Rachel

We were all gathered at Cassie's barn. Tobias had called the meeting instead of Jake, which was strange. Not that it would have exactly been normal if it had been Jake who had decided to hold a meeting of an alien, a bird-boy, and four kids who could turn into animals, but it was certainly less normal that bird-boy had called the meeting.

Tobias usually only called meetings when he had seen something important like a new entrance into the Yeerk pool, or someone special being controlled by a Yeerk. I greatly feared it would be the former.

Given the all-clear by Tobias, Ax made his way from the edge of the near-by woods to the barn. The talking could now begin.

But, it didn't, at least, not right away. Everyone was looking at Tobias. Tobias looked like any other hawk, but he was still looking hesitant, like we might dismiss whatever he had to say as either made up, or not important.

(There was this guy in my field today, who was killing rabbits with his bare hands and calling me "comrade." he said finally. ) I can see why he thought we would dismiss it.

"Maybe an escaped insane guy?" ventured Marco.

Tobias turned his gaze toward Marco. (It's not the fact that he spoke to me that bothers me most. This guy had very strange look about him. Not only was he out of place; not only was killing rabbits, but he was catching and killing rabbits with his bare hands.)

"So?" said Marco, though in a very interested way.

(Jackrabbits are very fast, and this guy just ran after it and pounced, like a cat. He caught it very easily.) explained Tobias, now sounding very sure that this was important as though he had been convincing himself as well as the rest of us. (And did I mention that he was dressed weird?)

"Mental institution attire?" I said jokingly.

(Color changing t-shirt.)

Jake put a temporary end to the jokes by asking some serious questions. "Okay. So there is an extremely weird guy hanging around in the woods. What did you want us to do about it? Do you think it is important enough to send someone to tail him?"

(I guess I do think is important,) said Tobias. (I had already planned to find the guy and spy on him. But the way he took out that rabbit.... such speed and power. At first I admired him as one predator to another. But then he looked at me and I felt like might be next. Very scary person, whoever he is. Actually, the only real reason I called you all here is to get a second opinion and to let you guys know what I was doing incase I didn't come back.)

(If you feel that it is that dangerous, I would be happy to come with you.) said Ax.

(He did seem dangerous...) said Tobias, slightly embarrassed. (I might need the help.)

(Then I shall accompany you. But what did you mean when you said you would find him? Didn't you follow him?)

(I got distracted.) he said, now noticeably embarrassed.

"Good plan," said Marco, "I don't have any idea what it will accomplish, but you will certainly accomplish it once you find this one guy in, like, a thousand acres of forest."

(That will be the hard part.) said Ax.

"Then I will make it easy for you." said the guy in question.

00000This would be a really good place to end the chapter. But if I stop now, it will be a month or so until I start writing again.00000

He was strange looking, although he wasn't wearing a color changing t-shirt. He was wearing jeans and a jean jacket; you could hardly get more normal than that. But he did have a strange face, like it had been made out of clay by the worlds best artist, but the artist didn't know what humans looked like and was listening to someone tell him what to do. He looked more or less human, but not quite.

He emerged from the shadowy corner of the barn farthest from the door, but closest to Ax's tail. Ax moved his tail blade toward the guy's throat, but it wasn't there. The guy had moved out of Ax's way so I couldn't tell whether he had leaned back or ducked forward. Ax's eyes grew suddenly wide in surprise and then narrowed in anger. He was mad about someone having dodged his tail, not to mention having sneaked past him. Ax's frustration was understandable; two things Andalites are nearly the best at are tail fighting and surveillance. This intruder had eluded both.

Ax brought the flat of his tail down, aiming for the head to knock him out. The guy stepped to the side and stood there expressionless. Now Ax was mad. He renewed his attack with vigor and his tail responded by whipping this way and that in an effort to land a blow. I watched the guy step or lean out of harm's way several times a second. I now knew what had Tobias meant. I admired this stranger as one warrior to another. It was like watching a kung fu movie on fast forward.

Ax's tail stopped and it took me a second to figure out why. The blade was over the guys head, being held between the guy's palms. Again, Ax's surprise turned to anger and he yanked his tail out of the enemy's grasp, causing his foe's hands to start bleeding.

"Hey..." said the guy, as though someone had just snatched something out of his hand rather than almost cut it off.

Ax made a quick tail maneuver that would certainly end with the striking of his enemy's head. It struck and sank into the flesh of the guy's hand. The guy's fingers closed around the blade causing a grimace to cross his face. He pulled the tail towards him and got a firmer hold of it with his other hand. Now, visibly discomforted by the huge gashes across his palms and no longer enjoying the scuffle, the guy looked Ax in the main eyes and said in an intense tone, "Stop it." Ax, with his tail in check and his astonishment overcoming and replacing his fury, backed away from him.

The guy turned to the rest of us. "May I assume," he said, "that I have the honor of addressing the Animorphs?"

"Perhaps." began Marco. "May I assume I have the honor of addressing Superman?"

The guy's cocky grin widened and he shook his head lightly. "I have many things to tell the Animorphs, and I think my name shall be first, with the condition that you tell it to no one. My serial name is ."

met my eyes and I again knew what Tobias was talking about. This guy made me nervous where so few things do.

00000I had a name for the guy, but I forgot it.00000