Marco

"Well, well, well," Visser Three said, striding towards us through the many human controllers. "Three Andalite Bandits," then he glanced up and noticed Tobias. "We can get that one down later." He chuckled, very disturbing really. "But where are the other two? The Andalite and the Andalite in tiger morph."

((Did you really think I was going to miss out on all the fun?))

From behind the Visser, a tiger trotted towards us. Jake. The Visser turned sharply and looked down at him with contempt. The many human controllers seemed to deflate.

"My favourite Andalite Bandit," the Visser said. "It will be a great honour killing you."

I swear Jake's tiger face could have smiled. ((I pity you Visser,)) he said, sounding cocky like a true Andalite would. ((Because by tomorrow, you will wish sorely that you were dreaming.))

The Visser laughed, but it was a nervous laugh. "Andalite, look around you," he pointed to the many armed human controllers. "You are deeply mistaken. Fifty-eight armed human controllers surround you and your pitiful warriors," he smiled. "You are dead."

The smile from Jake's tiger face vanished. I shifted my gorilla body uncomfortably. One of the human controllers must have thought I was going to attack, because they set fire and the next second a large hole appeared in my shoulder. I roared in pain.

((Marco!)) Cassie said quietly so only she and I could hear.

((I'm alright,)) I reassured her.

((Visser, are you threatening me?)) Jake asked, unaware of my pain. That's a lot buddy.

"Andalite, are you blind?" the Visser asked. "You are already threatened. But maybe we can come to some sort of agreement."
Jake paused. ((What sort of an agreement?))

"We fight, a battle between you and me," the Visser smirked. "In your true form and mine."

((Deal,)) Jake said, automatically.

((Jake!)) Rachel shouted. ((Are you serious?))

Jake didn't answer, but he didn't demorph.

((You first, Visser,)) he said.

The Visser demorphed. When he was fully Andalite he turned all four eyes on Jake.

((Now, you, Andalite,)) he said.

((I don't think so Visser,)) Jake said, slyly. ((You see the agreement was to be in our true forms. But you are not in yours.))

The Visser looked infuriated. ((Andalite scum!)) he spat. ((I will be the death of you!))

((I doubt that,)) Jake said and lunged.

I had hardly enough time to contemplate what was happening. Blood gushed out of me as human controllers scattered, some towards the Visser and Jake and some away from it. Either way, nobody tried to stop the rest of us.

((Come on Marco,)) Tobias shouted from the sky. ((Let's help Jake.))

((No!)) Jake yelled in our heads. ((Get back. I don't need your help.))

But despite what Jake was saying, he did need our help. Human controllers, no matter how much people had run away, were all over him. The Visser was on the ground, his tail blade ripped from him and lying a couple of feet away, gushing blood. He lay on the ground, screaming obscenities while Jake tried to fight off the swarming human controllers. Many fired Dracon beams, but many had been injured.

((Get out of here!)) Jake shouted in our heads.

((Not a chance,)) Rachel said and plunged forward into the thick, scattering human controllers.

Tobias dove down and started pecking as much people in the eyes as possible, probably doing a good job at it too. Cassie bounded towards a human controller firing at Rachel, but I stayed away, swaying, the pain getting to me.

((Get out of here, Marco!)) Cassie shouted. ((You're hurt! Get away!))

I didn't need telling twice. Without a second glance, I lumbered away from the havoc and down the beach in the direction we had come from.

From the distance as I neared closer and closer to the cave, I heard Jake give his last threat to the Visser.

((Don't mess with me Visser,)) he said, hollowly. ((I won't tolerate it.))

I heard them race after me, but I reached the safety of the cave and started demorphing well before any of them. I was fully human when they entered the cave. Cassie was cut up pretty badly. Rachel had many holes through her torso and I could tell that she had just made it. Jake was missing his tail and one of his eyes was closed due to the large cut going through it. Tobias was unharmed. They started to demorph immediately while I watched on.

"That was close," I said, as Cassie became fully human again.

"That was the stupidest mission I have ever been on," Cassie commented. "Next time we do nothing unless we have more than four people."

((It wasn't that bad,)) Tobias objected from Rachel's now human shoulder.

"Speak for yourself," I spat. "Not all of us had wings to fly away with."

Jake had now demorphed completely. He gave us all a dirty look before turning around and walking calmly back to the entrance of the cave.

"Hey, you're not going to stay around?" Rachel shouted after him.

"No thanks," he spat at us. "I have better things to do."

((So why did you come to the beach to help us out?)) Tobias asked.

"I didn't come to the beach for you," Jake said, laughing. "I was already at the beach."

"What were you doing?" I asked. "Looking to get infested?"

"I was with my friends," Jake defended.

"What friends?" I asked. "Those thugs? Ed, Mark and Nathan? They're hardly friends."
"They're more friends than any of you," Jake said.

There was a deadly quiet that was only interrupted by the waves lapping against the shore. Everyone stared at Jake. Jake stared at us, unflinchingly.

"Hey we saved your butt out there," Rachel raged, breaking the silence. "You should be thanking us!"
"Did you just say you saved my butt?" Jake argued. "Last thing I saw was a few humans shooting you down. I handled the Visser on my own. I saved you from infestation."

"I need to speak to you," Rachel said softly. It wasn't a nice soft voice she used; it was more like a deadly soft voice.

"What?" Jake said.

"I want to speak to you," Rachel repeated. "Now."

"I don't think so," Jake said, turning around to go.

"I said I wanted to speak with you," she said louder. "I want to speak with you. NOW!"

"Rachel," Cassie said, obviously alarmed. "What are you doing?"

Rachel looked at Cassie, then at me and finally at Tobias.

"I want to talk to Jake for a minute," she said. "Do you mind?"

((Sure,)) Tobias said and flew out.

Cassie walked out after him, but I stayed.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking from Jake to Rachel

Rachel was practically growling like the bear she just was. Jake, like me, obviously had no idea what was going on.

"I need to talk to Jake," Rachel said, not taking her eyes off him.

Slowly, I walked towards the exit.