Twisted Reality
By Flying Star
Disclaimer: Code, what code? You mean I need a code to unlock the rights? In other words, I don't own Code Lyoko.
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Reviewer Replies:
Amber Skye: Yep, just seemed appropriate. Heh, I like writing their exchanges. Hmm, did you read my mind? And yep, profiles begin here. Thanks, and here's the next part.
American-Kitty: Yep, red eye. As for why, chapter five will give some information. Yeah, he's very evil. : Blush: Wow, thanks, glad you're enjoying it. Here's the next part.
Angels 'n Dreams: Confusion will begin to clear up soon, but thanks, and here's the next part.
Astarae100: Thanks, and sorry for the long wait. Here's the next part.
aZa sIsTeR 92: Heh, oh really? Even geniuses can have their dark side... But anyway, thanks, that's what I try for, confusion and suspence. Here's the next part.
Doggiegal: Heh, I'm too lazy to sign in a lot of the time. Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, and here's the next part.
D. Wolf Falls: Not a problem, you were busy. I know how life can overwhelm. Glad you liked it, and here's the next part.
Kay: We'll just have to see, now won't we? Plot twists are fun to write. Thanks, and here's the next part.
LiStEn2UrHeArT2: Thanks, yeah it's meant to be confusing, though chapter five will clear up a lot of it. Here's the next part.
MestRockRockST: Confusion, yep, that's what I do. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter completed. Life and other things just took up my time. But thanks, and here's the next part.
Mystdragon2k: Good point, heh. Good to see you're understanding it more. Thanks, and here's the next part.
Nikana Olos: Ah, so you figured that out, eh? I'm glad you noticed his unmentioned status. Thanks, and here's the next part.
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Well, this is turning out much longer than I expected. Yumi finds out more about the commander, and a former friend strikes. Heh, still many questions with few answers, at least until the next chapter. Enjoy.
Bold: XANA
Italics: Mechanical, montone speech. Alter Aelita tends to speak this way. Also used for emphasis.
" " : Speaking
' ' : Thoughts/thinking
1 : Section breaks
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Chapter 4: Emotional Boundries
" Ugh. How infuriating." The person in question reached out, replaying the footage again to make sure the pictures were accurate.
Noticing his agitation, the black mists swirling about the room 'settled' down behind him. " More problems?"
Jeremie looked over his shoulder, glaring at the shifting darkness. " Only another tower breach and deactivation, XANA." He sighed, angrily sweeping a few charts off his desk as he stared at the screen.
" How do they do it?" He muttered, more to himself than the being near him. " I trace the lines, I explore every possible accessway. Yet, they still manage to elude my scans and undo some of my damage. Damn pests."
" Humans..." XANA trailed off. " Their adapability is uncanny."
Jeremie's expression suddenly darkened as a particular scene came into view. " Your observations are astute, but tell me XANA. I did disable the avatar special ability program a long time ago, did I not?"
Despite having no human features to speak of, the mist looked genuinely surprised. Special ability disablement took place several cycles ago."
" Then explain to me how she," he pointed to the geisha onscreen, " was able to use her avatar's telekinetic ability!"
If XANA was disturbed by Jeremie's outburst, it showed no signs of it. " Perhaps I can ease your mind?"
The irate genius took a moment to calm down. " Did you find something?"
" May it please you to know that I've found the rebels hideout?"
Jeremie nearly fell off his chair. " You WHAT!"
" My trace from their last transfer proved positive. I've pinpointed their current residence."
Jeremie grinned darkly. " This it too perfect. Take out the main players, and the rest will fall like dominos." He stood up, facing XANA.
" Prepare a large troop of constructs, and a small group of 1A constructs with fifty percent organic matter. I want to see my creations in action. And build at least one Megatank so we can demolish the place. A warning to any others who decide to defy me." His grin swelled into malicious laughter. " We'll move out in about an hour."
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" Your daughter checks out fine, Mrs. Ishiyama. I don't see why she can't go home later today."
" That's wonderful. Will she need any special treatment?"
His wound already attended to, Ulrich now stood outside her door, listening intently.
" Concussions are unpredictable, so if she feels dizzy or experiences any unusual behavior, give me a call. I'll prepare her release papers in a few hours."
The door suddenly swung open, Ulrich hastily taking a seat as Yumi's parents exited the room. Neither noticed as he slipped inside, hiding behind the door as it shut.
She was sitting on her bed, her back to him as she gazed out the parted curtains of her window.
She looked okay...
He took a few steps toward her.
" Isn't it wonderful?"
Ulrich stopped, watching as she turned around.
" To think that I really believed that Lyoko was real. But it can't be, not when I look outside this window and see how untainted everything is."
Okay, maybe she wasn't...
" Yumi, what are you talking about?"
" My dream, Lyoko was all a dream. I can't believe I thought it was real..." She trailed off as she noticed his face.
Ulrich wasn't smiling, just the opposite in fact.
He walked up to her until he was mere inches from her, staring, studying her.
His scrutiny was unsettling.
" What's wrong?" Her gaze fell on his shoulder, eyes widening at the gauze adherred there. She looked back into his eyes, eyes of serious intent.
" Yumi, " he began quietly, " it's not a dream."
Her heart dropped. " No, you're lying. It has to have been a dream. My parents are alive, I just saw them..."
He nodded. " Of course they're alive. I'm talking about Lyoko, it is real."
She shook her head angrily. " No, there's no such thing as virtual worlds, or evil viruses, or..." She trailed off.
" See, " Ulrich urged. " You know what I'm talking about. Maybe after you get checked out we could go to the factory? I'm sure Jeremie could figure out..."
" Get out..."
" What?"
" Please, just leave me alone." She turned back to the window.
" Okay, but if you feel like talking, you know you can talk to me." Only silence answered him.
Feeling hurt, Ulrich backed out of the room, giving Yumi one last glance before he shut the door. One thought running through his mind.
' Yumi, what has happened to you?'
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' Not again.' Yumi thought as she looked up. She was back in her 'room', the room she was originally restrained in. At least this time she wasn't tied down. A fact which she was grateful for as her bladder was calling her attention.
Standing up, she walked to the door, then realized her garments were still the hospital issure attire she'd worn earlier, heavily stained with mud. Shoving aside, for the moment, the question of how after a time reversal she could still be wearing the outfit, she glanced around the room. It actually didn't come as such a surprise when she found her clothes tossed messily in a corner.
Dressing quickly, she opened the door leading into the hallway, taking a peek. So far so good, no sign of anyone.
After going to the restroom and closing the door behind her, she tiptoed down the corridor. She didn't want to return to her room, not yet at least.
She opened the door to the living room, if you could call it that, and nearly jumped when she realized she wasn't alone. Aelita was sitting at the table, a pencil clutched in her raised hand, a pad of paper lying open before her.
" Hello." Yumi said to the quiet girl.
" Greetings." The sprite turned flesh acknowledged, seemingly undisturbed by Yumi's sudden intrusion.
' Again, so far so good.' Yumi thought. ' At least she hasn't ordered anyone to retrieve me, yet.'
" Are you going to stand there? Or do you have something to ask me?"
" I just needed to use the bathroom, and I kind of got lost."
Aelita didn't meet her gaze. " There is another reason."
" Sorry." Yumi sighed. " Why?" She couldn't help blurting out.
" Why what?" She still wouldn't meet Yumi's gaze, her attention focused solely on the paper pad in front of her. Her hand came down, adding a few strokes to the image being drawn.
Curiousity got the better of her as Yumi took a few steps toward the table.
"Stop!"
Yumi immediately halted her advance, wondering again if it was such a good idea to make conversation with the troubled girl.
" State your questions, then leave." A couple more strokes, applied with harsher force.
" I can't pretend to understand what's going on, Aeli.." A quick glare from the pink-haired commander. " Sorry, commander." She sighed again, then remembered her query from earlier. " How was it that I was still in the hospital gown? The time reversal should've... "
" Only reversed the district of the attack. Full area reversals are unattainable." Aelita interupted. " The hospital suffered only minor casualties, thanks to your assistance."
Yumi looked surprised, but didn't question further on Aelita's explanation. " I feel, like I don't know anything anymore."
" That makes two of us." Aelita put the pencil down, but didn't look up. " Answers are in short supply around her, and even I am puzzled by current events. Logically I cannot give an answer, for I do not have one. Anything else?"
" Yes, why do you speak like that?"
" Like what? This speech pattern is perfectly acceptable."
" There you go again. You're speaking so stiffly, mechanically, almost like..."
" Like a computer, you mean to say. I have no need to speak like a human, for I am not."
" But you are human, anyone can see..."
" Negative. I learned a long time ago, from the one I thought I could trust..." Aelita's hands shook as she tore the paper from the pad. " That I can never be human." She looked at the image, and Yumi had a sinking suspicion of just who she'd been sketching.
" You can't believe everything you're told."
Aelita's gaze remained on the paper. " I-I thought he loved me." She whispered, her voice losing the monotonal quality for a moment as she shut the sketchpad. She finally looked up, the gathering moisture in her eyes spilling forth as the sketch was crushed between her clenched fingers, before dropping to the ground. " But it was all a lie."
Yumi placed a tentative hand on Aelita's shoulder. " Aelita, you're just as human as I am, and you know it."
Aelita shook her head. " Yes, you are human, that has been confirmed. But I'm not, observe." She grabbed a nail file, gasping lightly as she used the edge to puncture the flesh of her right hand. She then raised it, opening the palm for Yumi to see. " Look at this and try to tell me I'm human."
Yumi stared, trying to understand the substance trickling from the wound. It was liquid at least, but definitely not blood. The color pure black, with tiny bits of white floating throughout. " Wh-what is it?" She asked in stunned disbelief.
" My code." Aelita shut the hand, feeling the sticky wetness. " My materialization had flaws, serious flaws." Her eyes shifted downward, again avoiding Yumi's surprised stare. " I cannot go into detail."
Surprise transformed into frustration. " I don't get any of this!" Yumi began, turning her face away from the commander. "I have one little problem in the scanner, and all of a sudden it's like I'm in some other world. Odd's wearing an eyepatch and acting all serious, Ulrich won't talk to me, and acts like I'm a stranger, you're so cold, and strangest of all Jeremie's trying to kill us instead of helping us? What happened between you two?"
Aelita doesn't answer, though her lips drew into a thin line.
Yumi continued, unaware of the commander's darkening expression, but dimly aware that she was treading on dangerous ground. " I don't get how you two could go from being infatuated with each other to ..."
Aelita's head whipped up, anger fully replacing her sorrow. " Don't feel sorry for me!" She snarled, eyes narrowing. " Love is a human emotion! And I can never be human!"
Yumi removed her hand, backing away several steps as the seated commander suddenly stood. The anger in Aelita's face wasn't directed at her. Yumi realized. Rather at the person she had loved. But she had obviously crossed a line.
She turned to leave, and cried out in surprise when the wall next to her suddenly blew open, debris pelting her as she was blown through the door.
Groaning in pain, Yumi's eyes immediately went to the door, the girl fearing for Aelita's safety. The door, had been reduced to shattered splinters, pieces of the wall effectively blocking the entryway, sealing her off from the person inside.
" Commander!" The door down the hall flew open, Odd running out. " We're under attack!" He looked around frantically, spying Yumi." Where is she, where's the commander!"
" I-inside."
" Get to the passageway,now!" Aelita's voice issued from the rubble, causing the two to turn to the ruined door.
" But what about you?" Odd was already tearing at the debris as Yumi joined him.
From down the hallway, Yumi could hear the sounds of fighting. It was safe to assume that it was Ulrich fighting whatever had invaded.
" Forget about me, just get to the next base! I'll be fine!"
" No way, we stick together!" Odd continued tearing at the hunks of wood and plaster, Yumi helping as they heard a sharp cracking noise, followed by a muffled cry of pain.
" Aelita!" Odded looked shaken for a moment, then his expression hardened. " Stand back!"
Yumi backed up as Odd suddenly raised his foot, kicking at an angle. The biggest piece of plaster cracked, then split in half, raining dust on the two of them. Without waiting for Yumi, he plunged through.
Yumi herself was still staring after the boy when he emerged with Aelita's dust covered body. She was still conscious, but in pain as she held her right arm. Even without a medical degree, Yumi could tell the limb was either fractured or broken.
" Where did you learn to do that?" Yumi asked as the two helped Aelita to her feet, before sprinting toward the aformentioned area.
Odd smiled grimly. " When you're fighting for so long, you need any advantage you can get."
" There."
Aelita's pained voice brought them back to the task at hand as they reached the corridor's end. Sounds of fighting could be heard through the wood.
" Escape route is through there."
" Past whatever's got Ulrich busy, just great." Yumi muttered as Odd pushed the door open.
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" Ulrich, we've got a XANA attack!"
The brown-haired boy looked up only briefly from his dorm bed, before returning to his slumped position. Odd glanced up from his bed, pulling the headphones from his ears, watching curiously.
" So what?"
" What do you mean, so what?" Jeremie stood over the sullen boy, a small frown creasing his face. " We need to get to the factory immediately."
Ulrich waved his hand dismissively, but didn't look up. " I'm sure you and Odd can handle it."
" Since when do you forgo fighting XANA?" Jeremie asked, frustration edging his voice.
" Since Yumi practically kicked me out of the hospital."
" You're kidding?" Jeremie asked incredulously.
" Nope, he's been sulking here for the past," Odd glanced at the clock, " hour and a half. Gets to be so a guy can't enjoy his music in peace."
" I have every right to!" Ulrich demanded, finally looking up to glare at his hyperactive friend. " Yumi's been acting completely unlike herself, and won't even talk to me!"
" Ahem." Jeremie cleared his throat, trying to get their attention.
" Yeah well, I heard the doctors say she's got a concussion, the bump on her head's probably affecting her memory. Give her time, she'll turn around."
" Guys?" Jeremie's voice raised a little.
" No, it's not that." Ulrich sighed. " She just seems so, I don't even know how to describe it..."
" Guys!"
Both boys turned to the frustrated genius. " What?" They echoed.
" Remember, XANA attack, world in peril, Aelita needing our help. We have to get to the factory now! No excuses." He added when he saw Ulrich open his mouth to protest.
" Fine." Ulrich stood up, followed by Odd. " I guess I do feel up for a fight." He cracked his knuckles, then something struck him. " But what about Yumi?"
" Yumi's in no condition to fight."
" No, not that, I meant would a time reversal correct whatever is ailing her?"
Jeremie shrugged. " I'm not sure, it might. One thing I do know, standing here isn't going to provide us with any answers. Let's go."
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The factory doors opened, allowing the three inside, their footsteps echoing in the vast space of the supercalculator room.
Jeremie seated himself quickly, simultanously opening a link to Lyoko, while scanning the news for any unusual activity. " Aelita, can you hear me?"
A window popped up, Aelita's face appearing within. " Yes, Jeremie?"
" I've pinpointed the infected tower's location. It's in the polar region."
" I'm in the polar region, should I investigate?"
Jeremie shook his head. " No, wait for Odd and Ulrich to arrive.." He broke off as a newscaster appeared in the side window.
" I repeat, numerous toy tanks and planes are crowding the streets, ramming and divebombing any citizens that come into their path. Two injuries have already been reported, and a car crash is being blamed on the errant devices. Please be advised to keep any small children off the streets until the problem has been dealt with..."
" And we have our attack." Jeremie muttered.
" Pretty weak attack if you ask me. I mean, come on, toy tanks and planes? A few good swats and stomps, and they'll be nothing but broken toys." Odd said.
" Nevertheless, we don't have time to figure out why. We just need to stop it. Okay, you two get down to the scanner room and help Aelita to the tower."
His friends nodded, heading for the elevator down to the scanners.
Initiating the scan and transfer, Jeremie looked to Aelita. " Okay, I'm sending coordinates now."
Seconds later the two appeared in Lyoko.
Ulrich pulled his sword." Let's get this over with."
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" What's XANA waiting for? I'm actually getting bored just waiting for it to attack." Odd's tail swished in agitation as he surveyed the area. So far nothing had jumped out to greet them as they treked to the tower, Aelita following close behind. " Hey Einstein, anything on your map yet?"
" Don't worry Odd. You've got three Crabs heading your way."
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" Okay honey, it's time to take you home."
Yumi smiled, letting her parents help her into the vehicle. " It'll be good to be home." She answered as she relaxed into the padded seat of the car.
Seconds later, the car started up, the trio heading for the safe sanctuary of their house, Yumi watching the traffic pass with a sense of inner calm that had felt absent from the girl for so long.
Nothing could ruin this day.
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The Crab toppled as Ulrich finished his swing, watching in satisfaction as the golith burst into scattered code, before fading away.
" Odd, how close is Aelita?" He called out, deflecting the next beast's shot with his sword as he stole a quick glance in Odd's general direction, never stopping his deflections.
He had to give XANA an A for effort at least. In addition to the three Crabs, they had also been beset by no less than five Blocks, and five Roachsters. But with his destruction of the previous Crab, that only left one Crab and two Blocks. A deflected laser bounced back, striking the remaining Crab in it's 'eye'.
Correction, now only two Blocks remained.
" She's at the tower!" Odd yelled back, using one of the Blocks to vault himself into the air, then flipped over, yelling, " Laser arrow!"
His shot held true, disintegrating the Block as they heard Jeremie's signature phrase.
" Return to the past, now!"
Outside the factory, the time reversing light spread outward, covering the area like a blanket of white.
As everything froze though, one remained free from it's time-stopping grasp, the girl's eyes widening as she watched her parents stop in mid-conversation, witnessing the world freeze as if someone had just hit the pause button on life.
Yumi watched in horror as the wall of light began to recede, uttering her shock in one disbelieving word.
" No."
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The sight before Yumi was enough to make her question her sanity.
What Ulrich was fight, looked like her. The boy whirling through the dopplegangers, his sword flashing as he beheaded one and gutted another, sparking circuits and crimson liquid spilling out as some of the creatures screeched in pain.
It hit Yumi that these lookalikes were the same as the one Ulrich 'showed' her, the heads at least. Unexpressive replicas of her face.
' Constructs. That's what he'd meant back when they were questioning my humanity. XANA made robots with her face, but robots don't scream, don't feel pain.'
" Damn him." Odd growled from beside her as they stepped into the room. " It looks like the rumors were true."
" What rumors?" Yumi asked under her breath as she grabbed a splintered piece of metal. Not a good weapon, but it'd do.
" Jeremie likes to experiment with his captives..."
Yumi paled. " You mean..."
Their entrance doesn't go unnoticed as a small group of constructs turned to them, the expressions on their faces strangely unchanging as they charged.
" Protect Aelita!" Odd yelled as he jumped forward, punching one in the face. The result was instantaneous and disturbing. A crack appeared on it's 'face', the rigid plastic suddenly falling apart, revealing another face, one of flesh barely held together by strings of embedded metals and wires.
Yumi doesn't have time to feel disgust or horror at the sight as she jumped in front of the commander, raising her meager weapon in front of her as a hand slashed down.
A screech of pain, was followed by a gout of blood as the hand made direct contact with the jagged metal, flesh tearing from bone. With a cry of disgust, Yumi swung the ' weapon' around, knocking the being onto it's back, where it went still.
She continued fighting, keeping an eye on Aelita, and to an extent, Odd and Ulrich. They were faring quite well from what she could see. The boys using their fists to take out XANA's creations, while Aelita swept a few off their feet, felling a few of the constructs as she continued pressing her uninjured hand against a wall.
Now Yumi could see that not all of the beings look like her, only a handful sport a plastic face that looked like her own. The rest consisted of generic faceless heads. And not all appeared to have been human, judging by the wires and oil pouring forth.
Still, even knowing that a few of these poor souls used to be human turned her stomach.
As another creation fell, her luck began to run out. The next creature dodging her swing, and grabbing her arm before squeezing tightly. Pulling frantically, Yumi managed to free her arm, but only after she heard the slight crack of bones breaking. But she had yanked too hard, the sudden release causing her to fall back, the weapon skidding across the ground, out of reach.
And they still kept coming, a seemingly endless supply of these strange, staring creatures heading toward her, her back now pressed against the back wall of the room. A hand reached for her again, the being eerily silent as the appendage brushed her face.
It felt like putty, and smelled of rotting meat.
"Come on! This way!"
Yumi heard a crack, and looked up in time to see a hand grab her wrist, Odd flying past and yanking her almost off her feet as the previously nondescript wall she'd been cornered against swung open, admitting the confused girl and the others, before sealing back up again.
Moments later a deeping rumbling filled the area, the remaining constructs, programmed to wait for further instructions, only looked around in a dull stupor as XANA's Megatank rolled in, crushing everything in its path.
To be continued...
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Yes, an abrupt cliffhanger. The next chapter will finally clear away a chunk of the confusion as two worlds collide, not literally, but you'll see.
As stated in my previous chapter, I shall now include the first of a small series of character profiles for both the original characters and their alternate universe selves.
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Character Profile From An Unknown Source
Aelita: Open, yet shy, very friendly. A gentle spirit that will forgo her safety to protect her friends, loyal. Has extensive knowledge of Lyoko, but is fairly clueless of Earth. Has virus linking her to XANA, if it dies, she dies. Rarely visits Earth due to worry about XANA using that link for sinister purposes, also she needs to monitor XANA's activity. ( Secretly in love with Jeremie).
Alter Aelita: More reserved than her counterpart, with underlying bitterness, rarely smiles. Has tendency to speak in monotone, and can appear cold at times. Tougher than our Aelita, perhaps due to hard life early on in Lyoko. Has variation of our Aelita's virus, though it's effects are not known, but stays on Earth longer due to Lyoko being overrun with XANA's creatures. Only goes to Lyoko to undue some of the damage XANA deals to the real world. More knowledgeable of Earth, but doesn't get to enjoy the planet. 'Leader' of the alternate Lyoko group. ( Originally harbored feelings for Alter Jeremie, until betrayal. Still trying to cope.).
Lyoko Form
Aelita: Pink haired sprite, can reform Lyoko using Gaiakinesis, but loses fifty life points for each time. Can leap far distances and drop from steep heights with no damage. Only one who can deactivate the towers.
Alter Aelita: Pink haired sprite. Mostly same as above, but has more life points and is able to block some laser shots from weaker creature, (Roachster and Blocks for example), if she is aware of the attack. Subject has no know Gaiakinesis ability.
...Added point of interest
Alter Aelita has unique ability to scan and read digital and organic structures while on Earth. This information suggests that her materialization wasn't perfected. Possible she can't attain full humanity while on Earth.
...Analysis bears further investigating...
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There you go, a bit of the differences between Aelita's original self and her alternate universe self. Next chapter will have Odd's profile.
Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. The next chapter shall reveal a lot more on what's going. So as usual, if you read, please review. I like people's thoughts.