Before he could even begin to react to the taunts, Woo lay back in the water and kicked him in the chest. Hed moved too fast for Marco to dodge the kick, and consequently Marco ended up clutching at his chest, short of breath and in pain.

"Told you to step off," Drake spat. "Now were going to have to stomp you for not having any respect. Unless you want to get your skinny hinder out of the pool, that is."

There it was: his chance to leave without complications or repercussions. All he had to do was walk away.

"Yeah, run home to your mommy, Marco-roni," Woo sneered; Marco thought he sounded more idiotic than intimidating.

"He cant," Drake said, and Marco thought for a moment that he almost sounded human. "His moms dead."

"Oh, boo hoo," Woo sneered mockingly. "Oh, boo hoo, boo hoo," continued, wiping fake tears from his eyes. "His mother probably just ran off with some dude."

A slow, cold-burning anger settled in the pit of Marcos stomach upon hearing those words. The only thing he had to do was finish demorphing and walk away, but after what he had just heard, he was in no mood to be reasonable. Staring at the arteries that pulsated on either side of the bullys Adams apple, he wondered for a moment just how that warm flesh would taste; and if Woo would scream as he died.

"What are you looking at?" Woo demanded, not liking the way that Marco was staring so fixedly at him. "Youre dead, man, if you keep eyeballing me like that."

But he didnt make a single move forward. Marco didnt like that; hed wanted Woo to move toward him. He was eager for such a confrontation, almost craving it.

"Whats the matter with his eyes?" Drake wondered, both curious and afraid. "Look at his eyes, man!"

"Marco?" Jake called, distracting the attentions of the two bullies before they could do anything stupid. "Whats up?"

"Aww, isnt that sweet?" Drake sneered, regaining some of his mental equilibrium. "Big Jake is here to rescue little Marco-roni."

Marco snapped his head around to face the leader of the Animorphs, teeth bared in a fierce grimace. "I dont need your help," he snapped, the sharks teeth still in his mouth distorting but not mangling his words.

"Let it go, Marco," Jake said calmly, though not without a bit of sternness in his tone.

Ignoring him, Marco turned his attention back to Woo. He was still focusing on the blood, pumping through the veins just under the skin of Woos neck. He was so close, almost within arms reach; it would be so very easy

"He dissed my mom," Marco snarled, trying to distract himself a bit; maybe get Jake to go away before he made his next move

"Hes not the one responsible for your mother," Jake said; once again the voice of reason. "Dont punish him for the sins of someone else."

Woos eyes were darting back an forth between Marco and Jake, an almost comical expression of fear coming over his face. Marco didnt quite know what the other boy made of his and Jakes conversation, but it was pretty obvious that he didnt like it. Or maybe he just didnt like the way that Marco was still staring at his neck.

That could be it, too.

"Save it for the real bad guys, Marco," Jake said firmly.

The rage at Woo for mocking his mother had ebbed by now, so Marco let the shark morph go. If anyone other than Jake had had a chance to see the sharks teeth in his mouth well, it was just better that no one else saw them. As he regained the last of his human body, Marco climbed out of the pool.

He could tell that Jake wanted to yell at him well, as close as Jake ever got to yelling, anyway but he was obviously trying to restrain himself until they got out of earshot of the two bullies. Climbing out of the pool, he followed Jake out of the building.

"Whats the matter with you?" the leader of the Animorphs demanded, once they were far enough away not to be overheard by anyone.

Shrugging, Marco forced a casual smile. "Not a thing, Jake, not one, tiny, little thing. I guess Woo just kind of looked like a fish to me. He look like a fish to you? It must be that stupid, fishy look on his face all the time."

He forced a chuckle; the joke wasnt one of his better ones, but it was the best he could think up under the circumstances. Jake gave him a long, considering look.

"Maybe youd better sit this next mission out, Marco," he said at last.

His next laugh was genuine. "Jake, youd have to kill me to keep me away from that island."