(no subject)
Title: The B-Team
Summary: Jake has sent Marco, Ax, and Tobias on a simple mission with simple instructions. It's almost like he doesn't know them at all.
Word count: 1,032
Characters/Pairings: Marco&Ax&Tobias, aka "Team Finesse" (I know that by the time that nickname came into use, things were probably too crazy for a little mission like this, but let's roll with it)
Rating: PG (I'm emulating the book style, where swearing doesn't actually occur in dialogue)
Notes: For suzanami for the 2012 Animorphs Holiday Exchange, which I am shamefully, shamefully late for. So sorry! But here it is now! She liked banter, shenanigans, humor, character relationships, Marco getting Ax into trouble, and Marco/Ax/Tobias, so Team Finesse it is!
“I’m starting to think Jake thinks we’re the B-Team,” I said as Ax and I strolled down the street. “Stop pulling so hard!” At least, I was strolling-he bounded, an enthusiastic Great Dane straining against his leash. In retrospect, maybe we should have picked a smaller dog morph, but I was blinded by my prejudice to Euclid, all right?
< I wish to smell THIS now! Ooh, wait! No this! I must say, human urine is proving to be unexpectedly delightful. >
“I’m sure that’s not human,” I replied.
< It is! Dog urine doesn’t have that satisfying whiff of Coca-Cola. >
“Well, come on,” I said, pulling his head away.
< Is everything all right down there, you two? > Tobias asked. < We’ve only got five minutes to get to the drop site. >
“Don’t blame me,” I said. “I’m not the one getting excited about pee down here.”
< Don’t pretend like I don’t remember some of your less dignified dog moments, > Tobias replied.
I wasn’t precisely sure where he was watching us from, but I made a face in what I hoped was his general direction. Which is, of course, when Ax spotted something supremely interesting across the street and took off at a run. I grasped for the leash, but couldn’t hold on as Ax dashed across the street.
“Ax!” I yelled, running after him. “AX!” But he was much more agile in traffic. I ducked through the cars, more than one screeching to a halt with a honk and a middle finger. “AX!”
And some days the Irony Gods must give me a break, because when I got to the other side of the street, a pretty girl was holding his leash, as Ax licked her hand, the model friendly dog. “Thanks for finding my dog,” I said, trying not to let on in front of her that I was panting from my street dash. I’ve got to remember to do more physical stuff as a human. “Come here, Ax.”
“Axe?” she asked. “You named your dog after a body spray?” She held out his leash.
“I guess that makes me the man your man could smell like,” I said, being sure to brush hands as I got the leash from her.
“That’s Old Spice, moron,” she said, rolling her eyes as she walked away.
“Wait!” I said. “What’s your number, maybe I-” But she was gone. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.
< No wonder we’re the B-Team, > Tobias said.
“Hey, I didn’t say we are the B-Team,” I replied. “I just said Jake thinks we’re the B-Team.”
< What is a B-Team? > Ax asked. It was surprisingly difficult to take him seriously as an intergalactic warrior when he was nose-deep in a trashcan.
< Don’t worry about it, Ax-man, > Tobias said. < But you guys need to get it together. If you don’t hurry, you’re not going to make it in time. >
Ax managed to wrest himself away from the bouquet of garbage, and we were on our way again. We were just a block away, when Tobias cursed in our minds.
“What?” I asked, twisting my head, feeling the sudden rush of adrenaline.
< Sub-Visser Twenty-Three is already there! > he said. < You won’t be able to hide the device without him noticing. >
I used a stronger word than Tobias had. “Okay, okay,” I replied, pulling Ax into the nearest alley. “We need a new plan. What have we got, boys? Battle morphs?”
< Prince Jake specifically told us not to take action, > Ax reminded me.
“Well, Jake also told us not to get distracted on the way,” I snapped back.
< I’m with Ax, > Tobias said as he fluttered into the alley. < This wasn’t part of the plan. >
“The plan was to hide the device so that Erek can hack into the network. We don’t activate it in the right spot, Rachel and Jake might not be able to get out after they destroy the cages. You want to put her in danger like that?” Tobias shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably, but I knew I had him. I unzipped my backpack and pulled out the piece of alien tech. “So here’s what I’m thinking. Ax and I will create a distraction. Tobias, you’ll go Hork-Bajir, and during the fight hopefully no one will notice you off in the corner. You tell me when it’s set, then we’ll all retreat.”
< I have not agreed yet to this plan, > Ax said. < Prince Jake- >
“It’s your call. Personally, I think Jake would be madder if you let Tobias and I go in without support.” Tobias was mostly Hork-Bajir, so I tossed him the device. He caught it deftly, but I swear I heard Ax thought-speech gasp.
< It’s very fragile! > he said. < Carry it carefully, Tobias. >
“So you’re with us, then?” I asked.
An incomprehensible doggy facial expression. But that didn’t matter because, < Fine. Yes. >
“Good,” I said as my shoulders bulked up, coarse black fur covering my body.
When I was fully gorilla, and Ax fully Andalite, Tobias peered around the corner. < All clear, > he said. He looked back to me. < So exactly how long have you been planning this? >
< Since Jake said “making the drop and surveillance only,” > I replied honestly. < Team Finesse gets no respect, man. >
***
A few hours later, back in the barn, I lounged against hay bales while Rachel regaled us (well, regaled mostly Tobias) with a terrifying action story, Cassie good-naturedly correcting the more overt exaggerations. Jake caught my glance.
“I’ve got to start putting you with people you can’t talk into doing whatever you want.”
“Oh, please,” I replied. “Like Rachel and I without supervision wouldn’t be an unmitigated disaster.”
“More than what happened today?”
“You say that like we didn’t save your butt,” I countered.
He just looked at me for a long moment. “I can’t argue with that,” he finally replied.
I smiled. “Then sounds like it was another good day for Team Finesse.”
Summary: Jake has sent Marco, Ax, and Tobias on a simple mission with simple instructions. It's almost like he doesn't know them at all.
Word count: 1,032
Characters/Pairings: Marco&Ax&Tobias, aka "Team Finesse" (I know that by the time that nickname came into use, things were probably too crazy for a little mission like this, but let's roll with it)
Rating: PG (I'm emulating the book style, where swearing doesn't actually occur in dialogue)
Notes: For suzanami for the 2012 Animorphs Holiday Exchange, which I am shamefully, shamefully late for. So sorry! But here it is now! She liked banter, shenanigans, humor, character relationships, Marco getting Ax into trouble, and Marco/Ax/Tobias, so Team Finesse it is!
“I’m starting to think Jake thinks we’re the B-Team,” I said as Ax and I strolled down the street. “Stop pulling so hard!” At least, I was strolling-he bounded, an enthusiastic Great Dane straining against his leash. In retrospect, maybe we should have picked a smaller dog morph, but I was blinded by my prejudice to Euclid, all right?
< I wish to smell THIS now! Ooh, wait! No this! I must say, human urine is proving to be unexpectedly delightful. >
“I’m sure that’s not human,” I replied.
< It is! Dog urine doesn’t have that satisfying whiff of Coca-Cola. >
“Well, come on,” I said, pulling his head away.
< Is everything all right down there, you two? > Tobias asked. < We’ve only got five minutes to get to the drop site. >
“Don’t blame me,” I said. “I’m not the one getting excited about pee down here.”
< Don’t pretend like I don’t remember some of your less dignified dog moments, > Tobias replied.
I wasn’t precisely sure where he was watching us from, but I made a face in what I hoped was his general direction. Which is, of course, when Ax spotted something supremely interesting across the street and took off at a run. I grasped for the leash, but couldn’t hold on as Ax dashed across the street.
“Ax!” I yelled, running after him. “AX!” But he was much more agile in traffic. I ducked through the cars, more than one screeching to a halt with a honk and a middle finger. “AX!”
And some days the Irony Gods must give me a break, because when I got to the other side of the street, a pretty girl was holding his leash, as Ax licked her hand, the model friendly dog. “Thanks for finding my dog,” I said, trying not to let on in front of her that I was panting from my street dash. I’ve got to remember to do more physical stuff as a human. “Come here, Ax.”
“Axe?” she asked. “You named your dog after a body spray?” She held out his leash.
“I guess that makes me the man your man could smell like,” I said, being sure to brush hands as I got the leash from her.
“That’s Old Spice, moron,” she said, rolling her eyes as she walked away.
“Wait!” I said. “What’s your number, maybe I-” But she was gone. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.
< No wonder we’re the B-Team, > Tobias said.
“Hey, I didn’t say we are the B-Team,” I replied. “I just said Jake thinks we’re the B-Team.”
< What is a B-Team? > Ax asked. It was surprisingly difficult to take him seriously as an intergalactic warrior when he was nose-deep in a trashcan.
< Don’t worry about it, Ax-man, > Tobias said. < But you guys need to get it together. If you don’t hurry, you’re not going to make it in time. >
Ax managed to wrest himself away from the bouquet of garbage, and we were on our way again. We were just a block away, when Tobias cursed in our minds.
“What?” I asked, twisting my head, feeling the sudden rush of adrenaline.
< Sub-Visser Twenty-Three is already there! > he said. < You won’t be able to hide the device without him noticing. >
I used a stronger word than Tobias had. “Okay, okay,” I replied, pulling Ax into the nearest alley. “We need a new plan. What have we got, boys? Battle morphs?”
< Prince Jake specifically told us not to take action, > Ax reminded me.
“Well, Jake also told us not to get distracted on the way,” I snapped back.
< I’m with Ax, > Tobias said as he fluttered into the alley. < This wasn’t part of the plan. >
“The plan was to hide the device so that Erek can hack into the network. We don’t activate it in the right spot, Rachel and Jake might not be able to get out after they destroy the cages. You want to put her in danger like that?” Tobias shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably, but I knew I had him. I unzipped my backpack and pulled out the piece of alien tech. “So here’s what I’m thinking. Ax and I will create a distraction. Tobias, you’ll go Hork-Bajir, and during the fight hopefully no one will notice you off in the corner. You tell me when it’s set, then we’ll all retreat.”
< I have not agreed yet to this plan, > Ax said. < Prince Jake- >
“It’s your call. Personally, I think Jake would be madder if you let Tobias and I go in without support.” Tobias was mostly Hork-Bajir, so I tossed him the device. He caught it deftly, but I swear I heard Ax thought-speech gasp.
< It’s very fragile! > he said. < Carry it carefully, Tobias. >
“So you’re with us, then?” I asked.
An incomprehensible doggy facial expression. But that didn’t matter because, < Fine. Yes. >
“Good,” I said as my shoulders bulked up, coarse black fur covering my body.
When I was fully gorilla, and Ax fully Andalite, Tobias peered around the corner. < All clear, > he said. He looked back to me. < So exactly how long have you been planning this? >
< Since Jake said “making the drop and surveillance only,” > I replied honestly. < Team Finesse gets no respect, man. >
***
A few hours later, back in the barn, I lounged against hay bales while Rachel regaled us (well, regaled mostly Tobias) with a terrifying action story, Cassie good-naturedly correcting the more overt exaggerations. Jake caught my glance.
“I’ve got to start putting you with people you can’t talk into doing whatever you want.”
“Oh, please,” I replied. “Like Rachel and I without supervision wouldn’t be an unmitigated disaster.”
“More than what happened today?”
“You say that like we didn’t save your butt,” I countered.
He just looked at me for a long moment. “I can’t argue with that,” he finally replied.
I smiled. “Then sounds like it was another good day for Team Finesse.”