lostmoonchild: Damn, I thought I had this computer trained not to add in a space in my penname. Oh well, I shall train it! Since I'm an older sister (any of you who know that the crap my brother and I do to each other will know that one), all I had to do was think about how happy I am when I see that my brother's safe and I just did the role reversal with the little brother although I could question my brother about that sort of thing. On second thought… nah! Anyway, we've got another chapter ready for your viewing pleasure so let's put this show on the road!

takara410: I'm ahead in chapters that I've got completed so I'm happy. That way if I get thrown off again, I'm not trying to get another two chapters up and done.

Traveler: My Stephen King collection is kind of limited so I'm borrowing from my favorite stories. I'll even go to the library and get Desperation today to read once more. I kind of figured that Jeremy would be easiest to deal with when it came to him being bait but Aelita would have worked too. Don't worry, I've still got a chapter or two still waiting patiently so we'll see what happens.

WickedIsTheWord: I actually checked your review at two in the morning after I had gotten done babysitting and I must confess that even though I was tired, my face still turned red. I'm honored by your compliment since I'm actually trying to get a story of my own published. I've honestly never read The 6th Target so I'll have to check that out.

Disclaimer: I don't own Code: Lyoko or anything else unless I say otherwise.


Chapter Eleven

She never thought that she would be so grateful to see her brother. Every older sibling probably wished to be an only child again at some point in time but she was actually grateful that her brother was safe. "Rex said that you were that man's prisoner with your friends." Hiroki told his sister as they hurried back to the hideout.

"Rex?"

Hiroki nodded slightly, his eyes holding a look that shouted devotion to the mysterious Rex. "He saved a bunch of us. I told him that you went to Kadic and he went to look for you but I guess he couldn't get in because of that man. When Rex came back, he said that you were that man's prisoner." Hiroki told her with wide eyes. From how his sister looked, something had happened to her. Whatever it was, he knew that it was bad.

That man. In the outside world, XANA was simply known as "that man" and nothing else. If she told this Rex character who XANA was and what they had been doing before everything went to hell, would he believe her?

Probably not seeing as nobody in their right mind would believe her story. As far as she knew, they'd all think her to be mentally unfit due to being raped who knew how many times and thrown around like a rag doll. Tears gathered in her eyes at the thought before her knees gave out on her and she sank to the ground with sobs shaking her entire body.

Hiroki stopped and stared at his sister as she began to cry. It scared him to see his sister crying since she never cried in front of him no matter what was going on. She was always so calm whenever he was upset but maybe it was his turn to be the strong one. What did that man do to her to make her cry? What did he do to Yumi that was making her hurt so much?

He hugged his sister tightly, trying to keep from crying. He had seen their parents' bodies shortly after everything had gone to hell and had cried for them. He had even cried for Yumi even though he didn't know if she was okay or not. As he hugged his sister, Hiroki could see very clearly that his sister wasn't okay.

Neither one knew how much time had passed but they did know that they had to hurry if they expected to avoid capture. It wasn't safe to stay in one spot for very long since any one of XANA's followers could very well show up.

They moved quickly through the shadows until they came to a building with boarded windows. Sneaking inside, they saw a young man in his early twenties looking over some plans. "Rex, this is my sister." Hiroki said as the pair came close to the solitary figure. "I found her running through the streets."

Rex was silent as he looked at Yumi, studying her features very carefully as if he were afraid of something. No, she realized, not afraid. Wary. How many people did XANA possess? How many people did XANA kill that this guy knew?

Yumi resisted the urge to fidget and advert her eyes as Rex stared at her with his intense, dark eyes. "So you're the one that kept sneaking around." Yumi stated. "Do you realize the problems that you've caused me whenever XANA got pissed?"

"XANA?" There was confusion in his eyes.

"That's his name. Now, do you realize what happened every single time he got pissed?"

Rex's eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked at her. Where in the hell did she think she was coming from? How dare she challenge him?! "We are fighting a war for the survival of the human race and you're whining just because he took his anger and frustration out on you?" Rex challenged. "You were a prisoner of war and there's nothing to say that he isn't controlling you right now."

"There are others that are being held captive." Yumi told the dark-eyed man. "Innocent people are possessed by him right now and I won't let him keep them."

"You might as well consider them to be gone. Once that man gains control then there's no way to save them."

Anger filled Yumi's being as she glared at Rex. Clearly he was one of those guys that thought everything needed to be destroyed. "Look, I've seen people that were possessed by XANA before. There is no need to kill them just to free him from their control."

"You don't know if he's able to control them again or not."

"I've been fighting against XANA a lot longer than you have." Yumi informed the man, her voice dangerously calm. "He tried to take control of me. He couldn't. My friends have either been killed or possessed by him. Four of them took refuge in my mind because my mind was and is safe. They are now back in their bodies but they are fighting for control."

"Why should I believe you?" Rex challenged.

"Why not? Think I'm somehow one of XANA's puppets? Fine. Put me through some test if you want but if you think that I'm going to help anybody that's done things to me that I will not speak of in front of my brother, then you're sadly mistaken." A tear rolled down Yumi's face. "He forced my friends to do those same unspeakable things to me and I don't know what hurts worse. Being unable to look at my friends without any fear or knowing that I was powerless to do anything."

"You could have killed him!" Rex shouted at her.

Hiroki stepped back when Yumi punched the young man, seeing the anger and hurt in her eyes. "Don't you think I thought about every possible way to do it?" Yumi shouted at him as tears rolled down her face. "When I wasn't trying to disconnect myself from what was going on, when I was trying to pretend that he wasn't raping me, I was always thinking about how to save my friends and kill XANA."

That man… had raped his sister? Hiroki felt the tears gathering in his eyes as he hugged his sister tightly in an attempt to offer her strength. Anger burned within him as he held onto his sister. He wanted to make that man pay for hurting his big sister. He was going to kill him.

Yumi hugged her brother and looked at Rex, ignoring the tears that were still rolling down her face. "What did you come up with that might be worth trying?" Rex questioned.

Taking a shaky breath, Yumi closed her eyes for a moment. "The sewers. There's a way into the school through the sewers. At least two entrances. One leads into the school basement and the other is in the park." Yumi answered shakily. "I can show you the way in, but I need your word on something."

"What is it?"

She didn't know how much his word was worth but she needed to know that he wouldn't take away what was her right. Forcing herself to breathe slowly, she answered, "You will not harm my friends and you will leave XANA to me."


lostmoonchild: What could XANA be planning from last chapter and what could Yumi possibly have planned? The chapters are starting to wind down so don't miss next week's instillation of "Nightmares II." Read and review, flames will be accepted.