Author's note:
It's been too long. I'm sorry. I'm still alive! Life just got in the way. Frankly it felt like getting knocked down and kicked a few times. To apologise for the long absence, I'm posting the first portion of the chapter I'm working on as its own snippit. It's a little shorter than the last chapter, but it's not as small as some of the first chapters of the story. I hope you will forgive me for not updating regularly. I will be writing whenever I can, and will hopefully get the next segment out soon.
For those of you hungry for action and drama, do not worry. Things will be going South soon. c:

Chapter publish date:
12 June 2017

Content warning:
Just mild combat in this chapter.

Chapter 10

Code: Distraction

Much like the campus of Kadic in general that morning, the gymnasium was quiet. Unlike the grounds, which had the occasional student walking somewhere or sitting on whatever flat surface could be found, the gym was empty save for the non-living fixtures inside. If one had yelled, it would surely echo.

From their lockers, Ulrich and Yumi obtained their gym clothes. On somber mornings like this one it unsettled them, how closing the locker doors sounded when echoed through the silent locker rooms. The cold metallic sound reminded them both of unpleasant things.

More quickly than usual, they made their way to the gym proper.

It had been weeks since they last sparred. Tests, work, and XANA had kept them busier than usual. If they didn't take a few minutes in the mornings and evenings to work out, they wouldn't have been able to get any exercise at all. Ulrich had sacrificed much of his family time to go to the gym, not that he minded much.

Ulrich had been strength training often. Since most of the warriors relied on agility, he thought that it would be useful to have some more power at their disposal. If he got stronger, he thought, he could focus less energy on his swords and more on the enemy. In terms he'd heard Odd use when playing his RPGs, Ulrich wanted to 'tank' for the group when William wasn't around.

Yumi's training was less focused, but was just as difficult. To improve her telekinesis and other psychic abilities on Lyoko, she'd started using some of her spare time to meditate with a great variety of stimuli to distract her. She had gotten to the point where she could clear her mind while listening to some of her favorite metal bands on high volume. While she kept her mind sharp she had to keep her body fighting fit as well, so between sessions of meditation she would engage in intense physical exercise.

Yumi hadn't bulked up quite like Ulrich, but one couldn't say she wasn't as strong.

Ulrich made his way to the center of the gym where Yumi was sitting, her legs crossed and eyes closed. She appeared to be meditating while she waited. As he walked over, he noted how snug his shirt had become. He'd had that shirt for goodness knows how long, and it was definitely showing its age. Unfortunately, the time that had worn and loosened the fabric had also seen Ulrich grow in size and muscle, and the shirt was reaching its limit.

As Ulrich drew near, the corners of Yumi's mouth turned upward, and she spoke.

"That took you a while. Forget where your locker was?"

"No," he responded matter-of-factly. "I had problems getting into my shirt. I think it's time to indulge and buy a new one."

"This wouldn't be a problem if you had more than ten—" Her sentence died on her lips when she opened her eyes and looked directly at a certain brunet's torso. "… t-ten shirts. Um. You should buy a new shirt. Yes." She glared towards the floor.

"Something wrong, Ishiyama?" Ulrich couldn't help but tease her. He found her flustered expression, well, cute. You couldn't get him to admit that, though, for fear of being beaten.

Yumi's brow furrowed and a fire shone in her eyes as she looked him in the eye. "Your feeble attempts at distraction won't help you today, Stern." She stood up then and crossed her arms.

Right about that time, Ulrich noticed how, well, sculpted Yumi had become. She hadn't beefed up, to be sure, but the muscle definition was impressive. Ulrich had to keep his gaze from falling past the cropped tank top she wore for workouts to the hard-looking abs below.

Ulrich swallowed, keeping his expression under control. "I don't know what you're talking about." He crossed his own arms, conspicuously flexing the muscles within.

Yumi's scowl broke for a second before she glared hard at him. "I'm going all out today. I expect the same from you." She assumed her fighting stance, one that had evolved over time to be more mobile and feather-light.

If a glare could kill, Ulrich didn't doubt that she could take anyone down. Of course, her fists could probably do that anyway.

…

For as hard as they tried, neither of the warriors could seem to get the advantage. Every time Ulrich actually landed a blow, Yumi either didn't react or returned the favor just as hard. Ulrich's defenses were constantly up, however, and her blows didn't produce much of an effect either.

The two pulled away from each other while maintaining their stances; their eyes were full of life and their breaths came hoarsely.

"Had enough yet, Stern?" the raven-haired girl asked after a deep breath. Wherever her skin was visible, it was covered in red marks. Some of them were intentional—an attempt to build pain tolerance—but there were definitely a few accidental ones. She'd let her guard down a few times.

It was frustrating for sure. She'd trained so much, to the point where she could probably keep a clear mind through anything, but just being in the same room was enough to fill her with distracting thoughts. She needed closure. Some kind of resolution. If she couldn't get over herself, someone would get hurt because of her.

Ulrich's lips curled into a dazzling smile. "Nope. You?"

"Beating you…" She swallowed and took another deep breath. "C'est tellement facile que Je pourrais le faire les doigts dans le nez. I decided to hold back. A match is no fun if it only lasts a minute."

"I felt the same, actually. I've been holding back too."

They maintained their glares and stances before both melting into peals of laughter.

"You know," Ulrich said after they calmed down once more, "we really should consider getting someone else to train with us. If we keep at it like this, we'll get nowhere."

"You don't think butting heads will get us anywhere?" She crossed her arms and playfully pouted. "You have no faith in us?" To Ulrich, her voice curled around the word 'us' and made him think for a second that she was not only referring to combat. The thought only lasted until she continued. "If one of us actually comes out on top it will be a good lesson, don't you think?"

"I was just thinking that something new would help us get out of this, well, stalemate."

"Mm, you're probably right, but maybe all we need is a change in ourselves. Maybe some motivation." She smiled then, wide and radiant.

Ulrich was distracted only for a second, but it was just long enough for Yumi to sweep her leg underneath him and knock his legs out of balance. He yelped as he fell to the floor, his face beet red.

"I guess new strategies work too," Yumi said, laughing again.

"Distraction is hardly new," the German grumbled. Rather than return to his feet, he crossed his legs and got comfortable.

Yumi's expression fell suddenly, and she sat down on the mat next to Ulrich. "Maybe…." She sighed. "Maybe you're right. Did you have anyone in mind?"

"How about Jim?"

"Are you serious?" Yumi couldn't hide her amusement.

"No."

She tapped his arm lightly. "Really, Ulrich, be serious. You sounded like you had ideas."

"I was actually hoping you would."

"How about William?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. He's changed, you know. Sissi's mellowed him out, somehow. If you stayed awake outside of practice you'd know that."

He scowled. "I still don't trust him."

"Ulrich, come on. He drops everything to help us. What does he have to do for you to not resent him?"

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it and looked away. "I don't know."

Silence hung between them for a moment until Yumi broke it, sighing gently. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"No, no, it's fine." He looked back at her. "I told you I'd be more considerate of…." He paused and began idly gripping at the mat. "Of your feelings and that sort of thing. I should try harder. I will try harder. You're still…." He stopped and looked away, face scrunching up into a red scowl.

'You're the person that matters the most to me...'

Yumi cleared her throat softly, and when she spoke her voice was tender. "So, what do you want to do now?"

"How about a movie before lunch?"

She grinned. "O.K."

Ulrich's scowl melted into a smirk of his own. "So, I believe I won today."

"And why is that?"

"I managed to hit you thirteen times. You only hit me twelve times."

"That totally doesn't count. I dodged more than you."

"That doesn't count either. I did more damage so I win. If Odd were here he'd say I topped the…." For a second he tried to recall the word. "The leaderboard? Yeah."

"On a normal day I'd fight you for that declaration, Ulrich Stern, but today I'll make an exception. Let's go watch a movie."

Author's note:
Some of the later chapters will be difficult to write. This is not because of the content, for I am not afraid of hurting our poor friends a little to get the plot going. What brings difficulty is within me, if you'll pardon the potential cliché. I have a... condition? known by some as aphantasia- a lack of visualization. I cannot visualize anything. This includes, for example, imaginary combat scenarios. Because of this it will take a little longer for me to write future events in the story. I will not take another two month break, do not fear!
Thank you for sticking with me. I hope to make it up to you.
A note for anyone confused... I have paired Sissi and William in this story. If those reading are not against it, I would very much enjoy making her play a bigger role in the story. Let me know if you would like or hate this.
I love all of you readers. I couldn't do this without you. -Kahnaii