(A/N): Still don't own Lyoko, nor hold responsibility for any XANA attacks.

"H-hey." I kneel beside him wondering what I can do. Suddenly, the clacks of metallic legs click nearby and my time is limited. There's a janitors closet nearby and I drag the boy in with me as I shut the door behind us. Its dark, the only source of light coming from the crack between floor and door, but I search the small space for something, anything.

"Bingo." I can't believe my luck, or his luck. A first aid resides on a top shelf and I forage through it for bandages. "You'll be okay."

Nothing comes out of him, only a groan as I place a bandage on a blistered knee, then silence of unconsciousness. Sweat drips from his warming forehead. Fever. I can't leave him here alone, but I don't want to stay in here forever. Finishing up placing bandages where he's hurt, I wonder what I can do.

Until the sound of a ringtone comes out of his pocket and I take it out to answer.

"Odd, where are you? XANA's attacking! The tower's guarded by krabs and Aelita and Yumi-" An accusing yet frantic voice bursts from the speaker, talking so fast I can hardly understand him.

"Hello." I finally say, and it quiets the voice immediately, then:

"Who is this? How did you get Odd's phone? Where is he? Where are you?"

"My name is Kaylee Catkin. Your Odd, he's really hurt. There were these robot-things, and they're attacking the school. I destroyed one, but Odd, he was attacked by a lot. We're in this janitor's closet. I haven't seen anyone else-did you say Yumi? Where is she? What's going on?" I ask him, nothing but questions for the two of us. The boy, Odd, lets out a mutter of something, then is silent once more.

"Listen, Kaylee, I need a favor from you. I can explain everything, but first you need to do this. Ulrich is still in the school, and I need you and Odd to go find him. He's looking for you, too. There's this spot in the woods, where a sewer grate is. Meet there."

Back...out there? And in the woods. What choice do I have but to go.

"I...okay." I let out a deep breath. "Now where is this spot exactly?"

After returning Odd's phone to his pocket, I drape one of his arms over my shoulder and hold it in place, his weight leaning on mine.

"Don't suppose you could wake up a little bit, huh?" I ask the still body as I exchange my half-pipe for a metal pole that I took the mop head off of. Odd still doesn't stir, and I wonder just how bad the wounds are.

We exit the janitor's closet, the broken robots still where I had found Odd. I keep an ear out for anymore of them as I retrace my steps out of the building, the robot I had stabbed earlier motionless. Careful of the glass, I take us out and a right to the wooded area remembering the instructions. My breathing matches my speeding pace as I search the grassy ground for metal. My heart stops as I hear the sound of one of the robot's lasers being fired, then eerie quiet.

"Stay here." I tell the unresponsive body of Odd as I carefully slump him against a tree. "Good boy."

Mop pole in hand, I scan the nearby area. There must be someone out here. Ulrich, had he said? Now that I think about it, I didn't even get that boy on the phone's name.

Nice one. I scold myself, though of all the questions I had at the time, not one had been for his name. Robots attacking, strangers on the phone, meetings in the woods, in sewers-Oh, there's one.

The robot, or what remains of it, is sliced clean in half. Whoa. I back away from it, only to bump into something warm. Startled, I swing around to whack it with my pole, only to be met with a clinging sound of a metal sword striking at it.

"Ulrich?" I ask the equally surprised brunette boy at the same time he asks:

"Kaylee?" Then; "Where's Odd?"

"Follow me." We each lower our weapons of choice as Ulrich glances around for any more robots as I lead him to his friend. He's moving slightly, a good sign considering. I'm glad.

"Nice strike, by the way." Ulrich compliments as he positions Odd's arm over his shoulder. To his awakening buddy he adds. "Nice nap?"

A sort of comeback is slurred as Odd's eyes open. He focuses on me, then whispers something to Ulrich.

"You aren't dead, dork."

"So where are we going?" I stress on 'we', hoping they get the idea. "I mean, there's more out there, right? You need someone to watch your back wherever you're going."

The two exchange looks and are silent as they're probably weighing their options.

"Your friend on the phone, he promised he'd tell me. Yumi's there, too. If she's in trouble, then I have to help her."

"Alright then. This way." Ulrich finally says and takes off with a limping Odd as I gratefully follow him to where a round metal disc lies on the ground. He has me push it to the side, revealing a ladder leading down into the sewers. Great.