(What will we do if another Taxxon doesnt come out?) Ax asked.
(Do you Andalites believe in luck?) Marco asked.
(No.)
(Me neither. How about hope?)
(We believe in hope.)
(Good to hear,) he said glibly. (Now me, I believe in Jake. See him, over behind that left building?)
(The tiger?) Shara asked, though she suspected she knew the answer already.
(Thats the one. I think hes just about ready to-) Jake roared. (Do that.)
(Thats impressive,) Shara said, watching as Jake moved forward.
The Taxxon, however, started backing up. Rather quickly, in fact. (Oh, man! Okay, well go in now!)
Releasing their talon-holds on the steel cross-beams, the four Animorph birds folded their wings and fell through the air. Their fall was a controlled one, but no less exhilarating for all that, as demonstrated by Marcos exuberant shouting. They flew over the Taxxons back with only inches to spare, traveling at nearly fifty miles per hour.
Marco was in the lead, but not by more than a quarter of an inch, if even that. The Taxxon, fortunately for them, was far more focused on the dangerous animals in front of him the Andalite Bandits, or so went the general assumption to take much notice of the four blurs that had swept past him and the doorway in nearly the same heartbeat.
Through the hallway they flew at breakneck speed, clearing the entire length more quickly than any of them were truly comfortable with. Even Tobias and Shara, who were both experienced fliers for various reasons, were unnerved by the close proximity of the far wall.
(Look out!) Marco screamed, as the wall loomed huge in his vision.
(Turn!) Tobias commanded.
(Where?) Ax queried, not sounding particularly sanguine himself.
(Doorway! Now!) Tobias ordered, taking charge; even Sharas pre-programmed flight experience didnt cover this kind of situation.
As a Teknoman, walls were no great obstacle to her.
The four of them blew through an open door on their right, brushing wings and feathers on the doorjamb, and into a darkened room that was mercifully empty. Shara almost started to wonder where all of the people the Yeerks, she corrected herself who would presumably be staffing this place were, but then the reality of her situation came back to her. Now wasnt the time to think about those kinds of things.
(Left!) came Tobias split-second command.
Banking left with the others, Shara found herself in a room that was almost completely dark. She wished for a moment that she had her own eyes, since darkness was no barrier to them, but she knew that wishing wouldnt do any good. This wasnt time to think, anyway; there was only time for action and reaction.
(Tight circle!) hearing Tobias order, she quickly suited her actions to it. (Tighter! Spiral down; get ready to land!)
Trying to keep her flightpath aligned to what she could see of Tobias, Shara miscalculated. Reacting too slowly to make the next turn, she found herself slamming into the wall on her right and falling to the floor, suddenly as aerodynamic as a brick. From the sounds she was hearing, the others hadnt done much better.
She didnt know quite how to feel about that.
(Everyone okay?) Marco asked, sounding as well as anyone could under the circumstances.
(I have damaged my bird body,) Ax said, clearly having regained his usual composure. (But I am alive.)
(Im all right,) she said, carefully testing her limbs one at a time; a flare of pain in her right wing let her know the extent of her own injuries. (My right wing just snapped, thats all.)
(Yeah, I think I broke my tail,) Marco said; Shara could just see him moving the aforementioned limb.
(Good grief,) Tobias said, sounding annoyed in a good-humored sort of way. (This is the last time I ever fly through a building with you three amateurs.)
(Okay, lets demorph,) Marco said, and Shara silently agreed with him. (Theres no one around, and Ax, Shara, and I arent going to be flying anywhere until we remorph.)