After getting off their plane, grabbing their luggage, leaving the terminal and paying for various taxi rides, Ai`roe and Jack finally arrived at the glorious, world-renowned Kadic Academy. As he gazed at the learning facility with amazement, his eyes went blank as though he was having a flashback (that or he saw Oprah for the first time in his life).

"Well," Jack, holding a suitcase, started. "Think you're going to like it here?"

Ai`roe doesn't say anything.

"Je savais que tu serais garçon dos ... vous regardez différente de dernière je vous ai vu... Si vous venez près de l'usine, je vais te tuer ..."

"Hey!" Jack says after slapping Ai`roe on the back of his neck. "H-huh?" Ai`roe unflinchingly says, snapping back to reality.

"I asked, do you think you'll like it here.'" Jack says.

"Yeah, I'll... like it... here..." Ai`roe's response trails off as he sees a fully prepared concert stage in the school quad, surrounded by hundreds of Ai`roe Seville fans.

"Now, that's just creepy..." He followed up with a weirded out look upon his face. "I thought my arrival and enrolling at Kadic was supposed to be private? What the hell is all this!"

"I don't know..." Jack began. "But, if I had to guess, some super fan tapped a few of my phone calls and found out about it... or the media has reached an all-time low..."

After exhaling a sigh of annoyance, Ai`roe flipped his hood up over his head, pull out his sunglasses and put them on his face, scrunched his socks down to his ankles, and finally put on his lucky mirror pendant.

"When I find the girl responsible, she's going to get slapped, hard in the face, with a Sepena." Ai`roe mumbled.

Jack heard enough of what he said to respond. "Okay, A) How do you know it was a girl who did it? And B) you'd really go that far just get back at somebody? A fan, no less. How would that look in the news?"

"A) it's been proven that most males don't like me or my music. And B)...no comment." Ai`roe replied.

Finally, they started their journey onto the campus.

"Remember, my incognito name is Roma Mercer" Ai`roe said, putting the finishing touches on his disguise.

"And, of all the names in the world, why did you pick the most conspicuous one?" Jack said, mentally slapping himself for asking.

"Because, 'Roma' is the name of my grandfather. And on the movie Four Brothers, my favorite character's last name is 'Mercer'. Hence, 'Roma Mercer'".

As Jack and Ai`roe walked towards an unknown destination, fan girls from over near the concert stage, started whispering to each other.

"Just what we need, another poser." One said.

"I know, who does he think he is?" Another replied.

"€20 says he trying to be like Ai`roe Seville" A third one said.

"You'd win that bet" The first two responded simultaneously.

After ten minutes of aimless walking, two boys (one with his blond hair in a large spike and a purple dyed diamond in the front, wearing a purple hoodie with a pink undershirt and purple jeans with black and red shoes. The other was wearing a casual green long sleeved shirt [unbuttoned all the way showing his black undershirt and the sleeves rolled up half way] and gray jeans with black shoes) came along and noticed Ai`roe and Jack.

"Hey guys" The boy in the casual shirt says to them. "You look lost, mind if we help?"

"You'd be doing me a favor if you did" Ai`roe replied. "We're looking for the Administration Office." Jack said, after setting down a suitcase to rest his arm.

"Hm... oh." The casual boy said. "Just look for a building with a tunnel connected to it."

"It's that way to make the time you spend searching for it, shorter." The blond boy said pointing south of their position.

"Thanks guys, I owe ya both big." Ai`roe said, before walking away with Jack.

"You know something, Ulrich? That guy looked overly familiar." The blond boy said to his friend.

"What are you talking about Odd?" Ulrich responded.

"Dude, that guy looked like somebody I know of... or at least I think he does".

"Maybe you've stayed out in the sun for too long again Odd" Ulrich said walking away from his friend, who in-turn, ran and caught up to him in a matter of seconds.

After finding the building, going in, saying who they were, and signing certain forms and other paperwork, Ai`roe's enrollment at the illustrious Kadic Academy was complete.

"Alright, Mr. Delmas" Jack said as he shook hands with the principle. "The school now has my cell phone number. Do not hesitate to call if anything happens that involves this young man."

"Will do, Mr.?" Mr. Delmas paused seeing as how he (or anyone for that matter) didn't know Jack's last name." Lite`, Jackson Lite`"

"Right, Mr. Lite`" Mr. Delmas followed up. Over the intercom, the secretary outside the office began to speak. "Mr. Delmas, Mr. Belpois has arrived." Mr. Delmas pushed up on the reply switch on his intercom and says to the secretary "Ah, good. Please send him in."

Ai`roe chimed up and asked "Who is this 'Mr. Belpois'?"

Mr. Delmas turned to him and said, "Your roommate".

Immediately after his sentence ended, a young man wearing: glasses, a red long-sleeved shirt and, tan pants walked in. "You wanted to see me sir?" The young man said closing the door behind him.

"Yes Jeremy. I'd like to introduce to you, your new roommate, Mr. Roma Mercer, as it were?" Mr. Delmas asked looking at Ai`roe to confirm his name.

Ai`roe simply nodded. His alias struck Jeremy as very unusual. Almost as if he had heard his first and last names, respectively in combination, somewhere before... but, he simply chose to think nothing of it.

"Mr. Mercer, this is Jeremy Belpois, one of the most intelligent students at this, the most refined schooling academy in all of France." As the two boys got a good look at each other, scanned one another over, they both arrived at their own impressions of one another.

"Easy tutor" Ai`roe thought to himself. "Easy expulsion" Jeremy thought.

"I hope you both get along very well with each other" Mr. Delmas said after rounding his desk to sit in his chair.

"I'm sure we'll get along just great" Ai`roe said with a grin while placing his arm on Jeremy's shoulder. "Yeah" Jeremy agreed. "It's like we're friends already" He thought, looking grimly at Ai`roe's hand, with sarcasm.

"Glad to hear it. Now, if you'd be so kind Mr. Belpois as to show Mr. Mercer to the room you both will be sharing, I'm sure he'd be delighted".

Obliging the dean's wishes, Jeremy began giving Ai`roe a tour of the school while making their way to the boy's dorm. "So, Roma..." Jeremy began. "Where are you coming to Kadic from?"

"Eh, pardon?" Ai`roe uttered confusedly.

"Where were you before you came to France?" Jeremy rephrased.

"Oh, Hollywood, California." Ai' roe replied.

"Where's that?" Jeremy asked. For he himself had never been outside the country of France or, off the continent of Europe for that matter.

"America..." Ai`roe said, sounding as if he wasn't proud of it.

"Seriously?" Jeremy responded ecstatically. "Why'd you come all the way over here then?"

"Way too much 'noise' over there... If you catch my meaning... "Ai`roe said after a deep sigh.

After seven short minutes of walking later, Jeremy and Ai`roe arrived at their dorm room. "Welcome to Casa` De` La` Jeremy "The scrawny, glasses dawned boy, joked after opening the door. "Whoa..." Ai`roe said in awe as he saw all the machinery in the room.

"So, I take it you've tried to create a laboratory in here a few times?" Ai`roe said after setting his suitcase down.

"He-he, it does seem that way doesn't it?" Jeremy said, lightly embarrassed.

"Yeah." Ai`roe muttered looking around the room. When he layed his eyes on Jeremy's computer, he tried walk over to it to log on. "Say, you don't mind if I get on, do you?" Ai`roe said as he began to sit down. Unfortunately, Jeremy pulled the rolling chair out from under Ai`roe at the last second, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Actually, I do mind Roma..." Jeremy said, quite coldly. "To let you know, for future reference, anything of mine is pretty much at your disposal upon request. All except, my computer".

Ai`roe looked at Jeremy with a burning sensation to pick a fight. But, he digressed and respected Jeremy's wishes. "Well, you didn't have to be a jerk about it". Ai`roe said, rubbing his backside while getting off the floor.

Jeremy didn't say anything and pushed his rolling chair back to the computer desk.

"What time is it?" Ai`roe asked.

"12:51 p.m. "Jeremy replied after grabbing his wallet. "This means it's time for lunch. It's on me."

Ai`roe turned to Jeremy with a grin on his face. "Talk about generosity" He said.

~Cafeteria~

After paying for both their lunches, Jeremy lead Ai`roe over to a lunch table where sat Odd and Ulrich, the two boys from before, and two girls within the same age group.

One of the of the girls had her hair dyed pink and was wearing a dark pink jumper dress over a light pink, hooded, long sleeved shirt with two fuzzy pull strings, and pink knee boots.

The other girl, wearing her black hair short, had on a light black belly shirt with medium sleeves. She was also wearing black and gray skinny jeans that cut off at her shins. And lastly, black boots.

"Einstein! How's it hanging?" Odd said with a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"Like a dead body from a noose." Ai`roe said as he sat down.

"Clever Roma" Jeremy said, chuckling as he sat down next to the girl in pink.

"Hey," Odd spoke out, spewing bits of mashed potato out on the lunch table. "You're that guy, from earlier, that me and Ulrich helped out!"

"And," Ai`roe responded wiping off mash potato bits off of his shirt. "I'm also the guy whom you just spat mash potatoes on to".

Odd started rubbing the back of his head while wiping his mouth. "Hehe... Sorry about that."

"So, darling," The girl in pink said after she kissed Jeremy. "Are you going to introduce us to your new friend?".

"Right," Jeremy began. "Everyone, this is my new roommate, Roma Mercer. Roma, this is Odd & Ulrich, whom you've obviously met before." He said gesturing his hand towards them.

"And whom I still owe a thanks to for helping me find the administration office" Ai`roe said, twirling his spork in his mashed potatoes.

"Don't sweat it. The most you can do to repay me," Ulrich responded. "Is by helping me study for tests or things like that."

"The most you can do to repay me is by helping me pay for the new game in the Goo Zombies Series!" Odd exclaimed with joy in his voice.

"Eh, Goo Zombies?" Ai`roe questioned.

"It's a video game that Odd is obsessed with." The girl in black answered. "When he starts playing, he won't stop until the game dies on him or he beats it. I'm Yumi by the way".

"Nice to meet ya, Yumi" Ai`roe greeted back.

Ulrich looked at Odd with a slight smug look on his face. "I can't understand why you keep playing those games" he said.

"What do you mean?" Odd said, halfway stuffing his face with macaroni and cheese.

"You get mad when the game dies on you and you have to start all the way over from the beginning." Ulrich responded.

"Hey, all those games have glitches in them!" Odd yelled, shoveling spaghetti in his mouth.

"It's called saving the game Odd! Or, putting the godforsaken charger in!" Ulrich yelled back.

"ANYWAYS," Jeremy interrupted. "This lovely person, sitting right next to me, is Aelita".

The girl in pink waved at Ai`roe. "Hi Roma. I like your name by the way." She said with a warm smile.

"Thanks" Ai`roe said after pushing his lunch tray away.

"What's the matter?" Odd asked. "Weak stomach?"

"You could call it that..." Ai`roe responded after clutching his stomach and laying his head on the table. "Recently, I've developed what I like to call 'Anorexic Illusionosis".

"What's that?" Aelita asked.

"It's what happens whenever I see food. My stomach shrinks and I start feeling nauseas…. Ugh, I feel horrible..." Ai`roe said clutching his stomach tighter.

"You want to go see the nurse?" Yumi asked.

"I think the nurse will have to come see me… I don't think I can move-hoarrgh!" Ai`roe suddenly threw up all over the floor near him.

"Eww…" a girl bellowed from across the lunch room.

"What's wrong with him?" another asked.

"Nothing! Just continue eating your lunches." Ulrich responded.

"Come on Roma, we're going to go see the nurse." Yumi said as she got up to take Ai`roe to the infirmary.

Ai`roe threw up again all over yumi's boots. This time, a lot more than the last and it was darker.

"Ugh, what the heck?" Yumi shrieked.

"Who could eat with that going on?" one guy yelled from his seat.

"He has a point you know…" Odd agreed.

"Shut up Odd" Ulrich said after standing up.

"Oh my god! My insides are on fire!" Ai`roe screamed with a passion. Then, he threw up again, this time pure blood.

"Roma! Someone, please get help!" Aelita exclaimed in panic.

"Someone call an ambulance-"Ai`roe choked out with blood clogging his throat, before he puked up black blood.

Jim, the Kadic Academy P.E. teacher, and a security guard rushed over to Ai`roe to get him to stand up. They were successful for no more than five minutes before Ai`roe collapsed. "Roma?" Jeremy shouted. "Roma!"

"Dad? Dad? I-... I'm sorry!-"Ai`roe yelled at the top of his lungs before he passed out.

"Where's that ambulance?" Ulrich shouted.

"They're on their way!" one girl shouted from the entrance of the cafeteria.

The ambulance arrived a few minutes later to whisk Ai`roe away to the hospital. Aelita and Jeremy rode in the ambulance with him to make sure he was all right.

While they were gone, Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd helped clean up the blood in the cafeteria and disinfect the area.

~Hospital~

A sharp silence was in the room like a guillotine over King George's head. The only sounds to be heard were the beeps and boops of a heart monitor and faint breathing into an oxygen mask. Over in the waiting room sat Jeremy and his tear-faced girlfriend.

"Hey" Jeremy began to speak in a whisper.

Aelita looked up at him, tears running rampant down her face.

"He'll be fine. Just have faith, he'll pull through"

"But J-Jeremy…" Aelita said through tears. "Did you see the way he was throwing up? He puked up blood. He even said that his insides were on fire. What is that supposed to tell someone? That they're perfectly fine?"

"Aelita, you're being too hysterical. Calm down. I assure you that Roma's going to be fine."

"How are you so sure? We hardly know anything about him. For all we know, this could've happened to him on many occasions."

"I don't know! I'm just trying to calm you down. It's not like he's dead!" Jeremy yelled softly, knocking on the wooden coffee table afterwards. "Besides, no offense or disrespect to him, but he's probably not all that important anyways."

Aelita dried her tears and looked at Jeremy with a mildly peeved face.

"You know what? You can be very insensitive, regardless of whether you're trying to be on purpose or not."

"What? I'm not the one going belly-up over some new kid getting sick." Jeremy said in mild anger.

"Excuse me, sorry for trying to be sentimental in a fellow student's time of need." Aelita said turning up her nose at Jeremy.

"I-"Before he could talk, Jeremy was cut off as his Laptop began beeping.

"Young man, please take your device outside." The nurse at the information desk said.

"Yes Ma'am." He replied. He turned and looked at Aelita. "I'm going back to the academy. Right now, find your own ride home." He stood up and proceeded to leave the building.

To take her frustrated mind off of things, Aelita walked to Ai`roe's hospital room and tiptoed in. When she laid her eyes on him, she was practically traumatized. To see someone in his current state was way too horrific.

"He looks so pale..." she thought to herself. She went to go place her hand on his head, but then he squirmed in his sleep. "Oh my…" she gasped. "… Roma, if you can hear me, it's Aelita. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not going to leave your side until you get better." She took his hand into hers and began to stroke it gently. "It probably isn't the right time to think about this but, I wonder what he's dreaming about right now…"

~In Ai`roe's Subconscious~

"What is this place?" Ai`roe asked himself. "I know I've been here before, but I can't seem to remember when…"

He envisioned his most previous dream. He was in an old decaying factory, looking around in no particular fashion. He knew that there was something about the factory that made him feel uneasy but, he couldn't place his finger on it.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared behind him. "Nous nous rencontrons à nouveau garçon ..."

"What the? W-Who's there?" Ai`roe said as he turned around in a panic.

"Je vous ai dit que si tu revenais je te tuerais. Vous devriez savoir ce que je suis maintenant de toute façon ... votre père a aidé dans ma création. Mon nom est X.A.N.A. ..."