Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko, but I do own Kyle, Mai, Natalie, Ethan, and Elina.

"But Okanagan! I don't wanna!"

"Please Mai! Calm down! It isn't as bad as it sounds." Her mother irritably groaned, dragged her into the colorful preschool. "Yes it will! It will! Kyle told me so Okanagan." Mai tugged to get away from her mother's grasp. "Kyle is just trying to scare you Mai – Mai. Now come on!" She pulled Mai up and let her sit on her shoulders.

In the preschool there were colored paintings by the students and ABC charts hung around the room. An elderly woman sat in a lone chair in the reception area typing on an ancient computer. She smiled when she saw the mother and daughter walk into the foyer.

"Mrs. Stern I presume? Class just started." The woman said beginning to stand up. With a nervous tug at her braids, Mai whimpered. "It's going to be okay Mai – Mai." Mrs. Stern reassured her daughter as she placed her on the ground.

"It'll only be for three hours. Then after we'll go out for ice cream and visit your Otousan at his precinct." She smiled and poked her daughter's nose. "Now run along. Hey look Mai - Mai! Joey's in there!" She pointed through the glass doors. Red crept onto the 4 year old's cheeks and her mother tugged on her braids. "See you later Okanagan!" Cried her daughter, running over to the elderly woman and grabbing her hand. Mrs. Stern waved then walked back to her car.

She took out her cell phone and dialed her husband's work number. Ring. Ring. Ring. "Paris Police Department. Officer Stern speaking." Her husband's voice rang through the speaker, making the Japanese woman smile. "Hi Honey. I just dropped Mai off at preschool." She said opening the car door. "Hallo meine Liebe, liebe ich Sie." He said lovingly to his wife on the other line. "Aw, is that all you can say for yourself?" She laughed, turning on the silver Toyota. "What can I say? You leave me speechless." He chuckled as well.

"What time do you get off work Honey? Mai – Mai wants you to eat ice cream with you after work." Mrs. Stern started driving. "I get off at six. Ah, I can't wait for her to tell me all about her first day at preschool." He sighed. "She's nervous you know but – wait. Hold on.

Mrs. Stern looked in her rear – view mirror and saw a cloud of black smoke coming from a pothole in the road. People started to gather around and she stopped the car, as did everyone else. Gasps escaped the crowd as to monsters that looked strangely like crabs crawled their way up from the sewage line. The monsters were red with a peculiar shaped symbol on its forehead. I know that symbol. The woman thought. Oh no. She dropped the phone and shrieked.

"X.A.N.A'S BACK"