The next day, school had finally resumed, and everyone was crowded around the principal's office, getting their class schedule. On some unprecedented streak of luck, Odd, Aelita, Jeremie and Ulrich were all in the same class again, and William and Yumi were also in a class together.

After the first day, which was really more orientation than anything, the gang was treated to another XANA attack, which reminded them of some unanswered questions of the previous morning.

"How did you know how to kill that thing yesterday?" Ulrich asked Aelita as they walked across the bridge to the factory.

"Yeah, that was pretty wicked!" Odd exclaimed.

"It's not really important," Aelita mumbled.

"It's important to us, we want to know," explained Yumi.

"Yeah, out with it," Jeremie was probably most curious of all, considering that the whole time he had been cooped up in a scanner —nearly dead— unbeknown to the action going on in Lyoko.

She sighed. "The monster we fought yesterday was called a Volcanoid, version 2.0 to be exact. It was one of XANA's prototype monsters that he kept locked in the Volcano Replika, although it seems that now he's brought it out into the big leagues. Virtually indestructible, unless you get the shield down, which can only be done by reflecting one of its own shots. After that it takes one shot, so long as you don't miss. It's actual hit points are really minimal, but the shield layer boosts it up."

"You sure seem to know a lot about that thing," William pointed out. To some that might have seemed a bit suspicious, himself included.

"Oh, um, yeah, I guess so," Aelita admitted. "It's probably just 'cause I had to team up with him to save the others." And what happens in the Volcano Replika stays in the Volcano Replika.

"Speaking of which, what took you do long?" Odd inquired.

"Well it wasn't exactly easy," Aelita reminded, but with a playful tone in her voice.

"Really? Why not?" William asked.

"Yeah, you never did tell us much about your side of the story," mentioned Ulrich.

"Well," It was all but decided and Aelita couldn't help it. She began to explain her story as they continued into the factory, down the ropes, into the elevator and finally to the scanners. By this time the gang had a good sense of what had happened while they were trapped in Tyron's evil clutches.

"Wow! He really took you to his hide out in sector 5?" Odd was ecstatic, almost sad to be entering a scanner and leaving behind Aelita the storyteller.

"Yeah," she laughed. He reminds me of me when I was there; All eyes.

"That's actually pretty neat," Yumi added, stepping into a scanner of her own.

Aelita was about to answer but was cut off. "Sorry to disturb your lovely conversation but may I remind you there's still a tower to deactivate?" Jeremie sounded slightly a little annoyed.

"Ok, ok, Einstein, cool it. The tower's not going anywhere," Ulrich mumbled, hopping into the last scanner.

"Mmmhmm. And by the sound of it neither are you. Get ready," Jeremie got busy.

The virtualization process was quickly put onto effect, and the warriors soon found themselves on the battle grounds of the desert sector. A tower straight ahead and two lonely krabes circling it as if they were vultures looking for their next snack.

Although, they weren't vultures. As a matter of fact they were chopped, sliced and ready to be added to California rolls in just a few minutes, courtesy of the Lyoko gang.

In and out, real easy. The tower deactivation was so simple it was strange, and the gang finally started to notice it, but still no solid decisions were made, which urked Aelita.

• • •

Later that day, at dinner time to be precise, Aelita stepped out of her room and strolled down the hallway. She followed the staircase down and around, passing the first floor before continuing. Only this time she didn't continue down to the ground level.

Once she hit the first floor landing, she started down the hallway. This was the boys' floor. With each step, she began putting less and less weight on her heel, walking more on the ball of her foot. She had found it to be an effective way to muffle her footsteps until you almost couldn't hear them.

Aelita crept down the empty hallway, becoming alert to any and every noise, as she approached a certain door, which seemed slightly ajar. Whether that would turn out to be a good thing or a bad one, she didn't care, she was already here. What she thought should be done would be done, tonight.

At the door now, she put her ear to it, careful not to make it swing shut, and she listened.

Click. Click click. Click. Click.

Jeremie's fingers, as usual, occupied the rather loud keys of his computer's keyboard, the monitor's subtle but constant hum acting as the cherry on top.

Click. Click click.

... Nothing.

Aelita strained to her something else —anything else— but there was silence. No wait. Footsteps.

Before she knew what was going on, the door swung open, making her jump back, and Jeremie came casually out, heading probably to the cafeteria. Aelita held her breath, as he walked down the hallway, not moving a muscle until he was out of sight down the stairs.

She let her breath out. Wow. She couldn't believe he hadn't seen her. All it would have taken was a wayward glance behind the door and she would have been busted. Phew. That was a close call.

Now, she turned back to look at her destination— his room, with the door wide open— it was time to fulfill the task at hand.

Oh Jeremie, so careless. You know you really should be more careful. If you just leave your door open like that, somebody unexpected is bound to come creeping in...

~END~

A/N:

I know it sounds a bit sinister at the end there but don't worry, Aelita's just doing what she thinks is right. Btw there's a poll on my profile so if you wouldn't mind checking it out... Nudge nudge, wink wink. Please review!