TOM: ~walking up to MARCO at JAKE'S house door~Looking for Jake?

MARCO:Oh, Hey Tom. Yeah, is he up stairs?

TOM: I don't know. Just got here.

MARCO: ~nodding~ Right.

TOM: ~Opens door for MARCO~

MARCO: ~walks into JAKE'S room. EVERYBODY is there already.

TOBIAS:~on JAKE'S bed with Homer~

RACHEL: ~off camera~ I know, I did not do well.

MARCO: Hey, Dude. We've got to stop meeting like this.

RACHEL: ~turning around to face computer~ We  always hung out before, it'd be a bigger bust if we suddenly stopped.

CASSIE: I Agree.

MARCO: Yeah. By the way, your brother's here man.

JAKE: That's why I have a door. ~taking out disk~ Okay, let's try this thing. ~hands disk to MARCO~ You're the computer wiz.

MARCO: ~takes disk~ Compared to you, maybe. ~puts disk in disk drive~  Alright, lets see what happens.

RACHEL: ~off camera~ it doesn't look like it will fit.

JAKE: ~off camera~ What, you have a better idea?

MARCO: ~clicks on mouse. Computer comes up with a blue screen blinking "Ready..." types some stuff on the keyboard. Computer screen comes up with "Unable to find the application that created this file..." and  retry and cancel buttons.

TOBIAS: ~off camera~ Try "Alt Escape X"

MARCO: ~tries it~ ~computer screen comes up with blinking "Open File" and blinking retry button. Screen goes black with system failure... in white letters. EVERYONE moans~

TOBIAS: ~off camera~ What's goin' on?

RACHEL: ~off camera~ What happened?

MARCO: ~facing RACHEL~ It worked on "Independance Day"

JAKE: ~hitting MARCO~ They had Will Smith

TOM: ~opening door~ What're you guys doin'?

RACHEL: Just Cracking up. Marco finally said something funny.

MARCO: ~smiles and shrugs~

TOM: ~nods and leaves~

MARCO: ~gets up and closes door sees TOM putting his finger in  his ear~

 Theme Song interupts here

~EVERYBODY walks out of house, with Homer, onto driveway~

CASSIE: So, what's next?

JAKE: I don't know. Any ideas?

~nobody answers~

JAKE: ~nods~ Let's sleep on it, okay?

~EVERYBODY agrees and leaves, except MARCO~

MARCO: ~picks up basketball and starts to dribble~

JAKE: ~steals ball~ Oh, he takes it away! ~shoots~ Scores!

TOM: ~comes out of house~

JAKE: ~to TOM~ Hey, Tom, ~passes ball to TOM~ ya' up for a quick game? Marco's no challenge anymore.

TOM: I got somewhere to be.

JAKE: ~looks troubled~ Oh. Hey, do you think there's gonna be any college scouts there tonight? Going for a tripple, double or what?

TOM: ~aiming ball with basket~ Nah. Team's history.~ball goes in hoop, nothin' but net~  I'm going somewhere else.

MARCO: Where?

TOM: To a new club, The Sharing. Everybody's joining. ~walks down driveway~

JAKE: ~turns around~ Wait a second, you quit the basketball team?

TOM: ~exasperated look. Turns around~ Jaaaaake, there's more to life than throwing a ball at a stupid hoop.

JAKE: What? Basketball's like your whole life.

TOM: ~shaking head~ Not anymore. Anyway, we do cooler things at The Sharing. And besides, the place is a magnet for girls. You guys should come. ~shakes head~ I'll see you two clowns later. ~leaves~

JAKE: ~looking down at ground, troubled~ He quit the team.

MARCO: You know all that stuff about how anybody can be a controller?

JAKE: ~nodding~ Yeah. What are you saying?

MARCO: ~doesn't answer~

JAKE: ~angry~ What are you saying?!

MARCO:I'm just saying  that it's pretty weird that your all-star all-state Mr. Basketball brother would suddenly quit playing hoops.

JAKE: Yeah? So?

MARCO: So, maybe your Tom's not  entirely under his own control.

JAKE: ~angrily. Throws basketball at MARCO, who has walked down the driveway.~ They would never get to my brother!

MARCO: What? ~throws ball back~ You think he's immune?

JAKE: He's too smart.

MARCO: You just don't want to see it! Have you looked in his ear lately?

JAKE: ~walks angrily towards MARCO~ Hey, if you're looking for somebody who's acting weird, why don't you start with your father?

MARCO: ~gives JAKE a dirty look and walks away~
 
~cuts to tv screen, showing a black and white werewolf movie.~

MARCO: ~walks in door~

JEREMY: ~lying on couch, half asleep~

MARCO: ~looks at JEREMY, shakes head and closes door~

JEREMY: ~looks at MARCO~ Heeey, Marco

MARCO: ~accusingly~ Didn't you have a job interview today?

JEREMY: ~soberly~ Yeah, I cancelled.

MARCO: Oh ~walks away~ right ~hangs jaket over back of chair~

JEREMY: Actually, I had something more important to do.

MARCO: Like what?

JEREMY: I went down to the cemetary, put some fresh flowers out for you mom.

MARCO: ~closes eyes and sighs~ Oh. Well, there'll be other job interviews.

JEREMY: ~smiles half-heartedly. whispers~ Yeah.

MARCO: Want me to call for a pizza?

JEREMY: Yeah, that'd be great.

~camera pans to picture of Marco, Jeremy and Marco's Mom, smiling and hugging~

~cut to TOBIAS and RACHEL walking down street together~

RACHEL: ~to TOBIAS~ Thanks for walking with me.

TOBIAS: Sure.

RACHEL: ~stops walking~ Um, where do you live, anyway?

TOBIAS: Down on Grove, with my aunt. Last year I used to live with this other uncle. I kind of get passed around.

RACHEL: That must be rough.

TOBIAS: ~shrugging~ It's alright. ~pause~ I gotta get going. ~turns to walk away~

RACHEL: ~tries to step in front of him~ You know, I saw a hawk flying over my house this morning.

TOBIAS:~looks down at the ground. Almost laughing~ What makes you think it was me?

RACHEL: ~smiling~ Something about the way it flew.

TOBIAS: Do you ever wish you could just...fly away?

RACHEL: ~nodding~ Sometimes

~RACHEL and TOBIAS have been giving eachother this REALLY DISGUSTING lovey-dovey look since Tobias said "Do you ever wish you could just...fly away?"~

SARA: ~holding up camera~ SMILE! Now you have a picture of your new boooy friend.

RACHEL: Sara!

SARA: ~giggles and runs inside house~

~RACHEL and TOBIAS look at ground and laugh~

~cut to crowded school hallway~

MARCO: ~walks down hall. Sees CHAPMAN, turns around~

CHAPMAN: Hold it right there, Marco.

MARCO ~stops~ Yes, Mr. Chapman.

CHAPMAN:You know, it always bothers me when the grades of one of our best students begin to drop.

MARCO: Well, if I-I find that student, I'll tell him you said so. ~turns to leave~

CHAPMAN: Levity (??) won't get you out of this. Maybe what you need are some friends that will be a better influence. ~sees lizard on floor. Tries to stomp on it. Lizard gets away~ Disgusting creatures. ~leaves~

MARCO: ~leaves for class~

CHAPMAN: ~stops to look at a banner for The Sharing being hung up in the hall~

MARCO: ~walks into classroom where JAKE is waiting. Sets books down on lab table where JAKE and a terariam is sitting~

JAKE: I didn't think you'd show.

MARCO: ~reaches into terariam~ Oh, what are you, kidding? I live for science lab make-ups,bro~takes lizard out of terariam~

JAKE: Hey, careful. I dropped one earlier, I can't find it.

MARCO: ~smiling~ Yeah, I know. I saw it in the hall earlier. Chapman almost stepped on it.

JAKE: ~smiles~

MARCO: Listen, about what happened yesterday-

JAKE: I'll forget it, if you will.

MARCO: I mean, we're dealing with some serious stuff here. It's a little more drastic than finding a zit. We were bound to go ballistic sooner or later, you know?

JAKE: I'm sorry.

MARCO: Me too, man.

~both do some secret handshake-type thing~

CHAPMAN: ~overheard from hall~ Blackmire! (??) Over here.

~JAKE and MARCO get up and quietly go towards door~

CHAPMAN: ~to a little red headed boy~ Have you had any success in locating  the Andalites?

BLACKMIRE: Not yet, but we're still looking.

CHAPMAN: That's unacceptable.

BLACKMIRE: We know they're using human morphs. Approximatly the same age as my host body.

CHAPMAN: Just find them.

BLACKMIRE: Yes, sir.

CHAPMAN:Now, go stand watch while I check the entrance to the pool.

~JAKE and MARCO look down at lizard still in MARCO'S hand. MARCO begins to acquire it.~

~JAKE and MARCO run out from under door into crowded hallway as lizards~

JAKE: < Chapman went that way. >

MARCO: < Jake, I can't see very well. >

JAKE: < Weird, I can't see colors. >

MARCO: < Whoa! My tongue! It can smell things! >

JAKE: < It's between classes! >

MARCO: < So. Scared. Run. Hide! >

JAKE: < Get a grip! >

MARCO: < Get a grip? Get a grip! Man, this skink is one nervous animal. >

CHAPMAN: ~unlocks the janitor's closet. walks in.~

~JAKE and MARCO run under door~

JAKE: < Watch out. >

CHAPMAN: Is everything ready for tonight?

TOM: ~turns around~ Everything's arranged.

CHAPMAN: Show me.

TOM: ~nods~ ~turns faucet to the left, turns soap dish a quarter turn to the left. Wall slides open, revealing entrance to the Yeerk Pool.~

JAKE: < Tom! No! >

MARCO: < Jake! I'm sorry, man. >

CHAPMAN: Very impressive. But it's been three days, regeneration must begin tonight at sundown.

TOM: I need the kandrona nutrients. ~looks at entrance~ How many new hosts will be there?

CHAPMAN: 50 new members from The Sharing. ~pause~ but your brother is not among them. Why?

TOM: ~nods~ Jake has a very strong will. He may be a problem for us. If he doesn't cooperate, we may have to...correct the problem.

CHAPMAN: ~looks over at shelf where JAKE and MARCO are listening.~

TOM: ~looks where CHAPMAN is looking~ Sir?

CHAPMAN: ~walks towards shelf~ What do we have here? ~picks up MARCO~

MARCO: < Jake! Help! >

JAKE: < Stay Calm. Just stay calm! >

CHAPMAN: ~holds MARCO in front of his and TOM'S face~ Nasty little creature.

MARCO: < Jake! Help! >
 
CHAPMAN: Disgusting thing.

JAKE: < Stay calm. Just stay calm! >
 
 MARCO: < Jake! Help me! >

JAKE: < Marco, be cool! >

CHAPMAN: ~drops MARCO. MARCO and JAKE run out of closet under door. CHAPMAN looks at TOM and leaves~

TOM: ~troubled look~

~cut to CHAPMAN walking down hall,looking for MARCO and JAKE~

~MARCO and JAKE demorph inside lockers~

MARCO: Nex time, we use a phone booth, dude. ~quietly, walking away.~ Don't worry man, we're gonna help your brother.

~cut to group walking through a field (Cassie's preserve) at night~

CASSIE: ~walking next to JAKE~ Jake, I'm really sorry about your brother.

JAKE: I'm gonna set him free no matter what it takes. And when we do, I'm gonna take that yeerk inside of his head and squash it like a bug.

TOBIAS: At least now we know that the yeerks need some sort of a booster treatment every three days.

RACHEL: And we know a way into this pool. Whatever that is.

MARCO: Yeah, you'd think that Elfangor would've given us an instruction manual, or somethin'

RACHEL:  You mean before or after he went toe to toe with Visser Three?

TOBIAS: Well, maybe that's what the disk is for!

MARCO: We need an instruction manual for that too!

~group approaches large, imposing, metal fence, with a door~

CASSIE: This is where my mom works. With all of the exotic animals.

MARCO: Exotic? Like rare chickens or somethin'?

JAKE: ~to MARCO. The two of them are standing by themselves~ Hey, listen. If we're going to fight the yeerks, I think we're going to need something a little more dangerous than a rat, a cat, and a dog.

~both look over fence~

MARCO: How dangerous is dangerous, dude?

JAKE: This looks tricky, I'll give you a boost. ~bends over and puts hands out for MARCO to step in~

MARCO: Why do I have to go first???

JAKE: Because you're small. I can get you up there.

MARCO: You're the leader, why don't you go first?

JAKE: Okay, you boost me.

MARCO: ~looking up wall~  Man, that's barbed wire, bar boso (or somethin' like that, I don't know spanish)

~both continue to look over wall~

CASSIE: ~holds keys up~  You guys almost finished? ~CASSIE, RACHEL and TOBIAS are smiling on the other side of the fence~

MARCO: My bad, dude ~do the secret handshake-thing from the science lab~

~cut to MARCO closing something that looks like a garage door~

JAKE: ~off camera~ Wow!

RACHEL: ~off camera~ Whoa!

JAKE: ~off camera~ Look at that!

MARCO:They've all been fed, right, Cas? ~walks over to group standing in front of white tiger's cage~

RACHEL: ~off camera, camera is zooming on tiger~ What is it?

CASSIE: ~off camera~ It's a white, bengal tiger. Now, watch his eyes. If they dialate, just back away very, very slowly. ~opens cage door~

JAKE: ~walks in~

MARCO: Slowly?

CASSIE: ~off camera~ Remeber, all you have to do is touch it to acquire it's DNA.

RACHEL: ~off camera~ Just make a fuffer sound.

JAKE: ~tiger turns head and snarls at JAKE~ A what?

CASSIE: Fuffer. Like this, vvvvh, vvvvh. ~MARCO, TOBIAS and RACHEL look at her like she's crazy. CASSIE shrugs~ They say it calms him down.
 
JAKE: Yeah,sure.

CASSIE: ~off camera~ Easy, Jake. Slowly

JAKE: Vvvvh. Vvvvh. ~smiles at tiger~ Hey, buddy. ~almost to the tiger~ Vvvvh. Vvvh.

CASSIE: Remember, when you acquire it's DNA, it'll go into a trance.

MARCO: How about that moment before the trance when it rips his arm off? ~smirks~

JAKE: ~leans forward and puts hand out to acquire tiger~ This one's for you, Tom.

CASSIE: ~smiles when JAKE finishes acquiring. Whispers.~ Yes.

RACHEL: Cool.

CASSIE: Okay, Rach, you're next.

~cut to RACHEL standing in cage with a male lion~

RACHEL: I've got it. Rachel the lion hearted ~walks to door of cage~

MARCO: Yeah? Well, Marco the chicken hearted says lets go before we become lunch.

JAKE: Good idea. ~everyone turns to leave. CASSIE closes and locks cage door~

~cut to everybody walking out of the compound~

MARCO: ~he and JAKE are ahead of everybody else~  Hey,Jake, don't take this the wrong but, um,  you should leave Elfangor's disk in your room?

JAKE: You're right, but I already thought of that. ~pats coat pocket~ From now on, It goes where I go.

MARCO: Cool. We're gonna help your brother, bro,I promise. ~MARCO walks ahead~

~everybody else walks up to, and ahead of JAKE, RACHEL stays by him~

RACHEL: ~sighs~ You think we'll pass as human controllers?

JAKE: We'll find out tonight.

~cut to school hallways filling up with controllers. MARCO and JAKE poke head out from behind a door way and quickly join the crowd. CASSIE, RACHEL and TOBIAS follow. JAKE, MARCO, CASSIE, and TOBIAS look freaked out. RACHEL is the only one who fits in with the controller crowd. When MARCO and JAKE reach doorway to the yeerk pool, they hesitate.~

MARCO:Go on, Go On! ~JAKE goes down first, followed by MARCO~

~cut to the yeerk pool. Lots of screams and shots of a red pool. Close up of VISSER THREE~

VISSER THREE: < Move Faster! We have many hosts to regenerate tonight! I will be in my chambers, notify me when it is done. >

CONTROLLER 1: ~off camera~ Yes, Visser Three!

CASSIE: ~seperated from the others and is put in a second line~

CONTROLLER 1: ~grabs MARCO~ You! Stay in the regeneration line!

~camera pans over the pool. We see controllers leaning over to let yeerks out of their heads. A Yeerk dropping into the pool, free people being dragged to cages, people in cages, a Hork-Bajir head, an entire Hork-Bajir, the Animorphs in the regeneration line~

RACHEL: Jake, look. ~camera cuts to TOM at the regeneration line~ Tom.

~JAKE,RACHEL,TOBIAS and MARCO watch in horror as TOM leans over the pool~

TOM: ~yeerk drops out of his head. Grabbed by two controllers~ No, Let go of me! You can't put that thing back in me!

CONTROLLER 2: ~looks at JAKE, RACHEL, TOBIAS, and MARCO~ Get in line

TOBIAS: ~steps forward~ We report directly to Visser Three. Get out of our way.

CONTROLLER 2:~looks them over. Nods,backs away.~

TOBIAS: ~leads group away from the line~

MARCO: Says some stuff I can't understand. Too much background noise.

~cut to CASSIE still in the regeneration line~

TOBIAS: ~leads everybody to an out of the way place~

JAKE: We've got to do something.

CASSIE: ~steps up to next in line~

JAKE: There's Cassie.

CASSIE: ~bends down like she's a controller~

JAKE: ~off camera~ What is she doing?

RACHEL: ~off camera~ I don't know!

~Everybody watches CASSIE in anticipation~

CONTROLLER 3: ~walks up to CASSIE~ Is something wrong?

JAKE: C'mon, let's distract him.

RACHEL: Do it. Quick.~JAKE and RACHEL go right, MARCO and TOBIAS go left~

CASSIE: ~still on knees in front of pool~ I'm having a hard time getting out of her ear.

TOBIAS: ~morphing hawk~

CONTROLLER 3: Turn your head.

CASSIE: ~grabs a stone, puts it near her ear and turns head~ I'm almost free.~drops stone in pool. Controllers come forward to take her to cages~ NOOOOO!!! You can't put that thing back in my ear! Let go of me! ~pushes one controller away~

RACHEL: ~comes out of a cave in lion morph. Roars and pushes a controller into the pool~

CASSIE: ~pushes other controller holding on to her into pool~

TOBIAS: ~in hawk morph~ < Rachel! You have Visser Three to your right and two Hork-Bajir behind you! >

RACHEL: < Thanks, Tobias. >

VISSER THREE: < What is going on out there?! >

MARCO: ~sneaks behind CONTROLLER THREE and pulls a switch that releases the people from their cage. Freed controllers stampede out and run over a Hork-Bajir~

VISSER THREE: < Stop them you fools! >

RACHEL: ~demorphed, runs out and joins the crowd~

JAKE: ~running with CASSIE in the crowd. Leaves CASSIE, goes behind a rock and morphs tiger.~

CHAPMAN: The door controller!

CONTROLLER 3: ~pulls switch to close door~

RACHEL: ~running through door as it closes~ Cassie! Hurry up!

CASSIE: ~just gets through door as it closes~

CHAPMAN: ~walking towards group of current and recaptured controllers, TOM'S among them~ Where'd they go? Did anyone see their faces?

JAKE: ~demorphed, sprints for the door~

CHAPMAN: ~points to JAKE~ Hey you! Stop right there!

JAKE: ~keeps running up stairs with CHAPMAN close behind. Reaches door, starts pulling on it to try and get it open (even though it's a sliding door) morphs lizard and crawls out before CHAPMAN sees him.~

CHAPMAN: ~to VISSER THREE~ We did our best!

VISSER THREE: < You have failed once again. >

CHAPMAN: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

~cut to JAKE< CASSIE, RACHEL and MARCO running down "Gillan court". Stop after they turn the corner. MARCO stops first.~

JAKE: ~Turning back to MARCO~ You okay?

MARCO: ~nods~

MARCO VO: Yeah, I'd give anything to be just a regular kid again. But, no, now I have to change my shape more often than I change my underwear. But when I saw Jake's brother and the others trapped, taken over, controlled, I knew I was one of the lucky ones.

RACHEL: ~breathing heavily~ That was wild!

CASSIE: I'm just glad we're all okay.

JAKE: Tom's not.

CASSIE: There'll be another time, Jake. We'll get him back, okay?

MARCO: ~walking forward to join the group.~ Tobias, you did it again. ~points to hawk on street sign~  If it wasn't for Tobias, I'd be road kill. Thanks, Tobias.

RACHEL: Tobias?

JAKE: Thats, not him.

MARCO: What? You mean I've been talking to a bird the whole time? ~hawk flies away~

RACHEL: No. You don't think... Tobias?!

JAKE: Rachel, I'm sure he made it out. ~looks at RACHEL and CASSIE, both have very serious looks on. There not so sure. Looks in direction the hawk flew~ Tobias?!

CASSIE: Tobias!

RACHEL: Tobias!!

MARCO: Tobias!

~everybody starts walking back the way they came, calling out for TOBIAS~
 

Okay, Forlay here again. Pretty good episode. Ending's sad, though. And what's worse, there was some really sad music playing then. Exactly the kind of music you'd imagine playing when Tobias told Jake what happened in the books. Pretty good acting, too. I have to admit, that this is the best TV show Scholastic has produced based on it's book series' for older kids. I think I'm gonna stick with it :-)