the bait

[instar]

Now that Trouble is back, the limiting factor on bear and elephant acquisition is just the availability of those of the Animorphs who experience nonzero parental supervision. There is a coincidence of Renée being out well past zoo closing time and Robin's mother being occupied the day after Trouble's return.

Everybody morphs pigeons and they fly to the zoo. The three of them that are going to get bears head for the bear enclosure, and Trouble, of course, is the bait.

Comments

[aeskhyne]

Disappointingly, the first bear he finds is fast asleep and stays that way while he sneaks up to touch her.

[palmofyourhand]

Ethan is the furthest possible thing from disappointed.

[hold_infinity]

Robin likewise!

[morphbox]

The girls watch from the edge of the enclosure, and when everybody's gotten the bear and gotten out, they go land on an elephant.

[pandion]

Andi demorphs and acquires it first, since she can make the transition fastest and is less likely to get pulled or shaken off their target's back before it's entranced.

[instar]

Bella's next, and she collects elephant DNA, and then remorphs to pigeon and follows her sister out.

[hold_infinity]

All in all, a very tidy operation.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble, having the most pigeon experience of all of them, leads the way back to the Swans' garage.

[morphbox]

<Hoooooome,> trills Andi, when they arrive and creep under the gap leading into the garage.

[instar]

"So, probably the safest way for you guys to try the bear morphs and make sure they're under control is to do it one at a time, while the rest of us are in the house." Bella glances around for anything that could be easily destroyed by a bear, winces slightly. "And try not to wreck stuff, I can explain a lot as 'I stumbled into the shelf' but not, like, claw marks."

[aeskhyne]

Trouble finishes demorphing. "Yeah, got it. I'll go first."

[instar]

Into the house with everyone else.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble morphs the bear.

<Bears are pretty chill, actually,> he reports. <My eyesight's not spectacular, but I can move around without breaking anything if I'm careful. Mostly I just want to eat something and then maybe take a nap. I'm not worried about much and I don't think I'm gonna get mad easily.>

[instar]

Bella opens the door to inspect Trouble-the-bear.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble-the-bear waves a paw.

<I'm furry!>

[instar]

"You're very furry. Okay. Who's going next?"

[hold_infinity]

"I'll do it," says Robin.

She steps into the garage and hugs furry Trouble.

[aeskhyne]

Awwwww.

Furry Trouble nuzzles the top of her head and then starts to demorph.

[instar]

Bella lets unfurried Trouble back into the house, then closes the door again.

[aeskhyne]

Unfurry Trouble says, "Hug?"

[instar]

Hug.

[aeskhyne]

Hug. He has missed hug.

[hold_infinity]

<Oh, wow, bears are awesome,> says Robin. <I feel like I could win a fight with a brick wall.>

[instar]

Bella laughs. "I don't anticipate needing to fight brick walls, but if we ever do, noted."

[hold_infinity]

<All right, demorphing now.>