. Collapsed until it appeared to be a wet blanket of smudged newspaper, covering a small, frail body.

Moments later, Kelly lay on the ground completely demorphed, gasping for air.

<Good work!> Marco said, easily lifting her in his arms.

He ran with Kelly, away from the garage. Out into the safety of the dark and shadows.

<I�ll be back,> he cried.

The rest of us might not make it out. If we didn�t and the Yeerks won the planet, someone somewhere needed to know the truth. That some ordinary and some very extraordinary kids had tried to stop the madness.

Screams and guttural cheers.

I turned.

Visser One was taunting Jake. Curling the tentacle to pull him closer. Whipping him through the air. Smacking him on the floor.

The tiger�s head and neck were a bloody mess. Jake wouldn�t survive this torture much longer.

One by one, the Animorphs snuck in close. Rushed the big black body. Sliced or bit. But each time they were knocked back by a wild tentacle.

James. Rachel. Timmy. Ax.

�Tsseeer!�

Tobias! Streaking past Visser One�s distorted face. Talons poised to gouge the oozing red eyes.

<No!>

The monster�s huge spiny tongue darted out like yet another bullwhip. Smacked Tobias dead on. Sent him flying across the room.

Tobias hit a metal wall! Fell to the ground in a crumpled pile of feathers.

<Tobias!> I ran to his inert body. Awkwardly picked him up with my mouth.

He was alive. I could feel his heartbeat against my teeth and lips. Once we were out of sight, he could demorph and remorph and he�d be fine.

I would go back in. I would fight to the finish. No matter what, I�d fight with Jake.

I dropped Tobias on the ground as soon as we were out of sight. He was already demorphing.

<Go back to camp,> I told him, voice breaking. <Tell them to be ready to evacuate.>

Doesn't look good for our heroes.

Epicurius fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Nov 2, 2022

# ? Nov 2, 2022 04:38

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

Epicurius posted:

quote:
Once we were out of sight, he could demorph and remorph and he�d be fine.

I would go back in. I would fight to the finish. No matter what, I�d fight with Jake.

I dropped Tobias on the ground as soon as we were out of sight. He was already demorphing.

Doesn't look good for our heroes.

I'm guessing this might have gotten written, or rewritten, by different authors. A previous chapter just pointed out Tobias morphed, not demorphed, to heal. But this chapter seems to have forgotten that hawk is his actual form, and gets it backwards.

# ? Nov 2, 2022 06:45

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

I was about to be pedantic about that too, only because it keeps showing up.

Also, as we approach the end of the series: kudos to the Visser for consistently keeping it fresh with his battle morphs. The Animorphs always charge in with the boring same-old-same-old, but that rear end in a top hat mixes it up every single time.

# ? Nov 2, 2022 08:58

JesusSinfulHands: Oct 24, 2007; Sartre and Russell are my heroes

I wonder if the Yeerks know all of the human Animorphs' identities at this point. Clearly Visser One is caught off guard by all the new recruits in this battle, but they know Jake's identity by now, and they should know Tobias' identity as well unless they are completely incompetent. Logic of checking Jake's close contacts should lead to Chapman or someone else at the school realizing that Rachel and Cassie and their families are missing. I suppose Marco and the Chee faked his death so they could genuinely not know that he's one of them.

Not sure if they have any way of discerning Ax's identity. Would Visser One be able to realize that it has been the same Andalite he's been facing all this time, and that he's the only one?

And while they may not have 100% certainty of how many Animorphs there are, surely it is not lost on them that pretty much every time there have been at most 6 fighters in every conflict over the years.

very late edit: Well there was a camera at the school for the blind so the jig is 100% up for Cassie, Rachel, and Marco now anyways.

JesusSinfulHands fucked around with this message at 16:40 on Nov 2, 2022

# ? Nov 2, 2022 13:03

Rochallor: Apr 23, 2010; ふっっっっっっっっっっっっｃｋ

JesusSinfulHands posted:

I wonder if the Yeerks know all of the human Animorphs' identities at this point. Clearly Visser One is caught off guard by all the new recruits in this battle, but they know Jake's identity by now, and they should know Tobias' identity as well unless they are completely incompetent. Logic of checking Jake's close contacts should lead to Chapman or someone else at the school realizing that Rachel and Cassie and their families are missing. I suppose Marco and the Chee faked his death so they could genuinely not know that he's one of them.

Not sure if they have any way of discerning Ax's identity. Would Visser One be able to realize that it has been the same Andalite he's been facing all this time, and that he's the only one?

And while they may not have 100% certainty of how many Animorphs there are, surely it is not lost on them that pretty much every time there have been at most 6 fighters in every conflict over the years.

We can infer from the last book that they identified at least Jake and Tobias through blood samples. Cassie's parents being vets makes me think they're in close enough proximity to hospitals that they've probably had lab work done at some point. Rachel and Marco might have slipped under the radar though, since at the beginning of the series Jake and Rachel weren't particularly close.

In retrospect, yeah they should have been switching up morphs every so often.

# ? Nov 2, 2022 14:52

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# ? May 24, 2024 03:31

disaster pastor: May 1, 2007

Rochallor posted:

We can infer from the last book that they identified at least Jake and Tobias through blood samples. Cassie's parents being vets makes me think they're in close enough proximity to hospitals that they've probably had lab work done at some point. Rachel and Marco might have slipped under the radar though, since at the beginning of the series Jake and Rachel weren't particularly close.

In retrospect, yeah they should have been switching up morphs every so often.

I would be certain they know everyone's identity. Even if they only got Jake and Tobias through blood, Tom's Yeerk would be very much aware that his aunt and cousins have disappeared, as has Jake's girlfriend and her family.

Marco is the tricky one. They almost definitely know he was an Animorph, because a gorilla showed up when they tried to infest his father. But they went and shot him, and they have no clear evidence at this point that he somehow survived that. So they may believe he faked his death and just not know how, or they may believe there's a mystery sixth they haven't IDed yet.

# ? Nov 2, 2022 15:06

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