Chapter 2
"So, we have our own online stalker now? An online Yeerk stalker? How would they know that we're human, anyway," Marco ranted. "I think I'll have to have a serious talk with my firewall." Rachel looked really tired, and very, very irritated. She gave each of us a glare. "I know I haven't told any of my life of being and Animorph on the internet. That's just stupid!" I found out when we first met at Cassie's barn that Marco, Cassie, and Rachel have received a similar message in emails last night. She sent Marco a look, especially. "What? You think I would sell us out?" "Everyone, calm down," I said. I was a little tired. I believed "Laura" should have decided 10 AM instead of around nine. I couldn't get much sleep that night. My mind was just full of questions that couldn't be answered. Rachel was cranky. Marco was just the same.
-(Maybe once this Laura person comes here as scheduled, she'll start explaining,)- Tobias suggested. -(I don't understand what the Ellimist has to do with the human, if she is one,)- said a confused Ax. It's short for Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. He's an Andalite. He's a mix of a human, deer and a scorpion basically, with blue and tannish fur. He has four eyes. Two of them that can turn in different direction on stalks. The other two are where a pair of human eyes would be. Those would be his main eyes. What's deadly about an Andalite, is the scythe blade near the end of his tail. I saw Ax use it in battle many times. It strikes so fast that you can't see it move.
"I think all of us are on the same page here," Marco said, a little calmer now. "We don't know what to think, but to remain here until nine." "We need to think on how to deal with this situation," I strongly insisted. "Absolutely right," Rachel piped up in agreement. "We can morph, right? If she tries anything, we'd take her down in our battle morphs."
Cassie, though, had been pretty quiet, listening to us argue and complain and moan about "Laura." She was tending to some of the animals, but listened in on what each of us had to say on this. The barn is the Wildlife Rehabitation Center. Both of her parents are veterinarians. Cassie and her dad run what goes on in the barn. They take in sick injured squirrels, hawks, deer, wolves. Any local animal that lives around here. Cassie's mom works at the Gardens, which is home to some more exotic animals. It's a zoo and amusement park all in one. So, this means that Cassie is our animal expert. She even picks out new morphs for us from time to time. To become an animal for two hours, we have to touch the animal, or acquire it, for a DNA sample.
Once Rachel was done talking, she spoke up. "But what if she really is an ally? What if it's all really true? The morphing capability and other things she could do, I mean… I think it would be pretty nice to have another ally." I considered her statement there. The more allies, the better. We have the free Hork-Bajir colony, a peaceful alien race that lives in a hidden valley. We have the Chee too, peace loving robotic dogs that are our spies. And the Ellimist, only rarely though. "But wouldn't she have considered a later time? Just how many hours does she sleep, anyway," complained Marco. "I know, it's a rather bad time, but she said nine," I pointed out for everyone. I turned to Tobias. He seemed to have known what I was going to suggest. -(I'm already on it, Jake. Later, I'll fly around and take a look to see if she'll come.)- I nodded in approval.
"Still, what if it's a setup? What if she's not with us," Marco pondered. "We morph in battle mode if we need to," I said. It was early in the morning, I was tired, and it seemed to be one of the most reasonable things I could think of. "If it's not, then we should listen in on what Laura has to say," Cassie counter-pointed. "Right," I said. "So, what do we do now? Can I go back to bed," Rachel said, still grumpy. "Even if she is an ally, I'm going to tell her a thing or two…" "Yeah, you do that, Xena," Marco teased. "Beauty sleep must be everything to you." Rachel gave him a death glare and didn't say anything in response.
Rachel is usually like a super model, looking like a spotlight is on her all the time. But this morning, for once in our lives, she did not look pretty. Most people say she's beautiful, but I don't think of her that way. She's my cousin. But she's not about looks. Deep inside of her is a warrior. That's why Marco refers to her as Xena: the Warrior Princess. It's like the Yeerk invasion was the best thing to have ever happen in her life. She's there whenever there's danger. She lives to fight. This morning, I don't think she was up to it. Everyone could see the bags under her eyes. She must have stayed up as late as I was. So, did the weird email thing happen to her too? No, everyone else checked their emails in the morning. All but Tobias and Ax. They live in the woods beyond Cassie's barn, and don't have computers.
I checked my watch. It was 7:30 now. We still had time. "So, any last thoughts or opinions," I asked everyone. They were quiet. "I'd like to go back to sleep now, if that's okay." Rachel, of course. I shrugged and rubbed my eyelids. Resting a little more wasn't such a bad idea right now. "Alright, but you better be here by nine." "I'll set my alarm clock then." She left the barn shortly after that.
All of us had gone our separate ways. Most of us were pretty tired. I stayed behind to help Cassie take care of the animals for a bit, then I stepped on my bike and pedaled home. I too, would have to set my alarm clock once I got back in bed.