Disclaimer: I don't own Code: Lyoko
Aelita looked around the hermitage since there was nothing else to do for today when she noticed a sealed door. With some effort she pulled it open and looked into the room. It was the most clean room in the entire house. She also found a picture with her mother, her father, and a boy she had never seen before.
He had dark hair with blood red streaks in the same style as her hair but slightly more matted and spiky. She looked to see herself as a baby being held in the boy's arms. Who was this boy?
William stepped out of the scanner and took the elevator up to the computer room. After disabling the program Jeremy used to monitor the towers on Lyoko he sent a secret message to his master letting him know the program was deactivated and he was ready.
(Good. Obtain a piece of her DNA and I will proceed.)
William nodded and pulled out cloth with some chloroform. He walked through the sewers and infiltrated the school easily. He snuck into Aelita's room and put the cloth over her face to keep her asleep pulled out a small needle and slowly took a blood sample before leaving quickly. He put the blood sample in the scanner and walked into the scanner.
(Everything is ready.)
Next Day
"Well, everyone, it's time we head to the net and destroy another Replica. If we take out two more than we can say good bye to Xana once and for all." said Jeremy.
"Well let's hurry and get back before dinner." said Odd.
They just emerged from the sewer when a voice interupted them.
"I am so sorry, Odd, but today's trip has been cancelled." said an emotionless voice.
They looked to see a large figure with a robotic tail sticking out of its back. It was covered by a large black cloak with a familiar symbol on its back.
"Xana?" asked Aelita,
"Correct, Aelita. I am honored to finally meet my enemies face to face. However, no longer will I allow you to continue your plans to destroy me. It ends here."
With that the large robotic tail that resembled a tail headed towards them. They all jumped and Ulrich and Yumi jumped to attack but Xana blocked with his tail. His left robotic arm launched thousands of blades but Ulrich and Yumi jumped and hung over the railing of the bridge to dodge the blades. Xana then noticed Odd jump into the air to kick but blocked with his tail without even a glance.
Jeremy and Aelita snuck by but Xana didn't even spare them a glance.
"Once again Jeremy hiding in his safe little lab. Even if it his brains that got you this far it was only the power of Aelita and knowledge of Franz Hopper that you have learned so much."
"Xana!"
He looked to see Ulrich charging at him with a pole twirling it in his hands. Xana just launched his tail which Ulrich dodged and aimed to hit him but black smoke erupted from Xana's right hand.
"This is not like any other confrontation we have had in the past. Today is personal."
"I agree."
Xana looked up to see Aelita in her Lyoko form forming an energy sphere in her hand and destroy his left hand. Aelita floated up in the air with her angel like wings. Xana grunted and tore off his cloak. It was basically a giant robotic body with the remains of the tail sticking out.
Tiny knifes sprouted from Xana's hands as he used the remains of his tail to stick to the ground and used to vault himself into the grounds towards Aelita. Aelita gasped and dodged as Xana's claws sliced across her cheek. Xana landed on the roof of the factory and a panel opened up to launch a barrage of needles. To his surprise however the needles were stopped in mid-air and Xana looked down to see the others on their Lyoko form.
Odd fired his laser arrows which Xana dodged and wheels sprouted from his feet and he pulled out a sword from a panel opening up in his ribs. The wheels sprung to life and he charged at them. He charged at them back and forth swinging his sword and dodging their attacks. Ulrich jumped into his path and held his swords up high and caught Xana's sword.
Ulrich then spun around and sliced through Xana's torso with his blades and plunged his swords into robot's legs. He sliced off the wheels but a knife sprouted from Xana's foot as he aimed a kick which sliced across the skin of Ulrich's cheek. Odd fired several arrows that penetrated Xana's armor and Yumi and Aelita fired their attacks as well. Xana's robotic body was scrapped when a figure covered by a dark robe jumped out of it.
"What the?"
"Impressive. You destroyed the shell in record time. However it will take more than that to stop me today." said a voice.
A hand made of human flesh made its way out of the cloak and ripped it off for everyone to see the new face of their foe. Their foe's face was male version of Aelita's which made everyone gasp. His expression was stoic but a small smirk came across his face.
"You look you've seen a ghost." said Xana.
Aelita was filled with horror. She reached into her pocket and took the picture she found yesterday. Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi looked at the picture and their eyes went wide. Xana looked exactly like the boy in the picture except their age.
His face was a male version of Aelita's with black matted slightly spiked hair coming down above his forehead like bangs. His eyes were green like Aelita's but they held no comfort like hers did. They glinted with disregard and amusement.
"What is this?" asked Odd,
"Take a good look at that photo. It was found in the sealed section of the hermitage. A sealed chapter of Fran Hopper's life. One of which is filled with love, tragedy, and grief." said Xana.
"What does this mean? Xana . . . Who are you?" demanded Aelita,
"Why not ask Franz Hopper yourself? I am not in the mood to talk about that traitor." said Xana.
"What are you talking about?" demanded Ulrich.
"Talk to the old man if you manage to survive this encounter. I am far from finished." said Xana.
Xana's form suddenly blurred as he streaked at his enemies with inhuman speed. Xana quickly delivered a heavy blow to Ulrich's midriff than brought his foot across Ulrich's cheek which sent the young samurai to other side of the bridge hard.
Odd jumped to attack head on.
A foolish mistake and Xana was ready to exploit it.
However at the last second Odd jumped and somersaulted into the air landing a few yards behind the enemy.
Before Xana could turn Yumi swung her fan at him while Odd fired at him behind. However Xana skillfully dodged every arrow and caught Yumi's fans with only his fingers. Both of the fans were only inches away from piercing Xana's skull. Xana than launched both of the fans at Odd but Yumi used her powers to stop them but she gasped as Xana streaked at her and was mere inches away from grabbing her.
Yumi jumped and somersaulted into the air and aimed a kick at Xana's back. However Xana blocked the kick and pushed Yumi away. The force of the push sent her to the end of the bridge beside Ulrich. Xana remained still as he turned to face Aelita still with a stoic look on his face.
Aelita held an energy orb.
"Why do you have that face? Is it another polymorphic clone or did you possess him?" asked Aelita glaring deeply.
Xana scoffed lightly and an amused look across his face. He then took a sharp object and sliced it across his hand which bled a strange fluid. The blood was black and dark as the specters Xana used to enter the real world. Aelita watched with a look filled with horror as her face turned slightly green.
William chuckled at the entrance to the factory.
"Calm and cool as always, Xana. These kids won't believe anything you say though."
Aelita looked as William smiled evilly.
"What do you think that picture means, Aelita?" asked Xana.
She looked down at the picture that showed her parents, herself as a baby, and the boy holding her in his arms. Aelita trembled at she looked down as all evidence pointed to the one revelation her mind could come up with.
"This has got to be a trick." said Aelita,
"Why would I activate a tower to go through all the trouble of creating a mere picture? Jeremy would found the tower on his super scan and you probably already knew the truth when you found that picture. Franz Hopper sealed it in that room to burry a mistake he made in the past. It seems you still haven't the full history of our family." said Xana.
Aelita felt tears now begin to slowly fall.
" . . . Brother . . ." she muttered.
William's smile widened but Xana had shown no visible reaction.
"That can't be!" shouted Ulrich,
"No way!" said Yumi.
"Impossible." said Odd.
Xana only shook his head at the ignorance of the other three.
"There is a section in Franz Hopper's diary that is even more encrypted than the diary itself. The password to drop the security is 'Xanadu'. The very name I was given after the accident. My name in my human life was Xavier but I will not bother to talk about that because you will refuse to believe it." said Xana.
With that Xana and William walked into the factory and before anything could be done they vanished back into cyberspace.
"It can't be true right?" asked Yumi,
"I am sorry, everyone but it is." said a voice.
They looked to see Jeremy at the entrance to the factory.
"I found that encrypted section of Franz Hopper's diary a while back and I managed to finally break the security. It held all the files on a boy named Xavier Hopper a boy who was born six years before Aelita was. That picture was taken about a week after Aelita was born but something happened. During the first test of the virtualization sequence Xavier was trapped in a virtual limbo like I was but he kept all his memories.
What he lost was his body and his memory was damaged. Franz spent months trying to get him back but with no contact he came to the conclusion that Xavier was killed. However a new program appeared and Franz named it Xanadu gave it instructions on destroying Carthage. Xavier became Xanadu and later he became Xana." said Jeremy,
"But that's impossible! My father would have told me! Why? Why didn't he say anything!" shouted Aelita.
"He felt it was better not to tell you. Xana just now regained his body and reconstructed it so that would now be the same age as us. He stole a DNA a sample from Aelita to alter the body's DNA and change the way he wanted. Now that Xana has his body back he can travel anywhere he wants.
The whole reason why Xana's been doing this was revenge on Franz Hopper but with Franz hiding he resorted to attacking the real world to draw him out and it worked." said Jeremy,
"Stop it! I refuse to believe it! That I had a brother who turned into a monster? That my own father lied to me?"
Aelita's eyes were wet with tears as she ran off.
"Aelita!"
Aelita walked into the hermitage and walked into the room that apparently belonged to the bain her existence.
Xana.
The one who took her father and William. The who bound her life to the supercomputer for a long time. The greatest threat to have ever been created in her eyes.
His threat to the world was what continued to drive her on. What ever motivated him to attack innocents she would never believe what Jeremy said or what her father had written. She just couldn't face the truth. She would confront her father and learn the truth herself if she must.