Chapter 2: Intruder Alert
Yumi picked up her phone and called Jeremie.
"How are you holding up, Yumi?" Jeremie asked.
"I took care of the robot," said Yumi, grabbing onto the rope, "But we're definitely gonna need to launch a return trip this time."
"Why?" Jeremie asked.
"Two people saw me take down the robot. They kept asking me questions, which I avoided answering before you ask, and I think they'll start looking into it."
"But didn't you say it was outside the factory?" Jeremie asked, "How'd they get there?"
"Not sure," said Yumi, "Men in Black, maybe?" she swung down to the elevator.
"Could be," said Jeremie, "In that case, we need to be extra careful. Don't let them get past you and don't let them find the supercomputer."
"So, stay up here and guard the elevator?" Yumi asked.
"Sounds like a plan," said Jeremie, and Yumi hung up.
Yumi wondered if they really were Men in Black. The Men in Black had a certain look to them, a big threatening look, like thugs in suits. The people she had met earlier didn't have that. They looked more like they were just passing by, but what could they have been doing at the factory? Yumi thought it best to expect anything. If she learned anything from the two years she'd been fighting XANA, it was that nothing was ever as it seemed. Yumi decided she should hide. That way she could eavesdrop on them and figure out what they were up to. She climbed up into the ceiling.
All that was left to do now was wait.
**
"She looked like she really knew what she was doing," Rose commented as she and the Doctor approached a ledge, "Not just that she knew how to fight… It was more like she was used to wrestling with giant robots. She was just doing it so… So effortlessly. But how come?" "Well," said the Doctor, "We could stand here and try to figure it out for ourselves… Or we could ask her."
Rose looked around, but didn't see Yumi anywhere. She looked back at the Doctor, confused, until she saw him looking up. Sure enough, there was Yumi, hiding in the beams of the ceiling. She had obviously heard the Doctor say that; she was curled up in a tight ball with her hands clasped against her mouth.
"It's alright," said the Doctor upon noticing how nervous Yumi was, "Come on down. We don't want to hurt you. We just want to talk."
"How do I know that?" Yumi said, relaxing a little, but with tension in her voice, "How do I know you're not more spies after me and my friends?"
The Doctor wasn't sure he understood, so he said the cleverest thing that came to mind. "How do you know we are?" He asked. Yumi didn't look convinced.
"We're not spies," the Doctor reassured, "We're here to help, honestly."
"Help?" Yumi repeated, "How could you help me?"
"I can't," said the Doctor, "Not unless you tell me what's going on. What you did back there was incredible. Nobody I've ever met could do what you did, and that made the both of us worry. I don't know how you were able to pull that off, but I can guess. You're in danger."
"Who are you?!" Yumi demanded.
"I'm the Doctor, and this is Rose Tyler."
"You saved us already," said Rose, "We want to return that favor, but we can't do that unless you let us."
Yumi sighed. "Alright," she said, "I'll come down and we can talk. But first I want you to show me that you're unarmed."
The Doctor showed her the inside of his coat, and emptied his pockets (he had made sure to change into the pants without the ones that were bigger on the inside before he got there), confirming that he had only one thing with him. "It's just my sonic screwdriver," he noted, "Not a weapon, though it's good for just about everything else… Mainly opening doors." He used it to open the elevator just to prove it.
Yumi gasped, jumped down, and ran over to the elevator, blocking it.
"I should probably point out that if I were a spy," the Doctor remarked, "then you going down there and trying to keep me from getting in would tell me that it's something important, because you're trying to hide it."
"I'm starting to regret saving your life," Yumi scowled.
"Sorry," said Rose, "He usually has to ask me to see if he's being rude."
"That was rude?" the Doctor murmured to Rose.
"What's down there that's so important?" Rose asked, disregarding the Doctor's ignorance.
Yumi closed the elevator door. "I know I said I'd talk to you," She began, "And I know you want to help me, but… The thing is, I just met you. How do I know I can trust you with our secret? I mean, I swore to them I wouldn't--"
"To who?" asked the Doctor, "Who are they? Can you at least tell me that?"
"Okay," said Yumi, "But can you come down here first? That'll make things easier."
The Doctor realized that he and Rose were still on top of the ledge. He grabbed onto the rope and swung down to where Yumi was. He looked back up to Rose. "Come on!" He called to her. Rose grabbed the other rope, closed her eyes and swung down after him, squealing. The Doctor caught himself before laughing at her; he knew that when Rose agreed to travel with him to the ends of the universe, this wasn't one of the things that she'd pictured herself doing.
"So," Rose said, a bit breathless, "What were you gonna say?"
"I have these friends," said Yumi, "We go to school together, and we're all involved in this. The one who started it all is named Jeremie. I guess you could say he's our leader. He tells us when we need to come here. And when he's not around, Aelita's in charge. Jeremie found her in… in a coma, and she can't really remember who she is or where her family is, or if they're even alive. We take care of her and she's vital to our mission, though I can't really tell you why. The other two are Odd and Ulrich. They just got mixed up in everything, like me, so they became a part of it."
"Where are they now?" the Doctor asked.
"Well," said Yumi, hesitant to tell him, "Jeremie… He's downstairs. And the others are… I can't say."
"Before, you said something about a mission," said the Doctor, "What is it that you're doing?"
"I told you, I can't say."
"But a mission's never all bad, is it? Doesn't that mean you're helping people? Come on. You can trust me. I can tell. Even though we've only known each other for a half hour, in your eyes, I see it. Trust. So why won't you say anything?"
Yumi managed a weak smile and shook her head. "Yeah, but… You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
The Doctor smiled. He had heard this one before.
"Try me."
