What would you have done with David?

[roguebluejay]

Hmmm... This thread is interesting.

I would probably have made him an animorph, then killed him.

BUT. If I had known more about his personality: ie that he was a socio path... Is there a way to send him out there with no knowledge of the animorphs identities, and let him fight as a lone wolf? Maybe have Ax pretend to be Elfangor and present him with the blue box that way?

David would have been AMAZING as a lone wolf. He has no moral quams, and would assassinate key players in the yeerk forces. Not having a team around him might make him more effective too (although he would probably die eventually, in a battle where his stealth cover had been blown.)

It is really risky, because the yeerks might get another morph capable host, but I get the feeling that visser 3 would kill another morph capable host, just so he could remain top dog.

Obviously, they would never have had time in that alley to think of this and it is morally sketchy at best. The better solution would just be to let him live with the Chee.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     Maybe David would have turned out better if they didn't treat him as if he was a burden. I get that they were fighting a war, and didn't have the time to boost his ego and tend to his every whiny need. But, I think a lot of people tend to ignore the fact that David was used to a particular life style; so maybe I can understand why he would find sleeping in a barn to be degrading. I mean, imagine if you grew up in a somewhat privilidged home and suddenly had all of that taken away from you. Then you're forced into a war that you never wanted to be a part of, and have to work with people who just don't like you. You'd start to feel like a charity case, and antagonize the people who saved your ass. David doesn't think he owes the Animorphs anything, but he does. His ego just blinded him. I'm sure he would have turned out differently if, say, he was one of the kids walking through the construction site and met Elfangor.

     I don't think David would have been better off with the chee. Sure, he would have prefered it to living in the barn. But I think that he would be just as arrogant and reckless if he was living with PACIFISTS! Imagine living with Androids who consider violence to be...well, bad! He would have thought they were stupid, and probably would have broken into a hotel anyway. Besides, David was rude to Tobias and Ax because they weren't human. Imagine what would happen if he discovered that Erek wasn't the typical joe that he appeared to be.

[roguebluejay]

That is a really interesting idea: would things have turned out differently if David had been with the group from the start.

I get the feeling that him and marco would have been friends, I mean, they both wouldn't have wanted to fight. They are both REALLY similar when you get down to it, the humour and I think Marco has some psychopathic tendancies "the bright, clear line." That is probably why Marco didn't like David so much, he saw himself in him.

To be honest I am starting to wish Marco had narrated the third book instead of Rachel... Because Rachel is violent, but marco is "cold dude" like david.

But yeah, I can imagine, that in a different context David could have worked out.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     If David was only willing to see past the fact that Tobias, at the time, wasn't technically a human, then they could have been good friends. Both of them being new, and having few friends...yea, I can see them being friends.

[t0bias]

just imagine if david really WAS a "lone wolf"

[Chad32]

This is what I would have done. First, I know they were doing a very important mission, but they needed to have spent more time with David. Instead of sticking him in the barn, I would have asked Erik if he could crash at his place. Give David a room in a house, instead of sleeping on a hay pile listening to all sorts of animals make noise 24 hours a day. He wouldn't even have to be told Erik was an android. Just take him to Erik's place, and tell him he could stay there as long as he didn't snoop around or ask too many questions.

It would give him a comfortable place to stay and Human-like interaction in what has to be a traumatic time for him. Yes I know he has previous problems. He named his cat Megadeath, his likely illegal cobra Spawn, and his first reaction to invading birds was to grab the bb gun. However, he still needed some care in his time of distress and vulnerability.

Though I'm actually one of the people that doesn't think David trying to take Jake's cousin's life over is a moral event horizon. Extreme yes, but not evil to the point of no return.

If worse came to worse, and I was put in a position where he needed to be dealt with, it would be a quick death. Not trapping him as a rat to live out a miserable life until something eats him. I just think about the rat Tobias saw in the last book that had half a tail and was seemingly the smartest rat Tobias had ever seen. Was that David? Were those two really watching each other, not realizing the other was a nothlit? We'll never know.

@TobiasMasonPark: Why would David break into a hotel if he was staying with Erik? He broke into it so he could lay on a bed and watch TV. What would be the point if he was already staying in a guest bedroom at someone's house?

[TobiasMasonPark]

     What I meant was that, if David ever did find out he was living with Androids, he would have treated them the same way he treated Ax and Tobias; as a sub-class species and not intelligent beings. If Erek saw David doing something like shooting birds, or speaking in a certain way, he would probably say something like, "While I respect you, I think you should be careful," because he's a pacifist. David, being the arrogant kid he is, probably would have thought Erek was an idiot because of his philosophy of non-violence. He probably would have left out of frustration.

[Chad32]

He might have. Of course he wasn't really given much time to get used to things like a bird who was born a Human, or an alien that's not Human but still a sentient being.

Besides, not all characters have to be open minded and stuff. David could have been the group anti-hero.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     Maybe. But you know what I always wondered? What would David have done with the box if the Animorphs just handed it to him? Would he make his own team?

[Chad32]

I think he made it clear he would make his own team, and do whatever he wanted with the power. I forget whether or not he gave up on his parents by the end of the trilogy.

[Alic]

I would have made him an Ani.

After he messed up, I'd have killed him.

[t0bias]

it seems that option is the most popular

[TobiasMasonPark]

     I guess if people want David dead so badly, then KA succeeded in making him a good villain.

     That, an David gets a bad rap.

[t0bias]

well we all knew he was bad with a cat called megadeth. it's not a normal death, it's a mega death!

[Chad32]

If I was actually the writer, I would have had him be a recurring villain starting with book 27. given morphing ability by Crayak, plus some extra superhuman power. Not to the extent of mega Rachel, but he would be more powerful than normal in any form he took.

When mentioning this, most people have said the Ellemist wouldn't allow that. But who knows what favors Crayak might be able to call in, since either player can ask something of the other in exchange for something else? That's been established in book 41.

He'd be a loose cannon that caused trouble for the Anis and Yeerks alike.