Thanks to Leevee of Team Socket, Dur'id the Druid, MarieWalker, Bunny-Butler, Matt and J. Jennings for their reviews. So far this story seems to be going a little better, I hope you like this next chapter because it's just sort of to fill everyone in on what the Animorphs are mostly.
Dur'id the Druid: Sort of. This is slighty AU, because in this version there was no Adam, so the Initiative was around at the same time as Dawn. Glory is also not around.
Bunny-Butler: I did a bad job explaining the Tobias thing. What I meant was that he can become human, but if he chooses to remain in that form he will be out of the fight, because he'll never get his morphing power back.
Chapter 4
Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles approached the burnt out husk that had once been the high school, one that held so many memories, both good and bad, for all of them. Most of the walls, though blackened and charred, had survived the explosion, making for a basically large roofless structure that was littered with debris. Once they entered the school, they were out of sight of the road, and for that matter any direction other than straight up. Buffy looked up and saw a lone hawk circling overhead, gliding on the strong thermals that the building and tarmac around it produced.
"Is it just me, or does this reek of a trap?" Xander asked as they entered the hallway that led to the burnt out cafeteria.
Buffy nodded. "If it wasn't day out I'd expect a dozen vamps to jump out from the next corner."
Something did step around the corner, but it caught even Buffy by surprise. Through all the demons and vampires she had slayed, she had never seen anything like the pair that rounded the corner and stood before them. The first creature was something Buffy had seen before, at the zoo in Los Angeles. Standing in front of her was a full-grown Siberian Tiger. That alone shocked her, but what really knocked her off her feet, figuratively of course, was what came next.
Giles, Xander and Willow collectively gasped as the creature came into sight. No one had seen anything like it, either in a book or in real life. Standing before them was a blue creature, which Buffy immediately realized was not a demon. Because of its' blue fur, centaur like form and wicked scythe-like tail it could have easily been mistaken for one, but Buffy could immediately tell that this creature wished them no ill will, a trait pretty much standard to demons with only a couple of exceptions. No this creature was peaceful by nature, Buffy could tell just by looking in it's green eyes, two of four were mounted on flexible stalks atop its' head, Buffy was surprised to find.
Despite its' friendliness, the creature scanned all of their faces carefully, watching their reaction.
I do not believe any of them are Yeerks, Prince Jake. Ax said privately to Jake. Most would not have such control upon seeing me.
Good to know. Jake replied. But we still have to be careful. Anything suspicious and we take them down right away. Got that you three?
Got it. Rachel, Cassie and Marco replied in unison from behind the hall wall. Should Jake call for help, a grizzly bear would break through the charred wall followed by a large gorilla and a wolf.
I'm sorry for all the cloak and dagger. A voice said in the Scoobies' heads. But we can't risk giving ourselves away. To be honest Buffy we have been following you for the last few days just to be sure.
"Who said that?" Xander demanded, whirling around.
I did. the voice said again. Over here, the big orange and black kitty cat.
"Is a tiger talking to us telepathically?" Giles asked.
"Seems like it." Buffy replied, tensing a little as she watched the movements of the big cat.
"Good lord."
My name is Jake. The tiger continued. I'm here for your help.
"You're not the one who saved me last night." Buffy said.
No, that was me. Another voice in their heads said as a hawk swooped down and landed on top of one of the ceiling-less walls. Hi. I'm Tobias. And we're all clear Jake. He added.
And I am Aximili Esgarrouth Isthil. Another voice said, presumably coming from the centaur-like creature. However, you may call me Ax.
"What the hell is going on?!" Buffy demanded. "Why am I talking to a tiger and a hawk and a, well, to be honest I'm not sure what you are."
He's an alien. Jake replied calmly.
"An alien?" Willow asked, going a little pale. "As in from another planet?"
That is correct, Willow. Ax replied.
"I'll ask again." Buffy said, getting annoyed. "What the hell is going on?"
Like I told you Buffy, we need your help. Jake said. What I'm going to tell you may sound unbelievable, but I swear it is the truth. Aliens are invading the Earth.
Buffy and the others eyes him skeptically. "Did a talking tiger just tell us aliens were invading the Earth?" Xander asked in disbelief. "I knew we led weird lives, but this is just full blown insanity!"
Buffy nodded her consent. "Way past the edge of the weird-o-meter here. Look Jake, I've seen a lot of things in my time but I gotta say this isn't real convincing."
Jake sighed in their heads. What do we do? he asked privately to his team. She's right, no one is gonna believe this. I think we need a little more proof.
You better not be talking about demorphing, man. Marco warned. It's way, WAY too risky. If one of them is a Controller we're all dead.
Not if we get him first. Rachel replied. Go for it Jake, we have your back.
Listen, I'm going to show you something that will convince you a little more. Jake told the Scoobies. But if I do, then we have to work something out. I need to watch all of you for three days after this. Except for Buffy none of you can step out of my sight for the next three days, not for one second. Got it?
Giles, Willow and Xander looked at each other, then at Buffy. "It would be possible for us all to stay at my house." Giles said.
"Guys they're gonna cage you not me." Buffy said. "I won't tell you what to do."
Xander shrugged. "I guess I can spare the time."
"Buffy you can bring me my homework right?" Willow asked. Buffy nodded, then turned to Jake.
Okay then here goes. Jake proclaimed. I want to warn you what you're going to watch is disturbing, like seriously disturbing. So please don't try to attack me or something. I promise it's safe.
The group looked at each other warily, then nodded. When they turned back, the tiger began to change. First, he started to shrink. The massive muscles that made the tiger such a powerful animal started to shrink. The tail shrunk and disappeared into spine. With a crunch that earned a couple of grimaces from the Scoobies the knee joints in the tiger's hind legs switched around to that of a biped. Slowly the tiger's fur faded, shrinking back to reveal pink skin. The powerful claws melted back into human fingernails, and the fangs melted back into human teeth.
After a minute or two the grotesque process was complete, and standing before them where a full grown Siberian tiger was a moment ago was a teenager in a ratty t-shirt and bike shorts, maybe sixteen years old, though to Buffy the look in his eyes was one of someone much older. In fact his eyes reminded her of her own, and those of her friends. Jake had seen battle and he had seen death, Buffy realized.
"You're human?" Willow asked. "Are you like some kind of werewolf?"
"Uhh, no." Jake replied. " A couple of years ago me and my friends Rachel, Marco, Cassie and Tobias were walking home from the mall one night. We decided to take a detour through a abandoned construction site." He chuckled. "It was funny, at the time we were more worried about ax murderers than anything else. Anyway Tobias, who was looking up, saw a light moving towards us. A few moments later an alien spaceship crash-landed right near us. Ax's brother, Elfangor, was the pilot. He was a great war hero and a great man, but his race, the Andalites, were losing the battle. He knew it may be years before the Andalites arrived to save us, so he gave us the power to defend ourselves, a bit of power to fight back with. Elfangor gave us the power to morph, to become any animal we touch. That is our only weapon, just us against the entire Yeerk empire."
"What are these Yeerks?" Buffy asked. "How come I haven't seen anything about an invasion on the news?"
"The Yeerks don't work like that." Jake explained. "In their natural form, Yeerks are nothing but big, gross slugs like four inches long. But Yeerks have an awful ability. They fatten out their slimy little bodies and crawl in through your ear, then they wrap themselves around your brain, and they take control. You become nothing more than a puppet to the little slug's will. He can read your memories like an open book, and while you watch he takes over your life. That's why you haven't heard about them, this invasion isn't out in the open. Slowly the Yeerks are infiltrating us, taking more and more humans as hosts every day. Your teacher, your mailman, your brother, any of them could be a Controller. They've already enslaved plenty of other races."
What you saw last night wasn't a demon, Buffy. Tobias said. It was an alien, a Hork-Bajir. The Yeerks have enslaved all of them, they use them as shock troops.
"We fight them, and as far as I know we're the only ones." Jake said. "My friends and I are the only ones standing between the Yeerks and this world, we're the Animorphs."
"What about the Andalites?" Buffy asked.
My people are technologically superior to the Yeerks, and we will defeat them. Ax replied. But they have vast numbers, and the Andalite fleet is spread thin, too thin I'm afraid. They will not arrive here for some time.
"So what makes us so special?" Buffy asked. "I mean, if you've been following me you know I'm the Slayer but you also know I have my own work to do here."
"I don't want you to quit what you're doing." Jake said. "I realize you've got your own battle to fight, and all I want is for you to help us up our firepower a little. We need to acquire some demons."
"You want to morph demons?" Willow asked.
It made sense, Buffy thought. Not much out there more powerful than some of the demons she had faced.
"Before we do that though I'm afraid we have to watch your friends for three days." Jake said.
"Yeah, why is that?" Xander asked. "Because I have to say I'm not thrilled at using up my sick days."
"Yeerks need to return to the Yeerk pool every three days to feed." Jake explained. "If we watch you for three days then we will know that none of you are Controllers, and if any of you are the Yeerk in your head will starve."
"You can trust them." Buffy said. "None of them are Controllers."
Jake gave her a wry smile. "I knew no one I knew was a Controller either, until I found out my brother was one. They are way too good at passing themselves off as human for me to take your word. Just walk back to Mr. Giles house, if that is where you want this to happen. I'll walk with you and my friends will follow me in the air."
Soon after Buffy, Xander, Giles and Willow emerged from the burnt down school with Jake beside them and a group of birds above them. Buffy allowed Willow, Giles and Xander to pull ahead a little then looked over to talk to Jake warrior to warrior. "So Jake, how old are you?"
Jake gave her a pained smile. "Fifteen."
Buffy's gut wrenched. "So you started fighting when…"
"We started fighting the Yeerks two years ago, when we were thirteen." Jake replied.
God, Buffy thought, even I was older than that. "I know what it's like." She said sympathetically.
Jake shook his head. "No you don't, but thanks for the sympathy."
"What do you mean no I don't?" Buffy asked, a little insulted. "I've been killing demons and vampires since I was fifteen."
"Buffy, at least you don't have to be quite as secretive. Your mom knows you're the Slayer, so does and sister, and your friends for that matter. I live in a house with my enemy. If anyone finds out, we're dead, just like that." Jake snapped his fingers. "No time to run, no time to morph, nothing. We're in way over our heads against an enemy that wouldn't even have to flinch to crush us. The only reason we've survived this long is because the Yeerk leader thinks we're Andalite Bandits. Again, I'm not trying to say what we do is tougher or anything, I'm sure you've seen lots of terrible battles, maybe lost people close to you or even had to order a friend to his death, but you still don't know what it's like for us, and I pray to god no one else ever does."
Buffy nodded, understanding his meaning. True, she had faced lots of big bads over the years but none of them could destroy her without any effort at all, and she never had to worry about being super secretive, she just didn't make it public knowledge that she was the Slayer.
The group approached Giles house and entered. Jake immediately went to the closest window and opened in, and one by one five assorted birds of prey flew through it, then got out of sight of the street and began to demorph.
Buffy felt her stomach turn. Jake wasn't kidding, morphing was a really disturbing process. With the exception of one of the birds, an osprey that was turning into a short black girl, the others were like some horrible science experiment gone terribly wrong. Morphing didn't seem to have any discernable order, parts just seemed to randomly shift and melt into other parts. The result was humans with huge bird feet, or a beak. Only one of them was changing in any kind of order. She had grown first, and then allowed most of the changes to happen at the same time making for a smoother transition. The last thing she kept were the now huge osprey wings, which she spread wide before changing them into arms again.
Now the room was inhabited by the Scoobies, four humans, one Andalite, and a hawk. Wait a second. "Hey Tobias, why aren't you demorphing?" Buffy asked.
I am demorphed. Tobias replied simply.
"There's a catch with the morphing power." Jake explained. "Stay in a morph for more than two hours, you stay in that morph forever."
On our first mission I got caught behind enemy lines. Tobias explained. I got out, but not in two hours.
"But you became that alien thing." Buffy pointed out.
"We've had some, 'help' if you could call it that, by a higher up being." A shorter kind with dark hair said sarcastically. "I'm Marco by the way."
"I'm Rachel." Said one of the girls, a tall blonde who, despite looking very pretty, carried a confident air similar to the one Buffy displayed.
"Cassie." Said the shorter black skinned girl.
Buffy turned back to the hawk that was perched on the back of a chair. "So you're a hawk, but you can morph?"
Basically the Ellimist, that's the higher being, offered me a choice. He gave me back my power, and even twisted time so I can morph myself, but if I want to stay in the fight, I have to stay a hawk. Tobias explained. I have to say, I wouldn't mind giving that guy a punch or two.
Buffy noticed that Rachel was watching Tobias with an expression of sorrow.
Marco clapped his hands together. "Alright, so lockdown for the next three days. Anyone up for a game of monopoly?"
End chap 4
Well, hope you guys liked the chapter, and for anyone who didn't know much about the Animorphs I hope that explained it a little better. Thanks for reading and please leave a review!