Post by lordtwinblade on Jan 6, 2009 13:12:22 GMT -6
Rating: I'm gonna be safe right now and call it R.
Summary: All the original Animorphs have been wiped out, but before they were killed, Marco passed the morphing cube off to a new generation of Animorphs. He died in the handoff. This is the story of the second gen Animorphs.
The Insight - Chapter 1
My sinewy, knotted shoulder knocked the door aside like it was made of Styrofoam, and I lunged into the middle of the group, sending all four men sprawling. My jaws latched onto the closest one’s shoulder and bit deep. I tasted blood and reveled in the thrill for a moment before I tossed my neck and hurled the man into a pile of crates. Pumping my legs, I leapt past the injured human and quickly ascended the still intact part of the mountain.
The lion has always been my favorite battle morph. I picked the less bulky, more agile mountain variety for exactly this reason; they are virtually unfazed by heights, in fact, they’re built for them. I can attack from any angle, any height, dropping distances that would have left me dazed as a human, and spring right back into the fray. Sometimes I go a little crazy when I start fighting.
Today was not a bloodletting day, though. Today I had something much, much more important in mind. Today’s mission was one of rescue.
My sharp hunter’s eyes swept the battlefield; the warehouse was not all that big, reminding me of a smaller version of the one from the Indiana Jones movies. My target – the yellow-framed service elevator – was rising out of the ground just beyond my perch, four heavily armed commandos loading weapons as they came up. I curled my lip in a feline snarl and began my loping charge across the ridge of crates, letting my cat instinct take over the process. As I crossed the artificial mountain I called out with my thoughts.
<I’ve got four human Controllers coming up the elevator, equipped with full assault gear! Need a distraction, ASAP!>
No sooner had I asked than a pile of crates across the room from me were propelled into the air, like the wall of cups or plastic bricks that the superhero action figures inexplicably punch through in the toy commercials. From behind said wall thundered a multi-ton bull rhino, head lowered, snorting in fury. The commandos turned towards the new threat and barely had time to dive aside. One of them took a glancing hit from the four foot long horn and slammed to the ground, his rifle arm bending unnaturally as he fell. The others rolled to their feet and began firing.
There were times I really admired Cal’s battle morph. Where that many rounds from a weapon would have my lion down in seconds, Cal simply shrugged the 7.62 MM bullets off and charged again, this time impaling her target through the stomach. I took the opportunity to drop down on the third Controller’s shoulders and bite directly into the back of his neck. I felt his spinal column snap, and he shuddered before falling limply to the floor at my feet.
<Go now, Soren! I’ll cover you!> Cal shouted inside my head, turning her attention to the last commando. I sprinted into the elevator and slammed the door shut with one swipe from my hubcab-sized paw. Fortunately there was no latch that needed to be operated delicately, otherwise I would have had to return to my human form while still in view of the Controllers on the surface. I butted the down button with my head and began the descent.
As soon as the top of the elevator cleared the floor I began my morph. My paws shrunk, their ivory, bloodstained claws resolving into the delicate ceratin of human fingernails. My golden brown fur disappeared in a ripple pattern, traveling along the length of my spine and down my four legs, which were rapidly becoming two arms and two legs. The bones in my face shifted, organs rearranged themselves. I gasped involuntarily at the sensation, not painful but just as surprising as ever. The last thing to go were my whiskers, which slithered back into my cheeks with a soft sucking noise.
I waited for several moments as the dim yellow light in the elevator shaft became red, screening my biological makeup for anything non-human. If it found anything at all, I would be flash fried to a little Soren-shaped pile of ashes.
This line of defense was designed to keep Andalites from infiltrating this particular Yeerk pool, making the assumption no battle-morphed warrior could enter the lift, morph to their Andalite form, and then proceed to human.
There are some advantages to being human.
As soon as the light faded I pressed myself against the mesh wall and began my next transformation, this one nowhere near as pleasant.
Morphing into an insect is never enjoyable, but frequently necessary. I was going stealthy this time, so I chose my least noisy insect form – a box elder bug. This little guys don’t have most of the more nauseating instincts that a lot of bugs do, which I figured was good for my sanity, at least. No sooner had I completed the morph than the doors parted and six shapes piled in, dressed in full combat armor and carrying what looked to my compound eyes like anti-armor weapons.
<Cal, you might want to clear out and become something more agile, they’re bringing up a rocket launcher.>
<Got it.> I could still feel the distant thunder of her footsteps. I flicked my wings and slipped out between the bars as the elevator started back up to the main floor.
The short concrete tunnel was packed with human controllers, each one prepping weapons as they waited. I skirted the floor until I reached the exit on the far end, at which point I settled down in a broom closet and returned to human form.
Now that I could see in the human spectrum again, I peeked out of the closet and examined the area around me. I was in a long concrete hallway illuminated by flashing orange emergency lights. Brian had managed to cut the power before we began our attack, so they were running on a backup generator. At the north end of the hall, according to the map I’d studied beforehand, was the holding area, where they kept prisoners of war before infesting them. I checked the closet for anything I could use, but there wasn’t much there other than rudimentary cleaning supplies. The next step hinged on my ability to infiltrate the Yeerk pool posing as a control, and I, standing there in a set of tight-fitting Speedo and matching muscle shirt, looked more like a lost swimmer than a member of the base personnel.
I stepped out into the hallway, a panicked look on my face. “Hey!” I waved at a pair of commandos thundering up the hall. An explosion rocked the building, and I stumbled into one of them.
“What’s happening?” I kept my eyes wide and frightened. The commando helped me lean against the wall.
“The Andalites just hit us, they’re trying to get into the base.” He looked at my uniform and raised an eyebrow. “All non-combat personnel are supposed to be in the situation room.”
“I’m off duty.” I glanced around as another explosion caused a fine layer of dust to sprinkle down from the ceiling. I reflected that it was nice to have conventional weapons to hit the Yeerks occasionally. “You know…host bodies have needs, too. I was asleep.”
“Relocate to the situation room and report to your handler.” The commando turned back towards the concrete hallway. I quickly looked both ways to make sure no one else was in the hall with us, and grabbed his combat knife from his waist. Before he had time to react I had plunged it into the back of his neck. After so much time fighting as an animal, I’d become a fairly competent hand fighter as well. I caught the commando and dragged him back into the closet, closing the door behind me. I stripped him of his clothing and donned his combat vest and helmet, slinging his rifle across my chest and buckling his ammo belt around my waist. When I returned to the hallway, I appeared to be just another member of base security.
I rushed down the hallway, barreling through the holding area door. Two men were inside, both holding pistols, which they raised to point at me. I raised both hands to show them I meant no harm, and then shouted, “We need backup in Sector 3! They’re coming in through the ventilation system!” The floor shook again, and I motioned for them to follow.
“Go on. I can handle things here.” The taller guard nodded.
I led the guard into the hall, tripped him, and stabbed him in the back of the neck. When I came around the corner, gun blazing, the tall guard didn’t have a chance. The prisoners looked on in awe as I keyed the ‘release all’ command into the detention computer and the bars to their cells slid aside.
“Is Cade here?”
No sooner had I spoken then she was there beside me, wrapping her arms around my chest and kissing me viciously on the lips. I reciprocated for several seconds and then pulled away, pressing myself against the wall as two commandos opened fire on the holding chamber.
“Soren, they’re prepping this group for infestation! There’s another way out of here that leads directly into the pool!”
“Find it!” I pointed the gun over my shoulder and fired blindly out the door. “Does anyone here know how to use a gun?” Several people called out. “Whoever’s a good shot, come here and take my rifle. We need to get out of here through the pool.” Some people moaned in terror, I could see resolve on other faces, and some displayed nothing but weary despair. I turned back to Cade. “Take the guard’s pistol.” She nodded, slipping across the room to grab the weapon. A man in his thirties leaned against the wall next to me. “Can you shoot?”
The man nodded. “I served in the Marines during Desert Storm. I know how to use one of these things.” He took the rifle and then my place against the wall, firing around the corner. I placed five spare clips on the floor next to him, and then a single grenade.
“You know what they do to prisoners.” He nodded, firing another volley around the corner.
“They won’t take me.” He gritted his teeth. “Alive.”
I nodded, gripping his shoulder. “What’s your name?”
“Jason Randall.”
I nodded. “We won’t forget your sacrifice.”
He grabbed my hand. “Just get these people out of here.”
I stood up just as the far wall slid open with a metallic groan. The ten prisoners flinched, terrified, as hell opened up in front of them.
The fight through the pool was vicious and brief. We caught the guards by surprise and killed six of them before the rest could react. By then we had enough guns to take the place. The voluntary Controllers fled out the main entrance before us, and we approached the freight elevator.
Titus, are you ready for them? I thought as I slapped the button.
<The van is already pulling up.>
“Get on this elevator, it will take you to our extraction vehicle!” Cade was shouting to the group. I grabbed the chestplate of my armor and ripped it off, then tossed my helmet aside.
The prisoners quickly shuffled onto the elevator, those with guns standing closest to the door. As the elevator began to descend, I tossed my firearms aside. Cade turned to grin at me as I dropped to all fours and concentrated.
“You still look good.” She flicked her tongue across her teeth and flashed me a brilliant smile. I bared my teeth in what I hoped was an approximation of a grin, but my jaw was stretching out into a feline muzzle. Cade tossed her hair and began her own battle morph, falling to the ground as her eyes went from brilliant steel to amber. Within a few seconds a snow-white wolf and a mountain lion crouched in place of the two relatively fragile humans.
<Let’s roll, babe.> I growled deep in the back of my throat. I sensed Cade’s amusement at my display of aggression; she threw me a meaningful glance that sent shivers down my sleek golden spine.
<Are we keeping score this time?> She bumped her shoulder against mine, the playfulness in her thoughts not lost on me. <Or are you afraid I’ll beat you again?> As she spoke, a wave of seven centipedelike Taxxons roiled from the door on the far side.
<Not a chance.> My mental tone mirrored hers. <I’ll race you to twenty.>
<You’re on.>
My name is Soren. I don’t have a last name anymore, we all gave ours up when we took this job. What job makes you give up your name, you ask? Well, what would you say if I told you that earth is being invaded, right now, by a race of sluglike aliens that can take over the body of any sentient creature whose ear canal they can slip into? You would probably call me crazy. Probably. We – my friends and I – are earth’s first and last line of defense against the Yeerk invasion. What are we?
We’re superheroes.
Summary: All the original Animorphs have been wiped out, but before they were killed, Marco passed the morphing cube off to a new generation of Animorphs. He died in the handoff. This is the story of the second gen Animorphs.
The Insight - Chapter 1
My sinewy, knotted shoulder knocked the door aside like it was made of Styrofoam, and I lunged into the middle of the group, sending all four men sprawling. My jaws latched onto the closest one’s shoulder and bit deep. I tasted blood and reveled in the thrill for a moment before I tossed my neck and hurled the man into a pile of crates. Pumping my legs, I leapt past the injured human and quickly ascended the still intact part of the mountain.
The lion has always been my favorite battle morph. I picked the less bulky, more agile mountain variety for exactly this reason; they are virtually unfazed by heights, in fact, they’re built for them. I can attack from any angle, any height, dropping distances that would have left me dazed as a human, and spring right back into the fray. Sometimes I go a little crazy when I start fighting.
Today was not a bloodletting day, though. Today I had something much, much more important in mind. Today’s mission was one of rescue.
My sharp hunter’s eyes swept the battlefield; the warehouse was not all that big, reminding me of a smaller version of the one from the Indiana Jones movies. My target – the yellow-framed service elevator – was rising out of the ground just beyond my perch, four heavily armed commandos loading weapons as they came up. I curled my lip in a feline snarl and began my loping charge across the ridge of crates, letting my cat instinct take over the process. As I crossed the artificial mountain I called out with my thoughts.
<I’ve got four human Controllers coming up the elevator, equipped with full assault gear! Need a distraction, ASAP!>
No sooner had I asked than a pile of crates across the room from me were propelled into the air, like the wall of cups or plastic bricks that the superhero action figures inexplicably punch through in the toy commercials. From behind said wall thundered a multi-ton bull rhino, head lowered, snorting in fury. The commandos turned towards the new threat and barely had time to dive aside. One of them took a glancing hit from the four foot long horn and slammed to the ground, his rifle arm bending unnaturally as he fell. The others rolled to their feet and began firing.
There were times I really admired Cal’s battle morph. Where that many rounds from a weapon would have my lion down in seconds, Cal simply shrugged the 7.62 MM bullets off and charged again, this time impaling her target through the stomach. I took the opportunity to drop down on the third Controller’s shoulders and bite directly into the back of his neck. I felt his spinal column snap, and he shuddered before falling limply to the floor at my feet.
<Go now, Soren! I’ll cover you!> Cal shouted inside my head, turning her attention to the last commando. I sprinted into the elevator and slammed the door shut with one swipe from my hubcab-sized paw. Fortunately there was no latch that needed to be operated delicately, otherwise I would have had to return to my human form while still in view of the Controllers on the surface. I butted the down button with my head and began the descent.
As soon as the top of the elevator cleared the floor I began my morph. My paws shrunk, their ivory, bloodstained claws resolving into the delicate ceratin of human fingernails. My golden brown fur disappeared in a ripple pattern, traveling along the length of my spine and down my four legs, which were rapidly becoming two arms and two legs. The bones in my face shifted, organs rearranged themselves. I gasped involuntarily at the sensation, not painful but just as surprising as ever. The last thing to go were my whiskers, which slithered back into my cheeks with a soft sucking noise.
I waited for several moments as the dim yellow light in the elevator shaft became red, screening my biological makeup for anything non-human. If it found anything at all, I would be flash fried to a little Soren-shaped pile of ashes.
This line of defense was designed to keep Andalites from infiltrating this particular Yeerk pool, making the assumption no battle-morphed warrior could enter the lift, morph to their Andalite form, and then proceed to human.
There are some advantages to being human.
As soon as the light faded I pressed myself against the mesh wall and began my next transformation, this one nowhere near as pleasant.
Morphing into an insect is never enjoyable, but frequently necessary. I was going stealthy this time, so I chose my least noisy insect form – a box elder bug. This little guys don’t have most of the more nauseating instincts that a lot of bugs do, which I figured was good for my sanity, at least. No sooner had I completed the morph than the doors parted and six shapes piled in, dressed in full combat armor and carrying what looked to my compound eyes like anti-armor weapons.
<Cal, you might want to clear out and become something more agile, they’re bringing up a rocket launcher.>
<Got it.> I could still feel the distant thunder of her footsteps. I flicked my wings and slipped out between the bars as the elevator started back up to the main floor.
The short concrete tunnel was packed with human controllers, each one prepping weapons as they waited. I skirted the floor until I reached the exit on the far end, at which point I settled down in a broom closet and returned to human form.
Now that I could see in the human spectrum again, I peeked out of the closet and examined the area around me. I was in a long concrete hallway illuminated by flashing orange emergency lights. Brian had managed to cut the power before we began our attack, so they were running on a backup generator. At the north end of the hall, according to the map I’d studied beforehand, was the holding area, where they kept prisoners of war before infesting them. I checked the closet for anything I could use, but there wasn’t much there other than rudimentary cleaning supplies. The next step hinged on my ability to infiltrate the Yeerk pool posing as a control, and I, standing there in a set of tight-fitting Speedo and matching muscle shirt, looked more like a lost swimmer than a member of the base personnel.
I stepped out into the hallway, a panicked look on my face. “Hey!” I waved at a pair of commandos thundering up the hall. An explosion rocked the building, and I stumbled into one of them.
“What’s happening?” I kept my eyes wide and frightened. The commando helped me lean against the wall.
“The Andalites just hit us, they’re trying to get into the base.” He looked at my uniform and raised an eyebrow. “All non-combat personnel are supposed to be in the situation room.”
“I’m off duty.” I glanced around as another explosion caused a fine layer of dust to sprinkle down from the ceiling. I reflected that it was nice to have conventional weapons to hit the Yeerks occasionally. “You know…host bodies have needs, too. I was asleep.”
“Relocate to the situation room and report to your handler.” The commando turned back towards the concrete hallway. I quickly looked both ways to make sure no one else was in the hall with us, and grabbed his combat knife from his waist. Before he had time to react I had plunged it into the back of his neck. After so much time fighting as an animal, I’d become a fairly competent hand fighter as well. I caught the commando and dragged him back into the closet, closing the door behind me. I stripped him of his clothing and donned his combat vest and helmet, slinging his rifle across my chest and buckling his ammo belt around my waist. When I returned to the hallway, I appeared to be just another member of base security.
I rushed down the hallway, barreling through the holding area door. Two men were inside, both holding pistols, which they raised to point at me. I raised both hands to show them I meant no harm, and then shouted, “We need backup in Sector 3! They’re coming in through the ventilation system!” The floor shook again, and I motioned for them to follow.
“Go on. I can handle things here.” The taller guard nodded.
I led the guard into the hall, tripped him, and stabbed him in the back of the neck. When I came around the corner, gun blazing, the tall guard didn’t have a chance. The prisoners looked on in awe as I keyed the ‘release all’ command into the detention computer and the bars to their cells slid aside.
“Is Cade here?”
No sooner had I spoken then she was there beside me, wrapping her arms around my chest and kissing me viciously on the lips. I reciprocated for several seconds and then pulled away, pressing myself against the wall as two commandos opened fire on the holding chamber.
“Soren, they’re prepping this group for infestation! There’s another way out of here that leads directly into the pool!”
“Find it!” I pointed the gun over my shoulder and fired blindly out the door. “Does anyone here know how to use a gun?” Several people called out. “Whoever’s a good shot, come here and take my rifle. We need to get out of here through the pool.” Some people moaned in terror, I could see resolve on other faces, and some displayed nothing but weary despair. I turned back to Cade. “Take the guard’s pistol.” She nodded, slipping across the room to grab the weapon. A man in his thirties leaned against the wall next to me. “Can you shoot?”
The man nodded. “I served in the Marines during Desert Storm. I know how to use one of these things.” He took the rifle and then my place against the wall, firing around the corner. I placed five spare clips on the floor next to him, and then a single grenade.
“You know what they do to prisoners.” He nodded, firing another volley around the corner.
“They won’t take me.” He gritted his teeth. “Alive.”
I nodded, gripping his shoulder. “What’s your name?”
“Jason Randall.”
I nodded. “We won’t forget your sacrifice.”
He grabbed my hand. “Just get these people out of here.”
I stood up just as the far wall slid open with a metallic groan. The ten prisoners flinched, terrified, as hell opened up in front of them.
The fight through the pool was vicious and brief. We caught the guards by surprise and killed six of them before the rest could react. By then we had enough guns to take the place. The voluntary Controllers fled out the main entrance before us, and we approached the freight elevator.
Titus, are you ready for them? I thought as I slapped the button.
<The van is already pulling up.>
“Get on this elevator, it will take you to our extraction vehicle!” Cade was shouting to the group. I grabbed the chestplate of my armor and ripped it off, then tossed my helmet aside.
The prisoners quickly shuffled onto the elevator, those with guns standing closest to the door. As the elevator began to descend, I tossed my firearms aside. Cade turned to grin at me as I dropped to all fours and concentrated.
“You still look good.” She flicked her tongue across her teeth and flashed me a brilliant smile. I bared my teeth in what I hoped was an approximation of a grin, but my jaw was stretching out into a feline muzzle. Cade tossed her hair and began her own battle morph, falling to the ground as her eyes went from brilliant steel to amber. Within a few seconds a snow-white wolf and a mountain lion crouched in place of the two relatively fragile humans.
<Let’s roll, babe.> I growled deep in the back of my throat. I sensed Cade’s amusement at my display of aggression; she threw me a meaningful glance that sent shivers down my sleek golden spine.
<Are we keeping score this time?> She bumped her shoulder against mine, the playfulness in her thoughts not lost on me. <Or are you afraid I’ll beat you again?> As she spoke, a wave of seven centipedelike Taxxons roiled from the door on the far side.
<Not a chance.> My mental tone mirrored hers. <I’ll race you to twenty.>
<You’re on.>
My name is Soren. I don’t have a last name anymore, we all gave ours up when we took this job. What job makes you give up your name, you ask? Well, what would you say if I told you that earth is being invaded, right now, by a race of sluglike aliens that can take over the body of any sentient creature whose ear canal they can slip into? You would probably call me crazy. Probably. We – my friends and I – are earth’s first and last line of defense against the Yeerk invasion. What are we?
We’re superheroes.