Two clandestine wars for Earth, both involving aliens and transformations, have been fought in the shadows. Now, however, they are on the path for convergence, and none know where it shall lead.
Shifters of Flesh and Metal (Transformers Prime X Animorphs)
- Thread starter Flameal15k
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Two Wars, One World
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
AN: And now I am starting another story I really shouldn't be working on. Whoop dee doo.
Also, going forward with my stories, I am assuming you already know the important characters from each work and I won't try to introduce them anymore.
Lastly, speech in italics indicates thought-speak or Bumblebee speak.
XXXXX
"Time's up. Please stop working on your exams. The results should be posted online by Sunday. I hope all of you did as well as you thought you would. Have a nice day and enjoy the weekend."
As the bell signifying the end of the day's classes rang, a chorus of cheers erupted from the students of Memorial High School. Regardless of how they had done in class or on any exams they had, now was the time to enjoy freedom from the soul crushing experience that was high school. Now was the time for parties and goofing off! At least for the people who didn't want to study all weekend long.
Of course, some people had particularly odd ideas of what fun entailed.
XXXXX
"Wow. I thought that exam was going to be a lot harder, but I handled it like a pro!"
"First time I've heard that from you, Miko."
"There's always a first time for everything, Jack."
Glancing over at Raf, Jack merely nodded. "So, what're you doing this weekend?"
"Uh, watching monster trucks with Bulkhead, duh."
"Working on some coding for a project," was Rafael's answer. "Do you have to work?"
"Actually, no - I have this weekend off."
"Huh," went Miko. "Thought you'd have to pull another shift."
"I'm not going to question it."
"Hmph. You're the total opposite of my cousin there - she really seems to love working at a fast food place."
"...You have a cousin who works in fast food?"
"She only started two months ago. And it never felt right to mention that."
The boys of the trio shared a look before shrugging.
"What does she like about it?"
"Everything, somehow. Especially her supervisor - I think she has a crush on him."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah, weird, I know. Come on - don't want to keep our friends waiting, now do we?"
Making their way outside, the trio found their rides waiting - Raf climbed into a yellow and black car, Miko scrambled into a green and grey SUV, while Jack climbed onto his blue motorcycle.
Before Jack could do anything to start up the 'cycle, though, someone decided to speak up.
"Jack, meeting at base, now. Something important from Fowler."
"Really? Alright, let's get going then."
Within moments, the trio of vehicles headed off.
XXXXX
It took a fair amount of driving, but eventually, the trio reached their target - a mountain that housed a now abandoned missile silo. Driving through a hidden entrance, the teens and child hastily exited their vehicles before said machines transformed into a tree of robots - autonomous robotic organisms from planet Cybertron, to be specific.
"Ratchet, were here. What's the situation?"
"We've found a new energon deposit," spoke the Autobot medic. "It appears to be located somewhere in California."
"Really?" asked Bumblebee. "Good news for sure, but it doesn't seem urgent."
Ratchet was ready to continue, but before he could, another bot came forward - a red and blue autobot with a stoic yet reassuring presence. This was the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime.
"The urgency of this discovery is not the discovery itself, but who else has found it."
"Cons already beat us to it?" asked Bulkhead, only a hint of disappointment in his tone. "Then all we need to do is smash in, take what we can, and make sure the rest isn't useful to Megatron."
"It ain't the 'cons who are the problem here," spoke another voice, this one human. "Ratchet asked me to check, and this deposit is in an active quarry."
That was certainly a shock to the other humans in the room. "Wait, can't you just, like, use government authority or something to get them out of there? With compensation?"
"I was planning on that, Jack," was Fowler's reply, "but I don't think they'd be inclined to give up the quarry so easily."
"Why's that? Are the other materials in the quarry rare enough to make them want to draw things out for a better negotiation?" inquired Raf.
"The opposite, actually - there isn't any other minerals or ores in that quarry. Just energon."
It took the new arrivals a moment to process that statement, but once they did, more confusion followed. "Wait," asked Miko, "you mean that these people are only interested in the quarry because it has energon?"
"What else can I mean?"
"...You think its MECH?"
"We are unsure at the moment," was Optimus' reply, "however the possibility cannot be discarded. Whatever the reason, though, it is a cause for concern."
XXXXX
Speaking of said quarry, if one were to look down on it right now, they would find things to be rather strange.
As it happened, there were many workers going about, some using heavy machinery to dig into the earth, while others used vehicles to move the excavated crystals to a loading area for transportation elsewhere. What made this particularly peculiar was that several of the workers (specifically the guards) weren't human - some could best be described as lizards covered in sharp scaly fins and blades, while others looked more like giant ravenous centipedes. All of them, however, seemed fixated on the energon crystals being excavated.
"Why exactly does the Visser want these crystals mined out?" asked one of the workers. "They do not seem to have any particular value."
His superior's response was curt. "The crystals provide unprecented power when used as fuel. The Visser hopes to use these to further our war effort... and perhaps to show up Visser One."
Unnoticed by the guards, a hawk flew overhead, analyzing the area with its eyes, takng in everything that could be seen. Once they had accomplished their goal, the raptor flew off, headed in the direction of civilization.
"Everyone needs to know about this. Especially Jake - he'll know what to do."
XXXXX
AN: And so begins my Transformers Prime and Animorphs crossover!
Slow start, but I want to pace things out here.
Want to get this started before the creative juices are dead.
Also, thoughts?
This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Also, going forward with my stories, I am assuming you already know the important characters from each work and I won't try to introduce them anymore.
Lastly, speech in italics indicates thought-speak or Bumblebee speak.
XXXXX
"Time's up. Please stop working on your exams. The results should be posted online by Sunday. I hope all of you did as well as you thought you would. Have a nice day and enjoy the weekend."
As the bell signifying the end of the day's classes rang, a chorus of cheers erupted from the students of Memorial High School. Regardless of how they had done in class or on any exams they had, now was the time to enjoy freedom from the soul crushing experience that was high school. Now was the time for parties and goofing off! At least for the people who didn't want to study all weekend long.
Of course, some people had particularly odd ideas of what fun entailed.
XXXXX
"Wow. I thought that exam was going to be a lot harder, but I handled it like a pro!"
"First time I've heard that from you, Miko."
"There's always a first time for everything, Jack."
Glancing over at Raf, Jack merely nodded. "So, what're you doing this weekend?"
"Uh, watching monster trucks with Bulkhead, duh."
"Working on some coding for a project," was Rafael's answer. "Do you have to work?"
"Actually, no - I have this weekend off."
"Huh," went Miko. "Thought you'd have to pull another shift."
"I'm not going to question it."
"Hmph. You're the total opposite of my cousin there - she really seems to love working at a fast food place."
"...You have a cousin who works in fast food?"
"She only started two months ago. And it never felt right to mention that."
The boys of the trio shared a look before shrugging.
"What does she like about it?"
"Everything, somehow. Especially her supervisor - I think she has a crush on him."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah, weird, I know. Come on - don't want to keep our friends waiting, now do we?"
Making their way outside, the trio found their rides waiting - Raf climbed into a yellow and black car, Miko scrambled into a green and grey SUV, while Jack climbed onto his blue motorcycle.
Before Jack could do anything to start up the 'cycle, though, someone decided to speak up.
"Jack, meeting at base, now. Something important from Fowler."
"Really? Alright, let's get going then."
Within moments, the trio of vehicles headed off.
XXXXX
It took a fair amount of driving, but eventually, the trio reached their target - a mountain that housed a now abandoned missile silo. Driving through a hidden entrance, the teens and child hastily exited their vehicles before said machines transformed into a tree of robots - autonomous robotic organisms from planet Cybertron, to be specific.
"Ratchet, were here. What's the situation?"
"We've found a new energon deposit," spoke the Autobot medic. "It appears to be located somewhere in California."
"Really?" asked Bumblebee. "Good news for sure, but it doesn't seem urgent."
Ratchet was ready to continue, but before he could, another bot came forward - a red and blue autobot with a stoic yet reassuring presence. This was the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime.
"The urgency of this discovery is not the discovery itself, but who else has found it."
"Cons already beat us to it?" asked Bulkhead, only a hint of disappointment in his tone. "Then all we need to do is smash in, take what we can, and make sure the rest isn't useful to Megatron."
"It ain't the 'cons who are the problem here," spoke another voice, this one human. "Ratchet asked me to check, and this deposit is in an active quarry."
That was certainly a shock to the other humans in the room. "Wait, can't you just, like, use government authority or something to get them out of there? With compensation?"
"I was planning on that, Jack," was Fowler's reply, "but I don't think they'd be inclined to give up the quarry so easily."
"Why's that? Are the other materials in the quarry rare enough to make them want to draw things out for a better negotiation?" inquired Raf.
"The opposite, actually - there isn't any other minerals or ores in that quarry. Just energon."
It took the new arrivals a moment to process that statement, but once they did, more confusion followed. "Wait," asked Miko, "you mean that these people are only interested in the quarry because it has energon?"
"What else can I mean?"
"...You think its MECH?"
"We are unsure at the moment," was Optimus' reply, "however the possibility cannot be discarded. Whatever the reason, though, it is a cause for concern."
XXXXX
Speaking of said quarry, if one were to look down on it right now, they would find things to be rather strange.
As it happened, there were many workers going about, some using heavy machinery to dig into the earth, while others used vehicles to move the excavated crystals to a loading area for transportation elsewhere. What made this particularly peculiar was that several of the workers (specifically the guards) weren't human - some could best be described as lizards covered in sharp scaly fins and blades, while others looked more like giant ravenous centipedes. All of them, however, seemed fixated on the energon crystals being excavated.
"Why exactly does the Visser want these crystals mined out?" asked one of the workers. "They do not seem to have any particular value."
His superior's response was curt. "The crystals provide unprecented power when used as fuel. The Visser hopes to use these to further our war effort... and perhaps to show up Visser One."
Unnoticed by the guards, a hawk flew overhead, analyzing the area with its eyes, takng in everything that could be seen. Once they had accomplished their goal, the raptor flew off, headed in the direction of civilization.
"Everyone needs to know about this. Especially Jake - he'll know what to do."
XXXXX
AN: And so begins my Transformers Prime and Animorphs crossover!
Slow start, but I want to pace things out here.
Want to get this started before the creative juices are dead.
Also, thoughts?
This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Contact
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
AN: I'm going to try saving most author's notes for after a chapter is finished, but there are some things I want to clarify right now so that the rest of the plot makes sense:
1. Elfangor and Cliffjumper are still alive in this story. Elfangor had many different ways to escape dying by becoming Visser chow in canon (morphing and having his ship burrow into the ground are two options), so here I am assuming he took them (canon does seem to imply that he wanted to die by the time he passed the box to the animorphs). As for Cliff, still working on that, but I'm trying to reconcile all of the bits of the Aligned Continuity (Prime, War for Cybertron, and Fall of Cybertron being the big ones), which means that Megatron already had access to Dark Energon by the time the Ark and Nemesis left for Earth. For the purposes of this story, he used some dead vehicons to test out his necromancer powers. Cliff is still alive, but he's currently comatose so that I can have more time to think about what I want to do with him.
2. David did not get the morphing power in this story. The Animorphs kept the box with them when the left the construction site. David is still living in peaceful obliviousness with his parents.
3. Timeline wise, this story starts somewhere in Season 2 of Prime and after The Departure for Animorphs.
4. Jake is still in charge of the Animorphs - Elfangor has had enough of being the one in charge and is merely the mentor to the group. It also means that he can be more at ease around Tobias - who is not yet aware that Elfangor is his dad (I forgot which book that happens in).
5. Just a clarification note, but I'm using italics for both Bumblebee Speech and Thought Speak because trying to emulate the thought speech from Animorphs gets the text eaten by FFN.
With that out of the way, onto the actual chapter!
XXXXX
"So you're saying that the Yeerks are using a quarry to dig up crystals?"
Jake took that in for a moment, before glancing at the two Andalites in the room. "Is there any Yeerk technology that uses crystals?"
"No, Prince Jake."
"If the Yeerks have begun to use crystal-derived technology, it is a new development."
Jake sighed - great, something they were completely in the dark about! That described most situations they were in, but now even Ax and Elfangor were unable to get help. Just perfect.
"So, what's the plan, Jake?"
Jake just stared at the hawk that was now his friend. "Plan? I just got the information from you!"
Jake glared at the hawk that his friend had been forced into. Before things could go any further, though, Marco decided to speak up. "Couldn't we just...use smaller morphs to sneak in and observe?"
Everyone turned their attention to Marco. "Look, I know how things have ended up when we've morphed bugs, but if the Yeerks are working on something new, we need to get an understanding of it right now. So much as I hate saying it, I think we need to take the risk."
The group shared another glance before nodding. It seemed they were going in.
XXXXX
Back at the dig site, the Yeerk forces were still at work extracting the energon crystals from the ground. Human, Hork Bajir, Taxxon, each did their part to harvest every last fragment from the quarry.
Unnoticed by all of them, though, was the blue motorcycle that had pulled up on a cliff overlooking the area. Alien optics examined the pit, taking note of every detail.
"Optimus, Ratchet, this is Arcee, I'm at the quarry. Bee and Bulkhead are nearby."
"Understood," spoke Ratchet. "What do you see?"
"So far, just humans. They don't look like MECH - uniforms don't match. But they're armed, and whatever's going on here, they clearly know what they're doing."
"We here you, Arcee," was Optimus' reply. "Bulkhead, Bumblebee, what do you see?"
"Lot of heavy equipment here," noted the Wrecker. "Most of its excavation related, but I am see some aircraft her that don't look civilian. Or human."
"Cybertronian?"
"Nah - looks kinda like an insecticon, but it definitely ain't alive."
Back at the base, Jack glanced at Fowler. "I know you work with the Autobots, but have you ever encountered any aliens besides them?"
"As far as I can tell, no. We did get a call in Caifornia about a supposed UFO crashing in a construction site, but no evidence in favor of aliens was found when Unit: E arrived there, and we found no evidence of a coverup. Other investigations just proved that point."
"Um, team? There's something you should know."
Raf perked up immediately. "Bee, what is it?"
"I see...a group of squirrels."
"...What?"
"A group of squirrels that are acting very weird."
"Define weird," spoke an incredulous Ratchet.
"Well, they're watching the workers with a look that looks way more attentive than a rodent should have."
"I have my doubts that this is something you should be noting-"
"And they're moving. They went behind some bushes and...what?"
"Bee, what is it?"
"I just saw seven squirrels go into those bushes...and seven humans come out of them. And no, I didn't see any humans go behind those bushes earlier."
The Autobots and their human allies were silent. None of them had any idea how to take that statement.
Eventually, it was Fowler who found the will to speak. "Where are they going?"
"Looks like the main office of the dig site."
"Where we can't follow," noted the former ranger. "Scrap."
"Uh, what about is?"
Fowler turned to Miko and an incredulous Jack.
"Miko, are you crazy. Do you remember how badly things have gone for us when we try to tag along with the Autobots?"
"Yes, but since the bots don't have any mini-bots..."
"Minicons," corrected Ratchet.
"...Then they aren't going to be able to help out here. But we can."
"No way. I am not risking you kids out there."
Optimus, however, saw things differently. "Agent Fowler, while I do not wish to risk the children by having them aid is, this may be an occasion where their help is a necessity to understand what we are facing."
Fowler stared at Prime for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. But I ain't covering things for you with June if this goes wrong."
Miko squeed in excitement while Jack merely nodded. "I understand."
XXXXX
"Why exactly does Visser Three want this material again? I do not remember any of our projects relying on crystals," spoke one controller.
The controller serving as foreman practically rolled her eyes - why did people keep asking the same stupid questions all the time?! "It was determined that this crystalline substance has enormous energy storage properties that allow it to function as extremely long lasting power supplies. Visser Three believes that they could enhance the energy efficiency on several of our vehicles and weapon systems. Also, he may be doing this to, as humans say, get a leg up on Visser One."
Unnoticed by the controllers, seven bats roosted above them, giving them a perfect position to listen in on the conversation, banal as it was. Needless to say, the Animorphs were...rather disappointed by what they heard.
"Seriously?" Asked Rachel. "This stuff is just fuel? Plain old fuel, not something for a super weapon?"
"Armies run on their stomachs," noted Cassie. "And for machines, the same applies, but with fuel."
"This is an excellent discovery," noted Elfangor, "but I believe it also poses a new problem."
Jake glanced at the Andalite Prince. "Specifically?"
"How do we destroy this place?"
The Animorphs all went silent at that. The reasoning was two fold - moral and practical. The only way to ensure the Yeerks could not exploit the crystalline fuel deposit was by destroying it completely. At best, this would require an enormous amount of weapons or explosives. And it would also mean killing many people, most of whom had done nothing to warrant death other than be controlled by a Yeerk (which wasn't a crime unless it was done willingly).
"...We can figure that out later, let's get out of here."
Deciding that leaving that topic for another day was the best course of action, the group slowly crawled out of the room, eventually moving into a hallway to demorph - swifter forms would be better for an escape.
XXXXX
"Raf, it's Jack. Miko and me are just outside the building."
"Alright. Be careful - no telling what's inside there."
"Plus we'll have to find our mystery people," noted Miko. "It's not like there going to walk right out the door."
As soon as she said that, seven humans walked right out the door and found themselves looking at the duo.
"...I spoke too soon."
For a moment, silence filled the air - the nine humans all unsure how to react.
That question was soon answered when a guard came upon them. For a moment, they too were silent, but then they pulled a radio up to their mouth. "Andalite bandits!"
"Crap/scrap," thought the nine.
"Run!" Shouted both Jake and Jack, which resulted in the nine going into a mad dash as the dig site was put on high alert.
"Jack, what happened?!"
"A guard saw us and the seven we were following. Everyone's on alert now. Arcee, Bulkhead, Bee, we need pickup now!"
"We hear! Raf, give us their location ASAP!"
The conversation continued, but Jack paid it no mind, instead focusing on maneuvering his way through the vegetation that surrounded the quarry. Nearby, the leader of the seven they had been following was doing the same, with the rest of them not far behind. They ran as fast as they could, but there was some awareness that they might not be able to escape on just their feet.
Jack and Miko, of course, had a workaround. "Arcee, how's pickup coming along?"
"As well as it can. Listen, there's a campsite up ahead, we'll pick you up there. Try to get the group you were following to calm down before them. We'll be over in three minutes."
"No ground bridge?"
"Too any witnesses."
"Fair enough." Ending the call, Jack turned to his counterpart. "Look, I know you don't have a reason to trust me, but we have people coming to pick us up in three minutes. If you wait with us at the campsite ahead, they'll take you too."
The leader of the seven opened his mouth to say something, but stopped before a word was spoken. A second passed, before he finally let out a sigh. "Alright, we'll follow you." Then his attention turned to the group. "Guys, these two have help coming to get them out of here. They offered to take us along."
"Are we really going to trust the people we just met?" Intoned Marco.
"I don't think we have a choice," was Jake's retort.
The rest of the Animorphs weren't happy with that remark, but also knew that Jake had a point. And thus, reluctantly, they formed in and made their way to the campsite.
Unfortunately, just before they reached the area, they found an unwelcome sight - a group of human controllers blocking their way.
Miko glanced at Jack. "Think we can go around."
"Group's too big. Maybe distract them?"
"You said the group's too big. They'll just send one guard to investigate. And I'm pretty sure talking our way out is not an option."
"Nope," confirmed Jake. "I think we'll have to fight."
"How," asked Jack. Instead of answering, though, Jake closed his eyes and focused.
And then he started changing.
XXXXX
AN: Well that happened fast.
Thoughts?
Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
1. Elfangor and Cliffjumper are still alive in this story. Elfangor had many different ways to escape dying by becoming Visser chow in canon (morphing and having his ship burrow into the ground are two options), so here I am assuming he took them (canon does seem to imply that he wanted to die by the time he passed the box to the animorphs). As for Cliff, still working on that, but I'm trying to reconcile all of the bits of the Aligned Continuity (Prime, War for Cybertron, and Fall of Cybertron being the big ones), which means that Megatron already had access to Dark Energon by the time the Ark and Nemesis left for Earth. For the purposes of this story, he used some dead vehicons to test out his necromancer powers. Cliff is still alive, but he's currently comatose so that I can have more time to think about what I want to do with him.
2. David did not get the morphing power in this story. The Animorphs kept the box with them when the left the construction site. David is still living in peaceful obliviousness with his parents.
3. Timeline wise, this story starts somewhere in Season 2 of Prime and after The Departure for Animorphs.
4. Jake is still in charge of the Animorphs - Elfangor has had enough of being the one in charge and is merely the mentor to the group. It also means that he can be more at ease around Tobias - who is not yet aware that Elfangor is his dad (I forgot which book that happens in).
5. Just a clarification note, but I'm using italics for both Bumblebee Speech and Thought Speak because trying to emulate the thought speech from Animorphs gets the text eaten by FFN.
With that out of the way, onto the actual chapter!
XXXXX
"So you're saying that the Yeerks are using a quarry to dig up crystals?"
Jake took that in for a moment, before glancing at the two Andalites in the room. "Is there any Yeerk technology that uses crystals?"
"No, Prince Jake."
"If the Yeerks have begun to use crystal-derived technology, it is a new development."
Jake sighed - great, something they were completely in the dark about! That described most situations they were in, but now even Ax and Elfangor were unable to get help. Just perfect.
"So, what's the plan, Jake?"
Jake just stared at the hawk that was now his friend. "Plan? I just got the information from you!"
Jake glared at the hawk that his friend had been forced into. Before things could go any further, though, Marco decided to speak up. "Couldn't we just...use smaller morphs to sneak in and observe?"
Everyone turned their attention to Marco. "Look, I know how things have ended up when we've morphed bugs, but if the Yeerks are working on something new, we need to get an understanding of it right now. So much as I hate saying it, I think we need to take the risk."
The group shared another glance before nodding. It seemed they were going in.
XXXXX
Back at the dig site, the Yeerk forces were still at work extracting the energon crystals from the ground. Human, Hork Bajir, Taxxon, each did their part to harvest every last fragment from the quarry.
Unnoticed by all of them, though, was the blue motorcycle that had pulled up on a cliff overlooking the area. Alien optics examined the pit, taking note of every detail.
"Optimus, Ratchet, this is Arcee, I'm at the quarry. Bee and Bulkhead are nearby."
"Understood," spoke Ratchet. "What do you see?"
"So far, just humans. They don't look like MECH - uniforms don't match. But they're armed, and whatever's going on here, they clearly know what they're doing."
"We here you, Arcee," was Optimus' reply. "Bulkhead, Bumblebee, what do you see?"
"Lot of heavy equipment here," noted the Wrecker. "Most of its excavation related, but I am see some aircraft her that don't look civilian. Or human."
"Cybertronian?"
"Nah - looks kinda like an insecticon, but it definitely ain't alive."
Back at the base, Jack glanced at Fowler. "I know you work with the Autobots, but have you ever encountered any aliens besides them?"
"As far as I can tell, no. We did get a call in Caifornia about a supposed UFO crashing in a construction site, but no evidence in favor of aliens was found when Unit: E arrived there, and we found no evidence of a coverup. Other investigations just proved that point."
"Um, team? There's something you should know."
Raf perked up immediately. "Bee, what is it?"
"I see...a group of squirrels."
"...What?"
"A group of squirrels that are acting very weird."
"Define weird," spoke an incredulous Ratchet.
"Well, they're watching the workers with a look that looks way more attentive than a rodent should have."
"I have my doubts that this is something you should be noting-"
"And they're moving. They went behind some bushes and...what?"
"Bee, what is it?"
"I just saw seven squirrels go into those bushes...and seven humans come out of them. And no, I didn't see any humans go behind those bushes earlier."
The Autobots and their human allies were silent. None of them had any idea how to take that statement.
Eventually, it was Fowler who found the will to speak. "Where are they going?"
"Looks like the main office of the dig site."
"Where we can't follow," noted the former ranger. "Scrap."
"Uh, what about is?"
Fowler turned to Miko and an incredulous Jack.
"Miko, are you crazy. Do you remember how badly things have gone for us when we try to tag along with the Autobots?"
"Yes, but since the bots don't have any mini-bots..."
"Minicons," corrected Ratchet.
"...Then they aren't going to be able to help out here. But we can."
"No way. I am not risking you kids out there."
Optimus, however, saw things differently. "Agent Fowler, while I do not wish to risk the children by having them aid is, this may be an occasion where their help is a necessity to understand what we are facing."
Fowler stared at Prime for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. But I ain't covering things for you with June if this goes wrong."
Miko squeed in excitement while Jack merely nodded. "I understand."
XXXXX
"Why exactly does Visser Three want this material again? I do not remember any of our projects relying on crystals," spoke one controller.
The controller serving as foreman practically rolled her eyes - why did people keep asking the same stupid questions all the time?! "It was determined that this crystalline substance has enormous energy storage properties that allow it to function as extremely long lasting power supplies. Visser Three believes that they could enhance the energy efficiency on several of our vehicles and weapon systems. Also, he may be doing this to, as humans say, get a leg up on Visser One."
Unnoticed by the controllers, seven bats roosted above them, giving them a perfect position to listen in on the conversation, banal as it was. Needless to say, the Animorphs were...rather disappointed by what they heard.
"Seriously?" Asked Rachel. "This stuff is just fuel? Plain old fuel, not something for a super weapon?"
"Armies run on their stomachs," noted Cassie. "And for machines, the same applies, but with fuel."
"This is an excellent discovery," noted Elfangor, "but I believe it also poses a new problem."
Jake glanced at the Andalite Prince. "Specifically?"
"How do we destroy this place?"
The Animorphs all went silent at that. The reasoning was two fold - moral and practical. The only way to ensure the Yeerks could not exploit the crystalline fuel deposit was by destroying it completely. At best, this would require an enormous amount of weapons or explosives. And it would also mean killing many people, most of whom had done nothing to warrant death other than be controlled by a Yeerk (which wasn't a crime unless it was done willingly).
"...We can figure that out later, let's get out of here."
Deciding that leaving that topic for another day was the best course of action, the group slowly crawled out of the room, eventually moving into a hallway to demorph - swifter forms would be better for an escape.
XXXXX
"Raf, it's Jack. Miko and me are just outside the building."
"Alright. Be careful - no telling what's inside there."
"Plus we'll have to find our mystery people," noted Miko. "It's not like there going to walk right out the door."
As soon as she said that, seven humans walked right out the door and found themselves looking at the duo.
"...I spoke too soon."
For a moment, silence filled the air - the nine humans all unsure how to react.
That question was soon answered when a guard came upon them. For a moment, they too were silent, but then they pulled a radio up to their mouth. "Andalite bandits!"
"Crap/scrap," thought the nine.
"Run!" Shouted both Jake and Jack, which resulted in the nine going into a mad dash as the dig site was put on high alert.
"Jack, what happened?!"
"A guard saw us and the seven we were following. Everyone's on alert now. Arcee, Bulkhead, Bee, we need pickup now!"
"We hear! Raf, give us their location ASAP!"
The conversation continued, but Jack paid it no mind, instead focusing on maneuvering his way through the vegetation that surrounded the quarry. Nearby, the leader of the seven they had been following was doing the same, with the rest of them not far behind. They ran as fast as they could, but there was some awareness that they might not be able to escape on just their feet.
Jack and Miko, of course, had a workaround. "Arcee, how's pickup coming along?"
"As well as it can. Listen, there's a campsite up ahead, we'll pick you up there. Try to get the group you were following to calm down before them. We'll be over in three minutes."
"No ground bridge?"
"Too any witnesses."
"Fair enough." Ending the call, Jack turned to his counterpart. "Look, I know you don't have a reason to trust me, but we have people coming to pick us up in three minutes. If you wait with us at the campsite ahead, they'll take you too."
The leader of the seven opened his mouth to say something, but stopped before a word was spoken. A second passed, before he finally let out a sigh. "Alright, we'll follow you." Then his attention turned to the group. "Guys, these two have help coming to get them out of here. They offered to take us along."
"Are we really going to trust the people we just met?" Intoned Marco.
"I don't think we have a choice," was Jake's retort.
The rest of the Animorphs weren't happy with that remark, but also knew that Jake had a point. And thus, reluctantly, they formed in and made their way to the campsite.
Unfortunately, just before they reached the area, they found an unwelcome sight - a group of human controllers blocking their way.
Miko glanced at Jack. "Think we can go around."
"Group's too big. Maybe distract them?"
"You said the group's too big. They'll just send one guard to investigate. And I'm pretty sure talking our way out is not an option."
"Nope," confirmed Jake. "I think we'll have to fight."
"How," asked Jack. Instead of answering, though, Jake closed his eyes and focused.
And then he started changing.
XXXXX
AN: Well that happened fast.
Thoughts?
Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
This could prove very interesting.
Lifted Veil
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
Objectively, Rachel knew that morphing in front of those not in the loop regarding the Yeerks was a breach of the Animorph's rules.
Rachel also knew that if they didn't deal with the Controllers in front of them, there was a good chance that at least the two teens that had also been at the dig site would get dragged back to a Yeerk pool. Plus, apparently, they had a ride out of here. So, reluctantly, the team decided to break the rule regarding keeping morphing a secret.
Rachel could already feel her body changing - getting longer, bulkier, and harrier. Fingernails became claws, teeth became sharper, and a feral instinct overtook her. Moments later, and where there had once been a human girl, now there was a very cranky grizzly bear. Nearby it were a wolf, a tiger, a hawk, a gorilla, and two andalites...and two humans that were just staring on in confusion.
"...Huh. Guess we know there are more aliens on Earth now."
Rachel felt that she probably should've taken the girl's comment more seriously, but right now, she was more concerned with the controllers in front of her. With a mixture of roars, hisses, howls, growls, and other sounds, the seven animorphs charged.
The fight that followed was decisively in the Animorphs' favor - the first controller found herself at the mercy of Jake's tiger form, which swiftly incapacitated them. Rachel doubted that controller would be getting up again anytime soon. The next to fall was a male controller, who Rachel personally slammed into. The wrath of an angry bear left him in very rough shape.
The pattern was swiftly repeated with the rest of the controllers - squishy humans were no match for the morphs they faced here. A quartet of Hork-Bajir, however, proved far more challenging - their blades made getting close difficult. It fell on Ax and Elfangor to repel them. Tail blades went up against arm blades, and a flurry of strikes followed that left Jack and Miko watching in awe. Eventually, though, the andalites won out, and their foes were left bleeding out on the ground.
All that remained was a single Taxxon wielding a Dracon Beam. Before they could fire, though, the sound of an engine filled the air. Moments later, an SUV surged into the area and collided with said taxxon with a wet crunch, sending the arthropod alien flying. No one saw where it landed, and no one wanted to find it.
"Ew," went Bulkhead as Arcee and Bumblebee pulled up. "I know Earth arthropods make a mess, but what was that?"
"No time to explain, Bulkhead!" All but shouted Miko, who swiftly turned her attention to the Animorphs. "Get back into being humans and file in."
"What-," began Jake, but Jack and Miko were not in the mood to answer questions.
"NO TIME!"
Realizing that duo's point, the Animorphs hastily demorphed, or in the case of Elfangor, Ax, and Tobias, morphed into human form. The Autobots watched on in shocked silence, having not expected such a sight.
Arcee turned her optics to Jack and Miko. "You are explaining this when we get to safety."
"I know and I will!"
As soon as they were in human form, the Animorphs boarded into the Autobots-in-disguise - Jake joined Jack atop Arcee, Cassie, Rachel, and Marco funneled into Bumblebee, and finally Elfangor, Ax, and Tobias joined Miko within Bulkhead. Not a moment too soon, either, for as soon as the vehicles started their retreat, the Yeerks finally arrived. The Autobot trio raced away, Dracon beams firing around them. Already, the controllers were calling for cars to chase after their foes.
But at that moment, they were no longer the Autobots' primary concern.
XXXXX
"Hmph," groused Airachnid. "Why do I have to go on patrol? Starscream never had to do that while he was second in command."
The femme Decepticon had been asked (read
rdered) by Megatron to investigate a newly discovered energon deposit so that it could be determined how many vehicons would be needed to extract all of it. Her, a commander, relegated to grunt work. Oh how it made her gears grind! Still, Megatron was her superior (and a great fighter), so Airachnid obeyed her master. Hopefully something amusing happened to make things worthwhile.
As she approached the energon deposit, however, the femme realized that something was different about this deposit - namely, it was in a human quarry. And surprisingly enough, not only was this one active, but it appeared that the humans were mining out the energon. Had the Autobots convinced the humans to excavate for them? No, she realized - the Autobots were not the type to do so. Then she considered the possibility that these were either government workers or MECH, trying to acquire energon for their own usage. That too fell apart when she noticed that they weren't wearing the right uniforms.
Before she could ponder further, Airachnid her an alarm sound from the dig site. She soon found several human vehicles exiting the area, focused on something that was retreating into the distance. Wondering what could possibly have kicked this scraplet nest, Airachnid diverted course to watch the chase.
What she saw left her stunned.
There, fleeing from the humans, were three familiar vehicles. An energon scan confirmed their identities - the Autobot Scout Bumblebee, the Wrecker known as Bulkhead, and her nemesis, Arcee.
In an instant, a predatory grin filled Airachnid's face. "Well, it seems I will get some fun out of this after all."
"What is it, Commander Airachnid?"
"Change of plans. I've just located the Autobots Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee. All Vehicons, prepare to intercept."
"Understood."
Turning her attention back to ground level, Airachnid eyed up the vehicles pursing the Autobots. It just wouldn't be fun if they interfered with her coming revenge.
"And make sure that the Autobots and us are the only ones we are dealing with."
XXXXX
"Uh, they're still following us," noted Jake.
"I've noticed," replied Jack. Arcee and the Autobots were trying to shake their pursuers, but so far, they had not had any luck. They were, however, slowly outspeeding their foes. Hopefully, an opening would present itself.
Sadly, they wasn't meant to be. But not because the Yeerks were catching up.
Emerging from two side streets were groups of purple and black sports cars, which wasted no time boxing in the Autobots. Overhead, meanwhile, a squadron of black jets had arrived, alongside a purple and black helicopter.
All of the Autobots felt their sparks drop when the helicopter came into view. "Scrap."
Rachel turned to Miko. "Why is your car talking-"
"Not important right now, and things are about to get really crazy."
"...I'm guessing the new cars aren't friends?"
"Nope."
One of those cars suddenly slowed so that it was behind the Yeerk-controlled vehicles. Before any of them could react, it pulled out a pair of energon blasters and opened fire. The four vehicles at the rear of the pursuit group were blown away, obliterating their occupants. The jets took this as their cue to open fire as well, causing several other vehicles to erupt in flames.
"What the hell?!" Shouted Cassie, completely flat footed by the sudden turn of events - a sentiment all the Animorphs shared.
"Told you things were going to get crazy," noted Miko, who was desperately trying to not think about what had happened to the people in those cars.
A short distance away, Arcee realized that things were turning against them. "Jack, I'm calling Ratchet. Hold on! You too, Jake!"
The two humans did just that as the motorcycle accelerated, whilst Arcee opened up a channel with Autobot HQ. "Ratchet, get a ground bridge ready. Things have gotten out of hand."
XXXXX
"So I've noticed," was Ratchet's reply as Raf and him observed the chase. "You've been intercepted by Decepticons, so I would recommend losing them before you ask me to open the bridge."
"Very funny, and we will. Also, call up June - we have extra passengers."
Fowler raised an eyebrow. "More passengers? You know that makes my job keeping you bots hidden from the public harder, don't you?"
"I think these seven will make your job much harder," was Arcee's retort.
"Why's that?"
"Because if we're right? Then the Decepticons and us are not the only aliens on Earth anymore."
That left the whole base silent. Other aliens on Earth? That was not something the team was expecting to hear.
"....I see. As for your ground bridge request, there's a clearing six miles ahead of you. I'll prepare the ground bridge, but I must stress that you cannot allow the Decepticons to follow you back to our base."
"Understood. Arcee out."
XXXXX
"So what was the lady saying?" Asked Jake.
"We drive six more miles, and we'll have a way out," was Jack's reply.
"Great. Now we just have to live that long."
"Relax," assured Arcee. "We'll make it."
Another Yeerk car exploding made Jake doubt that. "Then how are you going to deal with our new 'friends'?"
The Autobots were silent for a moment. Then the energon blasters came out. "With these."
The Animorphs had no time to react before the Autobots opened fire. Immediately, several of the vehicons surrounding them exploded, giving the trio the opening to surge forward.
Above them, Airachnid smiled. "Let the hunt begin, then."
As her forces moved forward, though, a strange aircraft invaded the sky. A cursory glance showed it to be something similar to the space fighters humans often made in movies and video games, but this one also looked like a leg less cockroach. Said craft promptly fired some kind of laser at on of the aerial vehicons. The 'con was injured, but not incapacitated, and soon retaliated. That attack sent the craft down in flames, and it impacted some distance behind the surface vehicons, taking out the road in the process.
Deciding to take a more active role in the chase, Airachnid opened fire on the Autobots. While the Animorphs screamed in shock, the 'bots merely began weaving through the road, occasionally firing at the Decepticons to in order to lessen the volume of fire directed their way. In the forest, animals scattered in the hopes of avoiding stray shots. The Yeerks had mostly been knocked out of the cause, though a few vehicles had survived the Decepticons' efforts to wipe them out.
This confrontation continued down the road, until the Autobots had almost reached their target. Airachnid, wanting a chance to deal with Arcee personally, surged forward until she was directly in front of the Autobots, then turned her guns on them.
"Scrap," swore Arcee, knowing Airachnjd meant to cut them off. "Jack, Jake, I'm going to deal with Airachnid. You need to get ready to jump?"
"What?!"
"Arcee, is this a good idea?"
"No, but from how Airachnid's flying, it's our best chance."
Jack took one look at Arcee's dashboard, then at the helicopter in front of him. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he turned to face Jake. "Get ready to jump. Just trust her on this."
Jake really wanted to argue, but somehow knew that would be pointless, so he merely nodded.
"Alright, get ready.."
Airachnid was getting very close to them.
"Almost there..."
Now Airachnid was practically on top of them.
"Now! Jump to her sides!"
The duo did just that, and no a moment too soon - the instant they leapt into the air, Airachnid transformed. Jake and the rest of the Animorphs watched with incredulity as the helicopter's body bent, folded, and split until it became a a titanic gynoid, while its blades rapidly morphed into spider limbs. More shocking still was when Jack's motorcycle also transformed into a gynoid, who wasted no time in opening fire at her counterpart. A few blasts to the face and strike from Arcee's arm blade knocked Airachnid off course, giving the blue femme the opportunity to catch Jack and Jake, who she carefully secured as she returned to vehicle mode. Seconds later, the ground bridge opened, with the Autobots surging inside. It closed a moment later, catching the one surviving Yeerk-controlled vehicle off guard and sending it hurtling into a tree.
The sight of her hated rival escaping made Airachnid's energon boil. Letting out a scream of rage, Airachnid tore into the ground in anger, only sparing her Decepticon minions because they stood just far enough away to avoid her grasp.
She only calmed when the ruined Yeerk vehicle started shaking. Airachnjd prepared to kill the unfortunate human within, but stopped when the back door of the car - well, van in this case - opened, and out came what looked like a titanic centipede. The wounded creature screeched for a moment, then collapsed and lay still. Shortly after, what looked like a slug crawled out of its ear and tried pitifully to get away before it too expired from its wound.
Airachnid was surprised to see the centipede creature, properly known as a Taxxon. She had visited their world once before, and enjoyed watching them chase helpless critters down for slaughter. But this creature was not native to Earth, and last time she had checked, they didn't have space flight. So how had it got here?
....Perhaps taking this carcass back with her to Megatron might spare her his wrath. Perhaps.
XXXXX
AN: Well that escalated quickly!
I considered having an all out battle between the Autobots and Airachnid's vehicons at the end of this chapter, but the chase ending with the surprise reveal of the Cybertronians felt better.
Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Rachel also knew that if they didn't deal with the Controllers in front of them, there was a good chance that at least the two teens that had also been at the dig site would get dragged back to a Yeerk pool. Plus, apparently, they had a ride out of here. So, reluctantly, the team decided to break the rule regarding keeping morphing a secret.
Rachel could already feel her body changing - getting longer, bulkier, and harrier. Fingernails became claws, teeth became sharper, and a feral instinct overtook her. Moments later, and where there had once been a human girl, now there was a very cranky grizzly bear. Nearby it were a wolf, a tiger, a hawk, a gorilla, and two andalites...and two humans that were just staring on in confusion.
"...Huh. Guess we know there are more aliens on Earth now."
Rachel felt that she probably should've taken the girl's comment more seriously, but right now, she was more concerned with the controllers in front of her. With a mixture of roars, hisses, howls, growls, and other sounds, the seven animorphs charged.
The fight that followed was decisively in the Animorphs' favor - the first controller found herself at the mercy of Jake's tiger form, which swiftly incapacitated them. Rachel doubted that controller would be getting up again anytime soon. The next to fall was a male controller, who Rachel personally slammed into. The wrath of an angry bear left him in very rough shape.
The pattern was swiftly repeated with the rest of the controllers - squishy humans were no match for the morphs they faced here. A quartet of Hork-Bajir, however, proved far more challenging - their blades made getting close difficult. It fell on Ax and Elfangor to repel them. Tail blades went up against arm blades, and a flurry of strikes followed that left Jack and Miko watching in awe. Eventually, though, the andalites won out, and their foes were left bleeding out on the ground.
All that remained was a single Taxxon wielding a Dracon Beam. Before they could fire, though, the sound of an engine filled the air. Moments later, an SUV surged into the area and collided with said taxxon with a wet crunch, sending the arthropod alien flying. No one saw where it landed, and no one wanted to find it.
"Ew," went Bulkhead as Arcee and Bumblebee pulled up. "I know Earth arthropods make a mess, but what was that?"
"No time to explain, Bulkhead!" All but shouted Miko, who swiftly turned her attention to the Animorphs. "Get back into being humans and file in."
"What-," began Jake, but Jack and Miko were not in the mood to answer questions.
"NO TIME!"
Realizing that duo's point, the Animorphs hastily demorphed, or in the case of Elfangor, Ax, and Tobias, morphed into human form. The Autobots watched on in shocked silence, having not expected such a sight.
Arcee turned her optics to Jack and Miko. "You are explaining this when we get to safety."
"I know and I will!"
As soon as they were in human form, the Animorphs boarded into the Autobots-in-disguise - Jake joined Jack atop Arcee, Cassie, Rachel, and Marco funneled into Bumblebee, and finally Elfangor, Ax, and Tobias joined Miko within Bulkhead. Not a moment too soon, either, for as soon as the vehicles started their retreat, the Yeerks finally arrived. The Autobot trio raced away, Dracon beams firing around them. Already, the controllers were calling for cars to chase after their foes.
But at that moment, they were no longer the Autobots' primary concern.
XXXXX
"Hmph," groused Airachnid. "Why do I have to go on patrol? Starscream never had to do that while he was second in command."
The femme Decepticon had been asked (read
rdered) by Megatron to investigate a newly discovered energon deposit so that it could be determined how many vehicons would be needed to extract all of it. Her, a commander, relegated to grunt work. Oh how it made her gears grind! Still, Megatron was her superior (and a great fighter), so Airachnid obeyed her master. Hopefully something amusing happened to make things worthwhile.As she approached the energon deposit, however, the femme realized that something was different about this deposit - namely, it was in a human quarry. And surprisingly enough, not only was this one active, but it appeared that the humans were mining out the energon. Had the Autobots convinced the humans to excavate for them? No, she realized - the Autobots were not the type to do so. Then she considered the possibility that these were either government workers or MECH, trying to acquire energon for their own usage. That too fell apart when she noticed that they weren't wearing the right uniforms.
Before she could ponder further, Airachnid her an alarm sound from the dig site. She soon found several human vehicles exiting the area, focused on something that was retreating into the distance. Wondering what could possibly have kicked this scraplet nest, Airachnid diverted course to watch the chase.
What she saw left her stunned.
There, fleeing from the humans, were three familiar vehicles. An energon scan confirmed their identities - the Autobot Scout Bumblebee, the Wrecker known as Bulkhead, and her nemesis, Arcee.
In an instant, a predatory grin filled Airachnid's face. "Well, it seems I will get some fun out of this after all."
"What is it, Commander Airachnid?"
"Change of plans. I've just located the Autobots Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee. All Vehicons, prepare to intercept."
"Understood."
Turning her attention back to ground level, Airachnid eyed up the vehicles pursing the Autobots. It just wouldn't be fun if they interfered with her coming revenge.
"And make sure that the Autobots and us are the only ones we are dealing with."
XXXXX
"Uh, they're still following us," noted Jake.
"I've noticed," replied Jack. Arcee and the Autobots were trying to shake their pursuers, but so far, they had not had any luck. They were, however, slowly outspeeding their foes. Hopefully, an opening would present itself.
Sadly, they wasn't meant to be. But not because the Yeerks were catching up.
Emerging from two side streets were groups of purple and black sports cars, which wasted no time boxing in the Autobots. Overhead, meanwhile, a squadron of black jets had arrived, alongside a purple and black helicopter.
All of the Autobots felt their sparks drop when the helicopter came into view. "Scrap."
Rachel turned to Miko. "Why is your car talking-"
"Not important right now, and things are about to get really crazy."
"...I'm guessing the new cars aren't friends?"
"Nope."
One of those cars suddenly slowed so that it was behind the Yeerk-controlled vehicles. Before any of them could react, it pulled out a pair of energon blasters and opened fire. The four vehicles at the rear of the pursuit group were blown away, obliterating their occupants. The jets took this as their cue to open fire as well, causing several other vehicles to erupt in flames.
"What the hell?!" Shouted Cassie, completely flat footed by the sudden turn of events - a sentiment all the Animorphs shared.
"Told you things were going to get crazy," noted Miko, who was desperately trying to not think about what had happened to the people in those cars.
A short distance away, Arcee realized that things were turning against them. "Jack, I'm calling Ratchet. Hold on! You too, Jake!"
The two humans did just that as the motorcycle accelerated, whilst Arcee opened up a channel with Autobot HQ. "Ratchet, get a ground bridge ready. Things have gotten out of hand."
XXXXX
"So I've noticed," was Ratchet's reply as Raf and him observed the chase. "You've been intercepted by Decepticons, so I would recommend losing them before you ask me to open the bridge."
"Very funny, and we will. Also, call up June - we have extra passengers."
Fowler raised an eyebrow. "More passengers? You know that makes my job keeping you bots hidden from the public harder, don't you?"
"I think these seven will make your job much harder," was Arcee's retort.
"Why's that?"
"Because if we're right? Then the Decepticons and us are not the only aliens on Earth anymore."
That left the whole base silent. Other aliens on Earth? That was not something the team was expecting to hear.
"....I see. As for your ground bridge request, there's a clearing six miles ahead of you. I'll prepare the ground bridge, but I must stress that you cannot allow the Decepticons to follow you back to our base."
"Understood. Arcee out."
XXXXX
"So what was the lady saying?" Asked Jake.
"We drive six more miles, and we'll have a way out," was Jack's reply.
"Great. Now we just have to live that long."
"Relax," assured Arcee. "We'll make it."
Another Yeerk car exploding made Jake doubt that. "Then how are you going to deal with our new 'friends'?"
The Autobots were silent for a moment. Then the energon blasters came out. "With these."
The Animorphs had no time to react before the Autobots opened fire. Immediately, several of the vehicons surrounding them exploded, giving the trio the opening to surge forward.
Above them, Airachnid smiled. "Let the hunt begin, then."
As her forces moved forward, though, a strange aircraft invaded the sky. A cursory glance showed it to be something similar to the space fighters humans often made in movies and video games, but this one also looked like a leg less cockroach. Said craft promptly fired some kind of laser at on of the aerial vehicons. The 'con was injured, but not incapacitated, and soon retaliated. That attack sent the craft down in flames, and it impacted some distance behind the surface vehicons, taking out the road in the process.
Deciding to take a more active role in the chase, Airachnid opened fire on the Autobots. While the Animorphs screamed in shock, the 'bots merely began weaving through the road, occasionally firing at the Decepticons to in order to lessen the volume of fire directed their way. In the forest, animals scattered in the hopes of avoiding stray shots. The Yeerks had mostly been knocked out of the cause, though a few vehicles had survived the Decepticons' efforts to wipe them out.
This confrontation continued down the road, until the Autobots had almost reached their target. Airachnid, wanting a chance to deal with Arcee personally, surged forward until she was directly in front of the Autobots, then turned her guns on them.
"Scrap," swore Arcee, knowing Airachnjd meant to cut them off. "Jack, Jake, I'm going to deal with Airachnid. You need to get ready to jump?"
"What?!"
"Arcee, is this a good idea?"
"No, but from how Airachnid's flying, it's our best chance."
Jack took one look at Arcee's dashboard, then at the helicopter in front of him. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he turned to face Jake. "Get ready to jump. Just trust her on this."
Jake really wanted to argue, but somehow knew that would be pointless, so he merely nodded.
"Alright, get ready.."
Airachnid was getting very close to them.
"Almost there..."
Now Airachnid was practically on top of them.
"Now! Jump to her sides!"
The duo did just that, and no a moment too soon - the instant they leapt into the air, Airachnid transformed. Jake and the rest of the Animorphs watched with incredulity as the helicopter's body bent, folded, and split until it became a a titanic gynoid, while its blades rapidly morphed into spider limbs. More shocking still was when Jack's motorcycle also transformed into a gynoid, who wasted no time in opening fire at her counterpart. A few blasts to the face and strike from Arcee's arm blade knocked Airachnid off course, giving the blue femme the opportunity to catch Jack and Jake, who she carefully secured as she returned to vehicle mode. Seconds later, the ground bridge opened, with the Autobots surging inside. It closed a moment later, catching the one surviving Yeerk-controlled vehicle off guard and sending it hurtling into a tree.
The sight of her hated rival escaping made Airachnid's energon boil. Letting out a scream of rage, Airachnid tore into the ground in anger, only sparing her Decepticon minions because they stood just far enough away to avoid her grasp.
She only calmed when the ruined Yeerk vehicle started shaking. Airachnjd prepared to kill the unfortunate human within, but stopped when the back door of the car - well, van in this case - opened, and out came what looked like a titanic centipede. The wounded creature screeched for a moment, then collapsed and lay still. Shortly after, what looked like a slug crawled out of its ear and tried pitifully to get away before it too expired from its wound.
Airachnid was surprised to see the centipede creature, properly known as a Taxxon. She had visited their world once before, and enjoyed watching them chase helpless critters down for slaughter. But this creature was not native to Earth, and last time she had checked, they didn't have space flight. So how had it got here?
....Perhaps taking this carcass back with her to Megatron might spare her his wrath. Perhaps.
XXXXX
AN: Well that escalated quickly!
I considered having an all out battle between the Autobots and Airachnid's vehicons at the end of this chapter, but the chase ending with the surprise reveal of the Cybertronians felt better.
Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Two Truths
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
AN: I have no idea if the Animorphs have gone through anything like a space bridge before, excluding the Sario Rip that happened early in the series, and only Jake remembers that. So I apologize if the Animorphs react OOC.
XXXXX
The Animorphs watched in amazement as they traveled through the technicolor vortex, having never quite seen such a method of transportation. When the ground bridge finally disappated, they found themselves within some kind of cavern, with clear signs of military activity in it. Nearby, Ratchet was just finishing up a conversation with June Darby, who had been groundbridged in just prior to the Animorphs.
As soon as their transportation came to a stop, Arcee decided to speak up. "Alright, everyone out."
"This is where you get off," added Bulkhead.
"Thank you for taking Bumblebee Taxi's," joked the Autobot scout, knowing that none of them would understand.
Knowing this wasn't a request, the Animorphs did as they were told. Moments later, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Arcee transformed into their robot modes, much to the shock of the newly arrived humans and andalites - even Jake, who had already seen Arcee transform.
"..What are you?" he asked in incredulity.
"We are autonomus robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron," intoned Optimus, who had made his way to the deck that the Animorphs were on. "You may call us Autobots. I am Optimus Prime, and I am there leader."
"If we're going for introductions, then I think I should go next. I'm Arcee, second in command."
"Bulkhead, of the Wreckers. The bot in yellow and black is Bumblebee, our scout. His voicebox was damaged a while back, so he doesn't speak much."
Bee's mechanical chirping proved that point.
"Lastly, there is Ratchet, our medical officer."
"Greetings," spoke the medic, who was watching them with guarded curiosity.
The Animorphs waved at Ratchet, before turning their attentions to Jack and Miko, who had just been joined by Raf. It didn't take long for the trio to notice the stares.
"Right. I'm Jack."
"Miko!"
"I'm Raf."
"June," replied the most recently arrived non-Animorph human, "and I'm Jack's mom."
That got mixed reactions from everyone.
"And I am Agent Fowler," spoke the final person on the base.
It took Jake a moment to register the significance of that remark. "Wait, you're a government official?"
"I am. But before we answer your questions, why don't you answer ours? Names would be a good start."
The Animorphs shared a glance before deciding to oblige. "I'm Jake. Guess you could say I'm the leader of the team."
"I'm Rachel. Jake's my cousin. I'm the team's muscle."
"Marco. The brains and the charm."
Cassie rolled her eyes. "Cassie. I'm the one who keeps them in line."
"Tobias. You could same I'm the scout."
"I am Elfangor, and I am something of a mentor for these five."
"I am Aximili. Elfangor is my brother. Bro-ther. I aid him as needed."
"What's with the odd speech?" asked Miko. "You not from around here?"
"We are not," affirmed Elfangor. "Are you?"
"Transfer from Japan. Where are you from?"
"...A different world."
Before anyone could question that, Elfangor and Ax demorphed - best to get this out of the way now. Tobias also demorphed, as he was getting tired of being a human.
The stares Team Prime gave were uncomfortable, but the Animorphs bore them without complaint.
"Well I'll be dipped..."
"How did you do that?" asked Miko, looking starstruck.
"It is a special innovation of my kind, the Andalites," spoke Elfangor, "and I believe now that you are going to want to know why we are on Earth?"
"Uh, yeah," was all Fowler could respond with.
"Very well then. Fifty six years ago, my kind encountered a race called the Yeerks. They are sluglike creatures that live in pools which my companions have compared to molten metal."
A psychich image of the Yeerks true form filled the minds of everyone not in the loop. Including the Autobots.
"Under War Prince Seerow, we tried to extend what you would call an olive branch to the Yeerks. We taught them science, technology, and even how to leave their homeworld."
"Let me guess," interrupted Fowler. "They betrayed you after all you gave them?"
"Yes. In their natural state, the Yeerks are neural parasites - they travel through the ears or their equivalents of other creatures, fit themselves against the brain, and merge with it, giving them total control of the host."
"Why would they do that?" wondered Jack.
"They are naturally blind, deaf, and incapable of any sense except touch. Many simply yearn to experience that which is naturally lost to them."
Team Prime was silent at that experiencing a modicum of sympathy for the Yeerks - but only a modicum for all except Optimus.
"So, how did things go from there?" inquired Arcee.
"A great conflagraton of violence followed. Freed from the restraints imposed by their home star, the Yeerks spread across the stars like wildfire. Many races were enslaved by them, though some like the Taxxos - the centipede-like beasts some of you saw earlier - submitted willingly to slavery."
"Why would anyone do that?" wondered June, unable to imagine why someone would willingly become a puppet in their own body.
"Many believe that becoming a Yeerk host - a controller - will take away all of their pains and fears. For the taxxons, it is an attempt to escape an insatiable maddening hunger, one so great that a taxxon split in two will try to eat the severed half if the front half has not yet expired."
Fowler grimaced, as did everyone else that had just been brought into the loop. "Didn't need to know that."
"My people have taken drastic measures to oppose the Yeerks - the reptilian species known as the Hork Bajir," - an image of the creature in question filled the mind of those present - "have been pushed to near extinction by this conflict. My kind used a plague to try and destroy them so that the Yeerks could not use them as hosts. I will not deny this atrocity, I merely ask that you do not judge all of my kind for one crime."
Team Prime had to fight hard to keep to that line of thought.
"The Yeerks appear to have become aware of your world only slightly over a decade ago, and have only recently made any headway in trying to conquer it. They exploit the need to belong, setting up organizations such as The Sharing, to try and trick humans into wandering into their clutches. Some submitted willingly, others were forced into becoming hosts. I was sent here alongside my brother to try and determine how the Yeerks were progressing, only for our vessel to be ambushed. We were seperated, and I crashed into a construction site. Were it not for the humans standing with me, I would have expired. Ax was retrieved later, as he had the misfortune of landing in the ocean. Now, we fight from the shadows to protect your world."
"...Neat story."
Everyone in the base fixed a glare at Miko.
"What?"
"Perhaps your response could have been worded more delicately," was Optimus' reply.
"Maybe...wait, why is Tobias a hawk right now?"
"Andalite morphing technology has its weaknesses," was the hawk boy's response. "If you spend longer than two hours in a single morph, you will be permanently stuck as that morph. I only regained the ability to morph through some...very special circumstances."
"Oh. I see. Guess we owe you our story now."
Optimus cleared his throat (if only to get everyone's attention, since he didn't need to breath). "Very well. I shall explain."
"In ages past, our people lived in a golden Age of Enlightenment and reason. But in time, we grew decadent, and a rigid caste system dominated our society, with one's position upon coming online defining their existence. During this time, I was known as Orion Pax. I was a mere data clerk for the Iacon Hall of Records?"
"Data...clerk?" Inquired Ax.
"Their version of a librarian," was Jack's response.
"Oh."
"I was tasked with preserving our history, and as I did so, I became aware of how far our society had regressed. The more I examined our past, the more I wished to return our society to those times, when we were more equal. Then, one day, stories came about of a mining drone who had begun to forge a name for himself in the gladiatorial pits of Kaon. Calling himself Megatronus, he sought to end the oppressive class system that defined Cybertron. In time, I came to know of him and his ideals, and like many, I found myself drawn to his cause. Eventually, we found ourselves before Cybertron's ruling council, to whom Megatronus pleaded his case."
Rachel had a knowing look on her face. "Guessing that didn't work out?"
"Correct. It was here that Megatronus, or Megatron as he now wished to be known as, revealed his true colors. Instead of trying to reform Cybertron's caste system, Megatron demanded that he become the planet's new leader, so that he could oversee the changes he desired. I had once believed that he had been lead astray by exhaustion or that his follower's adulation had increased his ego to extreme levels, but now I feel that he always desired power. Wishing to avoid tyranny, I offered a more peaceful solution to abolish our caste system and reform our society, to which the council agreed and even name d me the next prime. But Megatron was furious."
"He had victory in the palm of his hand and you snatched it away from him at the last minute," noted Marco. "Even if he's evil, I can understand where he is coming from."
"Incensed at my perceived betrayal, Megatron rallied. His followers, the Decepticons, and declared war. For yet more eons we fought, ravaging the surface of Cybertron, and gradually depleting our primary source of energy and sustenance, energon. The war only ended when Megatron used a corrupted form of energon called Dark Energon to try and control Cybertron. Instead, it poisoned our planet, forcing the world to shut down to repair itself. Fleeing to the stars while Cybertron healed, we found Megatron pursuing us, determined to have his revenge. In the ensuing struggle, both the Decepticon Flagship Nemesis and our vessel, the Ark, were dragged into an interstellar gateway known as a space bridge. Instability in this particular bridge resulted in both ships and their crew being scattered wildly in transit to the intended destination - in this case, your world."
"Wait, you guys crashed here?" Questioned Marco. "How was that not in the news?"
"When our vessel arrived upon this world, the dominant species were dinosaurs. Those that did see the Ark only witnessed its form crashing into the prehistoric Pacific Ocean."
All of the Animorphs' eyes widened at that remark.", though Jake was the first to speak up. "Wait, you showed up in the time of the dinosaurs?"
"Correct. However, we did awaken from stasis until roughly fourth years ago. Agent Fowler has been assisting us in maintaining our cover thirty years."
The Animorphs froze up at that response, something which Fowler took particular notice of. "Something caught your mind?"
Cassie ended up being the one to recover from stupor first. "When we first got dragged into this, we had a small debate over trying to see if we could get the authorities to help us. We ultimately decided no for two reasons: if the Yeerks had gotten into the government, we were screwed, and if they didn't, you guys might not believe us, though we could morph to fix that. So knowing that the government has been keeping a lid on liens for at least thirty years aid... is kinda leaving us all a bit miffed."
"Well, if you want-"
"No," spoke Jake, cutting off Fowler's offer. "We're not throwing in the towel just yet. At least, I'm not."
"Why? You kids seem in over your heads."
"Jake's brother Tom is an involuntary controller," replied Rachel. "He's my cousin too, and we ain't out of this fight until he's free. And I doubt even that will make Elfangor and Ax back out."
"...Then can we at least work together on this occasion?"
"Explain," demanded Ax.
"That quarry we found you at?" elaborated Arcee, "it's full of energon. Looks like the Yeerks are mining it. Any idea why?"
"That's the crystalline stuff, right?" Asked Marco.
"Correct."
"They want it as fuel. Somehow, they figured out how to harness it for power."
"Well that's a first."
"So," began Miko, "want to work with us?"
The group shared a look. "Can we talk this over?" Asked Jake.
"Can I give you all a checkup first?" Asked June.
"Morphing heals all injuries."
"Please?"
"....Fine."
XXXXX
The overseer Yeerk watched angrily as her subordinates worked to sift through the wreckage and recover the deceased hosts and Yeerks.
This has been a disaster - not only had the Andalite bandits managed to discover their operation, they had apparently acquired additional aid. Where once their had been seven, now they had at least ten. Had there been more survivors aboard the Dome Ship, or had they decided to let humans into their ranks?
As the recovery efforts continued, Iftriss 4179 knew that she was treading on dangerous grounds. This debacle had resulted in Visser Three declaring that he would arrive to personally oversee her operation, no doubt looking for an excuse to execute her. The thought terrified Iftriss and her host - Ms. Willard had joined the Yeerks voluntarily, and such hosts were useful. And besides, Willard had interests that Iftriss could relate to. A pity her children had not been so willing to be controllers. At least they were compliant now, as was her husband.
She's ordered the workers to speed up the extraction process - hopefully a large supply of the crystals would convince the Visser to be lenient on her.
Now how to deal with the bandits....
XXXXX
Within the Decepticon flagship Nemesis, five bots had gathered on the bridge - communications Officer Soundwave, medic Knockout, his partner Breakdown, Airachnid, and, of course, Megatron himself.
"So, to ensure I am looking at this situation with perfect clarity, not only did you disobey my orders to examine a newly discovered energon deposit, you also found and pursued three of The Autobots, did not inform Soundwave or myself of this development, and managed to lose all three alongside more than two dozen vehicons. Am I correct?"
"...Yes, Lord Megatron."
"Is there anything of note your actions managed to achieve?"
"Surprisingly, yes," was Airachnid's response.
"Hmm?"
The femme gestured to a pair of vehicons who were holding the Taxxon corpse. Alongside them was another vehicon holding a jar that contained the Yeerk's corpse.
"What is this?"
"The multi-legged creature is called a Taxxon - a voracious predator in its home environment. The thing is, this world isn't their home."
"Continue."
"I've visited their world once. As it turns out, despite being as voracious eaters of flesh as scraplets are of metal, Taxxons are Inteligent, though incapable of space travel. I believe that they were brought here from their Homeworld. And while I can't say who did so, I think the slug might have been involved."
"Are you implying we are not the only race to have arrived on Earth?"
"Most likely."
"Hmm...very well. I will spare punishment. But unless I give my leave, you are not permitted to leave the Nemesis for three days."
"Understood, Master."
"Good. Now then, Knockout, please examine these cadavers."
"I admit that I may not have the right tools for these particular specimens, Lord Megatron...but I do know someone who does."
Turning to Soundwave, Knockout gestured toward the con's chest plate. After a moment, Laserbeak emerged and flew into the bowels of the Nemesis, eventually stopping at a small medical room. Perching by the entrance, Laserbeak pecked against the door. A moment later, a Deceptico minicon, this one smaller than the mini-casette, crawled out of the room.
"What iz it?"
Laserbeak merely chirped.
"Lord Megatron has a job for me?"
Another chirp followed.
"And it involves cutting into organic? Oh, zhis iz amazing. I will be down shortly. It is time for Megatron to witness zhe talents of Scalpel!"
XXXXX
AN: You can blame Shatterdome Maintenace for the inclusion of Scalpel (that weird evil doctor minicon from Revenge of the Fallen). Assume the Cobs picked him up a short while after Orion Pax.
Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
XXXXX
The Animorphs watched in amazement as they traveled through the technicolor vortex, having never quite seen such a method of transportation. When the ground bridge finally disappated, they found themselves within some kind of cavern, with clear signs of military activity in it. Nearby, Ratchet was just finishing up a conversation with June Darby, who had been groundbridged in just prior to the Animorphs.
As soon as their transportation came to a stop, Arcee decided to speak up. "Alright, everyone out."
"This is where you get off," added Bulkhead.
"Thank you for taking Bumblebee Taxi's," joked the Autobot scout, knowing that none of them would understand.
Knowing this wasn't a request, the Animorphs did as they were told. Moments later, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Arcee transformed into their robot modes, much to the shock of the newly arrived humans and andalites - even Jake, who had already seen Arcee transform.
"..What are you?" he asked in incredulity.
"We are autonomus robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron," intoned Optimus, who had made his way to the deck that the Animorphs were on. "You may call us Autobots. I am Optimus Prime, and I am there leader."
"If we're going for introductions, then I think I should go next. I'm Arcee, second in command."
"Bulkhead, of the Wreckers. The bot in yellow and black is Bumblebee, our scout. His voicebox was damaged a while back, so he doesn't speak much."
Bee's mechanical chirping proved that point.
"Lastly, there is Ratchet, our medical officer."
"Greetings," spoke the medic, who was watching them with guarded curiosity.
The Animorphs waved at Ratchet, before turning their attentions to Jack and Miko, who had just been joined by Raf. It didn't take long for the trio to notice the stares.
"Right. I'm Jack."
"Miko!"
"I'm Raf."
"June," replied the most recently arrived non-Animorph human, "and I'm Jack's mom."
That got mixed reactions from everyone.
"And I am Agent Fowler," spoke the final person on the base.
It took Jake a moment to register the significance of that remark. "Wait, you're a government official?"
"I am. But before we answer your questions, why don't you answer ours? Names would be a good start."
The Animorphs shared a glance before deciding to oblige. "I'm Jake. Guess you could say I'm the leader of the team."
"I'm Rachel. Jake's my cousin. I'm the team's muscle."
"Marco. The brains and the charm."
Cassie rolled her eyes. "Cassie. I'm the one who keeps them in line."
"Tobias. You could same I'm the scout."
"I am Elfangor, and I am something of a mentor for these five."
"I am Aximili. Elfangor is my brother. Bro-ther. I aid him as needed."
"What's with the odd speech?" asked Miko. "You not from around here?"
"We are not," affirmed Elfangor. "Are you?"
"Transfer from Japan. Where are you from?"
"...A different world."
Before anyone could question that, Elfangor and Ax demorphed - best to get this out of the way now. Tobias also demorphed, as he was getting tired of being a human.
The stares Team Prime gave were uncomfortable, but the Animorphs bore them without complaint.
"Well I'll be dipped..."
"How did you do that?" asked Miko, looking starstruck.
"It is a special innovation of my kind, the Andalites," spoke Elfangor, "and I believe now that you are going to want to know why we are on Earth?"
"Uh, yeah," was all Fowler could respond with.
"Very well then. Fifty six years ago, my kind encountered a race called the Yeerks. They are sluglike creatures that live in pools which my companions have compared to molten metal."
A psychich image of the Yeerks true form filled the minds of everyone not in the loop. Including the Autobots.
"Under War Prince Seerow, we tried to extend what you would call an olive branch to the Yeerks. We taught them science, technology, and even how to leave their homeworld."
"Let me guess," interrupted Fowler. "They betrayed you after all you gave them?"
"Yes. In their natural state, the Yeerks are neural parasites - they travel through the ears or their equivalents of other creatures, fit themselves against the brain, and merge with it, giving them total control of the host."
"Why would they do that?" wondered Jack.
"They are naturally blind, deaf, and incapable of any sense except touch. Many simply yearn to experience that which is naturally lost to them."
Team Prime was silent at that experiencing a modicum of sympathy for the Yeerks - but only a modicum for all except Optimus.
"So, how did things go from there?" inquired Arcee.
"A great conflagraton of violence followed. Freed from the restraints imposed by their home star, the Yeerks spread across the stars like wildfire. Many races were enslaved by them, though some like the Taxxos - the centipede-like beasts some of you saw earlier - submitted willingly to slavery."
"Why would anyone do that?" wondered June, unable to imagine why someone would willingly become a puppet in their own body.
"Many believe that becoming a Yeerk host - a controller - will take away all of their pains and fears. For the taxxons, it is an attempt to escape an insatiable maddening hunger, one so great that a taxxon split in two will try to eat the severed half if the front half has not yet expired."
Fowler grimaced, as did everyone else that had just been brought into the loop. "Didn't need to know that."
"My people have taken drastic measures to oppose the Yeerks - the reptilian species known as the Hork Bajir," - an image of the creature in question filled the mind of those present - "have been pushed to near extinction by this conflict. My kind used a plague to try and destroy them so that the Yeerks could not use them as hosts. I will not deny this atrocity, I merely ask that you do not judge all of my kind for one crime."
Team Prime had to fight hard to keep to that line of thought.
"The Yeerks appear to have become aware of your world only slightly over a decade ago, and have only recently made any headway in trying to conquer it. They exploit the need to belong, setting up organizations such as The Sharing, to try and trick humans into wandering into their clutches. Some submitted willingly, others were forced into becoming hosts. I was sent here alongside my brother to try and determine how the Yeerks were progressing, only for our vessel to be ambushed. We were seperated, and I crashed into a construction site. Were it not for the humans standing with me, I would have expired. Ax was retrieved later, as he had the misfortune of landing in the ocean. Now, we fight from the shadows to protect your world."
"...Neat story."
Everyone in the base fixed a glare at Miko.
"What?"
"Perhaps your response could have been worded more delicately," was Optimus' reply.
"Maybe...wait, why is Tobias a hawk right now?"
"Andalite morphing technology has its weaknesses," was the hawk boy's response. "If you spend longer than two hours in a single morph, you will be permanently stuck as that morph. I only regained the ability to morph through some...very special circumstances."
"Oh. I see. Guess we owe you our story now."
Optimus cleared his throat (if only to get everyone's attention, since he didn't need to breath). "Very well. I shall explain."
"In ages past, our people lived in a golden Age of Enlightenment and reason. But in time, we grew decadent, and a rigid caste system dominated our society, with one's position upon coming online defining their existence. During this time, I was known as Orion Pax. I was a mere data clerk for the Iacon Hall of Records?"
"Data...clerk?" Inquired Ax.
"Their version of a librarian," was Jack's response.
"Oh."
"I was tasked with preserving our history, and as I did so, I became aware of how far our society had regressed. The more I examined our past, the more I wished to return our society to those times, when we were more equal. Then, one day, stories came about of a mining drone who had begun to forge a name for himself in the gladiatorial pits of Kaon. Calling himself Megatronus, he sought to end the oppressive class system that defined Cybertron. In time, I came to know of him and his ideals, and like many, I found myself drawn to his cause. Eventually, we found ourselves before Cybertron's ruling council, to whom Megatronus pleaded his case."
Rachel had a knowing look on her face. "Guessing that didn't work out?"
"Correct. It was here that Megatronus, or Megatron as he now wished to be known as, revealed his true colors. Instead of trying to reform Cybertron's caste system, Megatron demanded that he become the planet's new leader, so that he could oversee the changes he desired. I had once believed that he had been lead astray by exhaustion or that his follower's adulation had increased his ego to extreme levels, but now I feel that he always desired power. Wishing to avoid tyranny, I offered a more peaceful solution to abolish our caste system and reform our society, to which the council agreed and even name d me the next prime. But Megatron was furious."
"He had victory in the palm of his hand and you snatched it away from him at the last minute," noted Marco. "Even if he's evil, I can understand where he is coming from."
"Incensed at my perceived betrayal, Megatron rallied. His followers, the Decepticons, and declared war. For yet more eons we fought, ravaging the surface of Cybertron, and gradually depleting our primary source of energy and sustenance, energon. The war only ended when Megatron used a corrupted form of energon called Dark Energon to try and control Cybertron. Instead, it poisoned our planet, forcing the world to shut down to repair itself. Fleeing to the stars while Cybertron healed, we found Megatron pursuing us, determined to have his revenge. In the ensuing struggle, both the Decepticon Flagship Nemesis and our vessel, the Ark, were dragged into an interstellar gateway known as a space bridge. Instability in this particular bridge resulted in both ships and their crew being scattered wildly in transit to the intended destination - in this case, your world."
"Wait, you guys crashed here?" Questioned Marco. "How was that not in the news?"
"When our vessel arrived upon this world, the dominant species were dinosaurs. Those that did see the Ark only witnessed its form crashing into the prehistoric Pacific Ocean."
All of the Animorphs' eyes widened at that remark.", though Jake was the first to speak up. "Wait, you showed up in the time of the dinosaurs?"
"Correct. However, we did awaken from stasis until roughly fourth years ago. Agent Fowler has been assisting us in maintaining our cover thirty years."
The Animorphs froze up at that response, something which Fowler took particular notice of. "Something caught your mind?"
Cassie ended up being the one to recover from stupor first. "When we first got dragged into this, we had a small debate over trying to see if we could get the authorities to help us. We ultimately decided no for two reasons: if the Yeerks had gotten into the government, we were screwed, and if they didn't, you guys might not believe us, though we could morph to fix that. So knowing that the government has been keeping a lid on liens for at least thirty years aid... is kinda leaving us all a bit miffed."
"Well, if you want-"
"No," spoke Jake, cutting off Fowler's offer. "We're not throwing in the towel just yet. At least, I'm not."
"Why? You kids seem in over your heads."
"Jake's brother Tom is an involuntary controller," replied Rachel. "He's my cousin too, and we ain't out of this fight until he's free. And I doubt even that will make Elfangor and Ax back out."
"...Then can we at least work together on this occasion?"
"Explain," demanded Ax.
"That quarry we found you at?" elaborated Arcee, "it's full of energon. Looks like the Yeerks are mining it. Any idea why?"
"That's the crystalline stuff, right?" Asked Marco.
"Correct."
"They want it as fuel. Somehow, they figured out how to harness it for power."
"Well that's a first."
"So," began Miko, "want to work with us?"
The group shared a look. "Can we talk this over?" Asked Jake.
"Can I give you all a checkup first?" Asked June.
"Morphing heals all injuries."
"Please?"
"....Fine."
XXXXX
The overseer Yeerk watched angrily as her subordinates worked to sift through the wreckage and recover the deceased hosts and Yeerks.
This has been a disaster - not only had the Andalite bandits managed to discover their operation, they had apparently acquired additional aid. Where once their had been seven, now they had at least ten. Had there been more survivors aboard the Dome Ship, or had they decided to let humans into their ranks?
As the recovery efforts continued, Iftriss 4179 knew that she was treading on dangerous grounds. This debacle had resulted in Visser Three declaring that he would arrive to personally oversee her operation, no doubt looking for an excuse to execute her. The thought terrified Iftriss and her host - Ms. Willard had joined the Yeerks voluntarily, and such hosts were useful. And besides, Willard had interests that Iftriss could relate to. A pity her children had not been so willing to be controllers. At least they were compliant now, as was her husband.
She's ordered the workers to speed up the extraction process - hopefully a large supply of the crystals would convince the Visser to be lenient on her.
Now how to deal with the bandits....
XXXXX
Within the Decepticon flagship Nemesis, five bots had gathered on the bridge - communications Officer Soundwave, medic Knockout, his partner Breakdown, Airachnid, and, of course, Megatron himself.
"So, to ensure I am looking at this situation with perfect clarity, not only did you disobey my orders to examine a newly discovered energon deposit, you also found and pursued three of The Autobots, did not inform Soundwave or myself of this development, and managed to lose all three alongside more than two dozen vehicons. Am I correct?"
"...Yes, Lord Megatron."
"Is there anything of note your actions managed to achieve?"
"Surprisingly, yes," was Airachnid's response.
"Hmm?"
The femme gestured to a pair of vehicons who were holding the Taxxon corpse. Alongside them was another vehicon holding a jar that contained the Yeerk's corpse.
"What is this?"
"The multi-legged creature is called a Taxxon - a voracious predator in its home environment. The thing is, this world isn't their home."
"Continue."
"I've visited their world once. As it turns out, despite being as voracious eaters of flesh as scraplets are of metal, Taxxons are Inteligent, though incapable of space travel. I believe that they were brought here from their Homeworld. And while I can't say who did so, I think the slug might have been involved."
"Are you implying we are not the only race to have arrived on Earth?"
"Most likely."
"Hmm...very well. I will spare punishment. But unless I give my leave, you are not permitted to leave the Nemesis for three days."
"Understood, Master."
"Good. Now then, Knockout, please examine these cadavers."
"I admit that I may not have the right tools for these particular specimens, Lord Megatron...but I do know someone who does."
Turning to Soundwave, Knockout gestured toward the con's chest plate. After a moment, Laserbeak emerged and flew into the bowels of the Nemesis, eventually stopping at a small medical room. Perching by the entrance, Laserbeak pecked against the door. A moment later, a Deceptico minicon, this one smaller than the mini-casette, crawled out of the room.
"What iz it?"
Laserbeak merely chirped.
"Lord Megatron has a job for me?"
Another chirp followed.
"And it involves cutting into organic? Oh, zhis iz amazing. I will be down shortly. It is time for Megatron to witness zhe talents of Scalpel!"
XXXXX
AN: You can blame Shatterdome Maintenace for the inclusion of Scalpel (that weird evil doctor minicon from Revenge of the Fallen). Assume the Cobs picked him up a short while after Orion Pax.
Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Decisions
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
After June had given the human members of the Animorphs clean bills of health - Andalites and Hawks were not her specialty - the seven had asked to have a private location to talk. Fowler had directed them to an old storage closet, which happened to be one of the few areas that didn't have hidden cameras or microphones in it. It was rather cramped, but it was sufficient for now.
"So," began Jake, "what do we do now?"
Rachel was the first to speak. "Are we discussing working with these aliens?"
"Yes?"
"Then for at least this one time, I say yes."
"Is anyone going to say no to working together with these guys for this mission?"
Not even crickets could be heard in the closet.
"...I thought so. And no, I don't have any problems working with them right now. What I'm really concerned about is what happens next."
Once again, everyone was silent. Everyone except Marco. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, what do we do after this? I know what I told them, but do we keep fighting the Yeerks or just vanish into the shadows?"
"I believe myself and Aximili have already had our decision made - you humans have the choice to leave, but we are Andalites, and this is most certainly our war."
"I got turned into a hawk because of this war. I'm staying."
"My mom is the host of Visser One. Until she's free, I'm fighting."
"That makes six. What about you, Cassie?"
The girl in question sighed. "I..don't want to fight this war. I understand why Elfangor gave us the morphing power, but I still regret being drawn into this..."
The Andalite in question had the decency to look away.
"..but I'm not leaving you guys behind. If you are all in this, then so am I."
"Okay, we're all in this together. Now to get them to see that."
"There's also two other problems we need to figure out."
"And what are those, Marco?"
"First, how are these Autobots going to react to our war? I mean, we try to spare human hosts, but we haven't had such a good track record with taxxons and Hork Bajir. With the Autobots, they could be anywhere from 'killing a host is a mercy' to ' no killing', and I'm not sure which choice is better or worse for us."
"And then there is the question of how to deal with that Energon mine," noted Rachel.
Great. This was going to be a long discussion.
XXXXX
"So, are we going to let them into our team?"
All eyes fell on Miko.
"What? They don't sound like they want to just pull out of the fight, and come on! They can turn into animals! That's awesome!"
"Uh, Miko, I'm not sure they'd want to work with us."
Miko glanced at Bulkhead. "Why's that?"
"Didn't you see how they handled those...Controllers earlier? I get the feeling they've had to get their hands dirty before."
"Even if we work with this new group of humans," intoned Ratchet, "we will need to figure out ways to limit ourselves. Most of the hosts of these brain parasites are significantly. And there is also another problem to consider."
"What's that?" Asked Raf.
"Unless we are able to determine how to free the hosts, we will need to find a secure facility to house enemy prisoners, and I refuse to keep them on base. It is too much of a security risk, to say nothing of hygiene."
"Aren't we forgetting something?"
All eyes fell on Jack. "Such as?" Asked Arcee.
"How are we going to deal with the Energon mine? I mean, it's probably going to take much longer for the Yeerks to mine it out than the 'cons, but then getting access to Energon isn't exactly a good thing."
"I'd say blow it up, but there's too many innocents in the crossfire."
Ratchet raised an optic-brow. "Thank you for your consideration Bulkhead."
"What about all of the Energon?" Asked Raf. "Don't you need some?"
"Correct," noted Ratchet.
"Then I might have a solution."
All the 'bots shared a glance before looking at Raf, though it was Arcee who spoke. "And that is?"
"I did some research, and it looks like these slugs are outsourcing the transport of the Energon to 'normal' drivers. Maybe we could have Optimus pretend to be one and take one of the hauls for us?"
Arcee thought that over,m. "It might work, but we still need to figure out how to help the miners."
"Ratchet said they couldn't stay here. But what if they just visited?"
"Hmm?"
"What if we take them here, then move them to a different place for a more permanent stay? Would that work?"
Ratchet pondered that for a moment. "I suppose. But how are we supposed to retrieve them without injury?"
Fowler stood up. "I can help there - the guys above Unit: E have been working on need gadgets to taking down people non-lethally. Stuff like super tasers or knockout gas. Should be able to get some for this."
"Do you need to file a request to, what, Langley for that?" asked Jack.
"New York, actually - that's where they make and manage the knockout gas."
The sound of a door opening turned the group's attention to a supply closet, which the Animorphs had just recently exited.
"Hey," began Jake, "we're ready to talk."
"Okay," replied Jack. "Oh, and we might've figured out a way to deal with the quarry."
"..That was fast."
XXXXX
AN: Short chapter, wanted to handle some basic stuff with Team Prime and the Animorphs. Scalpel is still working on the Autopsy.
Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
"So," began Jake, "what do we do now?"
Rachel was the first to speak. "Are we discussing working with these aliens?"
"Yes?"
"Then for at least this one time, I say yes."
"Is anyone going to say no to working together with these guys for this mission?"
Not even crickets could be heard in the closet.
"...I thought so. And no, I don't have any problems working with them right now. What I'm really concerned about is what happens next."
Once again, everyone was silent. Everyone except Marco. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, what do we do after this? I know what I told them, but do we keep fighting the Yeerks or just vanish into the shadows?"
"I believe myself and Aximili have already had our decision made - you humans have the choice to leave, but we are Andalites, and this is most certainly our war."
"I got turned into a hawk because of this war. I'm staying."
"My mom is the host of Visser One. Until she's free, I'm fighting."
"That makes six. What about you, Cassie?"
The girl in question sighed. "I..don't want to fight this war. I understand why Elfangor gave us the morphing power, but I still regret being drawn into this..."
The Andalite in question had the decency to look away.
"..but I'm not leaving you guys behind. If you are all in this, then so am I."
"Okay, we're all in this together. Now to get them to see that."
"There's also two other problems we need to figure out."
"And what are those, Marco?"
"First, how are these Autobots going to react to our war? I mean, we try to spare human hosts, but we haven't had such a good track record with taxxons and Hork Bajir. With the Autobots, they could be anywhere from 'killing a host is a mercy' to ' no killing', and I'm not sure which choice is better or worse for us."
"And then there is the question of how to deal with that Energon mine," noted Rachel.
Great. This was going to be a long discussion.
XXXXX
"So, are we going to let them into our team?"
All eyes fell on Miko.
"What? They don't sound like they want to just pull out of the fight, and come on! They can turn into animals! That's awesome!"
"Uh, Miko, I'm not sure they'd want to work with us."
Miko glanced at Bulkhead. "Why's that?"
"Didn't you see how they handled those...Controllers earlier? I get the feeling they've had to get their hands dirty before."
"Even if we work with this new group of humans," intoned Ratchet, "we will need to figure out ways to limit ourselves. Most of the hosts of these brain parasites are significantly. And there is also another problem to consider."
"What's that?" Asked Raf.
"Unless we are able to determine how to free the hosts, we will need to find a secure facility to house enemy prisoners, and I refuse to keep them on base. It is too much of a security risk, to say nothing of hygiene."
"Aren't we forgetting something?"
All eyes fell on Jack. "Such as?" Asked Arcee.
"How are we going to deal with the Energon mine? I mean, it's probably going to take much longer for the Yeerks to mine it out than the 'cons, but then getting access to Energon isn't exactly a good thing."
"I'd say blow it up, but there's too many innocents in the crossfire."
Ratchet raised an optic-brow. "Thank you for your consideration Bulkhead."
"What about all of the Energon?" Asked Raf. "Don't you need some?"
"Correct," noted Ratchet.
"Then I might have a solution."
All the 'bots shared a glance before looking at Raf, though it was Arcee who spoke. "And that is?"
"I did some research, and it looks like these slugs are outsourcing the transport of the Energon to 'normal' drivers. Maybe we could have Optimus pretend to be one and take one of the hauls for us?"
Arcee thought that over,m. "It might work, but we still need to figure out how to help the miners."
"Ratchet said they couldn't stay here. But what if they just visited?"
"Hmm?"
"What if we take them here, then move them to a different place for a more permanent stay? Would that work?"
Ratchet pondered that for a moment. "I suppose. But how are we supposed to retrieve them without injury?"
Fowler stood up. "I can help there - the guys above Unit: E have been working on need gadgets to taking down people non-lethally. Stuff like super tasers or knockout gas. Should be able to get some for this."
"Do you need to file a request to, what, Langley for that?" asked Jack.
"New York, actually - that's where they make and manage the knockout gas."
The sound of a door opening turned the group's attention to a supply closet, which the Animorphs had just recently exited.
"Hey," began Jake, "we're ready to talk."
"Okay," replied Jack. "Oh, and we might've figured out a way to deal with the quarry."
"..That was fast."
XXXXX
AN: Short chapter, wanted to handle some basic stuff with Team Prime and the Animorphs. Scalpel is still working on the Autopsy.
Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Opening Up
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
"So, let me get this straight: you figured out a way to ruin the Yeerks' mining operation, make the quarry they're using useless permanently, rescue all of their workers, and steal some of the energon for your own usage?"
"Pretty much," confirmed Raf.
Jake was speechless for a moment. "...Nice. But I do have one question."
"Yes?"
"What do we do with the Yeerks? They'll starve without Kandrona Rays." Left unsaid was the point that the Autobots and Unit E would not want this to happen - the Animorphs weren't inclined to be merciful.
Raf realized somewhat sheepishly that they hadn't considered that. Fowler, however, knew a way around this. "Can these slugs live outside of a host?"
"Yes," confirmed Elfangor, "as long as they are immersed in water."
"And do you happen to know any of the controller's by name?"
"A few," confirmed Marco.
"Then we can just dump 'em somewhere these slugs know about, call up the ones you know, and tell them that if they want to pick their friends up, this is the location. We've got enough secure phones to handle that."
Now all of the Animorphs were speechless, though Tobias soon found the will to speak. "Wow. You thought of everything."
"Just about," conceded Jack. "So, what now?"
"...Not sure," was Rachel's response. "Your plan would start tomorrow, and we don't really have anything else to do today, except get home in a few hours."
"Want to play video games?"
XXXXX
Several minutes later, Raf, Cassie, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Jake were watching as Rachel and Miko went at it in a fighting game, while Jack and Tobias watched on. Ratchet, Optimus, and Fowler, meanwhile, were talk with Elfangor and Ax.
"So, what's it like being, well, a bird?"
Tobias gave a curious glance at Jack. "Different, to say the least. I feel all kinds of instincts that I don't have as a human. They're...weird. And I've spent so long as a hawk that now I'm not sure which part of me has more influence - the human or the hawk."
"I see. Is this hard on your family?"
"Not as much as you'd think."
"Really? How?"
"It's...not easy to describe. I've just been through a lot."
"Your dad leave when you're young?"
If a hawk could snort, Tobias did just that. "Both my parents, actually. I ended up getting sent to live with my aunt. Let's just say that we're...not close."
"How bad is it?"
"She sends me to live with her brother every few months, and he's a drunk. I'm not sure if that makes him worse than her."
"Ouch."
"Yeah. What about you? Two good parents and okay relationships with your aunts and uncles?"
"Kinda - my dad left when I was really young, and my mom's an only child like me."
"Oh. Why'd he leave?"
"A personal reason."
Jack and Tobias' attention turned toward June, who'd decided to interject in the conversation. "Really, mom?"
"Yes, Jack. I think it had something to do with his sister. You know, Aunt Ellen."
"...Yeah, I remember her."
"Guessing your aunt doesn't come up much in mom-son conversations?"
"She didn't come up much with either of us," admitted June. "I think Jack's dad had something of an... inferiority complex toward his sister."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. See, apparently she was something of a trouble maker, but somehow her parents arranged for her to go to a private school. Supposedly, she was able to get into a really nice one despite, well, a lot of things."
"What, did she have a criminal record?"
"Not for lack of trying, from what my husband told me."
"Wait, for real? What did she do?"
"My husband said she was once caught shoplifting. And apparently their mom didn't discourage it."
"...Ouch. What happened to them?"
"I don't know. My husband just got a call one day from his mom asking him to come over. He said it was important. The last I heard from him is that he had sorted things out with her and his sister, but something came up with his job and that he wouldn't be back for a while. I haven't heard from him since."
"What kind of job did he have that could keep him away for so long? Is he military?"
"Once," admitted Jack. "Between how evasive he was with my mom and how incensed he was with his sister, I think he was part of the FBI."
"..huh."
"Nice story."
Tobias and Jack were certainly surprised to hear Milo's voice. They soon found that everyone else had paused what they were doing to listen in on the conversation.
"Oh. Um, well...yeah."
"You never told us about your dad before," noted Raf.
"Never felt like I needed to."
"Fair. Sorry about your dad."
"It's fine. How are your parents? I mean, I don't think they've ever visited."
"Well, my mom spends most of her time working on doujinshi-"
"What?" Asked Cassie.
"Self published stuff in Japan. Like comics."
"Oh."
"As for my dad, he's usually busy with work and kind of a...I guess 'goof' would be the best word."
Marco snorted at the mental image. "Is be the kind of person who plays tons of app games and enjoys lots of cartoons and comics, or whatever you call them in Japan?"
"Yep."
"...Oh."
"Yeah. Mom and him first got together over their shared interest in manga. Though I think she married him mostly because she needed money and he was well off."
"...Ouch. Did she tell you as much?"
"Yeah, but she did end up falling in love with him. Now they're pretty close."
"That's really sweet," noted Cassie.
"Thanks."
"You have any siblings, Miko?" asked Raf.
"Three - first is my older brother.His name's Sota, and he's in high school right now."
"Oh. What's he like?" Now it was June asking the questions.
"Shy. He's a bit of an artist, too, and my mom's been giving him pointers on his sketches - she did that with me too, but ask in g for help became harder after I flew over here."
"Neat," noted Marco.
"Yeah. Next up would be my younger sister, Mato. She's really sweet. And then there's our youngest brother Tatsumi, but he's barely old enough to walk."
"He sounds adorable," cooed Cassie.
"He is." The. Miko turned her attention to Raf. "Got any family stuff you want to mention?"
"Not really - you already know my parents and siblings."
"Aw, and we just poured out our hearts."
Raf sighed. "Well, I do have a cousin that is..maybe a little too interested in the paranormal."
"Ooh, this sounds interesting!"
"Uh, sure. See, he's spent his whole life looking for things like big foot, ghosts, and...well, aliens."
The whole room was silent for a moment, until Fowler decided to speak up. "Does he-"
"No. And I feel bad not telling him, because he seems to be taking the lack of respect he gets for his interests...poorly."
"How?"
"He collects 'possessed gummy bears'."
June looked a little embarrassed at that statement. "Oh. Forget I asked."
"It's okay. Mostly, though, I'm worried about how he puts up with his sister."
"She bad?" Asked Miko.
"The few times my uncle and cousins have visited, everyone except my uncle and her brother usually want to be ten feet away from her unless she is playing video games. Then they reduce it to five feet."
"Ouch."
"Yeah. She's scary."
Everyone promptly turned their attention toward Fowler, Elfangor, and Ax. "You got anything you want to share about your family?" Asked Marco. "Because all of us either already shared our stories or don't have anything noteworthy to mention."
"Does that include you?"
"...My mom's a controller, ok? And her Yeerk is pretty high up their authority totem pole."
"Oh. Sorry I asked. And to answer your question, no, no interesting family stories."
"Elfangor and myself have nothing of note to tell you."
"Guess that settles things," noted Bulkhead. "So, what now?"
Jake thought for a moment. "Tour of the base?"
Bulkhead glanced at Optimus, Ratchet and Fowler, wordlessly asking for permission. When they offered no objection, he smiled. "Alright, let's do this!"
XXXXX
Atop the medical berth he had been assigned, Scalpel took an electro-prod and rammed it into the corpse of a slug creature. After convulsing for a moment, the creature seemed to liquify. Then, surprisingly, it reformed.
"...Interesting."
XXXXX
AN: Yeah, short heart to heart chapter.
I made references to two other series when Miko and Raf brought up their families. I originally just wanted to do something with Jack's dad, then it snowballed when I considered Miko and RAF's families. These plot threads may be elaborated later on in this story. For now, enjoy!
This is Flameal15k, signing off!
"Pretty much," confirmed Raf.
Jake was speechless for a moment. "...Nice. But I do have one question."
"Yes?"
"What do we do with the Yeerks? They'll starve without Kandrona Rays." Left unsaid was the point that the Autobots and Unit E would not want this to happen - the Animorphs weren't inclined to be merciful.
Raf realized somewhat sheepishly that they hadn't considered that. Fowler, however, knew a way around this. "Can these slugs live outside of a host?"
"Yes," confirmed Elfangor, "as long as they are immersed in water."
"And do you happen to know any of the controller's by name?"
"A few," confirmed Marco.
"Then we can just dump 'em somewhere these slugs know about, call up the ones you know, and tell them that if they want to pick their friends up, this is the location. We've got enough secure phones to handle that."
Now all of the Animorphs were speechless, though Tobias soon found the will to speak. "Wow. You thought of everything."
"Just about," conceded Jack. "So, what now?"
"...Not sure," was Rachel's response. "Your plan would start tomorrow, and we don't really have anything else to do today, except get home in a few hours."
"Want to play video games?"
XXXXX
Several minutes later, Raf, Cassie, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Jake were watching as Rachel and Miko went at it in a fighting game, while Jack and Tobias watched on. Ratchet, Optimus, and Fowler, meanwhile, were talk with Elfangor and Ax.
"So, what's it like being, well, a bird?"
Tobias gave a curious glance at Jack. "Different, to say the least. I feel all kinds of instincts that I don't have as a human. They're...weird. And I've spent so long as a hawk that now I'm not sure which part of me has more influence - the human or the hawk."
"I see. Is this hard on your family?"
"Not as much as you'd think."
"Really? How?"
"It's...not easy to describe. I've just been through a lot."
"Your dad leave when you're young?"
If a hawk could snort, Tobias did just that. "Both my parents, actually. I ended up getting sent to live with my aunt. Let's just say that we're...not close."
"How bad is it?"
"She sends me to live with her brother every few months, and he's a drunk. I'm not sure if that makes him worse than her."
"Ouch."
"Yeah. What about you? Two good parents and okay relationships with your aunts and uncles?"
"Kinda - my dad left when I was really young, and my mom's an only child like me."
"Oh. Why'd he leave?"
"A personal reason."
Jack and Tobias' attention turned toward June, who'd decided to interject in the conversation. "Really, mom?"
"Yes, Jack. I think it had something to do with his sister. You know, Aunt Ellen."
"...Yeah, I remember her."
"Guessing your aunt doesn't come up much in mom-son conversations?"
"She didn't come up much with either of us," admitted June. "I think Jack's dad had something of an... inferiority complex toward his sister."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. See, apparently she was something of a trouble maker, but somehow her parents arranged for her to go to a private school. Supposedly, she was able to get into a really nice one despite, well, a lot of things."
"What, did she have a criminal record?"
"Not for lack of trying, from what my husband told me."
"Wait, for real? What did she do?"
"My husband said she was once caught shoplifting. And apparently their mom didn't discourage it."
"...Ouch. What happened to them?"
"I don't know. My husband just got a call one day from his mom asking him to come over. He said it was important. The last I heard from him is that he had sorted things out with her and his sister, but something came up with his job and that he wouldn't be back for a while. I haven't heard from him since."
"What kind of job did he have that could keep him away for so long? Is he military?"
"Once," admitted Jack. "Between how evasive he was with my mom and how incensed he was with his sister, I think he was part of the FBI."
"..huh."
"Nice story."
Tobias and Jack were certainly surprised to hear Milo's voice. They soon found that everyone else had paused what they were doing to listen in on the conversation.
"Oh. Um, well...yeah."
"You never told us about your dad before," noted Raf.
"Never felt like I needed to."
"Fair. Sorry about your dad."
"It's fine. How are your parents? I mean, I don't think they've ever visited."
"Well, my mom spends most of her time working on doujinshi-"
"What?" Asked Cassie.
"Self published stuff in Japan. Like comics."
"Oh."
"As for my dad, he's usually busy with work and kind of a...I guess 'goof' would be the best word."
Marco snorted at the mental image. "Is be the kind of person who plays tons of app games and enjoys lots of cartoons and comics, or whatever you call them in Japan?"
"Yep."
"...Oh."
"Yeah. Mom and him first got together over their shared interest in manga. Though I think she married him mostly because she needed money and he was well off."
"...Ouch. Did she tell you as much?"
"Yeah, but she did end up falling in love with him. Now they're pretty close."
"That's really sweet," noted Cassie.
"Thanks."
"You have any siblings, Miko?" asked Raf.
"Three - first is my older brother.His name's Sota, and he's in high school right now."
"Oh. What's he like?" Now it was June asking the questions.
"Shy. He's a bit of an artist, too, and my mom's been giving him pointers on his sketches - she did that with me too, but ask in g for help became harder after I flew over here."
"Neat," noted Marco.
"Yeah. Next up would be my younger sister, Mato. She's really sweet. And then there's our youngest brother Tatsumi, but he's barely old enough to walk."
"He sounds adorable," cooed Cassie.
"He is." The. Miko turned her attention to Raf. "Got any family stuff you want to mention?"
"Not really - you already know my parents and siblings."
"Aw, and we just poured out our hearts."
Raf sighed. "Well, I do have a cousin that is..maybe a little too interested in the paranormal."
"Ooh, this sounds interesting!"
"Uh, sure. See, he's spent his whole life looking for things like big foot, ghosts, and...well, aliens."
The whole room was silent for a moment, until Fowler decided to speak up. "Does he-"
"No. And I feel bad not telling him, because he seems to be taking the lack of respect he gets for his interests...poorly."
"How?"
"He collects 'possessed gummy bears'."
June looked a little embarrassed at that statement. "Oh. Forget I asked."
"It's okay. Mostly, though, I'm worried about how he puts up with his sister."
"She bad?" Asked Miko.
"The few times my uncle and cousins have visited, everyone except my uncle and her brother usually want to be ten feet away from her unless she is playing video games. Then they reduce it to five feet."
"Ouch."
"Yeah. She's scary."
Everyone promptly turned their attention toward Fowler, Elfangor, and Ax. "You got anything you want to share about your family?" Asked Marco. "Because all of us either already shared our stories or don't have anything noteworthy to mention."
"Does that include you?"
"...My mom's a controller, ok? And her Yeerk is pretty high up their authority totem pole."
"Oh. Sorry I asked. And to answer your question, no, no interesting family stories."
"Elfangor and myself have nothing of note to tell you."
"Guess that settles things," noted Bulkhead. "So, what now?"
Jake thought for a moment. "Tour of the base?"
Bulkhead glanced at Optimus, Ratchet and Fowler, wordlessly asking for permission. When they offered no objection, he smiled. "Alright, let's do this!"
XXXXX
Atop the medical berth he had been assigned, Scalpel took an electro-prod and rammed it into the corpse of a slug creature. After convulsing for a moment, the creature seemed to liquify. Then, surprisingly, it reformed.
"...Interesting."
XXXXX
AN: Yeah, short heart to heart chapter.
I made references to two other series when Miko and Raf brought up their families. I originally just wanted to do something with Jack's dad, then it snowballed when I considered Miko and RAF's families. These plot threads may be elaborated later on in this story. For now, enjoy!
This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Last edited:
The Pieces Move
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
Just to preface this chapter, there might be a few OOC scenes in here, with one in particular for Miko. I just need them done to clarify how things will go forward in this story.
XXXXX
"...and this is the medical bay. This is where Ratchet cares for the rest of us when we get damaged. No spots for humans here, but Jack, Miko, and Raf are relatively new additions to our team."
The Animorphs took all of this in with eager eyes and ears - they'd seen the base's barracks, armory, brig (currently not I use), laboratory, and now the hospital. It was very informative, to say the least.
As they passed through the medical bay, though, the group noticed that one of the bays was currently in use - and stop it was a red cybertronian.
"Who is that?" Inquired Elfangor.
Bulkhead took a moment to realize who the boy was talking about, then sighed. "That's Cliffjumper. He's...well, he was, Arcee's partner. Megatron-"
"Poisoned him with Dark Energon while we were trying to recover the data on the Iacon Relics," finished the Femme. "Ratchet's been having trouble acquiring the resources he needs to heal Cliff, so we've been forced to put him in stasis until we have what we need."
"Ouch. You have my sympathies."
"Thanks. I've already had to bury one partner. Rather not bury anymore."
Silence reigned for a moment while Jack and Arcee shared a knowing glance. Eventually, though, Bulkhead decided to speak up.
"Well, looks like we're done with the tour. Don't know what you guys want to do now."
"Actually," answered Jake, "I think we need to get going - it's about time for most of us to have dinner."
"And unlike you," noted Cassie, "we don't exactly have our families in the know about our after school activities."
"To be fair, I'm the only parent who knows about this," replied June. "But you have a point."
"Thanks for understanding."
"No problem," was Raf's reply. "Ratchet, could you ready a ground bridge? Our guests need to get going."
"Very well. Be at the center of the base in ten minutes."
"Understood."
XXXXX
Ten minutes later, the bridge was opened, and the Animorphs departed. Not long after, Raf, Miko, Jack, and June also made their exits, leaving only Optimus, Ratchet, and Fowler in the base.
"To think other alien species had also made their way to this world," mused Ratchet. "It was always a possibility, but one I never considered to be true."
"I'm as surprised as you are," admitted Fowler. "I always thought we'd know if there were more aliens here than you and your kind. MECH probably should've taught me to be more skeptical, but I guess it didn't stick."
Optimus turned toward Fowler. "Agent Fowler, you need not think less of yourself for your lack of foresight. As Ratchet said, it was unlikely that other species would have arrived on Earth."
"Thanks, Prime. Still, I'm worried now - we got other aliens showing up, bringing their wars to our shores. We already have your war here, now this? I'm worried what'll happen if things become too difficult to keep a lid on."
Ratchet raised an optic-brow. "What do you mean?"
"We already have enough problems with bigotry on Earth - we even have people complaining about us giving support to a war in Eastern Europe right now. What happens if people learn about a clandestine alien war on their doorsteps?"
"You raise a point, Agent Fowler. I fear that we will only learn the truth if that day comes to pass."
XXXXX
As the Animorphs made their way home, all thoughts were on the Autobots and Unit E.
"Had anyone changed their opinions yet on whether we should work with Unit E going forward?"
"Not yet, Elfangor," was Tobias' response. "We still need time to think."
"I understand, but that time is running out."
"We know," acknowledged Jake. "We just need to be really sure about this."
"If we commit to an alliance, or even outright joining Unit E, then we won't be able to back out if things go south," noted Rachel.
"Yeah, but if we do, we also get much more help going forward," countered Marco.
"Can we save this until tomorrow?" wondered Cassie. "Preferably until after we've worked with them."
Nobody raised any complaints to that.
"Still, you know that we're not going to be able to keep to the shadows forever," noted Rachel once again. "That Fowler guy said that he would report about us to his bosses, if only in vague terms for now."
"We know," chorused the group.
Like it or not, change would come.
XXXXX
"Oh, Miko, you're back. How was the science fiction club?"
"Good. We had a few new prospective members show up today."
"That sounds nice. Dinner will be ready in an hour."
With that, Miko's Host mother went back to the kitchen, leaving her alone again - her host father had to put in a few extra hours tonight.
"Oh, almost forgot: you got a package from your brother. I left it in your room."
Surprised, Miko made her way to her bedroom and went inside. Sure enough, sitting atop her bed was a package from her brother, Sota. Carefully opening it, Miko let out a shocked 'eep' when she determined what it was - a figurine of one of her favorite anime characters, the pilot of Gigas Machina, Rui Kanoya.
Miko looked at the time. Souta probably wasn't in school now, right? Maybe he was free to take a call?"
XXXXX
ring-ring-ring*
ring-ring-ring*
ring-ring-* "Hello?"
"THANK YOU SO MUCH!"
"AGH, Miko! Don't yell like that."
"Oops, sorry! Still, thanks so much for the gift!"
"It's fine. Just wanted to get something for my sister while she's away from home. So, how're you doing?"
"Okay. It's still kinda weird for things to finally not be so...boring now."
"I thought you're studying in America to escape boredom?"
"Yeah, but until a little while ago, I was thinking I chose the wrong place for that. How are you doing?"
"Fine. Just trying to...work on things."
"Still have writers block and a small fan base."
"Eegh..."
"You'll get there, don't worry."
"...Thanks."
"You're welcome. Oh, and how are things going with Setsuna?"
"...eh?"
"I thought mom told me that you two went to a movie together last weekend."
"We did..."
"So, do you like her?"
"Miko!"
XXXXX
"-in other news, Valuable Imports, Lavish Exports stock continued to drop following the ongoing investigation regarding the company being implicated in the smuggling of multiple items, and is projected to-"
Jack hit the mute button on the television before making his way over to the dining room, where his mom was almost finished making pasta.
"Jack, honey, dinner's almost ready."
"I know...can I talk to you right now?"
"About what?"
"Well...about dad."
"Oh. What about him?"
"...Do you ever think he's coming back?"
June thought for a moment, then sighed. "I really don't know. He left a long time ago, and we haven't spoken in years. I'm not even sure if he is...well, you know.."
"I get it. Is there anything you could tell me about him? Like any hobbies he had?"
"Well, if he was still here, I think he'd get along well with you. He was a fan of motorcycles."
"I suppose he was also a fan of aliens?"
"Yes, actually."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah. He didn't bring it up too much, but he checked a lot of websites about aliens. He especially seemed interested in one hosted by a guy named Pittacus Lore."
"Oh."
"He even tried looking for UFOs a few times when we were married, and roped me into doing that once or twice. It was...weird, but I enjoyed it."
"I see." For a moment, Jack was silent, but then, slowly, he started to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Sounds like dad spent quite a bit of time looking for aliens, but I just happened to stumble on them by accident."
"..That is a little funny, isn't it."
XXXXX
Chat program
System: Red_Turtle has entered the chat!
System: Membrane_Junior has entered the chat!
Membrane_Junior: Hey, Raf, how are you doing?
Red_Turtle: Good. You?
Membrane_Junior: Okay.
Red_Turtle: Your sister still being terrifying?
Membrane_Junior: Pigs still haven't grown wings or learned how to use jet packs, so yes. The day Gaz stops being scary and doesn't take have an ulterior motive, I'm worried the sky will fall.
Red_Turtle: Ha! So, still have the alien in class?
Membrane_Junior: Yes. But he hasn't done anything lately. Or in three months, actually.
Red_Turtle: Are you really sure he is an alien?
Membrane_Junior: He has green skin, no ears, and no nose. I don't think there are any medical conditions that cause all of those deformities at once.
Red_Turtle: Fair enough. Good luck with your efforts, Dib.
Membrane_Junior: Thanks. Nice to have at least one supportive family member out there.
XXXXX
As the sun finished its descent from the sky, General Bryce turned his attention to the document Fowler had prepared for him. Fowler had been highly insistent that it be read today, and had gone through as much protocol as possible to ensure that said document would be treated as priority one.
Well, then, time to se what was on it.
XXXXX
General Bryce,
At 1435 hours today, the Autobots investigated the energon quarry first identified on 24 March, 2022. Due to a lack of other valuable ores or materials, it was assumed the dig site was associated with MECH. Instead, it was discovered that the area was occupied by a previously unidentified alien species who seem to be using harvesting the crystals for fuel. Events that followed revealed a total of four new alien species, and indicates that a second alien conflict is occurring clandestinely on Earth. It was also discovered that a group of teenagers had become involved in this conflict for the sake of defending Earth. The species and groups of interest are described below.
- Yeerks: Parasitic slug-like aliens native to an unknown planet. They posssess the ability to control other species via traveling up the inner war into the brain. How hey bypass the inner ear structure and eardrum is currently unknown. Dependent on certain forms of radiation produced by their home star to survive, they can synthesize this radiation via a machine called a Kandrona Device. The Yeerks are bent on conquering as much of the galaxy as possible, and Earth is one of their newest intended conquests.
- Andalites: A centauroid race native to an unknown planet, and a major if not the primary enemy of the Yeerks. The Andalites discovered the slug aliens several decades ago and, feeling sympathy for how these creatures were intelligent but had no way of using said intelligence, uplifted them. The Yeerks betrayed the Andalites and promptly set about trying to conquer the galaxy. Naturally covered in blue fur, Andalites have several unique biological traits: they lack mouths on their faces and eat through their hooves feet, for one. To communicate, they rely on telepathy. Finally, Andalites have razor sharp blades on the tips of their tails that they can use as weapons. Andalites have several unique technologies, including a blue cuboid device that allows the user to transform into animals. Further information on this cube will be provided later. There are currently three known Andalites on Earth - two associated with the Animorphs (see their section below), while the third is the host of Visser Three, the Yeerk charged with invading Earth.
-Hork-Bajir: A race of reptilians native to Sector Five, RG-Two-One-Five-Seven-Eight-Four (the official designation given by the Yeerks). Normally a peaceful civilization, their Homeworld had the misfortune to be the first one to be conquered by the Yeerks. The Andalites attempted to wipe out this species via biological weaponry to deny the Yeerks access to powerful hosts, but were unsuccessful. Over ninety-nine percent of the Hork-Bajir alive today are slaves to the Yeerks.
--Addendum to above: The Animorphs have managed to free several of the Hork-Bajir from the Yeerks' control and have assisted in smuggling them into a sort of sanctuary. We should examine this before said sanctuary becomes compromised.
- Taxxons: Carnivorous centipede aliens from another unknown planet (very little intel was provided regarding the names of these aliens' home worlds). Taxxons are hypercarnjvores driven by an insane infer to consume flesh - dismembered individuals will often attempt to eat their severed body parts. The species is a willing vassal race to the Yeerks - they believe becoming controllers will quell their hunger forever. It is unknown if this actually works.
- Animorphs: A group formed to oppose the Yeerk invasion of Earth. Compromised of five human volunteers (their names and identities are still being determined and are being hidden for the time being) and two Andalites that survived an orbital battle with the Yeerks. Due to limited numbers, the group has resorted to using guerilla tactics to disrupt Yeerk operations while attempting to contact the Andalite Homeworld to acquire reinforcements. No efforts were made to contact Earts-based governments due to fears that they had been infiltrated by the Yeerks. Note: one of the humanz is actually a hawk - attempting to remain transformed (or morphed, as they refer to it) into another species for longer than two hours permanently converts the user into the morph.
Due to Decepticon activity near the quarry, we plan to mobilize jointly with the Animorphs tomorrow to shut down the mining operations to deny both the Yeerks and the Decepticons access to the energon. I am attempting to convince the group to at least work jointly with Unit E, but they still have some reservations. The plan of action for the operation will be found on the attached documents to this report.
Sincere,
Agent William Fowler.
XXXXX
General Bryce found himself reviewing the document three times before the weight of it finally sunk in: four additional alien races had been discovered operating on Earth, and three of them didn't have peaceful intentions for Earth.
There being more aliens on Earth than just the Cybertronians wasn't a surprise - contrary to what the Autobots, their human allies, or even Fowler knew, there were already several other extraterrestrials taking up residence on Earth. Most weren't problems, and those that were already had surveillance watching over them. The problem was that so so many had just made their debut, and practically overnight too. Fowler wouldn't be blamed for this - he had been just as out of the loop as the rest of them. Still, Langley wasn't going to be happy - and neither was New York.
Sighing, Bryce started working on his own reports - he was not looking forward to what they had to say about this mess.
XXXXX
The Nemesis, Scalpel's med bay.
"Scalpel, have you finished your autopsy?"
"Yes, Lord Megatron, I have."
"What are the results."
Activating one of the nearby monitors, Scalpel pulled up a diagram of the slug alien. "Zhe creature before us appears to be some kind of slug alien. I have noticed that it has an interesting behavior - when subjected to zhe right stimuli, the carcass would appear to liquify before reforming moments later, at least until the nervous system degraded too much to allow for reformation."
"In the interest of brevity," intoned Knockout, "could you reach the main points of this for Lord Megstron's sake."
"Of course. It appears that zhe creature iz capable of interfacing with the brains of larger organisms by direct contact with the brain. I believe it iz a neural parasite of sorts, clinging to the brains of hosts and using them to do what it cannot in its true form. The liquification process allows it to reach the brain by means of the ear - its cells are small enough to squeeze through the cellular membrane of a host and travel through the bloodstream to the brain."
"Interesting. What else can you tell?"
"Sadly, Lord Megatron, I am at my wits end. I have discovered all I can with zhe specimens Airachnjd provided. I will need more cadavers, and at least one living subject, before I can make further breakthroughs."
"I see. Airachnid?"
"Yes, Lord Megatron?"
"Tomorrow, I wish for you to direct a squadron of vehicons, Breakdown, and myself to where you found the creatures. Then, we can focus on acquiring additional samples for Scalpel."
"And if the Autobots return?"
"...Then we will have the perfect opportunity to eliminate them."
XXXXX
AN: Looks like things are heating up.
I've dropped more hints as to who Milo's brother is (read: all but outright stated it) and who Raf's cousin (read:have outright stated who it is).
Megatron is looking to find out more about the Yeerks. This might not be good?
If Fowler mentioned something in his report that he didn't hear in the previous chapters, then he heard it when he was talking to Elfangor and Ax in the previous chapter.
And, of course, the big bombshell with Bryce - there are other aliens already on Earth that Team Prime and Fowler don't know about. Yeah. This is definitely going to be important later. I won't elaborate too much on that yet, but I can confirm one thing - the report being sent to New York isn't going to the Men In Black. It is aimed at a more obscure series.
Read and review at your leisure. Discuss as you desire. And you have time, please edit the tropes page for this story! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
XXXXX
"...and this is the medical bay. This is where Ratchet cares for the rest of us when we get damaged. No spots for humans here, but Jack, Miko, and Raf are relatively new additions to our team."
The Animorphs took all of this in with eager eyes and ears - they'd seen the base's barracks, armory, brig (currently not I use), laboratory, and now the hospital. It was very informative, to say the least.
As they passed through the medical bay, though, the group noticed that one of the bays was currently in use - and stop it was a red cybertronian.
"Who is that?" Inquired Elfangor.
Bulkhead took a moment to realize who the boy was talking about, then sighed. "That's Cliffjumper. He's...well, he was, Arcee's partner. Megatron-"
"Poisoned him with Dark Energon while we were trying to recover the data on the Iacon Relics," finished the Femme. "Ratchet's been having trouble acquiring the resources he needs to heal Cliff, so we've been forced to put him in stasis until we have what we need."
"Ouch. You have my sympathies."
"Thanks. I've already had to bury one partner. Rather not bury anymore."
Silence reigned for a moment while Jack and Arcee shared a knowing glance. Eventually, though, Bulkhead decided to speak up.
"Well, looks like we're done with the tour. Don't know what you guys want to do now."
"Actually," answered Jake, "I think we need to get going - it's about time for most of us to have dinner."
"And unlike you," noted Cassie, "we don't exactly have our families in the know about our after school activities."
"To be fair, I'm the only parent who knows about this," replied June. "But you have a point."
"Thanks for understanding."
"No problem," was Raf's reply. "Ratchet, could you ready a ground bridge? Our guests need to get going."
"Very well. Be at the center of the base in ten minutes."
"Understood."
XXXXX
Ten minutes later, the bridge was opened, and the Animorphs departed. Not long after, Raf, Miko, Jack, and June also made their exits, leaving only Optimus, Ratchet, and Fowler in the base.
"To think other alien species had also made their way to this world," mused Ratchet. "It was always a possibility, but one I never considered to be true."
"I'm as surprised as you are," admitted Fowler. "I always thought we'd know if there were more aliens here than you and your kind. MECH probably should've taught me to be more skeptical, but I guess it didn't stick."
Optimus turned toward Fowler. "Agent Fowler, you need not think less of yourself for your lack of foresight. As Ratchet said, it was unlikely that other species would have arrived on Earth."
"Thanks, Prime. Still, I'm worried now - we got other aliens showing up, bringing their wars to our shores. We already have your war here, now this? I'm worried what'll happen if things become too difficult to keep a lid on."
Ratchet raised an optic-brow. "What do you mean?"
"We already have enough problems with bigotry on Earth - we even have people complaining about us giving support to a war in Eastern Europe right now. What happens if people learn about a clandestine alien war on their doorsteps?"
"You raise a point, Agent Fowler. I fear that we will only learn the truth if that day comes to pass."
XXXXX
As the Animorphs made their way home, all thoughts were on the Autobots and Unit E.
"Had anyone changed their opinions yet on whether we should work with Unit E going forward?"
"Not yet, Elfangor," was Tobias' response. "We still need time to think."
"I understand, but that time is running out."
"We know," acknowledged Jake. "We just need to be really sure about this."
"If we commit to an alliance, or even outright joining Unit E, then we won't be able to back out if things go south," noted Rachel.
"Yeah, but if we do, we also get much more help going forward," countered Marco.
"Can we save this until tomorrow?" wondered Cassie. "Preferably until after we've worked with them."
Nobody raised any complaints to that.
"Still, you know that we're not going to be able to keep to the shadows forever," noted Rachel once again. "That Fowler guy said that he would report about us to his bosses, if only in vague terms for now."
"We know," chorused the group.
Like it or not, change would come.
XXXXX
"Oh, Miko, you're back. How was the science fiction club?"
"Good. We had a few new prospective members show up today."
"That sounds nice. Dinner will be ready in an hour."
With that, Miko's Host mother went back to the kitchen, leaving her alone again - her host father had to put in a few extra hours tonight.
"Oh, almost forgot: you got a package from your brother. I left it in your room."
Surprised, Miko made her way to her bedroom and went inside. Sure enough, sitting atop her bed was a package from her brother, Sota. Carefully opening it, Miko let out a shocked 'eep' when she determined what it was - a figurine of one of her favorite anime characters, the pilot of Gigas Machina, Rui Kanoya.
Miko looked at the time. Souta probably wasn't in school now, right? Maybe he was free to take a call?"
XXXXX
ring-ring-ring*
ring-ring-ring*
ring-ring-* "Hello?"
"THANK YOU SO MUCH!"
"AGH, Miko! Don't yell like that."
"Oops, sorry! Still, thanks so much for the gift!"
"It's fine. Just wanted to get something for my sister while she's away from home. So, how're you doing?"
"Okay. It's still kinda weird for things to finally not be so...boring now."
"I thought you're studying in America to escape boredom?"
"Yeah, but until a little while ago, I was thinking I chose the wrong place for that. How are you doing?"
"Fine. Just trying to...work on things."
"Still have writers block and a small fan base."
"Eegh..."
"You'll get there, don't worry."
"...Thanks."
"You're welcome. Oh, and how are things going with Setsuna?"
"...eh?"
"I thought mom told me that you two went to a movie together last weekend."
"We did..."
"So, do you like her?"
"Miko!"
XXXXX
"-in other news, Valuable Imports, Lavish Exports stock continued to drop following the ongoing investigation regarding the company being implicated in the smuggling of multiple items, and is projected to-"
Jack hit the mute button on the television before making his way over to the dining room, where his mom was almost finished making pasta.
"Jack, honey, dinner's almost ready."
"I know...can I talk to you right now?"
"About what?"
"Well...about dad."
"Oh. What about him?"
"...Do you ever think he's coming back?"
June thought for a moment, then sighed. "I really don't know. He left a long time ago, and we haven't spoken in years. I'm not even sure if he is...well, you know.."
"I get it. Is there anything you could tell me about him? Like any hobbies he had?"
"Well, if he was still here, I think he'd get along well with you. He was a fan of motorcycles."
"I suppose he was also a fan of aliens?"
"Yes, actually."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah. He didn't bring it up too much, but he checked a lot of websites about aliens. He especially seemed interested in one hosted by a guy named Pittacus Lore."
"Oh."
"He even tried looking for UFOs a few times when we were married, and roped me into doing that once or twice. It was...weird, but I enjoyed it."
"I see." For a moment, Jack was silent, but then, slowly, he started to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Sounds like dad spent quite a bit of time looking for aliens, but I just happened to stumble on them by accident."
"..That is a little funny, isn't it."
XXXXX
Chat program
System: Red_Turtle has entered the chat!
System: Membrane_Junior has entered the chat!
Membrane_Junior: Hey, Raf, how are you doing?
Red_Turtle: Good. You?
Membrane_Junior: Okay.
Red_Turtle: Your sister still being terrifying?
Membrane_Junior: Pigs still haven't grown wings or learned how to use jet packs, so yes. The day Gaz stops being scary and doesn't take have an ulterior motive, I'm worried the sky will fall.
Red_Turtle: Ha! So, still have the alien in class?
Membrane_Junior: Yes. But he hasn't done anything lately. Or in three months, actually.
Red_Turtle: Are you really sure he is an alien?
Membrane_Junior: He has green skin, no ears, and no nose. I don't think there are any medical conditions that cause all of those deformities at once.
Red_Turtle: Fair enough. Good luck with your efforts, Dib.
Membrane_Junior: Thanks. Nice to have at least one supportive family member out there.
XXXXX
As the sun finished its descent from the sky, General Bryce turned his attention to the document Fowler had prepared for him. Fowler had been highly insistent that it be read today, and had gone through as much protocol as possible to ensure that said document would be treated as priority one.
Well, then, time to se what was on it.
XXXXX
General Bryce,
At 1435 hours today, the Autobots investigated the energon quarry first identified on 24 March, 2022. Due to a lack of other valuable ores or materials, it was assumed the dig site was associated with MECH. Instead, it was discovered that the area was occupied by a previously unidentified alien species who seem to be using harvesting the crystals for fuel. Events that followed revealed a total of four new alien species, and indicates that a second alien conflict is occurring clandestinely on Earth. It was also discovered that a group of teenagers had become involved in this conflict for the sake of defending Earth. The species and groups of interest are described below.
- Yeerks: Parasitic slug-like aliens native to an unknown planet. They posssess the ability to control other species via traveling up the inner war into the brain. How hey bypass the inner ear structure and eardrum is currently unknown. Dependent on certain forms of radiation produced by their home star to survive, they can synthesize this radiation via a machine called a Kandrona Device. The Yeerks are bent on conquering as much of the galaxy as possible, and Earth is one of their newest intended conquests.
- Andalites: A centauroid race native to an unknown planet, and a major if not the primary enemy of the Yeerks. The Andalites discovered the slug aliens several decades ago and, feeling sympathy for how these creatures were intelligent but had no way of using said intelligence, uplifted them. The Yeerks betrayed the Andalites and promptly set about trying to conquer the galaxy. Naturally covered in blue fur, Andalites have several unique biological traits: they lack mouths on their faces and eat through their hooves feet, for one. To communicate, they rely on telepathy. Finally, Andalites have razor sharp blades on the tips of their tails that they can use as weapons. Andalites have several unique technologies, including a blue cuboid device that allows the user to transform into animals. Further information on this cube will be provided later. There are currently three known Andalites on Earth - two associated with the Animorphs (see their section below), while the third is the host of Visser Three, the Yeerk charged with invading Earth.
-Hork-Bajir: A race of reptilians native to Sector Five, RG-Two-One-Five-Seven-Eight-Four (the official designation given by the Yeerks). Normally a peaceful civilization, their Homeworld had the misfortune to be the first one to be conquered by the Yeerks. The Andalites attempted to wipe out this species via biological weaponry to deny the Yeerks access to powerful hosts, but were unsuccessful. Over ninety-nine percent of the Hork-Bajir alive today are slaves to the Yeerks.
--Addendum to above: The Animorphs have managed to free several of the Hork-Bajir from the Yeerks' control and have assisted in smuggling them into a sort of sanctuary. We should examine this before said sanctuary becomes compromised.
- Taxxons: Carnivorous centipede aliens from another unknown planet (very little intel was provided regarding the names of these aliens' home worlds). Taxxons are hypercarnjvores driven by an insane infer to consume flesh - dismembered individuals will often attempt to eat their severed body parts. The species is a willing vassal race to the Yeerks - they believe becoming controllers will quell their hunger forever. It is unknown if this actually works.
- Animorphs: A group formed to oppose the Yeerk invasion of Earth. Compromised of five human volunteers (their names and identities are still being determined and are being hidden for the time being) and two Andalites that survived an orbital battle with the Yeerks. Due to limited numbers, the group has resorted to using guerilla tactics to disrupt Yeerk operations while attempting to contact the Andalite Homeworld to acquire reinforcements. No efforts were made to contact Earts-based governments due to fears that they had been infiltrated by the Yeerks. Note: one of the humanz is actually a hawk - attempting to remain transformed (or morphed, as they refer to it) into another species for longer than two hours permanently converts the user into the morph.
Due to Decepticon activity near the quarry, we plan to mobilize jointly with the Animorphs tomorrow to shut down the mining operations to deny both the Yeerks and the Decepticons access to the energon. I am attempting to convince the group to at least work jointly with Unit E, but they still have some reservations. The plan of action for the operation will be found on the attached documents to this report.
Sincere,
Agent William Fowler.
XXXXX
General Bryce found himself reviewing the document three times before the weight of it finally sunk in: four additional alien races had been discovered operating on Earth, and three of them didn't have peaceful intentions for Earth.
There being more aliens on Earth than just the Cybertronians wasn't a surprise - contrary to what the Autobots, their human allies, or even Fowler knew, there were already several other extraterrestrials taking up residence on Earth. Most weren't problems, and those that were already had surveillance watching over them. The problem was that so so many had just made their debut, and practically overnight too. Fowler wouldn't be blamed for this - he had been just as out of the loop as the rest of them. Still, Langley wasn't going to be happy - and neither was New York.
Sighing, Bryce started working on his own reports - he was not looking forward to what they had to say about this mess.
XXXXX
The Nemesis, Scalpel's med bay.
"Scalpel, have you finished your autopsy?"
"Yes, Lord Megatron, I have."
"What are the results."
Activating one of the nearby monitors, Scalpel pulled up a diagram of the slug alien. "Zhe creature before us appears to be some kind of slug alien. I have noticed that it has an interesting behavior - when subjected to zhe right stimuli, the carcass would appear to liquify before reforming moments later, at least until the nervous system degraded too much to allow for reformation."
"In the interest of brevity," intoned Knockout, "could you reach the main points of this for Lord Megstron's sake."
"Of course. It appears that zhe creature iz capable of interfacing with the brains of larger organisms by direct contact with the brain. I believe it iz a neural parasite of sorts, clinging to the brains of hosts and using them to do what it cannot in its true form. The liquification process allows it to reach the brain by means of the ear - its cells are small enough to squeeze through the cellular membrane of a host and travel through the bloodstream to the brain."
"Interesting. What else can you tell?"
"Sadly, Lord Megatron, I am at my wits end. I have discovered all I can with zhe specimens Airachnjd provided. I will need more cadavers, and at least one living subject, before I can make further breakthroughs."
"I see. Airachnid?"
"Yes, Lord Megatron?"
"Tomorrow, I wish for you to direct a squadron of vehicons, Breakdown, and myself to where you found the creatures. Then, we can focus on acquiring additional samples for Scalpel."
"And if the Autobots return?"
"...Then we will have the perfect opportunity to eliminate them."
XXXXX
AN: Looks like things are heating up.
I've dropped more hints as to who Milo's brother is (read: all but outright stated it) and who Raf's cousin (read:have outright stated who it is).
Megatron is looking to find out more about the Yeerks. This might not be good?
If Fowler mentioned something in his report that he didn't hear in the previous chapters, then he heard it when he was talking to Elfangor and Ax in the previous chapter.
And, of course, the big bombshell with Bryce - there are other aliens already on Earth that Team Prime and Fowler don't know about. Yeah. This is definitely going to be important later. I won't elaborate too much on that yet, but I can confirm one thing - the report being sent to New York isn't going to the Men In Black. It is aimed at a more obscure series.
Read and review at your leisure. Discuss as you desire. And you have time, please edit the tropes page for this story! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Last edited:
Arthur Hansen
Author of no Authority.
- Location
- Utah, behind the Zion Curtain.
I am sadly not aware enough of the siblings to match them to the fandoms
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
Thanks for trying, at least.
Next chapter will be up sometime next week.
Raid on the Quarry Part 1
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
AN: In the interest of actually keeping a consistent writi mg schedule, I'm to take a page from some of my favorite authors and upload the new chapters in fragments under the side story tab. Each of these will probably be around 1000 words long. When I am finished with the last segment, the whole chapter will be compiled and posted as a single post. This will only apply to the versions fo this story on SB, SV, and eventually, QQ - the versions on FFN and AO3 will just have full chapter posts.
Now, onto the actual chapter!
It seemed like an eternity, but eventually, dawn arose, and with it, the time for the Autobots, the Animorphs, and their allies to put their plan into motion. After today, things would change forever.
And not everyone was sure how to take this.
"So, anyone made up their mind on Unit E?" asked Jake.
A resounding chorus of "no" filled the air.
"Thought so. Guess we'll have to see how this mission goes."
"We will," confirmed Cassie.
The Autobots had all mustered to the center of their base, where they and their recently arrived human allieswere all focused on Ratchet opening upba ground bridge. Joining them were several squads of military personnel - their rescue plan would require quite a bit of extra help to pull off.
"So, is everyone here clear on the plan?" Asked Fowler.
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Great. Now, are there any questions?"
A female corporal raised her hand.
"Yes, Corporal Summers?"
"Sir, this area saw Decepticon activity during yesterday's investigation. What if they show up again?"
"We acknowledged this risk when the plans for this mission were drafted," answered not Fowler, but Optimus. "We are aware that they are likely to be observing the area, so once the operation commenced, Arcee and Bulkhead will be on standby to intercept Megatron's forces, should they arrive."
"Understood. What about the kids?"
"We're staying here and helping everyone pulled out of the quarry," answered Jack. For once, Miko had been convinced to stick this out, though the fact that actual soldiers (and even a few marines) were getting involved might have been a deciding factor.
"Understood. One final question: how are we getting into the Quarry?"
"According to the maps we have from before the quarry was built, there's some pre-existing tunnels in the Area of Operations. Plan A is to use those to try and find a side entrance. Plan B is to knock out and impersonate a miner to get inside."
"Understood! No more questions, sir!"
"Then prepare to mobilize!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
A few minutes later, the Animorphs arrived at the designated meeting point for the mission. They didn't have to wait long for the ground ridge to open.
Though they were surprised to see that the Autobots had been joined by several soldiers.
"What the-"
"Stand down," spoke Fowler, cutting off the soldier's crass question. "These are the allies I mentioned in the briefing."
"I see. Weird having more aliens as friendlies now."
Elfangor and Ax both have an annoyed look at the soldiers, who suddenly felt a bit sheepish.
"Ypu didn't mention anything about bringing soldiers to this," noted Cassie.
"Optimus is having Arcee and Bulkhead on standby in case the 'Cons decide to intervene, so we needed to call in some aid for dealing with the quarry."
"Makes sense," agreed Marco. "…Wait, how do we get a ground bridge open in the Quarry?"
One of the soldiers pulled out a portal pylon of sorts. "Prototype ground bridge homing beacon. Something the military has been working on alongside the Autobots. You get this into the Quarry, and we can handle the rest."
"Ok then. So, is everyone ready?"
The soldiers merely nodded, still a little surprised that they would be working with children. And a hawk. And two centaur aliens.
Megatron examined the coordinates that Soundwave had pulled up - it seemed that the Autobots had opened up a Ground Bridge near where Airachnid had confronted them yesterday. Given what had transpired, it seemed that they were likely to be returning to the quarry.
Megatron felt a grin forming on his face - it seemed that he would indeed be able to, as the humans said, kill two birds with one stone.
"Soundwave, call Airachnid and Breakdown up to the hangar now. It's time we see things with our own optics."
AN: And so it begins.
To give an outline for what's next, I have three more segments planned for this chapter - our heroes arriving at the quarry and putting their plan into motion, the quarry being dealt with while Optimus, Fowler, and the Animorphs make off with the energon, and the Decepticons intervening. The chapter after that will be a battle focused one, and then we'll get to the final chapter of this portion of the story (which will also be the final chapter I post on FFN and AO3, as the next portion will be told on a separate story there).
Read and Review at your Leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Now, onto the actual chapter!
It seemed like an eternity, but eventually, dawn arose, and with it, the time for the Autobots, the Animorphs, and their allies to put their plan into motion. After today, things would change forever.
And not everyone was sure how to take this.
"So, anyone made up their mind on Unit E?" asked Jake.
A resounding chorus of "no" filled the air.
"Thought so. Guess we'll have to see how this mission goes."
"We will," confirmed Cassie.
The Autobots had all mustered to the center of their base, where they and their recently arrived human allieswere all focused on Ratchet opening upba ground bridge. Joining them were several squads of military personnel - their rescue plan would require quite a bit of extra help to pull off.
"So, is everyone here clear on the plan?" Asked Fowler.
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Great. Now, are there any questions?"
A female corporal raised her hand.
"Yes, Corporal Summers?"
"Sir, this area saw Decepticon activity during yesterday's investigation. What if they show up again?"
"We acknowledged this risk when the plans for this mission were drafted," answered not Fowler, but Optimus. "We are aware that they are likely to be observing the area, so once the operation commenced, Arcee and Bulkhead will be on standby to intercept Megatron's forces, should they arrive."
"Understood. What about the kids?"
"We're staying here and helping everyone pulled out of the quarry," answered Jack. For once, Miko had been convinced to stick this out, though the fact that actual soldiers (and even a few marines) were getting involved might have been a deciding factor.
"Understood. One final question: how are we getting into the Quarry?"
"According to the maps we have from before the quarry was built, there's some pre-existing tunnels in the Area of Operations. Plan A is to use those to try and find a side entrance. Plan B is to knock out and impersonate a miner to get inside."
"Understood! No more questions, sir!"
"Then prepare to mobilize!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
A few minutes later, the Animorphs arrived at the designated meeting point for the mission. They didn't have to wait long for the ground ridge to open.
Though they were surprised to see that the Autobots had been joined by several soldiers.
"What the-"
"Stand down," spoke Fowler, cutting off the soldier's crass question. "These are the allies I mentioned in the briefing."
"I see. Weird having more aliens as friendlies now."
Elfangor and Ax both have an annoyed look at the soldiers, who suddenly felt a bit sheepish.
"Ypu didn't mention anything about bringing soldiers to this," noted Cassie.
"Optimus is having Arcee and Bulkhead on standby in case the 'Cons decide to intervene, so we needed to call in some aid for dealing with the quarry."
"Makes sense," agreed Marco. "…Wait, how do we get a ground bridge open in the Quarry?"
One of the soldiers pulled out a portal pylon of sorts. "Prototype ground bridge homing beacon. Something the military has been working on alongside the Autobots. You get this into the Quarry, and we can handle the rest."
"Ok then. So, is everyone ready?"
The soldiers merely nodded, still a little surprised that they would be working with children. And a hawk. And two centaur aliens.
Megatron examined the coordinates that Soundwave had pulled up - it seemed that the Autobots had opened up a Ground Bridge near where Airachnid had confronted them yesterday. Given what had transpired, it seemed that they were likely to be returning to the quarry.
Megatron felt a grin forming on his face - it seemed that he would indeed be able to, as the humans said, kill two birds with one stone.
"Soundwave, call Airachnid and Breakdown up to the hangar now. It's time we see things with our own optics."
AN: And so it begins.
To give an outline for what's next, I have three more segments planned for this chapter - our heroes arriving at the quarry and putting their plan into motion, the quarry being dealt with while Optimus, Fowler, and the Animorphs make off with the energon, and the Decepticons intervening. The chapter after that will be a battle focused one, and then we'll get to the final chapter of this portion of the story (which will also be the final chapter I post on FFN and AO3, as the next portion will be told on a separate story there).
Read and Review at your Leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Last edited:
Raid on the Quarry
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
AN: In the interest of actually keeping a consistent writi mg schedule, I'm to take a page from some of my favorite authors and upload the new chapters in fragments under the side story tab. Each of these will probably be around 1000 words long. When I am finished with the last segment, the whole chapter will be compiled and posted as a single post. This will only apply to the versions fo this story on SB, SV, and eventually, QQ - the versions on FFN and AO3 will just have full chapter posts.
Now, onto the actual chapter!
It seemed like an eternity, but eventually, dawn arose, and with it, the time for the Autobots, the Animorphs, and their allies to put their plan into motion. After today, things would change forever.
And not everyone was sure how to take this.
"So, anyone made up their mind on Unit E?" asked Jake.
A resounding chorus of "no" filled the air.
"Thought so. Guess we'll have to see how this mission goes."
"We will," confirmed Cassie.
The Autobots had all mustered to the center of their base, where they and their recently arrived human allieswere all focused on Ratchet opening upba ground bridge. Joining them were several squads of military personnel - their rescue plan would require quite a bit of extra help to pull off.
"So, is everyone here clear on the plan?" Asked Fowler.
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Great. Now, are there any questions?"
A female corporal raised her hand.
"Yes, Corporal Summers?"
"Sir, this area saw Decepticon activity during yesterday's investigation. What if they show up again?"
"We acknowledged this risk when the plans for this mission were drafted," answered not Fowler, but Optimus. "We are aware that they are likely to be observing the area, so once the operation commenced, Arcee and Bulkhead will be on standby to intercept Megatron's forces, should they arrive."
"Understood. What about the kids?"
"We're staying here and helping everyone pulled out of the quarry," answered Jack. For once, Miko had been convinced to stick this out, though the fact that actual soldiers (and even a few marines) were getting involved might have been a deciding factor.
"Understood. One final question: how are we getting into the Quarry?"
"According to the maps we have from before the quarry was built, there's some pre-existing tunnels in the Area of Operations. Plan A is to use those to try and find a side entrance. Plan B is to knock out and impersonate a miner to get inside."
"Understood! No more questions, sir!"
"Then prepare to mobilize!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
A few minutes later, the Animorphs arrived at the designated meeting point for the mission. They didn't have to wait long for the ground ridge to open.
Though they were surprised to see that the Autobots had been joined by several soldiers.
"What the-"
"Stand down," spoke Fowler, cutting off the soldier's crass question. "These are the allies I mentioned in the briefing."
"I see. Weird having more aliens as friendlies now."
Elfangor and Ax both have an annoyed look at the soldiers, who suddenly felt a bit sheepish.
"Ypu didn't mention anything about bringing soldiers to this," noted Cassie.
"Optimus is having Arcee and Bulkhead on standby in case the 'Cons decide to intervene, so we needed to call in some aid for dealing with the quarry."
"Makes sense," agreed Marco. "…Wait, how do we get a ground bridge open in the Quarry?"
One of the soldiers pulled out a portal pylon of sorts. "Prototype ground bridge homing beacon. Something the military has been working on alongside the Autobots. You get this into the Quarry, and we can handle the rest."
"Ok then. So, is everyone ready?"
The soldiers merely nodded, still a little surprised that they would be working with children. And a hawk. And two centaur aliens.
Megatron examined the coordinates that Soundwave had pulled up - it seemed that the Autobots had opened up a Ground Bridge near where Airachnid had confronted them yesterday. Given what had transpired, it seemed that they were likely to be returning to the quarry.
Megatron felt a grin forming on his face - it seemed that he would indeed be able to, as the humans said, kill two birds with one stone.
"Soundwave, call Airachnid and Breakdown up to the hangar now. It's time we see things with our own optics."
The Controller Foreman (er, woman) watched as the trucks pulled in. Why the Visser couldn't have arranged for other controllers to handle the transportation of these resources, she had no idea, but she knew better than to question Visser Three. All she did was follow orders and try to fight the Andalite Bandits if they appeared. That was all that was expected of her, and she saw no reason to aim higher just yet. In the future that may change, but she didn't want to reach too far until she had more to bring to the table.
That didn't mean that checking all of the vehicles was not boring, though. Making sure each driver and their truck was approved for this venture was tedious, but necessary. Most were rather drab in appearance, though she did like the one with the red and blue color scheme. The license plate has also been amusing - R0LL 0UT, really? Still, that one has checked out, even if the pudgy black driver had been annoyingly cheery about the affair.
Well, back to checking for Andalite Bandits.
"…You think I tried too hard not to look suspicious, Prime?"
"Yes, Agent Fowler," replied the Autobot Leader. Then he glanced his optics at a cockroach that was resting on the dashboard. "Jake, are you ready to begin the next phase?"
"Yes," confirmed the Animorph Leader. Moments later, he had exited the window and, before the Yeerks saw anything, morphed back into human form and then into a sparrow, which flew toward the quarrry.
Minutes later, Jake had joined the rest of the Animorphs by a small cave, some ways away from the rest of the quarry. With the exception of Marco, who had morphed into a bat, and Tobias, who was elsewhere, the group was in their human/Andalite forms.
Jake glanced at Marco. "Found a way in?"
"Yeah - this cave leads to a side tunnel in the excavation area. Looks like the quarry used to be home to an underground river. Yeerks never thought to patch it, apparently."
"We should make haste," warned Elfangor. "Though the Yeerks likely have no idea we are here just yet, they are not the only enemies we now face."
"We know," answered Cassie. "So let's get this beacon planted."
Eric wondered why he had gone to the Sharing in the first place. Then he remembered it was his girlfriend's idea. She'd been very persuasive about it, saying that it made everything so much calmer.
Eric had followed decided to join her at the Sharing one night. And that was the night he became an involuntary host to a space slug.
On the plus side, Shelly had also been one, and apparently she did like him, so there was that.
…That really didn't make him feel better.
And regardless of how he had gotten here, he was still stuck in a quarry gathering crystals for said Space Slugs alongside Shelly, who was somewhere else in here. Privately, he hoped that someone would come to save them and everyone else here, but the odds of that were slim - something the slug in his brain too no small amount of joy mocking him over.
The sound of a loud crunch pulled Eric and his Yeerk from their thoughts. Brandishing a pickaxe, he turned to face whatever was behind him.
The bear stared in surprise.
Eric froze, and in the last moment of lucidly before a backhanded paw strike knocked him and his Yeerk out, wondered how a bear had gotten into the quarry.
When the Animorphs were certain that Eric wasn't going to wake up, they continued on into the tunnel, eventually finding a nice spot to set up the beacon and the knockout gas without it being noticed by the Yeerks. Hastily, they fulfilled their part of the plan, then retreated to the surface.
"Ratchet, is the beacon working?" Asked Rachel.
"It is! We have the location now! Are you ready to commence with the next phase?"
"We are," confirmed Jake. "What about Fowler, Optimus, and Tobias?"
"Just one more minute."
As he finished that statement, Fowler glanced at a nearby truck. There, perched atop its cargo trailer was a red tailed hawk, which seemed to be fiddling with something. A moment later, it glanced at Fowler and nodded.
"We're good. Just let us pull out of the loading area and we can move to the next phase."
It took Fowler and Optimus five minutes to finally be given approval to leave. By this point, Tobias had already flown off, knowing better than to remain - even if the Yeerks were acting unusually dumb, he did not want to be here when they figure out that some animals around the quarry were acting oddly.
He failed to notice that above him, a bird like drone was staring down, taking in everything below it. Wordlessly, Laserbeak transmitted this to Soundwave - it seemed that the Autobots were indeed involved in the quarry.
Five minutes after Optimus pulled out of the Quarry, the operation began in earnest.
The Overseer watched in anger as the Tiger barreled into one of the guards, knocking him out cold. Nearby, several other beasts (and one Andalite) were tearing through her other subordinates, while still showing a remarkable amount of restraint. Whereas before they had apparently made a point fo only sparing human controllers, now they were extending this to the Taxxon and Hork-Bajir under her command. If the Visser didn't decide she could make do with a head, perhaps she could investigate this later.
"Overseer Iftriss, we have a problem!"
"I am aware that the Andalite bandits are attacking our surface operations-"
"Wait, they're here?"
Huh? "Explain."
"There's been a gas leak into the quarry - most of the miners are either unconscious or dead. I'm pulling out those we still can."
Seriously? A gas leak now of all times?! "I believe that the leak may be a result of sabotage by the Andalites. Gather a security team, put on gas masks, and contain the problem."
"Yes, ma'am. I will- what's that light? What the-O SHIT!"
The radio cut off after that. Iftriss readied a swear, only to hear a rumbling noise coming from behind end. Turning, she found a gorilla standing behind her, a glare on its face.
The last three things Iftriss did before losing consciousness was let out a nervous laugh and lose control of her host's bladder and bowels.
Within the quarry, the last of the controllers had passed out. Moments later, the ground bridge opened, and with it came Bumblebee and the rescue team, who hastily moved all of the slumbering laborers through the ground bridge, where safety and medical treatment awaited. Within the Autobots' base, Raf, Jack, and Miko watched the operation with intrigued awe, while June helped check each controller for signs of injury or sickness. The different rescue teams coordinated carefully so that one team would not collide with the other - time was of the essence here. And with what they were planning to do to this place, they needed everyone else out ASAP.
As the last of the captives were take, a second team entered the quarry - the demolition team. Locating exposed energon crystals, they attached timed explosives, setting the timers for five minutes. Once the last charge was set, the team retreated back through the portal and activated the timers. Now the deadline was set, it was time for everyone to fall back.
"This is Echo Five, charges are set. All teams, vacate the AO."
"Working on it," answered Jake. He and the rest of the Animorphs that weren't Tobias had an aged to draw the attention of the Yeerks toward them, and were now hijacking a one truck whose driver had just passed out - they'd been running on caffeine, apparently. Elfangor was using a human morph to act as driver - why said morph looked similar to Tobias, Jake didn't know - so at least if the Yeerks stopped them, their secret wouldn't be blown. The rest of the team had turned into birds and were flying nearby, so their exit plan was covered. Now to hope that things went well.
…That was not exactly something they wanted to rely on, hope.
Reluctantly, the Controller made his way toward the ship's command complex. There, looking extremely annoyed, was an Andalite - War Prince Alloran, primary host of Esplin Nine Four Six Six, the only Yeerk to ever claim an Andalite as his host. The circumstances that had allowed this had seen him promoted to Visser Three.
And now the Controller needed to give the Visser the bad news.
"Visser?"
"Yes?"
"We have reports that the Andalite Bandits have managed to escape the quarry aboard one of the trucks. We are pursuing them now and-"
The sound of a distant explosion filled the air.
"What was that?!"
The Controller glanced out the nearest window, felt a spike of panic, then turned toward the Visser, a look of resignation on their face. "It appears that the quarry has exploded."
"….I see."
The Visser seemed to sigh. And then…
"GET THIS SHIP TO THE ANDALITE BANDITS NOW!"
"Yes sir!"
"AND GET OUT OF MY SKGHT WHILE I AM STILL FEELING MERCIFUL!"
"YES SIR!"
Airachnid cut through the air, optics searching for targets. Eventually, she found what she was looking for - the motorcycle Arcee used as her alt-mode. Not too far away, she could also make out the alt-mode of Bulkhead, and further still was-
"Megatron, this is Airachnid."
"What is it?"
"I have optics on Prime. He's a few miles in front of me."
"Soundwave, would you-Ah, already done. So, where are they heading…oh, I see."
The Femme smirked. "Want me to lead him to you?"
"Negative - he seems to be on a path to meet with another vehicle carrying a load of energy. We'll intercept him up ahead. Continue to pursue him."
Airachnid groaned in annoyance, but not too heavily - she had what she wanted before he now, and needed only wait to secure her prize.
"You see that explosion?" Asked Miko.
"Yes," replied Jake over the phone. "It was pretty cool."
"We'll discuss it as soon as-" began Elfangor, only for the sound of engines to fill the air. Moments later, an axe-like vessel flew over head eventually coming to a stop some distance in front of them, where it designed to land. Elfangor stopped the truck about a hundred meters from the ship, after which he exited the sifting into human form. The rest of the Animorphs landed behind some thick brush and entered their combat morphs. Only Jake stayed in the truck, because someone had to explain things.
"Elfangor, why did you stop?" Asked Ratchet.
"Yeerks have caught up to us," answered Jake. "Please send help."
Then Jake morphed into a tiger and made his way toward his friends. Already, Visser Three was turning into something that looked like a cross between a worm, a crocodile, and a squid.
"I will admit your strategy today was clever," spoke the Visser, "so I will give you the honor of being slain by this fiendishly intelligent creature I acquired on a moon with hardly any water."
"I'm flattered," answered Elfangor, finishing morphing into his Andalite form.
The Animorphs let out war cries as they charged to Visser, who responded in kind.
"Jake? Elfangor? Anyone?…Damn it! Ratchet, what's the fastest way to reach them?"
"Agent Fowler, I do not believe we will be able to assist our newfound allies in the immediate future."
"Prime, what're you saying?"
"Please look forward."
Fowler did so and immediately regretted it - there, a few miles ahead of them, was a ground bridge, out of which came a squad of vehicons, Breakdown…and the head-Con himself, Megatron. They were soon joined by Airachnid, who landed just beside them.
"Agent Fowler, I believe it best that you seek shelter. Arcee and Bulkhead will be sufficient for this…I hope."
Letting out a sigh, Fowler obliged and exited the truck. Moments later, Optimus, Arcee, and Bulkhead stood tall, facing their counterparts.
"Ah, we meet again, Optimus. I admit I was surprised by how these humans were mining energon - it seems they have found a usage for our life blood, or am I mistaken?"
"I refuse to divulge anything to you, Megatron."
"An expected yet disappointing statement. Oh well."
A positively feral grin spread across Megatron's face. "DECEPTICONS ATTACK!"
AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Now, onto the actual chapter!
It seemed like an eternity, but eventually, dawn arose, and with it, the time for the Autobots, the Animorphs, and their allies to put their plan into motion. After today, things would change forever.
And not everyone was sure how to take this.
"So, anyone made up their mind on Unit E?" asked Jake.
A resounding chorus of "no" filled the air.
"Thought so. Guess we'll have to see how this mission goes."
"We will," confirmed Cassie.
The Autobots had all mustered to the center of their base, where they and their recently arrived human allieswere all focused on Ratchet opening upba ground bridge. Joining them were several squads of military personnel - their rescue plan would require quite a bit of extra help to pull off.
"So, is everyone here clear on the plan?" Asked Fowler.
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Great. Now, are there any questions?"
A female corporal raised her hand.
"Yes, Corporal Summers?"
"Sir, this area saw Decepticon activity during yesterday's investigation. What if they show up again?"
"We acknowledged this risk when the plans for this mission were drafted," answered not Fowler, but Optimus. "We are aware that they are likely to be observing the area, so once the operation commenced, Arcee and Bulkhead will be on standby to intercept Megatron's forces, should they arrive."
"Understood. What about the kids?"
"We're staying here and helping everyone pulled out of the quarry," answered Jack. For once, Miko had been convinced to stick this out, though the fact that actual soldiers (and even a few marines) were getting involved might have been a deciding factor.
"Understood. One final question: how are we getting into the Quarry?"
"According to the maps we have from before the quarry was built, there's some pre-existing tunnels in the Area of Operations. Plan A is to use those to try and find a side entrance. Plan B is to knock out and impersonate a miner to get inside."
"Understood! No more questions, sir!"
"Then prepare to mobilize!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
A few minutes later, the Animorphs arrived at the designated meeting point for the mission. They didn't have to wait long for the ground ridge to open.
Though they were surprised to see that the Autobots had been joined by several soldiers.
"What the-"
"Stand down," spoke Fowler, cutting off the soldier's crass question. "These are the allies I mentioned in the briefing."
"I see. Weird having more aliens as friendlies now."
Elfangor and Ax both have an annoyed look at the soldiers, who suddenly felt a bit sheepish.
"Ypu didn't mention anything about bringing soldiers to this," noted Cassie.
"Optimus is having Arcee and Bulkhead on standby in case the 'Cons decide to intervene, so we needed to call in some aid for dealing with the quarry."
"Makes sense," agreed Marco. "…Wait, how do we get a ground bridge open in the Quarry?"
One of the soldiers pulled out a portal pylon of sorts. "Prototype ground bridge homing beacon. Something the military has been working on alongside the Autobots. You get this into the Quarry, and we can handle the rest."
"Ok then. So, is everyone ready?"
The soldiers merely nodded, still a little surprised that they would be working with children. And a hawk. And two centaur aliens.
Megatron examined the coordinates that Soundwave had pulled up - it seemed that the Autobots had opened up a Ground Bridge near where Airachnid had confronted them yesterday. Given what had transpired, it seemed that they were likely to be returning to the quarry.
Megatron felt a grin forming on his face - it seemed that he would indeed be able to, as the humans said, kill two birds with one stone.
"Soundwave, call Airachnid and Breakdown up to the hangar now. It's time we see things with our own optics."
The Controller Foreman (er, woman) watched as the trucks pulled in. Why the Visser couldn't have arranged for other controllers to handle the transportation of these resources, she had no idea, but she knew better than to question Visser Three. All she did was follow orders and try to fight the Andalite Bandits if they appeared. That was all that was expected of her, and she saw no reason to aim higher just yet. In the future that may change, but she didn't want to reach too far until she had more to bring to the table.
That didn't mean that checking all of the vehicles was not boring, though. Making sure each driver and their truck was approved for this venture was tedious, but necessary. Most were rather drab in appearance, though she did like the one with the red and blue color scheme. The license plate has also been amusing - R0LL 0UT, really? Still, that one has checked out, even if the pudgy black driver had been annoyingly cheery about the affair.
Well, back to checking for Andalite Bandits.
"…You think I tried too hard not to look suspicious, Prime?"
"Yes, Agent Fowler," replied the Autobot Leader. Then he glanced his optics at a cockroach that was resting on the dashboard. "Jake, are you ready to begin the next phase?"
"Yes," confirmed the Animorph Leader. Moments later, he had exited the window and, before the Yeerks saw anything, morphed back into human form and then into a sparrow, which flew toward the quarrry.
Minutes later, Jake had joined the rest of the Animorphs by a small cave, some ways away from the rest of the quarry. With the exception of Marco, who had morphed into a bat, and Tobias, who was elsewhere, the group was in their human/Andalite forms.
Jake glanced at Marco. "Found a way in?"
"Yeah - this cave leads to a side tunnel in the excavation area. Looks like the quarry used to be home to an underground river. Yeerks never thought to patch it, apparently."
"We should make haste," warned Elfangor. "Though the Yeerks likely have no idea we are here just yet, they are not the only enemies we now face."
"We know," answered Cassie. "So let's get this beacon planted."
Eric wondered why he had gone to the Sharing in the first place. Then he remembered it was his girlfriend's idea. She'd been very persuasive about it, saying that it made everything so much calmer.
Eric had followed decided to join her at the Sharing one night. And that was the night he became an involuntary host to a space slug.
On the plus side, Shelly had also been one, and apparently she did like him, so there was that.
…That really didn't make him feel better.
And regardless of how he had gotten here, he was still stuck in a quarry gathering crystals for said Space Slugs alongside Shelly, who was somewhere else in here. Privately, he hoped that someone would come to save them and everyone else here, but the odds of that were slim - something the slug in his brain too no small amount of joy mocking him over.
The sound of a loud crunch pulled Eric and his Yeerk from their thoughts. Brandishing a pickaxe, he turned to face whatever was behind him.
The bear stared in surprise.
Eric froze, and in the last moment of lucidly before a backhanded paw strike knocked him and his Yeerk out, wondered how a bear had gotten into the quarry.
When the Animorphs were certain that Eric wasn't going to wake up, they continued on into the tunnel, eventually finding a nice spot to set up the beacon and the knockout gas without it being noticed by the Yeerks. Hastily, they fulfilled their part of the plan, then retreated to the surface.
"Ratchet, is the beacon working?" Asked Rachel.
"It is! We have the location now! Are you ready to commence with the next phase?"
"We are," confirmed Jake. "What about Fowler, Optimus, and Tobias?"
"Just one more minute."
As he finished that statement, Fowler glanced at a nearby truck. There, perched atop its cargo trailer was a red tailed hawk, which seemed to be fiddling with something. A moment later, it glanced at Fowler and nodded.
"We're good. Just let us pull out of the loading area and we can move to the next phase."
It took Fowler and Optimus five minutes to finally be given approval to leave. By this point, Tobias had already flown off, knowing better than to remain - even if the Yeerks were acting unusually dumb, he did not want to be here when they figure out that some animals around the quarry were acting oddly.
He failed to notice that above him, a bird like drone was staring down, taking in everything below it. Wordlessly, Laserbeak transmitted this to Soundwave - it seemed that the Autobots were indeed involved in the quarry.
Five minutes after Optimus pulled out of the Quarry, the operation began in earnest.
The Overseer watched in anger as the Tiger barreled into one of the guards, knocking him out cold. Nearby, several other beasts (and one Andalite) were tearing through her other subordinates, while still showing a remarkable amount of restraint. Whereas before they had apparently made a point fo only sparing human controllers, now they were extending this to the Taxxon and Hork-Bajir under her command. If the Visser didn't decide she could make do with a head, perhaps she could investigate this later.
"Overseer Iftriss, we have a problem!"
"I am aware that the Andalite bandits are attacking our surface operations-"
"Wait, they're here?"
Huh? "Explain."
"There's been a gas leak into the quarry - most of the miners are either unconscious or dead. I'm pulling out those we still can."
Seriously? A gas leak now of all times?! "I believe that the leak may be a result of sabotage by the Andalites. Gather a security team, put on gas masks, and contain the problem."
"Yes, ma'am. I will- what's that light? What the-O SHIT!"
The radio cut off after that. Iftriss readied a swear, only to hear a rumbling noise coming from behind end. Turning, she found a gorilla standing behind her, a glare on its face.
The last three things Iftriss did before losing consciousness was let out a nervous laugh and lose control of her host's bladder and bowels.
Within the quarry, the last of the controllers had passed out. Moments later, the ground bridge opened, and with it came Bumblebee and the rescue team, who hastily moved all of the slumbering laborers through the ground bridge, where safety and medical treatment awaited. Within the Autobots' base, Raf, Jack, and Miko watched the operation with intrigued awe, while June helped check each controller for signs of injury or sickness. The different rescue teams coordinated carefully so that one team would not collide with the other - time was of the essence here. And with what they were planning to do to this place, they needed everyone else out ASAP.
As the last of the captives were take, a second team entered the quarry - the demolition team. Locating exposed energon crystals, they attached timed explosives, setting the timers for five minutes. Once the last charge was set, the team retreated back through the portal and activated the timers. Now the deadline was set, it was time for everyone to fall back.
"This is Echo Five, charges are set. All teams, vacate the AO."
"Working on it," answered Jake. He and the rest of the Animorphs that weren't Tobias had an aged to draw the attention of the Yeerks toward them, and were now hijacking a one truck whose driver had just passed out - they'd been running on caffeine, apparently. Elfangor was using a human morph to act as driver - why said morph looked similar to Tobias, Jake didn't know - so at least if the Yeerks stopped them, their secret wouldn't be blown. The rest of the team had turned into birds and were flying nearby, so their exit plan was covered. Now to hope that things went well.
…That was not exactly something they wanted to rely on, hope.
Reluctantly, the Controller made his way toward the ship's command complex. There, looking extremely annoyed, was an Andalite - War Prince Alloran, primary host of Esplin Nine Four Six Six, the only Yeerk to ever claim an Andalite as his host. The circumstances that had allowed this had seen him promoted to Visser Three.
And now the Controller needed to give the Visser the bad news.
"Visser?"
"Yes?"
"We have reports that the Andalite Bandits have managed to escape the quarry aboard one of the trucks. We are pursuing them now and-"
The sound of a distant explosion filled the air.
"What was that?!"
The Controller glanced out the nearest window, felt a spike of panic, then turned toward the Visser, a look of resignation on their face. "It appears that the quarry has exploded."
"….I see."
The Visser seemed to sigh. And then…
"GET THIS SHIP TO THE ANDALITE BANDITS NOW!"
"Yes sir!"
"AND GET OUT OF MY SKGHT WHILE I AM STILL FEELING MERCIFUL!"
"YES SIR!"
Airachnid cut through the air, optics searching for targets. Eventually, she found what she was looking for - the motorcycle Arcee used as her alt-mode. Not too far away, she could also make out the alt-mode of Bulkhead, and further still was-
"Megatron, this is Airachnid."
"What is it?"
"I have optics on Prime. He's a few miles in front of me."
"Soundwave, would you-Ah, already done. So, where are they heading…oh, I see."
The Femme smirked. "Want me to lead him to you?"
"Negative - he seems to be on a path to meet with another vehicle carrying a load of energy. We'll intercept him up ahead. Continue to pursue him."
Airachnid groaned in annoyance, but not too heavily - she had what she wanted before he now, and needed only wait to secure her prize.
"You see that explosion?" Asked Miko.
"Yes," replied Jake over the phone. "It was pretty cool."
"We'll discuss it as soon as-" began Elfangor, only for the sound of engines to fill the air. Moments later, an axe-like vessel flew over head eventually coming to a stop some distance in front of them, where it designed to land. Elfangor stopped the truck about a hundred meters from the ship, after which he exited the sifting into human form. The rest of the Animorphs landed behind some thick brush and entered their combat morphs. Only Jake stayed in the truck, because someone had to explain things.
"Elfangor, why did you stop?" Asked Ratchet.
"Yeerks have caught up to us," answered Jake. "Please send help."
Then Jake morphed into a tiger and made his way toward his friends. Already, Visser Three was turning into something that looked like a cross between a worm, a crocodile, and a squid.
"I will admit your strategy today was clever," spoke the Visser, "so I will give you the honor of being slain by this fiendishly intelligent creature I acquired on a moon with hardly any water."
"I'm flattered," answered Elfangor, finishing morphing into his Andalite form.
The Animorphs let out war cries as they charged to Visser, who responded in kind.
"Jake? Elfangor? Anyone?…Damn it! Ratchet, what's the fastest way to reach them?"
"Agent Fowler, I do not believe we will be able to assist our newfound allies in the immediate future."
"Prime, what're you saying?"
"Please look forward."
Fowler did so and immediately regretted it - there, a few miles ahead of them, was a ground bridge, out of which came a squad of vehicons, Breakdown…and the head-Con himself, Megatron. They were soon joined by Airachnid, who landed just beside them.
"Agent Fowler, I believe it best that you seek shelter. Arcee and Bulkhead will be sufficient for this…I hope."
Letting out a sigh, Fowler obliged and exited the truck. Moments later, Optimus, Arcee, and Bulkhead stood tall, facing their counterparts.
"Ah, we meet again, Optimus. I admit I was surprised by how these humans were mining energon - it seems they have found a usage for our life blood, or am I mistaken?"
"I refuse to divulge anything to you, Megatron."
"An expected yet disappointing statement. Oh well."
A positively feral grin spread across Megatron's face. "DECEPTICONS ATTACK!"
AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Arthur Hansen
Author of no Authority.
- Location
- Utah, behind the Zion Curtain.
Glad to see this continue! Hmm. I'm not sure how well the Animorphs can effect a fight with Decepticons, but I suppose the larger animals might be able to trip them up.
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
I have plans regarding this, but if nothing else, they can harass Laserbeak.
Conflicts Unveiled
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
Optimus batted aside a vehicon with one arm, the other in blade form to block a blow from Megatron. Nearby, Arcee and Bullhead were in similar situation, respectively engaging Airachnid and Breakdown, each with their own force of vehicons. The fight had only just begun, but Optimus sorely wanted it over - beyond his disdain for fighting, the longer he was engaged with Megatron, the more likely the Animorphs would suffer casualties against the Yeerks, and Optimus refused to let that happen.
He would fight to save all species - it was who he was.
In the nearby forest, Fowler was watching the ensuing conflict with feelings of helplessness - much as he wanted to, there wasn't a thing he could do to help. Being a squishy human made fighting against robotic organisms difficult, especially if they dwarfed you in size. Reinforcements we're on the way, but for now, all he could do was watch…or maybe not.
"Ratchet, Raf, where are our new friends?"
"About two miles to the South-East," was the Hispanic boy's reply. "They're engaged with the Yeerks and…well, I don't have any words from them, but it isn't looking good."
For this operation, Team Prime had had their base computer hooked up to several unmanned aerial vehicles, which they were using to observe both fights. While the Autobots were managing well enough, the same could now be said of the Animorphs - their battle morphs paled in comparison to the monster that the Yeerk leader had morphed into. The strange tentacles on its back fired off electricity, which combined with their own gripping strength made them lethal at any distance, which made approaching the Visser all but impossible. They had managed to fight off several human and Hork-Bajir controllers, but that hardly helped here.
"Think you can ground bridge me over?"
"Agent Fowler, if we attempt that, the Decepticons will notice that something is wrong."
"Can you send Bumblebee in, then?"
All eyes and optics turned toward Bumblebee, who had a look of determination on his face. Ratchet, however, had other ideas.
"Yes, but I would prefer sending him to Optimus, if only to recover the other trailer full of energon."
"You have a point. Dang it, what are we supposed to do?"
It was Miko who answered. "Don't you have other reinforcements for the Autobots? You guys had a tank and two not-tanks in here when this started."
"Yeah, we did. Those are already en-route to support Optimus, alongside some helicopters."
"So why not just send the ones that aren't helicopters to aid the Animorphs?"
"Even if I do, that will take time, and they might not have enough left."
"…Then send us over to help them."
The base was silent for a moment. Then Miko continued. "Look, all the soldiers you sent are needed to make sure none of the controllers try to attack us. So maybe send us over to buy time?"
"Miko!" began June, but for once, Miko wasn't letting her get a word in.
"There are five kids already risking their lives to defend Earth. What's one or two more?"
June opened her mouth, but no words came out - Miko had a very good point. "…You're right, but - and I can't believe I'm saying this - they have superpowers. You don't. Jack doesn't either."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can just do nothing."
It seemed the human members of Team Prime were at a gridlock.
Taking cover behind an upturned tree, Jake glanced at Elfangor. "Do you know what this creature is?"
"I have heard of it, but not its name. As for weaknesses, unfortunately, it has none. At least, none that we can easily exploit."
"What is its weakness?"
"It is a creature adapted to monopolize water sources on an exceedingly dry world. It has limited methods of attacking flying creatures as a consequence."
"Why didn't you just say we should attack it with flying morphs?"
"Because it is only vulnerable to flying creatures at range. You would need war machines to harm it now, be they planes or helicopters."
Jake watched as Cassie and Marco just evaded some of the creature's tentacles. "You mind if I call for help?"
"Be my guest."
Jake watched as Ax, Rachel, and Tobias continued to duel the Visser, waiting for an opening to move. When the chance finally came, Jake hastily boarded the truck and activated the communicator, demorphing all the while. "This is Jake, we really need some help - the Yeerk's sent their combat leader, Visser Three here, and he's giving us a lot of trouble. He can morph, and he's using something that makes using our morphs problematic. If you guys can send in aerial assistance, it's be appreciated."
As soon as the last word was out, Jake returned to his Tiger morph and joined the fray. Hopefully, his message had been heard.
Landing a punch square on Megatron's spark-chamber, Optimus watched his enemy flying backwards for a moment before contacting Ratchet. "Ratchet, this is Optimus. Send Bumblebee to assist in recovering the energon.I'll move to assist the humans-"
Optimus was cut off when a tree slammed into him. Grinning Megatron took another swing. "You should know better than to lose focus in battle, Prime."
The sound of a ground bridge opening diverted Megatron's attention away from Prime, his gaze soon falling on the newly arrived Bumblebee. Dodging the scout's opening shots, Megatron returned fire, before being forced to leap backwards by a recovering Optimus. Nearby, Arcee was overcoming Airachnid, while a heavy blow from Bulkead floored Breakdown. Taking advantage of the opening, Bee grabbed the trailer and pushed it through the portal before taking out three vehicons. His stingers were soon aimed at Megatron, only for Optimus to block him.
"No, Bumblebee. Return to base and redeploy to assist our human allies."
Bee wanted to argue, but Optimus had a point, and so reluctantly the Autobot scout retreated for now.
Megatron did not miss Prime's choice of words. "Human allies? I know that you have chosen to defend mankind, but the fact they are in need of assistance now indicates something new. Tell me, are they dealing with MECH? Or, perhaps, had a new combatant joined this conflict?"
"Brutish warrior you may be, Megatron, your mind is as sharp as a blade. I doubt you will need my words to determine the truth."
"You flatter me, Prime. But I doubt you will be able to help your friends before I sniff out your spark."
As soon as Bumblebee was back at base, the energon trailer was hastily moved into storage. But while Ratchet and Raf reset the coordinates for the ground bridge, Miko and June refused to budge on their argument.
"Miko, Bumblebee is going in. You don't need to go!"
Miko wanted to offer a retort, but didn't know what to say. Anything she could have said, though, was cut off by a radio call. "Agent Fowler, this is Apache callsign Hunter 1. Myself, Hunter 2, and Hunter 3 are entering the AO. We are aware that there are two active engagements. At this time, we have no orders on where to intervene, so we request clarification, over."
"Hunter 1, Fowler copies. Team Prime seems to have their engagement handled. Reinforce X-Ray 1, over."
X-Ray 1 had been the designation applied to the Animorphs.
"Copy. Heading in now, ETA ninety seconds. Please mark friendlies with green smoke. Over."
"Understood. Fowler out."
Raf glanced at Ratchet. "Did the Animorphs get any green smoke?"
"…I do not believe so," was the medic's answer. His gaze, however, had fallen on a set of flares and smoke grenades located next to Raf's computer.
Miko glanced at the mass of equipment. Then she glanced at June.
June sighed. "Fine. But Bumblebee goes with you…and so does Jack."
"Yes!/Mom?!"
"I don't want you to go into a fight. But I trust you to reign in Miko."
Jack stared at his mom for a moment, then signed. "Okay. Let's do this."
"Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead. We're diverting some incoming reinforcements to aid our allies. See if you can make your way toward them, so that you can all fall back once they are relieved."
Using her one free arm to parry Airachnid's attack, Arcee blasted herself free of the Decepticon's web before answering. "Copy that Ratchet." Another blast sent the spider-femme reeling, giving Arcee the chance to realign herself. Soon, she was back on her feet and ready to move.
Balancing on her spider limbs, Airachnid flashed a feral grin at the other femme. "Oh, new orders? You really think you'll have a chance to act on them?"
Arcee responded by opening fire on the Decepticon Femme. "Yes."
Nearby, Bulkhead was dueling with Breakdown. So far, they were at a standstill, but having only one optic was not exactly helping the Con, and one well placed punch sent him rolling.
Taking a quick break from the action, Arcee and Bulkhead shared a glance, then looked to Optimus. Prime was still fighting Megatron, but he was able to spare them a glance and nodded, then turned his attention toward where their allies were fighting. Catching Megatron's next blow, Optimus parried the attack, then countered so that Megatron was thrown toward the distant fight.
Regardless of how the Autobots reached the Animorphs, one thing was clear: two wars were about to become one.
Jake rose to his feet (well, paws), shaking, glaring at Visser Three. Nearby, Marco, Cassie, and Ax were trying to crawl away, while Tobias, Rachel, and Elfangor circled around the alien morph, trying to look for an opening.
The Animorphs had given it their all, but they were tiring. The longer the fight dragged on, the more they would tire, and the greater risk that they would be caught - Visser Three did have more reinforcements on his way. As much as they wished otherwise, it was time to retreat. Unfortunately, they didn't have any way to retrieve or destroy the cargo trailer, meaning their only win here would be taking out the quarry - a nice victory, but not a big one.
"I applaud you for managing to last so long, but you Andalite bandits should know by now that victory is impossible. Surrender, and you will love to become hosts."
"Taking a dirt nap would be preferable," was Marco's answer.
"You seem to be taking after the humans you protect a bit too much of that is your retort. Very well, then - to the death it is."
Before the Visser could move to begin his next attack, though, the sound of a car horn filled the air. Moments later, Bumblebee's alt-mode slammed into the morphed andalite controller, knocking him back and crack a bone or two - the species he had chosen to morph was suprisingly durable. Reversing, Bumblebee moved to shield the animorphs with his metallic form. Miko and Jack, meanwhile, had gotten inside the truck after exiting the rapidly closing ground bridge.
Visser Three was suprised to notice the two humans. "Oh, what do we have here - humans who saw the fight and decided they wanted to be brave? How amusing. Foolish, but amusing."
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, slug-brain," snarked Miko, who then noticed a Dracon Beam near the truck and hastily picked it up, alongside another for Jack and a third for backup. Visser Three watched on, utterly unthreanted - two children were no match for him.
"Do you really think that you can oppose me?"
"Us? No," acknowledged Jack. "Bee, though? Yes."
Before the Visser could react, the Autobot scout tranformed, and in moments his humanoind form now stood before the monstrous morph.
"...What the-"
That was all Visser Three could think before Bumblebee opened fire. The bizarre water-dweller took a few hits before taking evasive maneuvers, while the remainder of his minions fled back into the Blade Ship. The Animorphs, for their part, spent a few moments staring in awe, before retreating back toward the truck, with Tobias flying in to get an update on the situation.
"What's going on?"
"The cavalry is here!" was Miko's answer.
"…So it's just you and Bumblebee?"
Miko looked hurt at the images location that they weren't enough help, but got over it quick enough. "No, we're just wave one. Speaking of which."
Before Tobias could respond, Miko pulled out a flare gun and, leaning out of the window, fired it off into the air. Jack, meanwhile, broke out one of the smoke grenades and tossed it out the other window.
As the green smoke filled the air, a new voice filled the radio.
"This is Hunter-1, we see your smoke! All Hunter units, move to engage."
The sound of helicopter blades soon filled the air. Confused, Visser Three looked upwards just in time to see the trio of helicopters open fire. Once again forced to evade, the Visser now found himself facing attacks from land and sky, dividing his attention. Bumblebee took the chance to get a few shots off at the Blade Ship, annoying the Yeerk Leader, though the damage was mostly superficial. A Taxxon controller tried to return fire, only to get blasted by a Dracon Beam. All eyes fell upon Miko, who was holding the source of the attack. Her expression shifted from awestruck to sheepish in moments as she slowly lowered the weapon.
The Visser, having had time to adjust to the new arrivals, readied to go back on the offensive, only be shocked yet again when the form of Megatron flew out of the treeline, plowing through a small grouping of voluntary controllers. The newly arrived Optimus felt a pang of sorrow upon witnessing this, before turning his attention back to Megatron. Nearby, Arcee and Bulkhead also emerged from the trees, their nemeses right on their tailpipes.
Glancing at the ongoing chaos, Optimus called up Ratchet. "Optimus to base, are there additional Decepticon forces inbound?"
"Yes, Optimus - multiple additional Decepticon signatures heading to your location. The will arrive in ten minutes."
"Understood. Autobots, humans, Andalites, be advised: enemy reinforcements are inbound. It is time for us to fall back."
"Hunter 1 copies. Hunter team, disengage, we've done enough!"
"This is Arcee, I copy."
"This is Bulkhead, I copy."
"This no Bumblebee, I copy."
"Miko here, we hear you. Elfangor is getting in the truck now to get us home."
Smiling, Optimus cut the transmission, only to notice a Hork Bajir lining up a shot on him. A bullet later, though, its weapon had been blasted out of its hands, courtesy of a shot from Agent Fowler. Nodding, Prime grabbed Fowler and switched to his alt mode, hastily getting on the road as Megatron recovered from his fall. As the ground bridge opened, Airachnid fired some webbing at several controllers, trapping them against the road. Team Prime and their allies surged through the ground bridge just as the Visser Three boarded his Blade Ship, realizing the battle was lost. The portal closed just as said ship took off, leaving the Decepticons alone amid the rubble.
Megatron watched the Blade Ship retreat before glancing at Airachnid, who was busy securing her prey.
Despite the losses suffered and the survival of Team Prime, Megatron smiled - it seemed they would soon know the truth of their foes.
AN: Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
He would fight to save all species - it was who he was.
In the nearby forest, Fowler was watching the ensuing conflict with feelings of helplessness - much as he wanted to, there wasn't a thing he could do to help. Being a squishy human made fighting against robotic organisms difficult, especially if they dwarfed you in size. Reinforcements we're on the way, but for now, all he could do was watch…or maybe not.
"Ratchet, Raf, where are our new friends?"
"About two miles to the South-East," was the Hispanic boy's reply. "They're engaged with the Yeerks and…well, I don't have any words from them, but it isn't looking good."
For this operation, Team Prime had had their base computer hooked up to several unmanned aerial vehicles, which they were using to observe both fights. While the Autobots were managing well enough, the same could now be said of the Animorphs - their battle morphs paled in comparison to the monster that the Yeerk leader had morphed into. The strange tentacles on its back fired off electricity, which combined with their own gripping strength made them lethal at any distance, which made approaching the Visser all but impossible. They had managed to fight off several human and Hork-Bajir controllers, but that hardly helped here.
"Think you can ground bridge me over?"
"Agent Fowler, if we attempt that, the Decepticons will notice that something is wrong."
"Can you send Bumblebee in, then?"
All eyes and optics turned toward Bumblebee, who had a look of determination on his face. Ratchet, however, had other ideas.
"Yes, but I would prefer sending him to Optimus, if only to recover the other trailer full of energon."
"You have a point. Dang it, what are we supposed to do?"
It was Miko who answered. "Don't you have other reinforcements for the Autobots? You guys had a tank and two not-tanks in here when this started."
"Yeah, we did. Those are already en-route to support Optimus, alongside some helicopters."
"So why not just send the ones that aren't helicopters to aid the Animorphs?"
"Even if I do, that will take time, and they might not have enough left."
"…Then send us over to help them."
The base was silent for a moment. Then Miko continued. "Look, all the soldiers you sent are needed to make sure none of the controllers try to attack us. So maybe send us over to buy time?"
"Miko!" began June, but for once, Miko wasn't letting her get a word in.
"There are five kids already risking their lives to defend Earth. What's one or two more?"
June opened her mouth, but no words came out - Miko had a very good point. "…You're right, but - and I can't believe I'm saying this - they have superpowers. You don't. Jack doesn't either."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can just do nothing."
It seemed the human members of Team Prime were at a gridlock.
Taking cover behind an upturned tree, Jake glanced at Elfangor. "Do you know what this creature is?"
"I have heard of it, but not its name. As for weaknesses, unfortunately, it has none. At least, none that we can easily exploit."
"What is its weakness?"
"It is a creature adapted to monopolize water sources on an exceedingly dry world. It has limited methods of attacking flying creatures as a consequence."
"Why didn't you just say we should attack it with flying morphs?"
"Because it is only vulnerable to flying creatures at range. You would need war machines to harm it now, be they planes or helicopters."
Jake watched as Cassie and Marco just evaded some of the creature's tentacles. "You mind if I call for help?"
"Be my guest."
Jake watched as Ax, Rachel, and Tobias continued to duel the Visser, waiting for an opening to move. When the chance finally came, Jake hastily boarded the truck and activated the communicator, demorphing all the while. "This is Jake, we really need some help - the Yeerk's sent their combat leader, Visser Three here, and he's giving us a lot of trouble. He can morph, and he's using something that makes using our morphs problematic. If you guys can send in aerial assistance, it's be appreciated."
As soon as the last word was out, Jake returned to his Tiger morph and joined the fray. Hopefully, his message had been heard.
Landing a punch square on Megatron's spark-chamber, Optimus watched his enemy flying backwards for a moment before contacting Ratchet. "Ratchet, this is Optimus. Send Bumblebee to assist in recovering the energon.I'll move to assist the humans-"
Optimus was cut off when a tree slammed into him. Grinning Megatron took another swing. "You should know better than to lose focus in battle, Prime."
The sound of a ground bridge opening diverted Megatron's attention away from Prime, his gaze soon falling on the newly arrived Bumblebee. Dodging the scout's opening shots, Megatron returned fire, before being forced to leap backwards by a recovering Optimus. Nearby, Arcee was overcoming Airachnid, while a heavy blow from Bulkead floored Breakdown. Taking advantage of the opening, Bee grabbed the trailer and pushed it through the portal before taking out three vehicons. His stingers were soon aimed at Megatron, only for Optimus to block him.
"No, Bumblebee. Return to base and redeploy to assist our human allies."
Bee wanted to argue, but Optimus had a point, and so reluctantly the Autobot scout retreated for now.
Megatron did not miss Prime's choice of words. "Human allies? I know that you have chosen to defend mankind, but the fact they are in need of assistance now indicates something new. Tell me, are they dealing with MECH? Or, perhaps, had a new combatant joined this conflict?"
"Brutish warrior you may be, Megatron, your mind is as sharp as a blade. I doubt you will need my words to determine the truth."
"You flatter me, Prime. But I doubt you will be able to help your friends before I sniff out your spark."
As soon as Bumblebee was back at base, the energon trailer was hastily moved into storage. But while Ratchet and Raf reset the coordinates for the ground bridge, Miko and June refused to budge on their argument.
"Miko, Bumblebee is going in. You don't need to go!"
Miko wanted to offer a retort, but didn't know what to say. Anything she could have said, though, was cut off by a radio call. "Agent Fowler, this is Apache callsign Hunter 1. Myself, Hunter 2, and Hunter 3 are entering the AO. We are aware that there are two active engagements. At this time, we have no orders on where to intervene, so we request clarification, over."
"Hunter 1, Fowler copies. Team Prime seems to have their engagement handled. Reinforce X-Ray 1, over."
X-Ray 1 had been the designation applied to the Animorphs.
"Copy. Heading in now, ETA ninety seconds. Please mark friendlies with green smoke. Over."
"Understood. Fowler out."
Raf glanced at Ratchet. "Did the Animorphs get any green smoke?"
"…I do not believe so," was the medic's answer. His gaze, however, had fallen on a set of flares and smoke grenades located next to Raf's computer.
Miko glanced at the mass of equipment. Then she glanced at June.
June sighed. "Fine. But Bumblebee goes with you…and so does Jack."
"Yes!/Mom?!"
"I don't want you to go into a fight. But I trust you to reign in Miko."
Jack stared at his mom for a moment, then signed. "Okay. Let's do this."
"Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead. We're diverting some incoming reinforcements to aid our allies. See if you can make your way toward them, so that you can all fall back once they are relieved."
Using her one free arm to parry Airachnid's attack, Arcee blasted herself free of the Decepticon's web before answering. "Copy that Ratchet." Another blast sent the spider-femme reeling, giving Arcee the chance to realign herself. Soon, she was back on her feet and ready to move.
Balancing on her spider limbs, Airachnid flashed a feral grin at the other femme. "Oh, new orders? You really think you'll have a chance to act on them?"
Arcee responded by opening fire on the Decepticon Femme. "Yes."
Nearby, Bulkhead was dueling with Breakdown. So far, they were at a standstill, but having only one optic was not exactly helping the Con, and one well placed punch sent him rolling.
Taking a quick break from the action, Arcee and Bulkhead shared a glance, then looked to Optimus. Prime was still fighting Megatron, but he was able to spare them a glance and nodded, then turned his attention toward where their allies were fighting. Catching Megatron's next blow, Optimus parried the attack, then countered so that Megatron was thrown toward the distant fight.
Regardless of how the Autobots reached the Animorphs, one thing was clear: two wars were about to become one.
Jake rose to his feet (well, paws), shaking, glaring at Visser Three. Nearby, Marco, Cassie, and Ax were trying to crawl away, while Tobias, Rachel, and Elfangor circled around the alien morph, trying to look for an opening.
The Animorphs had given it their all, but they were tiring. The longer the fight dragged on, the more they would tire, and the greater risk that they would be caught - Visser Three did have more reinforcements on his way. As much as they wished otherwise, it was time to retreat. Unfortunately, they didn't have any way to retrieve or destroy the cargo trailer, meaning their only win here would be taking out the quarry - a nice victory, but not a big one.
"I applaud you for managing to last so long, but you Andalite bandits should know by now that victory is impossible. Surrender, and you will love to become hosts."
"Taking a dirt nap would be preferable," was Marco's answer.
"You seem to be taking after the humans you protect a bit too much of that is your retort. Very well, then - to the death it is."
Before the Visser could move to begin his next attack, though, the sound of a car horn filled the air. Moments later, Bumblebee's alt-mode slammed into the morphed andalite controller, knocking him back and crack a bone or two - the species he had chosen to morph was suprisingly durable. Reversing, Bumblebee moved to shield the animorphs with his metallic form. Miko and Jack, meanwhile, had gotten inside the truck after exiting the rapidly closing ground bridge.
Visser Three was suprised to notice the two humans. "Oh, what do we have here - humans who saw the fight and decided they wanted to be brave? How amusing. Foolish, but amusing."
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, slug-brain," snarked Miko, who then noticed a Dracon Beam near the truck and hastily picked it up, alongside another for Jack and a third for backup. Visser Three watched on, utterly unthreanted - two children were no match for him.
"Do you really think that you can oppose me?"
"Us? No," acknowledged Jack. "Bee, though? Yes."
Before the Visser could react, the Autobot scout tranformed, and in moments his humanoind form now stood before the monstrous morph.
"...What the-"
That was all Visser Three could think before Bumblebee opened fire. The bizarre water-dweller took a few hits before taking evasive maneuvers, while the remainder of his minions fled back into the Blade Ship. The Animorphs, for their part, spent a few moments staring in awe, before retreating back toward the truck, with Tobias flying in to get an update on the situation.
"What's going on?"
"The cavalry is here!" was Miko's answer.
"…So it's just you and Bumblebee?"
Miko looked hurt at the images location that they weren't enough help, but got over it quick enough. "No, we're just wave one. Speaking of which."
Before Tobias could respond, Miko pulled out a flare gun and, leaning out of the window, fired it off into the air. Jack, meanwhile, broke out one of the smoke grenades and tossed it out the other window.
As the green smoke filled the air, a new voice filled the radio.
"This is Hunter-1, we see your smoke! All Hunter units, move to engage."
The sound of helicopter blades soon filled the air. Confused, Visser Three looked upwards just in time to see the trio of helicopters open fire. Once again forced to evade, the Visser now found himself facing attacks from land and sky, dividing his attention. Bumblebee took the chance to get a few shots off at the Blade Ship, annoying the Yeerk Leader, though the damage was mostly superficial. A Taxxon controller tried to return fire, only to get blasted by a Dracon Beam. All eyes fell upon Miko, who was holding the source of the attack. Her expression shifted from awestruck to sheepish in moments as she slowly lowered the weapon.
The Visser, having had time to adjust to the new arrivals, readied to go back on the offensive, only be shocked yet again when the form of Megatron flew out of the treeline, plowing through a small grouping of voluntary controllers. The newly arrived Optimus felt a pang of sorrow upon witnessing this, before turning his attention back to Megatron. Nearby, Arcee and Bulkhead also emerged from the trees, their nemeses right on their tailpipes.
Glancing at the ongoing chaos, Optimus called up Ratchet. "Optimus to base, are there additional Decepticon forces inbound?"
"Yes, Optimus - multiple additional Decepticon signatures heading to your location. The will arrive in ten minutes."
"Understood. Autobots, humans, Andalites, be advised: enemy reinforcements are inbound. It is time for us to fall back."
"Hunter 1 copies. Hunter team, disengage, we've done enough!"
"This is Arcee, I copy."
"This is Bulkhead, I copy."
"This no Bumblebee, I copy."
"Miko here, we hear you. Elfangor is getting in the truck now to get us home."
Smiling, Optimus cut the transmission, only to notice a Hork Bajir lining up a shot on him. A bullet later, though, its weapon had been blasted out of its hands, courtesy of a shot from Agent Fowler. Nodding, Prime grabbed Fowler and switched to his alt mode, hastily getting on the road as Megatron recovered from his fall. As the ground bridge opened, Airachnid fired some webbing at several controllers, trapping them against the road. Team Prime and their allies surged through the ground bridge just as the Visser Three boarded his Blade Ship, realizing the battle was lost. The portal closed just as said ship took off, leaving the Decepticons alone amid the rubble.
Megatron watched the Blade Ship retreat before glancing at Airachnid, who was busy securing her prey.
Despite the losses suffered and the survival of Team Prime, Megatron smiled - it seemed they would soon know the truth of their foes.
AN: Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Arthur Hansen
Author of no Authority.
- Location
- Utah, behind the Zion Curtain.
Nice. I totally expect Megatron to try to work with the Controllers, betray them and them to fight.
One typo I noticed what 'sniff' instead of 'snuff'.
One typo I noticed what 'sniff' instead of 'snuff'.
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
Could you highlight the exact line?
Arthur Hansen
Author of no Authority.
- Location
- Utah, behind the Zion Curtain.
As far as I see, he's in combat so doesn't need to find him. So I think "snuff out your spark." makes better sense.
Balance Shifted
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
"Um...wow. That was crazy."
Jack nodded at Jake. "Yeah. That seems to be normal with Team Prime."
Having successfully returned to base, Team Prime and the Animorphs had hastily worked to debrief on the situation. Already, Ratchet had opened a ground bridge to a secure location in Idaho to hold the controllers until they could have their Yeerks removed. After that, things would get more difficult - Tobias had shared the secret of the existence of the free Hork-Bajir to the government, but contacting them would be a different story entirely. Miko, meanwhile, had reluctantly handed over the Dracon Beams that she had acquired, acknowledging that they were best left in the hands of trained soldiers and scientists. As for June, she was busy giving aiding Ratchet in checking over the few controllers that hadn't yet been moved, just to be sure that there weren't any with unexpected illness or other ailments making things more difficult than they already were.
With Fowler contacting General Bryce and those higher in command for a more formal debrief, this left the majority of Team Prime and the Animorphs free to talk.
"That. Was. Awesome!"
"Yes, it was, Miko," acknowledged Rachel. "A lot more action packed than our usual missions, which is saying something."
"You think it will stay that way?" asked Raf, wordlessly asking the question everyone wanted answered: would this alliance continue?
Jake moved to respond, but it was Elfangor that beat him to the punch. "I for one hope it does."
"Me too," agreed Marco. "Look, I'm not one for crazy risks, but you guys are already fighting to save Earth from another group of aliens. If we work together, it might just make this war easier."
"Big bots, big guns, I can live with that," added Rachel.
"We've been fighting on our own since the day we found Elfangor. I think it's time we found someone to stand with," said Cassie.
"I've spent long enough flying solo," was Tobias' response.
"My choice will be the same as that of my brother and Prince Jake."
The boy in question merely sighed. "Looks like my choice has been made."
While the Autobots shared glances, Raf, Jack, and Miko couldn't help smiling - it seemed that they wouldn't be the only humans aiding Team Prime anymore.
Optimus, at least, was willling to share their optimism. "This new path leads in a direction I am not certain of, but wherever it goes, we shall face it together."
Aboard the Nemesis, Megatron watched as scalpel began disecting the captured specimens from the earlier fight. While Prime and his forces had managed to flee, the capture of these specimens had ensured that the battle hadn't been a total waste of energon. Having fulfilled her end of their agreement, Airachnid had been let off the leash, though with the understanding that future recklessness would not be tolerated.
As several of Scalpel's subjects started to cry out in pain, Megatron pondered the results of the day - it seemed that the Decepticons were no longer the only ones interested in conquering Earth.
No matter - this race would fall in time, as would mankind, and the Decepticons, with Megatron at their head, would reign supreme.
Visser Three glared at the Taxxon Controller, still trying to process what he had heard. "So you are saying that your kind are familiar with the creatures we encountered earlier, correct?"
"Yes, Visser - they are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from an unknown planet. A renegade of their kind once landed on our world. The results were....catastrophic."
"I see, and-what are you doing here?"
The Visser was directing that statement at a newly arrived human controller - one subordinate to the voluntary controller Chapman, if he remember correctly.
"Sir, Chapman wished to inform you that he received a phone call."
"And that concerns me how?"
"It came from United States government."
"....Elaborate."
"They said that if we were listening, the Yeerks of all the controllers in the quarry when it was destroyed were saved…and that they will be returned to us at a specific location, the coordinates of which were just provided."
"….If you wish to live, contact Visser One immediately."
"Yes, Visser!"
Visser Three groaned as the Controller left to accomplish the task - he loathed having to work with Edriss, but now, it seemed that cooperation was a necessity.
For their invasion, it seemed, was about to get much more complicated.
"I see. I apologize for the accident, sir. We'll work to get the miners out as soon as possible."
"Thank you, ma'am. Your help is appreciated."
"Just doing my job. As is, though, I will need to report back to my superiors to give them a full understanding of the situation - with other officers already here, my need to stay is over."
"Of course. Please, be on your way - I'd rather we get those miners freed before the situation gets worse."
"Thank you. Have a nice day."
Taking her leave, the female police officer climbed into her patrol car and pulled away from the site. The accident was a travesty, and she hoped those within that were still alive would be rescued before the ones who had survived the initial explosion expired from other hazards, chiefly among them dehydration and lack of air. It was regrettably when so many innocent lives were lost.
"So, what's you find?"
But right now, that was a secondary concern. Turning to her partner, the woman reached back to a container resting in the backseat of the patrol car.
"Not much, but enough for the eggheads."
After feeling around for a moment, she fished out a blue crystal from said pack. Her partner observed it with confusion. "What is it?"
"Based on appearances, I'd say it's the base form of the fluid those giant robots run on."
"Oh. Yeah, eggheads will want to examine that in detail."
"Yeah, they will. But that might not be the most interesting discovery today."
Not bothering to wait for her partner to answer, the woman fished another item out of her pack - a strange looking raygun, by all appearances.
"…They dropped a weapon?!"
"I don't think so - design is too divergent from their normal armaments. Best guess? A new faction of aliens has revealed themselves."
"…This needs to get to Silas ASAP."
"My thoughts exactly."
Evening, the next day…
The government official glanced over the report once, twice, three times before the reality of the situation finally sunk in. Only then did he slump into his desk, a sense of exhaustion overtaking him.
Another alien invasion was going on? One that the Autobots and Unit E had gotten themselves involved in already? Could it have killed them to take things more slowly?
….Actually, it probsbly could've. Which made things all the more annoying.
Taking a sigh, the man composed himself, then sent a request for an agent to come to his office.
Said agent walked in moments later. "Sir, what do you need?"
"Read this," was his reply, offering her the report.
Taking the document, she obliged. It didn't take long for her eyes to widen in shock.
"…Are you saying we have an invasion to deal with now?"
"Correct, ma'am. Seems like we can't go a year without something like this."
"I see. What do you want me to do?"
"Send a message to Agent Bobcat. Tell him he's being redeployed."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Sir, Agent Bobcat is already deployed in Chicago -"
"Looking after two VIPs. I know. I want them to go with him."
"What?! Sir, you know as well as I that it is policy to-"
"-to keep agents interacting with different groups of aliens in the dark about each other unless it is infeasible. I know. But I think that policy is counterproductive, and I am already drafting a request that it be reviewed and abolished. My order stands."
"…Understood, sir. Would you also like to have Agent Spring Tide redeployed, alongside his charges?"
"Yes. And anyone they let in on the secret - think it's time we lead them out of the dark."
"Understood, sir."
Three Days Later
"Hey, John, looks like you got a letter.
Glancing up from his computer, the man in question raised an eyebrow. "Who's it from, Sandor?"
"Think it's the government. Maybe your last audit of Blume pulled up something they needed examined?"
Sighing, John got out of his chair and took the letter from Sandor. He cut through the envelope with ease, but froze when he pulled out the letter.
The eagle and pyramid symbol on it didn't exactly ease his mind.
It didn't take long for Sandor to notice his friend's distress. "Does this involve us?"
"Maybe. Let me read it."
Greetings Agent Bobcat,
Apologies for the short notice, but an incident occurred in California. No casualties have been recorded, but it required intervention from agents stationed in Jasper, Nevada. Due to the nature of this situation, you are being redeployed to Jasper. Your charges are to be brought with you - a suitable cover story will be arranged. I apologize again for the short notice, but I believe your skills will be the best for the job. Coupled with your existing relations in Jasper, you have been deemed the perfect fit for this assignment.
Sincerely,
Seymour Simmons
Director of Unit E
Subsector 7
Operations Sector
Federal Bureau of Control
PS: Agent Spring Tide and his charges will also be redeployed to your location. The risks have been judged secondary to the gains we stand to make.
"…Fuck me sideways."
"That bad, eh?"
"Yeah, I'm being redeployed."
"I see. Need me to tell Fox?"
"No, I'll handle it."
"I see. So, what will the story that Stanley and me need to peddle?"
"Still figuring it out, but you won't have to lie too much - both of you are coming with me."
Sandor's eyes widened. "What?!"
"And I've got confirmation that John, Henri, and Malcolm are coming too."
Now Sandor was starting to freak out. "Are you shitting me?! You know what happens if we get Stanley and John in the same location! If the Mogs find out-"
"They still haven't zeroed in on any of the Garde despite Two blabbing where she was on the net. She's still here, so you should be fine."
"…Damn it. Fine. So, Darby, where are we headed?"
Sighing, John Darby closed his eyes. "Home. My home."
Path to Coalescence Part 3 out of ??? Complete
AN: And so the first part of Shifters of Flesh and Metal comes to a close.
Also, wow, everyone is reacting to the changes wrought by the Animorphs and Teak Prime working together. Crazy, right?
MECH finally made their debut. I do plan for them to have a larger role in this story, so expect to see more of them in the future.
And yeah, that final scene.
Okay, let me make this clear: I first got the idea for this story while I was reading some stories made by LuisJM on Fanfiction.net that covered how he would have handle season three of Prime - a series that is currently ongoing. After five or so years of going back and forth on the idea, this is the result. Now, one of the things I wanted to address in this story was what happened to Jack's dad. In that story, he ended up in Italy as a member of the Special Welfare Agency from Gunslinger Girl, which was an interesting way to take things. In this story, well, as you all just read, John is actually a member of Unit E (something Fowler is in the dark about), and is associated with the titular species from the Lorien Legacies series. And four of them are now headed to Jasper. That's gonna be crazy.
Quick note going forward: due to the size of the cast I have planned for this story, the individual fics will have a rotating set of main characters - Team Prime might be the focus of one, the Animorphs of the next, the approx Garde the third, and so on.
I have two other stories planned in this series so far - Homecoming, which will cover John arriving in Jasper and all the craziness he brings, and Ties That Bind, which will explore the families of Raf and Miko in more detail. Yes, that means we will get to see Dib, Souta, and Setsuna, alongside Miko's parents, who will be bringing other characters from their series with them. So rather, that means this story will be a five..six..seven way crossover!
Yeah, in it for the long haul.
For those who weren't counting, the seventh part of the crossover is with the Remedyverse - the organization Simmons belongs to (I don't consider the Michael Bay films to be good for much except their action sequences, but I am a sucker for action sequences) is from the game Control, which handles all kinds of supernatural crap, though they prefer the term paranatural.
Also, since it will be important to understanding the events of Ties That Bind, the home series of Raf and Miko's families are Invader Zim (Dib, his sister Gaz, and their father Professor Membrane - not sure if they will have a mom in this series or if I will go with the implication that the Professor created his kids in a lab), Gate (Miko's parents, Risa and Itami, which someone correctly guessed on SB) and Re:Creators (Souta and Setsuna).
…Oh wait. I miscounted. There are eight series in this crossover - Blume is from Watch_Dogs. Anyone who has played the game should know who Fox is.
Any other stories mentioned in this one are to be considered shout outs until I decide if and how to incorporate them into this one.
Pay no attention to the Path to Coalescence thing, it isn't important right now.
I have an epilogue planned showing the reactions of The Elliminist and Crayak, so expect that up later this week. Then I will be focusing on some of my other stories (chiefly Primeval Paradox and The Baleful Bureau) before getting back to this one.
Before I sign off, I'll leave you with a hint of what's to come:
Next Time on Shifters of Flesh and Metal: The Autobots integration with the Animorphs is interrupted by the unexpected return of Jack's father, who brings with him several new faces. But while the group tries to navigate around John whole investigating new activity from MECH, the Darby patriarch has his own secrets, which threaten to upend everything.
Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
Jack nodded at Jake. "Yeah. That seems to be normal with Team Prime."
Having successfully returned to base, Team Prime and the Animorphs had hastily worked to debrief on the situation. Already, Ratchet had opened a ground bridge to a secure location in Idaho to hold the controllers until they could have their Yeerks removed. After that, things would get more difficult - Tobias had shared the secret of the existence of the free Hork-Bajir to the government, but contacting them would be a different story entirely. Miko, meanwhile, had reluctantly handed over the Dracon Beams that she had acquired, acknowledging that they were best left in the hands of trained soldiers and scientists. As for June, she was busy giving aiding Ratchet in checking over the few controllers that hadn't yet been moved, just to be sure that there weren't any with unexpected illness or other ailments making things more difficult than they already were.
With Fowler contacting General Bryce and those higher in command for a more formal debrief, this left the majority of Team Prime and the Animorphs free to talk.
"That. Was. Awesome!"
"Yes, it was, Miko," acknowledged Rachel. "A lot more action packed than our usual missions, which is saying something."
"You think it will stay that way?" asked Raf, wordlessly asking the question everyone wanted answered: would this alliance continue?
Jake moved to respond, but it was Elfangor that beat him to the punch. "I for one hope it does."
"Me too," agreed Marco. "Look, I'm not one for crazy risks, but you guys are already fighting to save Earth from another group of aliens. If we work together, it might just make this war easier."
"Big bots, big guns, I can live with that," added Rachel.
"We've been fighting on our own since the day we found Elfangor. I think it's time we found someone to stand with," said Cassie.
"I've spent long enough flying solo," was Tobias' response.
"My choice will be the same as that of my brother and Prince Jake."
The boy in question merely sighed. "Looks like my choice has been made."
While the Autobots shared glances, Raf, Jack, and Miko couldn't help smiling - it seemed that they wouldn't be the only humans aiding Team Prime anymore.
Optimus, at least, was willling to share their optimism. "This new path leads in a direction I am not certain of, but wherever it goes, we shall face it together."
Aboard the Nemesis, Megatron watched as scalpel began disecting the captured specimens from the earlier fight. While Prime and his forces had managed to flee, the capture of these specimens had ensured that the battle hadn't been a total waste of energon. Having fulfilled her end of their agreement, Airachnid had been let off the leash, though with the understanding that future recklessness would not be tolerated.
As several of Scalpel's subjects started to cry out in pain, Megatron pondered the results of the day - it seemed that the Decepticons were no longer the only ones interested in conquering Earth.
No matter - this race would fall in time, as would mankind, and the Decepticons, with Megatron at their head, would reign supreme.
Visser Three glared at the Taxxon Controller, still trying to process what he had heard. "So you are saying that your kind are familiar with the creatures we encountered earlier, correct?"
"Yes, Visser - they are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from an unknown planet. A renegade of their kind once landed on our world. The results were....catastrophic."
"I see, and-what are you doing here?"
The Visser was directing that statement at a newly arrived human controller - one subordinate to the voluntary controller Chapman, if he remember correctly.
"Sir, Chapman wished to inform you that he received a phone call."
"And that concerns me how?"
"It came from United States government."
"....Elaborate."
"They said that if we were listening, the Yeerks of all the controllers in the quarry when it was destroyed were saved…and that they will be returned to us at a specific location, the coordinates of which were just provided."
"….If you wish to live, contact Visser One immediately."
"Yes, Visser!"
Visser Three groaned as the Controller left to accomplish the task - he loathed having to work with Edriss, but now, it seemed that cooperation was a necessity.
For their invasion, it seemed, was about to get much more complicated.
"I see. I apologize for the accident, sir. We'll work to get the miners out as soon as possible."
"Thank you, ma'am. Your help is appreciated."
"Just doing my job. As is, though, I will need to report back to my superiors to give them a full understanding of the situation - with other officers already here, my need to stay is over."
"Of course. Please, be on your way - I'd rather we get those miners freed before the situation gets worse."
"Thank you. Have a nice day."
Taking her leave, the female police officer climbed into her patrol car and pulled away from the site. The accident was a travesty, and she hoped those within that were still alive would be rescued before the ones who had survived the initial explosion expired from other hazards, chiefly among them dehydration and lack of air. It was regrettably when so many innocent lives were lost.
"So, what's you find?"
But right now, that was a secondary concern. Turning to her partner, the woman reached back to a container resting in the backseat of the patrol car.
"Not much, but enough for the eggheads."
After feeling around for a moment, she fished out a blue crystal from said pack. Her partner observed it with confusion. "What is it?"
"Based on appearances, I'd say it's the base form of the fluid those giant robots run on."
"Oh. Yeah, eggheads will want to examine that in detail."
"Yeah, they will. But that might not be the most interesting discovery today."
Not bothering to wait for her partner to answer, the woman fished another item out of her pack - a strange looking raygun, by all appearances.
"…They dropped a weapon?!"
"I don't think so - design is too divergent from their normal armaments. Best guess? A new faction of aliens has revealed themselves."
"…This needs to get to Silas ASAP."
"My thoughts exactly."
Evening, the next day…
The government official glanced over the report once, twice, three times before the reality of the situation finally sunk in. Only then did he slump into his desk, a sense of exhaustion overtaking him.
Another alien invasion was going on? One that the Autobots and Unit E had gotten themselves involved in already? Could it have killed them to take things more slowly?
….Actually, it probsbly could've. Which made things all the more annoying.
Taking a sigh, the man composed himself, then sent a request for an agent to come to his office.
Said agent walked in moments later. "Sir, what do you need?"
"Read this," was his reply, offering her the report.
Taking the document, she obliged. It didn't take long for her eyes to widen in shock.
"…Are you saying we have an invasion to deal with now?"
"Correct, ma'am. Seems like we can't go a year without something like this."
"I see. What do you want me to do?"
"Send a message to Agent Bobcat. Tell him he's being redeployed."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Sir, Agent Bobcat is already deployed in Chicago -"
"Looking after two VIPs. I know. I want them to go with him."
"What?! Sir, you know as well as I that it is policy to-"
"-to keep agents interacting with different groups of aliens in the dark about each other unless it is infeasible. I know. But I think that policy is counterproductive, and I am already drafting a request that it be reviewed and abolished. My order stands."
"…Understood, sir. Would you also like to have Agent Spring Tide redeployed, alongside his charges?"
"Yes. And anyone they let in on the secret - think it's time we lead them out of the dark."
"Understood, sir."
Three Days Later
"Hey, John, looks like you got a letter.
Glancing up from his computer, the man in question raised an eyebrow. "Who's it from, Sandor?"
"Think it's the government. Maybe your last audit of Blume pulled up something they needed examined?"
Sighing, John got out of his chair and took the letter from Sandor. He cut through the envelope with ease, but froze when he pulled out the letter.
The eagle and pyramid symbol on it didn't exactly ease his mind.
It didn't take long for Sandor to notice his friend's distress. "Does this involve us?"
"Maybe. Let me read it."
Greetings Agent Bobcat,
Apologies for the short notice, but an incident occurred in California. No casualties have been recorded, but it required intervention from agents stationed in Jasper, Nevada. Due to the nature of this situation, you are being redeployed to Jasper. Your charges are to be brought with you - a suitable cover story will be arranged. I apologize again for the short notice, but I believe your skills will be the best for the job. Coupled with your existing relations in Jasper, you have been deemed the perfect fit for this assignment.
Sincerely,
Seymour Simmons
Director of Unit E
Subsector 7
Operations Sector
Federal Bureau of Control
PS: Agent Spring Tide and his charges will also be redeployed to your location. The risks have been judged secondary to the gains we stand to make.
"…Fuck me sideways."
"That bad, eh?"
"Yeah, I'm being redeployed."
"I see. Need me to tell Fox?"
"No, I'll handle it."
"I see. So, what will the story that Stanley and me need to peddle?"
"Still figuring it out, but you won't have to lie too much - both of you are coming with me."
Sandor's eyes widened. "What?!"
"And I've got confirmation that John, Henri, and Malcolm are coming too."
Now Sandor was starting to freak out. "Are you shitting me?! You know what happens if we get Stanley and John in the same location! If the Mogs find out-"
"They still haven't zeroed in on any of the Garde despite Two blabbing where she was on the net. She's still here, so you should be fine."
"…Damn it. Fine. So, Darby, where are we headed?"
Sighing, John Darby closed his eyes. "Home. My home."
Path to Coalescence Part 3 out of ??? Complete
AN: And so the first part of Shifters of Flesh and Metal comes to a close.
Also, wow, everyone is reacting to the changes wrought by the Animorphs and Teak Prime working together. Crazy, right?
MECH finally made their debut. I do plan for them to have a larger role in this story, so expect to see more of them in the future.
And yeah, that final scene.
Okay, let me make this clear: I first got the idea for this story while I was reading some stories made by LuisJM on Fanfiction.net that covered how he would have handle season three of Prime - a series that is currently ongoing. After five or so years of going back and forth on the idea, this is the result. Now, one of the things I wanted to address in this story was what happened to Jack's dad. In that story, he ended up in Italy as a member of the Special Welfare Agency from Gunslinger Girl, which was an interesting way to take things. In this story, well, as you all just read, John is actually a member of Unit E (something Fowler is in the dark about), and is associated with the titular species from the Lorien Legacies series. And four of them are now headed to Jasper. That's gonna be crazy.
Quick note going forward: due to the size of the cast I have planned for this story, the individual fics will have a rotating set of main characters - Team Prime might be the focus of one, the Animorphs of the next, the approx Garde the third, and so on.
I have two other stories planned in this series so far - Homecoming, which will cover John arriving in Jasper and all the craziness he brings, and Ties That Bind, which will explore the families of Raf and Miko in more detail. Yes, that means we will get to see Dib, Souta, and Setsuna, alongside Miko's parents, who will be bringing other characters from their series with them. So rather, that means this story will be a five..six..seven way crossover!
Yeah, in it for the long haul.
For those who weren't counting, the seventh part of the crossover is with the Remedyverse - the organization Simmons belongs to (I don't consider the Michael Bay films to be good for much except their action sequences, but I am a sucker for action sequences) is from the game Control, which handles all kinds of supernatural crap, though they prefer the term paranatural.
Also, since it will be important to understanding the events of Ties That Bind, the home series of Raf and Miko's families are Invader Zim (Dib, his sister Gaz, and their father Professor Membrane - not sure if they will have a mom in this series or if I will go with the implication that the Professor created his kids in a lab), Gate (Miko's parents, Risa and Itami, which someone correctly guessed on SB) and Re:Creators (Souta and Setsuna).
…Oh wait. I miscounted. There are eight series in this crossover - Blume is from Watch_Dogs. Anyone who has played the game should know who Fox is.
Any other stories mentioned in this one are to be considered shout outs until I decide if and how to incorporate them into this one.
Pay no attention to the Path to Coalescence thing, it isn't important right now.
I have an epilogue planned showing the reactions of The Elliminist and Crayak, so expect that up later this week. Then I will be focusing on some of my other stories (chiefly Primeval Paradox and The Baleful Bureau) before getting back to this one.
Before I sign off, I'll leave you with a hint of what's to come:
Next Time on Shifters of Flesh and Metal: The Autobots integration with the Animorphs is interrupted by the unexpected return of Jack's father, who brings with him several new faces. But while the group tries to navigate around John whole investigating new activity from MECH, the Darby patriarch has his own secrets, which threaten to upend everything.
Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!
The Path to Coalescence
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
34 Thomas Street, New York City, U.S.A.
The meeting room wasn't anything special – there were dozens like it in this building, any of which could handle this meeting. But after today's incident, it happened to be the only one that was reasonably close to the heads of staff that wasn't currently filled with scattered papers, blood, cleaner fluid, or the corpses of things best left unspoken.
The sound of papers being skimmed through filled the office as dozens of documents were pulled out, examined, then set aside for filing. Each told of a fantastical and questionably believable tale, ranging from UFO sightings to claims regarding the mothman and even one about how the government was using tap water to mind control people. Even for this group, some of the documents seemed pretty stupid.
But there were a few papers of actual note in here. And now it was time to discuss them.
"So," asked the redhead sitting at the head of the table, "can we begin our discussion?"
There were no objections.
"Good. First off, and disregarding today's incident, where should we begin?"
"The Jasper Incident, please," answered a dark haired woman – one of the researchers.
"Very well, Ms. Underhill. Two days ago, we received reports regarding extraterrestrial activity on Earth. This is not an unknown – the area has been designated as an asylum site for a group of extraterrestrial autonomous robotic organisms, of which six are permanent residents. However, we have received information indicating that several additional alien species have made their way to Earth to expand their own clandestine war. One of these races is a sluglike species of neural parasite and is intent on enslaving mankind. The incident has effectively dragged us into this war as well."
"Correct," confirmed another researcher. "Though you neglected to mention the teenagers involved in this conflict."
"That was intentional, Pope – I'm not yet sure how to handle things there."
"I see. Though I would like to note that the teens from Nevada appear to have multiple familial connections to other paranatural events and phenomena.
"Such as?"
"Well, the eldest is already known to be the child of Agent Wildcat, who is currently being redeployed to Nevada alongside his charges to better maintain their security. Additionally, his aunt is part of another group of interest that we are assisting in investigating for the United Nations Committee of Extraterrestrial Activity."
"Figures. And the other two?"
Underhill was the one to answer. "The Japanese exchange student has two siblings, the elder of which, her brother, appears to be involved in one of the, ahem, application incidents."
"You mean the one involving a phone app that shows how you will die?"
"No – his is unrelated to the Septentrion and Triangulum incidents."
"Oh. Well, what about the sister."
"She's involved with one of the…Magical Girl incidents. And forgive me, but I have trouble saying that with a straight face."
"How is it that our Japanese compatriots have less budget than us while handling this many incidents?"
"I believe they experienced cuts due to the issues surrounding the Winter Olympics," replied a bespectacled man.
"..That makes sense. What about the Hispanic child?"
"Two of his cousins live in the same town as another extraterrestrial, who is currently under bureau observation pending further evaluation."
"Further?"
Pope looked at the documents again, then sighed. "Said alien has shown clear intent to conquer Earth but…he's pathetic – the transmissions we've managed to intercept have pegged him as incompetent and a threat to his own allies. It seems that he was sent here on a snipe hunt to ensure that he didn't ruin their other plans."
"Do we have anything related to that alien?"
"A large cybernetic brain that was founded in a crash twenty years ago, which willing allowed itself to be detained by the Bureau."
"Send me that file for further review. And I believe that encompasses the entirety of the known quantities from the Jasper Incident. So, moving on, which incident should be discussed next?"
"The ones in Arizona, please," answered an English-accented man in his late forties.
"As you wish, Collins. On July 21st, an incident occurred in Arizona – around the South Mountain area, to be specific. Initially believed to be a possible magnetic weapon or magnetism related Altered World Event, the results turned out far different – the instigator was a magnetic anomaly that allows two-way transit between different time periods. Quite literally a time portal. This one appears to have been linked between the present day and the Oligocene period. The incident was contained successfully by non-Bureau agents, but more have been reported and…Okay, Collins, you said that the British have records of this happening before, correct? And that they have a team dealing with this right now?"
"Affirmative. As for why the Bureau did not act earlier, following what is known as a convergence event, anomaly activity died down – it was uncertain if it would ever rise to worrisome levels again."
"Then how come the civilian leading this team approached the Department of Defense a few years back with claims relating to time travel…or an offer for medical breakthroughs relating to prehistoric life? Or that he's working on a real life version of Jurassic Park?"
Collins thought for a moment, then shrugged. "At this point, I'd say luck."
"Figures. At least that pet project of his helped locate and contain a place of power. Now, if there is nothing else to discuss, can we move on to the French Incident."
No objections were raised.
"Excellent. Now, we can get to the final topic of our discussion: three days ago, we received a report from an inactive Bureau agent in California. Her report was extremely Curt: 'The Clock at Kadic is turning again, someone is searching for Hopper, and Carthage must be destroyed.' Now forgive me, but the only reference to Carthage in recent Bureau history is dated before the turn of the millennium, so would anyone be willing to fill me in on the details?"
"I would," spoke a man in a blue suit.
"…I'm sorry, are you new around here."
"It's fine. I am Antoine Fourier, Bureau liaison to the Commission d'enquete sur les Affaires Paranormales – that is to say, the Committee for the Investigation of Paranormal Affairs, the French counterpart to the FBC. Their higher ups were also informed of this development and asked me to be flown in to discuss things with you."
"Oh. Well, can you explain what Carthage is?"
"That would take far longer than the time allocated for this meeting, so I will merely give the abridged version: Project Carthage was a project during the final quarter of the 20th century that was originally intended for computer research, that eventually switched toward communications and how to control them."
"And yes, this change in focus was intended to weaponize the project," added Pope.
"The lady is correct. As for why the project was brought to our attention, during its development, researcher Waldo Schaeffer used the software to create a literal virtual world known as Lyoko, which could be accessed via scanners connected to a supercomputer located in a factory under Bologne-Bilancourt."
"I'm guessing that this computer could do other things?"
"According to our best research, which included several lucky coincidences, it could allow one to travel back in time. Mentally, at least."
Murmus went through the gathered staff, but the woman at the head of the table – the Director of this group – silenced them all when she cleared her throat. "Explain. Now."
"Several researchers working on the project reported feeling a sense of deja-vu on several occasions, and sometimes Schaeffer would react to some questions as if he had already been asked them before. The number of times this occurred was large enough that simple coincidence was ruled out as an option. And the supercomputer was recorded as giving off energy readings that did not match any known time on Earth – excluding, as it turns out, those relating to anomalies."
"Good to know. So, what happened to the project?"
"Unfortunately, the project attracted the attention of unscrupulous individuals who sought to use it for there own means. I'm not sure how they found her, but they kidnapped Anthea Schaeffer, Waldo's wife, and demanded his compliance if he wanted to see her again. He did initially comply with their orders, but eventually defied them and worked to destroy Project Carthage. As for his fate, that remains unclear – we do know that he went into hiding with his daughter, Aelita, but where is unknown. As for the Supercomputer, it is believed the reactor ran out of fuel and shut down a decade ago, taking it offline likely indefinitely."
"You're sure?"
"The computer used a nuclear reactor that was programmed to magnetize the computer system if it remained on standby too long. Unless Waldo did something to stop this, the computer should now be useless."
"Well, that's a relief. But I would hope the French are still monitoring this situation."
"They are. Your agent reported that someone had started snooping for information on Schaeffer again, which was enough to reopen the case."
"Let's just hope wherever he is, he's living in peace with his daughter."
"I share your sentiments."
"Thanks. So, in review, we're dealing with multiple counts of time travel and aliens, all happening at the same time, in addition to a general rise in 'background' level paranatural phenomena. Is that correct?"
"It is, Jesse," replied Pope.
"….I really regret accepting custody of my brother's kids now."
"It is what it is, Ms. Faden," was Underhill's reply. "At least they don't know that their newest neighbors come from another universe, or that the father is a spy, the mother an assassin, the daughter a telepath, and the dog a seer."
"They DO know that, Underhill – they were reading those documents when they were in a safe room during today's incident."
"Oh. Well, at least it should acclimate them to the coming madness."
"I hope so. Speaking of which, going forward, do you have any other suggestions beyond 'monitor and contain as needed'?"
"Do you, Miss Faden?"
"Just one."
"And what's that, Jesse?"
Smiling at Emily Pope, Jesse Faden took in a deep breath. "If all these things start colliding with each other, and everyone gets clued in on the smoke and mirrors of the masquerades that everyone else is living in, we bring them in. All of them. And then we tell them what we can. Because the more people we have in the know, the more we can coordinate to handle this madness. Any objections."
None were raised.
"Thank you for your support. Meeting dismissed."
Acknowledging the end of the meeting, those gathered in the room gradually filtered out until only Jesse was left – even Emily had other tasks to attend to. Only once she was alone did Ms. Faden allow herself to slump over in exhaustion, the weight of the last few weeks taking its toll on her. Had she gone through defeating the Hiss and the Third Thing only to fail here?
Any further introspective questions were cut off by the sound of an old phone ringing. Wordlessly, Jesse pulled out the bakelite hotline and put it to her ear.
"So, how did the meeting go?"
"As good as it could have. Are you behind this mess?"
"No – our plans were not crafted with this in mind."
"Forgive me if I am not inclined to believe that – though I am inclined to believe this is why you invited my nieces and nephews over today."
"That is correct – we are expecting an influx of younger/more pliable acquaintances/possible subordinates to be coming in soon, so it was deemed necessary to find those who could help ease the new arrivals in."
"Well, this better pay off."
"Agreed."
XxXxX
AN: At last, we are here.
The Ultimate Wildlife Sanctuary
Those who contain anomalies
Robots in Disguise Aided by Morphing Humans
Warriors Protecting a Digital World aided by a half-program girl
All being watched by a Director who recently took in two nieces and a nephew ensnared with a conspiracy of smoke and flame.
Now, at last, given some clarity.
Now, at last, the Path to Coalescence is revealed.
So, here's everything explained:
A while back when I was focused on writing Prehistoric Park: Returned to Extinction and Conquest in the Name of Advancement (now known as Victory Through Unity), I entertained the idea of them being in a shared multiverse, coexisting with minor crossovers. Then I realized that the protagonist of the second story (who is a shameless SI) would need a reason to come back to that universe beyond just liking dinosaurs. So I made Primeval Paradox and included references to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series in there, so that there would be something to drag my SI back in. But as the years drew on, and I developed both stories, I realized that I wanted the universe started in Prehistoric Park: Returned from Extinction to stand on its own, and that made me realize I wanted to flesh out that world more. So, gradually, I started thinking about which other series would coexist with this one, and thus the Coalesceneverse, as I call it, took shape. Now, at last, I have laid out all the major pieces on the board, and must only prepare them for the big play.
Now, currently, there are five stories in play – Prehistoric Park: Returned from Extinction (about to undergo a reboot to bring things in line with the rest of this universe), Primeval Paradox, Shifters of Flesh and Metal, Code Grid, and The Baleful Bureau. I've already got more planned (Shifters of Flesh and Metal will have two sequels – Homecoming and Ties that Bind), while the other stories already have more "episodes" planned, each of which will round out existing characters and introduce new ones.
I think I've had this author's note go on long enough, but I'd last treat: an outline for how this portion of the super-crossover will progress:
The meeting room wasn't anything special – there were dozens like it in this building, any of which could handle this meeting. But after today's incident, it happened to be the only one that was reasonably close to the heads of staff that wasn't currently filled with scattered papers, blood, cleaner fluid, or the corpses of things best left unspoken.
The sound of papers being skimmed through filled the office as dozens of documents were pulled out, examined, then set aside for filing. Each told of a fantastical and questionably believable tale, ranging from UFO sightings to claims regarding the mothman and even one about how the government was using tap water to mind control people. Even for this group, some of the documents seemed pretty stupid.
But there were a few papers of actual note in here. And now it was time to discuss them.
"So," asked the redhead sitting at the head of the table, "can we begin our discussion?"
There were no objections.
"Good. First off, and disregarding today's incident, where should we begin?"
"The Jasper Incident, please," answered a dark haired woman – one of the researchers.
"Very well, Ms. Underhill. Two days ago, we received reports regarding extraterrestrial activity on Earth. This is not an unknown – the area has been designated as an asylum site for a group of extraterrestrial autonomous robotic organisms, of which six are permanent residents. However, we have received information indicating that several additional alien species have made their way to Earth to expand their own clandestine war. One of these races is a sluglike species of neural parasite and is intent on enslaving mankind. The incident has effectively dragged us into this war as well."
"Correct," confirmed another researcher. "Though you neglected to mention the teenagers involved in this conflict."
"That was intentional, Pope – I'm not yet sure how to handle things there."
"I see. Though I would like to note that the teens from Nevada appear to have multiple familial connections to other paranatural events and phenomena.
"Such as?"
"Well, the eldest is already known to be the child of Agent Wildcat, who is currently being redeployed to Nevada alongside his charges to better maintain their security. Additionally, his aunt is part of another group of interest that we are assisting in investigating for the United Nations Committee of Extraterrestrial Activity."
"Figures. And the other two?"
Underhill was the one to answer. "The Japanese exchange student has two siblings, the elder of which, her brother, appears to be involved in one of the, ahem, application incidents."
"You mean the one involving a phone app that shows how you will die?"
"No – his is unrelated to the Septentrion and Triangulum incidents."
"Oh. Well, what about the sister."
"She's involved with one of the…Magical Girl incidents. And forgive me, but I have trouble saying that with a straight face."
"How is it that our Japanese compatriots have less budget than us while handling this many incidents?"
"I believe they experienced cuts due to the issues surrounding the Winter Olympics," replied a bespectacled man.
"..That makes sense. What about the Hispanic child?"
"Two of his cousins live in the same town as another extraterrestrial, who is currently under bureau observation pending further evaluation."
"Further?"
Pope looked at the documents again, then sighed. "Said alien has shown clear intent to conquer Earth but…he's pathetic – the transmissions we've managed to intercept have pegged him as incompetent and a threat to his own allies. It seems that he was sent here on a snipe hunt to ensure that he didn't ruin their other plans."
"Do we have anything related to that alien?"
"A large cybernetic brain that was founded in a crash twenty years ago, which willing allowed itself to be detained by the Bureau."
"Send me that file for further review. And I believe that encompasses the entirety of the known quantities from the Jasper Incident. So, moving on, which incident should be discussed next?"
"The ones in Arizona, please," answered an English-accented man in his late forties.
"As you wish, Collins. On July 21st, an incident occurred in Arizona – around the South Mountain area, to be specific. Initially believed to be a possible magnetic weapon or magnetism related Altered World Event, the results turned out far different – the instigator was a magnetic anomaly that allows two-way transit between different time periods. Quite literally a time portal. This one appears to have been linked between the present day and the Oligocene period. The incident was contained successfully by non-Bureau agents, but more have been reported and…Okay, Collins, you said that the British have records of this happening before, correct? And that they have a team dealing with this right now?"
"Affirmative. As for why the Bureau did not act earlier, following what is known as a convergence event, anomaly activity died down – it was uncertain if it would ever rise to worrisome levels again."
"Then how come the civilian leading this team approached the Department of Defense a few years back with claims relating to time travel…or an offer for medical breakthroughs relating to prehistoric life? Or that he's working on a real life version of Jurassic Park?"
Collins thought for a moment, then shrugged. "At this point, I'd say luck."
"Figures. At least that pet project of his helped locate and contain a place of power. Now, if there is nothing else to discuss, can we move on to the French Incident."
No objections were raised.
"Excellent. Now, we can get to the final topic of our discussion: three days ago, we received a report from an inactive Bureau agent in California. Her report was extremely Curt: 'The Clock at Kadic is turning again, someone is searching for Hopper, and Carthage must be destroyed.' Now forgive me, but the only reference to Carthage in recent Bureau history is dated before the turn of the millennium, so would anyone be willing to fill me in on the details?"
"I would," spoke a man in a blue suit.
"…I'm sorry, are you new around here."
"It's fine. I am Antoine Fourier, Bureau liaison to the Commission d'enquete sur les Affaires Paranormales – that is to say, the Committee for the Investigation of Paranormal Affairs, the French counterpart to the FBC. Their higher ups were also informed of this development and asked me to be flown in to discuss things with you."
"Oh. Well, can you explain what Carthage is?"
"That would take far longer than the time allocated for this meeting, so I will merely give the abridged version: Project Carthage was a project during the final quarter of the 20th century that was originally intended for computer research, that eventually switched toward communications and how to control them."
"And yes, this change in focus was intended to weaponize the project," added Pope.
"The lady is correct. As for why the project was brought to our attention, during its development, researcher Waldo Schaeffer used the software to create a literal virtual world known as Lyoko, which could be accessed via scanners connected to a supercomputer located in a factory under Bologne-Bilancourt."
"I'm guessing that this computer could do other things?"
"According to our best research, which included several lucky coincidences, it could allow one to travel back in time. Mentally, at least."
Murmus went through the gathered staff, but the woman at the head of the table – the Director of this group – silenced them all when she cleared her throat. "Explain. Now."
"Several researchers working on the project reported feeling a sense of deja-vu on several occasions, and sometimes Schaeffer would react to some questions as if he had already been asked them before. The number of times this occurred was large enough that simple coincidence was ruled out as an option. And the supercomputer was recorded as giving off energy readings that did not match any known time on Earth – excluding, as it turns out, those relating to anomalies."
"Good to know. So, what happened to the project?"
"Unfortunately, the project attracted the attention of unscrupulous individuals who sought to use it for there own means. I'm not sure how they found her, but they kidnapped Anthea Schaeffer, Waldo's wife, and demanded his compliance if he wanted to see her again. He did initially comply with their orders, but eventually defied them and worked to destroy Project Carthage. As for his fate, that remains unclear – we do know that he went into hiding with his daughter, Aelita, but where is unknown. As for the Supercomputer, it is believed the reactor ran out of fuel and shut down a decade ago, taking it offline likely indefinitely."
"You're sure?"
"The computer used a nuclear reactor that was programmed to magnetize the computer system if it remained on standby too long. Unless Waldo did something to stop this, the computer should now be useless."
"Well, that's a relief. But I would hope the French are still monitoring this situation."
"They are. Your agent reported that someone had started snooping for information on Schaeffer again, which was enough to reopen the case."
"Let's just hope wherever he is, he's living in peace with his daughter."
"I share your sentiments."
"Thanks. So, in review, we're dealing with multiple counts of time travel and aliens, all happening at the same time, in addition to a general rise in 'background' level paranatural phenomena. Is that correct?"
"It is, Jesse," replied Pope.
"….I really regret accepting custody of my brother's kids now."
"It is what it is, Ms. Faden," was Underhill's reply. "At least they don't know that their newest neighbors come from another universe, or that the father is a spy, the mother an assassin, the daughter a telepath, and the dog a seer."
"They DO know that, Underhill – they were reading those documents when they were in a safe room during today's incident."
"Oh. Well, at least it should acclimate them to the coming madness."
"I hope so. Speaking of which, going forward, do you have any other suggestions beyond 'monitor and contain as needed'?"
"Do you, Miss Faden?"
"Just one."
"And what's that, Jesse?"
Smiling at Emily Pope, Jesse Faden took in a deep breath. "If all these things start colliding with each other, and everyone gets clued in on the smoke and mirrors of the masquerades that everyone else is living in, we bring them in. All of them. And then we tell them what we can. Because the more people we have in the know, the more we can coordinate to handle this madness. Any objections."
None were raised.
"Thank you for your support. Meeting dismissed."
Acknowledging the end of the meeting, those gathered in the room gradually filtered out until only Jesse was left – even Emily had other tasks to attend to. Only once she was alone did Ms. Faden allow herself to slump over in exhaustion, the weight of the last few weeks taking its toll on her. Had she gone through defeating the Hiss and the Third Thing only to fail here?
Any further introspective questions were cut off by the sound of an old phone ringing. Wordlessly, Jesse pulled out the bakelite hotline and put it to her ear.
"So, how did the meeting go?"
"As good as it could have. Are you behind this mess?"
"No – our plans were not crafted with this in mind."
"Forgive me if I am not inclined to believe that – though I am inclined to believe this is why you invited my nieces and nephews over today."
"That is correct – we are expecting an influx of younger/more pliable acquaintances/possible subordinates to be coming in soon, so it was deemed necessary to find those who could help ease the new arrivals in."
"Well, this better pay off."
"Agreed."
XxXxX
AN: At last, we are here.
The Ultimate Wildlife Sanctuary
Those who contain anomalies
Robots in Disguise Aided by Morphing Humans
Warriors Protecting a Digital World aided by a half-program girl
All being watched by a Director who recently took in two nieces and a nephew ensnared with a conspiracy of smoke and flame.
Now, at last, given some clarity.
Now, at last, the Path to Coalescence is revealed.
So, here's everything explained:
A while back when I was focused on writing Prehistoric Park: Returned to Extinction and Conquest in the Name of Advancement (now known as Victory Through Unity), I entertained the idea of them being in a shared multiverse, coexisting with minor crossovers. Then I realized that the protagonist of the second story (who is a shameless SI) would need a reason to come back to that universe beyond just liking dinosaurs. So I made Primeval Paradox and included references to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series in there, so that there would be something to drag my SI back in. But as the years drew on, and I developed both stories, I realized that I wanted the universe started in Prehistoric Park: Returned from Extinction to stand on its own, and that made me realize I wanted to flesh out that world more. So, gradually, I started thinking about which other series would coexist with this one, and thus the Coalesceneverse, as I call it, took shape. Now, at last, I have laid out all the major pieces on the board, and must only prepare them for the big play.
Now, currently, there are five stories in play – Prehistoric Park: Returned from Extinction (about to undergo a reboot to bring things in line with the rest of this universe), Primeval Paradox, Shifters of Flesh and Metal, Code Grid, and The Baleful Bureau. I've already got more planned (Shifters of Flesh and Metal will have two sequels – Homecoming and Ties that Bind), while the other stories already have more "episodes" planned, each of which will round out existing characters and introduce new ones.
I think I've had this author's note go on long enough, but I'd last treat: an outline for how this portion of the super-crossover will progress:
- Homecoming: Team Prime and the Animorphs make plans for their formal alliance, but the unexpected arrival of Jacks father throws a wrench into things, as does his new charges. With secrets of his own to hide, and MECH making their own moves, will our heroes be able to make their way out of this mess?
- Ties That Bind: Weeks have passed since Jack's father arrived, and Unit E has now been expanded to include a truly wonderous set of individuals. But when Raf and Miko's extended families decide to visit and bring in yet more oddities and problems of their own, the team faces events they'd never dreamed of. Will they be able to keep all their secrets hidden, or will the world learn that mankind is not alone?
- Coalescence: A worldwide set of Paranatural Events leaves the veil on the paranatural world on the verge of tearing, leading Jesse to decide on the creation of a new paranatural coordination group. Faced with threats unlike any before, a coalition of unlikely heroes must unite to protect those they know, and keep the world from edging toward catastrope.
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
If you guys want to discuss things in general about this new mega crossover, use my discord.
If you want to discuss stuff specific to this story, post it here.
If you want to discuss stuff specific to this story, post it here.
Arthur Hansen
Author of no Authority.
- Location
- Utah, behind the Zion Curtain.
I was not able to get into Project Lykos (I think that's it's name?) Just hit the uncanny valley too hard.
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
Code Lyoko, and I understand.
But that story is currently it's own fix on this site.
Arthur Hansen
Author of no Authority.
- Location
- Utah, behind the Zion Curtain.
This one kind of hits the 'retread' all people, but has no direct impact on the main story of TFs and Shifters. So it kind of tripped up the interaction with people that we really care for.
- Location
- Arizona
- Pronouns
- Him/His
I get it.
I'm trying to go for more interaction (even if indirect) between all these stories going forward.