Chapter 22

--Guys - this is a get-out-and-go job,-- I could just make out Sam yelling. --There's going to be some bloodshed, but there's nothing we can do about that. Like before - try to disable rather than eliminate - some might be innocent employees. Just try and disarm as many Controllers as you can. Philip - when you're clear, let me know. Then get everyone to morph to raptors, ASAP.--

Philip hesitated, unsure whether he could take command. His past and present were fighting an internal raging battle.

Maggie picked up on this, even though she knew nothing of Philip's past. --You can do this, Philip,-- she said. --We need you!--

--Sam, Ferdie, I could use some help in here!-- Philip yelled, as two armed Controllers ran past me into the office.

--Ferdie - get in the office and give Philip a hand!-- Sam barked. --Maggie - get out on the landing and stop more Controllers coming up the stairs. I'm going to morph and try and prevent backup from entering the building.--

Maggie burst out of the door, into the corridor. I could hear footsteps coming up the stairs, and Maggie growling. I completed the changes to lynx, feeling its' mind surface below my own. It didn't like being cooped up in a dark space. It wanted out. That was fine with me. I wanted out, too.

--Philip - hang on!-- I shouted, feeling the incredible rush of adrenaline I usually craved building up inside me. I bounded out through the door, into the office, relishing the liquid grace and incomparable power of my cat morph as I entered my second battle in as many days.

--Yahhh!-- I cried. I soared through the air, hitting my paws against the director's back. He managed to dodge out of the way, but losing his balance as he did so. Philip lunged at the chance. He grabbed the director's ankles between his teeth, hindering his ability to stand. He fell forward onto all fours, dropping the Dracon beam.

--Ferdie - get rid of that thing!-- Philip shouted. He swiped his paw at the man's face, blinding him.

--Already on it!-- I shouted, pouncing towards it. I grabbed the Dracon between my teeth, narrowly dodging a beam of Dracon fire, leaping behind a chair for shelter. What a move! Talk about Mission Impossible!

"Don't kill them, you fools!" yelled the director. They have to be able to demorph so we can infest them! Reynolds! Get this damn animal off me!"

The second Controller - Reynolds - aimed his Dracon at me.

--Argghh!-- I yelled. I smelt burnt fur. I felt an incredible agony from my side. Reynolds had fired and hit - but not killed me. Low power. I assumed it was set at 'stun' for humans - but it would take more than an electric shock to take me down. This enraged both my own, human mind, and the lynx inside me.

I growled as much as the rather pitiful lynx growl would allow me, throwing myself at the third Controller, who'd so far missed each and every one of his shots. He hit the ground, his Dracon beam sliding under a desk.

--Guys - Sam here!-- I heard a voice yell. --I'm falcon, but it's proving impossible to prevent anyone else from entering! There are more Controllers than I thought and this bird's not the greatest of warriors! How are you doing up there?--

--Where did you morph!-- I yelled back, snarling at the second Controller. The last time I had spoken to Sam, she was crow.

--Somewhere very dangerous, very open, and very frightening!-- replied Sam.

Philip was still locked in deadly combat with the director. I had knocked one Controller unconscious, and disarmed the other. Maggie was still in the corridor, ripping, tearing, dodging. I saw that she was limping. She had a nasty gash across her face, and half an ear was missing.

Suddenly, I had an idea. But I would need everyone together.

--Maggie!-- I called. --Get in the office if you can! Get under a desk and start demorphing!--

--What? Why?--

--Please - I don't have time to explain!--

She gave a Controller a final bite on the leg, sending him and several others tumbling down the stairs. She turned and loped into the office.

I was still holding the director's Dracon beam. Could be useful. I focused on the image of myself, but concentrated only on morphing my hands. I felt the changes begin immediately. I ducked down behind the desk - for the next few minutes, I would be vulnerable without all my claws. I watched as the creamy coloured, spotted fur disappeared from my front paws. The claws retracted, and dissolved. Fingers and thumbs emerged, lengthening, becoming jointed. The pads on my palms grew soft and fleshy. I opened my still lynx mouth and grabbed the Dracon in my newly formed hands. I stood up on my hind legs, peering over the desk at the director. And then, like the trained hunter I was, I took aim, and pulled the trigger. The director tumbled backwards, unconscious. I shifted position and took aim at the other still-conscious Controller. It must have looked hilarious - a mutant cat with hands, pointing a futuristic gun at a mind controlling alien Yeerk. If the Controller found it funny, however, he had no time to laugh. He was soon unconscious on the floor.

--You really should be the one doing the shooting!-- I yelled to Philip. --You were always better than me! Anyway - demorph and get to hawk!--

Maggie was almost human. I completed the last of the changes, keeping the Dracon aimed at the door. I didn't hesitate to shoot any other Controllers still daring to confront me.

--Sam! We're morphing raptors now!-- yelled Philip. --You don't need to bother holding anyone else off.--

--Good - I was almost killed about a million times just then! I'm going sky-high! You guys join me when you can! Is everyone ok?--

I watched as Sam's falcon form past the office window. I saw that one of her wings was badly damaged, and that she was flying at an angle. She could demorph and remorph, and be healed - but that was a luxury that would have to wait.

"Yeah - we're fine!" I shouted, fully human. I knew she would be able to hear me, even though I had crossed the line into normal speech. Falcons have great hearing.

--Ferdie - come on!-- shouted Philip. He was the fasted morpher out of the four of us. He had already demorphed, and was now immediately morphing to buzzard. Maggie was emerging from her wolf morph, her tail dissolving, teeth becoming useless, her senses becoming weaker. I could feel my own body becoming smaller as I shot towards the ground, becoming hobby. I concentrated on keeping my right hand until the very last minute - the one holding the Dracon - which I kept trained on the doorway until the last second.

--Philip, Maggie - you two get going! I'm going to drop the gun and I don't want you two still around as extra target lessons!--

They flapped up towards the window - Maggie rather laboriously since her huge eagle body was working against dead air - and sailed out of the window. I dropped the Dracon beam, hopped up to the window sill and was out before my hand was even fully falcon.