Author's Note: Okay first let me just say that I have followed the Animorphs series and you may be a bit confused by the first part of this tale, but trust me this is just a big plot in this story o' mine.

Chapter 1:

Jason

My name is Jason. Personally, I really don't like giving out all my information to someone I just met; however the whole "comfort in strangers" thing is tempting me to tell you everything. But, until we get a little more acquainted you'll just have to take what I tell you. It's not that I don't like you or anything, but it's for my safety and possibly even yours. You see, I can only tell you limited things because I am in the midst of an unseen war.

Okay well maybe not invisible unseen, but unseen whereas not to many know about it. To keep it simple for you, something's happening. Something big and something hella frightening. The whole rundown of what's going on and how to stop it still wracks my brain, but what confuses me even more is why it is occurring. So, bear with me as I try to explain this…and please keep up because I really don't like repeating myself either.

It all happened while I was on my way to my mom's office downtown. My twin sister Egypt tagged along with me since we both came out of classes at our private school. Which by the way is the most boring and uptight high school any freshman could go to, filled to the brink with even more snobby kids and their egos. But our school is another story.

"Please tell me you have the vitamins for the horse in your bag." I asked as I watched my sister remove some braids from the front of her caramel-colored face.

"Don't fret Jase, I got it." She told me as she lifted the vitamins from her purse. I gave a sigh of relief as I put my eyes back to the pavement.

"You think old Hercules is gonna pull through this time?" Egypt asked as we began crossing the street. Mom's office was not too far now, just a block and a half away.

"Hopefully. That poor horse has been through a lot since mom rescued him from the ravine. I just want these vitamins to work." I said with as much concern I could muster. I really did care for the horse; I guess I've inherited my mom's love for them.

"Well if he doesn't, we can always send him to the smokehouse and voila! Sausages and eggs for everyone!" Egypt joked as she gave a light laugh. I just gave her that glare that would silence her. I mean really, here I am worried about the animal and here she is throwing out her sarcasm. I swear at times my sister is such an ass.

But in no time, we made it to mom's office and we quickly glided up the stairs of her rose colored building. Strangely enough, I also loved the mixed scent of animals and medicine that sprung together for a surprisingly pleasant aroma for me. My sister on the other hand just wrinkled her nose as she did every time we come up here.

Finally making it upstairs, we were greeted by the large sign on the door that read "Dr. Cassie Berensen" and we both entered my mom's office. There is a certain beauty about my mom when she's at work. Her whole aura of kindness and decency is easy to see and I always admired my mom for showing that. Looking up from her computer monitor, she smiled warmly at Egypt and me.

"Hey my darlings." My mom greeted. She rose up from her seat and went to hug my sister and I, then Egypt handed her the prescription of vitamins.

"Herc's pills, as you requested Ma dukes." Egypt said as mom examined the bottle.

"Thank you, honey. This'll definitely do Hercules some good." Mom said while she placed the pill bottle on her desk. "By the way, did you see your father? He was supposed to be here a half-hour ago."

Almost as if he was on cue, there was my father coming through the door clad in his gray business-suit and his silky blonde hair combed in that particular messy but clean way he always has it. Most people say Egypt and myself look like dad spat us out, albeit us being a bit darker than him…go figure. I suck at biology.

"And I would've been here sooner Cassie, but that damn midday traffic is no joke." Dad said as he smoothly as he could as mom's grin widened as he stepped closer to her. They embraced one another and dad kissed mom as he held onto her lab coat.

"Jake, Jake, Jake…what would I do without you? And you're keen sense of time might I add?" Mom said as she looked at my dad with the utmost passion; and vice versa.

"Okay, I really can't take all this mushy mom and dad! God, get a room." Egypt said as she sucked her teeth and moved the braids from her face. Dad just laughed and kissed Egypt on her forehead. That was always dad's little mechanism for getting a rise out of his daughter. We slapped fives of course.

"So, we cutting out or what?" Dad asked as he faced mom and us again.

"I'm ready to go…kids?" Mom questioned as she now glanced at us.

"I don't think I can head home just yet, I promised Ricky that I'd help him with his project. The fool needs me." I added in with a nice grin.

"And I wanna go with Jason, I could probably help him and Ricky out too. You know, lessen the load for 'em." Egypt said as she lied through her teeth. She knows the only reason she wants to go is so she can make-out with Ricky. Ugh, my sister and my best friend? Talk about stomach-churning.

"Oh, okay. Just be back before dark and be safe." Mom said as she begun to turn off the lights in her office.

"If Ricky's dad is around, tell Marco I said to pay up. That Super Bowl bet still hasn't been paid." Dad told us. Egypt just laughed.

"Please dad, you know Uncle Marco is not giving you any money, whatsoever." My sister told dad. It was true though, Ricky's dad has been a cheapo since I could remember.

Now we all left the office and were heading for the stairwell. As the four us traveled the hallway, my sister and I were talking with dad while mom found herself facing a lovely looking woman with shimmering blonde hair down to her back and wearing a leather coat. To be honest, I never saw my mom make a face the way she did when she saw the woman. Instantly, she dropped her binder and the horse's pills while she gasped. It was at this point my dad, Egypt and I turned our attention to mom.

"Rachel…?" I heard my mom silently ask as she kept focus on the young woman who had her stunned in her tracks. Next, my mom fell to the floor fainting as dad clutched her. My father must not have heard the name since mom said it so low, and the woman left for the stairs before dad could even make out who she was.

"Oh my God, mom!" Egypt cried out as she touched mom's hand.

"Hey wait a minute!" I yelled out as I headed for the stairs to follow the woman's path, but it came to no avail. Now I shake my head in regret when I remember this…because little did I know, we all had our first encounter with Visser Twelve.

-Xtreme Slayer