JAKE

BUMP! The car lurched onto the road, bumping up and down wildly.

(Did every body use the bathroom before we left?) Marco joked. (I'm not turning around!)

"You know, that is getting really old." Rachel commented. "How about 'Did everybody make out their will before we left?'. That's original and realistic."

(Ha Ha Ha.) Marco said, shifting the car into gear three. (And, for a limited time only, a bonus Ha.)

The car let out an angry squeal and screamed down the asphalt. We all slammed backwards into our seats painfully. Tobias flipped off of his perch on Rachel's seat and hit me in the chest.

"Marco, I believe that the speed limit is 35 miles an hour while inside of the neighborhood. Nay Buh Or Huh Ud." Ax said.

(I am going 35!) Marco said indignantly. Then he squinted at the speed dial. (Maybe a mile or ten faster, no biggie.)

"Slow. Down." I said calmly. "Now."

Marco sighed and eased up off of the accelerator. We all sank forward.

(I thought you wanted to go fast.) Marco grumbled. Then his voice turned serious. (Where am I headed?)

"Tobias, where's the nearest yeerk pool entrance?" I asked.

(Um, McDonalds, I guess. About twelve, fifteen miles away.) He answered, sounding unsure.

"Too far." I snapped. "We have ten minutes, tops."

"The mall, eleven miles." Rachel said immediately. "Ten if you know the shortcuts."

"Fine." I commanded. "Rachel, guide Marco. Marco..."

(Yeah, fearless leader?) Marco asked, a grin spreading on his gorilla face.

"You know that movie?" I said. "Where those people in the bus have to stay over fifty mph, or the bus blows up?"

(What is it that you're suggesting?) He said, grinning. He knew exactly what I was suggesting, He just wanted to hear me say it.

"Well, this is gonna be like that, only worse." I sighed. I was sealing our fates. "You have to stay over 60 mph, or it's the end of the world."

(Are you giving me permission to drive as fast as I can?) Marco asked, feigning ignorance. He can really grind my nerves sometimes.

"No, I am not giving you permission." I snapped. "It's an order."

Marco's grin widened. With the face of a gorilla, It looked like he was about to go for my throat.

(Seat belts, everyone!) Marco cried, and prepared to knock ten years off of all of our lives.

AX

I have been a passenger in an andalite dome ship as it piloted through the fiery meteor storms of Gulgarin. I have been a bull in the back of an out of control truck, which is a uniquely horrifying experience. But none of these events could match for sheer terror one experiences while being in the same vehicle as Marco when he is driving at speeds to make an Julgregian stunt pilot pass out from fear.

We were on the highway, going well above their 60 mph. Yet Marco still felt it was necessary to keep his foot on the accelerator, thus increasing our already dangerously high speed rate.

(Perhaps this is a sufficient velocity?) I pleaded in thought speak. I feared that if opened my mouth, my stomach would empty itself. (The steering mechanism on this vehicle is far too primitive to turn the vehicle the 90 degrees necessary at some junctions!)

(I got everything under control!) Marco said, then skidding wildly to the right.

Several cars twisted out of the way, saluting us with the typical raised center digit. I followed Rachel's example and saluted back.

WEEH! WEEH! WEEH! WEEH! An offensive noise assaulted my ears! I looked around wildly.

"Look out!" Cassie yelled, pointing behind us. A man in a black outfit and helmet was weaving through the traffic, racing after us.

"Just keep driving, Marco." Prince Jake said. His voice was higher than normal.

"Is he a superhero?" I asked, puzzled. "Why is he wearing that outfit?"

(He's a cop.) Tobias said. (He wears that helmet to protect his head from injuries. You know, if he falls.)

I shook my head at his choice of transportation, A two wheeled contraption that was constantly tipping hazardously to the side. Humans seemed to have an unnatural affinity for finding ways to land themselves painfully on the ground.

"STOP!" The human bellowed, holding a large cone in his hand. A megaphone, such as cheerleaders use to annoy the audience at sports, I believe. "IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!"

When we failed to comply, he drew a black device from his pocket. A human handgun, technolgically laughable. But then again, human tires are technologically laughable too.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Marco yanked the wheel to the left, and the bullets hit the road where we used to be. (YAH!) Tobias yelped, as he flipped into the rear of the car. (OW! Hey, there are some dracon beams back here! Not a soft landing.)

I twisted myself neck around and attempted to look to the rear. Humans are not the best creatures to morph if you want to look behind you.

(There are also these chips and wires.) Tobias said. Then he bellowed. (Oh, Sh-)

TSEEW! TSEEW! TSEEW!

Several bright lights flashed behind me. Tobias dove under my seat and popped up directly in front of me, feathers singed.

"Tobias, what's goning on?" Prince Jake yelled.

He was answered almost immediately by a band of silver balls rising into the air inside of the trunk. Hunter robots.

We were flying down a crowded highway in a van, persued by a very persistant police officer on a motorcycle, with an army of hunter robots in the trunk, probably on the default setting, 'Kill'.

I, quite calmly under the given circumstances, prepared my Hirac Delest.