Animorphs 2.0

Jake

Jake

I sauntered into the room, hands in my pockets and dropped myself onto the chair in front of Elfangor. I waited for him to lecture me on my behavior. All the others had talked of how understanding this man was, how he saw right through you, helped you where you needed it the most. I didn't believe it. At least, he couldn't help me. He would try to tell me something about bullying and how it was wrong, whatever. He had no idea how I felt. My brother hated me. He'd torture me every day. And my parents did nothing. They had no idea and there was no way I could tell them their perfect son hurt me. They'd think I was just trying to get attention. Adults all ignored me, I was never good enough. I learned from home that the strong take from the weak. That's the way it was, the way it always would be.

When I heard about this war that supposedly had been going on for years, I was resigned to it. I understood the mentality of these Yeerks. We were their food supply; they were going to take us over, and there was no way of stopping it. That's why I thought this was pointless, there was no reason for us to be gathered like this, talking about fighting. But I wanted to know what Elfangor would say.

"You're stronger than you think Jake." I was taken aback. This was not what I'd expected.

"What do you mean?" I asked, surly.

"You feel weak, don't you? When you come home and you see your brother there, and think he's going to do something to you, you feel trapped, unable to escape. And you hate that don't you?"

I squirmed slightly in my seat. How could he know this? However, I harden my expression and stare him in the eye. "You don't know me."

"I think I know you more than you know yourself." Elfangor said. I scoffed at that. "Jake, you try so hard to show others you are strong, but that's exactly what is keeping you weak. You don't need the approval of others to tell you, you are strong. I can show you how strong you are. Instead of hurting children younger than you, help them. Showing someone you are bigger than them by helping them, giving them a person to count on, is presenting a strength so much greater than any physical prowess can show. You have the capacity for such strength and leadership. I see in your eyes how you want to help people. When you look at someone smaller than you in a position of weakness, you see yourself. However, instead of helping them, and in doing so, help yourself, you try to beat the weakness down." I began to stiffen as he spoke. I didn't want to hear any of this, but I didn't move. He reached forward and put a hand on my knee. "Jake, I'm giving you a chance here to not only help those weaker than you, you can help the world."

"There's no fighting the strong, Elfangor. I know that. The Yeerks are stronger than us."

Elfangor sat up. "Whoever said they were stronger than us?"

"We don't know who or how many they are, they have the superior weapons and numbers. We're outmatched."

"And they're outsmarted. They have no idea who or how many we are either. I think you'll find our weapons to be of greater or at least strength. And as for numbers, this is not a full-on battle. You will be a guerilla force, targeting small areas, disrupting plans. Jake, this is all very thought out."

"They still outnumber us, how long can we fight?"

"Jake, this is not about numbers. Stop thinking about the planet for a second. What if there was someone you knew who was a Controller? If you knew someone who was a slave in their own head, would you not be compelled to fight for them? And even if you couldn't help them, fight in their name?"

"But I don't. There's no way I'd know."

"I'm sorry, Jake. But it seems there is."

I sat up in my chair. "What do you mean?"

"I've been monitoring Yeerk movement, Jake. Many times, I've seen someone with them, someone close to you." He paused and showed me a picture of a paused moment in a security camera feed. He pointed to the top right corner. I squinted to see the face there. "Tom Berenson. He's been seen in many Yeerk meetings, and he goes to the Sharing, right?" I nodded. "It's a front for the Yeerks. All Sharing organizer meetings are run by high-ranking Controllers. Tom is one of them."

I didn't want to believe it. Yes, I hated my brother. He was so cruel to me, but I didn't want to imagine him a prisoner in his own head. That was too terrible, too horrible, even for a bully like him.

"Jake." I looked up at Elfangor. "You don't have to fight if you don't want to. This is your choice. You can either go back to your old life, let fate take its course, or take control of your own destiny. Make the enemy take a step back and think. There are other ways of being strong than being the biggest and I can help you realize that. But if you so choose, you can tell me no and I will respect that."

I shook my head. "No, I want to." I'd thought about what he'd said. I wasn't sure if I agreed with it, but for some reason I wanted to fight for the little guy for once. I don't know if it was his words, or Tom, but I felt it was time I fought back. No more lying there, waiting to be stomped on. I'd stand up and do what was right.