trans_9 | The Unexpected [Open]

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The Unexpected [Open]

Rachel was angry. Really angry.

She'd been on her way to her mission, when suddenly she was on this other ship. Pulled from one war, and into another-- it pissed her off to be just thrown around like that, used like a puppet once again. Was it Crayak, pulling her away before she could complete a vital goal? She'd barely managed to get her 'clothes' (not that it really counted as clothes-- but at least she could work with it), before she was snatched up again. And asked to run mazes, on the promise of cake.

Needless to say, it hadn't helped her mood.

Now that she was finally out (she may or may not have broken a few things on the way), she found herself in the hallways of this weird, pulsing ship. Nothing in it really looked Yeerk to her, either, which confirmed it.

Rachel stomped around the hallways, ready to morph on a second's notice. She was angry, and she wanted answers.

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Marco met Jake's stare with a growing sense of dread - he knew Jake must be putting the pieces together, realising that Marco had left details out. Maybe taking the logical step and realising that Tom or Rachel or even both of them were gone, and at his order. He clenched his fists, still frozen part-way through morph, as images of Jake after the war flashed through his mind. Jake, drawing away from the world. Jake not leaving his house for days and days. Jake beating himself up over Rachel and Tom and those seventeen thousand Yeerks every day.

Marco had a pretty good poker face, but Jake was Jake. If anyone could see Marco's rising panic, it was him.

But no - he couldn't think about that. He couldn't worry about what might happen to Jake - not yet. Not with Iniss pushing buttons and Rachel still on the warpath.

With just a glance at Nightwing when he made his point about not punishing people for past crimes - he was still too worried about Jake to really focus on Nightwing, and he wasn't going to stop being suspicious of Iniss just because the crew had decided to ignore past actions - Marco instead debated whether or not he should try and morph further so that he could thought-speak to Rachel and tell her to shut the hell up. But Nightwing had already suggested that Dani and Iniss leave, which was the best case scenario - morphing further could just spark a fight instead.

And when Iniss spoke, Marco just fixed him with narrowed eyes. He was tempted to point out that dude, the word was speciesist, and Marco wasn't saying the things he did because he was against Yeerks, he was saying it because he was against Iniss - but then Yeerk had to start describing Tom breaking down. In front of Jake. His eyes widened, he felt like finishing his morph and punching Iniss in the face. But before he could react, Dani had already started scolding him. Marco's fists clenched even tighter, and he fought back the urge, spinning his head round to look at Jake. He didn't even keep the worry he had for his best friend from his face.

"Jake..." he started, trying to figure out what he could possibly say to stave off the the Jake he knew from his own time. "Buddy...look, Tom'll be okay, alright? Mom did and I thought she wouldn't, he'll be alright I promise..."

The taunt was meant for Rachel, but Jake completely lost it. After going through so much, coming so close to saving Tom, it was too much to think that this could have broken him completely. Not when he was just getting to grips with the idea that Rachel could easily have killed him just now - on his order. Not when so much of it was wrapped up in guilt, an aching sense of responsibility, the sour taste of his own hand in the matter.

Jake completely lost it, but he would never show it. No, instead he'd remain calm, very very calm, and later on when Dani was around to let him speak with Tom, he'd insist that Iniss be out - just to be sure. And he'd bring a cup of water for the nasty slug, he'd say he didn't want it to dry out because it had saved Tom then, kind of. She'd drop it in, maybe reluctantly, maybe sensing something was off, but she wouldn't be fast enough to react when he crushed it in his bare hands: cup, yeerk and all. Iniss wouldn't even know what had hit it but Tom would, Tom would see it and know that he'd never have to feel scum crawling through his ear canal again. Maybe of the two, of Tom and Iniss, one could only be whole if the other was destroyed--

Marco was talking to him. Jake forced himself to focus on the words, maybe to even believe them a little. When he nodded, it was a rough-hewn gesture, like his head was made of stone and it might slide right off if he tilted it too far forward. There was nothing he could say to that, so instead he gestured toward Rachel, a different sort of calm on him now than the simmering, homicidal one he'd been quite enjoying.

"Can you... explain things to Rachel? Don't leave anything out," he added significantly, not like you did with me. "I'm going to go keep an eye on them." Because Rachel wouldn't just stay put while her quarry walked away scot-free. Because maybe Marco had the right of it, maybe Jake really didn't want to hear the details, couldn't, of what he'd done, how he'd possibly thought it necessary. Because part of him still cherished that yeerk-crushing fantasy, and the rest of him needed to apologize to Tom right now, needed to try to explain himself, anything to know that Iniss was wrong, that Tom was still hanging on in there. "We'll catch up later."

"Iniss, that's enough." That voice was more than just the leader of the Titans. That one was Batman's protege, the one who could, someday, become Batman himself. It also brooked no argument, but promised a follow through if not obeyed. It also said that Iniss was skating on very thin ice at that moment. "Not to mention unnecessary and completely uncalled for at this time." You didn't rub stuff like that in people's faces. Not unless there was far more at stake than there currently was. Rachel had backed down. And while it was entirely true that Tom may have been broken by what had happened, there was no reason to point it out at the moment.

He looked between Jake, Marco and Rachel before he shook his head, expression and tone softening as he turned back to Jake. "I'm sorry, Jake, but that's probably not a good idea right now. If even half of what's been said here is true, having you there right at this moment may be more detrimental to Tom than anything else." Because it was the very idea that his brother could order his death that had done it to Tom. Unfortunately, Nightwing knew all too well how both of them felt.

After a moment, he turned his eyes to Rachel. Bear though she was, there wasn't an iota of fear on his face. (The mask helped, though. he would admit.) "And I never said that Tom and Iniss were the same. I said that the ship views them both as crew members. One would think that in an unknown, new environment, a little bit of caution until you know the situation would be a GOOD idea."

The filthy-- Rachel's jaws snapped at his taunt to her, bristling. There was no way that she had broken Tom. No way, it was impossible. She was after the slug in his head, not him. He had to understand that. And there was no way that slug hadn't hurt Tom. To blame it all on her... He was disgusting.

< I don't think he should go anywhere, > she said, trying to keep her voice level. Succeeding in only cold anger. She could accept Jake going with him, at least for now, but it didn't look like that was going to happen. Like they would accept that. Like they had a say in it. < But if he does... Jake has a right to be with his brother. > She thought that it sounded awkward, coming from herself, but she was trying to help. And she trusted Jake.

An explanation of everything she was still missing would be nice, she thought, but she didn't speak up on that. She didn't need to, and there were more important issues. She was still fixated on her target, and the aggression she held and was facing. She couldn't let Tom walk away like that. No consequences, not finishing anything.

< I saw an opportunity, > she growled to Nightwing, < And I took it. I didn't think caution was necessary. And I don't care if they're both crew, it doesn't mean they should be treated the same. Because he's still in Tom. That seems like a current issue to me. >

There were moments when every species knew they they had stuck their foot down their throat. It was always uncomfortable, but very rarely did it come with actual pain. His only reaction to the sudden tightening of Dani's grip was a flinch, mind reeling as he tried very hard to deal with a sudden influx of new emotions.

Dani is hurt. I did it.

Now what in the world was he supposed to do? He had no experience with comfort.

"I'm sorry Rachel, that was unnecessary." The words slipped out, almost absent. "Please stop making it worse. It's difficult to deal with already." And she was. Tom could close his ears to everyone else. But thought-speak was impossible to ignore.

Tom would know what to do, Tom would know how to handle a child on the edge of breaking, a friend who was suddenly all mask and lies. He inclined his head very gently at Nightwing, accepting the rebuke without comment. He didn't look at Jake or Marco, not even bothering to acknowledge them. That part of the conversation was over.

Tom would know what to do.

Dani was floating about shoulder height, and still crushing his shoulder. The gesture was automatic, she was hurt and he needed to do something and he had hurt her. He let her keep the tight grip on his shoulder, turning and pulling her into a hug, hand pressing her face against his shoulder.

It was Tom's gesture, all of it. Blocking the world out for the child until they could deal with it again. But it seemed important to preform it. His next words were for her alone, soft and gentle, lacking the earlier sarcastic bite. "I'm sorry Dani, that was cruel of me. I won't do it again. Let's go." She was on the edge of breaking, and even without the front row tickets he had for Tom, he could tell. He needed to get her away from these people and this situation and fix her. Or at least let her talk when she didn't need to worry about the situation exploding.

"Thank you, Nightwing. I'm sorry to leave you with such a difficult situation." The tone was soft, less professional than normal, almost his entire attention focused on the girl in his arms, hand stroking her hair in an automatic gesture of comfort. He was ready to go, and didn't think Jake would have a chance to follow when Dani decided they were leaving.

Dani's grip loosened slightly when Iniss apologized, but not as much as she would have liked. It was partly that grip that was helpig ground her, after all. She knew what Nightwing said was right. Being here would be worse for Tom. And for Jake.

The one who made the order and the target, she knew it too well herself. Another time she had used a mask to keep her own pain hidden away, and even then she had venting by fighting Vlad. Now though...

And it was worse for Tom. This was a new wound, not an old one, and it was always far worse then.

And then Iniss was hugging her, her grip going completely slack from the surprise. "Iniss..." She said quietly and gritted her teeth. She almost wanted to cry. She kept these feelings inside so long, and having someone hug her when they were dug up, it was hard to not lose it.

Even if it might have been a relief to do so.

"Sorry, Jake, but Nightwing's right," Dani said, not moving away from Iniss, even if her voice might be muffled by his shoulder. "Right now, all it would do is twist a knife. For both of you," she said.

She put her other hand on Iniss' shoulder. He was quite right. Once Dani decided to leave, no one there could stop her. The only reason she gave warning was so people didn't freak out completely, but now they knew and it was all too easy to just let the desire to get away and disappear take control to turn them both invisible and intangible and simply leave through the floor.

"Jake, I don't think..." Marco started, falling silent at Jake's unspoken message. Jake might look calm, but Marco knew him well enough to know he wouldn't be. Marco didn't want Jake anywhere near Iniss and his stupid mouth right now...but he didn't really want to have to explain what had happened in the future either.

He narrowed his eyes at Iniss's apologies and displays of 'affection' - what, was he trying to make up for pissing Dani off earlier? - but then suddenly Iniss and Dani were disappearing through the floor, and Marco was left gaping. Okay, sure he'd known that Dani had freaky ghost powers, but actually seeing her phase through the floor was just insane.

Well. At least Iniss was gone. He eyed Nightwing - sure, Rachel was crazy, but she still wasn't going to just attack Nightwing. And Nightwing wasn't the type to just attack Rachel now that she couldn't threaten Iniss anymore. He reversed his morph, demorphing back to being fully human.

"We can explain things to Rachel," he said, wary. They had enough difficult things to discuss without someone else hovering over them. "And for the record? We fought like hell to save the hosts when we could. But unlike some people," - he glared at the space where Dani had been - "we didn't have the luxury of being able to stop the Yeerks without killing anyone."

Tom disappeared before Jake could even think of reacting. He felt it almost viscerally, a physical wrench that sent him stumbling a step or two before he clamped down on instinct and guilt and some part of him screaming that he had to go after them, go now. Maybe this was what it felt like to be a Yeerk. For what felt like the hundredth time, Jake laboriously smoothed out his expression, hoping that the roiling inside of him would follow.

Maybe Nightwing was right (maybe reading too many comic books too many times had imbued him with an instinct to listen to the guy in the mask): he wanted to run up to Tom right now and beg for forgiveness, but that was nothing more than selfishness, when he was the last person Tom would want to see right now. He'd spent the whole war putting the mission above his brother - right up to the end, apparently, because he couldn't imagine Rachel not managing to kill Tom if she was after him. Now that they were removed from the war - or at least that particular one - the least he could do was put his brother over soothing his own tortured conscience or whatever. Especially since, yes, now that he thought about it, Tom was probably dead, sometime in his near future. He shot Marco another look. Yes, his brother had probably died by the end of the war, on his command.

"All right," said Jake finally, turning to the bear, the superhero, and - his best friend. He exhaled sharply, as though collecting himself, or forcing himself to let go of that mess for the issue at hand. "I'll... we'll find them later," he said. Maybe he'd get Cassie to go. Would that be pathetic of him? Focus.

"Rachel, we have a sort of truce with... we have a truce. That means we don't attack Iniss, and we don't trust Tom, not with anything. In return, Iniss has promised to create an artificial host and move shop by the deadline." Jake refrained from quoting exact days and hours remaining. "Dani, the girl you saw just now, is our mediator; if Iniss doesn't hold up his end, she has the power to reach right in and pull him out."

Though, after what he'd just witnessed, Jake found himself uncertain. Uneasily, he remembered the way Iniss had hugged her. How often had he seen that same motion, same expression: Tom hugging their parents, their dog. Hugging him, exactly like that. There was just something very not right about the Yeerk stealing Tom's gestures and using them on his own allies.

"It's... not ideal," he admitted, because what he wouldn't admit was that he'd been the one to agree to this for his brother. "But we're close now, and... and we'd like to save the bear attack for after things go horribly wrong."

He looked at Rachel expectantly, trying to read a facial expression off a grizzly bear. The sooner Rachel was up to speed, the sooner he could get an explanation out of Marco. He just wished he could figure out whether or not that was a good thing.

Ax, having been alerted to the situation by Marco, jogged around the corner. At least he'd had warning about Rachel's arrival, so he wasn't shocked by the grizzly bear. It looked as though the potential fight hadn't actually brewed though, judging by a lack of blood everywhere. He nodded briefly in greeting to Nightwing as he moved over to flank the other three Animorphs present.

Nightwing still didn't completely relax. Wouldn't until the bear backed off a bit more. Not that he had any animal tranqs with him, but that was something he could shout to Stacy for if it was needed.

At least they weren't in the City. He wouldn't be able to call on Stacy at all if that was the case.

"Besides that, Stacy tends to frown on attacking other crew members." He idly wondered if attacking Tom and Iniss would double the violations. Not curious enough to want to see it tested, especially for Tom's sake.

He nodded in agreement with Jake. "Science and Engineering are working on it." He'd be a lot happier once it was done. Then his expression softened slightly. "Just give him some time to digest this. It's kind of a lot to have to take in all at once."

Rachel couldn't help but snarl at the disappearing girl, taking Tom with her, taking one lumbering step uselessly in their direction. She was too angry to be too thrown off by the disappearing act, but she knew there was nothing she could do, right then, to chase them down. They were gone. She'd get him another day.

< I'll kill you, Yeerk, > she said in private thought-speak, enunciating the last word heavily. She didn't even know if he could still hear her, but it needed to be said.

Instead, she found herself bombarded with the information-- probably the most important facts. < You're kidding, right?! > she asked snappishly, trying to make her bear eyes glare. How could they leave Tom like that? She hadn't wanted to kill him -- not him anyway, just the Yeerk -- but it was better than remaining infested. And they were just taking the latter option anyway? She didn't trust the Yeerk to keep a bargain. She had no reason to trust the girl's integrity. < Why the hell are we leaving Tom like that? > Her 'voice' was seething quietly. She knew she couldn't be helping, but she couldn't help the rage.

"You've missed all the action," Marco said to Ax dryly.

"The situation's here's different from back home," Marco explained to Rachel. "You've seen what Dani can do - she's can turn freaking intangible, and she's convinced that Iniss dying or even going into stasis would be oh so much worse than keeping Tom slave. She'll stop any attempts to get Iniss out of Tom and keep him out, and unless you know of some way to deal with someone who can walk through walls we haven't got anyway to stop her. And this ship? It's alive. Calls herself Stacy and has some mean tentacles on her. She thinks Iniss is crew. There's only a few places where she wouldn't be able to intervene, and Iniss knows to stay away from them. Between those two, we have no way of getting Iniss out of Tom."

He glanced sidelong at Nightwing - he'd really prefer to have this conversation without an observer - but continued on anyway. "But, even with all that we still have a much better chance of freeing him then we did back home. They are trying to make him an artificial body, and once that's done even naive little ghost girls couldn't find some bullshit justification for letting Iniss stay in Tom. Plus, he isn't as much of a risk here: he's from before that whole mess with the blue box, everyone knows what he is, and he's just one Yeerk. He's still a risk, but he can't do anywhere near as much damage. Right now? Sitting and waiting is our best move."

Time to digest this, Nightwing said. Jake gave another tight nod. The words made sense, but it just didn't feel like there was time enough in all the universe to digest a situation like nearly being killed by your own family.

He let Marco answer Rachel, because he couldn't think of anything to say in the face of her anger. Lips tightening, Jake turned to Ax with a sideways gesture. "We were just bringing Rachel up to speed about Tom. Apparently in her time... worse came to worst."

Here, Jake had chosen to let Tom stay enslaved - if temporarily. There, he'd decided to have him killed. The sad thing was, he couldn't even figure out which decision to be more disgusted with. He wanted to ask Marco and Rachel about their future - Why? Had the team been in danger? Had Tom regained control for one brief second, looked into Jake's eyes, and asked for death? It just didn't make sense. But with Ax here, Nightwing, Jake found himself even more reluctant to ask. It just didn't seem like the thing to be shared with others, not if hiding it was an option.

Ax shifted his weight uncomfortably and didn't quite meet his prince's eyes. Marco and Tobias had brought him up to speed on what had happened after the war, and he had agreed to keep quiet on the matter. They all should have known better than to think it would have remained hidden.

< I see, > he said. He looked over to Nightwing, summoning as much respectability as he could, hoping that his position on the Security Team could help them deal with this situation with a minimum amount of trouble. < We can take it from here, Nightwing. If you'd like, I can make a report later; but the sooner we can fill her in on the entire situation, the better. > And he had no intention of doing any such thing with any sort of audience.

"Nobody is killing anybody," Nightwing told Rachel. It wasn't quite Batman, but he wasn't going to let that slide. No matter how much Rachel was probably not going to listen to him.

At least Jake and Marco sort of listened. ~~Even if it was sort of out of hero worship.~~

When Ax spoke up, he paused a moment and glanced over the group again before nodding. "All right. I'll get out of your hair." Probably go check on Tom, just to see how the kid was holding up. "I'll be expecting that report, though."

< Seriously? > Rachel asked Marco, dull bear eyes somewhat focusing on him-- it'd be a flat stare if a bear's glare could be describe as one. < Who the hell does she think she is?! > she added on, not even bothering to mask the anger in her voice. The Yeerk would wait-- she'd have to show this 'Dani' a lesson first-- and for the ship to consider the slug crew too? No way she'd let them stand in her way. But at least there was a chance. She'd just have no intention of letting him stay in the artificial body. Until then, she was glad he was less of a threat. At least he couldn't morph (supposedly). That would be handy to know. She just didn't want to do the 'sitting and waiting' part.

< So what? > she asked, annoyed, glaring all around (and especially at Nightwing). < So that's it? > Even Ax didn't seem to have any major objections, at least not visibly (not that he was easy to read). They were just living with it like this.

Marco waited until Nightwing had walked away, out of sight and out of earshot, before continuing.

"She's the ship, and she's a heck of a lot more powerful than we are," Marco hissed. "If Jake hadn't stopped you, Stacy would have. Do you get that?! We can't just attack head on here!"

He carefully avoided looking at Jake.

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The Unexpected [Open]

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