What Slade had just said was literally true. He really couldn't feel the twigs, pine needles and other forest debris that he was running over. Though Slade didn't know it, when he had first set foot on the broken terrain, the Teknocircuts in his feet and legs had powered up instinctively.
The extra energy pumping through his body was being channeled into his feet, giving the skin there a strength boost. The tensile strength of his skin was enhanced until it would almost have been a match for tempered steel.
Ness Carter's body had already been in top physical condition, both from his martial arts training and from his track-and-field. But now, with the alterations and enhancements that the Radam had made to his body, Slade had far more endurance than even the most well trained Olympic athlete.
His speed, physical strength, endurance and reflexes had all been boosted to inhuman levels. He was only running fast enough to keep up with the wolves, but he could have overtaken them at any time.
***
While Slade ran along behind them, Jake was busy berating himself for talking about Animorph business in front of Slade. Stupid, stupid, stupid! What do I even know about the guy? And then I go and tell him everything?! What was I thinking?
Jake would admit, if only to himself, that he hadn't been thinking of the consequences when Slade was in the barn. He had been too focused on what Starfire had told him. That dream had seemed so real, but Slade was still an unknown quantity. Jake didn't know if they could trust him.
You have instincts, Jake. Trust them.
Starfire?
Yes. I am here, the dead Tekkaman said.
What did you mean, before? Will Slade really be a help to us? Will he fight with us? And what about his family?
Peace, Jake. Things will go as they must.
What about Slade's family? Jake asked, knowing that Starfire wouldn't tell him anything further about Slade's place in the Animorphs.
Slade remembers nothing of his family. It is the way the Radam operate, I'm afraid.
There was no mistaking the pity in Starfire's silent tone. Jake felt sorry for Slade, too. But at least he knew a bit more about Slade than he had before.
***
Cassie was also thinking about the soon-to-be newest Animorph. She wondered why he had been so… protective. It hadn't been as if he was attracted to her, and had seen Jake as a threat. It was more as if he was an older brother looking out for his little sister.
I wonder why he did that? Cassie wondered. Who would I remind him of? Cassie was running too fast to risk upsetting her momentum by looking back at Slade, Cassie decided to ask him once they got where they were going.
***
About three miles of dense woods separated Slade and the Animorphs from the Carters' cabin. At the rate they were traveling, it would take them ten more minutes to get there.
***
As he ran, Slade couldn't shake the feeling that he'd done this before. This kind of thing, anyway. Alone in the forest, running and running, people ahead and people behind, but no one close enough to talk to. It was a very freeing experience, or that was what Slade thought.
The area he was in now also seemed familiar to him, though for the life of him Slade couldn't tell why. It was almost as if he had been here before. Shelving those thoughts, Slade focused on his running. He wouldn't do anyone any good if he got lost.
***
Starfire had been silent for some time now, but Jake still felt like the Tekkaman was watching over him. My own personal guardian angel. Jake was so surprised by that thought, he nearly stopped in his tracks. Only the fact that they had somewhere to go and that stopping would lead to all kinds of inconvenient questions kept him running. But still, Jake wondered what had prompted him to think of Starfire like that.
He kept running, pushing the thought out of his mind. They were getting closer, Jake could tell. There were old human scents all over this place, Jake could even smell Slade's – or at least Ness' – scent in a fading, but still somewhat distinct trail.
Finally, Jake caught a glimpse of the cabin up ahead. It was really a nice-looking place, even homey in a rustic kind of way.
Okay, we're almost to the cabin now, Tobias said. I think you guys should start slowing down. You don't want to crash into the front of the house, do you?
I have a better idea, Jake said. We'll stop here. We need to consider our next move.
Right, Jake, Slade agreed, stopping when he was standing next to Jake and Cassie.
So, how do we get inside? Cassie asked.
If Rachel were here, she'd probably say to break a window, Tobias laughed.
Yeah, I think she would. Jake chuckled softly, then became serious again. But we want to get in there without destroying the house. And preferably without letting anyone know we were there at all.
***
Slade considered the problem. They needed to get inside this house, and Jake didn't want anyone to know they'd been there at all. There was something… something about this house. Something that Slade felt he should be remembering. What was it?
Slade shook his head. Why is this happening to me?! He screamed in the privacy of his own mind. It was just a house, some stupid cabin hidden away in the woods! There was no goddamned reason it should be so… familiar. I think I'm losing my mind.
Slade narrowed his eyes, trying to look at the house as if it was just a tricky problem he had to solve.
So, Slade, do you have any ideas? Jake asked.
Why would I have any better ideas than you? Slade snapped, a little more harshly than he had to. That feeling of familiarity was seriously starting to annoy him.
Oh, no reason, Jake said evasively.
You're hiding something from me, Slade snarled, not sure how he knew that, and getting more than a little annoyed at suddenly knowing things without knowing how he knew them.
Slade was about to demand that Jake tell him what he knows, when a thought, actually more of an instinct or an impulse, but something that roughly translated into, Jake is my leader, if he doesn't want to tell me, then that's his business, ran through Slade's mind. This thought, oddly enough, calmed him.
I'm not hiding anything from you, Slade, Jake said.
It's not important. I don't need to know. Instead, Slade focused on the cabin in front of him. The vague memory that he had been trying to suppress came to the fore, he was watching... someone… put a key into a slot on that door and open it.
Slade didn't know why he was seeing that but, on impulse, he began walking out from under the cover of the trees.
Slade, what are you doing? Cassie asked.
I… think I have an idea.
When Slade reached the door, he began feeling along the left edge of the doorframe. There was something here, and Slade had long since decided not to bother questioning the randomly appearing knowledge in his mind anymore. It was there, so he was going to use it, no questions asked.
