A/N: Written with Ember Nickel... ( and ) thoughtspeak...
At the gates of the stadium, Erek's human guise nodded approvingly. "They've put up a huge external hologram to prevent being seen, so we'll only have to disguise you gang as Andalites." A few Chee were loitering inside.
"Well, we were always pretty sure they knew what they were doing. Better at this than football," Marco strutted in.
(There are seven of them,) Tobias reported.
"Anybody we know?" Jake tried to sound offhand.
(Yeah...mostly /everybody/ we know, actually...Visser Three, of course. Visser One, Tom, hey...Cassie! It's your friend!)
"Aftran?" she gasped.
(Yep. There's Chapman, and...some guy I don't know. And...is that Mrs. Chapman?)
"Cover me, Erek." Immediately, Rachel began her eagle morph, zooming up next to Tobias.
(Yeah. And-oh no. Please tell me that's not who I think it is.)
(Who do you think it is?)
(Tidwell.)
"Tidwell?" Jake raised his eyebrows. "A Controller?"
"Makes sense, actually. No human could be that evil," Marco shot back.
"Aw, he's not that bad," Cassie said loyally.
(Excuse me, guys, but who is this Tidwell?) Tobias quietly interrupted.
Rachel was slightly embarrassed. (Um, he's one of our teachers.)
(Okay). Tobias downplayed the fact that he no longer went to school.
(Anyone else?) Ax steered them back on-topic.
(Nope, just those seven.)
(All right. Chee, I suggest you portray seven of us.)
"Is this some honor deal?" Marco asked.
(Yes...)
Rolling his eyes, Marco moved near the Chee.
"Erek, could you broadcast my messages to the Yeerks in thoughtspeak?" Jake instructed.
(I can, Prince Jake,) Ax replied.
"Sure..." Jake didn't even bother to tell Ax to not call him "Prince".
The Animorphs and Chee moved over to the home stands, wrapped in their hologram. Marco checked his watch. "We're right on time-they must have been early. But..." He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the visitors' bench. "They don't seem very ready."
Visser Three was cocking his tail blade at the edge of a piece of cloth.
(This is the ugliest thing I have ever the possible exception of some human hosts.)
"It's a human tradition," Visser One snatched it away. "They use mascots to represent them."
(Hork-Bajir jerseys,) Tobias reported.
Cassie's jaw dropped. "That's a sentient species! They can't use them as a mascot, it's like using the Indians or the Braves! It's wrong!"
"Cassie, get over it. Not everybody's politically correct," Marco rolled his eyes again.
Always ready for an excuse to argue with Marco, Rachel retorted, "Politically correct"? Thank you, Mr. Lawyer."
Unable to think of a witty retort, he resorted to, "Your mom's a lawyer... hey.. wait!"
As he pondered this, an osprey soared out of the stadium.