Disclaimer: Don't look at me. I don't own them.

Jake

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood. I informed Rachel as such.

She gave me a fishy look and informed me that I was spending way too much time around Marco. She also informed me that if I made another bad joke she would go grizzly on my butt.

I grinned. It really was a beautiful day. Especially since we got out of school early for some unknown reason. My cousin and I just got off the bus and were heading home when….

WHOOOOSH!

Something flew low and extremely fast over our heads. I barely got a glimpse of it before it disappeared over the forest.

"Was that a Bug fighter?" Rachel asked. She was putting her hair back in place and looking around like she expected Visser One to park his Blade Ship on the street and charge out with Dracon beams blasting.

I thought it was one too. I couldn't be sure though. It was moving way too fast. I was suddenly overcome with the sense that something was wrong. I glanced back at the city.

The sun was glinting off several things flying over the city. Oh yeah. Something was definitely wrong.

"Rachel, go home and prepare to leave." This might be it. This might…

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what? Prepare to leave? You don't think that it's him, do you?"

I knew who she was talking about. "Yeah, I do. But don't leave until I tell you to." I felt sick. We might have to leave our lives behind. I didn't want to order that.

She started jogging home. I was almost at my house. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. If this was a Yeerk attack, then my brother….my parents…

I opened the door carefully, as if I were trying to sneak in.

"Mom? Dad?" I gulped. "Tom?"

"In here, honey. Your father went to pick Tom up. They should be here any minute." Good, my mom was safe.

But my dad? With Tom? I felt like I had swallowed a lung.

"Mom? Do we…umm…have anything planned?" I had to ask. To make sure we were all going to be here when Tom got back. Because we might have to leave.

And I was NOT going to leave anybody behind.

"Yeah. As soon as Tom gets back he's taking us to a family meeting at the Sharing. He told me not to go any where until he gets back."

What was I going to do? I had to do something! I had to…

"Hey Mom! Hey midget. Sit down, sit down, I have something to tell you all."

My brother…the Yeerk…just walked in. He was followed by my dad, who had a weary look on his face.

"He's been talking about something 'important' and 'life-changing' all the way home. Let's just humor him and be on our way." A smile crossed his lips.

Yeah, Dad, it's called a Yeerk. They wrap their filthy little bodies around your brain and take complete control of your body. And they'll be doing it soon if Tom gets his way.

Tom motioned for us all to sit down at the table. We did. He took out a small box with a button and light on it. He pushed the button. The light was red for a second or two before turning green.

"This is a rather more effective than I thought it would be, considering I made it using human technology. I took it as a challenge." He smiled, but it wasn't Tom. It was the Yeerk. He made no attempt to hide his contempt for us.

My parents exchanged looks, then both stared at Tom like he was crazy.

DIIINNG, DOONNG.

Tom gave me a sharp look because I jumped about a foot in the air. He raised an eyebrow, then laughed at his very human expression.

"I'll get it," my mom said. She got up and went to the door.

Tom was still staring at me. Like I was a puzzle but he didn't just understand me. Like there was something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Surprise, Yeerk.

"AAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEE-." My mom!

(Jake? Jake? This is Tobias. There's a Hork-Bajir at your door! He's heading inside! Oh man, get out now! Me, Ax, and Marco will distract him.)

I had just enough time to wonder why they were in the area when a Hork-Bajir, dragging my fainted mother into the dining room, pointed a Dracon beam at me and my father before addressing Tom.

"The sub-visser is heading further down the street. Do you have this under control?" His guttural speech and reeking breath visibly shook my father.

"Yeah, tell him I will personally take these three to the pool." Without any more from Tom, the Hork-Bajir turned and went back outside. I heard the cry of a hawk outside.

Tom leaped! He pinned me against the wall and slammed a fist into my gut! I was reeling, I felt like I was going to puke, but he pulled me upright.

"I just don't understand you, human! The female fainted, that one," he nodded towards Dad, "is shaking uncontrollably, but you! You just look angry! No surprise, no fear in your eyes, just anger!" He punched me again, this time letting me fall to the floor.

I started to get up, looked through the door-side window, and saw a gorilla standing outside. He grinned. I nodded.

And started to go tiger.

Tom just stared. His utter hatred turned into fear. He ran to the door.

(Tobias? Hurry and warn Rachel and Cassie. Tell them to get out as fast as they can! Marco, get my mom and dad to the Hork-Bajir colony, quick!) Tom was out cold, courtesy of Big Jim. (I'll help Ax hold them off.)

I leaped outside. I saw Marco putting my parents in my dad's sedan. He threw Tom, now hog-tied, in the trunk. He almost ripped the driver-side door off before demorphing.

I turned away. My parents were safe. I saw Tobias flying off, and heard my little cousin Sara squealing as Ax pushed her into Rachel's mom's minivan.

Five Hork-Bajir and a dozen human-Controllers rushed Ax! One of the humans grabbed Rachel, but within seconds he was on his knees, clutching his…area. Rachel started to go grizzly. Her mom was just staring.

(Go! If you want to live just go!) I addressed my aunt. (You too, Rachel. She needs a guide to the colony. We'll hold them off!) I had just finished my sentence when I pounced, landing on the back of a Hork-Bajir. I dug my claws in and landed in between the Yeerks and Rachel's family, now fully human. She climbed in the van and they pulled out.

FWWAAAPP! FWWAAAPP! FWWAAAPP!

Ax struck left and right, leaving behind a grisly pile of severed heads and limbs. He then turned and started to run.

(If we do not leave now, Prince Jake, we could be overrun and killed,) Ax said, annoyingly calm. I let loose a roar that would make even tough men wet themselves, turned tail and ran. We easily outstripped the Yeerks and went behind a house to morph birds. As I started to go peregrine falcon, Ax was already in the air and flapping low. He was followed by several Dracon beams.

I finished my morph and headed to Cassie's farm. I had to dodge only a few Dracon beams before getting out of their line of fire. I caught a thermal and rose, higher and higher. Within a minute, I was near her house and saw a pickup truck pulling out and heading into the woods.

(Jake? Is that you?)

I saw a red-tailed hawk several hundred feet above me. (Yeah. My family and Rachel's got out okay. How about over here?)

(The Yeerk's haven't got this far yet. Umm, Jake? Where's Tom?

He's with Marco. Within a few days, he'll be just Tom.)

(Good.)

(Yeah. Good.) All-out war? I felt sick and elated all at once.

Note: Okay, about that box with a button and light on it. Basically, it was a signal for the sub-visser in charge of the neighborhood to send a Hork-Bajir to the house. In case you were confused about that. And if you don't know who Big Jim is, he's the gorilla that Marco morphed. Read the first book and you'll understand.