A/N: Because this site doesn't let you put thought speak symbols in, ( and ) will symbolize thought speak. Also written with Ember Nickel a fellow FFN writer.
The game was not going very well. The insert mascot heres were not doing very well. The opposing team, well let's just say they were barely breaking into sweat. And Cassie, seeing what real football was like, was in a hysteria.
"What are they doing!" she cried, dismayed. "They're going to hurt each other!"
"Cassie, that's normal," Jake tried to explain. "That's part of the point of football."
"And American culture is centered around this!" she exclaimed. "We should protest!"
(Personally, I find it rather amusing,) Tobias answered, who had just reached the end of his two hours in morph and had morphed out after dropping to underneath the stands. Suddenly he erupted from where he was and landed on a light post nearby.
(There's no reason for me to be down there in human morph. The view is up here.) He began to circle the stadium as if centered on a piece of prey.
Cassie glared up at Tobias, who was staring at Rachel in a weird way. Rachel gave a slight nod, and he looked away, focusing on the game.
"I still don't think this is right. I mean, why play such an aggressive game? It's almost like something someone purely evil would make up!"
"You mean Visser Three?" Rachel suggested in a whisper.
"No, even he can't be totally evil." The others gawked at her in amazement, wondering at what could possibly be going on.
Suddenly, the other team's quarter back intercepted a catch by pure chance. He looked around, trying to figure out what to do. Not seeing any team-mates open, he ran.
Jake and Rachel stood up and began to boo the play. Cassie looked at them and began to open her mouth, but was interrupted by Tobias, who was wondering if he could tell the referees some violation he saw in the air.
Finally noticing what was going on, the home team began to chase after the runner, not getting there very fast. One jumped at him and grabbed his leg, but failed to bring him down, only managing to be dragged along in the process. The opposing team had added yet another touchdown to the none that home team had gotten.
Unfortunately, Cassie had actually seen the play, and it had upset her a lot. Through a mouthful of tears, she sobbed, "The poor guy! He'll have grass burn!"
(In the wild it's eat or get eaten. In a football game it's drag or be dragged.) Tobias rebuked. (It's no big deal, he's not even hurt.) Then as an afterthought he added, (Have any of you seen Ax lately?) The animorphs looked around, suddenly realize the disappearance of their friend.
"He's probably in the food line." Rachel thought out-loud.
(I'll check,) Tobias said. The hawk took off from the light switch and over towards the food area. Suddenly he ran into the sign above the bleachers. (Man, I hate night flying,) he said as he fell.
A loud cry came from the stands: "FALLING BIRD!" Looking around, a girl in the back suddenly cried out as Tobias fell on her head. (Hey, it's Melissa Chapman...) Tobias said dizzily.
"TOBIAS!" Rachel shouted on the top of her lungs.
Marco looked up at her surprised at the sudden shout, then looked down at the ground. "I still hate flags." he muttered.
"What are you talking about?" Rachel wondered. Marco glanced up at her.
"Nothing. Aren't you going to say 'let's do it!'?" he asked.
"There's nothing for us to do," Rachel said.
"Well, let's find Ax, or rescue Tobias, or even recruit the Chee to be on our flag football team."
"So let's do it. Let's do it all."
"And if I said let's be a couple," Marco began.
"NO!" Rachel yelled, sounding disgusted.
Marco looked down and mocked heartache. "Why doth thou not love me?" he asked in a fake English accent.
Rachel rolled her eyes and looked up towards the back of the stands where Jake and Cassie were standing with Ax and Tobias.
(huh...?) Tobias said, waking up.
Cassie was talking, "We need to get him to the barn. We can help the poor thing there."
(What's going on?) Tobias asked yet again, trying to fly.
"Ooop! He's trying to fly away. Can you help me Jake?" she asked, turning a pointed look towards him.
"Of course." He said, looking at her.
"Hold still little guy," she told Tobias.
Falling limp, Tobias tried yet again to make contact, (What are you doing to me!) he cried and they carried him out of the game. (I know we're down by a bunch, but we don't need to leave the game yet. Let ... Go ... Of ... ME!...) He struggled with Cassie and Jake's grip and the group left the game.
Once out of ear shot, Cassie looked down at Tobias and said, "Stop struggling. Does anything hurt."
(My head and you're holding my wing too hard.)
"Sorry. You should be okay to fly, but to be sure, morph human."
(I'm a bird. Not a boy.)
"I know but you need to be a boy for a little while."
Grumbling, he agreed and they walked away from the lights and toward town.
Marco spoke up, "Let's go to Erek's house. He can help us with the football stuff."
"Yes, Chee would be very good at this football thing. Fufufu ooot balllll," Ax added. "What a nice sound fufufufu."
"Yes, fu is a great sound," Marco added sarcastically. "Especially when in combination with some other letters we know."
"Fufuooot!" Ax yelled into the night.
"At least at night we can pretend he's drunk," Cassie muttered to Jake.
Silently nodding his agreement, the group walked on.