"Done already?" Odd asked Aelita who had just gotten up from her chair.
She seemed to have been just been snapped out of a daze. "Hmm? Oh, um, yeah. Why? Did you want to play another round?"
Odd jumped up from his chair cheerfully and shook his head. "That's ok. I think I've got to go take Kiwi for a walk anyhow." He wandered off, out of the rec room.
Aelita cleaned up their game of checkers and went over to see how the foosball championship was coming. On one side of the table stood Yumi and William with matching looks of slightly fiendish delight, and on the other stood Jeremie and Ulrich both jockeying for position with concerned looks.
Rhetorically, Aelita asked, "Who's winning?"
"Guess," Ulrich scoffed.
Yumi laughed, "One more point and we win the second game in a row!"
For a minute or so they played in silence, except for the grunting and groaning, the whir of the spinning game pieces, and the tv blaring in the background.
The subtle clink of the ball against the inside of the boys' goal ended the game, and sent Yumi and William celebrating.
"Yes!" Yumi jumped up.
William high-fived her. "Yeah!"
"Aww," Jeremie looked disappointed.
"Well I've got to say, you sure have practiced," Ulrich admitted defeat.
Yumi smiled triumphantly.
Beep beep beep beep!
A small alarm-like noise coming from the inside of Jeremie's backpack made them temporarily forget about their game victories and losses.
"Uh-oh," Jeremie rushed over and pulled something out of his bag.
"Is that what I think it is?" Aelita asked, following him and looking over his shoulder as he opened up his laptop and stopped the beeping.
Ulrich chuckled. "It's been so long we can hardly tell."
They all crowded around Jeremie as his fingers flew across the keyboard. "Yup. XANA alert."
"That figures. There was no way XANA was going to let us be normal kids forever. I guess this is how long we can go without an attack before he gets mad. I'll get Odd," Yumi turned around to go after him.
"Wait," William stopped her. "What's the point? There's five of us already going so it would be better if Odd stays here to fend off the attack, whatever it is."
"Yeah, ok," Yumi slipped out her phone. "I'll drop him a text."
"What are we waiting for?" Jeremie asked, sliding his laptop in his bag and swinging it over his shoulder.
"He's right. Let's go," Ulrich lead the way and they all followed out the door of the rec room.
William was just about to exit when he noticed there was still one lyoko Warrior left. "Coming Aelita?"
"Yeah, I'm right behind you," Aelita sighed to herself and hurried to catch up to the others. Deactivating towers just didn't seem the same now. The thrill was gone for her, probably because XANA didn't feel like her enemy anymore, but she followed them down into the sewer anyways. She would just have to live duty over feelings.
• • •
The gang was transferred into lyoko and were met with a familiar expanse of dry and sunny desert. Good to be home, some would say, but these guys were for the most part just ready to kick butt, deactivate the tower, and go on with life.
"So, where are the monster?" William looked around the sector with sword drawn.
"Jeremie, do you see anything?" Ulrich called to the sky.
"No, there's nothing here either," Jeremie replied from the computer lab.
"This is way too easy. It must be a trap," Yumi decided.
"Definitely," Ulrich agreeded, unsheathing his sabers.
Cautiosly they proceeded, covering Aelita from all sides.
"Careful guys, it could be anything," Jeremie warned, clicking madly.
For a little while they crept along, scanning the sector for disturbances— any disturbances at all— and upon not finding any, they let their guard down.
"What's going on here? Did XANA forget the welcoming committee?" Ulrich wondered aloud.
"If there isn't anything to stop us, then go deactivate the tower Aelita," William suggested.
She shrugged. "Okay," starting off to the tower she wondered what was going on with XANA. Why would he activate a tower but not leave monsters to guard it?
While the other three twiddled their thumbs, still confused by the lack of action, Aelita took her time entering the tower. Chances were if there wasn't any monsters here then earth was probably safe too.
The whole time lost in thought, she floated up the tower gracefully and did a little flip before landing on the top platform. Placing her hand automatically on the interface, she barely watched her name spell out across it, and then the Code: Lyoko.
After bumbling on about something Aelita didn't bother to listen to, Jeremie brought them in. By that time, Aelita figured she had a pretty good idea why XANA had done what he had done.
~END~
Please review! Btw, yes, that magnificent cover was designed and hand-draw by yours truly. Hope you like it, and the chapter.