Disclaimersee chapter 2. enjoy!

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Chapter 6—Jason

((Michelle, let's get the newbies. Time to head out,)) Tobias said. I was instantly up and in my morphing outfit.

We picked Beth up and she headed to the Gardens while we got Silver, since they didn't have flying morphs yet.

We snuck them in and walked around.

"Wolf's a good battle morph, but I'll get a bear. A Kodiak bear," Beth said.

"Hey, I'm not sticking with the wolf. I think I'll get a cougar."

"I'll take a shark for a water morph," Beth said.

"I'm more for dolphins," Silver said.

"I have a dolphin morph," I said.

((So do the rest of the Animorphs,)) Tobias said, ((They have one basic instinct—have fun.))

"I'll stick with the shark. Oh, and for a flying morph, a giant eagle."

Tobias cringed mentally.

((Hawks and eagles don't get along.))

She smiled at him, "Rachel has one so I'm getting one and you aren't talking me out of it, birdboy."

"Ooh, Marco-talk there. If we aren't careful, Tobias, she's going to be everyone's duplicate."

((Yeah, really.))

Beth and Silver began arguing over what cat would be better to acquire.

"Black panther," Beth said.

"Cougar."

"Black Panther."

"Mountain Lion."

"Black panther!"

"Puma!"

"Panther!"

"Cougar!"

"At least pick one and stick with it!"

"They're the same species, different names."

"The pink panther and white tiger so there. Stop arguing—you can each pick your own," I intervened.

Silence ensued.

"Black panther's better," Beth said.

"'Tis not. Puma's better," Silver disagreed.

"Stop it!" I said, looking at each one in turn, "You'll get us caught."

((Too late. There's a boy on one of the empty rides watching you guys.)) Tobias said.

I closed my eyes, calming down, "How long and which ride?"

((About 2 minutes and though I see better during the day, he's at the log ride.))

I led the group to a dark area and looked at the log ride. Sure enough, I saw a shadowy figure get up and follow.

I motioned Beth and Silver, who'd been particularly quiet since the intruder was noticed, to stay put. I crept up and followed the boy.

"What are you doing here?" I asked suddenly.

He jumped and whirled around.

"What are you doing here?" I repeated.

"Damn, you scared me. I could ask you the same thing," he said, viewing me as harmless.

Wrong.

"Ah, but you see, I have a good reason for being here. I don't think you do. Besides, I asked you first," I said, calmly circling him.

"I do have a reason, but I'm curious to hear yours," he said, spinning to keep his eyes on me.

"I asked you first and second."

"Will you stop circling me? I'm getting dizzy! Okay, I don't have a good reason. I heard voices and came in here to check them out"

He looked about our age, medium height and looks. I stopped circling him.

"You have sufficiently checked out the voices. Now you can go," I said authoritatively.

"No, I haven't. Tell me why you're here," he demanded.

"I'm here to see the animals."

"What about the other voices I heard—and you can see the animals during the day."

I waved Beth and Silver over.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Jason. Yours?"

"Not important to you. My friends and I are here to see the animals. Do you wish to challenge us, Jason?"

Beth and Silver surrounded him.

Tobias screeched overhead.

"We're handling this, Tobias," I said softly, "Jason, do you really want to mess with us?"

Jason looked at Tobias, then at each of us in turn.

"Andalites," he hissed, "not Andalites at all. At least three of you. The Visser will be pleased to know this."

He smirked.

I sprouted fur and a long black and white tail.

He turned white as he saw the changes overtake me. He ran. Beth and Silver tried to chase after him and watch me at the same time.

((I'll catch the Yeerk. Tobias, get them their morphs,)) I said, easily catching up to the controller in my Siberian tiger.

((Yeerk, what were you really doing here?)) I asked, pinning him to the ground.

"Just kill me, human. Or are you too humane?" he sneered.

((Oh, you'll die, Yeerk, and our secret with you, but the human will live. How does Kandrona starvation sound to you?))

He paled even more.

((Of course, that's always Prince Jake's decision, Michelle,)) Aximili said, landing, ((Tobias called me.))

He demorphed, putting his tail-blade to Jason's throat.

((Aximili, I was handling the situation nicely,)) I said, demorphing slowly, "I was just gonna knock him out and bring him to the next meeting or something."

((Michelle, we would have to make sure he is never caught again.))

"Aximili, Aximili, Aximili. You don't get it, there's an easy way to make sure he never gets caught again."

((Prince Jake said no new members. Plus, the last time we gave a human the power to morph without making sure who he was, we got David. He is now permanently entrapped as a nothlit rat.))

"So kill him now or make him a nothlit later. Are you guys always so cruel? I say he should get a chance to at least talk to us, give us his opinion when the Yeerk is dead. Kandrona starvation is kindness," I said, looking at the Yeerk-infested person, "At least, kinder than murder or letting him be a slave like my parents. I joined this war to free people from Yeerks."

Aximili sighed and looked at the stars with his stalk eyes.

((We will wait for Prince Jake. I, like Beth, "joined" this war to avenge my brother in Yeerk blood. I do not intend to spill human blood when I don't have to.)) he said, ((But one word to the negative from my prince…))

I nodded, "I understand, Aximili. That's all I ask for. I still have to help the others get morphs. If he tries to run, just knock him out. I'll help get him out of here when we leave," I said. Aximili nodded, turning the flat of his tailblade to Jason's head.

I ran back to the group.

They'd been watching and listening from a safe distance.

"I thought I said to get morphs. Jason will get a chance, unless Jake says no. Come on," I said, walking to the big cats' exhibits, "These guys are useful morphs. Agile, quick and deadly."

Silver headed to the Siberian tiger habitat, Beth for the black panthers. I suppressed a giggle.

Tobias took Beth to the bear exhibit, while I took Silver to see the dolphins. We met back at the aviary, where Beth got her golden eagle and Silver got his hawk morph.

"It's late. We'll get your powerhouse morphs and Beth's shark morph tomorrow night," I said, walking out to where Aximili still had Jason.

Jason was about three feet away from where he'd been and unconscious.

((I tried to warn him. He should be out for a bit. Should we get Prince Jake tonight or take him to my scoop?)) Aximili asked me.

"Why ask me? I'm one of the newbies…" I reminded him.

((You caught him, you fought for him, he is your responsibility until Prince Jake is summoned.))

"Well, I think Jake should sleep. People need their sleep. You wouldn't mind having a Yeerk at your scoop?" I asked.

((I'll stay to help guard him,)) Tobias offered.

((I can handle an unconscious Yeerk. I just need someone to tie him up tightly. Andalite hands are weak,)) Aximili said, holding his hands out as proof.

I nodded. Obviously hands aren't much needed in the Andalite homeworld for weaponry or eating.

((I can tie a pretty good knot. Do you have any rope at your place?)) Tobias asked.

I knelt by the unconscious controller just as he awakened.

"Not bad for an aristh," he said, rubbing his head. He opened his eyes and saw me, "Ah, the human tigress. You would have made a perfect host for my pool sister Essin 972."

He reached for my cheek. I slapped him across the face.

"I will never be a slave to a slug. And neither again will Jason. My parents will one day be freed from the slugs in their heads. And sub-vissers 10 and 15 will be killed likely by my own hand. I hold grudges against parasitic aliens, especially when they take my parents from me. Aximili?"

The Yeerk was soon unconscious again.

I went home and slept fitfully, disturbed by dreams of being unable to move or think to myself or call for help.

I woke up screaming.

Mom ran in.

"You okay, hon? It was just a nightmare," she said, comforting me like she used to.

I let myself be comforted, let myself believe that this was my mom, not some sub-visser slug. That the nightmare I had wasn't one she was living.

When she left I silently cried.

"I'll see you whole again, mom and dad. I promise." I whispered before I went to sleep.

A blessed, dreamless sleep.