CASSIE
The next morning, we prepared for battle. Today was the day, as Toby put it, for victory.
Today was the day this war would end.
Since the Hork-Bajir told us that Toby planned to leave around nine, all of us Animorphs woke up at around five a.m.
Unfortunately, it was way too early.
We had mistook the message for "leave at nine". Toby meant for the message to say "awake by nine". Since we were already awake, we decided to train. We ran over the drills Jake taught us, and fought the free Hork-Bajir in our battle morphs.
We had to be ready.
Breakfast was unusually quiet since the normally chatty parents were silent today. They had heard of our mission just last night before sundown.
And they were not happy about it. At all.
As we were packed and ready to leave, our parents came to watch the takeoff. They and their warrior children exchanged hugs and tearful good-byes since there was no promise of returning.
Then, we left.
The five of us flew away, Marco to my right, Ax of my left. Rachel was right of Marco, and Tobias was ahead of all of us because, ultimately, he had the most air experience.
The Hork-Bajir leapt through the trees freely below, issuing strange battle cries as they did. You might not want to believe this, but it was a beautiful sight.
The sun was nearly centered in the sky. We were probably running late, but I didn't care. I didn't need to. Toby did that for us. It was the leader's job to worry, the leader's job to give direction.
Now I know how Jake felt.
About half an hour after take-off we touched down again. Marco, Rachel, and I demorphed while Ax and Tobias stood guard in front and the colony stood behind, waiting.
The building that the Yeerks used as an entrance was small and abandoned. I was doubtful it was even an entrance anymore. But I soon discovered I was wrong. There was a hole neatly carved in the center of the floor about 8 feet in diameter. As I peered down, I saw a spiral staircase leading, eventually, to the little place my friends call Hell.
We took it down. Everyone moved cautiously so as to make sure we didn't meet a controller halfway there.
Everything had to be perfect.
After what seemed to be an eternity, we reached the ground level. It was so dark that we couldn't see, but we figured it out from the screams. I looked to who I thought was Rachel. "She" looked back.
"Let's do it!" she whispered somewhat excitedly. Yep, definitely Rachel. We began to morph. Well, everyone except for Ax who decided, as always, to remain in his true form. Even Tobias, who usually stayed hawk, morphed Hork-Bajir.
Toby peered around the corner. She put her hand out and kept it steady. Then, after a few minutes, she stuck her thumb up. I bared my wolf fangs into a deranged smile.
Mission Revenge was a go.
We crept out of our little corner. Well, I wouldn't exactly say "crept". Our army totaled around 400 in all so it was more of a stampede. One, small Hork-Bajir let out a ferocious, but quiet, cry. Then another, and another until soon those cries turned into a loud, steady roar.
The controllers standing guard nearly pissed themselves when we rounded the corner. They turned on their heels and ran, screaming the whole way.
I laughed to myself. Wait till Visser One gets a load of this! I thought.
We rammed through a couple of doorways which brought us to the main room. The Super-dome, as Marco liked to call it, of Doom. As the final door was knocked down, my eyes observed what my mind had feared all along.
They had been expecting us.
Dracon fire went of almost immediately! There was absolutely no time to react. They hit us, some on high and some were on low, but the pain was still the same.
Our Hork-Bajir in the back leapt forward, slashing their wrist blades at enslaved brothers. And after the dracon fire had slowed, so did we. The five of us leapt into battle, ripping and tearing into the enemy's flesh.
I don't know how long that lasted. It only seemed like a few minutes before Marco cried out in frustration and pain. I looked over at the sound of his voice. He was lying in a pool of his own blood with Visser One standing directly over him.
No! Not again! I thought, immediately horrified.
I looked at the Visser when it occurred to me that the room had stopped fighting, and he looked back.
((Hello again Animorphs.)) He sneered. ((We meet again.)) I bared my teeth. I couldn't stand the sound of his voice.
It was the voice of a murder.
((Visser One.)) Ax snarled with the usual hint of anger/disgust. Visser One looked at him as though he were an insect that needed to immediately be squashed. Then he suddenly had a pleased expression on his face.
((Oh, Aximili, I think you will enjoy this.)) He laughed. ((May I introduce the newest addition to our army?)) I think every Animorph in that room stopped breathing. I know I did. The new addition stepped out of the shadows and the first thing I noticed was that he was human. The second, being that he was vaguely familiar, was that I most definitely knew him.
We all did.
And I also knew that he was supposed to be dead.
((Jake.))
A/N: cliffie!! what will happen next?? is it really jake or is she halucinating? what am i having for dinner? and why am I asking you this??
r&r!!!