A/N: Just a little reminder. If you read, review! I have about a hundred times more hits than reviews, so either a lot of people didn't review, or those of you who did review read the story fifty two times each. The secret is to click that beautiful lavender button down below, guys. It would really make my day.

P.S Thank you, voodooqueen, for reviewing so much!

MARY

WHAT? The sub-leader bellowed telepathically at me. Your cover is blown?

My black boots thumped the pavement as I attempted to keep pace with the three birds flying overhead. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and continued the conversation with the sub-leader. I probably would have felt sorry for him (Mind linking with a scout is very hard), except he had been yelling at me for the last ten minutes.

Yes, I explained again, but they don't suspect the real reason I'm here. Based on the rough human knowledge of Ary-Oos, or Mary Sues as they call them here, they have arrived at the incorrect conclusion that I am a human with no flaws. They think that I will readily ally with them against the yeerks.

Wait, The sub leader commanded. I felt his mind withdraw from my own.

(Are you incapable of processing thought speak?!?) A voice bellowed in my head. I tripped sprawled on the ground. My black pants were smudged with dirt, and my blue vest was damp from the grass. I muttered something not nice under my breath.

(Oh yeah, Ax, I think she's 'capable'.) Rachel said with a laugh. (Why didn't you respond?)

I climbed indignantly to my feet, brushing strands of hair out of my face. My hair is long and stubborn, insisting on going over my face at every possible opportunity.

"I guess I was just lost in thought." I responded semi-truthfully. I guessed that I couldn't mind speak and thought speak at the same time. "Sorry, what did you want to say?"

(I said, do you know some shortcut or something to the mall?) Marco asked. (Jake said that Sues always know things like that.)

"I'm not like other Sues." I said mysteriously. Perfect. Keep them guessing and make me sound special, which is what being an Ary-Oo is really all about. "Anything else?"

(I didn't ask whether you were 'like other Sues'.) Marco said coolly. (I asked if you knew a shortcut to the mall.)

"And I asked if you wanted anything else." I responded.

(And if I wanted you to shut up...) Marco said.

"Funny." I shot back. "That's exactly what I've wanted ever since you started talking."

(Why don't both of you shut up?) Rachel asked sweetly. (That would just make my day.)

"Fine." I said. I would have fought some more, except sub-leader 23 was trying to contact me again.

I had to talk to sub-leader 11. I dropped your link for his. He said, without a hint of apology. She wants to know whether you have discovered the source of the reality field, and what has become of Gary Stu.

He was killed by a fierce blonde warrior, I said, feeling no emotion. Why should I? His death had actually raised my Ryha level, or Mary-Sueness as it is called here. I had been the only survivor of the incident, A definite Ryha booster. Perhaps my Ryha level would go high enough to take me past scout class soon.

How did he die? He questioned.

She vaporized him with a yeerk laser weapon. I said factually.

He always did do horrible in 'living-against-impossible-odds' class. He said in a dismissive tone. More importantly, did you locate the source of the reality field? It highly lowers our chances of successful infiltration of Earth.

I have not located the reality field. I said.

Disappointing, yet not unexpected. The sub-leader said. We will send more Warriors immediately to aid in the earth effort. Oh yes, we have been trying to contact Jer-Yee two for some time now, with no success. Do you have any information on his whereabouts?

Ah, yes, him. I said smugly. I actually happen to have information on his whereabouts.

What information do you have? Where is he? He said sharply.

Why, he's right here in my pocket. I said easily, basking in the shock I felt from his mind. I rescued him from the theater, and I plan on dropping him off at the pool before his kadrona cycle is up. Luckily, Jer-Yee did score high on his 'living-against-impossible-odds' class, and can live indefinitely without kadrona rays. It does tend to make him weak and a little crazy, so he probably wasn't up to long range mind linking. He needs to soak in kadrona before he receives a new body.

Um- Good work. The sub-leader said awkwardly. Nobody is used to congratulating a scout. Just continue to help these Animorphs until further notice. Do not reveal your identity to anybody else. And get Jer-Yee to the pool, so that he can receive a new body.

Jer-Yee, I said quietly, jiggling my pocket slightly. What body would you like after you get your kadrona rays?

Jer-Yee responded in a weak, short-range mind link. I like Yeerk. He said, sounding woozy. Then he gave a weak chuckle. Although how about a new host? Maybe one who's less of a-

I suddenly dropped the mind link. We were at the mall, arriving just in time to see a black van skid to a stop in front of the door. Two men leapt out, dragging a struggling girl named-

Jessie, My mind whispered.

(What are our options?) Ax questioned.

(There's only one thing to do.) Rachel said. The eagle in the sky folded back its wings and hurtled straight towards the men. (Attack!)

(Aw, man.) Marco groaned. (The end of the world is very, very near when Rachel's right.)

The hawk dove after her, the osprey diving out of sight behind the building. I pulled out my gun and aimed, my hand trembling slightly. I wasn't a warrior, after all.

TSEER! The eagle screamed. One of the men jerked his head up and whipped out a pistol. He pulled the trigger.

BLAM! I aimed carefully and fired. The man grabbed his shoulder, his gun clattering to the ground. It wasn't time for her to die. Not just yet.

The doors of the cars flew open, and four more men leapt out. They had finally realized that Jessie must be important somehow if the 'andalite bandits' were trying to intervene. So these guys weren't playing around with guns.

TSEEW! TSEEW!

The hawk swerved and dodged the dracon beams, but the move cost him precious speed. I fired a quick round at one of the men aiming a dracon beam at him.

(Get Jessie!) Marco yelled. (Kill her if you have to.)

I was shocked at his cold reasoning. But I lowered my gun and aimed carefully at the figure struggling with several men.

You can do it. My mind said.

(Marilyn Sue, behind you!) Ax called. I spun around, and saw two of the big men directly behind me.

(Her name is just Mary!) Rachel said, sounding annoyed. (Not everybody- AHH!)

This was getting worse every second. Something had just happened to Rachel, and the two men advanced towards me, dracon beams drawn.

"Drop the guns, boys." I said with false calm. In reality, they could probably fry me before I took out either of them. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Don't make this harder than it has to be, girlie." The one without any hair said.

"I'm not trying to, baldie." I snapped. Whoops.

Duck, Jer-Yee commanded. I obeyed without thinking, and a dracon beam shot flew over my head.

"Aw, come on, guys." I grinned winningly. "Let's not lose our tempers, now."

They glared at me.

"Why all the violence?" I asked, taking a small step towards them. "Can't we all just be friends?"

"What are you talking about?" He said in a puzzled voice, keeping his dracon beam trained on me.

"Are you happy firing guns at people?" I asked. "Is this job actually satisfactory enough to keep risking your life?"

"Huh?" Baldie asked.

"Peace, man." I babbled, taking another step. "That what it's all about. Go against the flow, don't work for, um…The man!"

"The man?" Hairy asked. These were not very bright yeerks.

"The man, The emperor, the top dog!" I said. "Join the movement, new wave of the future."

"You mean the peace movement?" Baldie asked. "But that's treason."

"Yeah, the emperor wouldn't like that." Hairy agreed. "We'll have to take you in."

Baldie nodded, and they advanced on me.

I was obviously losing them. "No, No, no!" I shook my head, taking a step backwards. "This isn't what peace is! Come on, don't obey the emperor's brain washing! Fight the power!"

They looked at each other, and lunged. Oh, well, I had tried.

I leapt into the air, and they shot underneath me. I landed easily on the ground, while they skidded across the asphalt.

They'll get out their weapons now. Jer-Yee warned. I twisted around and saw them aiming their dracon beams.

I whirled with supernatural speed and fired my gun at them.

Click. The gun made a sound that no cop on earth likes to hear in the middle of a gunfight. Uh-Oh.

Improvising, I chucked my gun at them and hurled myself to the side. Hairy yelled as my gun smacked the side of his head, and Baldie fired at empty air.

"A little help would be nice!" I yelled, rolling behind the side of the mall. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one man struggling with Jessie just inside of the mall. There were several men still firing dracon beams, but instead of the harrier and osprey there was a gorilla and an andalite, both of who were fighting desperately. The eagle was lying on the ground.

"Okay, so I handle this myself." I sighed. I drew my baton and gripped it tightly. My combat skills were above average by human standards, laughable by Ary-Oo standards.

"Well, these guys are human, controller on not." I said. I was a novice in a few forms of martial arts, but anybody serious in any of them would wipe the floor with me. These guys were probably just your average muscle heads, but there were two of them.

Yeah, slight problem. Jer-Yee agreed. If you're about to get baked by a dracon beam, remember to give me some warning so I can crawl out of your pocket.

Real nice, Jer-Yee. I growled. Just remember that you need me to get to the yeerk pool.

Oh. was all Jer-Yee said. Good luck then.

He dropped the mind link as the two men's slow footsteps came closer. They were moving cautiously; They had no idea what was waiting for them around the corner. Unfortunately for me, it was me.

"Aw, man." I sighed, and leapt out of my hiding place, swinging madly with what might as well have been a little toy stick.

The fight was swift and, for my part, painful. I managed to give Hairy a black eye, Baldie a lump on the head, and neither of them would be having kids anytime soon, but in the end it was me lying on the ground. My vision was blurred around the edges, and oddly star filed.

Calm. Calm. Calm. I willed them. Stop. Stop. Stop.

Either I was too weak to make it work, or their brains were just too simple to manipulate. It gave me a certain amount of cynical pleasure to decide it was the latter.

Or you should be focusing on the yeerk instead of the host. Jer-Yee snipped. You lost the fight, didn't you?

Without waiting for an answer, he wriggled out of my pocket and landed with a plop on the ground. Without even a farewell, he abandoned me to my fate.

You expect a farewell? From him? My mind voice sneered. You are getting odd, Mary.

I told my mind voice to shut up.

"We've decided that you're just not worth the trouble." Hairy snarled sinisterly, jamming a dracon beam to my head. The frightening effect was greatly lessened by the black ring around his eye. "The Visser isn't going to notice one young cop get lost in the shuffle, especially not when we bring him three andalite host bodies. Besides, it will be so much more fun just to kill you."

I cursed my Ryha for making my death so melodramatic. Why could the moron just squeeze the trigger and get it over with? With my luck I'd be tortured first.

"Hmm, why not have some fun first?" Baldie suggested, grinning. "How-"

But before he could finish whatever twisted thought was going through his head, a big shadow loomed up behind them.

Two black, ham-sized fists reached forward and grabbed them by their necks. The gorilla casually slammed their heads together and tossed the limp bodies to the side.

(Ah, the mighty Sue.) Marco said. (Mortal after all, huh?)

He lumbered over and tossed me none-too-gently over his shoulder.

(Things are not going well.) He said. (I left Ax fighting five beefy guys with dracon beams. I have to get back and help.)

We rounded the corner, back to the front of the mall. I was surprised to see three controller's bodies lying on the ground, minus their heads. Ax was leaning against a car, bleeding badly.

(Way to go, Ax!) Marco cheered. Then his voice darkened. (Where are the other two?)

(I could not stop them.) Ax panted. (They went inside the mall!)

"You stay here and morph to human to fix your injuries." I said. "Marco and me will go after her. You catch up when you can, or-"

(Listen.) Marco interrupted. (I don't care how 'perfect' and 'special' you are, you don't give the orders.)

"What's your plan then?" I asked. Marco hesitated, and I grabbed his arm and tugged. "Come on, you're wasting time."

While I grabbed him, I focused on him with all of my will power. When I had tried it on Jake, it had lasted less than a day. I had done right in front of all of the Animorphs, Which I admit had been more than slightly stupid. But now I had the perfect target, and nobody would know except for me and maybe Marco, in some small part of his sub-conscious.

Love, Love, Love. I thought.

The gorilla swayed for a moment, and then shook its head. (Alright. Ax, fix yourself up and try to get Rachel to get up. Mary, you and me will go after her.)

(But that is what Marilyn just suggested.) Ax said in a puzzled voice. (I-)

"It doesn't matter, we don't have any time to lose." I interrupted. "Let's do it!"