Dicknuts, so sorry for this being late guys. It was 75% written, and I've just been sitting on it. But 10 chapters, wheeeew!

Chapter 10

Aelita's P.O.V.

"Where could she be?" Jeremie's voice echoed down in the scanner room.

"Beats me, she was at the school when Odd called." Ulrich tried to sound nonchalant. He wasn't fooling me, not when one of us was in danger. As he sat against the wall with his arms crossed over his knees, the grim look on his face gave it away.

Odd had propped himself in the lid of the tunnel that led below, kicking his legs aimlessly as I paced back and forth.

"Never mind, we need to get the tower deactivated. I'm sending you in." Despite the worry, Jeremie's orders were still strict.

Ulrich and Odd stepped into the scanners. I hesitated. They didn't know that I was still filled with guilt. This is my fault, isn't it? I can't believe I lost Yumi. Is she still ok? "Jeremie can you call her one more time? Yumi may still be in danger."

"I'll send you in first, then I promise I'll call. The fire's probably spreading towards here or the Academy."

"This is awful." I shook my head.

"Just make sure to call, ok Einstein?" For a moment, Ulrich must have forgotten he was mad.

"I will."

Just as I reached the last scanner, my phone rang. "Wait!" I was Yumi. "Hello?"

"Aelita!"

"Yumi! What's going on?"

I could hear her panting as she ran. Something was chasing her. The specter? "Are you at the factory?"

"Yes, where are you?"

"Outside, the fire is - "

The line went dead.

I froze. "Yumi? . . . Yumi!"

"It's ok, I see her on the screen. Camera 2. She's inside, go on!" Jeremie ordered.

"Come on Aelita," Odd said softly.

I hurried into the scanner.

"Transfer Aelita." The doors shut.

"Transfer Ulrich." I closed my eyes.

"Transfer Odd." Warm air filled the scanner, blowing my hood and skirt up slightly.

"Scanner Aelita." I rotated upwards.

"Scanner Ulrich." My digital code was scanned.

"Scanner Odd." It stopped.

"Virtualization!" My hair blew out of my face when the final rush of air came. Then I disappeared from the scanner.

I reappeared and landed in the ice sector. Ulrich and Odd dropped down beside me. No sooner than we we arrived on Lyoko, I could sense danger.

Jeremie advised, "Be careful. The tower is due east. Not too far from where you are."

"But you never know," Ulrich clarified.

"Exactly. Better hurry up."

"I see it over there." Pointing to it, I didn't see the megatanks rolling in behind me.

Ulrich reacted in time. "Aelita, watch out!" When I turned, I saw him flattening himself to avoid the megatanks laser. I mirrored his position.

"Wow, you sure Xana won't get lonely?" Odd asked, flipping left and right as the monsters tried to hit him.

"What do you mean?" Jeremie seemed confused.

Odd climbed up against an iceberg jutting out of the ground. "He sent all of his friends out to play!"

Then he leapt into the air, shouting, "Missed me!"

I could sense Jeremie's frustration from here. "Odd this is no time for games! Yumi's still in very big - oh, Yumi!"

Ulrich looked up at the sky. "Yumi?"

"I'm here, better hurry – " she was out of breath " - I lost the specter, but I don't know for how long."

Jeremie began to type. "Hold on, I'm transferring Yumi to help you."

"Well step on it Einstein!" Ulrich shouted, using his supersprint. "How're you doing Odd?!"

"Just fine, except for one thing!" He shot. "I'm gonna run out of arrows if this damn thing doesn't just stand still! Laser arrow!"

I began to run for the tower. Every time it seemed closer and closer, Xana wouldn't give up; another megatank appeared in front of me. I stopped, barley managing to gasp. It charged up its laser and released. Screaming, I threw myself to the ground.

It never hit me. In a less than few seconds, Ulrich had raced over. He yanked out his katana and attempted to hold it off by pressing it into the laser. Sparks began to fly on his weapon. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks Ulrich." Quickly, I moved out of the way.

He grunted as he strained. "Ulrich, you're losing too many life points!" Jeremie panicked.

"Tell. Me. About. It." He pressed harder, skidding against the ground.

"Aelita, get to the tower fast!" Jeremie shouted.

I almost did. But I couldn't stand to just see Ulrich struggling. In my hands, I formed energy field after energy field and threw them. Three did the trick, and shattered the megatank's laser like glass on impact. Ulrich turned to me. "Thanks yourself." He smiled briefly. "Supersprint!"

I took off running again and Yumi materialized near me. Relieved to see that she was ok, I asked, "Is Hiroki all right?"

She grinned slightly. "He's fine. He runs faster than I knew. But hurry, the fire's spreading."

"Uh huh." I forced myself to run faster. Behind me, Yumi pushed herself off the ground, and flipped over a megatank. She yanked out her fans and threw, destroying one monster. "Jeremie, how about our vehicles?"

"Coming up."

In only a minute, my friends rode ahead of me with the megatanks in hot pursut. Immediately, I was annoyed. How am I going to get through now? Xana's monsters were blocking the tower, and there were four of them. It was a lot for an everyday attack. Xana's been getting stronger still. Didn't those programs work?

"Energy field!" I aimed at the closest megatank, but it closed it shell, blocking my attack. Rapidly, it opened again, getting ready to fire.

"Step aside Aelita!" Odd flew in on his Overboard. "Yahoo!" I just barely ducked as he sailed on my by above me. The megatank fired. Odd dodged, and I found myself grinning. Then it hit me. Something that I should've realized earlier.

The lasers weren't green.

Are the programs working? Jeremie would be so thrilled. All the time we spent working was paying off. Xana may have sent many monsters, yet this was sign that he was weakening!

However, the happy moment was short-lived. Odd took a chance, ramming his overboard into the megatank. In that split second, it dawned on me that everyone was still in danger. The collision destroyed the megatank and sent Odd flying over the edge.

"Odd!" I screamed, watching helplessly.

"Aelitaaaa!"

Without a second thought, I dropped to my knees, concentrating with all my might. It can't happen! No Odd, not you! He can't die! A virtual platform took shape below, as I attempted to use my Creativity. Even on Lyoko, I could still feel a throbbing in my head as my hands shook. Seconds passed. Odd's screaming ceased.

My heart stopped. Did he - I took a deep breath and glanced down to the digital sea. There he was, sprawled out awkwardly on the platform. Safe. I dropped to me knees again, drained.

"Thanks Aelita."

I lifted my head, and smiled.

Odd paused. "Look out!" Another megatank rolled behind me, and another make-shift shield was made, this time be me with two energy fields. I'd done it more than Ulrich, and was able to hold my own for longer. But it was still hard, and the sparks still flew between my shield and the laser. I skid further, closer to the edge as well.

"Aelita, you're down 20 more life points! Get out of there!" exclaimed Jeremie.

I had to jump to the side, nearly losing my balance in the process. This gave Odd a chance to get a good shot. "Gotcha . . . laser arrow!"

The impact nearly knocked me off my feet again. He can still be a sharp-shooter even from down there? A proud grin crossed my face before I began to run again.

Nearby, Ulrich was using his triangulate against another megatank. We'll get through this after all. We will, we will - The tower couldn't be more than two minutes away if nothing stopped me. "Jeremie, is there any sign of the specter?"

"No not yet. But don't worry you're almost - no!"

Yumi was in the air. She stopped where my she is. "Jeremie, what's wrong?"

"Th-the specter's here!"

"What?" She and I exclaimed. There were two megatanks left. Yumi jumped off her vehicle, threw her fan, and missed. She caught it in one hand just before doing a round-off to avoid getting shot.

It rolled in front of the tower, along with the last one. "We'll never make it!" Yumi yelled, echoing thoughts as my optimism faded. "If only - whoa!" We both dodged two lasers. Her Overwing was destroyed.

"Yumi, devirtualize me, hurry!" Odd said from below. I turned my head.

"You sure?" she asked, a hint of doubt lingering in her voice.

He nodded, looking serious. "Jeremie's in trouble."

She nodded back in return. "Ok." I was touched. Here I was thinking that Jeremie and Odd wouldn't stop fighting, and now I could see that their friendship still existed.

And because of how sweet it was, I couldn't watch as Yumi's fans cut through Odd, sending him back to Earth. I did however, use the chance to destroy one megatank with my creativity as I made the ground beneath it vanish.

Meanwhile, Ulrich halted his sprint and threw his katana with specific aim. It flung threw the air fluidly, and hit the Eye of Xana. When the megatank exploded, the force sent his weapon flying back, and he promptly caught it.

Now was my chance! The tower couldn't be farther than 5 meters and I thought I was going to make it. A familiar noise sounded behind me as a pair of clear tentacles took hold.

The Scyphozoa was here.

Arrrghh so short ;pppppp But I tried writing more and it just came out terribly. I think you guys would rather this than wait ages or getting a shit chapter. Hope you enjoy. Re-write still in progress, getting as much done as I can. Loves y'alls.