A/N – It's Christmas, for God's sake. Out of the dozen readers already, can one of you not leave a review on Christmas? Come on.

Chapter 21

I could feel rather than see the spacecraft that was landing in the middle of the park. I saw the corner section of bleachers crumple underneath the weight of the hidden Yeerk ship. I thought quick, as quick as I could. (Get out of here!) I yelled to my friends, even though I was ignoring my own advice. I turned on the tiger's top speed, tearing after Visser Three. If he was going to escape, I wanted to give him something to remember me by. I wanted him to fear us the way we feared him.

(What about you?) Cassie asked, sounding terrified. I risked a glance, and saw that she was neither attacking or retreating.

(I'll be right behind you! Go, now! While there's still time!) I could hear hydraulics settling the big Yeerk ship down beside me. (We're going to be up to our necks in Hork-bajir in about twenty seconds!)

The whole time I was charging him, Visser Three looked completely indecisive. His stalk eyes looked longingly to where his reinforcements and escape route was in the process of landing. When he realized he was running out of time, he squared his body to me, drawing his tail back to strike.

If I'd been a real tiger, I'd have launched straight at him, going for a full-on tiger takedown. I'd seen the Visser fight before, though, so I put on the brakes about ten feet away. FWAPP! His tail sliced the air right in front of me. As it withdrew to strike again, I took the opening and took him to the ground.

(Jake! Come on! Rachel won't leave without you – she's just looking for an excuse to stay. We've got literally two seconds before – nope, nevermind. They're already coming,) Marco said.

I was in the position I wanted, on top of Visser Three, holding him down. He was slashing with his tail, but he couldn't get any momentum behind it. (Arrgh!) he yelled as I bit down on his weak left arm. (Get him!)

I almost ridiculed him, reminded him that he was all alone, when I heard automatic weapons fire behind us. There were a few PFFTs as bullets hit the dirt beside us. (No, you'll shoot me, idiots!) Visser Three yelled again.

(Everybody's safe except me, you, and Rachel,) Marco updated me. (A dozen guys just came out of the invisible ship – all human, all armed to the teeth. If we don't go now, we're dead,) he said urgently. (I'm not going to tell you again. We're dead, Jake!)

I roared in frustration. We just couldn't seem to finish off this Andalite controller, no matter what we tried. As another round of automatic fire sprayed the dirt, I rolled off of the Visser and made a beeline for the woods. (Rachel, let's go!) I ordered her. (Get freakin' moving, or you're never going to go anywhere again.)

(Already gone,) Rachel said. (Marco too – the reinforcements are way more interested in protecting the Visser than pursuing us.)

I spun away from my original escape route as a controller with a rifle stepped into my path. I went toward door number two, and found that route blocked, too. I spun, realizing that while I was fighting with Visser Three, the human controllers had been setting up a perimeter.

(I hear sirens,) Visser Three said acidly, dripping blood all over the place. (I don't have time for our usual games. Either surrender and demorph, or die.) All the controllers shouldered their rifles and pointed them at me. (Three seconds, Andalite.)

I heard a bang come from behind me, from the ruins of the bleachers. I turned and saw Todd, who looked furious. I looked at his feet and saw why – his parents, both seemingly dead. I grimaced internally as I realized what had happened – we'd incapacitated his controller parents with the emitter, and Visser Three's ship had crushed them when it landed. Even though I was literally three seconds from death, I cringed as I realized that their deaths were on my head.

Todd then did something that shocks me to this day. He calmly walked over to the closest controller, snatched the rifle out of his hands, and clubbed him with it. He then spun in a semi-circle, squeezing the trigger. Everybody hit the dirt as a hail of bullets flew over their heads – I took the opportunity to get out of there. I couldn't just leave Todd, though. (Todd! Get the hell out of here!)

His face didn't change. He still wore that mask of utter calm, like nothing was wrong. He was still squeezing the trigger, although the gun was obviously out of bullets. I saw two or three guys take aim at him – Todd was the number one threat now, not me. (Todd, run! They'll kill you!) Still, his face was uncomprehending. I subconsciously let him go, chalked him up to the game. Because I knew all too well what would happen next.

Even though this was my only chance, and I was almost home-free, I still turned back. I didn't know what I could possibly say to this kid that had just lost his parents to make him listen. I tried one more time, anyway. (Todd, it's Jake!) I yelled desperately. I knew when I did that, I had taken away the option of him becoming a controller. If they didn't kill him, I would have to – I could never let him be taken, now.

I didn't have to worry about it. I watched as no less than five bullets tore into him, throwing him backward on top of his deceased parents. I roared again, in anger and defeat this time. With everything going on, I could still hear the screaming sirens that were approaching. I guess Visser Three was willing to call it a wash. He hustled all of his troops back onto the ship, looking at me with one last glare of hate before he disappeared. I roared again and ran. I ran full-tilt, not just to escape the cops, but to escape my failure. My massive failure that had cost lives.