Animorphs What If: The Solution

[TobiasMasonPark]

     Yea, sorry about that. When I started writing, i only had a vague idea of how it was going to be narrated.
Post Merged: February 27, 2011, 09:45:19 PMMARCO
     I was starting to get a little ticked off.
     It was the middle of the night. It was cold—even for an owl. The fact that we were roused by anything that moved was irritating enough. We couldn’t even be sure that David was even a rat anymore. Chances are he demorphed the second we lost sight of him. That wouldn’t be a problem if we knew what he morphed next. David was different. He didn’t follow our rules. He was all for morphing big jungle cats to rob jewellery stores. A guy like him wouldn’t be beneath morphing other people. He stole the life of a kid named Saddler—Jake and Rachel’s severely injured cousin.
     That’s the guy we brought into our little group. We expected David to help us save the whole world.
     And I’ll admit, I was pretty scared of this guy, too. I wasn’t looking forward to meeting this kid again. He saw through our plan—somehow—and chances were he was ticked off. Now, what do you think an angry kid with the ability to change into any animal is going to do to the people who tried to trap him forever in the body of a rat?
     I’ll tell you what he’ll do—he’s going to want revenge. And if he was all for killing us without cause, he would definitely do the same without the slightest hint of hesitation. The only thing stopping him from slaughtering us at any moment is the fact that he isn’t willing to kill humans. But if we were in morph…
     Flying is usually an amazing experience. I mean, you’re up in the air—hundreds of feet above the heads of the losers who can’t grow wings whenever they feel like it—and you can see practically everything! And there’s nothing better than catching a really nice thermal on a hot, sunny day. I can totally understand why Tobias enjoys the life of a hawk—it sure had some benefits; especially if you’re the biggest, meanest turkey in the air.
     Tonight wasn’t one of those times.
     ((I say we quit while we’re behind.)) I told Cassie and Tobias. ((We’re getting nowhere up here. Let’s just head over to Jake’s place. At least we could keep an eye out for them if David does anything crazy.))
     ((Jake gave us orders to scope out the area.)) Tobias said, needlessly.
     ((Oh, so you’re Ax now?)) I replied. ((It’s not like we’d be disobeying orders. Jake told us to look for David. Well, we’ve been looking and, guess what—no David!))
     ((Marco has a point.)) Cassie agreed. ((David would have gone back to Jake’s house.))
     So we flew to Jake’s house.
     And I was not surprised by what I had seen.
     For starters, there was a Great Horned owl perched on a tree near Jake’s place. That wouldn’t have been strange if this particular owl hadn’t been staring into the house for the last few minutes.
     ((Hey there Ax-man. Is there anything good on the tube?))
     ((The tube?))
     ((The TV. I’m hoping Jake’s parents have the station switched to Buffy. I am not going to miss another episode.))
     ((What Marco’s really asking is if you’ve seen David.)) Tobias.
     ((Cassie was correct in her assumption of David’s whereabouts.)) Ax said. (( Prince Jake and Rachel found David waiting for them inside. He was morphed as a relative of Prince Jake’s.))
     ((Saddler.))
     ((I have been watching Jake’s relatives for approximately thirty of your minutes. Saddler’s family is ecstatic over their son’s return.))
     ((Yea, looks like it.)) I agreed. ((Wanna go ruin it for them?))
     ((Has David done anything since you got here?)) Tobias asked.
     ((Nothing that would arouse suspicion.)) Ax answered. ((But Rachel has made many jabbing motions towards David with her eating utensil.))
     ((Sounds like Xena.))
     ((So what do we do now?)) Cassie asked.
     ((Well, I know Rachel would have us storm in there, fully morphed.)) I said, thoughtfully. ((But something tells me that Jake’s parents would be a little upset about having wild animals messing up their carpet.))
     ((They’re heading this way.)) Tobias said, suddenly. ((David’s with Jake and Rachel. Looks like they’re coming out.))
     ((Tobias—get out of sight!)) I said, quickly. ((Maybe David doesn’t know you’re still alive.))
     ((Good thinking.)) He agreed.
     
 And they came out the second Tobias flew into the night sky.  Jake, Rachel and the rat pretending to be Saddler walked out of Jake’s house. It looked almost innocent: three cousins just enjoying a laugh on an ordinary night. But it was far from ordinary. Two of those kids were capable of morphing. The other should have been dead.
     When they were close enough to hear, David spoke.
     “Tell your friends to demorph.”
     “You first.” Rachel snapped.
     “Fine.” David grinned.
     Within three minutes, David was back in his own skin.
     “Now it’s your turn.” He said, nodding up at us.
     “Stay in morph.” Rachel ordered.
     “They don’t take orders from you, Rachel.” Jake said. “Guys, everyone demorph.”
     ((Jake…are you seriously going to give into this creep?)) I asked.
     “Just do it, Marco.”
     Jake was angry. I could understand why. He would only give a direct order if he was ticked off. So I demorphed.
     “Is everyone here and accounted for?” David asked Jake.
     “Everyone except—“
     Jake stopped suddenly.
     “Everyone except?” David repeated.
     “I was going to say everyone except Tobias…but you already know what happened to him, don’t you?”
     Nice save Jake, I thought to myself. He almost slipped up. Ax must have told him that we’ve decided to keep up the pretence that Tobias was dead.
     “Well, why don’t we just get down to business then?” David said. “I have to admit, that little plan of yours was pretty clever. I wonder who came up with it.”
     David was looking right at Rachel.
     “Ha! You’re wrong there, pal.” Rachel snorted.
     “It doesn’t matter who came up with the plan.” Jake said. “The plan failed. We screwed up.”
     “And screw up you did.” David laughed. “But I know wit when I see it. Whoever came up with that plan really had something.”
     “We’re glad you appreciate our hard work.” Rachel said, sarcastically. “Now tell us what you want.”
     “I want the box.” David said simply. “I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that you didn’t break the box apart. I found it. I want it. You give me the box and I’ll get out of your hair.”
     “You can’t have the box.” Jake said. “You may have found it, but the box is a piece of Andalite technology. If anyone should be claiming ownership over it, it’s Ax.”
     David wasn’t grinning anymore. His lips curled into a tight little frown.
     “Listen. If I don’t get the blue box within three days, then I’ll have to do something drastic.”
     “Ooo.” Rachel said, laughing. “We’re so scared. What are you going to do?”
     “You see those people in there?” David said, tilting his head to Jake’s house. “They may all be dead within three days.”
     Rachel lunged at David. Nobody stopped her.
     “Jake, stop her.” Cassie said, rushing to Jake’s side. “She might hurt herself.”
     “Or maybe I’ll just go straight to Visser Three.” David shouted, as Rachel began to throttle him. “Or, even better, Tom.”
     “Rachel, stop.” Jake ordered.
     Rachel was still strangling David.
     “I said stop it!”
     Rachel wasn’t listening. David’s face was starting to turn blue. All our problems could be over in just a few minutes, if Rachel would just hold on…
     “Dammit, Rachel! If someone steps out that door—“
     Rachel swore, loudly as she let go of David’s neck. She walked over to the tree we had all perched on as owls and slammed her fist into the bark. David got to his feet and started rubbing his neck. He was laughing…
     “Three days, Jake.” David said. “Three days to give me the box. I promise I’ll be out of your hair afterwards. But you’re all stuck with me until I get what I want.”
     The front door to Jake’s house opened. Tom was shouting at Jake and Rachel and Saddler; telling them to come in for dinner. It was dark, and we weren’t exactly close in proximity to the house. Tom could mistake David for Saddler. But David was already morphing.
     “Coming, Tom.” Jake shouted, as a now morphed David walked towards the house.
     ((Three days, kiddies.)) Was the last thing he said to us.
     

     
     
         
     
     

[Baranth]

I think I have a idea of what they're really planning.

David goes to tell Visser Three. However, Jake, Marco and Ax (Marco being the one to see this solution, as the straight-line, Point-A-to-Point-Z person he is) are on to this and force V3 to kill David.

End of problem.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     Don't think so.

[Baranth]

     Don't think so.

I know you probably won't go there, but that is exactly what Marco would do... and something Rachel would approve of in this desperate situation: Bait Visser Three into taking David out so his blood isn't on the hands of the Animorphs, and the Saddler issue is resolved at the same time if Saddler's parents are made Controllers.

[SuperBlue]

Rachel lunged at David. Nobody stopped her.

This alone, made the chapter EPIC. I loved Rachel throughout this whole 3 book arc and this is exactly why!

[TobiasMasonPark]

DAVID
     So, I gave the great Animorphs and ultimatum.
     Three days to give me the blue box, or I ruin their lives. That could mean going to Visser Three and exposing them as humans with morphing powers, or going after their families one by one. And I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure of which road to take, really. I mean, I’m not beneath either option. The way I see it, the Animorphs push, I push back. They tried to tell me what to do. They tried to control my actions, to make my decisions for me. They push, I push back. They push back harder…well; you know what I’d do.
     But I couldn’t get ****y. Not yet, at least. It’s not like I could claim any sort of real victory. Yea, I managed to escape a pretty horrible fate—being trapped as a rodent for the rest of my life. That alone was enough to be happy about. I don’t even want to think about a reality where their stupid little plan succeeds. But that wouldn’t hurt the Animorphs. It would definitely affect their morale. But it didn’t mean a lot. They were still alive; all save for Tobias. I could claim victory there. But what difference did one person or bird make? There were still five of them. Five enemies, if you don’t count Visser Three. I had to watch my back, especially when I would be spending the night at the Berenson house. That Rachel was one crazy ****. I should definitely expect her crawling into my room one night, armed with a fork, or a knife, or whatever utensil she could find lying around her kitchen. Nothing was beneath Rachel.
     So, after Marco and Cassie and the Andalite hit the road, I walked into the Berenson house with my cousins. I was already morphed Saddler. It wasn’t difficult, really. Usually morphing takes a few minutes. I guess it’s different when you’re morphing someone of the same species, because the progression from David to Saddler was almost instantaneous. But, then again, we do look something alike.
     We were all seated around the kitchen table. My aunt Jean made a special meal. After all, it was a special occasion, wasn’t it? The miraculous recovery of their nephew? And Saddler’s parents were just all over me. My mother kept telling me that she would never let me leave the house ever again; not without a helmet, and a plastic bubble. Saddler’s siblings were just annoying though. I mean, their brother was on the verge of death, and they were still acting like pests. Some respect they had.
     “Can I just say something,” Jake’s father said, rising to his feet and holding a glass. “We’ve all had a really terrible few days, haven’t we? Well, that goes without saying. I’m not really great at making toasts…My wife’s the writer…Anyways, I just wanted to say that I’m just grateful to be eating dinner with you all tonight. I realized what family really means after this past week. It’s a really special thing. Lord knows where I’d be without Jean, or Tom and Jake. I’m just extremely thankful, to be so blessed. And, Saddler, I wish you good health. Lord knows, you deserve it.”
     Well…I wasn’t expecting that…
     Everyone was patting me on the back, and talking to me in really soft, loving tones. Saddler’s mother was crying. And the meal was really nice, too. Jake’s mom prepared steaks with potatoes and a salad. And they had all sorts of deserts, too. It got to the point where all the laughing, and crying and eating were just too much to handle. Suddenly, it was getting really hard to breath.
     “Hey, son,” Saddler’s father said. “Where are you going?”
     “I’m going to the bathroom.” I said, feigning a smile.
     “Well, hurry back. Don’t try to disappear on us twice, Mr.” Jake’s dad joked.
     And, just as I left the room, I thought I heard Rachel say something along the lines of, “That would be a tragedy, wouldn’t it?”

[SuperBlue]

oh lord....is the little creep gonna turn good at the end of this...? wait...don't tell me!

[TobiasMasonPark]

JAKE
     David just got up and left the dinner table.
     I knew what Rachel would do. She would ask to be excused and follow David to the bathroom—if he even went to the bathroom—and she’d do something drastic. And I had about two seconds to think over whether or not I should tell her not to. David had crossed the line with his recent decision to take over Saddler’s life. We needed to do something, and fast. Only, we couldn’t just attack David. The kid was too smart, and he was expecting us now. And we couldn’t exactly take him out at any given moment. Saddler’s parents would want to go home soon. And we still had the Yeerks to consider. One enemy was enough; two…well, that’s just a whole other war, isn’t it?
     Rachel was about to get up.
     “No…don’t. Just…don’t.” I whispered to her. “Not now.”
     Rachel made a nice save by pretending to reach for a second helping of potatoes. The parents were laughing and making small talk. Saddler’s siblings were pinching and snapping at each other. It was aggravating. I had a major headache by this point and an unsettling feeling in my stomach. The headache started after David jumped out of that sewer pipe back at the construction site. That queasy feeling I got in the pit of my stomach that was from watching Saddler’s parents hugging and kissing their son. It made me sick. It made me want to just scream out “he’s a fraud! Your real son is dead!” But you can’t do that; not when you’re the leader. And not when the parents of the dead kid were so happy that they had their son back. And why should anyone take that away from them?
     Still…I couldn’t help but think about what David did to Saddler’s body. Did he chuck it down the elevator shaft, after knocking out those doctors? Or what if he disposed of Saddler another way…I’ve heard some scary stuff about people getting dismembered; their remains hidden for years and years before anyone discovered them. For all we know, the war could end twenty years from now, and Saddler’s parents will hear that their real son died a long time ago.
     I was starting to think that he chose the noble route and skipped town. Maybe he was starting to feel guilty about what he was doing to Saddler’s family. I thought that, maybe, just maybe, David would regain a shred of humanity.
     But David came back ten minutes later. He took his seat in between his mother and Tom. He looked shaky. He didn’t have that ****y smile on his face anymore. And he was picking at his food like a three year old. It looked almost human of him. And it was nice to think that David might actually feel remorse.
     Then Rachel ruined it.
     “So Saddler, do you remember anything from before you came to?”
     David was visibly thrown. “Not really. It was all a blur.”
     “Well, I’ve heard a lot about people in comas.” She said. “Sometimes they remember things they shouldn’t; conversations that other people had while the person was comatose.”
     David gave Rachel a long, hard stare. The guilt I thought I saw in him was gone. He was looking at Rachel as if to say, “You want to fight? Fine, let’s fight. It’s go time.”
     “Actually, there was something.” David said, quietly. “It was sometime before the doctors were rushing to emergency. I saw someone…They were distorted. I couldn’t make out the features of their face. All I could see was that the person had blonde hair. It might have been an angel… They were walking alongside me, telling me that it would be alright. They said I might be different after I woke up, but I’d be alright. They said…your family loves you. And…And they told me something weird…”
     “What did they say, honey?” Saddler’s mother asked mouth agape.
     “Jake and Rachel.” David answered. “He said Jake and Rachel…That’s it. All they told me was Jake and Rachel.”
     Everyone turned to face us, like we had an answer.

[SuperBlue]

....that little bastard....Lol I'm so into this story! It seems like a real ani book

[TobiasMasonPark]

RACHEL
   “Well…that is interesting.” Jake said.
    “Sounds kind of dull, if you ask me.” I mumbled.
     “Rachel.” My mother snapped.
     “Hey, the kid had a near-death experience. I just thought he’d have a much more interesting vision.” I said, twisting my fork in my mashed potatoes. “Say, Saddler, did you see God?”
     “Shut up, Rachel.” Jake mumbled. He was pretending to take a drink from his cup to hide the fact that he was talking.
     “And I was just blown away by how quickly you recovered.” I continued. “I mean, the doctors said you were pretty much done; a goner, really. And you’re right here with us, eating dinner. Weird.”
     “I got lucky.” David said, tightly. “Someone must be watching out for me.”
     I laughed. “But it’s like eerie, how fast you recovered. I mean, everybody was saying how bad you looked. You don’t have a scratch on you!”
     “That is weird…” Tom said. “What did you say he looked like, dad?”
     “I think you said he looked like a piece of hamburger meat.” I answered. “Right, Uncle Steve?”
     “Well…what I meant was…”
     “Shut up, Rachel.” Jake warned me.
     “Look, Rachel,” David sighed. “I don’t have the answers you want. I can’t explain how I got better so quickly. I know…I know that right now, in any other scenario, I should be…well, you know. But I’m not. I don’t know how or why, but I was given a second chance. Someone or something is watching out for me, and I’m grateful to that person. I mean, I was in real bad shape. You seem sceptical, that’s fine—that’s your belief. But this whole experience has made me see everything in a whole other light. I mean, I’m sitting here with my parents, my siblings, and my cousins. What more could a guy want?”
     “Here, here.” Jake’s father said. “I should have had this kid write my speech.”
     And everyone was laughing and talking and eating like everything was fine and dandy. Everyone was treating David like some amazing hero. All eyes were on the kid who looked like Saddler. And that was exactly what David wanted.
     “You miserable little—“
     Jake jabbed me in the ribs with his fork.
     “What was that, Rachel?” my mother asked.
     “I said…”
     Jake jabbed me a second time; harder.
     “It’s getting pretty late.” My mother said, suddenly. “The girls have school in the morning.”
     And my mother went on about how great it was to see Saddler’s family again, and how she was glad to see that Saddler was well. Meanwhile, as everyone was standing around the door, putting on their shoes and coats and likeminded apparel, Jake pulled me into the next hallway.
     “Have you lost your mind?” He asked in a hushed whisper. “Did you hear how suspicious Tom sounded after you started freaking out at Saddler?”
     “He’s not Saddler.” I said flatly.
     “No, he’s not.” Jake agreed, angrily. “Not to me and you. But to your mother, and my parents and Tom, especially, he is and has always been Saddler. We have to make sure that Tom keeps thinking that way, Rachel.”
     “If you expect me to just sit at a stupid dinner table and pretend that David is Saddler, then you’re out of your mind. We tried Cassie’s way. It didn’t work. Now, I’m trying things my way.”
     “You’re not going to do a single thing.” Jake said. “Not unless you run it by the group first.”
     “I thought we already talked about this, cousin.” I said, waspishly. “You don’t give me orders.”
     And I followed my mother and sisters out the door.

[SuperBlue]

...I love you Rachel...I will fight Tobias for you!

Fun Fact: I actually thought she was making Tom suspicious on purpose...but if Saddler(David) was found out then that would smell trouble for the Anis as well

[TobiasMasonPark]

     AX

     It was rather uncomfortable, standing there in my human morph with Marco, Cassie and Tobias, keeping to his post on a high branch on a tree across from Jake's house. Marco, of course, made many attempts at humour, but his jokes were beyond my understanding. I don't believe either Cassie or Tobias found his jokes funny either. So, we all stood in what I would describe as an uncomfortable silence.

     "So...what are the odds that Davey boy just went and ate everyone in Jake's family?" Marco said, suddenly.

     "That's not a funny thing to say, Marco." Cassie told him.

     "I wasn't trying to be funny, actually." Marco mumbled.

     <David wouldn't blow his cover.> Tobias said. <He's got us where he wants us. And, besides, he has no reason to just come out and attack anyone. He's got us running scared.>

     "Then again, David's insane." Marco reminded him.

     <And then there's that...> Tobias.

     And, once more, we were waiting in silence. Waiting for Prince Jake and Rachel to give us the "all clear", as Marco put it. Waiting for the moment we would all have to meet again and discuss the David issue. Waiting around to discuss whether or not we would give David the Escafil Device or not. Though, I did not expect Prince Jake to give up the box; not to David, not to Visser Three. Jake was our leader. Despite David's threats towards most of the Animorph's families, Jake would not hand over the Escafil Device. He, of all people, knew the consequences of doing such a thing. We were in a war, and war was not easy. One must make decisions that decide the fates of many people. Sometimes, despite his morals, a soldier must kill; be it one man, or many men, or an entire planet. The one thing that counts in war is victory. The only problem is that both sides wish to be victorious over the other.

     Thankfully, Marco was the one to bring up the question.

     "Alright, if we're just going to stand here twiddling our thumbs, we should at least do something productive."

     <Do you want us to just storm the place?> Tobias asked.

     "You know what I mean. We have to talk about the Ultimatum David gave us. You heard him, he's serious about this. He's going to go after our families."

     <Jake already told him that he wasn't going to fork over the box.> Tobias said.

     "That was before. I bet Jake's going to say different when David hands his parents over to Visser Three." Marco reminded him. "Listen, this might not mean much to you, or even Ax, but it does to me. And it does to Jake, and Rachel and Cassie. You see, we have people to go home to. We can't risk having them handed to the Yeerks. I already lost my mother, and that was before I could do anything about it. I'm not just going to let them take my dad."

     "We could just give him the box." Cassie said, thoughtfully.

     "Excuse me?" Marco said, exasperated. "Have you gone crazy?"

     "David made it clear that he only wants the box. He's clearly not interested in the war, or the Yeerks. Obviously, he's forgotten about his parents. If we give him the box, he might just leave with Saddler's family and we won't have to deal with him."

     "Sure, that sounds great." Marco said, sarcastically. "We had a psycho the box. That way, he finds other pyschos and gives them the morphing ability. I can totally understand why you would want to give him the box. No, really. It makes perfect sense. But have you considered the teeny weeny fact that David might just hand the box over to Visser Three in exchange for his parents?"

     "If he did, I wouldn't blame him." Cassie said. "He didn't ask to get involved in any of this."

     "Newsflash, Cassie: none of us did." Marco snapped. "But we didn't go crazy like David."

     Once again, we stood in silence. I decided that it was time for me to speak. And, since Jake was temporarily absent, I did not feel the need to seek permission to do so.

     <It is quite the dilemma.> I sighed. <Prince Jake could decide to keep the box, and risk exposure to the Yeerks, or the possible harm to his family, and the families of Rachel, Cassie and Marco. However,> I continued. <We could give the box to David, without knowing what he intends to do with it.>

     <So what do you think we should do?> Tobias asked.

     <It is not my decision to make. I will do whatever Prince Jake commands.> I answered.

     "Well, pretend you didn't have to answer to Jake." Marco snapped. "Express your opinion."

     I hesitated before answering, knowing it would upset my friends.

     <I wouldn't give the box to David.> I said, finally. <Despite the risk it poses to all your families, I feel that giving the Escafil Device to David could only result in trouble.>

     "And what if all of this was happening on your planet, Ax-man?" Marco asked. "What if we were the ones saying 'Screw it,' when it meant that your parents were in jeopardy?"

     <I would not give over the box.> I said.

     Marco gave me a look that said he didn't believe me. In fact, I wasn't sure I believed what I had said.

     "Right. Well, in that case, I'm out." Marco said.

     <Sorry?> Tobias asked.

     "Obviously, we've all made our decision. Mine's to get my dad somewhere safe. Whatever happens to the planet..." he shrugged, "Let's just hope your people get here quick, Ax-man."

     "You can't be serious, Marco." Cassie said. "You don't mean it."

     "Hark, do I hear the cry of the hypocrite?" Marco said, cupping his ear. "Am I mistaken, or did you not leave the group a few weeks ago over your little morals?"   


     To which Cassie had nothing to say.

     "That's what I thought." Marco said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm heading home. We wait until Jake calls for us to get together. Until then...well, I can't say it's been fun."

     And Marco stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants and walked down the street; away from Jake's home.

     <I'd better tell Jake.> Tobias said. <He's not going to like this.>     

     

     

[SuperBlue]

*shivers with excitement over the next chapter*

[TobiasMasonPark]

     Glad to hear that you liked it.

     I wasn't sure--and still don't think-- if Marco would react this way. I mean, yea, he would be concerned for his dad, but would he just leave like he did? I don't think so. And I'm not sure if I wrote Cassie like K.A.A would. I don't know.

[SuperBlue]

I actually think you got Cassie down perfectly