Welcome, friends.

So, welcome to Lyoko Online, a plot bunny that got into my head after listening to the latest episode of the Return to the Past: A Code Lyoko Retrospective podcast. (If you haven't listened to them, do it. They're wonderful).

I've seen a lot of second generation fics, but very few have done it for me. Well, except The Ditto Generation, by LavenderMoonlightintheSnow, a mighty wielder of the pen, whose work is just too beautiful.

But, since that fic never finished, I always wanted to fill the hole by writing a second generation of my own.

Now, here we are.

Some things that inspired this fic:

Marie Lu's Warcross

Sword Art Online

Ready Player One

Some things to note:

This will touch on the mystery that is Project Carthage and will include elements of my discontinued work Code Lyoko: Punic Wars.

This will be an OC-heavy fic, mostly feature the children of the Warriors, and I will make no apologies for that.

I'm not counting Evolution as cannon, but I will use some elements from it.

This will span multiple points of view, including the original Warriors themselves.

Chapter 1.1

Adalaide

Adalaide Dunbar stood in silence, nervously fiddling with the strap of the duffle on her shoulder. Her dad was standing across the lobby, his face unreadable. She took a deep breath, sighing deeply and wondering how she was going to find the strength to go forward. Finally, he broke out into a small smile, waving at her from across the room. That was enough, and her legs were finally moving, despite her heart hammering in her chest. The gap between them was soon bridged, and soon he had her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hey, Addie. Good to see you," he whispered in her ear, in English. It was so good to hear English. No one here was a native speaker, and so everyone spoke French. And, while Adalaide knew both languages equally well, it was a constant reminder she was not in London, not where she belonged. Her life had been put on hold. No, not on hold. It had been brought into a screeching halt, throwing her dreams out in the wreckage.

"Hi, Daddy."

She didn't like the misty look in his eyes, the way he drank her in like he was going to lose her. "Come on, the rental car's just outside."

She wondered if her dad would give her back her cellphone, which he'd gotten when he signed her out, or if he'd make her wait until they got home. Not that it would matter. All her friends were in London, and she hadn't spoken to them since she'd left.

He didn't give her back her phone, starting the ignition as soon as Adalaide was buckled in. She sighed, looking forward. Her dad had the Subdigitals playing, a band Addie constantly had playing on her MP3, even though they were from her dad's high school days. As "Rodéo" filled the car, she cranked the dial, letting the upbeat song drown the palpable silence plaguing the car. This was going to be a long ride back home.

"Addie," her father killed the music, and when she went to turn it up, he blocked her hand. "We can't ignore this."

"How many times do a I have to say sorry," she grumbled, looking out the window.

"Adalaide," out of the corner of her eye, she saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel. "I don't expect you to say sorry. It won't change anything. But I want you to talk to me, that's all I've ever wanted. Trust me, keeping it bottled up won't help. It didn't help me."

"So let's talk then," she gave a weak shrug, managing a half-smile.

"Good," he nodded, noticeably relaxing. "So, we're actually heading to your Aunt Nadia and Uncle Odd's."

"We're not going home?" Adalaide shifted in her seat.

"No," her dad shook his head. "I took a week off work, figured you'd enjoy a change of scenery. Plus, it's closer much to the Academy than Lyon. It seemed silly to be this close to Paris and have to make the trip twice."

"The Academy?" Adalaide asked, stiffening in her seat. "You mean…Kadic? You enrolled me in Kadic?"

"What, did you want me to send you back to London?" his voice was the harshest it'd been since he'd picked her up. "No matter where I enrolled you there, you'd be miserable."

"You could have enrolled me in at a school back home, Dad! Ever think of that?"

"You know people at Kadic," he sighed. "I figured it would make the adjustment better. Besides, it's an excellent school. There are a lot of extra circulars there you'd enjoy. Reconnect with your friends. I'd rather have you here, forty-five minutes from your aunt's farm, which you love, if you don't remember, then cooping yourself up in our apartment and shutting out the world. What happened happened, Adalaide. You can't fix it, but you can move on. Better to do it in a place with some friends."

"What friends? My cousins? The Sterns? The Belpois? Dad, you know ever since I went to London…"

"You were close once," he cut her off. "I mean, it was a war trying to separate you, Akahana, and Françoise. You use to dream about the day you all went to Kadic together."

"Dreams change," she whispered, again turning back to the window.

"You're going to be rooming with Françoise. I've got it all set up. The Sterns only live a few miles off of campus, and your cousins are down the hall from you. I know it'll be a change, and I know it's not what you planned, but…this is the easiest way, don't you think?"

"I guess," she whispered. "Do they…do they all know about…"

"Their parents are my friends," he shrugged. "I talked to them. What they chose to share, I'm not sure."

"I just don't want them to…you know...treat me like…"

"They won't. You them better than that."

She was quiet for a long time, the muffled music from the stereo drifting through the tension. "I was one year away, Dad. Everything was going so well. I would've gotten in. My whole life was on track."

"Well, it's on a different track now. But it's not over," he looked at her pointedly. "And thank God it's not."

Adalaide had always found the Della-Robbia's farm beautiful. It was a drastic change of pace from the city life she was used to, but after weeks in the clinic, located in a repurposed small country estate, it all just rang unpleasant similar to her last few weeks. She could see the distant outline of the horses, all turned out for the night, in the front pasture as the car made its way up the long driveway. Once they drove past the rings Adalaide's aunt used for her lessons, the house finally came into view.

It was rather substantially sized, a testament to the Della-Robbia's hefty income. It had a clean, white exterior, two floored and with square footage to spare. Ivy grew up the walls, and there was a wrap-around porch, Adalaide's favorite place to spend the summer evenings when visiting.

Her father killed the engine, turning in his seat to look at her. Again, he offered her a small, half-smile. "Ready, Addie?"

She did her best to smile back, nodding slowly, then let herself out of the car. The sun was already setting, the world around them starting to get chilly. Her father got her duffle for her and together they headed to the front door. As soon as they rang the bell, Adalaide her a squeal from inside.

"ADDIE!" a flash of blonde launched through the door, right into a tight hug. The air whooshed out of Adalaide's lungs, and she finally realized who was on the other end. Falkan, the younger of her two cousins, was currently beaming right at her. "I'm so glad you're finally here! I've been waiting all day. And Dad and Ember went into the city, so it was torture."Falkan was using English, well aware of her cousin's preference for it. A reason why Adalaide always enjoyed Falkan's company, even if she could be a bit intense.

Two years Adalaide's junior, Falkan was only about an inch or two shorter than her cousin. She'd died the ends of her honey-blonde hair blue, which hadn't been there the last time Addie had seen her. She was dressed as…. Falkan as ever, with galaxy printed shirt tucked into a silvery skirt, a plethora of neon bracelets up her arms, and blue converse boots.

"Falkan, let your cousin breathe."

Adalaide's Aunt Nadia stepped out onto the porch, a cockeyed smile—a Dunbar trademark—on her face. She'd swept back her hair—so black it was almost blue, a color she shared with her brother and niece—and was wearing simple jeans and a t-shirt, topping with an oversized flannel. Her thick-framed glasses were sliding down her face. "Hi, William. Adalaide. Glad to have you."

"Hey, Sis," William went for a hug.

"Odd and Ember are bringing back food from the city. They'll be back soon," Nadia stepped aside to let her guests in.

"Odd is taping a TV interview, right? About the tournament launching," William agreed.

"Tournament?" Adalaide blinked.

Falkan whirled on a heel, green eyes dancing. "Oh, Addie! There is so much I have to catch you up on. I mean, you haven't been logged into Lyoko Online in months, the group seriously missed you. And your skill at taking down Megatanks."

"Falkan, why don't you show Addie where she'll be staying, and then you can go to the barn and show her?" Nadia laughed a little. "Addie, your dad sent ahead your things for Kadic, and they'll be in the guest room with him. Ask me or him if you need anything from the boxes."

"Thanks, Aunt Nad," Adalaide said, though she barely got it out as Falkan was dragging her away.

Adalaide always got nervous when she left her dad alone with one of his friends. Worse still, his sister. She knew lately she'd been the subject of conversation. As she caught the sound of faint whispers, her arms began to pepper with goose bumps.

"You'll be in the second guest bedroom after tonight," Falkan said, and Addie latched onto the distraction. "But, Jeremie and Aelita and I are coming for dinner and staying in there tonight. Since they're bringing Françoise and Akahana with them, we're thinking about having a sleepover in the barn. I spent the whole morning getting it ready. It's why I stayed here instead of going into the city. That, and I wanted to see you before Akahana, Françoise, and Ember start hogging you."

It was all said as a rush of words, with barely a breath in between sentences. Such was Falkan's nature, an inheritance from her father. While it was true Adalaide tended to gravitate to the older of her cousins, Addie did appreciate the younger's genuine spirit.

Falkan threw open the door to Ember's room. The Della-Robbia sisters each had their own space, adjoined by a bathroom, the door of which was always open. The elder's walls were teal—the same color Ember had recently died her hair—and adorned with clippings on magazines featuring avatars from Lyoko Online. From what Adalaide knew, every design featured on the wall was one of Ember's creations.

And it wasn't vanity compelled her to display them. Right under Ember's lofted bed was a work table where she did all her designing for the game. It was a big part of Lyoko Online's appeal: millions of options for customizing your Lyoko avatar. While Ember wasn't the sole designer by any means, her pieces were the most popular, projecting her further into the spotlight than the others of their group. She took her notoriety seriously, and Ember was constantly working to hone her art. The display of her past success was her inspiration.

Adalaide heard barking to her left, and a blob of fur emerged from the bathroom, launching itself at her. Adalaide smiled at the small beagle currently jumping up her leg. "Hi, Lemon."

"See," Falkan scooped up the dog, who wriggled in the girl's arms, tail wagging, "everyone's happy to see you, right, Girl?" Falkan's tone made Adalaide slightly uncomfortable and so did the look Falkan was giving her. A knot formed in the older girl's stomach.

"Why don't you show me the barn, Falk?" Adalaide let her bag slide to the floor.

"You bet!" Falkan beamed, setting Lemon down. "Come on!"

The dog yipped and followed after the girls as they left Ember's room.

"Mom, taking Addie to the barn!" Falkan shouted, her voice catching all the right angles and pinging off every wall.

The small barn—the one the property had originally come with—was just a short walk from the main house. For as long as Adalaide could remember, it had been used as a the Della-Robbia's personal Lyoko Online hub, and therefore had been one of Adalaide's favorite places to be when she visited her aunt and uncle. It was a perfect place to play the game, with plenty of room to make good use of the VR features of the game. And, of course, sleepovers in the barn were quite a common occurrence when Adalaide visited, her common in from Lyon or London occasion enough to get the others in their group out to the farm.

It was just as Addie remembered, the floor covered in wrestling matts to accommodate gameplay. In the repurposed hayloft, several bean bag chairs had been set up in front of a massive screen TV, allowing the barn to double as a media room. Adalaide noticed a stack of blankets and pillows sitting just at the base of the ladder to the loft. And, on the back wall, were the VR suits, which allowed players to be "virtualized" onto the network of Lyoko Online.

Adalaide's stomach dropped, taking in the sleek grey garments, the tiny sensors woven into the fabric. The pull of Lyoko Online, of course, was an immersive experience, a virtual reality game. It encouraged players to be active, their physical movements translating into the game. But, there were VR helmets too, for those who either didn't want to physically fight or for those who couldn't. But Adalaide and her friends had always preferred the "fullest" experience possible. But, now….

"So, what's the tournament about?" Adalaide asked, turning away from them.

Falkan grinned. "It's so awesome! All of our parents are putting on a huge tournament, a sort of race to the finish featuring several new sectors. A lot of which were designed by us, by the way. It'll be a race to the sector's main tower, and each level featuring several waves of monsters. The earlier teams will get an advantage in the next sector, and the last ten percent of teams to finish will be eliminated. It's going to be awesome. This is going to bring out some of the best players out there. Winning team gets a one-year position at Lyoko Industries."

"Wow," Adalaide breathed.

"Of course, we're going to kick everyone's butt. We just have to find one more player, since the teams are of eight, but that won't be a problem," Falkan said, her smile not fading in the slightest. She was already heading towards the suits. "Wanna play a round? I've got a couple quick levels saved. The group's been playing a lot this summer, to get ready for tournament, and since you haven't been virtualized in awhile…"

"Um…you don't happen to have a helmet? My…um…my fighting style is based off of dancing, and… with my knee…" she hated having to say it out loud. Any time she had to acknowledge it, it made her sick. Another outlet forever changed. She dug her nails into her palms, trying to ride out the wave of bitterness coursing through her.

Falkan's eyes grew wide. "Oh, yeah! Duh, there's one in this trunk," she sprinted towards the metal box right under the suits. Paused, turned on a heel. "Does it…still hurt?"

"Uh…sometimes," Adalaide weakly shrugged. "Physical therapy helped a lot. But, uh…yeah, it's never going to be the same."

"Oh," Falkan's voice took on a soft, very un-Falkan-like tone. Gentle, sympathetic. Adalaide squirmed.

Falkan let the lid of the trunk slam closed, and she sat on top of it, frowning. "I'm really sorry about the Royal Ballet School. I know that was your dream."

Adalaide folded her arms, biting the inside of her cheek. She wasn't going to cry. She was past the crying phase.

Then, Falkan gave a tiny smile, bouncing to her feet. "But, at least you get to come to Kadic with us! We really missed you, Addie."

"I missed you guys, too," and that was the truth. The one downside to her life in London, despite how much she'd felt at home there, was that she'd been away from the group. The ones she'd grown up with, played side-by-side with every day. She'd thrown a fit when her father's job moved them to Lyon. And now life had thrown her back here.

"Girls," Aunt Nadia appeared at the barn door. "Dinner's here. Come on into the house, everyone's excited to see Addie."

"Food!" Falkan yelled, barreling right past her mother towards the house. Addie, in spite of herself, laughed.

Aunt Nadia turned to her, clearly debating whether or not she wanted to say what was on her mind. "Falkan was really excited to hear you were coming. Everyone was. They're happy you'll be at Kadic with them."

"It's good to see them," she nodded.

"I know this isn't what you planned, Addie."

"No, it's not," she agreed.

Nadia threw her arm around her niece. "I know this isn't going to make everything better. But, Jeremie has a surprise for you. I know you probably don't want to use a helmet in the tournament, so he's been working on something. New technology that he's picking people to beta test during the tournament. He's going to ask you himself, so you'll have to act surprised, but he wants you to be one of the testers."

"Really?" Adalaide raised an eyebrow.

"Thought it would intrigue you," Nadia agreed. "Now, hurry inside. I wasn't kidding when I said everyone was dying to see you."

"Okay," Addie agreed.

Outside, her uncle's car was parked in the driveway, as well as the Belpois'. Laughter was radiating from the farmhouse, loud enough to be heard even here. She tried to remember the last time she'd spent time with Ember, Françoise, and Akahana. Outside of Lyoko online. Too long.

She really wanted to see everyone.

Adalaide gave her aunt a weak smile, walking forward.

The only direction there was for her to go.

Welp. There ya have it.

Not all the main characters were mentioned by name. I still have a few more to introduce, namely the boys. Let me know if a list/brief character bios would be helpful.

I love hearing from my readers, so review if you wish!