Prologue
Cassie finally decided to break the uneasy silence in the room. "Well,"she turned to Jake. "I better go, My parents are probably wandering where I am."
Jake nodded, he didn't really no what to say after their conversation earlier.
"See you later." She walked to the door, but stopped upon seeing a grim Erek walking towards them. Cassie and Jake exchanged glances.
"One of our people stationed at the hospital called. It appears we have more trouble on our hands."
REBIRTH
Chapter 1
The remaining Animorphs, Jake, Cassie, Tobias, and Ax in his clumsy human morph, made their way to the front desk. A nondescript woman spoke into the receiver of a phone balanced on her shoulder. On the desk in front of her was a bell with a post-a-note under it reading "ring for assistance"
They did.
"No, if he's just having minor pains in the wrists he shouldn't come in!" The woman ordered into the phone, ignoring the desperate teenagers in front of her.
Jake rang the bell again, and the woman continued to speak. "Excuse me, ma'am?" he tried.
The woman hung up the phone in exasperation. "What?"
Seeing no one else spoke up, Jake found himself speaking again. "We'd like to know what room Marco (insert Marco's last name here;) is in."
"Marco_____" the woman mumbled while scanning her computer. "I'm sorry, he's not in condition for visitors."
"What?! But we have to see him!" Jake yelled.
"I'm sorry young man but you and your friends need to either go home or wait here, in the waiting room." she said sharply.
Cassie put her hand on Jake's shoulder, "Come on, let's wait." when they were out of hearing range she whispered, " I have an idea."
Chapter 2
Tobias and Ax went back to the woods, Cassie didn't know if her plan would take over more than two hours, and they needed to keep everyone in the fight.
"I think these are them." She whispered to Jake. They had managed to sneak past the front desk into one of the many corridors.
"That's what you said last time." Jake said under his breath. "I'm glad Tobias and Ax left, this could take awhile."
Cassie opened the door. inside where lockers full of cloths and surgical scrubs. "This is it! That door across the hall is where the guy's lockers should be."
They then separated.
Jake fiddled the lock again, unfortunately all the the doctors had remembered to lock in their cloths. He considered morphing tiger and batting it open. But that would be a security risk. He sighed and continues guessing numbers.
Cassie waited in the hall, she a surgical mask on to hide most of her face. On a desk to her left, were several folders, patient accounts. Ironically, the one on top was for a rather familiar teen. She picked up the portfolio, and flipped through it. Her mother sometimes let Cassie read her patient's medical information. Of course those were animals and this was a human (?;), there couldn't be too big of a difference.
"What are you doing?"
Cassie jumped and turned around. Jake stood in front of her.
Cassie let out a sigh of relief, then became serious."Look," she said, passing him the papers. "He was stabbed."
Jake raised an eyebrow, understanding. "So was Rachel."
"Melissa?"
"There's only one way to find out." With that they walked to Marco's room.
Chapter 3
Marco sank down into his stiff hospital bed. The nurses had finally stopped running in and out. They must have thought I was asleep. Marco thought. Not that he cared, the important thing was that they left.
But while they did run in and out, he had occupied himself by hating them. Now he was extremely bored. And the worst thing was he couldn't do anything about it. He was hooked up to too many machines to count, so many infact, that he was beginning to wonder how many actually worked, and how many where just to show the hospital's wealth.
"Now I no what a PC feel's like." he mumbled.
"Marco?" a voice came from the door, followed by two doctors fully dressed for surgery.
They removed there masks. Marco's eyes went wide. "Jake! Cassie! Oh, man. I'm so glad to see you." He tried to yell, it came out much softer than he intended.
"How're you doing?" Jake asked.
Marco gestured to all the wires. "What do you think?" He asked sarcastically.
"He doesn't sound injured to me." Jake laughed.
Cassie remained serious. "Marco, I'm sorry we can't stay long, but we need to know: Was it Melissa who attacked you?"
Marco's face suddenly grew dark. "No." He said.
Marco's mouth became one strait line.
"Rachel."
Chapter 4
<Rachel?> Tobias asked from the rafters of Cassie’s barn.
“That’s what he said.” Cassie said qiuetly.
<But why?>
Jake frowned. “I think the more pressing question is how? She’s, she’s dead, remember?”
There was silence. No one had an explanation for Rachel suddenly walking around, and attempting murder of her friends. <Erek has informed me that Melissa stole the hologram technology from the chee she destroyed, as will as his ship.>Ax spoke up. <It is possible that she has copied Rachel’s image to take us by surprise.>
<Not exactly the brightest now is she.> Tobias said bitterly.
“We don’t know for sure. That seems to be the most probable explanation, but not the only one.” Jake summerized. “Ax? Do we know where Melissa is?”
< I’m afraid I do not, Prince Jake. >Ax said. < She is a very skilled assassin. They never have a true station. >
Jake sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was going to take awhile. “Listen, why don’t we gather as much info as we can, then meet back here at five. Is that okay with everyone?”
Chapter 5
Minocite001 walked through the crowded mall. He had the hologram of normal Melissa covering the cyborg Melissa. His sources told him Rachel was alive, and destroying his enemies. This was to good to be true, he assumed it to be a trap. And the best way to survive is to know your enemies.
Minocite001 smiled. But he did know them. After all, his host was Melissa Chapman.
He cooly made Melissa scan the racks of cloths. He still didn’t understand the entertainment Melissa got out of this, but occupying her with what she liked would lower the chances of host rebellion.
Melissa held up a red shirt to herself and walked to a mirror. Past her refelction, she spotted a young girl in the background. Minocite001 was shocked. He wirled around, almoust dropping the hologram.
There, standing in front of him, was Rachel.
“Good God...”
“Minocite, we meet again. He has sent me to help you.” She said in a cold voice.
Minocite001 managed to gain some control. “And who would ‘he’ be?”
“The Crayak.”
Chapter 6
Cassie sat at the kitchen table doing her homework. She was armed with a pencil that she tapped franticly, and a sandwitch she had lazely put together.
BBBBRRRRIIINNNGGGGG!!!!
Relevied from the excuse to get away from algebra, she ran to the phone. “Hello?”
“Cassie? It’s Erek.”
“Oh, hi.” she said with automatic fake cheerfulness. She looked through the blinds to make sure her parents weren’t home yet.
“We now know somewhat what’s going on. It’s definitly Rachel. She was brought back to kill you by-” The line clicked and went dead.
“Erek? Erek?” She asked. There was no answer, her line had been cut. There’s nothing wrong, Erek must have made a connection mistake. Your just being paranoid. She thought. She heard the creak of floor boards behind her.
Cassie whirled around, only to be eye-to-eye with the burrel of a gun.
Chapter 7
Jake lay sprawled on hid bed. He had to read a 500 page book by Monday, this just wasn’t his week. Might as well get started he sighed as he reached for the book on his dresser.
There was a tap on the window. He opened it and a red tailed hawk flew in. “Tobias?” Jake asked surprised.
<Who else would it be?!> Tobias snapped.
This has to be bad. Jake thought. “What happened?”
<It’s Cassie. There are cops and medics sorounding her house. I don’t know if it was Melissa or Rachel, but she’s hurt.> When Tobias finished, he saw Jake was already covered in feathers.
They swooped down in the woods to demorph, and ran to the site. Sure enough, six or so police cars and two ambulences cluttered the front yard. They ran to the nearist officer. “Excuse me,” Jake asked, trying his best to stay calm. “What happened?”
The officer scowled at them, “You shouldn’t be here.”
Jake said nothing, just gave the man one of his “You can trust me” looks.
The officer sighed, and looked away like he was ashamed of something. “There was a shooting in the house. We don’t who did it or how, but just the body of the girl was found.”
Jake swayed back and fourth like he had been punched. “b-body? as in not alive?”
“No, but almoust, she is in criticle condition.” Jake abruptly turned around and walked into the woods.
The man looked at Tobias for answers.
“Girlfriend.”
Chapter 8
“I can’t beleve it!” Jake raved. “We’ve stayed alive for years fighting an alien empire, only to have a girl come along and destroy us from the inside. She killed Rachel, who is now back because-who the hell knows why? Rachel stabbed Marco, and one of the two put Cassie in a coma! We’re droping like flies! They’re killing us!”
“Are you done?” Erek asked, amazingly calm with the situation at hand.
“Yes, I think I am.” Jake said sarcasticly.
“Well, we have discovered that Rachel is back because-” He let it hang, making sure everyone was listening. “The Cryak has brought her back to help Melissa/Minocite001 destroy you, and possibly us.”
< Is there anyway we could get her back on our side? > Tobias, who had been quitly pearched on the back of one of Erek’s chairs, asked.
Erek threw up his hands like a human would do. “I don’t know, okay? I was not programed for this!” The three Animorphs were shocked to hear Erek so sarcastic.
< The Cryak may be controlling Rachel like he did with the howlers. Thus, we could transfer memories of the origanal Rachel before she died. > Ax suggested.
“But don’t we need that thought transfer thing the Iskroot have?” Jake reminded everyone.
I BELEVE I CAN HELP WITH THAT
Chapter 9
Jake opened his eyes, and looked around his new environment. It was pitch black. No walls, ceiling, or floors visible. A single beam of light cut through the center, falling on the devise that held the power to transfer memories. The light set an eerie glow on the dark figure behind it.
Rachel.
"This is to easy," Tobias said bluntly.
< Yes, > Ax agreed, not taking his eyes off Rachel. < Ellimist do not play like this. >
"HA HA! You think the ellimist is the only being with this power?" A voice asked. Jake Ax, and Tobias, (all in human form) turned to face their attacker.
Nothing but blackness.
The now apparent hologram of the machine disappeared, revealing the true "Rachel" in its place.
She smiled a smile that did not belong on her face. "Well, well, Animorphs. We meet again." She glared at each of the Animorphs in turn. "The Crayak was not pleased with your last success. This time you will not be so lucky."
She turned to concentrate her rage on Jake. "Jake, the leader of Earth's only hope. And the destroyer of the howlers." She said, jerking her head to the left. Without warning, Jake was slammed against one of the unseen walls of the trap. She advanced towards him as he struggled to his feet. "You destroyed an entire species"
Jake glared at her, "The howlers had killed planets of creatures! They were hardly a species at all!"
She threw back her head and laughed. "And what makes humans any different? They destroy their own planet and yet they rank themselves heroes of the galaxy!" She said slowly closing a fist, causing him to try to pry invisible fingers from his throat.
"Rachel…" Jake gasped.
She continued, "I don't think so. The Crayak doesn't like you, Jake. He wants you dead, and I don't plan to disappoint him." She made a sudden movement with her head, pressing him against the floor. " Say goodbye Prince Jake." She sneered.
"Bitch."
Chapter 10
The remark surprisingly came from Tobias, who like Aximilli, had been frozen and
powerless.
Rachel released her death grip and turned to face him. "What did you call me?"
Tobias looked strait into her cold eyes and tried to keep his voice steady. "I called you a bitch."
She looked almost shocked, but then smiled slyly. "You would call your Rachel that?"
He shook his head firmly. "Never, but your not Rachel."
Her face continued to dance with a dangerous look. "But do I not have her face?"
"The Rachel I love is dead, you are nothing but an inflamed emotion she once had, and the Crayak modified."
She looked at him, fuming with anger. "Is that so?"
Tobias nodded.
She sighed, throwing Jake against the wall again. As if to
relieve some tension-her's anyway. "I was going to save the best for last, but I
guess I'll just have to kill you first."
Chapter 11
The energy force lunged forward, dipping under Tobias, lifting him at lightning speed until he was compressed against the ceiling. Then Rachel let the powers drop: Along with Tobias.
He leaned forward on his arm, trying to breathe through the short wheeze. "Having trouble?" Rachel asked with fake sympathy. "Maybe this will help." She said, digging her fingernails into her own palm.
Tobias winced at the burning pain in his lungs. He felt as if knives were cutting through them, slowly tearing the walls. He looked across the "room" at the others. Ax was still frozen in his place, and Jake lay in a crumpled heap in the corner. The odds did not look good.
Rachel smiled, observing his worried expression. "Yes, your leader is dead. Not that he'd do you much good anyway." She sneered once again.
The needles and his chest disappeared, and the energy started again. It forced him, unable to move, to her, making their faces only inches apart. She smiled evilly, leaned forward and kissed him. She then parted, looked directly into his eyes, and pushed him back lightly. This of course, sent Tobias flying across the room, only to slam into the wall on the other side.
Satisfied, she turned to leave. On the verge of unconsciousness, only one thought entered Tobias' mind: They've won.
Not yet, Tobias.
Tobias' eyes flew open. "Ellimist?" He whispered.
YES.
"What do you want?"
I HAVE COME TO GIVE YOU A POWER NOW THAT YOU ARE DESTINED TO RECIVE IN THE FUTURE. IT MAY HELP YOU SAVE YOUR FRIEND IF I GIVE IT TO YOU NOW.
Tobias' felt a strange tingling sensation run through his body, almost wiping out the pain. "How do I use it?"
YOU WILL KNOW.
Tobias this into consideration, then attacked.
Chapter 12
Rachel turned in surprise, but it was to late. Tobias twisted her arm behind her back, much like a criminal would. She jerked her head up, causing him to shoot up against the ceiling. This gave her time to get out of his trap, and prepare her attack.
He stood up to face her, "Rachel listen to me! You do not want to do this!"
"Oh, do I?!" She shrieked, boiling in rage. She screamed, obviously frustrated, causing the energy to lash out at Tobias again, this time even harder than before.
That's it! he thought. She's only an enhanced version of Rachel's rage! If she had any other emotion she'd be destroyed, and possibly we'd have the old Rachel back! It made sense, and at the time being, there seemed to be nothing to lose. "Rachel?" He asked, trying to sound calm.
"Shut up!"
"Do you remember the yeerk pool?" He raised an eyebrow, fearfully awaiting her response.
She froze, her face bearing a new expression: fear.
Epilogue
"So then I said: 'look, if you want to go out with her, you have to fix your hair.' I mean, you should have seen it! It was-" Rachel stopped talking seeing her friend had lost interest. "Oh, well. So, do we have homework in history?"
Cassie sighed, and rummaged through the books and papers in her lap.
It was a week later, and everything seemed to have returned to normal- or as normal as normal was before Rachel's comeback. Rachel had come home after missing for a week, fortunately, her parents had already dreamt up an excuse in their minds. Jake had been unconscious, and Ax had been able to wake him up through thought-speech, just in time to morph and demorph. Cassie and Marco recovered quickly (all six agreed there was some ellimist help there.) soon after. Although she was back in school, Cassie still had to be in a wheelchair for a week, just until her legs get stable enough for long distances.
Cassie handed Rachel a page of notes. She then lowered her voice before starting the next conversation. "Did you ever find out what power Tobias was given?"
Rachel shook her head. "There wasn't one. Tobias thinks he was just trying to get him to think." She said as she looked up in her locker mirror. Her eyes widened in surprise, then quickly narrowed.
Past her reflection, was Melissa, and she was starring directly at her. Rachel considered looking back down at her books, but Melissa knew she had seen her.
She narrowed her eyes and mouthed to words that determined Earth's fate: "They Know."