"Bookworm!" I called happily as I stepped into homeroom the next day and found my favorite blondy in a seat near the front, a book in hand as usual.
"Hey biker freak." He shot back good naturedly, sparing me a smile as I sat down next to him before turning back to his book.
"Aww, are you trying to tell me that...Neptune's orbit is more interesting than me?" I asked, pouting a little as I checked what type of book he had this time to find it was on astronomy.
"No, but the freezing cold water covering the bulk of the planet and the winds moving at speeds over a thousand kilometers an hour sure is." He responded teasing, his eyes still moving along the page. I still admired his ability to talk to me and without slowing down even slightly in reading.
"Ok, then I won't tell you about the horses." I huffed dramatically, crossing my arms and turning towards the front of the class, trying desperately to hold back my grin as the book flopped down and his head whipped around to me.
"Horses? What about horses? You aren't just making fun of those gossip queens with long faces are you?" He asked, a slight edge of excitement in his voice. So Cassie was right. What a surprise huh?
"Cassie asked me if you and I'd be interested in learning how to ride them." I answered, smiling as his eyes lit up with as much hope and excitement as when he realised that I wanted to be his friend. "She had good reason to believe we'd both jump at it."
"How did she know I would?" Ben asked, a little confusion appearing in his voice, but no less excited.
"Some about you looking love struck at the horses on a fieldtrip." I shrugged, beaming at his face. "So what do you say, do I tell her yes?"
"YEAH!" He practically screamed, only to blush and duck his head embarrassedly as our classmates turned to him. "It sounds great." He added softly, refusing to look up from his desk.
"Then are you two free this afternoon?" I hadn't even noticed that Cassie had arrived. She sat down at the free seat next to me. "We just got a second horse a few days ago who'd love a rider. Unless you have plans already."
"I'm free." Ben answered quickly, as if worried Cassie was going to change her mind. "I can just tell Brad to go home without me."
"So am I, but don't you have things to do today Cassie?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You guys seemed to have a pretty busy schedule in the barn last time I checked."
"The big guy gave me the day off." Cassie replied casually. I grinned at that. Ben and anyone else would think we were talking about the clinic and her dad. "And who knows what will happen over the weekend, so why not start today?"
"Awesome." I said happily, right before the teacher came in and basically told us to shut up.
...
The day went pretty fast after that. The only mishap was during gym when Ben stumbled and fell over a hockey stick placed in his way by Mike, the school's head jerk. The teacher didn't see it, but he didn't notice when I 'accidently' slammed mine down on Mike's foot either. All I got in return was a ticked off glare while I helped an embarrassed Ben to his feet and told our laughing classmates to take a hike.
Any moodiness Ben got from the situation had long gone by the time we reached the farm with Cassie. Now he was staring in awe as she brought two horses into a paddock, a brown mare and a grey stallion.
"Meet Gaia and Pepper. Don't worry, they're both very gentle, perfect for first time riders." Cassie smiled, handing us each a helmet. "Come on in and say hello."
We didn't need to be told twice. Ben was already patting the mare's head before I'd even hopped the fence. Holding back, I took a moment to watch them. I'd never seen Ben look happier as he stroked Gaia's side, running his hand through her mane. He looked like Christmas came early for him. Between the horses, Cassie was beaming at him too. I sent her a very thankful look as she turned to me, appreciating her effort to help Ben more than myself.
Walking up to Pepper, I copied Ben's actions and slowly raised my hand, only to laugh as Pepper dropped head eagerly into it. His soft, warm fur felt wonderful under my fingers. Not that they could stay there long. The next thing I knew, Pepper's head was brushing mine, his breath tickling my ear.
"I think he likes me." I laughed along with the others, placing both of my hands into his mane. It felt even softer than his fur, silky even. I was liking this. I'd always liked horses. They're considered majestic animals. Fast, strong and loyal. I never had quite the same fascination with them that Ben so obviously has, but I did want one when I was younger. My family just couldn't afford one.
Now however... A thought crossed my mind, looking through the corner of my eye, I saw that Ben was focusing on the mare again, watching intently as Cassie showed him how to strap on a saddle. He'd never notice Pepper lagging for a few seconds. Grinning, I placed a hand on Pepper's neck and did something I hadn't done in almost a year; I closed my eyes and focused on acquiring its DNA.
As expected, Pepper calmed right down, entranced, as the almost forgotten sensation crossed my hand. Nothing unpleasant, just a warm, tangling feeling where my flesh met Pepper's as he became a part of me. Opening my eyes, I smiled as I let my hand fall away and grabbed the saddle waiting for Pepper on the fence just Cassie instructed Ben on getting on Gaia.
"You ready?" Cassie asked, turning to me and taking the saddle as I nodded. "It's pretty easy. You hold up the saddle so it doesn't hit the horse and place it down gently. If drop all the weight on him at once, you'll spook him. and make sure when you do put it on the horse, have it touch down a little further up than you need it and slowly slide it back." She said as she demonstrated. She then went on to slowly and gently tighten the girth, making sure that it was just tight enough to secure the saddle, not cause any grief for Pepper. Finally, we pulled down the stirrups and had Pepper step forward to make sure it was secure and wrinkle free before gently putting on the reins.
"Ok. Now to mount the horse, follow three basic steps." Cassie started, grabbing hold of the left stirrup. "Place your left foot in here, push up on it and swing your right leg over behind you. Without kicking Pepper or he may start running." She added amusedly. Her attitude towards the idea didn't stop me from gulping though as I positioned myself beside the stallion.
"You should have paid attention to me when I did it." Ben grinned, adjusting himself as Gaia shifted her weight. "Come on, if I can do it, you can Warren."
"Great, he gets cocky just in time to rip into me." I retorted dryly before grinning at him and putting my foot into the stirrup. Grabbing onto the saddle's center handle, I pushed up as hard as I could and swung my leg over, skimming the saddle in the process and almost losing my balance. Fortunately, Ben managed to grab my free hand and stabilise me. "Thanks." I muttered appreciatively.
"No problem." Ben grinned as I sat down properly.
"Good. Despite that last little mishap, there's been no problems so far." Cassie stated as she moved between the horses. "Now tighten your knees around the horse. It's them that you use to stay mounted."
"What about the reins?" I asked, but doing what she said anyway.
"They're only used to help direct the horse." She answered patiently. I got the feeling that that was a frequently asked question. "We'll just do a couple of basics today and let you get used to keeping your balance while the horses are walking. What you need to do is give them a VERY light tap with both feet. Be careful with how much pressure you use. The harder the kick the faster you're telling the horse to move."
Keeping both the reins and the saddle handle for extra security, I followed her advice and gave Pepper a feather light tap with my feet.
"Whoa!" He immediately responded and started walking, throwing off my balance with the resulting rocking motion. I had to tighten my knees around him and my hands around the handle again so as to keep from falling off. Beside me, Ben had fared even worse. Biting his lip nervously, he hunch over a little and grabbed at the front edge of his saddle with both hands in an attempt to stay up.
"Guys, you have to keep yourselves up straight." Cassie called, picking up her pace so as to walk beside us. "Keep your backs straight and you'll find it a lot easier to stay stable."
"You're the expert." Ben muttered, scrunching up his face. Hesitantly, he slowly pulled himself back up, letting go of the saddle with his left hand before slowly moving the right back to the top of the saddle handle. A few steps later, his nerves decreased and a small grin grew on his face again. "Wow, this is easier."
Not as bent over as Ben had been, I slowly, carefully raised my back straight, changing my grip on the handle as I went. The change was noticeable instantly. I could still feel the rocking, but I was remaining fairly steady. Not so much that I was completely comfortable, but enough so that I didn't feel like I'd tumble off. Relaxing a little, I let out a relieved sigh.
"That's good guys. Just keep your bodies like that." Cassie coached, watching us proudly. "Now you're coming up to the end of the paddock, so you'll have to direct the horses. To do that, lean your body a little in the direction you want to go, in this case right, and gently pull the reins the same way."
"Oh boy." I muttered, butterflies starting to grow in my stomach. I might feel stable enough walking in a straight line, but if I leaned over at all, I was likely to fall off.
Ben however, seemed more confident. He almost casually leaned over and tugged the reins from the right. Gaia responded instantly, making a clean turn, much to Ben's happiness. Glancing at his face, it was easy to note pride he felt for his success.
Trying to duplicate what he'd done however, proved difficult for me. I tried leaning some of my weight over to the right, but at that moment, the wobbling sensation occurred in the same direction and I nearly lost my balance again. Not feeling up to it, I just tugged gently on the reins with my right hand and sighed as Pepper turned, though not nearly as cleanly as Gaia had.
"A good first try Warren." Cassie called encouragingly, offering her usual smile before turning to Ben. "But Ben, you seem to be a natural. Have you done this before?"
"Nope." Ben replied proudly, shaking his head. "I rode on a pony a carnival a couple of times, but someone else did all the work. I just sat there and petted it while we moved."
"Great, we found a physical activity Ben has potential for. If only horseback riding was in the curriculum for gym." I responded cheerfully.
"Yeah well, it'll still be something I can use to impress Mom, Dad and my brothers." Ben said with a shrug. "Now what do you say we get back to practicing?" He added, trying his hand at changing direction again, succeeding as well as last time. Chuckling, I tapped Pepper's sides to get him moving again, slightly faster than before, but still slow enough that Cassie could easily catch up with a jog. I wasn't going to let Ben get too far ahead of me with this, even if I was ecstatic for his enjoyment and quick progress.
...
An hour later, the rocking motion didn't really bother either of us anymore. Ben had Gaia walking in complex patterns, quickly mastering direction, and had the mare moving in her equivalent of a light jog. I wasn't faring quite as well, still having Pepper make sort of sluggish turns, but it was ok. Pepper didn't seem to mind too much and I'd shut my competitive side up by then, at least for now. I was just happy getting the hang of it and seeing that proud, thrilled look on his face.
All good things must come to an end though. The signal for ours was a raptor's screech. Looking up as I heard it, I saw a red tailed hawk swoop into the barn through the rafters.
"Hey Cassie, w-I've got news." Rachel called. Turning, we found her running up the driveway.
"Why is she wearing a leotard?" Ben asked, frowning at his fellow blond as she approached.
"She does do gymnastics you know. That's what they wear." Cassie shrugged as casually as she could. Rachel and Tobias must have been the ones watching Aria and their sudden appearance could only mean trouble.
"Yeah, but they usually at least come go from the gym with shoes." Ben persisted as he turned Gaia around to face us. I had to hold back a groan at that. I should have known something like this would happen. In this private area and Tobias in the rafters watching everything, the group had gotten pretty relaxed and careless around here. But Ben is quite observant. He'd notice the unusual tidbits the second they'd appear. "And even I know that Rachel has a thing for fashion. Since when would she of all people walk the streets dressed like that?"
"Who knows. It's Rachel." I said uncaringly. "One minute she looks like she'll be our year's Prom Queen, the next she's snapping the fingers of whoever's flirting with her."
"That...pretty much sums it up." Cassie commented amusedly just as Rachel reached us.
"Hey. I'm not interrupting anything am I?" She asked, glancing at each of us, her gaze lasting a little longer on Ben before turning back to Cassie. "The loving cousin gave us something really good to go with, with the condition that we keep it quiet. But I can talk to you in half an hour if that's better for you."
What I got out of that was something was up, it's important, but not at life or death just yet.
"I should be heading home anyway." Ben muttered, drawing my attention as he hopped off his horse. That confidence he'd had was definitely gone now and his happiness was replaced with disappointment. He really didn't want to stop yet, but it was clear that he was uncomfortable around popular girl Rachel. I'd say that he felt that he didn't have a chance competing for anyone's attention with her, so he was just backing down.
"Ok, if you're sure. But feel free to come back on Sunday." Cassie offered with a friendly grin. "Unless something unexpected happens, I should be here all morning. I'd be happy to pick this back up."
"Ok. Thank you Cassie." Ben said politely as Cassie took the reins from him. "I'll see you tomorrow Warren." He smiled as he turned to me.
"You don't wanna hang out with me anymore today." I asked, pouting playfully as I hopped off Pepper, pleasing myself when I didn't kick the saddle again.
"I'd love to, but I really should be going home now anyway." He replied, his eyes widening slightly as he checked his watch and saw the time. "Mom will start panicking if I'm not home soon."
"Oh, ok. Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I shrugged, a little disappointed. I kinda surprised myself at that moment. I now knew that I could morph and help again, but if Ben had asked me to come with him, I would have blown the meeting off in a heartbeat.
I wonder if I really did make the right decision for myself. I thought, before shaking my head clear of it. There was no point wondering about what I could no longer change. Handing the reins over to Cassie, I followed out to the street and waved goodbye, making it look like I was leaving too only to head back in as he just caught a bus and drove away. By the time I'd gotten back, Jake, Marco and Ax were already in the barn with Tobias and the girls, each looking like a different, horrific mix of creatures.
"Didn't you guys ever manage to make that look even slightly ok?" I asked, forcing back the barf I felt rising in my throat.
"Nope. You'll have to toughen up princess, insect morphs are a lot more disgusting." Marco replied, having already regained his human head. "Of course, we're usually already at a mission site before we use those, so you may not ever be unfortunate enough to see it."
"Marco!" Cassie snapped, giving him a warning look. I guess she was worried about my feelings. For good reason too, if he'd said something like that the other day it would not have gone down well.
"What, I meant it as a good thing." Marco cried defensively, though he still spared me an apologetic look. "He'll never have to bear witness to the world's most disgusting morphs."
"Actually, I still might." I responded, grinning brightly as the others, bar Ax, stared at me, confusion etched on most faces. "I had a little talk to the Ellimist."
/The Ellimist approached you?/ Tobias cried as everyone's looks turned shocked. Even Ax was staring incredulously, before his gaze turned wary. /What did he say?/
"He told me that he was the reason I stayed back riding long enough to meet Elfangor. That he did it because something changed history elsewhere and would cause major impacts here that you guys can't handle alone. He told me that I had to go away so that I would think and act differently to you, which would allow me to do my part, including saving David. He told me that my heart condition is reset every time I morph, so I don't need the defibrillator and that the machine's battery died a long time ago. The doctor, nor anyone else, isn't going to think about it at all, so I don't have to worry about it exposing me. And I can morph without it causing a problem, like appearing in me arm when I change back as long as what I'm morphing is a decent size and has at least the basic mammal torso structure." I answered, counting everything off on my hands as their faces turned gobsmacked like Marco's or beamed like Cassie's. "Then he gave me a choice. I could stay involved and do my part for his plan or he would erase my memory and keep you guys clear of me so I could live a normal life. I chose to help fight whenever I can and do whatever else he feels I can do to create a future where we win."
/What makes you so special?/ Ax asked moodily, turning his face away from me again. /Why can't we do this without you?/
"I'm no more special than anyone else here." I answered dully, not bothering to get into a fight. "The Ellimist made it clear when I asked the same thing. We all have traits that are very important to the group and in creating the future worth fighting for. We'd fail just as easily without you or anyone else. I'm only as important as the rest of you, but it's in my own way."
"So the defibrillator won't stop you from fighting anymore?" Rachel asked, wanting confirmation.
"Exactly. The only way it'll be a problem in say, hyena or German Sheppard morph is if something pierces my chest and smashes it. But if they do that, I'll most likely be dead without its help anyway."
"But you can't go small." Marco stated, shaking his head. "No bugs, no birds, even that ferret morph of yours would be too small. You're going to have a lot of difficulty keeping up with us and there will be plenty of missions that you won't be able to join at all with that little handicap."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." I shrugged. I'd already figured that out on my own.
"Couldn't the Ellimist just take the stupid piece of metal out of you?" Rachel asked irritably. She wanted another warrior as strong as them, not one that couldn't use the full extent of our power.
"No, he said it went against the rules he lives by or whatever." I shook my head. "But I don't think he would have even if he could have. I got the feeling that he wanted me to be held back a bit, like it served a purpose. He was very clear that I was different from you and had to have a different mindset to do my part. If I become too much like you guys, it defies the point of me joining you in the first place."
"Sounds like something he'd do." Rachel muttered angrily, her eyes flickering to Tobias before back to the group.
/Then do you want to help us tonight?/ Tobias asked, sounding a little distracted.
"Yeah, what's going on? Did you find out something about Aria?" I asked, growing worried.
"She got a call and ended up at one of those wildlife safaris on the outskirts of town that should be shut down for animal cruelty. The owner was claiming to have what he called a freak." Rachel started, her face growing darker by the second. "In amongst the animals in cages designed for creatures a tenth of their size was Bek."
"The young Hork-Bajir?" I asked, tensing. "He's in the public eye?"
/Yep. And Aria suggested calling him and alien instead of a freak. Right before telling him that he should get the animals bigger cages./ Tobias answered, his voice turning more thoughtful with the mention of Aria before shaking himself out of it. /Which is a nicer name, but the Yeerks will be led right to him, especially after tonight when he shows Bek off to a huge crowd./
"Then we have to get him out now." Jake stated, revert into leader mode. "Tonight. We go in, we startle everyone, grab Bek and get out, quick and clean."
"How about we wreck the whole place?" Rachel growled, clenching her fists at her side. "It's inhuman how this creep's treating the animals. I swear, once we get there even Cassie will want to rip this guy's throat out."
"No Rachel. Don't do any unnecessary damage." Jake responded, shaking his head. "We fight the Yeerks, not the slime balls of our own kind. Leave them to the cops."
"That being said, things can get confusing once you've caused a little chaos." I commented, giving Rachel a sly grin as she looked away from Jake with annoyance. "Who know what could happen once everything's started?"
"Don't encourage her." Marco groaned, throwing his head back as Rachel grinned back at me. "I don't want a roof caving in on my head."
"Be good you two." Jake admonished, staring at each of us firmly. I just smiled innocently in response while Rachel gave him an uncommitted shrug, leaving Jake sighing and rubbing his head. "Ok, here's the plan."
...
"What kind of heroes take the bus?" I muttered irritably as I jumped off the aforementioned vehicle. I was scratching at my arms and chest repeated as the rough fabric of the old shirt Cassie had given me. I didn't want to destroy another pair of clothes, Mom was annoyed with the disappearance of the last set, and I haven't even got any spandex to try morphing with yet, so Cassie dug out a flannel shirt and an old pair of suspenders that her dad was ditching for me to change into. They looked ragged and felt really uncomfortable, but in about twenty minutes they'd be nothing more than a pile of scrap, so I'd deal.
The plan was pretty simple. Rachel would go elephant and cause a panic while Tobias would morph a Hork-Bajir Bek recognised and lead him away. Jake and the others were inside and would knock out the lights to help in the confusion and prepare for any controllers hidden in the crowd. When they were out, I'd escort Tobias and Bek back towards the Hork-Bajir Valley as a hyena while the others pulled out and caught up later as birds. My part was small, but it was a start and I was just as likely to find combat as anyone else. Who knew how many controllers were being brought in to capture Bek? They weren't going to mess around once they got wind of this, that was for sure.
Not being able to fly like the others, I'd only stayed at Cassie's place long enough to get a Chee to take my place at home until I could get back before catching the bus and ignoring all the looks my clothes got me. The others were waiting until after dark, showing up when the crowd would be let in, but seeing that was about to happen in about two minutes, I wouldn't have to wait long. Sure enough, I turned at the sound of rustling bushes a few seconds later to find Jake, Marco, Cassie and a human Ax stepping out onto the side of the road next to me.
"About time you got here." Marco smirked, stretching his arms. "We've been waiting a good five minutes. You really are slow, you know that?"
"You try getting anywhere quickly with public transportation." I grumbled, pulling at my shirt again. "I seriously got around faster when I was a dog."
"Enough bickering you two." Jake called, biting his lip as he stared across the road. The doors had just opened and everyone was piling in. Their excitement had increased too, I could hear their chatter from the bus stop. "It's show time."
Nodding, Cassie, Ax and Marco followed him right into the crowd. Once inside, Ax and Marco would hide and morph gorilla and rattlesnake. If the Yeerks were there, they'd deal with them. If they weren't they'd just help with the distraction. Meanwhile, Cassie and Jake would take out the lights and egg people into running away when the crazy elephant appeared.
Staying human, I crept back into the bush and waited, trying to hold back the my growing nerves. There was no guarantee that the Yeerks would be here now, but it was a distinct possibility. On top of that, this was only my third mission and before I'd had a Dracon beam in my hand or the hyena's mind to fall back on. Plus I knew where the controllers were both times before, while this time I was completely in the dark. I really wanted to morph, to have a confident mind to draw on and the enhanced senses to help find anything sneaking around me, but I had to stay human for now. It's less suspicious if a controller finds me as a human than finding an African predator and we didn't know how long I'd have to stay in morph after we got Bek. I had to hold back the morph until the panic began and all the attention was on the building.
It didn't take long though. Within a few seconds of the lights shutting down, what sounded like a wrecking ball crashing through a brick wall boomed in my ears, forcing me to cover them as painfully as multiple screams and bangs simultaneously followed.
/Rouge elephant! Crazy elephant on the loose! Look out, it's Dumbozilla!/ I snorted at that. Leave it to Rachel to bring out the amusement in a crazy situation. I guessed that was my cue. Closing my eyes, I let a small smile cross my face as I pictured the hyena.
However, just as a tail sprouted out of my tailbone, a loud rustling came from all around me. instantly stopping the morph, I ducked down and made myself as small as possible as twenty people in camouflage clothes and Dracon beams on their hips burst from the bushes a little off to my right, heading straight for the safari.
"Move fast, we can't let the pipsqueak escape." One of them shouted, probably the leader. "It sounds like we have Andelite filth in the area. Anything less than success and Visser Three will be very...displeased."
My heart beating erratically, I shifted my head up just enough to watch as the men and women charged, raising their weapons. This was going to get really big really fast.
At least the innocents are getting away. I thought, taking deep breaths to try and calm down. Listening intently to the bushes around me, I held still just long enough to ensure that no one else was moving around them before focusing on my morph again. With the small army just heading in, they may need me to be a little more than an escort.
/Guys, Visser Three is here!/ I froze again at that, suddenly more terrified than I'd ever been before. I could feel the colour draining from my skin as images of the large mouthed creature that ate Elfangor and the eight headed monster from the Yeerk Pool flashed in my head. No doubt Visser Three would morph something just as strong as those and none of us would stand a chance. Even the Elephant's enormous height was dwarfed by those things. Jake's tiger morph did pretty much nothing to the Visser that night at the pool and the Siberian tiger outshined the hyena in everything, speed, power, you name it bar brains.
/Guys, I need help!/ Tobias shouted again. This time there was a noticeable amount of pain in his voice. He'd been hurt. Like getting to me with a child in his arms and Visser Three in front of him wasn't near impossible before. /Visser Three's morphing and I can't around him./
/The rest of us have our hands full./ Jake responded distractedly as a roar came from the building. /There's no way we'll get to you any time soon./
/I can, but I doubt I will be of much help in this minuscule form./ Ax stated, surprising me a little. I didn't think he'd bother opening up to me if I wasn't in the battle. Maybe he was doing it because Jake would want him to.
Or maybe it was because he wanted to get a point across to me without talking to me. They could only provide possibly useless backup to Tobias right now. If anyone was going to help him, it would have to be me.
"But the hyena's too much like the wolf or tiger. Visser Three would know how to handle morphs like that by now, even if he did fight at our size." I muttered desperately, throwing my furry hands into my hair. "They use the toughest animals around, both with bipedal and quadruped forms. But if Visser Three's used to seeing them, then to face him I'd need something not only tough, it also has to fight in a completely different way from their morphs. I can't think of a single creature in the world that has both qualities and even if I could, it's not like I would have it in my very small list of..."
My eyes snapped wide open at that. I did have a morph like that. Taking a deep breath, I forced down my fear and reversed my morph. Feeling some of the colour return to my skin, I let out a small chuckle. If Visser Three likes big creatures so much, let's see how he felt about the tallest land creature Earth had to offer. Closing my eyes once again, I stepped further into the tree line so no one would see me and focused on a DNA strand that I'd never used before.
It was the strangest morph I'd ever done. My legs shot straight up, the bones extending so far that for a second I thought they'd crack. My arms quickly followed suit, restoring the balance I'd lost. My neck lengthened and I almost thought my head was falling off when it lengthened. My clothes ripped and shredded as I grew, falling away to reveal my skin as it turned leathery and spotted. I liked that, it looked cool.
And man, did my senses get a jolt. It was like I could even smell colours of all things. I smelt green and leaves came to mind. the animal mind noticed it instantly and wanted to go eat, but I reined it in and ran toward my next battlefield. The one that would bear witness to the debut of the giraffe morph.
You might not think much of a giraffe when it comes to battle situations. I definitely never used to. Despite their size, giraffes just don't look like fighters and are pretty peaceful creatures. But looks can be deceiving. When pushed, the giraffe knows perfectly well how to fight and its dainty legs can pack enough force to decapitate a full grown lion.
Leaping over the fence was easy. If it was just slightly lower I could have just walked over it. Running around the alligator pond, I quickly found Tobias, a young Hork-Bajir and Visser Three.
/You cannot win this battle rebel./ Visser Three snapped angrily, turning to face Tobias. I almost stopped to gawk at his form. It was much smaller than I was expecting. It had a head shaped like a sea horse's, amphibian looking body, wings coming from just below the head and eight legs. Or rather, it was supposed to. Judging from the leg lying lifelessly on the ground and the stump Visser Three was sporting, Tobias had been busy. And judging from the hissing and dissolving trees behind Tobias, so had the Visser.
Acid! I realised, panicking a little at the thought. Whatever else I did, I had to stop that problem on the first attack. But where did it come from?
I got my answer a second later as Visser Three released an inky substance from his cylindrical mouth right at Tobias and Bek.
"NO!" Tobias shouted as Bek stared on in horror. Not having enough time to move them both aside, Tobias did the only thing he could and shielded Bek, taking the inky liquid right on the back. "AAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!" His whole body shook in agony as the ink started destroying his back and he took off, drunk on pain and headed into the water.
/Grab the offspring. I'll handle the rebel./ Visser Three commanded as two Hork-Bajir rushed by. They must have come with the Visser.
"Yes Vis- BIG CREATURE!" One cried, cutting himself off and panicking as he noticed me, looking my up and down.
/Yeah. Big creature./ I responded cockily, not able to help myself as the other Hork-Bajir and Visser Three turned and looked up. Not wasting any time, I raised and kicked with my front left foot, aiming right for the significantly smaller Visser's head. Unprepared, he was completely defenseless as I struck his hose of a mouth.
/AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!/ He screamed, pulling back from me as my foot left his body. /CURSE YOU ANDELITE!/ He roared, his voice filled with as much pain as anger. Not surprising though, his mouth was so broken that the top was now pressed against the bottom, making it impossible to release his acidic projectiles. And I'll bet it hurt a lot too.
Not giving him a chance to recover, I threw both of my front legs up and kicked down, slamming both him and a Hork-Bajir into the ground, feeling bones break under both of my legs as I did.
/AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH! KILL THE TALLEST ANDELITE!/ Visser Three screeched for all to hear. Immediately, found myself surrounded by controllers, a few Hork-Bajir, but mostly humans. All of them had Dracon beams in hand. There was no way I could fight them all at once.
If only there was a way to distract them. I thought as I jumped, just dodging the first wave of laser fire. Hey, that could do it. I thought as I landed next to the building of Frank's Safari. Its structure was severely damaged by Rachel's not so subtle entrance, leaving large chunks ready to fall all over the place.
Grinning as best I could with a giraffe's face, I swung my powerful neck into the building as hard as I could, sending roof tiles flying right at the controllers.
"AAAAHHH!"
"ARGH!" The controllers fled as for their lives as the tile poured from the sky, striking many of them hard in the back or head and knocking many more to the ground. I felt really guilty as I watched. I hadn't meant to kill anyone, but it was clear as day that some of those controllers were never getting up again.
/It never felt this bad as a predator./ I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. But I had to shake it off and leap out of the way as more controllers came my way.
Leaping over the first wave, I kicked back with my hind leg sent a couple of camo-clad controllers careening into the wall, knocking them out, before dodging to my right to avoid a Hork-Bajir's slash. Spreading my front legs so I could get down low, I swung my neck as hard as I could from one side to the other, knocking another four controllers into the air, and jumped back to my usual stance just in time to bat an approaching Hork-Bajir in the back of the head with my foot.
/Strange, Visser Pain In The Butt's been quiet for a while./ Marco commented as a wolf howl came from inside the building, reminding me of the fight still going on in there. /That's not like him./
/He is trying not to draw attention to himself while he demorphs./ Ax stated. /His form took severe damage from a very tall creature and has made it useless./
That got my attention. For two reasons, the first being that I had to make sure I didn't step on Ax and the other being that Visser Three could not be allowed to re-enter the fight. Running as fast as I could, dodging left and right as the controllers fired Dracon beams my way and kicking them with my back legs whenever I could, I aimed straight for him.
/Ax, if you're between me and Visser Three, I suggest moving./ I called as I made it within five feet of the Yeerk leader. Visser Three's just returning stalk eyes widen fearfully as I reach him.
/You won't have me Andelite!/ He shouted, desperation clear in his voice as he released his ink from his receding, badly damaged mouth. It did nothing but hit the ground beneath him, but that was the Visser's plan. If I stepped up to him, the acid would attack my foot.
Unperturbed, I leaped right over it and him. Chuckling in my head, I raised my back right leg and kicked back as hard as I could.
/AARRGGHH! You'll pay for THIS!/ Turning neck around, I couldn't help laughing as I watched him go. He bounced along the alligator pond like a skipping stone for crying out loud! Unfortunately, he landed on dry land, but the alligators still seemed interested enough in him to keep him in mortal peril while I moved on to my next opponent.
"Got ya- ARRGH!" Turning my head, I gasped as I found a controller just outside my kicking range. However, the Dracon he'd aimed at me fell to the ground instantly as a rattlesnake sunk its teeth into his leg. Not wasting a second, I stepped forward and lightly batted his head. Well, it was enough force to knock him out, but you get the idea.
/Thanks Ax./ I muttered, turning away from the controller before my guilt grew too strong. Ax had saved my life, but it had been exchanged for another's.
/I will not let my team mates die./ He answered shortly. I just took that as a you're welcome.
/What are you guys doing?/ Rachel shouted, ploughing through another part of the wall. it looked almost absentminded as she wrapped her trunk around a running controller and tossed him into his buddies, none of which were getting up anytime soon.
/I lost Bek./ Tobias shouted, panicky and dripping as he got clear of the water.
/Forget him./ Rachel snapped harshly, surprising me with the attitude. /I caught a glimpse of him in a controller's hands. He's already gone, besides, can't you hear the wailing sirens coming this way? The Yeerks are already pulling out and we need to too./
/There's nothing more we can do here Tobias./ I said softly, walking to him and lowering my head. /Hop on. You're too wounded to move fast on your own./
/Thanks Warren./ Tobias mumbled, stumbling as he slowly swung his leg over me, trying not to cut me with all those sharp blades. As soon as he was on, I slowly raised my head again, causing him to slowly slide back to my torso as Rachel picked up Ax with her trunk. Not saying anything, he headed over and through the fence and ran deep into the tree line just before the first police cars turned the corner.
No one said anything as we met up with the others. The others all just demorphed and morphed birds before heading home. It didn't take long before it was just Tobias and me.
/Rachel and Cassie are out of sight. You can demorph now./ Tobias muttered, his voice filled with sadness guilt as he turned his head away from me, giving me some privacy.
/It wasn't your fault Tobias./ I said as firmly as I could as I started shrinking. /None of us thought Visser Three would show up. You couldn't possibly handle him and his minions on your own./
/You did. With a gentle giraffe of all morphs./ He sighed. /When did you acquire that anyway?/
/About two minutes before acquiring the hyena./ I replied, sighing happily as my neck returned to its normal size. I liked being a giraffe and the long neck was cool, but it felt weird midmorph, like my head was barely staying attached. /Visser Three had morphed to fight a Hork-Bajir, he was completely unprepared for a giraffe. That's why I did so well./
/All the Controllers were. You fought very differently from how we do it./ Tobias commented, sound both impressed and sad at the same time. /You took down a lot of them. But we still couldn't save Bek./
"We'll get another chance Tobias." I said as confidently as I could as my vocal cords returned to normal, leaving me almost completely human. All I had left was the spots covering my bare skin. "They know the free Hork-Bajir and us want him back home safely. They'll try using him to get to us."
/A trap./ Tobias muttered. /And I think Toby knows where they'll set it. The Yeerks' construction site they keep attacking./
"Most likely" I nodded, finally fully human. However, I wasn't staying that way for long. It was a long walk back to Cassie's barn and I wasn't walking the streets naked. I sighed in relief as warm fur started sprouting from my entire body as soon as I focused on the fourth creature I'd ever acquired. The K9 German shepherd.
/We'll bring it up with the others tomorrow. Do you need help getting back to Cassie's place?/
/I can find it, but it would be good to have a heads up about any dog catchers./ I replied lightly, pointing my fully formed pouty dog eyes right up at him.
/No need for a puppy dog pout./ He chuckled, just what I was hoping for. /Let's go. Oh, and Warren?/
/Yeah Tobias?/ I asked as I took off, wagging my tail happily at the wind whipped through my fur as I ran.
/Thanks for helping me. I'd probably be dead if you didn't show up./ He said thankfully, flying after me.
/Not a problem./ I responded giddily. The dog mind was getting to me a little.
So my first battle back on the team didn't go so well. But we all came out of it alive, gave plenty of controllers a good beating and ruined Frank's inhuman Safari. I could make do with that. After all, we haven't lost this battle yet, round two was just around the corner. I just knew it.
