My name is Daniel.

Anyways,I had just moved into town,I didn't know anyone there or anyplace to meet people so I chose what looked like a good starting place, 'Kraterz' ,it was a laser tag arena and

it looked popular.

So I go in and pay the guy at the counter, he tells me that the next game is starting in five minutes so I go into this room where you suit-up in the laser tag gear.

There was some kids in there that were about my same age, one of them said some sort of snide remark to a girl that was next to him.

I took my gear from the rack and put it on,one of the guys that worked there poked his head around the door and yelled,"Are you guys gonna play or what? It's almost dance time so hurry up!"

All of the players lined up in the room,I charged my weapon as a loud voice over a loudspeaker said,"Charge your weapons.....AND GET READY TO ANNHILATE THE ENEMY!"

The room filled up with simulated fog and loud music started to play. The game was over pretty soon and my team lost but it really didn't matter.

As I was walking out of the arena, I overheard some kids talking about rampaging yeerks, I disregarded it and continued leaving. As I left I heard this one kid say something like "Alberto's morphing squad", I got away from them quickly because they seemed at the time a bit off there rockers.

As I was walking home through an unfamiliar town, I got lost and accidentaly walked through some sort of construction site.

I kept walking through it,a bit uneasy to stop because who knew who was hiding in the bushes. I was walking very fast when my foot caught something and I fell hard to the ground.I regained the breath that was knocked out of me and looked to see what tripped me.

Burried halfway in the dirt was a blue cube,curiously I dug it up and examined it.It had some sort of odd writing on it and I thaught it was some sort of strange box.

As I picked it up I felt a strange vibration go through me,almost like a mild electric jolt.The feeling left and deciding that it was a cool piece of whatever,so I put it in my backpack and eventually found my way home.

I was gonna make sure to carry this thing with me wherever i went. It seemed much more than it appeared to be.....

Joey

This is amazing! So cool! Best thing I've done in my life! I yelled to no-one.

I've been in 747's, I've been in helicopters, hell, I've flown from New York to London on Concorde, that thing does mach 2. But I have never, ever had any experience more exhilarating than flying over the city in my Swainson's hawk morph. The others had all apparently got bird morphs, but I hadn't seen them yet.

I caught a breeze of air under my wings and soared upwards. Then I spotted Kraterz, I was still miles away, yet I could see it perfectly. The flying was cool, the eyes were cool, could this get any better?

I spotted a squirrel scurrying through the grass nearby, I stared a hole through it with my laser-eyes.

Whoa! Snap out of it, Joey-boy!

I felt kinda sick, I'd let the animal's instincts get the better of me. I'd almost considred eating that squirrel...

I landed in a secluded area, surrounded by bushes. I morphed back, I'd taken Lauren's advice and gotten myself a 'morphing suit'.

Tasteless bike shorts and skintight way to small shirt. Fortunently, I'd planned it all out. I picked up the carrier bag with my now human hands, and pulled out something a little more tasteful. OK, this is going on MY dress sense. But I thought it was tasteful, at least.

We'd already been to Kraterz, but that wasn't where I was headed. After Kraterz, we were going to have a meeting, but we decided to relocate it to the shack in the woods where we'd met last time. We were finishing that off tomorrow. The thing is, after that meeting, I'd gone off into the library, to research an essay I neede to do, I thought I'd spotted something strange.

I sat there again, looking at the same book, same place, right near the counter. I glanced up over the cover, and saw a guy carrying three books uner his arm...yes! Exactly the same combination! I slid the book back into the shelf and went over to the restroom. I shoved my outer clothing into the bag and began to morph.

It was a morph I hadn't practised, I knew I wasn't going to enjoy it. But I needed something that was fast, and wasn't going to look too suspicious.

First, I started to shrink, it wasn't like becoming a bird. This was shrinking in overdrive! My eyes were the last to change. So I still had pretty good vision.

I wish I'd been blind right then.

My arms split open! They seperated and a brown-armour-like shell started to grow around them. Antennae shot out of my head! Finally, the morph was complete, I was a cockroach.

Now, acquirring the thingwas disgusting, becoming one was nauseating. But being one wasn't so bad. The instincts kicked in, not much really, just basically telling me to stay away from the light, and any vibrations that could mean danger. Yeah, vibrations, turns out a roaches hearing isn't anything great. After a while though, I could hear the conversation of people outside in the main library. Alright I thought to myself Time to move. I motored away on my little roach legs. Man! They are fast! It's like taking a Porsche to top speed, then sitting on the roof. ZOOM! My little roach legs tore outta there! Under the door crack. The janitors closet was right next to me, was I too late? Had the morph taken too long?

BLUMP! BLUMP! BLUMP!

More vibrations, the roach brain panicked, but I knew what they were, footsteps. Assuming this was the guy, he was going to open the closet, walk right in, and then...Well, I didn't know what after that.

Let me just go back a bit. While in the library, I'd seen a suspicious looking guy, walk into the janitors closet. It's in the corner, and n-one ever really looks at it anyway. But I just looked up, and saw him.

I kept on watching various people walk up to the counter, and then go over to that closet. Then I ralised it. They were all carrying the same three books, every time!

It was surely a code or something, so I had to check it out...

And there I was, sneaking in behind the guy. He walked in, closed the door silently behind him, and tapped on the wall.

The roach went nuts! LIGHT! LIGHT! GO FROM THE LIGHT! RUN!

I stayed firm, but it was so sudden, poor little roach brain. The light must have scared the crap out of it.

And then came the sounds, the sounds that haunt me in my dreams to this day. The sound of a yeerk slug making a slave of an innocent human being. The screams, the cries for help, the despair.

I'd found the Yeerk pool.

Helen

Later that morning I had a phone call from Joey, I think he was tring to use a code or something. I didnt get what he was talking about, so I phoned Caitlin, who explained it a bit clearer. We were meeting @ the mall, apparently Joey had BIG news. Everyone made it except for James.

I didnt like the sound of it.

20 minutes later we were all round the back of the mall.

"i've found the yeerk pool!" Shouted Joey, like this should mean something to us.

"The what?" I asked

"THE YEERK POOL!" Joey hissed impatiently, Lauren nodded thoughtfully.

"The what?" I repeated

"You know where the yeerks go to feed + stuff," Explained Lauren

"The wha..." Started Alberto

"DONT say it," cut in Caitlyn glaring at Me + Alberto.

"So, whats it got to do with us?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Asked Joey

"Its obvious isnt it? We've got to do something, the andalite gave us these powers so that..."

"We could save the world?" I asked

"Come on, all we're going to do is get ourselfes killed!"

"Well, YOU dont have to come, but i'm going, whos with me?"

Everyone looked at the ground + shuffled their feet.

"Well this is just great," muttered Joey

"well of course i'll come" said Caitlin

"+ me!" said Kyle

"count me in" said Lauren

Soon everyone had agreed, they looked at me expectantly.

"i have but one question......"

Alberto

What's a Yeerk pool?" i asked.

Everyone glanced at each other.

"Hmm, good question," said Joey.

"We should wait for James," said Lauren.

"Yeah, and then you can tell me what the hell you guys are talking about. I'm wasting my time here with you when i could've used this time for chicks to admire me," i said.

"Shut up Alberto," everyone said.

Meanwhile........

James was late for the meeting, but he couldn't help it that he had to pick up his little sister.

He was running full speed to the meeting place, but then he got tired and had to walk.

He sat down on a curb, and waited there till he caught his breath.

But then he saw someone come by.

James' eyes were wide open.

It was a boy. About his age.

But he wasn't looking at the boy.

He was looking at the blue box the boy was holding.

The morphing cube.

A/N Yes, I know it's like the first book. It's supposed to be. It's where it all starts off. The copying of basic storylines are mostly over. This is where it gets a little too problematic for these new "Animorphs". Trust me. I know. We're already into Book #3 and it becomes way different.