"Um," Tobias said, "what is he doing?"

"Looks like he really likes the Cinnabon," Cassie remarked.

"Drugs," I commented. A man next to us nodded in agreement.

Tobias leaned in close and whispered. "Or…"

He didn't have to finish. More than likely, the kid was on PCP or some shit. In which case, I had no pity for him. Only idiots do drugs.

But he could also be a Controller. We had no idea how Controllers looked or acted. I had imagined that they'd be indistinguishable from normal people. But I could be wrong.

But, if this was a Controller, maybe we could capture him. Maybe we could stash him somewhere and make him tell us whatever we needed to know about the Yeerks.

A plan formed in my mind. "Follow my lead, guys."

"What?"

"Oh, no." Cassie shook her head. "No. Every time I see that look, I have to promise my parents I'll never do whatever you pulled me into again. No, ma'am. Not today."

I grinned. "Coward."

"Yep."

"Fine. Keep watch, then. If he tries to run this way, grab him." I grabbed Tobias by the wrist and elbowed my way through the crowd.

The kid had figured out he wasn't going to fit the whole sticky bun into his mouth. At least, not while it was in the box. He carefully laid the box on the table in front of him, and lifted the sticky bun out of it. He resumed stuffing his face with it.

[That is so gross.] Cassie said in our heads. She was using thought-speak, a skill we had all picked up as a side effect of our new morphing abilities. It was super useful, allowing us to speak privately and silently, even when surrounded by people. We could speak to specific people or broadcast our thoughts for everyone in range to hear.

In this case, Tobias, Cassie, and myself could communicate with each other without alerting the Controller to our presence. [Tobias, circle behind him.]

Tobias made his way out of the kid's line of sight. He went left. I went right.

[When I tell you to,] I instructed, [grab his arms.]

[Got it.]

We took one step towards the Controller. Then another.

[I'm going to thought-speak at him,] I told the others. [I'll say something only a Yeerk would know. If he reacts, Tobias, we're going to grab him and march him through the crowd and out to Cassie's van.]

[Why does it have to be my van?] Cassie asked immediately.

I ignored her. [Okay, everyone get ready.]

[We are not using my van to kidnap somebody.]

To the Controller I said, [Elfangor.]

The Controller stopped.

I tensed.

He stood straight up, and I rushed forward.

My dad is a cop. And he's overprotective. It can be frustrating, sometimes, but other times, it's pretty cool. For instance, he taught my sister and I that arm lock cops like to do. You know how, in movies and on TV, when they grab a suspect, wrench their arm behind their back, and slam them down on the hood of a squad car? My dad taught us how to do that.

The Controller was on his face and choking on his sticky bun before he knew what hit him.

Because I am amazing.

He tried to get his free arm under him, but Tobias grabbed him by the wrist and pinned his arm to the table. The Controller struggled and coughed, spewing chewed-up sticky bun all over the table.

Someone started clapping.

[Ew,] Cassie said helpfully.

A woman stepped out of the crowd. Tobias held a hand up. "It's alright," he told her. "We've got this."

[Come with us,] I said. [Nice and easy.]

[Unhand me.]

I looked over at Tobias. Tobias was focused on the Controller. The thought-speaking Controller.

[Guys, he just -]

Riiiiiiip!

"Look out!"

"What the…"

"What is that?!"

Cassie was shouting in our head. [Guys, get off of him now!]

I shoved hard and pushed myself away from the Controller. Tobias dropped his arm like a hot pan and backpedaled as far from the Controller as he could get. I saw a flicker of motion to my right and ducked.

A sharp, bony blade swept through the air where my neck had been. A blade attached to a long, whip-like tail. A tail covered in blue fur. I knew that tail. I once saw it cut an entire arm off at the shoulder.

It was the tail of an -

"Andalite!"

The woman Tobias warned off reached into her purse and drew a gun. She aimed it at the kid with the Andalite tail. He ducked under the table.

BLAM! BLAM!

Holy shit, that was loud! You hear gunfire in shows or movies and you think, "Oh, cool, guns!" But TV and Netflix don't prepare you for the noise.

The crowd started screaming and took off. "Shooter!" someone shouted. "Active shooter!" I heard more screaming further back.

[Cassie, run!]

[What about you?!]

[We'll catch up! Tobias, morph!]

Tobias went under a table. I vaulted over the Cinnabon counter and crouched behind it. I carefully raised my head over the counter so I could watch the woman with the gun.

The woman, obviously a Controller, walked around the table the Andalite was under. It looked less like a kid, now. The "kid" was growing blue fur and an extra pair of legs.

"Die, Anda -"

That unholy tail got her in the ankles, knocking her to the ground. I saw a foot in a shoe go flying across the food court.

She screamed. The tail raised up and came down on her head. She stopped screaming.

The table flipped over, and the Andalite stood up. He looked just like Elfangor had. Andalites resemble centaurs, but they have seven fingers on each hand, and an extra pair of eyes swiveling on stalks on top of their heads. Slits for noses, no mouths at all, and a tail twice as long as their bodies and sporting that wicked blade.

I looked around. No one else was in the food court but us and Tobias. I decided to try talking to it.

[Hey!]

All four eyes turned towards me.

I waved. [Yeah, me! The girl. Listen, there's going to be cops crawling all over this place in about five minutes. We need to leave. Can you -]

The Andalite turned away from me and ran out into the mall.