Part 2 (1/2)

Visser Three circled at blazing speed, but I threaded my way again and again through the arches.

8Good job, Ax-man!”; Tobias cried.

8Hang in there. I have him in my sights!”; Humans were gathering beneath us, gaping up at the bizarre spectacle.

”Hey, that bird has too many wings!” one yelled.

”Must be a mutant bird. Go seagull, go!”

Whap! My wing tip caught the edge of an arch. I stuttered through the air. I missed my turn.

8Aaaaahhhh!”; The razor-sharp beak cut an inch from my wing tip! I fell. I hit the black roof of the fast-food restaurant. I staggered and hopped into a narrow s.p.a.ce between two large, loud cooling units.

I saw the Visser swoop by low overhead and I knew that he had landed on the roof, too.

I began to demorph as fast as I could. The roof was surrounded by a raised wall. The humans on the ground could not see us. And once I was Andalite again, the bird would pose no more threat.

From my talons, hooves began to grow. My tail feathers melted together and formed the beginnings of my tail blade. But as I grew, the s.p.a.ce became tight. I was wedged in between the cooling units, with fans blasting me with greasy smells.

I forced my way out, half Andalite, half bird, staggering on misshapen legs. Out into the open center of the roof. And there I saw him. Like me, he was demorphing. Like me, he was part bird, part Andalite.

But this was no true Andalite.

8Give yourself up, Andalite,”; the Visser sneered. 8And I may even let you live.”; 8Let's see how good you are tail to tail,”; I said, once more trying to sound far more confident than I was.

His tail emerged. My tail emerged.

And we stood, seemingly two Andalites, preparing for a battle to the death.

I looked into the eyes of the Abomination. And there I saw evil.

And then I saw something that made my hearts leap. Because I also saw fear.

CHAPTER 5.

It had been a very long time since any Andalites fought tail to tail, except as part of military training or as a sport.

And this was no sport.

There, amid the blowing fans and the smell of grease and fried meat, Visser Three and I stood face-to-face.

Two seagulls fluttered down to land. Then two more. My stalk eye noted the predator's outline of a hawk on the wing overhead.

8Let's demorph,”; Rachel said, directing her thought-speak to include me. I hoped she'd remember not to let Visser Three hear it. Humans sometimes forget that thought-speak can be targeted to everyone or just a list of people.

8We can't demorph,”; Prince Jake said to me. 8We'd have to pa.s.s through our human forms first. We can't demorph unless we are absolutely sure Visser Three is not going to walk away from this.”; 8If we demorph, he won't walk away,”; Rachel said grimly.

I kept my eyes trained on the Visser.

My tail was on a hair trigger. The slightest movement and I would strike.

I said, 8Prince Jake, we can't take the chance. If he ever learns you are humans, your lives will be worthless. I can avenge Elfangor alone.”; 8This isn't the place,”; Ca.s.sie said reasonably. 8People down below saw a six-winged bird come up here. Someone is probably on their way.”; I barely heard her. The Visser was edging sideways, looking for an opening. I arched my tail blade high, ready to block his attack.

8Ax, can you back off without getting hurt?”; Prince Jake asked. 8Ca.s.sie's right. We don't want this fight here.”; Part of me wanted to say, yes, yes, we can let the Visser escape. He was bigger than I. His tail would have a half-foot advantage in reach. He was taller, which made it easier for him to strike my eyes, my head.

But another part of me had seen that look of fear in the Visser's eyes. He'd realized he was in a trap. He'd realized he was facing a battle to the death where the odds were not all that favorable to him.

I wanted to see more of that fear from him. I wanted to see the terror as I pressed my tail blade against his throat and said, 8This is for my brother.”; Sudden movement!

I struck! My tail blade missed its target, but slashed the Abomination across his shoulder.

In the confusion, I didn't understand at first.

Everything happened at once: his sudden movement, my strike, and then, the graceful flight as his leap took him over the wall.

He fell from sight. I ran to the edge and craned to look over.

A human girl below was crying, ”I swear I saw a blue horse jump off the roof!”

”You're crazy. Where'd it land, then?” her friend said.

I could see where he'd landed. In a large square trash bin.

”In that Dumpster,” the first girl said.

I glared down at the Visser. His left rear leg was broken from the fall. He was morphing to human as fast as he could. He looked up at me with eyes blazing hatred.

I wanted to say something. I wanted to shout some threat. Make some dire promise. But all I did was stare eye to eye with Visser Three.

And then, as his human mouth appeared, he sneered.

8Come on, Ax,”; Prince Jake said.

8We're done here.”;

CHAPTER 6.

That night I ran across the far pastures of Ca.s.sie's ranch and tried to figure out my emotions.

It was a wet night. Rain was falling, although not hard by Earth standards. The gra.s.s was wet and moist. I could feel my hooves picking up the worms that come out of the ground when it's wet. There would be extra protein in my diet, which was the last thing I needed. Too much protein keeps me awake.