All right, Animorphs belongs to K.A.A., and to Scholastic. Yeah, yeah, whatever. By the way, this is my VERY FIRST FIC, so please,be nice. Thankie!
(Yes, I DO know that this is a BIT unrealistic. But, c'mon, I tried. *pouts pathetically*)

The Innocent

Chapter 1
Jake

The world is as we accept it. Some say it is perfect, luxurious colors and smells. That the animals are beautiful and unique, that they are all innocent and exciting.
But then there are others. The others that think that the world is horrible, a walking death trap with colors that are desolate and repulsive. That the animals are worthless machines, bloodthirsty predators, or hastening prey, that they all blend together.
Then there are some who can see both. People like my friends and I, the Animorphs.
We were running for our lives. They were coming for us. The Yeerks. The Yeerks are slug-like creatures that crawl inside your head and wrap themselves around your brain. As they reach into your head, you realize that you can't move your hands. Then your feet or mouth. You can tell your brain to make your mouth move but your mouth won't move. The Yeerk has complete control. You are a slave.
That was who was chasing us. The Yeerks in their host bodies, their slaves.
We were running. The Yeerks were catching up to us but we would make it. Just a few more yards and we would be free.
Then Marco tripped. All of a sudden he wasn't a gorilla,the morph that he had been in, but a human boy, lying on the ground, winded.
The Yeerks surrounded him, and held his arms behind his back. They started to drag him back, back down to the Yeerk pool.
The others had made it, but I was frozen. The Yeerks advanced on me and I ran, leaving Marco with the Yeerks
I ran, leaving Marco with the Yeerks....
FLASH!
I woke up. I was lying on my bed in a cold sweat.
I sat up and blinked in the darkness. I looked at my alarm clock, which said 4:47. It was early in the morning but all of a sudden I wasn't tired. I stood up and went to the window. I slipped into my morphing outfit and started to morph to owl.
The feather pattern appeared first as I shrunk. My arms became wings and my feet became talons. I heard my bones crunching and readjusting to my bird shape. Then I had done it. I was an owl. Then I flew out into the early morning air.
What is happening to me?, I asked myself as I flew through the sky. I had had the same dream for five nights straight, except that each night a different friend, a different Animorph had been captured. And each time I had done nothing to save them. I had just frozen while they were captured, just frozen as my friends disappeared down into the Yeerk Pool. Then I ran. I was a coward. That was what the dream was saying. If that happened in real life, that is what would happen. I would run.
I landed in the woods and began to demorph with the trees surrounding me and seemingly trapping me inside its embrace.
I had finished demorphing and I sat on a log. I began thinking about the reason I had so many problems.
It was Friday night, while my friends and I were stupid enough to go through the old abandoned construction site as a shortcut on our way home. There we were given the power to morph by an alien named Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul. The five of us took the power and now we can morph into any animal we can touch. Then while cowering behind a brick wall, the alien was destroyed by a creature called Visser 3. The Visser looked like the other alien but he was different. He was a Yeerk.
My friends and I ran away but now we fight the Yeerks. We try to rid the world of the Yeerks, who are silently invading.
My friends are Rachel, Tobias,Cassie, Ax, and Marco.
Rachel is my cousin and a brave warrior. She has long blond hair and blue eyes. She is sometimes reckless, so Marco calls her Xena, warrior princess, and I think the name fits her.
Tobias is the next of my friends. He was trapped in the body of a red-tailed hawk, but thanks to a creature called the Ellimist, he can become human for two hours at a time. He had dirty blond hair and brown eyes. Or at least, he used to. Now he has feathers and gold menacing eyes. He doesn't have hands or feet anymore, but wings and talons. Rachel and Tobias like each other, I think. I personally don't know much about that stuff, you'll have to ask Cassie.
Speaking of Cassie, she is another friend of mine. I like Cassie. I mean, really like her. She has short black hair and coffee colored skin. A lot of the time she is wearing clothes that are too small for her, and sometimes they have bird poop or something on them, but I don't care. Cassie is a nice girl who loves nature. Her dad owns the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and her mom works at the Gardens, which is a amusement park slash zoo. The Center is located in Cassie's barn, giving us Animorphs access to many useful morphs.
Aximilli-Esgarrouth-Isthill is another one of my friends but we call him Ax for short. He is an alien called an Andalite. He is the brother of the alien that gave us our morphing powers. An Andalite looks like a cross between a human, deer, and a scorpion. They have stalk eyes and a horrible tail that will remove your head before you know the tail even moved. Their lower body is like a deer' and their upper body is like that of a young boy.
Marco is my best friend, although we fight all the time. He is short with dark hair and eyes. He is sarcastic and tries to find humor in everything. He complains all the time about the fight with the Yeerks but he is still there is the worst of the fight, trying to make us laugh.

Chapter 2
Jake

All of a sudden, I felt like I should go to Marco's house. I don't know what made me do that, but I started to morph. As I flew over Marco's house, I saw two men starting to carry a limp figure outside. Marco! They were talking as they walked so I just listened in.
Is this the only one that we have to get?, asked one of the men.
his partner said, If we want them to give us the ransom, we have to take the other vice-president's and the president's kids.
Marco's dad was the vice-president of a famous engineering company. Then, with a jolt, I realized. They were kidnapping Marco! A real honest-to-goodness kidnapping! I almost laughed. After all we had been through, Marco was getting kidnapped? But then I realized that this was serious.
The two men tied Marco's hands up before putting him in the back of a car so if he woke up he wouldn't be able to move.
the first guy said to the other, You take him back to the hotel. The other kids are little, no older than five. They should be easy.
This one wasn't exactly hard either. the second guy said, All we had to do was knock him out.
The second guy got into the drivers side of the car and started it up.
I followed the man to the hotel and found his room. I demorphed outside, then morphed again. I perched on the ledge outside. I was pretty sure that the guys were not Yeerks, so I wasn't worried.
, Marco said as he woke up.
The guy put a gun to Marco's head and said, If you scream I will shoot you.
With that the guy took some duct tape and placed some over Marco's mouth.
Now, be a good little boy while I go to get the phone, the guy said, If you try anything you're dead, got it?
Marco nodded, but I knew he wasn't afraid. He had the ultimate weapon in getting out of these spots. But the guy came back before he could even begin to morph.
Now little boy, I am going to leave a little ransom note with your daddy. the guy said with a laugh. Marco struggled to get out and made mgh,mghhh' sounds. Marco's dad was only hanging on to life because Marco was there. Marco's mom supposedly died a couple of years ago, and Marco's dad struggled to get through life. After awhile, he got his act together but if Marco disappeared, his dad would lose it. Of course, the Animorphs know that his mom didn't actually die, but she was a slave of the Yeerks, who faked her death.
The guy started to dial Marco's number as Marco struggled to get up and stop him.
Oh, stop it., the man said, and kicked Marco hard. Marco fell back against the wall as the man finished dialing.
Hello, is this the vice-president of Tillson Electronics? the man said into the phone.
Lightly, I could hear Marco's dad over the phone, Yes, why are you calling so early?
the guy said, In case you haven't noticed, your son has been kidnapped.
Huh? Marco?..Marco!, Marco's dad dropped the phone, and then picked it up again. Wha..What do you want? he said, almost in tears.
the guy said, Two other employees children have also been taken. If you want them back, your company will have to pay us one hundred billion dollars. *Note from author- Yes, that is a reference to Austin Powers*
Yes, yes, just let me talk to Marco--
the man said, and hung up.
Turning to Marco, That went well, didn't it?
Then the other man came in holding two little girls. One looked like it was around 2 and the other about 5. While the men made similar calls to those kids parents, I decided to talk to Marco.
Hello, bro I said. Marco jerked in surprise.
Don't worry, I don't spy on you. I went out for a morning fly this morning. I saw the men at your house and decided to follow them. It seemed like a good idea, seeing as you were knocked out cold. I said.
Marco nodded his head toward the alarm clock on the dresser in the room. It read 5:52.
Good point. I said, I had better get back to my house to get ready for school. I'll come back with the others. Let me know if you die, okay? Marco gave me a Ha,ha,ha, very funny' look.
Bye I said, and flew off toward my house. What was I going to do?

Chapter 3
Jake

I demorphed in my room about two seconds before my alarm went off. Then I got ready for school, and suddenly had an inspiration.
I walked over to Marco's house to see how his dad was doing. I knocked on the door.
Marco's dad answered the door with tear-stained cheeks, What are you doing here?
Marco and I decided to go to school early, I lied, So is he ready?
Ugh...M..Marco isn't going to school today,Marco's dad said, So you can go home.
I said, before Marco's dad shut the door in my face.
That day at school, I told everyone to meet at Cassie's barn. We had to go over what we were going to do.
I don't see why we don't just go in and grab him, Rachel said.
I said, I know that the guys took two other kids, who are both under seven years old. If, let's say, a bear came in and saved them, the kids are going to tell their parents. Plus, we don't know whether or not the guys are Yeerks.
It doesn't seem likely that the Yeerks are going to start kidnapping. Cassie said, Anyway, can't Marco just morph a cockroach or something?
I shook my head, No good. The guys keep Marco under constant watch, and if he does anything the guys kick him. Plus, that doesn't tell us how to get the other kids.
We kept going on and on like that, until Tobias and Ax came back. They had been scouting where Marco was for possible Yeerk involvement.
Um, Jake, out of question, why don't we just tell the police where Marco is? Tobias said
Everyone sort-of stared at each other before laughing.
No duh, Rachel said.
Why didn't we think of that before? I said.
You guys are so dumb sometimes
Um... you guys, Cassie said interrupting the relieved laughing, What if the kidnappers decide to kill Marco when the police come?
That stopped everyone. We all realized that what we do could have a bad effect on what happens.
I said, with a moments hesitation, That is a chance we might have to take. Let's fly.
The four of us flew over to the hotel in seagull morphs so we wouldn't look suspicious. Ax decided to stay in the woods. We landed on the perch and looked in. The two guys were lying on the bed eating pizza. Marco was basically looking bored with the tape still over his mouth. One of the guys was holding a gun and when Marco so much as moved he flung the gun to the side of Marco's head, as if to remind him not to do anything.
Geez Jake, I see your point Rachel said, They aren't letting Marco even move without threatening him.
The two littler kids were tied up and gaged in the other room. I guess the two guys didn't suspect them of trying anything.
Marco! I said, trying to get his attention. I got his attention all right. He jerked his head in suprisement and fell to the side slightly. In an instant, the guy with the gun grabbed Marco and shoved him against the wall, almost enough to knock him out.
Look kid, the guy said, If you make a scene, we will just kill you now, Marco rolled his eyes, as if to say, yeah, right'. But by now we had all realized that this was serious.
Just then, Marco started to morph gorilla. But he only morphed enough to get thought speak.
You know he said, sounding a little peeved, You don't have to be all abrupt. A simple, calm we're here would have done the trick
Well Marco Tobias replied,The next time you get kidnapped, we'll remember that
Very funny, Bird-Boy, Marco said, But in case you haven't noticed, I'm stuck in here with two guys who threaten to kill me every time I move. Man, what is their problem?
Marco Cassie said, We were wondering. If we told the police that you were here, do you think that the guys would kill you before the police could get you?
Cassie Marco replied, From what you just saw, I have to ask you. What do you think?
Okay Tobias said, I guess that answers that question. We tell, Marco dies. We don't tell, --
Marco probably still dies Marco cut in.
We had a serious problem. Marco couldn't morph, we couldn't rush in and save him, and we couldn't tell the police.
Um, Jake? Marco asked.
Yeah, what? I replied.
Umm, how is my dad doing? Marco sounded sort of sad and hopeful at the same time.
Marco, I really hate to say this but--
Never mind! Marco thought spoke loudly, I don't want to know.
Look Marco, we have to fly. Okay?
Okay. he said, sounding sad, Bye
Marco started to morph back to human. Once he was fully human, we flew off.
Man Cassie said, That is so sad. Marco isn't sad for himself. He is sad because of his dad.
Yeah, well now we have to figure out what in the heck we are going to do.

Chapter 4
Marco

Man, this reeked. Here I was, sitting on a cheap hotel room floor, starving and sore from where those guys kicked me. I was not doing anything and those guys just totally beat me up. What was with them anyway? I mean, I don't see them beating up the two little girls! Okay, okay, bad example, but still! I was still thinking of what had happened.
I was sleeping, and at around four thirty a thump from downstairs woke me up. At first I thought it was my dad, getting ready to go to work. You see, I had my window shades down and I hadn't figured out that it was four thirty in the morning until I went downstairs. Anyway, I realized that if my dad was up for work, that I should get up too. I know, pretty stupid. But I got dressed and was going to go downstairs when I realized that my dad' had been, like, searching downstairs. I mean, looking in every room. So I started to go downstairs, looking confused.
I said, becoming even more confused, Dad, are you looking for something?
When I got downstairs, I realized that it wasn't time to get up yet. I mean, it was still dark outside and the kitchen clock said 4:54.
I asked again, and then something hard hit me on the head, and I was knocked unconscious.
When I regained consciousness, I was in this cheap hotel room with these lunatic guys who seemed to want to kill me all the time.
When Jake told me what happened, I felt so stupid . All those battles with the Yeerks and I was taken out by two middle-age guys? This was pathetic.
After Jake and the others left, I started to think about how my dad was feeling right about now. He was only hanging in there because of me. He has gotten better, but that doesn't mean he couldn't still lose it. I could have cried but I realized that those idiotic guys were still there. From what I had seen, they would probably kill me for crying. Or worse, they'd tease me.
All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door. The two guys jerked their heads up in amazement.
Get the kid, one of them said in a hurried whisper.

Chapter 5
Rachel

After I knocked on the door, I heard hushed silence. Then I heard a mumbled whisper and the T.V. turned off. Finally, I heard a door shut loudly. Then the door opened.
A guy opened the door, he said feircly. I could see another guy in the back round, sitting on the bed.
Pizza delivery, I said, not the least worried. Jake and Tobias were out of sight against the wall, waiting to burst in.
We didn't order a pizza, miss. the man said, starting to seem worried.
I said, smiling, You did now. With that I punched him in the face, and the fact that my hand contained a brick made the guy fall.
The guy fell back onto the bed, causing his partner to drop the gun. I rushed in and grabbed it, and flung it outside into the hall. The two guys were knocked out, but they didn't have to stay that way. Jake and Tobias came rushing in and we went into the next room. Marco and two little girls were sitting, tied up. Unfortunately for us, Marco was unconscious, with blood trickling from a cut on his forehead. Jake went to untie Marco and Tobias took the little girl closest to the door. I went to the little girl that was farther away. She looked around five years old and she looked at me with tears in her eyes.
All of a sudden, Marco woke up. Huh? Oh, hi. Marco was untied and went over to help Tobias with his kid by lifting the little girl from the ropes. Then he moved her over by us.
We were almost done with the other girl when we heard Tobias say, We turned around and saw that the first guy had gotten up and had a knife against Tobias's neck with one hand and was holding on to him with the other.
If you move, your little friend dies, got it? he said. We all sort-of stared for a moment until a certain familiar voice spoke up.
Cassie said, causing the guy to turn around, while still holding on to Tobias, Go to sleep. With that, she flung the pizza box, which had so convinetly contained a encyclopedia. It hit the guy in the head so hard that if Tobias hadn't jerked his head back in time, Tobias would have been knocked out too.
, I said, That took care of that little problem, didn't it? We all started laughing. Relieved laughing.

Chapter 6
Marco

After Tobias, Cassie, Jake and Rachel rescued me and the little girls, they dropped us at a park. The plan was to have me say that we were rescued by people who we had no idea who they were. At least for the little girls, which I found out later that their names were Ashley and Gabby, they really didn't know their rescuers. I did, but we weren't about to tell the police who really rescued us. That would be a complete mistake (think Yeerks). Anyway, I brought the girls to their houses and basically said that I didn't know what had happened because I was unconscious, which technically was true. The next few days were completely hectic. I couldn't even talk to the others because the police kept talking to me and my dad practically wouldn't let me out of his sight. Then, about a week later, I finally got to talk to them outside of school,
That was completely hilarious how Cassie knocked out that guy, I said when I got in the barn.
Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly in the mood to laugh right about then. Tobias said. Everyone but Ax was there, and we were talking about how we had totally and completely made the guys look like idiots.
I, myself , am glad that they are in jail now. Rachel said, Although that was fun knocking them out.
Everyone had filled me in on how they came up with their plan. They realized that they could just take care of this by themselves, no need to get the police involved. And if they stayed human, there was no way the Yeerks could connect them to the Andalite bandits. Plus, there had to be about a million teenage boys and girls that could match the description the little girls gave the police. I personally, didn't give them a description, I just agreed with little girls.
Jake told me about his dream. He told me everything, even what he thought it meant. I so totally disagreed with him. Jake, a coward? Do the words get real' mean anything to you?

--Note from Jake- In case you were wondering, the dreams stopped. Ciao.

The End. (or is it...?)


--To all Ax fans: I don't use Ax in my stories much. Sorry.