Continue, Year: 2020 Day: 15th Month: Oct

The inside of the factory bustled with the liveliness of the many guards. Jeremy stepped out of the armored vehicle and walked around a bit, stretching his legs. Aelita followed shortly and hugged him from behind. Jeremy smiled back at her and another armored van pulled up into the garage portion of the factory. Ulrich stepped out wearing his cargo pants and boots. He still wore a green shirt, but now he had a brown trench coat over it. He smiled at Jeremy and Aelita.

"It's good to se you two again." He said. His voice had gotten much deeper over the years.

Jeremy extended his hand and spoke."Same goes to you."

Ulrich took his hand and shook it and then turned to Aelita. "Miss Belpois" He said gently taking Aelita's hand and then smiling.

Aelita blushed slightly and nodded in acknowledgment. "Nice to see you too Ulrich."

Ulrich let go of Aelita's hand and smiled.

Jeremy stared at the cloth covering Ulrich's eye.

Just as Jeremy opened his mouth to say something an explosion came from out side. Jeremy took Aelita and ran her back to a hiding spot. Ulrich pulled out a small machine gun from his trench coat and took cover. Jeremy ran back to Ulrich's side and readied the machine gun he had over his shoulder. A soldier ran into the garage and was shot down by a laser. He fell and slid. His gun fired off when it hit the ground and the shot scraped Aelita's leg. Jeremy didn't notice, due to that he was trying to focus on the battle.

5 krabs walked towards the factory, they were followed by 10 kankrelats. One of the armored vehicles had been shot in the engine. Many soldiers lay dead around the blast area, while a few others were still up and shooting. They put up a fight but eventually had to fall back with Ulrich and Jeremy.

Jeremy looked at Ulrich. "Cover me."

Ulrich nodded and bent around the corner firing. He took out two kankrelats as the headed forward.

Jeremy seized the moment and ran to the other side of the garage opening.

Ulrich bent back and held his gun close. He shifted his eyes to Jeremy who was settled on the other side with a few soldiers who fell back.

Jeremy yelled over to Aelita. "Aelita. Get to eh elevator and get below wait for us. If were not back then don't come back up. I left a small supply case with weapons and food for a week in the computer room."

Aelita nodded and ran for the elevator. She limped slightly from the wound on her leg. Aelita pressed the buttons and the steam valve on the door released and it slid shut.

Jeremy turned back to the fight just as a laser flew past his head and hit a soldier behind him in the arm. The soldier dropped and screamed out in pain. Jeremy dragged the soldier by the leg back into cover and whipped around the corner shooting at the crowed of krabs and kankrelats.

Ulrich was still held back as lasers whizzed passed his head. He bent around the corner again. A laser went by his head and took off the cloth covering his right eye. Ulrich flung back and buried his face into his knees. He curled up clenching his gun.

Jeremy looked over at Ulrich. "Ulrich, are you okay!?"

Ulrich nodded his head still buried in his knees. He bit His lower lip ran over to the dead soldier in the middle of the garage way, and dragged it back behind his cover. Ulrich sat back down and removed a grenade from the body. He stood up showing his face in plain view. He had a large scar running from his upper forehead to his lower cheek above his mouth. The scar ran over an over large bowled indention in his skin where his eye was supposed to be. Ulrich was blind in his right eye.

Jeremy looked over at Ulrich and shook his head. "Are you stupid!?" He screamed.

Ulrich smirked and readied his gun. "Maybe . . . cover me!"

Jeremy sighed and aimed down the sight of the gun firing at the group of krabs. The krabs and few kankrelats turned to Jeremy and opened fire.

Ulrich used the distraction and ran towards the wreckage of the blown up vehicle. He fell backwards skidding and hit the metal and held up the grenade. He pulled the pin and popped up. He tossed the grenade at the group. It hit a krab and bounced off to the middle of the group. It exploded. Kankrelats went flying forward and a few krabs toppled over with missing legs.

Ulrich pumped his arm in triumph. He had taken out 4 out of the 5 krabs and there were only 3 kankrelats left.

Jeremy smirked and popped out with one soldier. He ran and ducked behind the destroyed car with Ulrich. The other soldier stayed up a bit and shot down the last krab.

The kankrelats began opening fire on the car and did not let up.

Jeremy looked over to Ulrich. "You dumbass." He laughed.

Ulrich laughed with him and reloaded his gun. "Well sitting there wasn't getting us anywhere. "

The soldier who was still up firing had been shot down. He had been shot in the throat and was dead.

Jeremy looked up and saw that one kankrelat was left. It was trying to sneak around the car to kill both him and Ulrich. He walked over to it and stomped it in as it charged its laser. He sighed in relief.

Ulrich came up behind him and put his hand on his shoulder.

Just as they were about to head back to the factory, a swarm of hornets flew over there head. They opened fire on the two. Jeremy and Ulrich once again took cover behind the car. Finally the rest of the soldiers had made it to the garage after taking a good while to gather. 5 of them came out to escort Jeremy and Ulrich. "Come with us." The corporal said when they reached the two. They took the two back into the garage under a hailstorm of lasers form the hornets. Two men were shot down in the mission, but they took no hornets.

Jeremy and Ulrich made their way to the elevator with two soldiers. The other soldier went back too the large group fighting the hornets.

Jeremy ran out to Aelita when the elevator doors hissed opened at the computer room. He hugged her tightly.

Aelita was crying holding him tightly. Gun shots sounded and so did lasers. Her hold grew stronger.

Jeremy pulled back slightly. "Aelita you have to go into Lyoko now, if you stop the tower who knows, maybe it will be the one linked to the monsters up stairs."

With new found courage Aelita nodded and ran to Ulrich in the elevator. He punched in the button and the doors hissed shut.

Jeremy jumped onto the computer and quickly brought up the communications link. "Hello Sam can you hear me? Hello?"

Sam picked up and sighed. "I can hear ya. Jeremy what can I do ya for?"

Jeremy clicked his teeth. "Listen I'm bringing you and your squad out now, Urlich and Aelita will be in the virtualization room. Now remember. Take it easy your bodies have been in a world where the some laws of gravity and physics have been changed not to mention you will have to get used to touch, smell, and taste again."

Sam sighed as she finished off the last krab from the army of 50. "Yeah I hear ya. Sam signing off." She shook her head. She mumbled to herself. "We do all the damn work and get pulled so little miss princess can save the day."

Jeremy sighed. "Shut it Sam. I can still hear you. Not like you can cut out communications by pressing a button. Okay get ready I'm brining you out. . . Now." Jeremy pressed the keys on the key board and then hit enter. Sam and her squad went up in a glass like virtual wave as they returned to the human world.

Sam stepped out of the pod and looked around the room. The virtualization room had been changed over the past few years. About 3 or 4 extra pods were added to help speed up the virtualization process. She stepped forward and did a few squats to subject herself to the change in the feeling of gravity.

Ulrich and Aelita burst out of the elevator as more of the squad left the pods. "Sam. . . good to see you again." Ulrich said.

Aelita quickly made her way to a pod ready to jump in when told. "Sam be mindful going up. There is a battle going on up stairs and . . ." An explosion sounded and the whole factory rumbled. The gunshots stopped for few seconds after the explosion and then picked up again. "See?"

Sam nodded and turned back to Ulrich. "Good to see you too, but we don't want to get in your way." She nodded at him and got on the elevator with her squadron.

Jeremy came over the intercom as the elevator doors closed. "Alright Aelita, Ulrich go ahead and step in. let's get this over with." They stepped into the pods and the doors closed in front of them. Jeremy typed away on his key board hitting enter twice to send them both to Lyoko.

Sam came out of the elevator and waved her squad off as they went up stairs to help fight with the soldiers. Sam stepped up to Jeremy. "Where did you keep the extra supply of guns?"

Jeremy continued to type. "Over there under that panel. Stocked it full about 10 years back just in case." He pointed to a panel that had one end sticking up.

Sam snickered and ran over to. "Didn't ask for a history lesson on the weapons stash." She opened it up and brought out a weapon. "An old MSG 15." She examined it closely. "It's amazing how much technology moves. From the M16A4 they add full-auto capabilities and then reduce the recoil for greater accuracy. They improve the iron sight, and now even today this gun is obsolete compared to a model like AR90 or Sid." She grabbed a pistol. "Same goes for this M9k. Even you should know the origin of this weapon. It's in the name." She smiled and the pulled a few old fashion fragmentation grenades and hooked them on her belt.

Jeremy laughed. "you sure know your weapons." He focused back on his computer. "Alright Ulrich the tower is coming up on your left. It should be behind that large rock structure. Aelita stay close to Ulrich."

Urlich and Aelita ran around the boulder and found the red Glowing tower. "Jeremy we have it in visual." Urlich said pressing forward. They found their way to the entrance of the tower, and just as Aelita tried to go inside she was blown back by a Laser.

"AELITA!!" Jeremy screamed her name as he saw her life points drop. "Careful only 50 left on Aelita. Damn it Ulrich I said protect her!"

Urlich gritted his teeth. "Shut up Jeremy I can't protect her if I don't know what hit her . . . Wait got it. 4 Blocks in visual range." He held up his swords. "Go Aelita finish it. Super Sprint."

Aelita nodded as Ulrich ran off. She ran inside and slowed gracefully to the center of the floor. Xana's symbol light up as she floated to the top floor of the tower. She walked up to the floating screen placed her hand on it, entering the code. "Tower Deactivated." She said as the glowing walls of screens dimmed and the screens dropped.

Jeremy looked at the return key on the board. "What good will it do. People have died anyways. They won't be brought back. I bet we are winning upstairs there is no point."

Aelita came onto the communications. "Jeremy what are you waiting for. Push it. Hit the key turn this all around."

Jeremy pulled his hair. "What for!?" he yelled. "People have died they won't come back. We push this button and we go back and things are the same, still war in real and virtual places. I think we're winning upstairs so I shouldn't matter." Aelita was shocked by this response from Jeremy.

Sam was over by the elevator standing guard. "God damn it all." She broke post and ran over to the Computer and smacked enter. "You're just being selfish and stupid. Take it from the girl who would know."

Jeremy looked at Sam and then back at the super computer as it loaded the return through time. "Your right. I'm so . . ." His apology was interrupted by a loud high pitched beep. An error screen had shown its self on the computer with the symbol of Xana. "No . . ." Jeremy said softly. "NO!" He repeated much louder. Quickly get out Aelita, Urlich kill yourselves or whatever just get devitalized!" He yelled out as he began typing to get them out.

Confused at first when Aelita looked at Ulrich he held his sword to her neck. "Emergency article 4. Sorry." He cut her down the shoulder devirtualizing her he then took his sword and stabbed himself sending himself up in the same digital pattern.

Jeremy quickly threw aside the head set and jumped out of the computer chair. He and Sam ran to the elevator and made their way down to the virtualization room. The elevator hissed and opened. They saw Ulrich helping Aelita out of a pod. Jeremy ran over and hugged Aelita tight and let tears seep. "I thought I had lost you."

Aelita hugged back under the still sounding guns and lasers. "I'll stay right here by your side. Don't worry."

Urlich and Sam were on the elevator. Ulrich still packing his gun that he had placed next to the pod he entered. "Can we save the love fest for later there is still a war going on?" Ulrich and Sam said at the same time.

Jeremy nodded and took Aelita's hand as they ran to the elevator. He pushed the button and it began to make its way up. "He hacked the computer. Xana. I'm not sure how long until it's safe to go back, but two things are for certain: 1. we have lost all the squads that were still in there. All the privates, captain whatever. They are all gone. 2. He will have strong forces next entry. I'm talking massive, beyond anything currently seen in Lyoko."

Urlich turned to Jeremy. "So then we didn't go back in time because . . .?"

Jeremy nodded. "That's right he hacked the system and bugged the time travel program. We are stuck without it till I can fix it." The doors opened up and a Laser shot past Ulrich's head. Jeremy took Aelita and moved out of sight. There was a Block in front of the elevator.

Ulrich spat and Sam chuckled. "you ready?" They said to each other as they took aim. Just as the block charged another laser, they aimed down the sight and fired straight into the eye. It fell back and fired the laser into the sealing and a steel beam fell straight onto it crushing the block. Pieces flew everywhere and the ground under the beam was shattered. The only thing truly intact from the block was its legs.

Aelita and Jeremy came out from behind cover. "Is it dead?" Aelita asked.

Urlich nodded. "Let's get a move on."

They all ran to the garage where soldiers continued to fire at the monsters. Jeremy began to walk towards door when the sergeant stopped him. "Whoa, hold on you don't want to go that way. The bridge is out man."

Jeremy's jaw dropped. "Wait what. What happed neither side posses anything on hand to do that?" He rushed into the middle of the fire to see that the bridge had been blown away nothing left but two ends and a few pillars sticking out of the water. He ran back dodging lasers daringly. He ran up and grabbed the sergeant's collar. "You bombed the bridge!!?"

The sergeant broke his hold. "We had no choice there were too many of them. We couldn't have fought back. It's okay we prepared and escape route. Follow me." He walked them to a broken window that had a repel line down to a boat. Sam held her weapon up and nodded for them to go. "Go on. I'll stay back and help them out." Jeremy looked worried. "Are you sure Sam?" She chuckled. "I haven't died yet now move it." she poked him with her gun.

Jeremy, Ulrich, and Aelita all slid down the rope into the boat where a soldier awaited their landing. "Take them to the other side of the river." The soldier nodded and stood attention. "Sir, yes, sir!" he went to the wheel of the boat. He shoved in the key and started it up. "Everyone in?" He looked back to see them nodding. He pushed the accelerator forward and rode off.

Jeremy looked back at the factory with the dark swirling clouds. The guns and lasers still shot. He gritted his teeth and remembered. "Other side of the . . ." He ran up to the driver. "Stop the boat." The man turned back. "What?" Jeremy raised his voice. "Stop the boat private!" The soldier eased the boat to a halt. "Go back place us on the other side of the river." The private looked back like he was crazy. "You can radio in for a pick up can't you? Get too it." The private nodded and picked up the radio in the boat. "Hello this is private Ackart. I need a pick up armor vehicle at . . ." He looked back to Jeremy. "Put us at west Belmont its next to the river." The private nodded. ". . . west Belmont ASAP." He hung up and punched the accelerator heading for west Belmont on the river side.

Jeremy looked at the two and nodded. "Are there any weapons on this boat?" The private pointed back at a cabinet. "In there." Jeremy ran to it. He pulled out two SMGs and three side arms. "I know you don't like guns but you have to protect yourself." He said handing a pistol to Aelita.

Aelita shook her head and pushed it away. "No I hate those things they're terrible." She felt the cold metal pushed into her hand.

"Just do it Aelita. Worry about your opinions another time." He said as he handed the SMG to Ulrich.

Aelita tossed it aside on the floor. "No!"

Jeremy picked it up and put it on her lap. "Aelita. Do it. Your feelings about that won't mean anything if you're dead. If you die then I don't think I could go on, and think of Pacifica."

A tear streamed down Aelita's cheek as she nodded and placed the side arm in her pocket. "Y-your right."

Jeremy took out fragmentation grenades and handed two to Ulrich and kept 1 for himself. "Are we there yet?" He said turning to the driver. "Almost," The private replied, "Only 2 or 3 minutes away." Jeremy sat back in his chair and loaded the gun.

As they landed, Jeremy looked up at the sky. It was getting dark around 7 or 8-o-clock. "Pacifica will be worrying. I hope she isn't giving Yumi to much trouble." He felt a warm touch to his hand. Aelita held it tight.

"Don't worry." Aelita said. "It's going to be alright."

Jeremy laughed. "This coming from the girl who wouldn't hold a gun to protect herself."

Aelita giggled as they pressed forward.

They came climbed up a ladder at the base of the river wall from the boat. They finally made it up only to be met by the Armor vehicle with a soldier popped out of the top hatch to greet them. A heavy machine gun was mounted on the hatch. They all hurried for the down back. When hornets swarmed in and began firing lasers down. "Close the drop door quick!" The soldier yelled as he fired. The drive hit the button and the back end went up. "Aaah!" A hornet tried to fly in but was caught as the door went up. The motor of the drop door pushed and closed on the hornet cutting it in half. The head flew into the cabin. Jeremy was holing Aelita. She had been scared by the hornet. The firing and lasers out side stopped and they were still moving so they figured the man had killed them all off. They were safe for now, as they all rode home.