Chapter 17 (Marco)
That was the moment all hell broke loose.
I mean, lets think about this rationally. There was no way a gorilla, a tiger, a grizzly bear, two wolves and an Andalite were just going to cruise through a Yeerk pool in search of Visser Three without being noticed. So, we just ran for it.
We'd seen where they'd taken Joseph, and we were headed in that general direction.
To begin with we just blasted through, barrelling into people and causally pushing them out of our way. We weren't in this to hurt people, especially not the innocent people being held against their will. But we did have a job to do. And when some smart-ass guy started shooting at us, we hauled butt a little faster.
We were almost there, when out of nowhere a small wall of Hork-Bajir appeared. About a dozen of them. Nobody hesitated. Everybody hacked, sliced and generally beat up anyone in our way. I took out a few people with a fist in my favour and they went down like bowling pins. Most of them had Dracon beams, but couldn't use them in such close quarters.
Marco! Called Jake as he raked his massive claws across the unfortunate belly of a Hork-Bajir. Take Ax and find Joseph! We can hold them for a while!
Yeah, but he means hurry up about it! Called Rachel as she sunk Grizzly teeth into another Hork-Bajir.
I clocked one more before joining Ax in a mad rush towards the door of the building. As soon as we stepped in the door we stopped. I turned to Ax. Which way?
He paused for a moment. This way. His answer was very definite. I have a sense that we should go this way.
No argument from my quarter. I turned the corner that Ax had indicated and raced down the corridor. At the end of it we came to a door. The handle had been made for hands a little smaller than mine, but I gripped it delicately with my forefinger and thumb and turned the handle.
The door swung open, and we burst through it. We burst through it in time to see something I'd never expected to see. That seems to be becoming a habit of mine. This thing was purple, about seven-foot, and had tentacles coming out of its neck. Tentacles it had pressed against each of Joseph's temples. Ax took care of the two Hork-Bajir at the door while I ploughed straight into Visser Three. Two more Hork-Bajir had Joseph by his shoulders and wrists and they couldn't figure out what to do with themselves. They obviously had their orders direct from Visser Three and weren't sure whether this was a good enough reason to disregard them.
I ran and collided heavily with Visser Three and we both fell in a tangled heap. The Hork-Bajir decided to act, but they decided to late as Ax attacked them with the flat of his tail blade, knocking them out. The Visser's tentacles left Joseph's temples with a snap and flailed around after me. Stay away from the tentacles Marco! Warned Ax.
I'd figured that would be a good idea, I muttered. But it was easier said than done. Then I had an idea. Ax…
Ax was already one step ahead of me. Move out of my way. Obediently, I rolled off the Visser. FWAP FWAP, down came Ax's tail blade twice on the flailing tentacles, taking them off right near the neck. Immediately, the Visser started to morph. I decided right then that I didn't want to hang around too long. I stepped over the Visser, scooped up Joseph's unconscious body and ran with Ax not far behind me.
As we burst out of the door, I shouted, Run for it! We've got him! And our odd assortment ran for cover under a sudden spray of Dracon fire.
Suddenly, a thought dawned on me. How the hell are we getting him out of here?
Just move it! Shouted Cassie, as strange as it is for Cassie to shout. Towards that building!
I saw the one she meant. About a hundred yards away. We could make it if we stepped on the gas. And we literally zoomed across the space. The door might have been locked, but after Rachel barrelled through it, we didn't get the chance to check since it tinkled to the floor in millions of little bits. A glass door in a Yeerk pool? Please! We were in and out of this place all the time and, man, we broke things. I'm just waiting for a bill of damages. But I suppose the Visser has a fat wallet.
Split up! Cried Jake. Give them six targets to follow! Morph something small and meet up later! With that he bounded up a corridor, closely followed by Ax. Rachel and Tobias ran straight ahead, and Cassie and I made for the last corridor.
We had hoped to split up again, but there turned out to only be one door so we both went in and closed it behind us.
Immediately we started to morph back to human. The black fur washed away and I got disappointingly shorter. But we had other things to think about. I looked to Cassie. "What should we do?"
"Flea," she said decisively. Then she hesitated. "Wait, we wouldn't know what was going on. Umm…" Her hands reeled as she racked her brains. I was racking mine too. Something small that would still know what was going on? "I think flea is way to insensitive," muttered Cassie.
"How about fly?"
Cassie nodded. "It'll have to do. Let's try and hide somewhere on him." She motioned towards Joseph. Then she looked to me again. "Do you think he'll be alright?"
I nodded hastily. Then I morphed into a fly.