The Rescue
By Flex
Disclaimer (and stuff like that):
I am not responsible for the Animorphs, and anybody who thinks I am should have their head examined. I made up Joe, and a friend of mine made up Lee. If you read this and think "where the **** did Lee come from?" There is another story before this one. It was written by "EnglishChick". Look up "The Addition: part 1" for some inside info on Lee.Chapter 1 (Joe)
Okay, my name is Joe. I don't suppose I can really tell you much more about who I am and where I live. If I did I would probably die. Weird stuff has been going down lately, and you need to know about it. I'm not kidding around here either. We are under attack – from outer space.
Now you're telling me that I must have a screw loose somewhere. Aliens? Attacking earth? Well, sorry to pull you out of your happy fantasy world but it's happening. And if we can't stop it then you ought to wave your planet goodbye.
I'm still pretty confused myself, I mean I'm usually a sceptical type of guy. But… once you've seen what I've seen, you don't tend to be quite so sceptical. You aren't so likely to laugh about little green men anymore. And you definitely don't scoff the idea of outer space.
Trust me, the Yeerks are everywhere. The Yeerks are little, disgusting, slug-shaped balls of slime. Until they get into your head. Then they become one of the most sophisticated weapons in the galaxy. They completely control you, render you helpless. You walk around like you do every day and there's no one around to hear you scream. No one would ever notice you had changed.
We're no match for them. We, as in us mere humans. I guess the Andalites stand more of a chance. They do that because they have the morphing technology. Imagine if we had that technology. We would stand a chance. I know six guys who do. Six guys and an Andalite with the power to turn into any animal they can touch.
So I suppose that's got to be a rough ride at the end of the day, but I got onto that ride blindfolded. Literally.
I stood in the middle of the crowded corridor trying to work out my timetable. I was supposed to be in 16-C any minute now and I had no idea where I was going. Glancing around I chewed my bottom lip feverishly. I must have looked like some kind of lost soul when I felt a light tap on my shoulder.
"You new?"
Turning, I took in the girl who was standing behind me. At first I almost mistook her for a boy. She had short, brown hair that didn't even reach her shoulders. But it perfectly matched her face, a sort of 'no-nonsense' attitude was plastered all over it. She stood about my height; if she was shorter there wasn't much in it. I felt intimidated… or shadowed in a way. Her sharp, brown eyes seemed to be searching for something, I'm not sure how to explain it, something deeper. I shook it off. I was imagining things again.
"Yeah," I said, answering her original question. "Just got here today. You know where 16-C is?"
Turned out that was where the girl, Leanne, was headed. I ended up sitting next to her in my English class. Our teacher, Miss. Rix, paced the front of the classroom. Talking at about a mile a minute. I tried to take in what she was telling us, but most of it washed over me. Then she started talking about aliens. She stopped talking and peered around the classroom. She pointed at me, and pushed her glasses back up her nose. "You. Name?"
"Joseph."
"Joseph, if, for the sake of argument, you had to name an alien race, what would you name it?"
I paused for a minute. I mean, it's not like it's a question you get asked every day is it? Name a race of independent people. I said the first word that popped into my head.
"Yeerk."
She stopped and looked over the top of those glasses at me. I could have sworn Leanne went slightly rigid.
"Yeerk?"
I nodded. "Yes miss." Had I missed something? Was she quizzing me because she could tell I hadn't been listening?
"Spell it."
I inhaled deeply. Spell it? Oh well…
"Y. E. E. R. K. I guess."
She wrote it across the board in large letters and then continued about how one would describe these 'Yeerks'. In purple prose, of course.
"What's a Yeerk?" Hissed Leanne.
I shrugged discreetly. How was I going to know? But Leanne was persistent.
"What gave you that?"
I shrugged again. "I dunno. I made it up."
She must have sensed the tolerance in my voice since she didn't press the issue. Eventually, Miss. Rix stopped talking. Without any explanation and without giving us any work to do she left the room. "Does she usually leave without giving you guys any work?"
"Supply teacher."
I mouthed a silent 'Oh'. Leanne was acting awfully short and snappy all of a sudden. Weird. Within minutes, Miss Rix returned, and had someone with her.
I started asking Leanne who he was. She cut me off. "Vice Principle Chapman."
I mouthed another 'Oh'. Chapman looked at the board, which still had my made-up word written on it. He said something to Miss. Rix before turning and leaving. Slamming the door in his wake.
"Joseph. Mr. Chapman wants to see you after the bell. To say hello." I nodded.
Five minutes later the bell rung. I packed away my stuff and Leanne unexpectedly caught hold of my arm. "Be careful Joe."
I raised my eyebrows sceptically. Like I said, I'm generally a sceptical guy. "Of what?"
"Well… Chapman is… He's…"
A short, dark-haired guy suddenly caught hold of Leanne's shoulder, spinning her to face him. "Lee? Don't we have to be somewhere? Right now?"
"But Marco, he's…"
"Will you shut up?" He hissed in a lower voice. Like I couldn't hear him. He was standing right next to me. Then turning to me he said, "It's Joseph right?"
I nodded, "Joe. And you're Marco?"
"Class clown at heart." He smiled. Or rather, he tried to smile. It didn't work for him. Not in the mood he was in right then. "I'm sorry and everything, but Lee and I need to be somewhere. Catch you round?" He was already turning to go.
"Yeah. I guess I will."
I watched their backs for a while before realising I was hopelessly lost again.