In France, Aelita's POV
I sat on my bed, crying as I looked at a picture of me, my twin brother, Christopher, and my parents.
"I m-miss you guys s-so much." I said through sobs.
I buried my face in my hands and kept crying. Just then, there was a knock at the door. "C-Come in…."
My friends came into my room. "Hey, princess…." Odd greeted.
Jeremy sat by me. "Are you okay?"
"N-No, I'm not….. I miss my family….." I answered truthfully.
Jeremy then hugged me. "It's okay. You have us…."
The others nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We're here for you, Aelita." Yumi said.
"T-Thanks, guys…." I told them.
Odd kindly took the photo album I had in my lap and looked at the picture. "Is the kid your brother?"
I nodded. "Y-Yeah. That's Christopher. We're twins. He was born five minutes after me. I m-miss him."
"Well, why don't we start a search for him?" Ulrich suggested, but I shook my head.
"I've searched on the Internet all night with no results."
"Well, what about social networks? If you sent a picture of the two of you, you could get a lot of people to help find him." Jeremy said, giving me a new sense of hope.
"I'll do it."
"If you'd like, we can look around town. He may be here in France." William offered and I accepted.
I then flipped through the photo album until I found a picture of me and Christopher. I took a picture of it with my phone, then typed on my laptop.
"Hi. This is the first time I'm using a social media site, but I have a good reason. I'm looking for my twin brother. Christopher, if you're out there and you see this message, please let me know." I read aloud after I typed it, then posted the message and the picture.
In America, Chelsea's POV
I was typing on my computer to contact Christopher.
"Christopher? This is Chelsea. Do you read me? Christopher?" I called.
A second later, I saw his face on my screen.
"Hi. How are you?" He asked.
"I'm fine. How about you?"
"Okay. I didn't see anything unusual around the towers. It all seems quiet. Well, for the moment."
"You know, I'm making progress with my research, so you can come live with us."
"The key to materialization? You found it as last?"
"Well, no. Not yet, but I'm working on it. It's just a matter of time. Then X.A.N.A. won't be able to do anything to harm you or us."
"That's great. Thanks."
In the auditorium, General POV
"Don't look so gloomy, DJ. Is it because of Gabby? You could've said yes not because of me and this prom." Jordan told DJ, who had turned down a seventh grader named Gabby's invite to take her to prom.
"Even if Brady was your date?" Jacob joked.
"Jessie really did come on strong. If meanness is one of the qualities of a beauty queen, she'll get re-elected, all right." DJ said.
"That's true, but try to get Miss World to see that." Chelsea said.
"Miss World, huh? Miss In-Her-Own-World sounds more like it." Brady said, making the others laugh while Jessie just growled.
/Later that day\
Students crowded around Mrs. Wolf and a frightened Jessie while Chelsea and the others were not far away.
"Whaddya say we take a look to make sure our old friend X.A.N.A. isn't behind this?" Brady suggested, and the others agreed.
"What do you think, guys?" DJ asked as they stood outside Jessie's room.
"A simple short circuit. Too many appliances plugged in at the same time." Chelsea concluded.
"Yeah. The Hi-Fi lights, lady shaver, curling iron, all together. What do you expect to happen?" Jordan asked.
"Not to mention the brain stimulator. Although, she probably never figured out how to use it." Brady joked.
"Nice one, dude." Jacob said.
/A few minutes later\
Jacob's POV
Brady and I were walking to our rooms when we saw Gabby crying and Lexi was trying to comfort her.
"Something wrong, girls?" I asked as Brady and I knelt beside them.
"Someone stole her teddy bear." Lexi said.
"And I'm sure it's one of the big kids who did it for spite." Gabby sobbed as Lexi looked at one of the photos.
"Gabby, you're right. Look at this. It's a picture of Jessie's room." Lexi said as we all looked at the picture.
"And there's my teddy bear! Hidden under her pillow!" Gabby said.
"Incredible." Lexi said.
"Ah, who would've believed it? Soon she'll be playing with dolls." Brady said.
"Okay. Come on, now. We gotta find her." Gabby said.
"If Rita catches us in the dorm, we're in big trouble, Gabby." Lexi said.
"You go back to your room. We'll handle this." I said, referring to me and Brady, as I took the picture.
Brady and I were in Jessie's destroyed room looking around, but we couldn't find Gabby's teddy bear.
We then walked back to the auditorium to finish getting everything set up.
"What happened to Jessie… It was… It was kinda weird, don't you think?" Chelsea said.
"It was a short circuit. A simple short circuit. What else could it be?" DJ asked.
"I'm not so sure. And you know just what I mean."
"Anyway, let's play it real cool. Walls have ears." Jordan said as Kate and Amanda walked by.
Jordan then stood to her feet and stretched. "Well, I've gotta go now and get ready for the prom tonight." She said, then looked at the others. "Sometimes being a day student can be a total drag."
"Don't complain. No one wakes you at six am, you have hot water, and you don't have to sleep next to smelly Brady." DJ said.
Outside the infirmary, General POV
Mrs. Wolf ran into Brady.
"Brady? Are you looking for something?" She asked him.
"No, ma'am. I just heard about what happened to Rita. Do they know who attacked her?"
"No. For now, I think our gym teacher could use some rest." She replied as she threw a piece of paper away, then walked off.
Brady pulled out the paper and saw it was a drawing of a teddy bear.
"X.A.N.A.? In a teddy bear?" DJ asked.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." Brady said.
"He's always there when you least expect him." Chelsea said.
"Okay, guys. Who goes and who stays here?" Jacob asked.
"We can't have a solo mission. It's too dangerous without Jordan. If you go alone, you never know what you're gonna find over there." Chelsea said.
"I volunteer." Brady said.
"What did I just say, huh?"
"Well, have you got any other ideas? There've been two accidents. We can't leave the school unguarded. And even going back in time, if there's an accident, it's all over."
"Brady's right." Jacob said.
"You two go, and I'll stay. If I find any clues, I'll pass them on to you." DJ said. "Go on and say 'hi' to you-know-who for me." He told Chelsea.
"Mm-hmm." She said while blushing.
She, Jacob, and Brady then took off to the warehouse.
"Christopher? Christopher, it's Chelsea. Do you read me?" Chelsea said, and Christopher's face appeared on the screen.
"Hi there." He answered.
"We think X.A.N.A. has launched an attack. Have you noticed anything?"
"No, nothing. But we can take a closer look."
"Christopher, I'm sending Brady and Jacob. DJ had to stay behind to watch for any virus action at school." She said as she prepared their virtualiztion. "They look ready to go. How are things with you, DJ?"
"It looks like we have a problem. A big one." DJ replied.
Jacob and Brady stepped into two of the four scanners.
"Transfer Brady. Transfer Jacob."
The scanners closed.
"Scanner Brady. Scanner Jacob."
"Virtualization."
Brady's POV
Jacob and I landed in the Desert. We both turned and saw Christopher waving at us. Once we spotted him, we ran to him.
"Chelsea." We all heard DJ. "It's bad, huh? The bear got out of the school."
"If it's under X.A.N.A.'s control, it'll only become much madder. It'll go for anyone that's around. Especially his mortal enemies, like you." Christopher said.
"Oh, Jordan!" DJ exclaimed.
We looked down at the crater. "You see that? The tower that X.A.N.A. has activated can't be too far away." Christopher said as he sensed the pulsations.
"Well, uh, not down there, anyway." I said.
"Maybe on the neighboring plateaus." He then suggested.
"Too late. Here comes the reception committee." I said as five Roachsters approached.
"Guys, take good care of Christopher." Chelsea ordered me and Jacob.
"We'll do our best." I said.
"Supersmoke!" Jacob shouted after grabbing Christopher's arm, turning both of them into silver smoke.
"Brady! What's going on?" Chelsea asked me as I started dodging the lasers.
"Laser Arrows." I said and the laser arrows shot out of my paws, destroying one of them. Jacob smoked back to help me, but I got hit.
"Brady, you just lost another ten life points." Chelsea told me.
"No kidding." I said as Jacob and I took cover with Christopher.
"Guys, I'm afraid we haven't any choice." Christopher told us when I saw a vision of him falling.
Once it passed, the three of us took off running.
On Earth, DJ's POV
I rang the doorbell to Jordan's house a few times, and she finally answered the door.
"DJ!" She said when I rushed inside. "Watch it, will you?"
"Sorry. Are your parents home?" I asked.
"No, they went out."
"Okay. Come on. We can't stay here."
"Hey, would you mind explaining?"
The ground started to shake. "We don't have time. Come on." I said, then we took off running.
On Lyoko, Jacob's POV
We kept running down the crater with those Roachsters still chasing us.
"Brady and Jacob, be careful. You both only have 50 life points left." Chelsea told us.
"Got it, Chelsea." I said.
"Laser Arrows!" Brady said taking out three of them, but one ended up causing Christopher to lose his balance and fall. After I grabbed his arm, I jammed my sword into the wall until we stopped.
"We can't leave you alone for one second, huh?" Brady joked as he approached us.
"Guys, I think I found something." Christopher said as he looked at a cave.
"Chelsea, it's DJ. Jordan's with me. We're coming back to the school to evacuate everyone. Tell Brady and Jacob to move it. It's getting rough around here." DJ said.
"Brady and Jacob, hurry up. Teddy's getting real angry." Chelsea told us.
"Okay, okay." Brady said.
"The tower can't be too far away. Let's see, now." Christopher said.
Suddenly, a Megatank was heading our way and we ran for our lives until we made it to the tower.
"We found the tower, Chelsea." I said.
"Great. Well done. Now all you have to do is deactivate it." Chelsea told us.
"Okay. Just give us a minute to say hello to an old buddy of ours." Brady said, placing his paws on his hips.
"Cut the courtesy. You and Jacob only have 50 life points left. You can't let him hit you."
"Then we're gonna have to time it just right." I said as Brady prepared to fire while I readied my sword.
The Megatank fired at us, but we both moved out of the way.
"Now that's what I call a really warm welcome." Brady said.
"You got that right." I said as the monster fired at me and devirtualized me. I banged my fist against the scanner, as I always did when I was devirtualized.
"Brady, it's up to you." Chelsea said.
On Lyoko, General POV
The Megatank fired at Brady, and he dodged the attack.
"Chelsea, Brady's not gonna make it on his own!" Christopher said.
"Yes, he will." Jacob said.
"Brady, go on. You have to hit the target." Chelsea said.
Brady managed to jump onto the monster and lined up his shot.
"Impact." He said, then fired, destroying the Megatank.
"Go on, Christopher. It's up to you." Chelsea said.
Christopher then entered the tower, levitated to the top and placed his hand on the interface.
Christopher
CODE: LYOKO
The tower was deactivated and the Return to the Past program was launched.
"DJ, would you be my date?" Gabby asked and DJ walked over to her.
"I'd be glad to, Gabby. I'll see you here at 8." He said.
"Really?" Gabby said.
"Why, sure. You're not too mad at me, are you, Jordan?"
"Not at all. Anyway, my secret admirer will take me tonight. Right, Brady?" Jordan said.
"What?! But, DJ, you're gonna go with that- that silly baby?!" Jessie asked.
"That's right. I sure am. But don't worry. When your brain gets another neuron or two, maybe I'll go out with you too."
Meanwhile, in France, Aelita's POV
I smiled as wide as I possibly could when I heard a knock at my door. "Come in."
My friends came into my room.
"You're not crying?" Odd asked, and Yumi smacked him upside the head for that.
"You guys have got to see this." I told them and they walked over to my computer. "Look at this. I got hundreds of replies and there's still more coming in. No leads yet, but it's incredible. An entire solidarity chain is being created to help me find my brother. All this gives me incredible strength."
"We'll find him, Aelita. I promise." Jeremy told me.
That's chapter three. Will Aelita find her long lost brother? Only time will tell. Anyway, y'all know the process.
