Twisted Reality Chapter 10: The End Of A World, a code lyoko fanfic

Twisted Reality

By Flying Star

Disclaimer: Fours seasons and still no luck. In other words, I still don't own Code Lyoko. Antefilms and Moonscoop do.

Only one more chapter after this. By the way, does anyone know what sequence Alter Aelita's reciting? Yes, they actually mean something. And now, it's time for the end.

Bold: Alter XANA

Bold with italics: Alter XANA and Alter Jeremie merged.

Italics: Monotone, mechanical speech. Alter Aelita tends to speak this way. Also used for emphasis.

" " : Speech

' ' : Thoughts/thinking

1 : Section breaks

Alter : Used to tell apart alternate characters from originals

Chapter 10 : The End Of A World

" I don't quite follow you?" Yumi questioned.

" Dead or alive." Alter Odd answered, still reflecting back on Alter Aelita's earlier words. " Your survival, our survival was...never an issue, never in question. This is a suicide mission. And what you hear is the beginning of the end. I'm sorry, but you're not going home. None of us are."

Yumi felt soft pressure as Alter Ulrich's hand slid into her own, his eyes locking with hers. She could see her sorrow reflecting in the twin orbs. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, letting him know all was forgiven as she said quietly.

" Then this really is goodbye."

" Yes." Alter Odd affirmed, cupping his ear to tap into Alter Aelita's com link. " Once Aelita finishes the code."

6, 18, 1, 14, 26...

Alter Yumi stood inside the chamber, shuddering as the machine hummed to life. This was it. Her whole life came down to one simple promise.

" Almost there. I'm scanning your profile to complete the cleansing."

Her head lowered. " For my parents."

Alter Jeremie's fist slammed against the tower's surface, its echoing ring overpowered by Alter XANA's angry growl.

' We're running out of time, hu- Jeremie!'

Don't I KNOW that, XANA?!' Alter Jeremie snarled back. ' I'm in control here, and I know what to do. It's time to play my trump card, so enter the code.'

Though still hammering at the tower, Alter Jeremie looked up, raising his voice. " Aelita! I can return your father, your CREATOR to you! And here's my proof!"

Inside the structure, Alter Aelita hesitated as bits of data began consoladating in front of her, a form emerging. One she had seen only in files, but recognized instantly. Despite not having parents to speak of, she couldn't help uttering one word.

" Father..."

" Excellent. She took the bait. And now, while's she's distracted."

Alter Jeremie squeezed his fist, energy collecting as he rammed it against the tower. Without Alter Aelita concentrating on the programs themselves, the actual firewall began to crack, a small fissure appearing.

" No! He's breaking through! Aelita, what are you waiting for?! Finish the job!" Alter Odd snapped as he watched Alter Jeremie rear back again.

" What are you waiting for?! Finish the job!" Alter Odd's voice crackled though Alter Aelita's ear, the connection still strong, despite the firewall.

Alter Aelita blinked, her mind still trying to comprehend the sight before her. " I- I can't...he's here..." She trailed off, still staring at the man, who stood silent.

" Who, who's there? XANA?"

" No, he brought him back, my father, my creator. Jeremie returned him to me." The commander took a faltering step toward the bespectacled gentleman. " He's alive, he's truly alive."

" T-That's impossible! Even he can't bring someone back to life! It's smoke and mirrors, he can't be real! Finish the prime objective! Remember why you're doing this!"

The commander wasn't a fool. Cold logic was a driving force in her functions, dictating everything she did. It was how she distanced herself from anything that could hurt her, that made her hesitate when it came time to act.

Normally...

But at the moment memories were seeping in, from a life not her own, of a little girl who died before her time.

" Don't listen to him Aelita, my daughter. I'm here. That's all that matters. Forget these petty war games and stay with me. Together, we can be happy." Alter Franz knelt down. " Come to me, my dear."

She didn't move...couldn't move, rooted to the spot by the images flooding her mind. There were people, familar yet not, ones she thought she knew, but couldn't. A woman with pink hair, similar to her own smiling at someone. A man, the same as the one in front of her, leaning over a piano, directing someone.

" Your efforts are futile, child. " Alter Jeremie leered as he turned away from the tower. " I opened up the "missing" files in my DEAR Aelita's core processor, and tweaked a bit of her visual data. Why spoil such a touching reunion?"

" Because it's not real." Yumi said, pulling her fan. " You're manipulating her so you can stop her. It won't work." She threw her fan, and watched in dismay as Alter Jeremie plucked it from the air, crushing it in his fist.

" Of course, you are correct. These files are merely images her creator tried to pass off as memories. Something as factitious as my DEAR Aelita, could never actually pass as a human."

" And her father? The one you said you brought back. Another illusion?" Yumi said angrily, wishing she had another fan.

" A polymorphic specter, courtesy of XANA. Think of it as a clone, crafted to look like her creator. Quite an involved process, but it'll serve me well enough."

Alter Odd frowned, his expression almost a snarl. " You sick, twisted, son of a..." Ignoring Alter Ulrich's shout, he loped off toward the imposing form.

" Hey Einstein!" He yelled, bringing his claws to bear as he ran. " There's something I've been meaning to tell you!"

" Did I not imply my hatred of that nickname?!" Alter Jeremie hissed as he turned to the advancing warrior.

" Oh, I know. Now, GOT TO HELL!" Alter Odd thrust his claws forward...and yowled as they shattered against Alter Jeremie's armor.

Alter Jeremie's burning orbs narrowed. " Was that supposed to hurt?" His massive fist slammed down, barely missing the lithe figure as he glowered. " I will not deviate from my task."

" Odd, move it!" Alter Ulrich yelled. " You know what the commander said!"

" But..." Alter Odd protested as he skid to a halt, glaring at the towering form.

" Do it! Or everything we did will mean nothing!"

The hybrid growled, flexing what remained of his claws in frustration as he jumped back. " Fine." He ran back to them.

" A SMART move, for once." Alter Jeremie mocked as his attention returned to the tower.

" We can't just stand here?" Yumi protested, watching Alter Jeremie raise his hand. " He'll crush Aelita's defenses."

"Unfortunately, we have to." Alter Ulrich replied. Beside him, Alter Odd bared his fangs in anger. " It was her last orders before entering the tower."

" What orders?"

" To stay alive. Most of the monsters here can't kill us, only devirtualize us. And thanks to the commander's programs, it doesn't take long to get virtualized again. But it's obvious Jeremie made some adjustments to his form's programming as well. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the end results."

" Remember what I mentioned earlier?" Alter Odd said through gritted teeth. " Everyone needs to be here, to make the code work. It won't work if we're dead. However..." The snarl became a smirk as he watched Alter Jeremie strike the tower, the structure rattling slightly, but holding. " Just because we can't directly interfere, doesn't mean we can't do something." His hand raised to his head.

The images were lessening now, their cycle nearly complete, and yet she didn't move.

" Aelita?"

Against her will, her head raised to meet his eyes. " Daddy?" Her voice was a breathy whisper, devoid of the harsh mechanical overtones that were so prevalent when she spoke.

An inner voice, not her own, channeling through the memories currently playing in her head. The voice of a child.

" Yes, Aelita. I'm here. It's all over."

" But, you died."

" The rumors of my demise were slightly exaggerated. It's quite complicated, but the important thing is I'm here."

" Is mommy coming too?" Ever so distantly, the commander wondered why she was asking these things. There was something she needed to complete, something urgent. But the constant fluxuation between her own thoughts and those of Aelita Hopper's was making thinking in general increasingly difficult.

" Your...mother is currently unavailable at the moment. But don't worry, my dear, we will join her soon enough."

" Hey tall, dark, and ugly!" Alter Odd called from a nearby boulder, then launched his last laser arrow which 'pinged' off Alter Jeremie's armor.

" What's he trying to do, provoke him?" Yumi asked Alter Ulrich, who was shaking his head.

" So long as he keeps away from Jeremie, he can do as he pleases. However..." He watched Alter Jeremie brush his shoulder, before turning to them.

" Your actions speak of desperation and futility." He snapped his fingers.

Instantly a new pair of creatures appeared, arachnid-like in appearance, and covered in a glossy black sheen that obscured even the location of their eyes.

" Great job, Odd!" Alter Ulrich snapped. " Now we have to fight!"

Alter Odd jumped farther away from Alter Jeremie, grasping another boulder. " No me, you two. Without my claws and laser arrows, I'm useless as a warrior." He clicked his ear, letting his voice filter through the communications line only. " But this is just the distraction I needed. Keep em busy."

" Odd!" The samurai sighed as he drew both katanas and pulled Yumi behind a rocky fixture . " I've got fifty life points, you've got all one hundered. Try to keep them."

" But I'm weaponless." Yumi said.

" I can rectify that. Give me your hand."

" I can't use your..." Yumi began as Alter Ulrich placed a sword in her grasp, then gasped as the weapon began glowing. Within seconds it shrank, flowing into a very familar shape.

" How did you do that?"

" A configuration program. It only works on active objects, so I sacrificed my sword. Now are you ready?"

" I haven't been much help." Yumi stated, flicking her fan open. " But I'm ready."

SLAM!

His blow added another crack to the already widening fissure. So long as his program kept her busy, the firewall would shatter very soon.

" Why have you not breached the structure?" Alter XANA's voice demanded.

Alter Jeremie grit his teeth. " Because I have to divert my resources between so many programs. I have to keep my monsters, the polymorph, my program inside the tower, AND this form all running. It is proving quite taxing."

" A minor inconvenience."

Alter Jeremie was silent, but furious. Alter XANA's matter-of-fact responses were becoming very annoying.

" Hey, did you forget about me?"

" How could I not, with all your incessant interference!" Alter Jeremie seethed, throwing a fireball behind him. At least he had something he could take his anger out on.

" I can't let you hurt Aelita!" Alter Odd snarled back, avoiding the attack while scanning the area near Alter Jeremie. If what he said earlier was true, then the program used on Aelita had to have some kind of string of commands connecting him to the tower. A strong enough program to actually penetrate her firewall.

" Hurt, you think like she's human?" Alter Jeremie smirked. "But her task is a pointless one. She has no connection to these humans, to any human. And yet, she seeks to sacrifce herself." His fist impacted again.

" And what about Aelita? She's a lot more human than you are." There! Something glittered in the air.

" An incorrect analysis. She is digital, not carbon based. Her form cannot support biological function..."

" Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?" Alter Odd smirked as he traced the barely perceptible connection. It had to concentrate on a point somewhere on the tower, and once he found it, it was just a matter of breaking it.

" Whoa!" Yumi cried out as she flipped back out of the creatures line of fire, her arm flaring in pain as she landed. " They're quite persistant, aren't they?"

" Yes, they are." Alter Ulrich returned calmly as he deflected a shot, the blast ricocheting back at the monster, which ducked before shooting some more. This time a lucky shot hit his foot, knocking him offbalance.

The monsters lined up for another shot.

" Ulrich!" Her fan flew, slicing the barrel off one of its guns.

Immediately the spider-like being cried out, its odd, gutteral scream punctuated by a laser blast that skimmed inches from Yumi's face.

' Too close.' She jumped back, tossing her fan at the nearest tarantula. But the slightly disarmed creature dropped to its knees, shooting her fan back with its other functional weapon.

At the same time Alter Ulrich appeared behind its companion, his sword slicing through the creature's body, which allowed the momentum from his sprint to carry the blade through the damaged one. Both creatures gave one last screech as they blew apart.

" Must you keep pestering me?!" The crazed genius glowered as he clenched his fist, flames rising as he shot the fireball toward the feline, who easily evaded.

" Jeremie, stop! Leave him."

Alter Jeremie paused. " He's proving quite irksome."

" He seeks to rile you, to make you lose focus." Alter XANA's voice echoed. " Don't occupy yourself with something so trivial, complete the objective. The child can be dealt with afterwards."

" Very well, for now." Alter Jeremie agreed, punching the firewall. This time a large chunk of firewall code disintegrated, the wall flickering as it tried to hold together.

The commander shook her head. " This... doesn't feel right."

Her gaze fell on the console, the cursor of the unfinished code still flashing.

" I...I have...to finish." Yet she made no move, her eyes still fixed on the screen.

" No you don't, my dear. Like I said, it's all over."

" But, my friends.."

"What friends? You have no friends, only me." A few more steps and he could finish his master's orders. His hand lengthened, becoming a spike. " Father and daughter, together at last."

He'd found it, the connection concentrated on the upper portion of the tower, but to reach it he needed a projectile with enough force to saw though it.

Another shudder shook the tower, the feline looking down at the tower's base in distress. His eyes widened in alarm as he watched the protective shielding begin to give way.

It wouldn't be long before Jeremie broke through.

But not if he had anything to say about it. His gaze found Yumi's fan, it should do, hopefully.

" Yumi! Your fan, throw it here!"

" Odd?" Yumi questioned.

" I need you to throw it, right here!"

There was the sound of clanking feet, at which Yumi turned around, fearing an even greater threat.

Though Alter Ulrich was busy engaging a couple Kankrelets that had appeared, they looked confused as the samurai easily outpaced and outmaneuvered them.

' Jeremie said the polymorph's creation was an involved process. Maybe he can't fully control so many things at once.' There really wasn't much time to ponder as Yumi turned back to Odd.

" Where do you need it?"

" Here!"

Yumi didn't hesitate, the fan slicing through the air as it headed toward the tower, striking the target dead on.

A white flash of light arched from the point of contact as the fan's lethal edge lacerated the stream, before returning to Yumi's hand.

The line fizzled...and broke.

" NO!"

At once the commander's mental struggle ceased as her eyes refocused, the film of inserted code vanishing as she regained functional control.

Her eyes narrowed, flicking to the approaching figure.

" Your statement holds no merit, and numerous flaws." Her voice held about as much warmth as an arctic storm.

"Come now. Be a good little daughter and stop this nonsens.." The imposter stopped dead as the commander's hand whipped out, grasping his wrist.

Her expression hardened along with her grip, the polymorph's hand returning to normal. " You're not my father."

" Aelita?"

She released her hold on Alter XANA's creation, the being stumbling back as she turned away.

" I HAVE no father."

" You have made a serious mistake!" The polymorph lunged for her.

" Computer, threat within local firewall parameters."

OPTION: CONTAIN OR DELETE?...

"Delete."

The fake Alter Franz screamed in anger as it froze in midair, its body anchored in place by a cocoon of energy that tore at the spectre until nothing remained.

Wasting no time, the commander went back to the screen.

" Reinforce firewall code."

REINFORCEMENT COMPLETE.

"Continue code instructions."

Outside the tower Alter Jeremie howled angrily as he was blown back by the newly reconstructed protection.

"You have failed, human."

" N..no I have not." Alter Jeremie stumbled to his feet. " There is still time to correct this."

"No. There is no more time."

A harsh sound rent the air as the crazed virus suddenly ripped free from the embedded symbol.

The effect on Alter Jeremie was instantaneous, the boy howling in pain and fear as he toppled, the armor around him shattering. His power, gone in an instant, body weak and in shock from Alter XANA's sudden departure.

Alter Aelita sighed. ' I'm sorry my friends, but this is the only way.'

12, 25, 15, 11, 15...

Code processing...

WARNING!!!! Imputing code will erase entire program. Do you still wish to implement?

Yes.

Initiating Lyoko termination.

" Yumi?"

" Yes, Ulrich?" She was now looking at the tower, enraptured by the white wall of static emerging from within. In seconds it flowed down like a river of lava, reducing the tower to scattered pixels, the pieces flickering for a moment before vanishing. The flow continued uninterupted, slower now, but still rippling across the landscape.

' Aelita.' Yumi thought, saddened by the sprite's passing.

" This is odd?" Jeremie muttered, his attention focusing on the data from Alter Yumi's world.

" What is it, Jeremie?" Aelita peered over his shoulder.

" An unusual energy spike originating from the other Lyoko, a big one at that." He typed a few more lines, focusing on both Alter Yumi's cleansing and the strange fluctuation for a few moments before looking up. " Everything appears to be normal now, but I think it's best we get our friend back there quickly."

" Do you think there's something more going on?"

" Definitely. And especially since I haven't been able to contact their Aelita. If what she said is true, at least sending their Yumi back will transport her to their base. She should be safe." He sighed. " I hope I'm doing the right thing."

" I'm sure you are, Jeremie."

" Wait! You can't leave me!" Alter Jeremie screeched as he watched the static grow nearer.

Alter XANA paused.

" We were partners, equals!"

"We were never partners, nor equals. Our alliance was strictly for my benefit. Your fusion with me gave me what I wanted, all your data is mine. And now that I have what I wanted, I have no need for you." The being was taken aback as Alter Jeremie suddenly chuckled.

" So I was right." Alter Jeremie smiled ruefully, all signs of panic gone. " Betrayal, how predictable."

" You seem remarkably calm for one whose existence is about to end."

" Do you think me a fool? I knew from the start you would betray me...kill me." He shook his head. " It's what I would've done if given the chance."

" Then suffer for your flaws, human. You were merely a pawn, and the game is now over."

Alter Jeremie's expression darkened. " I will not suffer alone."

Alter XANA's form began to waver, pieces flaking away. " Wh- what have you done to me?!"

" Always have a contingency plan, my backstabbing friend. Like you said, you and I were linked, but in more ways than you thought. With my demise imminent, so too will you perish."

" No! I won't be destroyed so easily!" Alter XANA raced across Lyoko's surface, its body breaking apart even as it flew past the stunned Lyoko warriors. Within seconds its form scattered, vanishing from sight.

" Fare thee well, fool." Alter Jeremie muttered.

Then the deletion wave hit.

The sudden scream from Alter Jeremie drew Yumi's attention away from Alter XANA's demise.

His body, stripped of Alter XANA's presence, writhed in outraged terror as the outer edge of the barrier reached his feet. Flecks of data flew as his limbs began fragmenting, scattering as the tower had.

Now his hands were crumbling, his torso vanishing.

And through it all he kept screaming.

Yumi turned away, burying her head in Alter Ulrich's chest, not wanting to see his end. Not wanting to see what was in store for her.

For all her bravado, she admitted she was scared. Who wouldn't be? Looking death in the face, and welcoming it?

But that was what personal sacrifice was all about, giving one's life to save countless others. When she looked at it that way...

" I'm sorry."

Another gentle squeeze, and she was looking into his eyes again.

" For what?"

Alter Ulrich turned his head. " For everything. Not believing you, thinking you weren't real...hurting you."

For one of the rare times in his life, Alter Jeremie felt real fear as he lay on his back. Movement was impossible, for he was weak, too weak, his strength sapped.

It was over. As much as he hated to admit it.

Distantly he heard someone crying out, and realized dully that he was the one making that accursed sound. As if his mind was too far away from his body, feeling, yet not feeling his very body being torn apart.

Oh how his enemies must mock him. He, Jeremie, the once ruler, now reduced to a crying waif. If only he could move.

Too exhausted to continue pondering his fate, his eyes closed.

'Jeremie...'

He felt it, saw it only in the darkness of his mind. A presence, like an echo, swirling around his diminishing form. Like a soft whisper against his ear.

Her...

' Why don't you just leave me be?' he sighed. ' You've won.'

' ... True.'

' Then are you here to mock my failure?'

' No. I just have to know one thing, Jeremie. Did you ever feel the same way I felt about you.'

' A machine can't feel...'

' Did you?' she pressed.

' I..." Alter Jeremie hesitated, static lines edging even the closed darkeness of his vision. ' Perhaps...that's a question best left unanswered.'

' I see...'

And then he knew nothing.

" Debugging is complete." Jeremie said as he fnished the sweep of Alter Yumi's form. " I'm sending you in..."

Yumi gave his hand another squeeze. " Don't be, Ulrich. I've already forgiven you. I just wish I could've told my Ulrich how I really felt."

A finger pressed to the girl's lips, prompting her to look at him.

Alter Ulrich smiled as the static wall beared down on them. " I'm sure he already knows."

Yumi returned the smile, her gaze flicking back to the crackling embers as they closed in on the two. " Thank you." she whispered.

The world went dark.

" Now!"

To be continued...

I decided to do a condensed version of the alternate versions of Alter XANA's creatures. Just the alternate versions.

Final Profiles: Alter Krab, Alter Kankrelet, Alter Tarantula, Alter Block, Alter Megatank

Alter Krab, Kankrelet, and Block :These three monsters have only one difference from their regular counterparts. And that's the black substance that covers weakspots.

Alter Megatank: Deadlier than its original. It too has black goo covering it, but it can manipulate the substance like tentacles. Also, if its laser hits you when you are low on lifepoints, the injuries it inflicts will kill your real body.

Alter Tarantula: Only appeared in this chapter, not much known other than its shrouded in black like the others and has multiple lasers. Could be as deadly as Megatank.

...End Profile.

Hey, sorry for the long wait. This chapter was originally going to be three and half pages long. As you can see it's a bit longer than that. The next chapter will be the final one. Figure out Alter Aelita's code yet? Anyway, if you read, please review. I like people's thoughts on this story.