Somehow got another chapter done quickly. Inspired by Episode 15 of CLE but with my own twists, and it's not going to end soon. Ulrich/Aelita POV, Read and Review!
"I'm thirsty for a Coke, you?"
"I think I'm okay," I reply, but I follow the Magnificent to the vending machine anyway. He inserts a coin and the machine rumbles but doesn't spit out a can.
"Oh, come on!" Odd yells, kicking the machine. I lean against the wall, my hands in my pockets.
"Maybe you shouldn't buy from something that's stolen from you so many times," I say coolly.
"Goddammit!" Odd whines. "That was my last coin too! Now I have to wait for my allowance."
"Oh well, guess you'll have to stick to water," I respond. We hear some commotion outside and duck our heads out of the shelter. It turns out to be nothing more than another couple of people getting mad at Milly and Tamiya. My detention had finally been fully served and just in time for the playoffs in another week. We'd barely made it, at 10-6, after I finally scored a goal for the first time in weeks to win it 1-0 for us.
"What do you wanna do tonight, good buddy?" Odd asks. "We could go skating, you could help me with my film, go into town…"
"Not up for any of it," I say, shrugging. "Thanks for the offer though."
"At least you don't act like a dead version of Frankenstein anymore," Odd says. "Sheesh, that was not fun to deal with."
"Whatever you want to think, Odd," I say. "I really don't care."
"Hey, hey, just trying to lighten the mood," he says, holding his hands up.
"Excuse me," a voice says behind me. I turn around and it's…Yumi. I shuffle out of the way as she coldly walks by to the vending machine. Odd stops fooling around and stares at her. The light scent of cherry blossom fills my nostrils and I clench my fists at the painful reminder. She inserts a coin in the coffee machine and a cup drops down, quickly filling with the brown liquid. She walks past me, not turning her head to even address me. Who gets coffee in the afternoon anyway? I think with contempt. She's still into her new thing of wearing plain T-shirts that still expose some of her collar yet completely cover her midsection. I think I hear a "humph" escape her lips as she walks out and leaves.
"Well, that was some encounter," Odd mumbles. "At least I've been through more awkward ones. It really does lessen the awkwardness of something like this, you know." I stare down at my fists, still trembling with bitterness. I punch the vending machine hard and it hurts my knuckles but I don't feel it. A Coke can pops down and Odd snatches it up. "Will you look at that!" Odd remarks. "Thanks a lot, good buddy." I snort and he cracks open the can, guzzling down some fluid. He lets out a sigh of relief and then I hear my phone start ringing. I glance at the screen and see it's from Jeremy, and shake my head.
"Hello?" I say, a bit annoyed.
"Superscan. Activated tower. Meet you at the factory," he says simply, and then hangs up. I nod to Odd and he understands. We run off through the park and I spot her again walking alone. I look away but not before I see her head turn. I don't look back, still feeling disgusted. We skate through the sewers and I still can't get her off my mind. Get real. It's not your fault. It's all hers. She doesn't understand what she's doing. We get to the Lab and Jeremy's stroking his chin while Aelita's sitting on the floor. Looks like we're just waiting on William.
"You guys seen anything strange yet?" Jeremy asks. We shake our heads. "That makes me even more worried."
"Why?" Odd asks.
"XANA's attacks recently haven't been to cause trouble in the real world," Aelita says. "Which is why we're worried. XANA has to be plotting something we don't know about."
"Well, if we deactivate the tower we won't have any trouble," I mutter. William appears in the elevator and I glance over.
"We all ready to go?" he asks. "Let's go fight some monsters." That guy is way too excited about this stupid job, I think. Wait. What did I just say? This is the fate of the world. Please have mercy, for I've been taken by hypocrisy.
"Ulrich, are you alright?" Aelita asks. I realize I'm still standing in the elevator like an idiot and the others are all in the scanner room.
"Oh, yeah, fine," I say quickly. "You three can go in first." They step inside and I stand in the middle, waiting for the scanners. The door finally opens and I step inside, landing on rock a moment later. Mountain sector.
"Your taxis," Jeremy says, and a moment later our vehicles appear in front of us. Aelita hops on the Overbike with me while William takes off in smoke and Odd on the Overboard. "The activated tower should be straight ahead. It's located in the middle of a bunch of caves, so be careful."
"I hope you're still in fighting shape," Aelita says. "It's been a while since we've been here."
"They're just dumb monsters," I grumble. "I'll take care of anything." We zoom through the various tunnels and hills with no monsters in sight.
"Did XANA run out of juice to afford the champagne? No welcoming committee in sight!" Odd exclaims.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Jeremy replies. "You're almost at the tower. There are three Kankrelats in your way." Odd suddenly almost falls off the Overboard and I zoom under him but he regains his balance at the last second. I see that he's cracking up.
"Kankrelats?!" he shouts. "You gotta be joking! Ulrich, you wanna make this a contest of who can kill them the quickest?"
"How about you just get rid of them?" I suggest. "I'm not gonna dull my saber for something worthless like those things." We stop in front of a large cavern and sure enough, there are three of them in front of it.
"William, wanna make this a competition?" Odd asks.
"You're on," he says, smirking. He charges up a shockwave and fires it, killing two of them.
"Hey! No fair!" Odd yells, and shoots the last one full of Laser Arrows.
"Be careful," Jeremy warns. "XANA might have some other nasty surprises in store."
"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Odd says. We walk inside the cavern and the lighting gets worse. There's still some peeking out from holes in the top of the formation.
"The tower is just a few more paces away," Jeremy says.
"We don't see it, Jeremy," Aelita answers.
"You're right. I don't see it on the visual either. Hang on, just keep walking and you should run into it."
"Jeremy, there's something coming out of the shadows," William says nervously. I look at where he's pointing and he's right. I see human figures walking out. The first one reaches the light and I see it's the Odd clone. More start coming out. One for each of the Lyoko Warriors, except for me. I look over at where they're standing and the tower is behind, shining with a red aura.
"So, uh, how are we splitting this up, guys?" Odd asks nervously. "Shall we each battle our own clone, and Ulrich takes Yumi?"
"Sounds good to me," Aelita grunts, dodging an Energy Field from the clone. Out of the corner of my eye I see the two Williams swinging their swords against each other, making massive blows.
"You wanna trade?" I ask, as the two remaining clones advance on us. "This is getting too weird."
"I agree," Odd concurs. "I'm not a huge fan of fighting myself." He leaps at the Yumi clone with his claws. I pull out both my swords and start deflecting fire from the Odd clone. I charge at it and he does flips to avoid my sword swings. He activates his shield and it clashes against my sword.
"You're not getting away," I hiss, and stab at the shield with my other sword. The shield breaks and the sword plunges into the Odd's chest, destroying him. I look around at the others' progress. William's sword cuts across his clone's body and Odd fires a bunch of Laser Arrows into the Yumi clone.
"Aelita still needs help, and only she can deactivate the tower!" Jeremy exclaims.
"There might still be more surprises," I say. "We should go clear the path up ahead."
"There's nothing on my radar screen, Ulrich!" Jeremy says in his annoying ass halfway-through-puberty voice crack tone. William rushes over to help Aelita and we're left standing. I see a glint out of the corner of my eye and quickly whip out my sword, but the figure plunges into Odd.
"Wha-hey!" Odd exclaims as his body dissolves to pixels. I recognize the figure as me. A clone of my own, except this one isn't surrounded in shadow like the other ones. It's an identical copy of me. I rush towards it but it leaps towards William, stabbing him in the back as well. Aelita gasps and barely has time to put her shield up before her clone fires another Energy Field.
"That does it," I growl. I Super Sprint towards the clone and slash down, but he turns around and catches the blade, smirking. He yanks it from my grasp and breaks the sword with his hands. Then, he speaks.
"I've been waiting for you, Ulrich."
"You're creepy," I finally muster, after a moment of stunned silence. I slash towards him with my other sword and he catches it again.
"Please, I would hate to have to leave you weaponless," he says coolly. "Then you wouldn't be able to defend poor Aelita and this activated tower would have much bigger ramifications."
"What do you want?" I say through gritted teeth, pulling my sword back. His eyes widen and he smiles.
"The world, Ulrich. And, you can help me. And I will be able to help you."
"Ulrich!" Jeremy yells. "What are you doing?! Kill this clone!" I suddenly swing towards him again and he whips his sword out faster than I can see, hitting my sword away with so much force I get sent flying back.
"Last warning," he says. "Or you can tell Belpois that he will have failed to deactivate the tower." He snaps his fingers and all of a sudden it goes eerily silent.
"You're a fucking computer program," I spit. "What could you possibly want from me?"
"Oh, Ulrich, I am so much more than that," the clone says. "Look into my eyes and tell me what you see." The Eye of XANA disappears from his pupils and I see my own brown eyes in him.
"You don't feel emotion," I say simply.
"I've studied quite a lot on human beings," he replies. "And I can tell you, we have so much in common. Look more closely. See the frustration, the disappointment, the confusion, the anger." His eyes narrow and he stares at me, and I see…myself. The countless nights in front of mirrors I would stare after something terrible happened.
"What do you want?" I say a bit less confidently.
"I want you to join me," he whispers. "To rule the world."
"Why do you need me?" I ask automatically. This was getting stranger. Usually I would've just flat out denied him. But I was…listening…to XANA…
"You are powerful," the clone says. "Your fighting skills far exceed anything I have ever seen. You have been able to fight out of just about everything I've ever sent for you. I need someone with your power, your abilities."
"So you want me to be your pawn," I say simply. The clone recoils, giving a face of disgust.
"No, no, no, not at all!" he says indignantly. "Ulrich, tell me, why is it that every time your missions fail, you are always the one blamed first?" I stay silent as he comes closer, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Because your friends fear you, Ulrich. They fear the power and the potential you have. You are an unsharpened weapon that has already killed many; I can make you into something greater. You won't have to answer or please anyone. Not authority, not your friends, and certainly not…Miss Ishiyama."
"What did you just say?" I hiss.
"Do you know why she left you?" he questions.
"That's none of your business," I reply bitterly.
"It's because she doesn't trust you," the clone whispers. "Isn't it such a terrible feeling? To know that she doesn't trust you, or for that matter, nobody does. Even though you are by far the strongest, most cunning, and bravest warrior, you are always the first to be blamed. Because they know you are capable of something greater. If you were to ever learn the secrets of the supercomputer, you would be unstoppable. The mind of Belpois and Hopper combined with the warrior in you."
"I don't care about power," I say. "I just want respect."
"Ah yes," the clone says. "Respect. The other thing lacking in your life. Tell me, Ulrich, who can you say truly respects you?"
"My friends," I say immediately.
"But do they really?" he questions. "Belpois sees you as nothing more than a pawn. A soldier to carry out his plan. He only keeps you around to do the dirty work, to finish off monsters like a mindless brute so others can achieve greater things. Your only purpose to Aelita is to guide her safely to the tower. Della Robbia is busy downgrading your ability for his own gloating, and charming William Dunbar has merely struck an uneasy truce with you. And Miss Yumi Ishiyama. The one who can't respect any part of you. Love is a dangerous game, Ulrich. It blinds you from the truth. She thinks you are much too stubborn and quick to react. She believes you will never be able to understand human emotion. It's convenient for her to overlook her own downfalls, simply to justify her lack of faith in you."
"She loved me," I say softly.
"You know I'm right," the clone says firmly. "I feel your anger, your hatred. She doesn't care about you anymore. Yumi left you because it was easy for her. You fell into her trap. She came to know the real Ulrich, and decided she could not trust you. Because…you do what's right. You retaliate in justice against those who have wronged you. She likes to lure people in, with her stone cold passivity, and break them like you. Don't continue to live this life of anguish and longing for what is rightfully yours!"
I activate my wings and fly around. The clone comes after me with more Energy Fields and I shield in midair to block them.
"Jeremy!" I scream. "What's going on with Ulrich?"
"The clone is trying to manipulate him to join XANA!" Jeremy exclaims. "That's why the tower's activated! It's a trap, to give the single clone more power!"
"Try to convince him to stay," I yell, and fly out of the way of more Energy Fields. The Aelita clone chases me upward and I fly further and further away.
"He's not listening to me," Jeremy says frantically. "The Ulrich clone has put some sort of bug in the communication program. Ulrich can't hear me!" I fire more Energy Fields at the Aelita clone and it quickly flies out of the way.
"I'll try to get to him," I say, and dive down.
"Watch out!" Jeremy warns. I dodge another Energy Field and land on the ground. I throw some pink balls of my own at the Aelita clone and she blocks them with her shield. It really would be nice to have another weapon right now, I think. I try summoning my Creativity to make a pit but the clone fires quickly and I have to dodge out of the way. "Come on Aelita!" Jeremy shouts.
"I'm doing my best," I mutter. The duel is quickly becoming a stalemate, but the clone is still winning since it prevents me from getting to Ulrich. I charge at the clone with Energy Fields and she forms more as well. The pink energy balls collide in midair and explode.
The clone stands motionless after the explosion, as if expecting me to make a move. I combine two Energy Fields and send a massive ball at the clone. It deflects it with its own Energy Field and I leap out of the way to avoid it. The clone suddenly puts her hands together and I hear the song of Creativity, only darker and with more dissonance. Stone walls rise up all around me and cover me like a cocoon. There are narrow cracks in between but I can't fit through them.
"Aelita, no!" Jeremy yells. I fire some Energy Fields at the walls and they shake but don't budge.
"Jeremy, it'll take a while to destroy this thing," I say worriedly. I see the clone triumphantly fold her arms and turn to the two Ulrichs. I run my hands along the walls, probing for weaknesses.
"Why do you think you enjoy it here?" the clone asks, walking slowly in a circle around me. "It's because you're the king here. No one can match up to you. You have no worries. Nothing can bother you." He turns me towards the horizon and points. "Everything can be yours. You will be the ruler of Lyoko. And once my plan is complete, I will grant you whatever you desire."
"Whatever I want…?" my voice trails off.
"You are just now beginning to realize your potential," the clone says. "Leave everything behind. All of it is trivial, restrictive and unrelenting. It prevents you from becoming something greater. All your life you've wanted to be respected, to be wanted, to be perfection. Join me, Ulrich, and we will rule the world. You can make things however you want them to be. Follow my lead. Use your skills, and you will finally be able to do what is right." I look around at the sector. The Aelita clone is standing next to a giant rock cocoon-like thing. The virtual mountains loom large and surround us in the distance. The tower stands behind the clone, still glowing red, and behind it nothing but the Digital Sea.
"What do I have to do?" I ask softly.
"What you've already been doing," he replies. "But for me. Fight. Fight to defend the towers, to defend the right way, to defend yourself. You will stay here as a guardian. Then, once my plan is complete you will be granted whatever you wish."
"Don't listen to him, Ulrich!" I yell, but it's no use. The rock muffles my voice and he can't hear me. I fire more Energy Fields at the formation but it's no use.
"Aelita, try using your Creativity to counter it," Jeremy suggests.
"How?" I ask. "I don't know if I can counter what the clone did."
"You have to try!"
"And then what? Once the thing disappears she'll just devirtualize me with an Energy Field!"
"We have to do something. It doesn't look like Ulrich's resisting what the clone is saying." I think about it for a little while, and then formulate a plan. I summon my Creativity and a small hole forms in the top of the cocoon. I peek through the crack and see that the clone's back is still turned. Gathering my energy, I jump up and grab onto the edge of the opening. I peek my head over the top, seeing the two Ulrichs talking and the Aelita clone still turned.
"Energy Field!" I shout and hurl a ball at the Aelita clone. She yells in surprise as the ball collides with her and she's immediately devirtualized. The two Ulrichs spin around and I can see that one of them has the Eye of XANA pulsating in his forehead. I run towards them and stop in front of them.
"Ulrich, he's trying to trick you," I say, holding a hand up. "He doesn't care about you. As soon as you do whatever he wants he'll kill you!"
"See?" the clone says mockingly. "Your friends don't care. She only wants you to stop listening so she can deactivate the tower. And for what purpose? I can activate another one whenever I desire. You are fighting a losing battle, Ulrich. Not only that, you fight for the side who doesn't even trust you. I trust both your skills and your loyalty. And it's time you had someone who did." Ulrich turns his back to both of us, his fists clenched. I walk up slowly to him and put my hand on his shoulder. He brushes it off and turns around, glaring at me. I can see his face of emotions, full of pain and rage. I back away as the clone smirks.
"Aelita, devirtualize him!" Jeremy yells.
"What?" I say breathlessly.
"Devirtualize him! It's the only way we can prevent this disaster!" I don't want to, but I see that Jeremy's right.
"Sorry, but I have to do this to you Ulrich," I say. I charge up an Energy Field and throw it at him and he deflects it with his sword.
"And so I'm right," the clone remarks triumphantly. "Finish this, Ulrich. The betrayal is right here in front of you. Fulfill your destiny." Ulrich charges towards me and I throw up a shield as his swords clash against it. He swings again and breaks the shield, sending me flying backwards. I throw more Energy Fields but he's too fast for me and dodges all of them. He punches me and I land hard on the ground.
"Ulrich, don't do this," I beg. "Your emotions are overtaking you. You can't join XANA." He raises his blade in preparation, glaring at me with hatred.
"It's time to set things right, my friend," the clone says behind him.
"Ulrich," I say desperately. "Please." He swings the blade down and my avatar immediately starts disintegrating. The last thing I see is the clone putting his hand on Ulrich's shoulder.
I reappear in the scanner and immediately run back up to the Lab. Odd and William are watching tensely around Jeremy as he watches the screen.
"I lost the visual, but they're still on Lyoko," Jeremy says.
"Can't you devirtualize him from here?" Odd yells. "Do it now!" Jeremy frantically starts typing keystrokes in and he's met with a red exclamation point and a beeping.
"It's all bugged up," Jeremy gasps. "I can't devirtualize him!"
"What do you mean, you can't?" I ask.
"It's the clone," Jeremy deduces. "XANA must have blocked the manual devirtualization program!" We watch as the green arrow and the now visible red arrow walk towards the edge.
"What are they trying to do?" William says nervously.
"They're headed for the Digital Sea," Jeremy says grimly. Sure enough, a moment later the two arrows disappear off the edge of the radar. A moment later the tower stops beeping, indicating its deactivation.
"Won't that kill Ulrich forever?" William asks.
"XANA must have granted them these powers. It's like how you couldn't be devirtualized or killed when you were possessed," Jeremy answers.
"Well, on the bright side, we know XANA has to activate a tower to get this powerful," Odd chuckles nervously.
"We just lost him to XANA," I say, shaking. "How? What could XANA have possibly told him?"
"Probably the same thing that convinced Xavier to join him," Jeremy replies.
"This is a huge problem," I say. "If XANA's going to keep recruiting people to join his cause we won't stand a chance."
"I agree," Jeremy says. "That makes it all the more important we end this quickly and bring Ulrich back. The sooner we can talk to him the sooner we can finish this."
"How?" I murmur. "He wouldn't even listen to me. I doubt he'd listen to any of you at this point. He's been completely manipulated by XANA."
"In the meantime, I guess we'll have to prop up the dumb polymorphic Ulrich that Einstein inevitably creates," Odd says, jerking a thumb towards the computer. "This affects us in more ways than just on Lyoko."
"There is one solution," William says quietly. We all turn to him and he's gazing off into space. "One person he might listen to."
"And who might that be?" Odd asks. "I hope you're not thinking what I'm thinking, because there's no way that'll work."
"It's so crazy it just might," William says, nodding. "Yumi."
Apologies for the lack of romance/fluff. I'll try to sprinkle some in where I can but don't worry, I'm anticipating the last few chapters/epilogue will have plenty to make up for the shortage of fluff these last six or seven chapters :)