Chapter 31- Tobias

"A girl? We can take on a girl." Rachel was saying.

Let me back up. Jake had called a meeting when Tom and Genia had gone off to a meeting for The Sharing. He told us all he knew. That's how Rachel got to say that.

Visser Three…One…wouldn't hire some human. First of all, Visser One isn't that stupid. Second, he'd hire someone that could actually do the job. Third, what would the point be of hiring some human to kill some aliens that turn into animals? I said.

Jake nodded. "Exactly. Anyway, we need to think here. What could be so powerful that the Visser would hire to attack us? And second, when…how…are we going to fight her?"

"I say we attack at night while she's asleep." Rachel contemplated.

"Even if we get her, then what about Jake's family? They'll be taken, even if they don't know anything." Cassie objected.

Silently, everyone agreed. We don't exactly talk about Tom or Jake's family.

"Well. What can we do then?" Marco questioned. "We can't just walk up to her and be all like 'Hey go home and we can sleep better at night'."

"Exactly. We'll have to go back to what we were going to do before: spy. But not Chapman. He probably has nothing to do with her now. But we need to spy in on a Sharing meeting. They talk about everything there." Jake said.

"Right. So when do we start?" Cassie asked.

"Tomorrow is Monday. We'll have to rely on Tobias, Marco, and Ax to work on it. I can get them schedules from Tom. All he ever talks about is the Sharing."

"See? No 'easy' mission ever ends up easy. It's always 'spy on The Sharing' or 'Check out the Yeerk Pool', or something insanely dangerous that we'd probably never want to do in a million years."

Well, we'll have to do it. Didn't Erek say for bait they were holding people like the governor hostage or something?

"Yeah. When Marco and I talked to him, he said only three random people of importance. Like, the police chief, Mayor, stuff like that."

There was a groan. I think it was Marco.

"If it goes far enough to Saturday or Friday, then we'll all go in as spies. A couple of us on each high-ranking controller we know. Anyway, so far all we know is-"

"-Zilch," Marco finished.

"Erek will contact us when he or any of the other Chee get word of it."

"So…Meeting adjourned?" Marco asked casually.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Marco and I'll get Ax. We can start as soon as you want, Jake. I told him.

"Alright. You can start tomorrow, after school- that's when Tom's meetings usually are, around 6 or 8 depending the day."

Good luck, I told them. And with that, Marco morphed osprey, and we flew away towards Ax's scoop.

Chapter 32- Lauren

That girl, Genia, gave me the creeps. Not because she acted weird. She wasn't as weird around me as most people were. But because somewhere, she stirred a memory in me. Something. I couldn't reach it. But the fact was, that it was there. And that meant I had met her before.

It was Monday. I was trudging through classes as usual, brooding. The same thoughts crossed through my head about eight times: If I know her from sometime before I was 8, then she might know where my family was. My home.

"Excuse me? Are you paying attention? Lauren?"

I snapped awake. Usually, teachers didn't bother trying to get my attention. So that meant we had a sub…

I heard a rapping on my desk. I looked up. The sub had a pointy nose, glasses, balding hair, and a stuffy suit. I choked back a laugh. He looked like Pee-Wee Herman sixty years later.

I could notice others had the same amused look. Pee-Wee glared at me a while longer, then returned to the board. Started up his lesson.

I paid attention for a minute, then I went back to my thoughts. The girl. She must know something. What had that guy said, she racked her brain. Tom, his name was. What had he said? I want you to meet a guest of the Sharing. So maybe Tom knew something of her. She'd have to ask. Next time. The next meeting was tomorrow. Tuesday. She breathed calmly again. And Pee-Wee came back. Rapped her desk again. Rapped some other kids' desks when they weren't paying attention.

Yeah, She thought. Maybe she does know who I am.

Chapter 33- Ax

Tobias, Marco, and I worked hard on spying. Several times I had to morph with Tobias (Marco was not able to go, because others would be frightened by his sudden appearance when he was supposedly dead) and follow them there. Once Marco morphed fly and followed Tom while he talked with some other know Controllers.

Eventually, we scraped together enough information to put two and two together. Or at least one and one.

"Alright. So we know that the meeting is this week, Saturday night. And we know that what's-her-name doesn't more than one hostage. And we know, or at least think that the event will take place at the abandoned warehouse," Marco counted off.

"Good work," Prince Jake nodded. "I'll call Erek."

Prince Jake disappeared for a minute, walking off to make the call to Erek's house.

"What, whut do you think this person's powers, powerz are?" I asked Marco.

"Got me. Turning into a replica of evil Rachel on a bad day?"

"Don't even think it," Cassie said.

"Right well, we've got two days 'til we have to fight her."

"Yeah, it's going to be a boring two days," Rachel commented.

"Ugh,"

We 'cooled' as my humans friend called it while we waited for Prince Jake.

Finally, he appeared, his face gloomy. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing much. Just that they know who's being held hostage. Or will be."

"Who?" Tobias demanded. He was in human morph at the time.

"The Governor."

"We have to save his butt again?" Rachel laughed. "Or is it a different one?"

"Different. But, still. The Governor a Yeerk?"

The others nodded. "The Governor..or..ver.. of what?" I inquired.

"The Governor of the state," Prince Jake answered.

"Ah," I answered. "This is a problem?"

"Yeah, Ax. Just like always," Marco replied.

Chapter 34- Rachel

2 Days Later

"It's time," Cassie said over the phone. "Meet me at the barn so we can study."

"OK. C-ya soon." I hung up. It was time, of course, for the mission. The fight.

"I'm going over to Cassie's!" I called to my mom. I went up to my room, opened the window, and began to morph bald eagle. It was still light enough to see.

The changes began quickly. I shrank down, even though I would be a huge bird. My feet became talons, my teeth shrank, and my lips became a beak. Feathers appeared and became 3-D. My bones became the light, hollow bones of a bird, and my eyes became sharper, so I saw everything in great detail, down to the tiny individual pieces of carpet.

The changes became complete when the eagle brain emerged. With that, I flew out the window, and sped towards Cassie's.

I was the fourth there. Ax and Tobias were already there, along with Cassie. Marco and Jake hadn't arrived yet.

"Everyone remember their morphs?" Cassie asked, making conversation.

I had forgotten I would be using an unfamiliar morph. What was it…I racked my brain.

"I'm cheetah," Cassie said to herself.

I am my rattlesnake morph. I have only used it once or twice, but I know how to control it well.

Elephant here. I only did that once. Man, we should've practiced in the valley. Tobias said.

"Polar bear," I came up with finally.

Just then, Jake and Marco arrived. Or, more accurately, a peregrine falcon and an osprey. They demorphed, and from two birds of prey emerged two boys.

"Alright people. Everyone know their morphs?"

"Cheetah," Cassie said immediately.

Rattlesnake, my Prince.

Elephant.

"Polar bear," I said lastly.

"Marco?" Jake asked.

"Rhino, O Fearless Leader."

"And that leaves me with Hork-Bajir. Remember, we don't want anything to happen to the Governor. Worst comes to worst, the strongest ones distract them, and the others get him."

"Let's do it!" I exclaimed as usual.

"Yes sir, sir!" Marco saluted.

"Whatever."

And with that, I morphed bald eagle once again, as the others became various birds of prey.

Chapter 36- Marco

We flew. And flew, and flew. The warehouse was practically on the other side of town. But it would've taken longer as humans.

Finally, as the sun started setting, we spotted it. Or, at least, Cassie spotted it.

Over there! To the far left! Cassie exclaimed.

I see it! Rachel said.

One by one, we dove down, into a nearby alley. Demorphed. Then, while Tobias stood watch, we morphed our various morphs.

I had only done rhino once, back with our David experience. It had been a morph for extreme measures. So there I was, becoming a rhino again.

The first change was my face. It bulged out and out and out and out some more, like I had just eaten some fighting animal that was trying to get out my nose.

Not a pleasant thought.

Next, my skin grew leathery, hard and gray. A little tail sprouted.

My ears moved up my head and grew pointy like devil horns, and my eye sight faded to a mere blur. My legs became tree trunks. Gray tree trunks that is. There had to be a joke in there somewhere.

Finally, the horns popped out. First a long one, then a little baby horn. I stared blindly ahead, waiting for the last-minute changes to finish. When the rhino mind surfaced.

It wasn't worried. There were no challengers. No threats. I sniffed.

Everyone done? Asked Jake. There was a chorus of 'Yeses'. Alright, Tobias, your turn.

Tobias would morph last, so that we had cover almost the whole time. Tobias, come on down! Its time for Morph-a-Freak.

Ha-ha. He said dryly.

I could barely see him. He only entered my view as a huge gray blur.

Done, Tobias said almost a minute later.

Let's… Rachel began.

[Do it! I finished.

Hey!

Couldn't resist it, I laughed.

We charged forward, a small army. Small, meaning our numbers. We were at least a few tons worth, what with me and Tobias. Jake carried Ax, being that was faster. I've been a snake, and though they strike faster than lightning, they don't move as fast as a charging rhino.

Rachel was in front of me, and Cassie, behind me, pointed me along so I didn't wander off.

Until at last, I saw the building. Or at least a blurry rectangle.

Head for the door, Jake ordered.

What door? I wondered aloud.

To your right, Cassie advised.

I moved the way she had directed. Then, I picked up speed. I heard a loud 'WHAM!' as Tobias slammed into the wall. And a 'CRU-NCH' as it fell in. And then, we entered the building.

Chapter 37- Cassie

Honey, I'm home! Marco joked. Over his massive bulk, I could see the room. Ahead was a row of human Controllers with automatic weapons and a few with Dracon beams.

"ANDALITE!" Screamed one. Suddenly, there was the sound of weapons being cocked.

What's going on? Marco asked me.

About fifty human-Controllers have guns and Dracon beams pointed at us. I explained.

That's all? He muttered.

"Hold your fire," One human commanded. The leader, I guess. "The Visser wants her to do away with the Andalites, and I wouldn't like to be responsible for the deaths of 6 Andalite Bandits when he specifically ordered her to do it."

The Controllers edged their fingers from the triggers, but only enough so that if their fingers accidentally slipped they wouldn't shoot.

"Quickly," The same human snapped. "Go get her."

One of them raced off, disappearing into the gloom.

"Half-Andalite scum," The leader grumbled. "Can't kill 6 Andalite Bandits, so he hires a freak with an Andalite-originated name to do it instead."

We stole a few glances at each other. Or attempted to.

As soon as she comes, and I say, I throw Ax. Tobias charge towards the Human-Controllers to scare them off, the others attack. Jake ordered.

I think he was about to say something else, but at that moment, she appeared. The human-Controller followed slowly behind her.

The leader Controller stopped his muttering, and faked a smile for her.

"The Andalite bandits, Estreen. Just as you said."

"Good," She said, not even glancing at him. She stared at us, with steel-gray eyes. Blue, I mean. Green?

"Finally," She sighed. "A real challenge." Then she turned for the first time to the human-Controllers. "Back to your posts. I have no use for you now." She commanded.

"But-we..the Andalites-" The leader stuttered.

"Would you like me to explain your reasoning to Visser One?" She said, in a low, silky voice.

"N-no." He licked his lips worriedly. "Of course not." To his officers he said, "Back to your posts! She wishes to fight them herself. So she shall…"

"Wonderful." She watched them scurry off to their jobs, all of them disappearing from the room we were in. "Fools," She said to us. "The Yeerks, I mean. At least you Andalites are organized."

I could practically feel Ax swell from behind the others.

"Such a pity," She said, almost to herself. "But no matter. My job is to kill you, so I might as well get to it."

And then I saw it. Her eyes were switching colors faster, faster. Purple! Blue! Green! Gray!BROWN!YELLOW!RED!BLUE!

Then I saw the changes beginning.

Chapter 38- Tobias

The girl, or whatever she was, was changing. Morphing.

Impossible! Ax cried. Only Andalites have the power to morph!

Yeah, weird, isn't it? I said distractedly.

What's going on? Marco demanded.

The girl's morphing into…something. Something weird.

Her eyes became a lifeless black, almost gaping holes, but in them you could see emotion. Her skin turned greenish lava cracked red and black. She looked almost like a version of a Howler.

Instead of a 'human' face though, it grew a long, pointed beak, like a Hork-Bajir, with up-pointing horns on her head. The fingers became long, almost delicate, claw-tipped fingers. Her legs became paws, like a Pemalite's or Chee's. A toe-claw popped out instead of a sixth toe. Knee blades and elbow blades popped out.

All of this happened in less than a minute. The changes were so rapid, I could barely see them.

"Welcome Andalites," She said in a deep guttural voice. "Welcome to your doom."

Oook. That was…moviesh. Rachel said.

"Which of you shall I fight first? The elephant? The cat? The Hork-Bajir?" She counted us off in the same, deep gruff voice.

I'll fight you, Rachel challenged. She stepped forward.

I could see the amusement in the creature's eyes. "A bear?"

Rachel roared a challenge. The thing blinked. Then she said, "Very well. You may make the first move."

Rachel paused. Then she charged. The biggest carnivore on the land today ran towards a monster Earth had never seen.

Rachel was close. She was inches away when…

The monster leapt over her! Seconds, millimeters from being flattened by a rampaging polar bear, she had evaded it. Not impossible, but definitely surprising. Rachel skidded to a stop a few feet after missing her.

"That the best you can do?" Estreen laughed.

Whoa, Jake commented.

"Try again."

Rachel growled, and barreled forward. This time, the monster didn't jump. It moved to the side. But Rachel had been going slow enough so she could turn, turned too. And then polar bear flesh hit alien flesh, and neither did too well.

The monster was flung back a few feet, only one or two, and Rachel sat dazed a minute on the floor.

"Excellent." The monster approved to our surprise. "My turn."

There was a flash of movement, and suddenly, the thing wasn't where it had been. Rachel had time to stand on all fours, and blink, when-

AAAAHhhh! She cried. There were four bright slashes on her face. Pinpricks to a polar bear, but they hurt just the same. Annoyed, she rumbled.

I swear the monster formed a toothy grin. "You Andalites have a lot to learn."

Suddenly, Rachel swiped a massive paw at thing. While she had been gloating, Rachel sneaked up close enough to strike.

Suddenly, she wasn't laughing anymore. She was on the floor. Even the monster she had become couldn't stand a polar bear's one foot paw slamming into its face.

"Unnn…" She moaned.

Hah! Take that, you creep. Rachel said. But she knew better than to stand there gloating. She moved in, to take another hit.

Then…WHAM! The monster slammed a fist into Rachel's face. Except, she had kept the claws on her hands pointing out, and they dug into her flesh. Unlike her last attack, this hurt.

"Stupid Andalite." She sneered.

Rachel! I called. You OK?

Yeah. That hurt though.

Estreen turned back to her human form. "Andalites have either gotten slower or else they've gotten stupider."

Yeerk filth! Ax exclaimed angrily, trying to protect his species.

She turned. "Yeerk filth? I'm no Yeerk. Though I tend to agree with that phrase. Yeerks have no profit, and therefore the worst things to trade usually."

I saw Jake tighten his grip on Ax. Jake, I whispered urgently. We can't stay in morph forever.

I saw Jake nodding. On three, he told everyone. We all attack. Alright?

Estreen/Genia had already switched back to her monster form, and was moving towards Rachel at a fast pace.

One…

She raised a clawed hand.

Two…

She aimed.

THREE!!!

Chapter 38- Jake

We sprang forward, a roaring, charging, clawing cloud. I threw Ax at Genia/Estreen when we got close. He flew through the air, and landed a foot away from her. Rachel dragged herself closer to her.

I hit first. I slid into her like a baseball player sliding home. My feet kicked her's out from under her, and she slammed to the pavement floor with me, a bladed heap. Cassie hit next, catching up with us with cheetah speed. She used teeth and claws to attack, Ax slithered in next. While we provided distraction, Rachel demorphed and remorphed grizzly, a morph she new better, while I hoped we wouldn't be killed because I made everyone use morphs they weren't used to.

SLASH! I swept an elbow blade at her, while she kicked with her toe-claw, and Cassie bit, and Ax tried to figure out when to bite so he didn't hit us. We were like one of those cartoon dust clouds, with the fighting sounds coming out. We slashed, bit, clawed, and cried out!

Cassie pulled back, leaving an opening for Rachel to slam into Estreen. Cassie sat, panting. Cheetahs are meant for sprints and one solid hit, not fighting frenzies. She would have to demorph and remorph wolf. And Ax couldn't attack, neither could Marco or Tobias. I should've planned…

Ahh! I cried out from a pair of claws that hit my eyes. The creature Estreen had become was wearing down, but you could barely tell. But it was also meant for speedy attacks and retreats, not full-in battles. She hadn't planned either. At least, so I thought.

The I saw- or, at least, didn't see. The fighting had stopped when she slipped out of our 'cloud'. We stepped back, panting, and bleeding from a dozen wounds. Ax and Cassie had demorphed, and Cassie was now a wolf. She hadn't been able to join our fray. But Estreen, too, was bleeding. Just not as much. She panted for a moment, then spoke. "You tricked me. But that's all right. I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well."

The she morphed again. She grew taller, and taller. Her beak became a snout, and her flesh became scaled. A tail sprouted and grew three foot spikes. Her 'paws' became dinosaur feet, and her muzzle grew long, pointy teeth. Her clawed hands changed, growing longer, and splitting at the elbow to form to arms each. Stubby fingers formed on each 'arm', and from each one bulged a long, long wicked looking claw. Over each eye a 'horn' grew, and all in all, she looked like a prehistoric dino brought to life. But then, the second head grew. A second head sprouted next to the other, except it had a pteradon head, with one difference: this pteradon head had a huge horn and a toothy beak.

Marco, who had also somehow managed to demorph and remorph gorilla whispered to me:Who does she think she is? Visser Three?

The final change then happened. Leathery wings sprouted from its bony back. They grew and grew and grew, to the point where you figured it could probably fly. Which was not too comforting.

I'm afraid. Marco said, in a strangely calm way.

DIE ANDALITES! The voice said in our head. At the same time, the "bird"-head seemed to shriek it too. It came out as a high-pitched thought-speech cry.

Suddenly, the beast leapt into the air! It grabbed Tobias, in elephant morph in its claws and 'feet' and looked like it was ready to pop him open like a six-pack.

AAAAAAH!

TOBIAS! I cried.

We were helpless! It was above us, with Tobias semi-dragging on the floor, flying madly in raging circles. When I saw-

MOVE! I yelled, dodging out of the way. She dropped Tobias onto the floor where we had just been. I covered my head as small pieces of cement flew from the spot where Tobias had fallen.

Tobias! Are you alright? I demanded, standing up.

I think I broke a leg! What do I do, demorph?!

No! She can't know you're a hawk. Wait for us to start another distraction!

Distraction? Distract THAT?! It'll…it'll eat us like we're animal crackers! Marco cried.

But Estreen wasn't done yet; she'd just begun.

"EEEEEEEAAAARRRRRRRRKKKKK!" The monster she'd become roared.

She slammed onto the floor beside me. She eyed me, and then slashed with an awkward-placed claw. I dodged easily. The monster was frightening, and dangerous in the air, but otherwise clumsy on the ground. Slow at least.

I kicked into her leg, and might as well have been sticking a toothpick into an elephant. But I did penetrate her skin.

Everyone, attack!

We did. Marco, in gorilla morph punched, but that didn't do much. Ax in Andalite form slashed again and again with his tail. Rachel swiped her paws, and Cassie bit and chewed. And, more importantly, Tobias demorphed.

But too slow! Already Estreen was shrinking at warp speed, and becoming her 'normal' self. The beak-dino-Pemalite-Howler thing. And we were running out of time.

Chapter 39- Lauren

I snapped awake. Something was happening. I could feel it. I had been dreaming of green-and-black-and-red lava creatures attacking a weird bladed beast. But they were like nothing I had ever seen. But something… What was happening to me? Was I mad?

I slid out of bed, and turned a light on, and put regular clothes on instead of sleeping clothes. Then I quietly opened the door, and headed downstairs, and grabbed my coat and slithered out the door.

Pulling my hood up, and ducking my head down from people, I headed down the street. I didn't know where I was going. Just…somewhere.

I sped down the sidewalk, pushing past the very rare walking person. It was late. Or early, depending on your point of view. One in the morning, and pitch black, except for the street lamps that barely lit the way. There were shadows everywhere, and I was, for once, scared. But I kept walking, head down, watching my feet. I turned, went straight, and turned again and again and again. I just wanted to be anywhere. Inside me I felt a gut-wrenching sickness, and it only sped me on, until I was running through the night, panting, moving faster and faster through the darkness.

I shoved past the third person I'd seen, slowing down again. I panted for a minute, then resumed running. And then, I felt it. I was there.

I stood before the looming shape of the abandoned warehouse.

Chapter 40- Lauren

I approached it, and heard sounds coming from it. Roars and muffled words. I stopped, knowing whatever I did was about to change my life. Whether I walked away or went in.

That's when I saw the hole in the wall. I peered in, and through it, I saw the bladed beast from my dreams. And there, slashing and roaring was the other monster. The beaked, bladed-slash-human thing. I stared, and I saw a wolf, a hawk, and a gorilla attack the bladed-slash-human thing. Then something else came into view. A centaur-four eyed-scorpion tailed creature attacking with its tail.

I shrank to the side, breathing hard. Aliens? Did this have to do with, with what Principal Chapman had been talking about on that long-ago night in the construction site? I didn't know. But suddenly, life seemed a bit…life-draining.

I slid to the ground, my back to the wall. I took another deep breath. Calmed down a bit. And peeked in through the hole again.

The bladed, six or seven foot monster was trying to pull back, but the green, red, and black lava thing was continuing the attack. And I heard a voice, finally. It must've been shouted for me to hear it.

"Can't demorph, Andalite!" It snarled. I think it was the lava beast. "I'll trap you if I can't destroy you!"

I moved away from the hole and had three seconds to think "What?" when I felt it. I slammed myself to the ground just as a huge THING leapt at me. It hit the wall where I would've been a few seconds later, and fell onto me.

The wind was knocked from my lungs, and I was pinned under the beast. "Uhhhnng." I groaned.

The creature above me hissed. But then, as suddenly as it had been there, it was gone. It leapt off me, and loped off, a brown blur. And that's when I heard "RETREAT!". At least, I thought I did. And through the hole in the wall ran a gorilla, bladed-beast, bear, wolf, hawk, and the alien thing.