Chapter 51

AN: My chapters are slowly increasing in length. This one broke six thousand words.
To Olyrik: Sorry to disagree with you, but the return to the past can go up to twenty four hours, not twelve (which is how Franz was able to be in the same day for years). Also, I had the XANA prediction idea, too (the opening was supposed to give slight foreshadow of the events in the chapter, but I forgot to do what will happen in this chapter instead).

(William third person)

William sat at lunch with a very attractive young girl. They were talking, laughing, and having a good time, but William knew it was a dream just from the fact that he could distinctly remember falling asleep. He knew that, like all dreams, it must come to an end, but he hadn't expected it to end the way it did. There was a glass clink two tables away, then seconds later a proposal at another table. Behind him there was a sound of plates being dropped, then, less than thirty seconds later, a knife struck threw the backside of his head and pointed out the front side.

He jerked awake and looked around the room to see Peter on his back talking on the phone to who he could only guess was Angel. He shrugged at Peter who shrugged back, then he rolled over and went back to sleep.

(Jeremie third person)

Jeremie sat in the cafeteria talking to Aelita. She smiled and kissed him, but when she pulled away, she dropped to the floor, face down. Jeremie jumped up and rolled her over to find he was face-to-face with Andrew Byrus.

He jerked awake and looked around the room. Alex laid asleep with earplugs in his ears.

(Alex first person)

I woke up and stared at the ceiling. Jeremie was lying in the bed on the opposite side of the room still asleep. It was two days later: February the fourteenth and Tuesday. Jeremie had told me the day before what made the fourteenth of February so special, being the one day out of the year where you are expected to do nice things for your girlfriend, so I did the things he had suggested that I do. I got up and walked over to my closet and pulled out a dozen roses. I sat back down on my bed and meditated, watching Aelita and Crystal's room.

"I'm going to go on down to the cafeteria," Aelita said. "The others are probably waiting." She walked out. Crystal stood up and stretched. She was in her underwear, but it wasn't the first time I had seen her like that. She slept like that and I had spent the night in her dorm every time Aelita slept with Jeremie. I teleported behind her, wrapping my arms around her midsection and holding the flowers so that she could smell them.

"Happy Valentine's day," I said. She smiled and took the roses, turning around and hugging me around the neck. She leaned back, her hands still on my shoulders, and smiled broadly.

"What are we going to do today?" she asked.

"Well, I proposed that the eight of us, You and I, Jeremie and Aelita, Ulrich and Yumi, and Peter and Angel, all go eat out some place for lunch, then go to the Valentine's day dance, tonight," I said. Her smile dipped just a bit before I continued. "But Jeremie said Valentine's Day is about being with your girlfriend, not your friends. So, we decided that we would get six reservations to six different restaurants close by, so that there isn't a chance of any two groups ending up at the same restaurant. That way, the evening is ours. And then we'll meet up at dance." She smiled.

"Where are we eating?" she asked. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the six reservations.

"Jeremie gave us the honor to pick first," I said.

"That was nice of him," she said.

"Well, kinda. I woke up before him and took them." She giggled. We sat down on her bed. I held them out like a fan. "Which one do you want?"

"Hmmm. Eenie meeny miny, this one," she grabbed one. I put the rest of them in my pocket. She got dressed and we walked down to the cafeteria.

"Hey," everyone said simultaneously. Everyone was sitting next to their significant other, save William and Odd who were sitting at the ends of the table. I handed the reservation cards to Jeremie as we sat down. Jeremie turned and allowed Aelita to pick one, just as I had done to Crystal.

"I hope this Valentine's day doesn't turn out as bad as the last one," Aelita said taking one. Jeremie passed it over the table to Ulrich. He fanned the cards to Yumi and she selected. He took them and passed them to Peter. Peter fanned the cards to Angel.

"Why don't you pick, Peter?" Angel asked.

"No, no, go ahead," Peter insisted. She took all the cards and passed it to Odd.

"We'll get what's left over," she said. Odd picked one and passed the remaining two around the table to William.

"Who are you going to take, Odd?" Ulrich asked.

"I don't know, but I'm sure I'll find someone," he said. A girl a grade below us walked down the rows of tables on her way to sit with her friends. Odd stood up and sidestepped in front of her. "Hey, wanna go to a fancy restaurant with me for lunch?" he asked.

"Sure. Where?" Odd showed her the reservation. "Okay, my name is Sarah Caraway."

"I'm Odd Della Robbia."

"Oh... Well... actually, I think I'm already planning something..." She walked around him and sat down with her friends who all began giggling when she arrived. Odd sat down to see us all grinning at him.

"Way to reel 'em in, Odd," William said.

"Just you wait, my impatient friend, and you'll see. I'll have them begging, no, I'll have them trying to auction me off to get me!"

"Good luck with that," he responded pulling out a reservation and passing the remaining back to Peter.

"Who are you going to take?" Odd shot back at William, almost spitefully. Sissy walked up behind him."

"Oh, you have a ticket to La Grande Fleur? Who are you taking?" she asked. He looked around the table to see grins before he responded.

"No one," he said.

"No one!?" she asked. Everyone had originally been grinning because they had considered that he might actually say her, but everyone was now grinning for a different reason.

"That's right."

"But your card says 'for two' right there!"

"Well, I eat a lot."

"But don't you have to pay extra if your ticket says you have more people than you actually do?" I took out a twenty euro bill from my pocket and tapped it on Jeremie's leg. Jeremie tapped it on Aelita's leg and she tapped it on William's leg. William took it and held it up for her to see, smiling triumphantly.

"Why don't you take Herb?" William asked, his face sarcastically questioning. She looked around at the two following her then walked off. William turned around and we all grinned at each other.

"How close were we to dying Sunday?" Yumi asked.

"I was curious about that, too," Jeremie said. "I looked at our last recorded bio-scans, the ones the computer checks just before the return to the past. Alex's lungs were filling with blood, and he would have died from non-cardiac pulmonary edema within minutes. You and Angel's stomachs were both getting blood into your stomach and if you were to die it would have been from internal bleeding, but Angel had a bullet in her shoulder, too, so she would have probably passed out or went into a pain induced coma before she died." He stopped. We were all expecting him to say what would have happened to him, but he didn't say anything.

"And you?" Aelita asked. Jeremie twitched a smile at her for a second.

"It doesn't matter," he said.

"Jeremie-" I started.

"Okay. The bullet was already fired through my skull and was this close to hitting my frontal cortex." He held up his thumb and put his index finger in the middle of his thumb nail. Aelita put her arm through his and her head on his shoulder, hugging him.

"We've got chemistry today," Peter said. We finished eating and walked to chemistry, or, for William and Yumi, gym.

"Okay, everyone," Ms. Hertz said, "pull out a piece of paper, we're going to be taking a test on the molecular compounds. The entire class was filled with the sound of papers rustling as they were taken out of their bags. Ms. Hertz walked around the room putting papers on the desks. I began filling out the answers. Ms. Hertz walked back to the front and sat down at her desk.

"Psst!" Odd said tapping me on the shoulder. "What's number three?"

"Shut up, Odd," I whispered back.

We walked out of class an hour and a half later.

"S O four is sulfite, right?" Odd asked as we were walking out the door.

"That's sulfate," Ulrich said.

"Stupid chemistry..." Odd muttered. We walked down to the dorm. Yumi and William were waiting there. Jeremie unlocked the door and we walked in.

"We still have an hour before our reservations are due," he said. We all sat down. I held Crystal's hand.

"What are we going to do?" Peter asked.

"I'm going to go look for a date," Odd said standing back up and walking out the door.

"I'm going to be working on the antivirus," I said.

"Here, let me help," Jeremie said. We all connected our computers to Jeremie's and began programming. Odd walked through the door a few minutes later holding the hand of a girl.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Maddelana," he said.

"Actually, it's Madeline," she said.

"So, I'll meet you by the front gate?" he asked her.

"You will." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Arrivederci!" he called down the hall. He closed the door with a prideful grin on his face.

"How'd you get her?" Ulrich asked.

"Walked up and started speaking Italian. Oh mio tesoro, tu sei bella come il tramonto!" he said bowing to his knees and looking up at the ceiling, one hand on his heart and the other stretched out to his side.

"Really?" Ulrich asked. "You just started speaking Italian and she didn't care that you've dated almost every girl, save Aelita and Sissy, in the entire ninth grade?"

"What can I say? I'm a ladies' man." We continued programming for the remainder of the time before it was time to go. Everyone went back to their dorms, or, in Yumi's case, home and changed. William went ahead and left for his restaurant.

Jeremie, Peter, and I walked down the girls' dorm hall. Peter stopped at Angel's door and knocked. Jeremie and I walked a few doors down and knocked on Aelita and Crystal's door. Aelita opened the door and Crystal stood behind her.

"Ready to go?" Jeremie asked. He stuck his arm out. Aelita put her arm under his and held his hand.

"Yep," she said. I held my hand out for Crystal. She took it and we walked down the hall where Peter and Angel were waiting. We all walked down the hall and outside. Odd was standing with his latest date.

"Are we ready to go yet?" she asked.

"When you are," Odd said. "We're this way."

"We're over there, too," Jeremie said. The four of them began walking in the opposite direction that Peter, Angel, Crystal, and I had to walk.

"Peter said the restaurant we're going to is really good," Angel said. "Have you ever been to yours?"

"No, this is our first time there," Crystal said. "I picked randomly." We reached a fork in the road.

"We're this way," Peter said. He tugged on Angel's had slightly and they turned. Crystal and I continued to the restaurant.

(Third Person Omniscient)

[Alex and Crystal]

Alex walked into the restaurant and handed the reservation to the man at the desk. The man's eyes darted back and forth between the ticket and the book, then, when he decided it was probably just a record error, jotted down the name on the ticket and waved his hand out to his side to direct them toward their seat.

[Peter and Angel]

The ticket man showed Peter and Angel to their seat.

"This really is a wonderful place, Peter," Angel said when she sat down.

[Ulrich and Yumi]

Ulrich and Yumi walked into the restaurant. No one was standing at the front desk. Yumi placed the ticket on the counter. Ulrich tapped the bell that was labeled 'Ring for Service'. There was an argument behind the counter in another language that sounded a lot like the language Odd spoke. It seemed like they were arguing about who would go to the counter because soon afterwards two of them pushed one out a swinging door. He picked up the ticket and didn't even bother to check the book before showing them to their table.

[Odd and his date]

Odd walked his date to their table, one hand behind her back. He pulled out the chair and she sat down. He hurried around the table and took his seat.

"It's a nice place," she said.

[Jeremie and Aelita]

Jeremie and Aelita followed the ticket man to their seat. They sat down and looked through a menu.

[William]

William handed his ticket to the ticket man and walked through to the main dining hall. He sat down at the indicated table, yet, as he did so, he seemed to get a sense of déjà vu.

[Alex and Crystal]

"What can I start you off with?" the waiter asked.

"Water should be fine," Alex said.

"Water it is, then," the waiter said before walking away. Alex put his hands down on the table and Crystal held them and they smiled into each other's eyes.

[Peter and Angel]

The waiter walked off with their orders.

"So," Angel said, "how did you get involved in the group?"

"I was stabbed in the stomach by Jim with an arrow," Peter replied.

"Really?" she asked. "Huh, he doesn't seem like the violent type to me."

"Well, he was possessed." She nodded, showing that she knew and was just being sarcastic. "Now I have a question for you. Since you've faced both Alex and Crystal, which one was harder?"

"Umm, probably Crystal. At least Alex gave me a chance."

"Well, which do you think would win if they fought each other?"

"Crystal, right? I mean, Alex wants you to win, doesn't he?"

"No, Alex wants you to try," Peter corrected with a small smile. "Alex was made to win, but Crystal just wants to win."

"Has she always been like that?"

"No, or at least, I don't think so. I asked Ulrich and he said that she used to be almost as carefree as Odd."

"When did that change?"

"He said sometime around a week or two after Alex's initial virtualization."

"Why? What happened?"

"I don't know. Ulrich said he doesn't know either. I tried asking her, but she changed the subject."

"I wonder why she doesn't want to talk about it."

[Ulrich and Yumi]

"We'll just have water," Yumi said. The waiter walked away.

"So," Ulrich said, "what do you wanna talk about?"

[Odd and his date]

"So, then the duck says, 'put it on my bill'!" Odd said telling another joke that lacked humor. A couple at a table two tables behind Odd was kissing. The girl looked back and forth between Odd and the couple before sighing and looking down at something on the table that was apparently more interesting than Odd.

[Jeremie and Aelita]

The waiter walked away with their orders.

"Is this better than last year?" Jeremie asked.

"Better than being possessed by XANA in attempt to take my memory? By a long shot."

[William]

As William's waiter was walking away, he started to realize why the place seemed familiar. Two tables away a couple ordered 'your finest wine'. A few tables away from them, a man dropped an engagement ring box, unnoticed by his soon-to-be fiancé.

[Alex and Crystal]

The waiter walked back with two glasses of water. He placed them in front of both of them. Crystal picked up her glass to drink as the waiter turned to walk off, but Alex noticed something.

"Crystal, don't drink that!" Alex yelled. The waiter turned around looked at them. Crystal put her glass down.

"Is something wrong, sir?" the waiter asked.

"We didn't order sparkling water," Alex said.

"Oh, that was compliments of the chef."

"Oh really," Alex said. He poured his drink out on the table and sat his napkin down on top of it. He picked his napkin back up and there were small, reflective yet see-through dots on the table. Alex poked one and lifted it up. "What does that look like to you?" The waiter looked at Alex's finger.

"Umm, salt, maybe?" he said.

"You don't put salt in water," Alex said. "That's glass."

"Er- no sir, we would never-" A busboy walked by with a wine glass that was broken just above the handle. "You! What happened to that glass!?"

"Oh, I'm just taking it to the trash. One of the cooks accidently broke it." The waiter turned back to Alex who had flicked off the glass piece off of his finger.

"I wish to see the chef," Alex said. The waiter turned and ran for the door to the kitchen, but when he reached it, the door swung open, knocking the waiter back into a wall. The chef walked out and threw a knife at Alex. He jumped over the table and pushed Crystal down onto the floor. Several people in the room jumped under their table. "We need to get out of here." Crystal nodded. "There's a backdoor over there." Alex pointed. "Go on the count of three." Footsteps were heard stomping in their direction. Alex counted down on his fingers, then he tossed the table into the air at the chef. Crystal ran for the door. Alex teleported behind her as they charged out, another knife hitting the door.

[Peter and Angel]

Peter and Angel were both laughing and smiling as their food was placed in front of them. The waiter walked away a few feet before turning around.

"Sorry sir, but I forgot your steak knife," he said reaching into his waist pouch.

"I've got one right here," a scratchy voice said behind Peter.

"Peter, look out!" Angel yelled. Peter dodged right and a steak knife was stabbed down in front of him. Peter grabbed his arm and Angel punched him in the face. Peter pushed the man back by the chest and took Angel's hand and led her out the back door.

[Ulrich and Yumi]

Ulrich's hand sat on the table with Yumi's hand in it. He leaned across the table at the same time as Yumi for a kiss, but before their lips connected, Ulrich had seen something. He grabbed Yumi by the shoulders and lifted her out of her seat and planted her on the ground beside him. A pizza pan flew over them and crashed into the wall. The pizza pan rolled beside them, revealing that it had been chisled to a sharp, jagged edge. Yumi kissed Ulrich on the cheek.

"Thanks for that," she said.

"We've got to move," Ulrich said. The chef walked over with a large rocker pizza cutter. He went to slam it down on Ulrich's neck. Ulrich grabbed his arm between his feet and twisted it sideways. He took one foot off and kicked the chef in the face. He grabbed Yumi's hand and pulled her towards the back door.

[Odd and his date]

Odd balanced his spoon on his nose in his last desperate attempt to make her laugh or, at least, smile. He took the spoon off and held it eye level.

"Look, I'm trying really hard here," he said.

"Well maybe you could be a bit more... spontaneous..." Out of the reflection of the spoon, Odd had seen a chef push several people out of the way and throw a cleaver across the room. Odd jumped across the table and pushed her down, her chair falling to the ground as the knife went over them and stuck in the wall beside them. "That's better," she said before she kissed him.

"Fino a quando ci incontriamo di nuovo," Odd said kissing her on the hand and running towards the back door as another cleaver was thrown at him.

[Jeremie and Aelita]

The waiter walked back with Jeremie and Aelita's order and stood there for a few seconds longer than normal.

"Is there something you wanted?" Jeremie asked.

"Why aren't you eating?" the waiter asked. He grabbed Jeremie by the hair and slammed his face into his plate, splashing his food all over the table. Alex teleported in from behind and grabbed him by the neck and pulled him down on to the table behind him.

"Go!" he yelled. Jeremie and Aelita jumped up from the table and ran for the back door. Alex kicked the man into the table Jeremie and Aelita were sitting at then he teleported out the door behind them.

[William]

The table two away from him had their bottle of wine delivered and they poured and clinked their glasses.

Wait a minute, William thought, how did that dream end? A man stood up and tapped his fork to his glass.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" he asked. He got down on one knee and held the ring up. "Elizabeth Mary Lanton, would you marry me?"

A knife! A knife went through the back of my head! But why would XANA want me to know what would happen? A large number of plates were dropped behind him. He knew he didn't have much time. He quickly looked around the room for an escape route, but he was dining on the second floor. There was a fire escape through a window on the other side of the room. There wasn't long now; he knew what he had to do. He ducked his head to the table and a knife went over his head. He jumped over the table to his left on his way for the window. Another knife hit the table. He jumped over the table at the window and a knife cut the lit candle in half. He broke the glass with his shoulder and rolled on to the fire escape. He looked down, but the ladder was rusted and hanging on by one bolt. He climbed the stairs. The chef walked on to the fire escape below him. William reached the top of the building and ran towards the edge. The chef reached the top just as William reached the edge and jumped. A knife cut him on the arm, not to deep to be dangerous, but it knocked him of balance and he fell down between buildings. He reached out one arm and caught the fire escape, which creaked above him. He pulled himself up and rolled onto the staircase, then he climbed down the ladder at the bottom.

[Crystal]

Crystal ran down the road and seen two people ahead, holding hands and running.

"Peter!" Crystal called. "Angel! Wait!" They turned around and waited until Crystal reached them before running again.

[Odd]

Odd turned a corner just as Jeremie, Aelita, and Alex ran by next to him.

"What's XANA got against Valentine's day?" Odd asked.

[William]

William stumbled out of the alley way as Ulrich and Yumi ran by.

"The chef?" Ulrich asked.

"How'd you guess?" William answered.

[Crystal]

Crystal, Peter, and Angel turned left on the main road and were met by Ulrich, Yumi, and William.

"You guys, too?" Yumi asked.

[Odd]

Odd, Jeremie, Aelita, and Alex turned on to the main road and spotted a group of six people ahead.

"Wait up!" Alex yelled. Every one of them turned and looked.

"Everyone?" Peter asked. Everyone ran towards the factory. Every slid down the ropes after they crossed the bridge, then they filled the elevator.

"I'll stay behind and protect Jeremie," Alex said. He and Jeremie got out in the control room and the rest of them went down to the scanner room.

[Lyoko]

William, Peter, and Angel fell into the forest sector. Odd stepped up on to his OverBoard.

"Can't have a good Valentine's day for nothing," he said.

"How do you think it went for us, Odd?" Yumi asked.

"Why? What happened to you guys?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ulrich said.

"The tower's west," Jeremie said.

[The Lab]

"You can't use your guns-" Jeremie started.

"You mean you don't want me to use my guns," Alex corrected.

"So what do you want?" Jeremie went on ignoring Alex's correction.

"You know very well what I want," Alex said walking to the elevator. Jeremie smiled slightly and gave a short snort.

He took it out of the scanner and rubbed his hand along it smoothly. He hit it on the ground a few times to check its durability.

"Feels like home," he said holding a bamboo bo staff.

"I'd say you're growing to miss it," Jeremie said. "You haven't been to Lyoko in a while." Alex took the elevator back up.

[Lyoko]

"There it is," Aelita said. It was a wide area with a large hole in the middle and half a dozen trees scattered around it. There were three passages that led to the area. Krabs and Kankrolots were scattered on the plain with Hornets in the air. Odd flew sideways to dodge a laser from a Hornet and flew behind a tree. He shot three laser arrows at three Hornets, devirtualizing all of the ones he had aimed at. A laser hit the front of his OverBoard, keeping him behind the tree as several monsters shot at him.

"Guys, I'm cornered," Odd said. Ulrich drove by on the OverBike and pulled his right sword out, swinging it at the ground through a Kankrolot. Yumi threw a fan at a Kankrolot that swooped up and went through the bottom of a Krab. Crystal drove by a Kankrolot and stabbed down with her knife, picking it up and tossing it off with a slash of her blade. Peter twirled his bow around in a circle, deflecting shots, then he stopped and drew an arrow and shot a Krab all the way through its skull. Angel spin-flipped into the air on to a Krab, then jumped off of it. She clung to a Hornet and fell back to the ground. It shot at her, but she dodged sideways and it hit another Hornet, then she stabbed it through the head with one of her blades. Aelita flew between trees, bobbing in and out and shooting energy fields every chance she got. William was dodging lasers from two Krabs. One of the Krabs shot him in the hand and his sword was sent flying, and it dug into the side of a tree a few yards away. He ran at the sword, diving over lasers as he went. He grabbed his sword and tugged, but it remained firmly. A laser hit the tree next to his hand. He turned back and looked at the two Krabs approaching. He turned and ran up the tree, back flipping, as a laser hit next to his sword, detaching his sword. He fell to the ground and grabbed his sword. He turned to smoke and stabbed his sword into the bottom of the one, then he turned to smoke again and flew into the air before reappearing and bringing his sword down through the others shell.

[The Lab]

"They're coming," Jeremie said observing the camera screen.

"I'm ready," Alex said twirling his staff.

"On the bridge," Jeremie said, but by the time he had finished, Alex had already teleported.

[The Bridge]

Alex appeared and swung his foot for one of their heads, knocking it to the ground. He put the staff behind his back with one hand and the other stuck out in front of him. One of them ran up with a knife in each hand and swung for Alex's head, but he dodged backwards. He swung at him with the other hand, but Alex dodged back and swept his legs out from beneath him, then he pounded him on the ground. Another two ran at him with a knife in each hand, a steak knife in one's and a butcher knife in the other's. The one with the steak knife swung for Alex's head, but he parried it and kicked him back. The other swung at Alex's back. Alex back flipped over it and swung his staff for his head when he landed, knocking it beside the other. He threw his staff long ways at them, and they caught it. He ran and kicked the both in the face and caught his staff before it hit the ground, landing with one hand on the ground for support. He swung his staff around on the ground and tripped one that was too close. He slammed his staff down on its forehead, smashing its head against the ground. It rolled with the migrainous pain that pulsed through its head. Alex stood the staff up on its tip and used it to flip himself over it and on to the shoulder of one of them. He twisted his legs and its neck popped loudly. Alex rolled on to the ground below and tossed it into another.

[Lyoko]

"Aelita, get to the tower!" Yumi yelled. Aelita shot an energy field at the Hornet that was keeping her behind a tree and ran towards the tower, sliding her hand over her wrist and jumping into the air to go faster. She stuck her hand out and squinted her eyes as she gathered speed, but just before her hand touched the tower, a blunt object hit her in the side of the face, knocking her backwards and to the ground. Dark William stood over her with his blade a few inches from her face. Aelita laid wide eyed for what would come next, but, instead of hitting her with his sword, he shot black smoke out of his hand at her, which rendered her unconscious and lifted her into the air.

"Put her down!" Angel yelled running at Dark William and sliding towards him. He stepped back as she reached him and stepped on her face. He swung his sword at her face and continued walking Aelita.

"What's he doing?" Jeremie asked.

"I don't know, but he isn't going to succeed," Ulrich said. He turned OverBike towards him and drove full speed. Dark William turned and face him, sword ready. Ulrich pulled his sword out and held it out to his side. Dark William growled a dull growl. Both of them swung their swords for the other. Dark William's cut through Ulrich's head, but Ulrich's turned to digital pixels just as it went to make contact with his opponent. Dark William turned and ran with Aelita floating beside him.

"Stop him!" Jeremie yelled.

"Got it," Yumi said. She turned the OverWing around and flew towards Dark William. She jumped off the OverWing as she passed him. He turned and held his sword out. Yumi pulled out both fans. Dark William swung his sword sideways. Yumi leaned back and the sword passed just an inch above her. She threw one fan at him, but he dodged backwards. Yumi ran in a circle around him. He swung his at her sideways again. She flipped over it in a no-handed cartwheel and caught her fan. She landed and prepared to throw it, but he slammed his sword down on her skull.

"Odd!" Jeremie called.

"On it," he responded. He cat ran towards Dark William. His enemy turned and swung his sword unexpectedly, and Odd dove over it. He landed and shot at Dark William, but he absorbed all the shots into the side of his blade. He brought the sword down on Odd's head. He began running again, but he reached the hole in the terrain before Jeremie could call someone else to aid Aelita. She floated over the hole and was dropped.

"No!" Jeremie yelled so loud that everyone on Lyoko was sure that if they had eardrums, they would all have split in half. She fell into the digital sea. Dark William let out a loud call of triumph, but the beam of light didn't appear. A small dot of light appeared at the digital sea, but grew larger as it became closer to the terrain. It flew to the other side of the hole and put Aelita down.

"What is it, Jeremie?" William asked, who was busy fighting a row of Kankrolots.

"It's... Franz Hopper! He's saving his daughter!" Jeremie yelled. Aelita woke up and looked up at him. Dark William let out a cry that sounded distinctly like 'attack'. Several Krabs turned and started shooting at the sphere of light.

"Run daddy!" Aelita said shooting one of the Krabs with an energy field. The orb floated back down the hole until it disappeared in the digital sea. Dark William released a growl of frustration. He swung his sword sideways at Aelita and an electrical field flew towards her. Smoke flew between the wave and Aelita, and William formed, blocking the field with his sword.

"Stay behind me, Aelita," William said. Peter ran in from behind with both scimitars ready. He swung both of them down just as Dark William turned and blocked it with his sword. Aelita rolled out from behind William and shot an energy field at Dark William. He turned to smoke and appeared behind Peter, prepared to bring down his sword. Peter turned around and grabbed the sword between his scimitars. Both of them tried pushing the other back. Aelita released another energy field. Dark William twisted his sword sideways in order to dodge it but remain with his sword between Peter's scimitars.

[The Bridge]

Alex kicked one of the cooks in the side of the leg, breaking it into an awkward position. He twisted the bo staff around his head, kick one cook back, and hit another in the side of the face. He threw the staff at one of the ones still standing. It bounced the target backwards and deflected back towards its thrower. Alex vaulted and kicked the chef back into the side of the bridge. He ran up one's body and kicked another in the head. When he landed, he hit the one he used as a pedistal under the chin with his staff.

[Lyoko]

Peter and Dark William continued to attempt to push to other back. William supersmoked and swung his sword hard. Dark William moved his foot around and stepped on his blade. Aelita shot two energy fields at Dark William, but bobbed between them. He kicked Peter down with one foot, then turned around and kicked William in the face, his sword remaining on the ground below Dark William's foot. He walked over and cut William's neck. He turned around and an arrow went through his gut. Peter, still laying on the ground, prepared another shot. He released the arrow, but it didn't hit anything but a puff of smoke. Dark William reappeared and stabbed his sword through Peter's head. He turned, looking now at Aelita, and put his sword on his shoulder, preparing to release a blast of energy. The sound of tires rolled through the air. Dark William turned and looked at the one Warrior he had forgotten. The OverCar hit him in the stomach and his sword was sent flying out of his hand. They began falling into the hole Aelita had fallen in minutes ago. Dark William let out a snarl of hatred. Crystal smiled back before they hit the digital sea.

[The Bridge]

Alex teleported and held one of the chefs off the ground by his neck behind his back using the staff. One of the other cooks ran up with a knife and swiped at Alex's face. He turned around and the blade cut the chef he had been holding across the face. Alex turned around and kicked the cook in the face and flipped the chef over him and on to the cook. One of the chefs kicked Alex back. Another jumped over the one and kicked him in the head, knocking him into the factory to the ground. They all jumped down to the ground below, each holding their knives provocatively challenging. Alex sprung up to his feet, guarding the elevator door closely. One of them made a run for the elevator. Alex tripped it, grabbed its foot with one hand, and used the staff as a leverage point to snap his ankle before sliding him back out on his stomach with one hand. The elevator door closed behind him and began to descend.

"Ha," Alex said snidely. All of them, except the one with the snapped ankle, began running for the boiler room. Alex teleported in front of them and held his staff out horizontally, catching two in the neck. Their feet flew into the air from their momentum before the dropped to the ground. Alex spun his staff and hit one in the back of the knee, sending him limp on one side. He spun his staff back around and hit him in the face, knocking him to the ground. One of the chefs ran up behind him and grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to the ground holding a knife to his neck. Another chef ran up with a knife and reared back. Alex turned his head right and the knife hit his holder in the theigh. Alex grabbed the man that was holding him under the arm and slammed his head into the other's. Alex teleported and hit one in the face, knocking him sideways. He hit his staff on the ground and launched himself on to him. He rolled over and laid him flat on his back. He held the staff under his neck. Another walked up and stabbed him between the shoulder blades, releasing a loud scream. The chef was plowed over by Peter, who continuously punched him in the face. Alex fell over on his side, the knife still sticking out of his back.

[Lyoko]

"Run, Aelita!" Jeremie yelled. Aelita ran around the hole to the tower, put out her hand, and walked inside.

[The Factory]

Peter ran over to Alex's side, his hands shaking.

[Lyoko]

Aelita floated to the top platform.

[The Factory]

One of the chefs walked over behind Peter and put the knife to his neck.

"This is it, boy," he spat. "You should have back out when they asked if you wanted in."

"They saved my life," Peter responded through clinched teeth. "I owe them for that."

"See what your debt has caused? See what it has cost?" He pulled the knife back and stuck it between Peter's shoulder blades. Peter yelled.

[Lyoko]

"Code... Lyoko."

[The Lab]

"Return to the past, now!"

(Alex first person)

We were sitting in the dorm, minus Odd, silently. Aelita was the first to speak up.

"Why... why did he throw me into the digital sea?"

"Probably so we would lose you forever," Ulrich said.

"But, it looked like he was mad because Franz went back into the digital sea, not because he saved Aelita," Crystal said. We were silent for another few seconds.

"He's... trying to kill Franz..." I said. Jeremie opened his mouth to respond, but the door opened up and Odd stood in the doorway.

"Hello, everyone, this is Madeline," he said. Everyone smiled and waved.

"So, I'll see you at the gate?" she asked.

"Yeah," Crystal said pulling out her reservation, "we all will."

"Great." She kissed Odd's cheek and walked out. Everyone but Odd pulled out their reservation and ripped it.