A/N: Okay, I know I haven't updated in a long time, but I've had huge writer's block up until now. It should be smooth sailing from here until the end of this story. I only expect there to be five more chapters, including this one. I hope people are still interested in this story because it seems that a lot of my regular reviewers have stopped reviewing.
Disclaimer: I only own Hope, Sarah, Bade, Josh, and Alexandria. K.A. Applegate owns the Animorphs in general.
Shit. We are so very screwed, Alexandria said as she was backed into a corner by ten Hork-Bajir wielding Dracon beams. Sarah had an escape route in back of her, but she was much too big to even go two feet in. Josh was in the best position, having the advantage of both size and speed, but I knew that no matter how scared he was, he wouldn't leave us. Bade had even more Hork-Bajir and Dracon beams pointed at him than Alexandria, probably because he could easily crush anything in his path if he wasn't threatened by weapons used by an evil race. All I could do was watch as my friends were about to be killed.
It was then that I learned that the worst pain of all, even worse than being tortured or taking off the blue necklace, was feeling helpless while your friends are fighting or suffering. I couldn't take it anymore. I'm going to morph guys. Screw it if anyone sees, I prepped myself for battle with a couple of deep breaths. I closed my eyes, intending to change back into my true form but was stopped.
No! four voices rang in my head at once. They all sounded dead serious, but then again, so was I. But the few seconds that it took to process what they said was the few seconds that it took to rationalize with myself. It would be suicide to morph without some sort of cover. Still, it took every ounce of my self control to not morph.
I know you want to help, but we can't let you be seen. For your parents if not for anybody else, Bade said to me. I swallowed. He was right, that was the whole point of coming here. If I could save them, then maybe all our fighting would be worth something other than the death of millions.
Okay. Geez, and I thought I was leader. The first thing we need to do is break open all these cages and get everyone out of here. We need Sarah for that. Josh, I want you to start running around and try to get the Hork-Bajir away from Sarah. Bade and Alexandria, you've got the toughest morphs, fight your way out. Try and get me out of this cage and I'll morph when I have some cover. Got it? I ordered.
Okay, I'm on it. Josh said. He broke away from the Hork-Bajir and started weaving his way through the Yeerk pool. Like I predicted, the Hork-Bajir fired guns at him and a few even hit the Yeerk pool, which started to bubble. I couldn't help but smile. Luckily, it didn't look out of place because most of the people in the cages were cheering and smiling too. I watched as Josh made all the Hork-Bajir that were surrounding him as well as some of the ones surrounding Bade, Sarah, and Alexandria run after him.
I love this morph! Okay, so maybe it's not the deadliest morph, but these reflexes are the best. Josh said as he ran along the edge of the Yeerk pool. The Hork-Bajir didn't seem to notice because they were still firing and now most of them were hitting the Yeerk pool. Other shots either hit the ground or Josh. Josh picked up speed and started looping around to where Sarah was.
Man, are Hork-Bajir stupid or what? Can't they see that all they have to do is aim ahead of Josh and they'll hit him? Bade said. He twitched his trunk, preparing to make a break for it. Alexandria readied her legs to spring. Sarah was still helpless.
Don't give them any ideas Bade, Alexandria warned Bade.
Hey, they're doing my job! Sarah yelled as Josh looped around. The Hork-Bajir were starting to gain on him. With his last ounce of speed, he ran right next to one of the Hork-Bajir that were surrounding Sarah. The lead Hork-Bajir missed Josh and instead hit the Hork-Bajir that he had run past just moments ago. The Hork-Bajir that was shot crumpled and distracted the others of the group for a few seconds. In those few seconds, Sarah hit three Hork-Bajir and grabbed one Dracon beam. Alexandria pounced on the Hork-Bajir in front of her. Bade picked up the Hork-Bajir on the end and used him as club to get rid of all the other Hork-Bajir surrounding him.
Okay, Sarah, get everyone out of here and fry some slugs! I yelled in thought-speak. I slinked back into the shadows of the cage and demorphed as slowly as I could. No one noticed me since they were all concentrating on the battle.
Uh, this is probably a bad time to mention this, but…how do I use this thing? Sarah asked. I smacked myself in the forehead and then banged the back of my head against the bars. I should have known that none of us would know how to use it.
I don't know and I don't care as long as you know how to use it! Get everyone out of here or we're all dead! Those people are our distraction. Alexandria yelled as she tackled a Taxxon and ripped it apart. Sarah held onto the Dracon beam, but instead of firing it, she knuckled her way to where the cages were.
Alexandria! Bade! Josh! Cover for Sarah! Sarah, don't break open my cage first! everyone obeyed my orders. Sarah reached the cages and fiddled with the Dracon beam. She did a test and fired it into the Yeerk pool. It worked and a small part of me wished I could hear those Yeerks that were killed scream. She then aimed the Dracon beam at the lock and pressed the trigger. The people in the cage ducked just in time as the beam went straight through the lock. Sarah knuckled to the cage next to it and fired again. I got ready to run as I realized that my cage was next.
Get ready Hope! Sarah fired the beam and the cage was silent as Sarah got out of the way. Then, the person near the front of cage pushed the door open and the small area turned into complete and utter chaos. That was exactly how I wanted it. No one noticed as I ran out and then crouched in a dark corner. Bade was providing protection as he was right in front of me getting rid of some bloodthirsty Taxxons.
Okay, necklace, I know that you make me able to morph better than I normally would. I know that I'm not a natural Estreen. Now, I need you to make me morph faster than ever before. I thought/prayed as I demorphed completely. Then I concentrated on my morph.
The first thing that happened was the tail. It sprouted out full and thick, covered with yellow spotted fur. My ears crawled up to the top of my head and changed into half circles, complete with fur. My fingers shrank and became fatter until they turned into paws. My eyes changed color and were suddenly not so blind in the darkness. I grew and I felt itchy all over as the rest of my fur sprouted. My hair shrank back in my head and changed by a few shades. Lastly, my feet changed to paws and my nose turned black, improving my sense of smell. I was fully leopard and a killing machine.
Damn it, we're screwed, Alexandria screamed as a Hork-Bajir slashed he shoulder. Sarah gave up trying to free people and took up saving her butt. Bade had to move in order to keep Sarah from falling into the Yeerk pool. He was hanging onto her by her pointer finger.
This is going to hurt Sarah, Bade said as he threw Sarah into the air. If the situation hadn't been so serious, it would have been funny to see a full grown gorilla flying in the air. Sarah landed with a thud and grudgingly got up.
We're outnumbered! Josh yelled. He was backed into a corner and there was no way that he could escape this time.
Josh! Alexandria and Sarah hollered at the same time. Alexandria tried leaping towards him, but she was starting to wobble from blood loss. Sarah was still all away across the Yeerk pool, fighting with three Hork-Bajir who seemed to like to dig their blades into her soft flesh.
This can't get any worse, Bade said. Even he was losing, and he was an elephant! He had burn marks all over him and his left ear was almost completely cut off. I was ready to join the battle. I thought it couldn't get any worse too.
I was wrong.
Well, I think you deserve some applause. Don't you think so, guards?! A rather familiar voice rang in my head. I turned my head and saw him. Ax. Animorph. And deep within his skull, Visser One. He was surrounded by Hork-Bajir dressed in red and gold. They started clapping out of fear. I studied him. He had dark blue fur, muscular hind legs and torso, and cold green eyes, all four of them! His tail was sharp and deadly, like he had sharpened it. I readied myself to spring, to make him feel an iota of the pain that I was feeling. My greatest desire right then was to make him bleed, maybe even hurt him. But I was stopped by another cold voice.
"Hi, perhaps we should introduce ourselves. I'm Rachel, as in the Animorph Rachel. But now I've joined the winning team, and so will you," said a cool feminine voice. Rachel had eyes colder than the North Pole and her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was dressed in skintight clothes and might I add not very fashionable clothes. I couldn't see facial features very well because she was in too much shadow and was too far away. However, her voice sounded as if she was standing right next to me talking into my ear.
Never, snarled Josh, both mentally and physically. He bared his teeth and lunged at a Hork-Bajir. They didn't seem to want to strike back.
How? How did they get another Animorph? Bade asked so only us current Animorphs could here. I had a very sneaking suspicion I knew what happened. I think we all did.
We know how, we just need to know why, Alexandria said.
Idiot. We know why. What we need to know is how we're going to get out of here?! Sarah yelled at the two of them.
Don't call Alexandria an idiot, Josh said to Sarah.
What?! Are you her girlfriend or something? Sarah yelled back at Josh. This just showed how tense the situation was.
SARAH IS RIGHT!!! WE'LL FIGURE OUT THE OTHER TWO QUESTIONS AND WHO WINS THE ARGUMENT LATER. LET'S JUST GET OUT OF HERE!!! Bade yelled in thought-speak to loud that everyone, even the people that weren't supposed to hear heard it.
"You aren't going to escape if that's what you're thinking. Look, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. Oh, by the way, I'm Tobias," the former Animorph Tobias said in a sinister voice. He was dressed in a skin tight uniform also. I couldn't see his face either.
We choose…the hard way, Sarah said as she hit the nearest Hork-Bajir. The Hork-Bajir showed her his blades, but made no attempt to attack. Alexandria realized this before I did.
Hey! That's it! They have orders not to attack us! But we don't…do we, Hope? Alexandria asked the last part with hesitation.
Attack away, I said. If I could have, I would have shrugged, but that's sort of hard to do when you're a leopard. Sarah started wrestling with the nearest Yeerk infested host, Bade threw several Hork-Bajir into the slimy Yeerk pool, Josh ripped apart a Taxxon while several of its brothers and sisters ate away at the now exposed internal organs, and Alexandria pounced on a Hork-Bajir.
"You'll never get out. I mean, come on, there are only four of you," Tobias said nonchalantly. I got ready to spring. I waited for my cue, which I knew was going to be introduced by my very best friend who was finally the monkey she was always meant to be.
That's what you think, Sarah said. That's when I pounced. And for the first time, I got a really good look at the Animorph's face. I could see their faces in clear detail. And I recognized who they were, but not from pictures.
Rachel and Tobias were Visser Two and Three.
Rachel and Tobias were my parents.
A/N: Yeah, I know, short chapter. I would have made it longer, but I wanted this chapter to be over with, and I think it would be a little confused if I added the next chapter too. Please read and review.