JAKE: There must have been a thousand yeerks in that tub! We got them all!
RACHEL: There's a thousand more where they came from.
MARCO: Hey, lighten up, Rachel.
CASSIE: Yeah, even Luke Skywalker got a medal before the Empire struck back.
MARCO: That's true, but they didn't have to worry about Jabba the Hut squirming around in their ear.
CASSIE: I can't wait to tell Tobias and Ax about what happened.
JAKE: Niether can I.
~in the barn. AX in human morph watches as TOBIAS eats a mouse~
AX: Did that mice, taste better than they look?
TOBIAS: < Oh yeah! They're even better alive. >
AX: ~reaches out to take a mouse~
TOBIAS: < No way, Ax. >
~OTHERS walk into barn~
MARCO: ~first in~ Man, that was some party you guys missed.
RACHEL: ~squatting down in front of TOBIAS~ You weren't worried, were you?
AX: Did you succeed in saving the governor?
CASSIE: Pulled him from right under Visser Three's nose.
RACHEL: ~picking TOBIAS up on her arm~ And par boiled a few thousand yeerks while we were at it.
~AX and JAKE are looking at each other strangely~
JAKE: It was pretty crazy, Ax. I wish you could have been there. ~AX walks away from him~ Are you okay?
MARCO: Aw, gross! Who killed a mouse?
TOBIAS: < That would be me. >
JAKE: ~as AX is watching, sticks his pinkie in his right ear~
CASSIE: ~notices AX watching JAKE~ Ax?
AX: ~runs at JAKE~ YEERK! ~leaps on him, knocking him to the ground~
Opening Theme interupts here.
~CASSIE, RACHEL and MARCO are desperatly pulling at AX as he tries to rip the yeerk out of JAKE'S ear. ALL are yelling at AX~
MARCO: ~after finally getting AX away from JAKE~ Relax!
AX VO: ~watching JAKE as he picks himself up~ My name is Aximili-Esgarouth-Isthil. I am an Andalite. I just attacked my closest human friend. Nothing is ever as it seems when Yeerks are involved.
RACHEL: What's wrong with you, Ax?
AX: Can't you see? Don't you know what he is?
MARCO: Jake, are you okay?
JAKE: Yeah.
AX VO: ~watches as JAKE, RACHEL and MARCO give him dirty looks, CASSIE looks concerned~They can't see what I see, because they have not lived with this war as long as I have. They have not learned that they can not trust anyone.
JAKE: Ax, just chill. Some of us have had a rough day.
AX: ~stands up, snorts~ You humans are so easily fooled.
RACHEL: ~walks over to him~ What are you saying?
AX: Jake is a controller. ~RACHEL, CASSIE and MARCO look at JAKE, shocked~
JAKE: This is ridiculous. Do I look like a controller?
CASSIE: Nobody looks like a controller, Jake.
RACHEL: ~walking towards him~ You did fall into that yeerk tub.
JAKE: ~smiles~ And you rescued me.
TOBIAS: < But
how can we be sure? >
JAKE: Okay, if I
were a controller, why would I even be here in the first place? I would've
gone straight to Visser Three with all I know and can do.
RACHEL: ~crosses arms~ Not unless you want to go there with the five of us.
CASSIE: And an Andalite.
MARCO: Yeerks get promoted for that kind of stuff, y'know, Jake?
JAKE: Guys...~RACHEL, MARCO and CASSIE are glaring at him~ Guys, stop looking at me like that. You're scaring me, okay?
RACHEL: ~walks back over to AX~ Shake Ax's hand.
JAKE: What?!
AX: I'd rather kiss a Hork-Bajir.
RACHEL: If there's a yeerk in his brain, he'd never shake an Andalite's hand. ~CASSIE and MARCO nod in agreement~ Your hand, Ax? ~looks back to JAKE~ But morph it first.
JAKE: ~turns, as if to leave~ This is nuts. I don't have to st--
MARCO: ~puts a hand on JAKE'S chest to stop him~ Whoa, whoa. Do it.
AX: ~morphs just right hand so it's fully Andalite, walks towards JAKE~
JAKE: ~grabs AX'S hand, pumps it up and down a few times~ There, are you happy? N--Now do you guys believe me? ~laughs~
RACHEL: ~steps up and hugs JAKE~ I'm sorry, Jake. But you can't blame us for being too careful. ~JAKE smiles at her~
MARCO: ~lays a hand on JAKE'S shoulder~ Yeah, man. Had you been caught, that'd been the end. They'd've known everything about us.
JAKE: Don't worry about it, okay?
CASSIE: ~steps forward~ But guys. The Jake I know would wanna know for sure. ~sighs~ It takes three days for a yeerk to die with out a yeerk pool. The Jake I know would expect us to lock him up for those three days. He wouldn't try to reassure us. Like you are.
JAKE: Guys, come on. What's it going to take to convince you?
~JAKE, in a stall in the barn, tied securely to a chair~
JAKE: ~struggling~ Okay ~laughs~ The joke's over. I'm starting to get mad.
RACHEL: The real Jake would understand why we have to do this.
JAKE: I am the real Jake. Rachel, I'm your cousin. You've known me forever. Cassie, Cassie, look at me. ~grinning, as if this was a big joke. CASSIE doesn't look. Now he's getting angry~ Come on! Come on, you know me!
CASSIE: ~looks to RACHEL~ I was right about this.
RACHEL: You said it yourself. The real Jake wouldn't be fighting us. ~glares at JAKE~ Anyways, we'll know in three days. Then we can all apologize.
JAKE: Do you think Ax can pass for me that long? Tom will take one look at him, and hand him over to Visser Three.
RACHEL: Life's full of risks.
JAKE: ~sighs and leans back~
~MARCO and AX walking across a bridge. AX is in 'JAKE' morph, eating something~
AX: ~looks like JAKE, but sounds like a mix of AX and JAKE~ Exquisite. These potato chips are on my top ten food list.
MARCO: Yeah, that's just what we need, Ax. An Andalite with clogged arteries.
AX: Will there be more of these at Jake's house?
MARCO: Ax, you've got to get your mind off food, man. We're guys. We think about other things too.
AX: Such as...?
MARCO: Okay...human guys also think about sports, and girls.
AX: Okay, so food, sports and girls.
MARCO: You got it, man.
AX: And world peace?
MARCO: ~with a laugh~ Only on Sundays.
~Back at the barn. RACHEL and CASSIE are still watching JAKE~
CASSIE: ~walks to JAKE, bends over and looks into his eyes. JAKE just stares back~ If eyes are supposed to be, like, the window to the soul, how come all I can see is Jake?
RACHEL: Because Jake's still in there, Cassie. Somewhere.
CASSIE: ~looking back to RACHEL~ Do you think he can hear me?
RACHEL: ~nods~ He can hear you. ~CASSIE looks back to JAKE~ Watch over him. I'll be right back ~leaves~
~zoom in on JAKE'S right eye. Suddenly, there's a purple fog, JAKE is tied to a chair, much like he is in real life, and swirling around~
JAKE: You see that, yeerk? They're not buying it. No matter what you tell them, no matter what you make my body do, you're gonna lose.
YEERK: We'll see about that.
JAKE: I can feel you moving through my mind.
YEERK: And what a mind you have, Jake. Filled with rich, hidden places. But I'll soon find the place I'm looking for, and when I do, your friends won't be able to tie me down.
CASSIE: ~sounding echoey and distorted. Image goes from JAKE in swirling purple fog to CASSIE'S distorted face~ Jake, Jake, if you can hear me in there, Hang on.
JAKE: Cassie...
YEERK: Look at her, a mere human. All this time we thought you were Andalites! Elfangor gave you the morphing power? He shouldn't have. And when I escape, Visser Three will know the truth.
CASSIE: Jake? Jake, no matter what happens, we're not leaving you.
JAKE: Thanks, Cassie.
~cut to NIKKI (JAKE'S mom) in the kitchen at JAKE'S house. AX, still in JAKE morph, is channel surfing. MARCO is helping NIKKI set the table~
MARCO: Muchos Gracias, Senoira.
NIKKI: ~laughs~ You're always welcome here, Marco.
TOM: ~comes into living room where AX is~
AX: ~sounding more like JAKE~ Look what I found on the Sports Channel. ~TOM looks at him~ Girls lifting weights. Would you like to watch?
TOM: ~looks at AX like he's gone mad~ Not particularly. ~leaves~
MARCO: ~standing right in front of AX~ Ax, what are you doing?
AX: You said girls and sports. I thought I'd kill two brids with one bone.
MARCO: That's stone, and it doesn't work that way. Listen, all I want you to say during dinner is 'pass the butter'. Okay?
AX: ~nods slightly, then goes back to channel surfing~
~GREG, NIKKI, TOM, MARCO and AX at dinner~
AX: ~shoving food into his mouth. EVERYONE pretty much stops eating just to watch him~
NIKKI: You must be going through a growth spurt.
AX: ~looks up at NIKKI, points to food. mouth is full~ This stuff is on my top ten food list.
GREG: So, Jake. You feel like hanging out with the old man tonight? There's a fight on the tube.
AX: A fight. On the tube...
GREG: Yeah, what do ya' say?
MARCO: ~pointing with fork towards butter~
AX: Pass the butter.
MARCO: ~nods approvingly~
GREG: ~shrugs, passes the butter~
NIKKI: ~lifts lid on a pot full of artichokes. AX quickly grabs one~ Do you like artichokes, Marco?
MARCO: Yes, I like artichoke hearts.
AX: ~starts eating the leaves of the artichoke~
NIKKI: They're Jake's favorite ~hands MARCO an artichoke~
GREG: The leaves are the best part
NIKKI: ~hands an artichoke to GREG~ Tom? ~gives one to TOM and the last one to herself~
AX: ~ripping one leaf off at a time, taking a bite out of it, then putting the rest on his plate. EVERYONE looks at him in either shock or disgust~
MARCO: Jake...
AX: ~notices everyone staring at him, spits out the leaf he was eating~
TOM: ohhh...You know, no matter how many times I see it, I'll never get used to the way you eat artichokes.
MARCO: ~seems to breath a sigh of relief~
AX: ~goes on eating~
~back to the barn~
CASSIE: ~sitting next to JAKE. Sets down a sandwhich and juice box next to him~ It's not exactly gormet, but at least you won't starve. ~holds juice box straw to JAKE so he can drink~
JAKE: Thanks, Cassie. ~pause~ Do you remember the first time we met?
CASSIE: ~looks up towards ceiling, grins. Looks back to JAKE~ Of course I do.
JAKE: You'd just moved to town, and that snake escaped in Mrs. Loache's class. Everyone was running around screaming.
CASSIE: ~laughs~ Mrs. Loache was standing on her desk.
JAKE: And you caught it like it was nothing. You know, ever since then I knew you were special. ~shifts position~
CASSIE: You okay?
JAKE: Yeah, it's just that these ropes are still kinda tight. ~CASSIE looks sympathetic~ It's okay. I know why it has to be this way.
CASSIE: Well, I guess I can loosen them just a little bit. ~squats down in front of JAKE and starts loosening ropes around wrists~
JAKE: ~looks up, smirks evily~
CASSIE: ~looks up at JAKE~ Is that a little bit better?
JAKE: ~smiles and nods~
~in the purple fog~
JAKE: Cassie! No!
~real life~
JAKE: ~starts looking uncomfortable, like me may throw up~
~in the fog~
JAKE: How could she do this?
~real life~
JAKE: ~right hand starts trembling~
~in fog~
JAKE: ~manages to get one hand free from the ropes that tie him to the chair in his mind~ Cassie! Cassie! ~reaches out~
~real life~
JAKE: ~hand grabs CASSIE'S wrist~
CASSIE: Jake? Jake, you're in there, aren't you? Fight it, Jake, fight it!
~fog~
JAKE: ~hand is forced back down on arm rest~
~real life~
JAKE: ~lets go of CASSIE. Looks down at his hand, makes a fist a few times. Smiles at CASSIE~ Cassie, these ropes are still a little bit tight.
CASSIE: ~stands up and backs away~ Don't you talk to me, yeerk.
~fog~
YEERK: You're a strong one, Jake. You remind me of another difficult one.
JAKE: No...
~fog changes from blue to red. Instead of JAKE tied up on a chair, TOM is laying down, tied up, looking petrefied~
JAKE: Tom...
YEERK: It took us almost a week to break him. But he gave up in the end, they all do. We break humans, the way humans break horses.
~image of TOM disapears. Back to JAKE in the blue fog~
JAKE: When this is over, yeerk, you're gonna be a stain on the bottom of my shoe.
~The School. AX and MARCO are about to leave science class~
TEACHER: Jake! Can you stay a minute, please?
AX: ~he and MARCO stop, turn around~ Yes, Mr. Perkins.
PERKINS: Jake, you've always been an excellent student, but your work over the last three days has taken a quantum leap. I mean your test scores from yesterday speak for themselves, but this....I'm impressed.
MARCO: What'd you do?
AX: I calculated the value of pi.
PERKINS: To the hundred and thirty-fifth decimal ~MARCO'S eyes open in shock~ Sitting at his desk, didn't even have a calculator!
AX: What can I say?
MARCO: ~grabs AX~ Nothing, Nothing! Uh, gotta go, Mr. Perkins, bye! ~leave quickly~
~the barn. JAKE'S still tied up, and it's obvious he's been struggling, he's covered in sweat, and his hair's messed up~
JAKE: So, ~looks up to rafters where TOBIAS is~ Bird-Boy. How's it feel to be trapped in the body of a filthy scavenger?
TOBIAS: ~if he had teeth, he'd be speaking through clenched ones~ < I'm a predator, not a scavenger. And I'm glad to see you aren't pretending anymore. Just a few more hours to go. >
JAKE: You know, we yeerks can change our hosts. But you... It must be awful to be trapped in flesh that's not your own.
TOBIAS: < It's what I am now. I can live with that. >
JAKE: But to be trapped inside the body of a hawk. Never to be yourself again. Never be any more to Rachel than a pet, that sits on her arm. I know how to make you human again. All you have to do is let me go.
RACHEL: ~walks in, sets backpack down~ Hi, Tobias. How is he?
TOBIAS: ~flies out without a word~
RACHEL: Tobias? ~turns around and glares at JAKE. He glares and smirks back~
~the fog~
JAKE: You should have been dead by now, yeerk. It can't be much longer.
YEERK: We've enslaved hundreds of races. We will enslave yours Jake, because I just found what I've been searching for.
JAKE: No, no.
YEERK: An Andalite's greatest power. The power to morph. ~still in the fog, but instead of a tied up JAKE, we see JAKE'S tiger morph, followed by iguana morph, the homer~ And now, that power belongs to me.
~late that night, RACHEL is struggling to stay awake~
JAKE: ~glares at RACHEL as she tries to stay awake~ Long three days, huh, Rachel?
RACHEL: They'll be over soon enough. ~JAKE yawns and pretends to sleep, RACHEL yawns and falls asleep...at least, she seems to~
JAKE: ~smirks at RACHEL once she's "asleep", then morphs homer, runs out of barn.~
~in the woods, JAKE is still morphed as homer, running, demorphs behind a large bush. RUns as a human untill he sees a group of people walking into a building of some sort. He grins. They are controllers going to a yeerk pool~
JAKE: ~hears a growl, looks behind him, RACHEL has snuck up on him in lion morph. He begins to back away, but a horse comes up behind him (CASSIE) from his right comes a wolf (MARCO) and to his left...~
AX: ~in JAKE morph, sounding more like himself now, instead of JAKE~ Hello, Jake. Did you really think we'd let you go? ~demorphs, then morphs human~
CASSIE: ~demorphed, coming up beside him~ We never left you, Jake.
MARCO: ~demorphed~ We've always been here.
RACHEL: I only pretended to sleep.
TOBIAS: ~perched in a branch overhead~ < We let the yeerk lead us here. >
AX: Now we know of one more entrance to the yeerk pool.
JAKE: ~looking around, paniced, trying to find a way out, suddenly, moans in pain and puts his hand to his right ear, doubles over in pain, EVERYONE runs to him, yelling for him to hold on~
YEERK: < Jaaaaakeee... >
JAKE: ~yeerk drops out of ear~ Help me ~everyone helps pick him up. ~
MARCO: ~points at ground~ Look! ~the yeerk is on the ground, wiggling. MARCO looks at it in horror/disgust, CASSIE is horrified, RACHEL and AX look like they want to pound it to a pulp~
JAKE: ~steps forward, steps on yeerk, good and hard~
MARCO: It's over, dude.
~ at Cyberia.~
JAKE: ~someone gives him a drink~ Thanks. ~CASSIE walks up behind him~
CASSIE: You alright?
JAKE: I know what it's like now. The controllers. To be lost inside yourself, and alone with no hope.
CASSIE: It must have been awful.
JAKE: Worse than you can ever imagine. ~looks at CASSIE, smiles~ But you were all there for me. And you gave me hope.
CASSIE: ~looks down, laughs~ We also tied you to a chair.
JAKE: ~awkward silence. Suddenly~ Cassie? That stuff that I said at the barn--
CASSIE: ~quickly~ You didn't say anything. That was the yeerk talking.
JAKE: ~looks uncomfortable for a second, then slightly relieved~ Yeah.
MARCO: Jake, it's ready, man. ~JAKE and CASSIE follow him back to a computer that AX has hooked a phone up to~
AX: ~presses a few buttons, hands phone to JAKE~ The program is set.
JAKE: ~types in a number, phone starts ringing~
TOM: ~at JAKE'S house. Picks up phone~ Hello?
JAKE: ~voice sounds much deeper, and distorted~ Tom.
TOM: Yeah?
JAKE: ~at
Cyberia~ Don't give up, Tom. ~over phone~No matter
what it tells you, no matter what it makes you do, don't give up. ~at
Cyberia~You're not alone. ~smiles, looks to RACHEL, who nods~
TOM: Who is this?
JAKE: ~over phone~ Just keep fighting, Tom ~at Cyberia~ We'll be fighting with you. ~hangs up~
TOM: ~hangs up phone, but right hand starts shaking in the process. TOM'S fighting the yeerk. But the yeerks quickly regains control, making a fist a few times. Satisfied, he hangs up the phone and leaves the room~
AX VO: ~as others are walking away, and he's putting away the phone~ I understand now why my brother Elfangor chose this world to make his stand against the yeerks. For in the heart of a human, no causes are lost , and nothing is beyond hope. In the end, it may be this world that turns the war in our favor. Because what I saw so briefly through Jake's eyes was not a world enslaved, but a world with a keen taste for victory.
Okay, this is definetly the best episode so far, IMHO. Very emmotional, especially at the end where Tom is fighting the yeerk and tries to regain control of one hand. Scholastic & Nick should do all the episodes as one hour episodes, the two part episodes are infinitely better than the half hour episodes.