Animorphs in an alterate universe.

[Quickest Hands ever]

   You wouldnt believe my story if I told it to you. My name is Cj, thats all you will get from me or my friends. I wish I could tell you more I really do, but if I did then they would find me. Who are they, why all the mystery you ask, well let me fill you in, Earth is being invaded. Thats right invaded by aliens, and theye are nothing like Hollywood has made them out to be. Picture a slug about 6 inches long and flat with feelers coming off its head and fin looking extremides for movement.Let me guess, your saying oh they cant be that bad, yeah well your wrong as hell. They take over your brain and then controll you or whoever they can. They get into your ear and crawl in and latch onto the back of your brain, at that point its game over.
   I didnt believe it either but while out on my own (this is where you all come in, with your own bit on how you came to get the powers if you didnt know) I all heard this voice in my head and out of it at the same time. It explained to me just what I did to you. It was an amazing event, though I heard it there was pictures in my head as well, almost like a stort was being told. He told me that I had been chosen to fight them, the others that he would choose later, and to fight them he would give us the ability to morph. Thats right morph, we can change into anything, that is alive, any animal that is as long as we touch it. Pretty cool huh, we thought so, there is a draw back, we can only morph for two hours at a time or we are stuck like that forever.
   That was  five years ago, when I was twenty two. In that year, many battles had been waged, though not always with the outcome in mind. I felt like a grizzled veteran, more so than the members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in which I was a member when I first heard the voice. If I told you that I didn't go to them for their stories to try and gleam some bit of advice on how to fight this covert war I would be lieing to you. They taught me more about guerrilla warfare than any book ever could. That advice along with the battles themselves have made me who I am. There are a few of us now, and as I was the first one to hear this voice in our small group they elected me their leader, something that though Im not sure I deserve at times I know it was always meant to happen.

[Gankhruun]

I sighed as I entered the animal park. More like a zoo really but these last couple of years had really changed my perspective on animals. You see, I can morph into any animal that I touched. Confused? Don't worry, you'll know soon. My name's Jayce but please call me Jay. Jayce makes me sound like one of those male teenagers whose parents gave them an effeminate name.

I took a turn after I had paid my entrance fee and noted one of the passing zoo keepers. I looked at his head and thought, 'Yeerk?'. Hmm, let me backtrack. I was chosen years ago by some omnipotent being that an invasion was happening. That's right, not like War of the Worlds though. The combatants weren't flying squid like machines but little slugs that could take control of a host body. That's their biggest weapon and right now the 'body' was us... humans. Total control and I wasn't sure if they could be beat but we were doing all we can. That's why I was here at the zoo. I was going to meet Cj to see how things were. I was part of the little group of Animorphs that had been rebelling the invasion all this time. Our leader, Cj had been doing it longer than I have though. I had only joined nearly a year ago but I had gone through so much with him as our leader, making all the life and death decisions but everything has worked out. I'm here and breathing and that was all that matters I think. Cj is not only our leader though, he's also one of my good friends even though he's old and wrinkly... kidding. But he's old enough to have a career while I was still jumbling maths and English in high school.

I took a left and headed towards the Reptile House where I'd gotten the message to meet him there.

[Quickest Hands ever]

I was standing outside the reptile house, checking my watch for what felt like the millionth time in two minutes. Jayce wasnt late, I was early I kept telling myself at least until I spotted him walking my way. Though he was younger than me by more than a few years I considered him to be one of my good friends, he had joined the war a year ago and had proved himself on more than one occasion. Today would be another step forward for him, it was going to be his first time acquiring a snake. The snake that he would acquire was up to him, I had a rattle snake myself, I was interested in what he would pick. As he came closer I shook his hand and led him into the employees area so that he could pick, but more importantly could do it without being seen. We had to do almost everything in secret  there was no telling who was a controller.

[Gankhruun]

I spotted CJ ahead and smiled, waving above my head to catch his attention

"Hey! Sup CJ?" I asked, my face brightening at seeing a familiar face.

Usually my face was blank or as if my parents have died and I'd fallen into a dark depression but I'm not's not that. It was hard sometimes, trying to be genuinely nice and kind to random strangers when you might be thinking you're being nice to a slug like species intending to doom all of mankind. But maybe you would say they're also human? I get that, I know but I can't get past the fact that there might be a slug in their heads.

I didn't actually know why CJ had called for me here but when it was the Reptile House I was beginning to get the heebie jeebies. I hoped CJ wasn't going to do what I was starting to think he was but my smile didn't lessen. Sometimes keeping a strong face was way better than looking fearful or worried.

[Quickest Hands ever]

"Whats going on Jayce, school go ok," I asked as we walked in, I could tell he was nervous but he was braving it out. "Listen I hate to do this but we need another reptile morph, whether you want it to be a snake or what its up to you. We need the low body heat. The Yeerks are getting smarter with how they hunt us down when we are spying on them."

[Gankhruun]

"Well as you've probably been hearing me complain all the time..." I inhaled, preparing myself for what I was going to say next, "School is boring, my English teacher has it in for me, I'm failing maths, the cafeteria food tastes like it was blended with cardboard to cut costs, my friends want me to go on a week long camping trip..." I stopped there, turning my head away at the last complaint on my list of complaints about school. I couldn't go of course because my priorities was with the Animorphs. Sure, I still have some form of a social life but it was crumbling. I found it hard to talk to people normally anymore. I was beginning to be paranoid over who I could trust ever since I knew about the invasion and had done my first mission but CJ probably already knew or suspected it. I was going down a slow descent to dehumanisation but our race was at stake. I couldn't stop and think about all the small things so I just shrugged and gave CJ a fleeting smile, "You know, the usual. If I'm smart enough to figure it out, and trust me I'm smart when I wanna be, that you brought me here to... 'get' something."

I exhaled slowly to chill my nerves but I nodded, walking into the Reptile House. It had a Australian-them to it. The walls of the exhibit was painted to look like bark with dot paintings of reptiles. There were sections of the room for different kinds of animals, some of them walled by clear glass with the top open ended so we could see the reptiles without anything blocking the way... it would be simple to just reach down and touch a reptile and I think that's what I was going to do.

"A lizard I think..." I suggested as i made my way towards the nearest glass exhibit, looking for a reptile that was resting close enough for me to poke at. I looked around, hoping for CJ to keep watch as I made sure no one was looking this way. I didn't make it obvious of course in case the security cameras caught it suspicious but I boldly leaned over the glass boundary and extended my finger to strike the head of a Frill-Neck and begun to acquire it. I played it out as if I was some rebel high schooler trying to get up close and personal with a lizard but I guess that was what I was doing.

After I was finished I pulled back and turned to CJ, "I got it." My eyes darted around the exhibit after that, looking at all the families, couples, kids that were walking around observing the reptiles. Were any of them yerks? Or Animorphs? It was hard to tell. We were hoping we had a way to tell but it wasn't easy.

[Quickest Hands ever]

I led Jayce out, thinking to myself the whole time. Until now I knew it had to be hard on him with school and friends ontop of doing what we did but it hadnt hit me until now. "Jayce listen, go with your friends just make sure that you have a cell signal and your own ride incase we need you. There hasnt been any new intel lately on the yeerks trying anything so it should be ok. As for school though, if you want I could morph gorilla or something like that and scare your teacher. Hey wait do you still have show and tell I could be your pet and lift her till she promises you an A, that and math too." I laughed trying to ease what he was feeling.

"Seriously though you know if you want to go you can, we can handle this for a week and if you need help with school I do know some stuff still. I cant promise Ill know it all but some of it Im sure to know." I reached into my wallet as we passed a vendor and said "Want anything its on me?"

[Quickest Hands ever]

The yeerk known as Sunsir 213 was mad, he had finally been giving a host after years of wait. Though it was better than the pool he had known his entire life. He had been hoping for something more exciting maybe a hork bajir, or even a human with an exciting job, but this host was a janitor at a zoo as the human called it. The subvisser told him that it was an important job though as the andalite bandits had Earth animal morphs that could have only come from here.

That settled him a bit, he was doing something  for the Empire, though in the two months that he had been here he had seen nothing strange. He had made a few acquaintances with this host to help him, one of them CJ, as the human was called helped run the Zoo, he had control over all the animals. CJ was nice enough to show him around and help him when he could, though he said he hadnt heard of any disturbances with the cages. In all though the human was helpful he was useless without a yeerk in his brain.

[Gankhruun]

Jayce perked up when CJ used his full name of which he knew he didn't like so it must've been serious.

"No, it's okay CJ." I was shaking my head to announce my disapproval. "My place is here. I can make it up to them some other way anyway so it should be fine." I was hoping CJ wouldn't push it any further than he had to. I knew I wouldn't be able to be myself if I didn't know what was happening with the group. It kind of worried me what I've started to become but again I didn't let it get the best of me. I tried to laugh at CJ's jokes but my soul wasn't in it. I know he was trying to cheer me up so I played my part in turn though it did lift me up a little. "Nah, I can handle the grades though I would so take up on your offer for food. I hope you have a fat wallet 'cause I'm about to blow your funds with the mega burger I'm gonna order." I snickered this time, finding the familiar feeling of mirth bubbling in me.

At the vender, I made it obvious I was giving him a look while at the same time inhaling a breath, similiarly to explaining something long or huge. I was hoping to freak him out, making him think I was going to order everything on the menu but then, "I'll just have a cheese burger with extra pickles and a coke." It was nice having someone else pay, especially CJ 'cause you know... he actually works for his dough.

[Quickest Hands ever]

I laughed a bit "thats it? Wow you are cheap Jay" I ordered the same thing and led him away, not really wanting to be heard for the next part of the conversation, "Listen, youve been doing this for a year now, and your doing great dont get me wrong, your like my second hand. I want to know though how are you? I know this can be rough on someone, at times I think the only thing that kept me from losing my mind is that I had been in war before. Yeah it was a different kind of war but far, but war none the less." 

[Gankhruun]

I accepted my order, a pickle filled cheeseburger in one hand and a luke warm coke in the other. Eugh, lukewarm? Man they need to replace their fridge. I followed CJ to some off beaten path that lead to the least populated part of the zoo, biting on my burger as I walked. I swalloed and give CJ a quirked eyebrow. It was touching of him I suppose to be so worried. I turned my head away so he wouldn't see the uncertainty on my face. Truth was I wasn't sure how I was. So many things were messed up in my life now that the invasion happened. Not like they were clean and tidy before.

I simply placated CJ's concerns with a small laugh and told him not to be so worried. I put the coke can to my mouth and pulled on the tab with my teeth hearing the can hiss before drinking generously. "It's okay CJ, really. I'm fine. You should stop worrying or you'll be adding numbers to your age," I replied and taking another huge bite from my burger. "Sho heuuws ee hnnew guy ahn our irk pwace?" I attempted to divert the conversation with my mouth full of food. It was hard saying, 'how is the new guy at your work place?' with bread, cheese and pickles being turned into slush in my mouth.

[Quickest Hands ever]

I sighed,  I knew the answer but I wasnt sure how Jay would handle it, hell I was sure how I wanted to handle it myself. "Well like I said before, he is into the sharing a lot, as in he invites me to every meeting, asks a lot of questions about quote weird things that happen with the animals. Well all and all I decided to follow him one night and see where it went, well we were right, he is a controller. Whether its willing or not I dont know, I didnt want to risk going down there again. Not alone." I looked at him for a reaction, "any ideas on how we should play this?"

//
Sunsir 213 walked slowly by Cj and the kid that was sometimes with him, Cj had never mentioned any family so he took note of it. His host Jim did as well, after all he was a willing controller, his life sucked and he had wanted to become part of something better to belong and maybe someday matter.

[Gankhruun]

I listened thoughtfully, keeping pace with CJ as he explained. My eyes of course were focused ahead of me and casually looking over my shoulder. I was suspicious of everyone now-a-days but I tried not to make a big deal out of it. Not a lot were around us of course.

I swallowed, "Not sure at this point. He's just another controller out of many. It just means you'll be to be more careful around him now since we know for certain he's a controller and he works with you in the zoo." I replied voicing all the thoughts that had arisen as CJ spoke. As usual this was just another sign that the yeerk invasion was growing. Then I caught the attention of someone's eyes staring straight at us... and also walking towards us too. I quickly diverted my eyes away not to think that I was spying on him but I muttered under my breath, "Someone's approaching us."

[Quickest Hands ever]

I did a half turn as if looking for something and seen Jim walking towards us, I took Jay by the shoulder and said "ok just act like I am taking you home." I nodded to Jim as we walked passed but didnt stop to talk, not with Jay here I didnt want him having anything solid on Jay. I knew he had information on he, that I could deal with, I had done this three years on my own before the rest of the team started to form.

As we got into my car I started the engine and  started to drive away, "Thats him, hes a janitor at the zoo. We may need to do something now that he has seen you."

[Gankhruun]

I nodded at CJ's command then started to tug softy away from CJ's grip, "Awww but I didn't mean to throw that pickle at the animal! Honest... I was just feeding it!" I whined though I followed CJ to his windowless white van-- woops, spelling error. I meant I followed CJ to his car. I wasn't sure what was going on but I knew from CJ's response that the man was bad news. I dunked my half drunk coke in the bin as I passed by and started to munch down on the burger as an excuse not to talk. I wondered what CJ was going to do with his coke or burger?

I went in the passenger seat of his car, scrunching up my burger rapper and tucking it into the pocket of my brown jacket. I looked down at my faded blue jeans and groaned silently. I had fresh ketchup stains on it and on my white shirt as well. It probably looked very embarrassing but I attempted to wipe the stains off my white shirt. I knew how futile that was... ketchup stains on a white shirt? Might as well have had permanent marker drawn across it.

I turned to CJ who went into the driver seat and explained to me who the man was. I was a little confused, "The controller... but he doesn't know who we are. For all we know he probably thought I was just.... your friend? Unless there's something I don't know--" Before I could finish CJ's phone start to ring.

It must have been one of the others, one of our own. I turned my head to the zoo knowing one of them had probably turned up and realised we weren't there. We still had provide everyone a reptile morph, whatever CJ had planned.