Okay, this is a little jumpy. DAVID HAS ARRIVED!!!!

"Got it, so all I have to do is get David here, and everything will go as planned?" Erek asked.

"You can't do that." Alex shook his head. "You're programmed not to do violence. David will succomb to some violence."

"You're going to need us." Kat said.

"Are you kidding?!" Audrey exclaimed. "We can't take down David! He can morph!"

"I can do it." Carman said. Her expression was detirmined and strong, she sat straight. "I have a way, but you guys have to trust me on this."

"Nothing that would get you hurt?" Josh asked.

"I'm going to be fighting David, there's a chance." Carman said, Josh thought for a minute.

"All right, someone's got to get David's attention, get him in a place that's large enough Carman won't be slammed into walls, but secluded." Josh said. "Alyssa, Kat, that's your job."

"Why me?" I asked.

"Because, Audrey's too aggressive." Josh said, Audrey smiled. "Carman's fighting, and I've got something for Cady to do."

"Why can't I do what Cady's doing?" I asked.

"Because, she doesn't know the Animorphs." Josh said, then looked at Cady. "You're going to keep the Animorphs distracted while we take David."

"Oh, that's good, okay." Cady nodded, though her mind was obviously elsewhere.

"Cady? You all right?" Kat asked. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing, just reminded me of something." Cady shook her head, then looked at Josh. "How am I going to do that?"

"Pretend to be Erek." Josh smirked. "Just tell them what we know about the summit."

"Problem," Erek said, now standing, and crossing his arms. "I've already told them."

"Just an update then." Josh said. "The real summit is Saturday, and the one Friday is a trap for them."

"So, again, why can't I do what Cady's doing?" I asked.

"Because Cady will keep her cool seeing the Animorphs." Josh said. "The rest of us know them, and Kat freaks when she sees a cute guy."

"JOSH!" Kat exclaimed, rolling her eyes. We laughed. "But seriously, what happens if he gets agressive with us?"

"He shouldn't." Josh said. "I hate to put you two up to this, but you're going to have to be charming."

"I have to FLIRT with DAVID?!" I exclaimed, mouth hanging open, Josh closed his eyes momentarily.

"I'm sorry, but yeah, pretty much." He said, I groaned and fell on my back in the grass.

"So, what're Alex, you, Erek, and I supposed to do?" Audrey asked.

"You and Alex." Josh said. "Are the two most agressive in our group, so, if Carman needs help, you're going to be the ones stepping in."

"Nice." Alex said, nodding.

"We get to beat up David." Audrey said, smiling.

"Erek's going to get everything ready for David." Josh said. "When he's disarmed, or unconcious, or in any way unable to fight, mid-morph would be perfect, he's going to throw him in a truck or something."

"So he's going to throw him in a prison that will hold a lion?" Audrey asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, and then we'll take him here, and I guess just keep him locked up." Josh said, looking up at Erek. Who was nodding with his arms crossed, he looked impressed, he was smiling.

"I knew I picked the right people." He said. "Alex is right though, Josh, you are a lot like Jake."

"Yeah, that plan of yours? Nice, though I'm positive - and I'm not just saying this 'cause I'm mad - that he would have left out the flirting." I said.

"He would have." Josh said. "But if he had, Rachel would have to do it, not that I'm saying she's not pretty, but he wouldn't go out for Cassie."

"I agree." Alex said. "But Rachel's the fighter, so he'd have a conflict on his hands."

"Just dress Cassie up." I said. "Or have her morph Rachel, Cassie aquired her in The Reaction."

"That's twelve, isn't it?" Alex asked. "The one where she has an allergic reaction to the crocodile?"

"Yeah. Hey, how come you don't remember most of the books, but remember one of the early ones?" I asked.

"It's a Rachel book, Aly." Audrey said, laughing.

"Josh, what're you supposed to do?" Carman asked.

"That." Josh said. "I have yet to figure out."

"Why don't you just watch? If something goes wrong, alert the others." Kat suggested.

"And if we need help, just go to Cady, Rachel and Marco will be glad to help, probably Ax, and maybe even Tobias." I said.

"I guess so." Josh shrugged. "I feel like I'm making you do all the work."

"You are." Audrey said. "But you came up with the plan, so that's doing your part." Josh nodded.

"Can we do this now? We've got nothiing else to do and I'm already up on adrenaline." Carman said, Josh looked at Erek.

"I guess, sure." He said.

"Well." I said, standing up. "Sorry to steal your dream girl's line, Alex but...Let's do it."

-::-

"I can't believe I said I would do this." I complained, Kat rolled her eyes. We were walking through the mall, and I was completely confused. I had never been to this mall before, so I had no clue where I was going. Erek had to tell me how to get to the mall. He said we were in Clear Creek, California. Which was where Cady lived, but she didn't know anyone here, because she only moved here a year ago, she was homeschooled last year, and she usually was up in Oregon with us. Audrey would move here in two months, Josh's family was moving here this weekened, while he was allegedly at my brother-in-law's, heck, we were all alledgedly there. I knew Nick wouldn't call the police, too many controllers. Still, I was nervous about just leaving him clueless.

"It's all right, just pray he's cute, so it will be easier." Kat said, I sighed.

"Fine." I said, then stopped. "If we don't know what he looks like, how're we supposed to find him?" She stopped too.

"That's not good." She said. "Look for Cady, or should I say, Erek." I did, I found her, near the cinnabon.

"I see her." I said. "That's a cinnabon, never in my life have I been to a cinnabon. Man, those cinnamon buns look good." Kat rolled her eyes.

"Just come on." She said, walking over. Fortunately, Cady was alone.

"Problem." I whispered. "We don't know what he looks like."

"Ask Josh to help, they're coming over." She whispered, I sighed as we moved away.

"Josh could be anywhere or anyone." I said.

"Or I could just be sitting here." I turned around, Josh was sitting at a table with Alex - who was sipping a milkshake. But I knew good and well that Alex was with Audrey and Carman, and that could only be Erek.

"Oh." Kat said, Josh laughed, Erek stopped sipping the milkshake.

"He's in the video game store." He said. "Just look for a young, blonde guy."

"Right. So easy to find." I said sarcastically.

"Aly." Josh said. "You'll know which one is him, trust me. I can see him from here."

"Okay, fine." Kat said, we walked toward the video game store. As we walked, I got happier. "What's up with you?"

"It's the video game store!" I exclaimed. "I can see how much Gears of War costs." Kat rolled her eyes, we entered the store. While she was bored out of her mind following me around, I was having fun. Kat looked for David, looking like I had dragged her in here, and she wanted someone to talk to.

"You found that cogs of war or whatever it is?" Kat asked, I turned around.

"It's not cogs it's gears. And yes, I see it over there." I said, I looked at the price. I still had some money left from the mall a few days ago, I had enough for it. I picked it up, but at the same time as another hand. I looked over, grabbing the box, was a blonde haired, brown eyed boy. I knew it was David, there was something in his eyes that just screamed 'stay away'. Even though he looked at me with interest. He let go. I had seen him before, and he had obviously recognized me. I had known the David. The David. It is a small world.

"Sorry." He said, though he didn't sound sorry. "I don't have enough for it anyway."

"Oh, well, thanks." I said, picking up the box. He looked at me weird. "What? Never seen a girl buy a good war game before?"

"Actually, yes." He said, then looked at me curiously again. "I've seen you before somewhere."

"Cady Roberts?" I asked, his eyes got wide.

"Aly."

"Uh-huh."

"What're you doing down here?"

"Visiting Nick, he lives down here." I said. "Cady moved here a year ago, and Josh's moved down here yesterday. What about you? Thought you were in Montana?"

"I was." David said. "I moved here less than a year ago. How come I didn't see Cady in school?"

"She's homeschooled. Christine and Derek too, by serious protests of Christine." I said, he laughed.

"Yeah, that's Christine." He said, I walked toward the counter. "Figures, you're one of the only girls I know who would buy Gears of War."

"And who else is there?"

"Audrey and Carman." I laughed and bought the game.

"Finally, you got your game, can we leave this store?" Kat asked, coming up to me, then looked at David oddly. Her eyes widened, she knew that was the David we were looking for, and another David. "David."

"Kat?" David asked, Kat nodded. "Is everyone here?"

"Josh might be, but other than that, no one." Kat said, David nodded.

"So, you guys eaten lunch yet?" He asked.

"Yeah, but you don't look like you can buy lunch." I said, knowing his parents were already controllers.

"Actually, I can't." He said. "But I'm not really hungry so-"

"No." I said quickly. "You look like you really need some food. We'll get you something, come on." He looked like he wanted to protest, but I gave him a look, he nodded. We walked toward the food court, I saw Josh pull out his emitter, while David was talking to Kat, and all the food court lines were filled. I shook my head and mouthed 'Levine'. He stopped, and mouthed back to me, I nodded. He shook his head, I sighed, then nodded reluctantly. David whistled when he saw the holographic lines.

"It's four o clock on a Thursday, school just got out. It's normal to have a bunch of people here." Kat said.

"Let's try the Taco Bell across the street, mexican sounds good." I said nervously, David looked at me weird, then nodded. We started walking out of the food court, Josh walking behind and to the right of us. Erek was no longer with him, he was in place already. I didn't want to do this to David, he used to be the eighth guy in our group, but he moved away two years ago. Cady has yet to get over it, he and Cady had this...thing, going before he left. We left the mall, and stood at the crosswalk, waiting.

"I'm thinking taco, what about you?" David asked.

"Chicken wrap, definitely." Kat said, trying to keep his suspicion down. She was perfectly calm, I, however, was getting nervous. I was going to be as nice as possible to him before we had to do this to him. And I would only say things I meant, which would lower David's suspicion of me. He already trusted me, but it had been a while, he wasn't sure if I had changed. I needed him to trust me completely, and I was trying to stop asking myself if it was fair to make him trust me fully, if I didn't trust him back. I did trust him, but after learning who he was, I wasn't sure.

"Aly? You still with us?" Kat asked, the light said 'walk', we did.

"Yeah, sorry." I said, David knew gazing off into space was normal for me. We reached the Taco Bell, I took a deep breath.

"Expecting something?" David asked, I couldn't take it, I had to get him to go with us quietly.

"David." I said. "Please, just trust me on this."

"Aly..." He said, he looked at Kat, whose nervousness now surfaced. "What's going on?"

"Someone's following us." Kat said, out of the corner of my eye I saw Josh change into a man in about his twenties, he head her, and she was covering for me. "It's been like this for days, we don't know how to get rid of him!" I couldn't bear to listen to her, she was such a good liar, and I don't mean that in a good way.

"Kat." I said, pointing to Josh's hologram. David took a deep breath.

"You want me to trust you? You're going to have to trust me." David said. "I've got a place, but you're going to just have to bear with me."

"Okay." Kat said, she let her nervousness show, I did too. Right then, I could let all my emotions show. I was distraught that I would have to lead him to such a brutal trap - hey, if Carman's idea could take down a lion, it had to be brutal. But the Animorphs would be saved a lot of trouble, and we weren't killing him. And I'd have plenty of time to explain it to him while he was locked up in the Chee faucility.

"Follow me." David said, we followed him to the woods behind the Taco Bell, where we wanted him to go. Somewhere, Alex, Audrey, and Carman were hiding. But if I could help it, he'd go down without a fight. Once we got deep enough...I almost stopped him, but remembered it was for his own good. The thoughts of him and the other Animorphs filled my mind. It's for them, it's for them. We were deep in the forest now, the sounds of the people and places were distant, I wondered how long it would be before we got to Cassie's woods.

SNARL We turned around, a cheetah glared at David. And at David alone, he looked at it uncertantly. A cheetah? They've got holo-emitters, can't they be more creative than that? I looked at the cheetah, it was beautiful, a rustic orange-brown coat, black spots, little bits of white around them, focused eyes, lowered, ready to pounce.

"Anyone have any idea why a cheetah's in the middle of the woods in California?" David asked.

"I know you know." Kat said, rounding on him. David looked at her with a fierce expression. I saw something in his eyes, they changed color. Kat was too busy glaring back to notice. His eyes were no longer a brown, but almost black.

"That's not David anymore." I said, David whirled around and glared at me. Kat looked at me quizically. "His eyes, they're gray now."

"Smart." David sneered. "The Ellimist may have you now, but you will be on my side sooner than you think."

"Crayak?"

(Crayak? That's too weird, even for me, and trust me, I am very weird.) I slowly turned around, watching David. When I was fully turned, I made sure he was beside me, and I could see him.

"Carman?" I asked uncertantly.

(What?) She joked. (I'll explain later, right now, he's the one who needs to explain.) She growled at him. (Audrey, Alex, I'm gonna need you sooner or later.) She said privately.

(Preferrably sooner, Audrey's itching to try out this morph, and I'm the only visible prey in sight. I really don't want to be eaten by Audrey) Alex said.

(Oh shut up!) Audrey exclaimed. (I'm controlling myself just fine!)

(You're pacing, and you're shooting me wild looks)

"What are you doing with David?" Kat asked, getting us focused.

"I am merely...making a few choices for him." The Crayak smiled.

"It wasn't David who destroyed the Animorphs, it was you!" Kat exclaimed.

"But this time's different." I said. "We're here."

"Yes, you are." Crayak said. "But what makes is so different? A lion can defeat a cheetah easily."

(I don't know about that. I've had more experience with this morph than all of David's morphs put together.) Carman sneered. (You're a Yeerk right now, but just a little different. You only know what he knows, which is the result of the rules in the game)

"Yes." Crayak said, he started morphing. "But the lion knows what to do." I looked away, it was already getting nasty, Kat did too.

(He's in mid-morph! Do we call Erek?) Alex asked. David's eyes closed, I shook my head. His eyes opened again, he knew we were too good to attack during morphing, so he took his time with it. Which was good for us.

(Aly said no) Carman said. (Cause of the Crayak, right?)

(I get it) Audrey said. (He's not evil, but the Crayak is. So if we can get rid of the Crayak, we can let David go back to the Animorphs)

(Okay, so how do we get rid of him?) Alex asked.

(Not now! He's finished morphing!) Carman exclaimed, she pounced, I backed up, Kat did too. David was on his back, Carman on top of him, slashing at him. David slashed her side, and took the moment to push her off him, he got up. Carman was on her side, on the ground. She was standing up, but she wouldn't get up in time. I was racking my brain for something, anything, that could get him off her.

(That's it! We finish this now!)

ROAR Another lion pounced in on top of David, throwing him off balance. It slashed harder than Carman had, it was stronger. David had gotten hurt, and the other lion was winning.

(Hold back! Don't kill him! Get control of the lion before you kill him!) Alex yelled, as a huge american bison trudged into the area.

(UGH! This stupid lion! I hit his head! He's bleeding too bad!) Audrey exclaimed.

(Get off him for starters) Alex said, looking down at Carman, whose chest was heaving, so she was alive. Halelujah on that one. Audrey stepped back, coming to stand beside me.

(It's better than I expected, morphing I mean.) She said privately. (But this lion is seriously angry. Another lion in his turf? Uh-uh.)

"Oh my word! Look at that!" Kat said, kneeling next to the unconcious lion. His head was split open on one side, he wouldn't last long. Audrey shyed away behind me, I patted her on the head.

(Thanks Aly, wow...that felt cool) Audrey said, after I scratched in between her ears. Hey, she's a cat, right?

"We've got to call Erek!" Kat said.

(Maybe we don't.) Alex said. (While he's unconcious we can force Crayak out...is that possible?)

"No." Carman came up, looking down at David. Seeing the look on my face she added: "It's okay, Aly, David was hurt worse."

(She's right) Audrey said. (The only way to get him out is to hold him for three days, even then we have to call Erek. But I don't think the Crayak needs Kandrona rays)

(If the Crayak took him over, he must have been good. So he must have been the on the Ellimist's side.) Alex said. (He must have made a way to free David)

YES, BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT ON YOUR OWN

There was no Ellimist, just the voice.

(This is the Ellimist, think good!) Audrey said. (Umm..there's love.)

"We'll need Cady." Kat joked.

(Cady. You done? We need you.) Alex called. (Hey, no use in not trying.)

"Good point." Carman said. "Anything else? Umm...trust?"

"Loyalty?" Kat asked.

"Who did that?" Josh asked, I turned. He and Cady were standing there, looking at David. Audrey shyed behind me more, I rested my hand on her head.

(I did) Audrey said. (I'm sorry...lion is not a good iea for a first morph. I couldn't get control, but it's all right now, I'm sorry)

"It's okay, we know he'll be unconcious for a while." Josh said.

"He can't make it long, we have to get him to demorph." Kat said. "But we have to get the whatever it is out of him first."

"Crayak." Carman corrected, she turned to a confused Josh. "Long story."

(He's like a Yeerk, and the Ellimist said - once again long story - that there is a way to free him. And at first we though love, so we called Cady.) Audrey said.

"You mean that's my David dying on the ground?!" Cady exclaimed, Audrey sunk behind me more.

(Look, Cady. You're gonna have to tell him you love him or something, because if you just had to do it, I'm sure that he would be free by now.) Alex said.

"And you've got to mean it." Kat said, standing up. Cady sat down in her place, looking nervous and scared. She bent down, whispering something in his ear. Nothing happened.

"Try trust. Someone say they trust him!" Carman exclaimed. I knew she didn't trust him after him hurting her, she was trying, but she couldn't. Cady bent down again, nothing happened. We tried everything within those few minutes.

"I'm sorry, I can't think of anything else." Kat said, Alex and Audrey had already demorphed. According to Carman, he only had ten minutes left in morph - how she knew that I have no clue - and we had run out of ideas.

"Kat, that just gave me an idea." I said, smiling. "Cady, tell him you forgive him! Tell him you're sorry for blaming him, and you forgive him!" Cady nodded, bending down, I heard her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I was just mad that you were leaving, and it's not your fault. I forgive you, David." She leaned back, he started to demorph.

"Come on." Josh said. "Let's go, we can't be here when he wakes up." We backed away, Kat took Cady's hand, she went with us. I stopped when he couldn't see us, but we could see him. He sat up, his eyes were brown. I smiled.

"Cady, you did it." Audrey said. "And I'm sorry."

"I forgive you for it." Cady said, smiling.

"Come on, Erek's waiting." Josh said.

Okay, if you're a little confused we'll explain all of it later. REVIEW, PEOPLE, REVIEW!