A/N: I am astounded so many people like this fic. Because I love you all for being so nice (and I've been bored outta my mind), I decided to post the next chapter. Enjooooy :D

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Tobias and Shane walked around a little more, deciding to forgo the rides (Shane really didn't want Tobias to freak out again, even with the chance of meeting those girls again). Instead, they stopped by a food stand and bought drinks and a funnel cake.

"It's been a while since I've had anything sweet." Tobias commented, trying to keep the sugar off the edges of his mouth and failing. He wiped it with his hand, which just smeared it more, then tore another piece of fried dough off the mass on the plate Shane was holding.

"Yeah, no kidding." Shane replied, eyeing Tobias's almost unhealthily skinny figure. He could see that Tobias was attractive, though; any girl in their right mind would jump a man who could lick powdered sugar off his fingers like that. Hell, if Shane were a girl, he probably would too.

"Well, eat up. You look like you haven't eaten since the 1960's, dude. You're bad for my image." Tobias rolled his eyes and took a drink of his soda.

"And what image is that?" he asked sarcastically, ducking when Shane flung a powdery piece of funnel cake at his head. Shane looked at the teen in indignation, crossing his arms.

"You're so paying for that when we get home. I'm gonna beat your skinny ass up."

Tobias was about to reply when something behind Shane stopped him. He looked confused for a minute, then his eyes widened.

"Tobias? Is that you?" Shane turned and caught sight of a dark-skinned woman starting towards him, a frown on her face as she glanced at Shane. Tobias stood up a little straighter and forced a smile.

"Hello, ma'am. How are you?" he asked pleasantly. Shane shoved his hands into his pockets and tried his best not to look like a bad influence or a delinquent. He knew she thought he was bullying Tobias, and that was definitely the last thought he wanted people to have.

"Just thought I'd stop by and say hello. Who is your friend?"

Tobias glanced at Shane and cracked another fake smile.

"This is Shane, ma'am. He's a friend of mine from school. Shane, this is Cassie's mom. She's the head vet for the Gardens." Shane shook her hand firmly and flashed his most charming smile at her, though it only served to deepen her suspicion.

"Sorry, ma'am. Didn't mean to worry you. Tobias is staying at my house this weekend." he explained.

She wasn't convinced, and Tobias's horribly false smile wasn't helping; he was having trouble with human facial expressions still, and it looked like he was trying to hide something and failing. If Cassie's mother was anywhere near as perceptive as she was, there was no doubt in her mind something was going on.

She gave Shane a long look, almost a warning, before speaking again.

"Well, alright. You boys stay out of trouble. Oh, and Cassie was looking for you earlier, Tobias. Something about her science notes? You should call her when you get the chance." she gave them one last look and disappeared.

As soon as she was lost from sight, Tobias grabbed Shane's arm and dragged him back the way they came with a single-minded ferocity. It was such a sudden change Shane stumbled and almost fell.

"Whoa- what's up, Toby?"

Tobias didn't even glance back at him, despite the stupid nickname.

"I forgot about my and Cassie's project that we were going to work on today."

Something's wrong. They're in trouble.

Shane almost reeled back instinctively from the intruding thought-voice, but disguised it as taking a drink from his soda, almost choking on it at the half-running pace they were traveling at.

"Oh, okay. Well, let's go then." he said casually, unlocking the doors to his truck in record time.

"I've got to..." Tobias looked back at him and swore. He got in the truck grudgingly, unable to keep from fidgeting as Shane rocketed down the road, trying to remember the way to Cassie's house. Even though they made it in half the time it probably should have took, Tobias was still obviously pissed he had to babysit Shane and shot out of the truck before Shane had stopped it completely. Shane followed at his heels.

The barn was completely empty. Tobias cursed under his breath like a sailor.

Shane was the one who found the note, lying on top of a bale of hay where Marco had sat before.

Tobias - went to see Ax. See you there. It was almost unreadable, it was written so fast, and there was no signature. It didn't need to be, though; Tobias and Shane knew exactly where to go.

"Great. Another one." Tobias said, scowling, an uncharacteristic display of anger for the hawk boy. He whirled and gave Shane a look that could curdle milk.

"Stay here. If you leave…I'll know."

Morphed.

Gone.

Once Tobias was out of earshot, Shane raged, long and loud. In the end, he still wasn't trusted. They completely believed he had a slug in his head. No matter how hard he tried, how careful his words were, he wasn't accepted.

Damnit, damnit, DAMNIT.

Well, Shane certainly wasn't going to sit around like a good little boy.

Besides, it had been a while since he'd been hunting.

---

It took Tobias a total of thirty seconds to reach the battleground. Ax, Cassie, Marco, and Jake stood in a semicircle, battle morphs at the ready.

They were crowded around a middle-aged, graying man, a Dracon beam clasped tightly in one hand and pointed straight at Jake. His face was panicked. Tobias could see the stalemate; if the man shot, he would be killed by one of them, but Jake was willing to risk a life with the Controller at point-blank range. Their best bet was Tobias, who hadn't yet been seen by the Controller.

If Tobias were to fly silently, he'd have to fly above the safety of the forest. There was no way he could dodge trees and keep himself quiet, and if he made noise, the Controller would definitely hear it, and he wouldn't hesitate to shoot. So, he had to hope he could fly over without getting caught.

As quietly as he could, Tobias flapped into the sky and glided to the other side of the group, behind the man's head.

If the Controller had seen him, he gave no clue away: his eyes were still fixed on Jake, though Tobia could see the sweat glands on him pumping furiously. A slight flick of the tail; tuck the wings in tight. Eyes focused on the Dracon beam, on the elongated barrel that his talons could fit around so easily. Perfect silence; perfect focus. No way he could miss.

50 yards - 25 - now 50 feet, 40, 20, flare the wings at 10, claws reaching hungrily -

Caught! But the man wasn't letting go! Tobias was too close, and the man wouldn't let go of the gun!

He let out a long frustrated screech, flapping his wings to keep himself upright. The Controller winced and dropped the Dracon Beam, which went spinning to the ground.

Tobias couldn't turn to make another strike, but the tiger and the wolf were already leaping forward, the gorilla and the Andalite a step behind but no less deadly. He reached the gun - a potshot - now he was aimed straight at Cassie -

They all heard the shot, but no one stopped until the man was pinned against the ground, gun out of reach.

The Controller's eyes were wide, shocked. The grass behind his head was muddy brown, a little sticky.

He was dead. Killed by a bullet to the head. The wolf stood, her eyes fierce.

Cassie? Are you okay?

Yeah. I think. I'm not bleeding. She sounded confused; relieved, nervous.

Shane stepped out from behind a tree, small pistol still aimed at the Controller.

"Anyone hurt?" he asked calmly, not looking away until he could confirm the Controller's eyes wouldn't open again.

Tobias looked at him in shock.

---

Shane ignored their stares and knelt down to check the man's pulse. There was none. He sighed in relief, set the gun on the ground, stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. There was an awkward silence as Jake, Marco, and Cassie remorphed to human.

Tobias fixed an angry eye on Shane.

I told you to stay in the barn.

Shane scowled at him, anger seeping from his pores, though he kept his hands in his pockets to keep himself from looking threatening.

"No. You COMMANDED me to stay. Then you threatened me." he shot back icily. Tobias held his gaze for a moment, then looked away.

Cassie was looking at the man sadly, glancing at Shane every so often with the same look in her eye. Every one there knew it would eventually come to this - the Controller would have been killed, no matter whether he took Cassie down with him or not. They couldn't let them walk away.

Jake didn't glance at the dead man; his gaze stayed focused on Shane, no facial expression betraying him.

"You disobeyed a direct order." he said, his voice tired. Shane shook his head.

"I don't like being ordered around with no good reason to follow orders, Jake. I kept myself hidden, I didn't endanger you, and had any of you left for the barn and needed me for any reason, I would have known." he said, trying to keep the his out of his voice and failing.

Jake didn't move his gaze, but it wasn't challenging. Finally, it softened a bit, which let Shane know Jake understood. He couldn't argue with the truth. In response, Shane kicked the gun, which skittered to the brunet's feet and laid there innocently.

"I keep that in my glove box. I have a shotgun behind my seat, though it's not loaded. I have a pocket knife on my keys. You want it?

"I trust you guys. I mean, you're a bunch of freshman with animal morphing powers that could make you rich or famous, and you're saving the world instead of breaking into banks."

The Animorphs exchanged a knowing glance. Did one of the Animorphs really…? No, he had to be interpreting that wrong.

"The truth of the matter is, you're stuck with me. I'm sorry if you don't like me or want me, but unless you plan on letting me go my merry way, deal with it. Don't treat me like a little kid you can boss around when it suits you."

Shane looked to Tobias for the last sentence. Tobias looked straight at him, but his face was emotionless instead of challenging, and Shane knew he was sorry.

He looked at the body beside him, and was hit with a sudden wave of nausea. There was a dead man laying on the ground.

Someone was dead because of him. By him.

He knew that the kids in front of him were probably used to it, and they were two years younger at least. But when the adrenaline wore off… A sudden wave of bile hit him, and he choked it back long enough to run to the bushes out of the clearing.

They buried him in silence. All the bright elements of the day - the cheery sunlight filtering through the trees, the crisp greenness of the leaves, the excited chatter and sing-song of the birds - were suddenly somber and melancholy.

--

A/N: This'll probably be it for a while though - bit stuck on the next part and trying to force myself to write it.

A/N II: (Just an afterthought) Does anyone feel my paragraphs are too short, or is it just because FF's screen is so wide?