And here it is, chapter six! Everyone, go thank Terran34 (go-check-out-his-story) for being my editor and making sure this chapter looked it's best! And helping motivate me to get it up quick like. Lemme know what you think!
"Are you sure about this?" Michel questioned as he paced about his bedroom.
"Yes Michel, I'm sure," Terence answered, his voice echoing over Michel's cell phone. "Besides, what harm is there in asking?"
"The harm is my dad killing me when he finds out we went to the factory!" Michel hollered down the phone. His shout was answered with laughter.
"Come on Michel, you heard what Lauren said. Your parents could be the key to figuring out Odd and his memory stuff."
"Your parents could help too you know," the brunette responded, reaching a hand up to massage his temple. "They knew Odd as well."
"But they weren't best friends with him like your parents," Terence said. "Also, I'm a boarder. My parents live out of town. And we voted that it would be you to ask."
"Voted? I wasn't aware of a vote!"
"Exactly," Terence said, and Michel could hear the smirk in his voice. "So quit whining and go ask. Then call me back when you have. Bye!"
"Terence wait-!" But it was too late. Terence had already disappeared, probably off to laugh at Michel's expense a little more. Michel sighed and tucked away his phone. At that moment a call from down the hall from his mother heralded the arrival of dinner. And so, feeling as if he was walking to his utter doom, Michel left his room and walked down the dining room.
When he got there he found his father already seated at the table. He looked up and smiled when he saw his son enter the room.
"Hello Michel, how was school today?" Ulrich asked.
"It was good," Michel answered, dropping into his seat. He fidgeted nervously with his fork as his mother joined the table.
"Is something wrong?" Yumi asked him when she noticed his discomfort. "Did something happen at school?"
"No," Michel said, shaking his head. His parents accepted his answer and returned to their dinners.
'Darn,' Michel thought, stabbing at his food. 'This is going to be harder than I thought.'
--
Adelle sat cross legged on the ground in front of Odd as she listened to what he had to say.
"-and then I thought, 'what of Michel's dad did come to Lyoko," Odd was saying, hands waving about as he spoke excitedly. "So, when I thought that, I bunch of ne memories came to me!"
"Really?" Adelle asked, looking excited.
"What were they?" Laruen asked, her voice booming from the sky.
"Mostly people," Odd responded. "I remember seeing a girl with a couple of fans, a boy with black hair and a big sword…he kind of looked like Terence, then there was a blonde kid, the guy who looks like Michel, and a pink haired girl with wings. She was pretty," Odd added, a distracted look coming to his face.
"Odd, please don't say that," Lauren pleaded, while down on Lyoko Adelle was breaking into a fit of giggles.
"What?" Odd asked, looking bewildered at the girl's sudden laughter.
"Odd, I think you have a crush on Lauren's mom!"
"What?!" Odd shouted, now thoroughly confused.
"I'll explain," Lauren said as Adelle continued to giggle. "You see, I went and spoke with Mrs. Hertz like you said," the blonde began. "Turns out you were right- she did know you. And she wasn't the only one. According to her, you were best friends with our parents."
"So all of those people I just remembered where your parents?" Odd asked, raising an eyebrow. Adelle nodded.
"Yep. I think the black haired girl is my mom. And then the one that looks like Terence, he must be my dad."
"Oh," Odd said, looking down. Then he suddenly looked up again. "Wait, Terence is your brother?" Adelle nodded again.
"Yes. Well, actually he's my step brother. Didn't you know that?"
"No," Odd said, shaking his head.
"Oh, well, he is. And…uh, why is that tower glowing like that?" Adelle asked suddenly, pointing over Odd's shoulder. Odd spun around to see what she meant. And he found he didn't like what he saw.
The tower behind Odd, which was once glowing a soft white color, was now a bright red.
"Uh-oh," Odd whispered, just as a shout from the sky got his attention.
"Odd, a window just popped up on my screen. It says 'Activated Tower- Forest Sector'. What does that mean?"
"It means," Odd said, looking worried, "that we are in some serious trouble."
--
Jeremy sighed, leaning on his hand as he tapped at the keys of his laptop. Tapping that was supposed to be writing him a report for work. But Jeremy, unable to become even remotely interested in the paper had given up writing it some time ago.
With a sigh Jeremy let his forehead slip from his hand and land with a dull thud on his keyboard. When he did, a soft giggle filled the air.
"Working hard are we?" Aelita asked impishly as Jeremy turned to look at her.
"Very hard," Jeremy replied, smiling at his wife.
"Well, you better keep working," Aelita said, making her way out of the room. "This report is important you know."
"I know," Jeremy said, turning back to his computer. But to his surprise, it wasn't his report open on the screen. It was something different, a message. One that Jeremy had fully expected to never see again.
"Aelita," he called, "we have a problem!"
"What?" Aelita asked, poking her head back in the room. Jeremy turned to her, eyes wide.
"Aelita, Xana's activated a tower."
--
"Michel, are you sure you're okay?" Yumi asked, setting down her fork. Diner was already half over and her son hadn't even touched his food. It didn't take a mother's intuition to know something was wrong.
"You know, you can always tell us if something is wrong you know," Ulrich added, also looking at his son. Michel was sorely tempted to tell his parents nothing was wrong, but their combined worried looks just wouldn't allow it.
"Alright, there is something I need to tell you guys," Michel admitted. "You know that abandoned factory near the school, right?"
"The one we told you to never go near?" Ulrich asked.
"Ever?" Yumi added. Michel grimaced as he nodded.
"Yeah, that one. Well, you see, my friends and I, we…um," Michel began, but he was thankfully saved from any more of his admittance by the timely ringing of the phone. "Don't you think you should go answer that?" he said, giving the most innocent grin he could muster. Ulrich gave his son a suspicious glare, but did leave the table, heading into the kitchen to get the nearest phone. Michel heard him answer, and then call out a few seconds later.
"Yumi, come in here, it's Jeremy. He says he has something important to tell us!"
"Don't think this means you're getting out of talking to us," Yumi warned, getting up from the table and joining her husband. The pair wasn't gone long before they returned.
"So, what did Jeremy want?" Michel asked sweetly. His parents saw right the through his attempt at distracting them.
"He wanted to tell us that someone has apparently been to the factory," Yumi said, giving Michel a pointed look.
"Yeah, about that-" Michel began, but Ulrich cut him off.
"You can explain on the way," he said, heading out of the room.
"On the way?" Michel repeated, getting up and following him.
"Yes," Yumi said. "We're heading to the factory."