I'm going to steal this line from a fanfiction I like:
I, the enigmatic ghost kid, was here to play 'lab rat'.
I don't own that line or Code Lyoko. I do own Cassidy and that's enough for me.
Also, + text + is sign language.
It seemed that there was nothing to upset Cassidy's upbeat mood as she slid into her seat in the cafeteria.
"You are super smiling today," Odd noted. "What's going on?"
"Oh, just enjoying the fact that I had a wonderful week of having no nightmares," she nodded. "Jeremie's program rocks."
Sissi happened to pass by. "Hey, what's all this about…"
"It's okay, Sissi. It's just that my computer was giving me nightmares, so Jeremie made an anti-virus program that made it easier for me to sleep at night," Cassidy sighed happily.
Suddenly, Sissi's mouth turned into a happy grin. "Thanks for sharing your mood today." She walked off with her tray in hand.
"Wow, looks like smiling is contagious!" Odd smiled.
"If it turns into an epidemic, I'll take the blame for it," Cassidy bantered in a way that said "Anything you can do, I can do better, Odd". "Hi, Jeremie."
Jeremie and Aelita slid in beside their good mood friend.
Odd gulped his breakfast. "What's the big news? I can't wait to hear it."
"I found it, at last," Jeremie replied.
Odd cut a joke. "What? How to build up your muscles without any exercising?"
Cassidy snickered.
"Or how to kill Cassidy's nightmares completely without wiping her out of existence?"
Her eyebrows rose past her bangs. "Odd! That's private!"
"Sorry."
"Funny," Jeremie sarcastically put. "No. I figured out a way to materialize you onto Earth from the network. Actually, it was much easier than I thought it would be. I applied the Synchronicity Principle to the Supercomputer's apparatus, and then I used it to develop a kind of energizing projection." He then took a bite of his croissant. "In other words…"
"…in English, then, it means you now know how to send us somewhere on Earth directly from the network, right?" Odd asked.
"Exactly."
Cassidy looked to her ex in shock. "Who are you and what did you do to my ex-boyfriend who is still a good buddy of mine?"
"Nothing at all, Cat Girl."
Ulrich also looked to him. "You understood Einstein's babbling?"
"Well, yeah. I'm thinking that after all this time, I am finally getting the hang of 'swamptom physics'."
Jeremie and Cassidy gave him a dry glare. "Quantum."
"Yeah, well, it's still muddy, though."
Ulrich turned around in his chair. "So, hold it. That means you can bring us up anywhere on the Skid?"
Jeremie looked to Ulrich. "Not anywhere at all, but I can do it in the vicinity of a Supercomputer generating a copy. It's what I call Teleportation."
Suddenly, Cassidy gasped in a way that would almost rival Pinkie Pie on a "met a new friend" day. "Oh, no…Ulrich, you didn't!"
He looked to her confused. "I didn't what?"
"Santo cielo, Ulrich. You did." Then a smile popped on Cassidy's face. "I've got it! I'll save your butt this time. Luckily the principal allowed me to do this ahead of time."
"What do you mean?" Aelita asked her roommate.
"No idea, but I gotta scamper if this mission of mine is to go according to plan," Cassidy winked. "I'll see all of you later." She took up her tray and left.
"Does anyone understand a lick of what Cassidy just said?" Ulrich asked.
Jeremie shook his head. "No. She's been vague before, but never this vague."
"It is strange even for her," Odd blinked. "Do you think it is a side effect of the Dream Barrier Destroyer?"
"I ran a full check before trying it on her. There were no such signs of worrying effects, but if needed, I could check her later."
-With Yumi-
Yumi walked with Hiroki to the school. It was a mundane task, Yumi admitted, but she knew that she would see her friends. Hiroki was going on and on about his upcoming date with Milly. She was to be treated like a princess, he said. Yumi will chaperone but at a distance, he said.
"Okay, Bro, I get it," she smiled. "You're totally flipped over her. I understand it."
Just then a pink, purple, gold, and brown flash rushed by her. A feeling of unbalance came over her. "Whoa…"
A pair of hands caught her. "Sorry, about that, Yumi. I guess I didn't look where I was going."
She looked up into the glasses and brown eyes of her friend. "Cassidy, what's gotten you in an energetic whirl today? Is it your birthday already?"
"No, silly. The antivirus software that Jeremie made for my computer is making me feel happy. No more nightmares about that," she winked. There was a twinkling in her eyes.
There was a moment of confusion in Yumi's eyes. Then, it clicked. She was talking about the Dream Barrier Destroyer. "Well, I'm happy for you."
"Anyway, I've got a mission to run. I'm so glad that my grandparents from Nebraska sent me Father Mike's bike. I pity Father. He's having a battle of his own memory. I would hate it if I were in his slippers. Anyway, I gotta run." She turned to run when a hand grabbed her shirt.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Cassidy," a small voice said. "Aren't you forgetting to remember something?"
She turned to Hiroki. "Oh, right. Hi, Hiroki." She knelt to his level and gave him a hug. "Have fun with Milly tonight, but remember that she isn't…"
"I get it, Cassidy, don't worry. Papa gave me the talk just last night. I promise that that won't happen. I'm too young to think about that anyway," he smiled and winked.
"If only my father were here to give that talk to me. Oh, well, I could find a fan fiction to help me with that," she rose to her feet. "Well, now, I've gotta run. I have a very important mission to uphold. It's of a sacred duty." She walked over to a blue bike and put on a helmet, then her ear buds. "See ya." She pedaled off, singing at the top of her lungs.
Yumi and Hiroki stood confused. "Since when does she go vague, Sis?"
"I have no idea, Hiroki," Yumi shrugged. "See you after classes, okay?"
Hiroki smiled. "No problem, I want to see Johnny before class anyway." He raced off.
She smiled and walked around to the cafeteria. Jeremie and Aelita were already outside. "Hi, guys, what's up?"
"Are you ready to go and blow up a supercomputer?" her pink-haired friend asked.
Yumi turned to Jeremie. "You can get us to the real world from the network?"
He smiled. "Yeah. We're meeting at the factory tonight to try it out okay?" He patted her on the shoulder in a friendly way.
Yumi grabbed his arm. "Hey, wait, before you go, have you noticed how weird Cassidy is acting? She seems too full of zip and too vague. She nearly ran me over as she left the first time."
"Odd thinks she is suffering a side effect of the Dream Barrier Destroyer, but I did a full check before testing it."
Yumi sighed. "Oh, well. It's not as if she was that way before, right? It could be just a fluke. Anyway, you got it!" She let go and Jeremie walked away.
Aelita turned back and waved. "Bye!"
Just then, Ulrich appeared. "Uh, Yumi, I wanted to ask you something…"
However, she wasn't in the mood for him to say anything. She turned and walked away with a grunt.
Odd, who was sitting on the top stair of the cafeteria steps the whole time, had a smile on his face. "Wow! Now that was about as cold as the North Pole; what did you do to deserve that?"
"I have no idea. The cold shoulder started the day before yesterday."
"That's weird. Her birthday was the day before yesterday," Odd quipped.
He jumped. "It was?! I don't believe it. You're kidding!" he looked to him.
"Uh-uh. I hope you wished her happy birthday. You know how things like that are to her."
"Oh, no! I totally forgot! MAN! I bet now she's going to hate me for weeks," he feared.
"Probably, unless you go and buy her a nice present to make up for it."
"I'll go now." Then a thought hit the panicking samurai. "Oh, no. I don't believe it! I think I know what Cassidy's mission is all about!"
"What?" Odd wondered.
"She is trying to save me and Yumi just like any other time."
The male cat warrior smiled. "You know that she is crazy about having you and Yumi together like she is about having Einstein and Princess together."
"That is true—but how do you know?"
"I dated her once before. When we were just sitting in her room talking about random stuff—she is a chatterbox at times, let me tell you—she showed me one of her many vision journals, and I swear, every detail is to an exquisite art. She even has little post-its, telling herself what to do."
"Which vision journal was it? Pre-Mr. Hated or Mid-Mr. Hated?"
"Pre, mid, I don't remember off the top of my head right now. Anyway, she seemed pretty determined. One of the post-its read: Date William."
"Okay, okay. I would if I could get Yumi a gift." Just then, Ulrich flashed back to about a few hours ago. Jim was holding what looked to be a stiff bag full of stuff. "Stern, how many times do I have to tell you that a flounder is not a flying fish, so there is no reason to throw it out the window, especially since the window is open, and I happen to be there? So I've got one word for you, and that's two hours of study hall!"
Ulrich looked up at his coach. "You're making a mistake, I swear to you, Jim."
Jim neared him. "Well, Stern, you're right this time. I did make a mistake. It's not two hours, but four hours of study hall, and if you keep baiting me, I'll make sure that you don't get off the hook for eight hours."
Back in the present, Ulrich rubbed his head. "Thanks to Jim, I've got four hours of detention. And then we have Chardin's class, and…"
Odd stood up. "Hey, Cassidy's getting your get-out-of-jail-free card as we speak. Don't sweat it, Ulrich. I have to get a few things for Kiwi, and while I'm out, I'll also get a present for Yumi."
There was some marked relief in Ulrich's voice. "Really? You'd do that for me?"
He patted his roommate's shoulder. "Yeah, sure, besides, I owe you one." He then scratched the back of his head. "In case you didn't know, the flying fish thing was me."
Ulrich lunged and grabbed the boy by the shirt. "It was, and you let me take the blame?!"
"I was laughing too hard to tell Jim!"
He glared at his roommate, grip tightening. "Oh, Odd, you know I oughta…" The bell rang, cutting him off. He sighed, letting go of him. He did not want to get caught bullying Odd on campus.
Odd left with a wave, while he sighed.
Cassidy, meanwhile, was already looking through the jewelry department. Her back pinched, but went away as soon as it came. That was a tough bike ride, but it was worth it. She looked around the necklaces when she blinked. She saw a point of light-brunet/dark blond making his way through the crowd. Her heart raced. "Oh, no. No, no!"
Minus the character, everyone else looked toward her. She blinked. "Um…no… This necklace is way too tacky for someone as beautiful as my friend."
The customers went about their business, while the employees started showing people around. It was as if the unusual shout was nothing. Cassidy sighed and resumed hunting around. "Where can I find a gift for my friend so he can give it to his girlfriend?"
"Maybe I can help," a voice made her jump.
She whirled around. "Oh, thank God! I need a gift for my friend to give to his girlfriend. He forgot her birthday about three days ago…"
"And you want to save him the trouble. Luckily I think I know the right gift to give to your friend, and, for a special deal, your other friends as well." He gave her several boxes. "The one on the bottom is for your friend to give to his girlfriend. I paid for them the other day. I was waiting for the right customer to come."
"Well, um…thank you. Now how am I going to get out of here to my bike? I need to get back to the school."
"Your bike is not going to be able to carry all these gifts. Let me get my truck."
"But…"
"Relax, my shift's over in five minutes."
Cassidy's eyes widened. How did I get blessed with luck today? Did I get a good fortune cookie last night? No, I didn't have Chinese food last night. It was Swedish meatballs that were overly-saturated in that special sauce Rosa made. Maybe a life-sized overly-wide fairy sprinkled some of his dust on me while I was sleeping last night. I can't be hallucinating. I don't do drugs. I swore off the caffeine last week, so I can't be suffering the effects of it. Maybe it's hunger. No, I can last forty days without it.
Someone snapped their fingers in front of her face. "Miss?"
She shook her head. "Huh?"
"The truck's ready."
-Transition-
On the bridge that night, the full gang—even a happily skipping Cassidy—raced for the ropes. She came to a stop, looking back at Ulrich. "Hey, Ulrich." She smiled.
"Yes, Cassidy?" a tone of surprise was in his voice. "What is it?"
She handed Ulrich a red and black package. Wrapped around it was a golden rope. "Here."
Ulrich blinked. His face looked like someone wrote "shocked" all over it. "You spent your literally hard earned Euros on this?!"
"Hey, this was actually free for some reason. The reason, of course was never uncovered."
Aelita and Yumi landed on the floor feet first. After Aelita, Jeremie found his feet to the floor.
Odd stopped and gave Ulrich a wrapped package. Cassidy grabbed at it. "Wait, Odd." She gave the package a squeeze. It squeaked in her grip. "Odd, that's Kiwi's gift!"
"Whoops!" He hastily swiped Kiwi's present from Cassidy's hands. "Hey, will you stop hating me for a minute, Ulrich? Here…" He handed another package to Ulrich. "This should get you on the good side of your girlfriend." The package was not as elegant as Cassidy's gift, being that of a brown wrapped paper box with a thin, red ribbon, but it was a gift nonetheless.
Ulrich couldn't believe his luck. Two presents would be the key to Yumi's happiness again. "Hey, thanks, you two, but what are they?"
"You know I'm not a spoiler when it comes to gifts I give. I barely even opened the package that I gave you to find out what it was. I only know what Odd almost gave you, and the gift that is in that one," Cassidy sighed.
Odd gave him an OK signal with his pinkie finger bent. His other hand held the rope. "A surprise. Yumi's really going to go for it. Don't worry."
The rope gave a wiggle in Odd's hand. "Hey, you guys, HELLO! You don't mind keeping up with the rest of us, I hope! Do I have to remind you that we have a really important mission…?" Jeremie called up to the three.
"Okay, okay. Hey, we're not factory workers," Odd yelled down to him.
Ulrich and Cassidy looked to him. "Well, technically, we are."
She raced down the ramp and into the elevator. "Sorry."
Yumi smiled. "Don't worry, Cassidy."
Ulrich and Odd came into view. Ulrich took his position beside Yumi. She glared at him before turning to Aelita. "How did your classes go today?"
"Not bad," she answered sweetly. "How about you?"
The elevator doors closed on the full gang as Yumi said, "Fine."
Eventually, Jeremie was typing on the computer as the Lyoko Warriors were on their teleport spots. "You guys ready?"
Cassidy shared a spot with Yumi. "Sí, Jeremie. Estamos listos."
"Energize."
Bright, white columns flashed up from the teleport spots, and one-by-one, the warriors disappeared and reappeared into the Skid. Aelita appeared in the cockpit. Yumi and Cassidy appeared and landed in a double NavSkid. Odd and Ulrich stayed in separate NavSkids.
"Standing by for lift-off?" Jeremie asked.
Aelita smiled in confidence. "Standing by."
"Supports aweigh."
"Ignition," she pulled up on the levers. "Powering, vertical." The turbo jets ignited with virtual fire. "Lift-off!" The Skid shot up through the North Pole. Aelita maneuvered it around the dome. Shifting the left thruster, she took a deep breath and turned it out of the tunnel. Then she moved the thrusters forward. The Skid then hovered thousands of feet above the Digital Sea. Giving a simple "Okay", Aelita typed on the keys. "Shields, activated. Sonar, activated. Stabilizers, online and checked. Primary access, clear. Laser generators, online." She grasped the left thruster again. "Ready to dive."
The Skid dropped down, hovered over the surface for a split second.
"I'm entering the coordinates of the Replika," Jeremie relayed as it dove into the Digital Sea. "Holoweb system, online. Okay, you're looking for a hub at 0, 4-5."
"Gotcha, Jeremie. Course heading set," Aelita confirmed after rotating the Skid from vertical to horizontal. "I'm powering up the turbo props and auxiliary engines." The turbo jets came to life as it sped to the hub.
Odd adjusted his seat. "Replika, here we go again."
Ulrich rolled his eyes. "Can't somebody shut him up?"
"Why? He's nice at least," Yumi said quietly.
"He cleans up nicely, too. He was like that on our dates, though we always came back with our clothes messy somehow," Cassidy recounted.
Odd flinched back with a smile. "Incredible, they're talking to each other."
"Shut up, Odd!" Yumi and Ulrich chorused.
Cassidy stayed silent, though inside, she was giggling with glee. Soon Yumi would be happy with Ulrich again. She knew it.
Gliding through the sea like a hot knife through butter, the Skid soon reached the hub. Aelita rotated the Skid from horizontal to vertical. "Get ready. Broadband acceleration in three, two, one…cero." In no time at all, they dived into it. The way through the tunnel was easy. The vehicle shot out through the side. "Reverse thrust. We're clear, Jeremie."
"Yeah, I know. You guys oughta be able to see the Replika by now," Jeremie's voice sounded worried.
Cassidy sighed in sympathy. She, too, was a victim of worrying until she became idiotic. "Jeremie, relax. Yumi, Aelita, and I can see it, too."
"Hey, what about Ulrich and me," Odd protested.
"Well, you and Ulrich are on the sides of the Skid, Odd. You can only see a little bit of the Replika."
"Oh."
The Skid floated over to the Replika, slowly and smoothly. "Yes, it's right in front of us. We're heading for the entry portal."
"The code is 43156, Jeremie," Cassidy recited.
"Thank you, Cassidy."
When the vehicle got close, Aelita placed a hand on the keypad. "Digital key activated." As the laser beam hit the virtual keyhole, she smiled and looked up to the Skid's roof. "I'm sending you the signal, Jeremie."
"Roger…I'm about to open it up."
When the laser beam vanished, the entrance dropped down, and the claws opened, letting the Skid inside.
Suddenly, Cassidy's stomach curled. Something is about to go wrong and I can feel it coming. She shook her head and took some deep breaths. Come on, girl. This is a Replika mission here, not a "Panic day" mission.
"Everything okay, Cassidy?" Yumi put a hand on her shoulder, a sure-fire way to cool her down.
"Maybe my jubilance from this morning is wearing out a bit. I don't know," Cassidy sighed.
Yumi's fingers gently glided upward to her friend's hair. It was an innocent enough gesture. It used to work when Cassidy went into shock that one time about the Digital Sea. She spent a full week at Yumi's house that time.
However, every muscle in Cassidy's being clenched. Her hand shot up and smacked her friend's hand away. "Don't do that, please…" she whimpered.
"Was it Mr. Hated?" Yumi whispered.
"Everything okay, you two?" Aelita asked.
"I accidentally set off one of Cassidy's triggers, but she'll calm down."
"Uh-oh, there's an activated tower on the Replika," Jeremie relayed.
"XANA doesn't want to leave us in peace, it seems," Cassidy sighed impatiently. "Figures. Seeing as this is Lyoko we're talking about, of course, XANA is never going to leave us a little peaceful time…not unless we turn invisible or something."
"That means that XANA is up to no good somewhere on Earth not far from the Supercomputer we're looking for," Aelita realized. "But what?"
"If we wanna know, we gotta…"
Ulrich waved a hand in front of his chest. "Hey, Einstein, what if we give your teleportation thing a try, just to be sure once and for all?"
"That's what I was thinking, but first, you're gonna have to moor the Skid to a tower. There's one nearby, at three o'clock."
"I see it, Jeremie. It looks good."
Cassidy tried to hold back a snicker.
"I should be able to secure the Skid to it."
"Gently, though. A little to the left. Be careful…"
"Einstein…" Cassidy warned. "You're being over-overly precautious."
"Backseat driving again," Odd agreed. "Better cut it out."
"Uh, sorry, Aelita. I know you can do it without me."
Aelita carefully hovered the Skid around the white tower, and pressed a hand on the pad. "Ready to moor." A pink beam of light hit the tower, followed by several little beams. "Skid secured."
"Nice one, Princess," Odd smiled.
"Good job. Now just give me a minute to activate it for our own use." A few seconds later, the snow white aura around the tower turned an emerald/shamrock green. "Well, we're all set. Okay, guys, it's time; Ready for teleportation?"
Ulrich looked un-amused. "Ready to go, Einstein."
Cassidy pulled down an interface screen. Her fingers traced letters on the side saying GOING. "Yumi, write your name on the staying side."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because I'm going."
Yumi wrote her name on the side saying STAYING.
"Teleportation."
Aelita flickered and disappeared. Odd and Cassidy did, too.
Ulrich looked around. The Forest Sector Replika played in his head. "It didn't work, Jeremie. I'm still here."
"That's normal," Jeremie informed. "I forgot to tell you that this time I decided to energize only Aelita, Odd, and Cassidy. I rather you stay with Yumi to protect the Skid. If it's anything like our last experiment, Cassidy agrees, XANA would be sending you a welcoming committee in no time flat."
"If you'd have told us before, we could've chosen inside ourselves," Ulrich chastised.
"Great! You really sound happy to be with me," Yumi's words dripped ice, anger, and sarcasm.
He shrugged with a defensive gesture. "That wasn't what I meant."
"Okay, you guys know the procedure. I'll put you ashore while I get a little work done…"
-Back at the lab-
Jeremie pressed a button. "Aelita? Odd? Cassidy? Do you read me?" There was no answer. "Aelita? Odd? Cassidy?" his voice went up in octave. He pressed the button again. Where could his two amigos and one novia be? Were they okay? Did he just send them to their doom? "AELITA! ODD! CASSIDY!" He tapped several keys. "I wish I knew what was happening…" he adjusted the volume on his headset, heart racing in panic.
"Cool, Einstein!" Odd's voice grated against his friend's eardrum, causing him to scream. "It WORKS!"
"Glad to hear it, but that's no reason to blow out my eardrum. Okay, where are you?"
"If my visions are correct, Jeremie, we are somewhere in the Amazon jungle," Cassidy's voice was soft for Jeremie's sake.
"And it's daytime here," Aelita observed.
"I get it. You're in a different time zone." Jeremie typed on several keys. A map came up on the screen. "You're in the Amazon region, it seems. Good visions, Cassidy."
-In the Amazon-
"Wow, it's exciting," Aelita looked around. Her costume was normal, though her elf ears didn't exactly translate with the program. Instead, she had normal human ears.
Odd and Cassidy were relatively the same. Only difference was that Cassidy's sash had a brighter pink hue. She felt slightly disoriented by her heavy lower legs.
"But we're dressed like we're on Lyoko. How come?"
"Because the teleportation isn't a real devirtualization." Aelita did a complete assemblé to a tree root and twirled around. "Those aren't your human forms that I materialized onto Earth, but they…"
"Somewhat humiliating, but okay," Cassidy smiled.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Frank-Einstein, are you trying to tell us that we're not really us?" Odd asked.
"Yes, you're you, but those aren't your real bodies. More like some kind of specters in the image of your virtual manifestation," Jeremie explained.
Odd kept looking to the canopy. "Aelita, Cassidy, and I become specters?"
"Yes," Cassidy nodded.
"In fact you are more like polymorphic specters that…"
Odd couldn't contain his glee. "WOW…! Pretty impressive."
"If you say so. It doesn't matter. For now, hurry up and find the supercomputer. The teleportation won't last forever."
"How long have we got?" Aelita asked.
"Um…f-fifty-two…no…twenty-six…uh, f-thirtee…thirteen minutes."
"The guy's a comedian. And just where does he expect us to find a super computer…?"
"Behind that tree, Odd," Cassidy pointed. "My visions fail to tell a lie."
Aelita walked up to the tree and looked behind it. "Good guess, Cassidy." A factory complex was in Aelita's line of vision. It was different than their factory, with a silo jutting out of the roof, solar paneling, and a dorm-like single-floor structure on the side, but it was a factory, nonetheless.
"Who's guessin'?" Cassidy blinked.
Back on Lyoko, Ulrich raced up to Yumi. "Yumi, wait! Can't we kiss and make up, huh?" Silence followed. "You know, if somebody forgot my birthday, I wouldn't make a big thing out of it."
Yumi halted, arms crossing in front of her chest. "That's because I never, ever forget it." She resumed her pace.
He sighed, rubbing his chin. How in Lyoko can I get myself out of this mess? "Ch…you know…ugh…!" He walked up again. "Okay, not you…but I meant somebody, you know?"
She turned around, looking at him (where Ulrich internally sighed in relief), and said, "Look, quit while you're ahead. You're just making things worse."
Ulrich looked to the side, shamefaced. What else could he say to her without looking more like a fool than what Cassidy already made him?
"Yumi, Ulrich—Odd, Aelita, and Cassidy have found a laboratory. My theory was right. They're trying to locate the supercomputer. Everything okay on your side?"
"A little chilly, but…" A laser nearly grazed him. "D'OH!" While another laser found its way between them, he jumped away from Yumi, as she cart-wheeled away from him. He pulled out one of his four katanas. Yumi withdrew her fans from her sleeves. Right away, they saw a Tarantula. It was standing on its hind-legs, shooting with its "arms". Then it walked on all fours.
The chase was on.
With Ulrich and Yumi unaware, William was riding on another Tarantula. "Faster," he roared, thrusting his sword forward. A third screeched in response.
"Jeremie, XANA's on the move again." Yumi saw the Tarantulas. They were moving closer to their location.
"Okay, Yumi… Two vehicles coming right up!"
Like magic, the OverBike and OverWing materialized out of thin air. The owners respectively raced for and jumped on their vehicles. Ulrich looked to Yumi. "I'll take care of Mr. Hated over there."
Heated, Yumi scoffed, "Yeah, right!" and sped forward. He followed soon after, Jeremie warning, "Be careful. If the Skid gets disconnected from the tower, it's mission over for Aelita, Odd, and Cassidy, and I'm sure Cassidy would hate that."
"We'll try to make life miserable for the enemy, don't worry," her words came out cold though reassuring to her friend.
With William as its rider, the Tarantula clunked towards Ulrich, who was speeding up to them.
Grabbing a katana from his backpack, he muttered, "Fighting William should put me in a better mood." He assumed the position.
William rose to his feet on the Tarantula's snout and jumped off. Ulrich looked up just in time and swerved. The possessed boy's sword hit the ground as Ulrich passed by, causing the sword's owner to swing around once. William found his feet to the grass.
Ulrich sped toward the Tarantula, jumped, and threw his katana, destroying the monster on contact. The katana skewered into the ground. He turned around and stopped before he could hit a tree. He let out a sigh of relief.
-Back at the Amazonian lab-
Aelita, Cassidy, and Odd sidled up the lab's exterior walls. Cassidy took a deep breath. Here we go.
Odd looked at Aelita and Cassidy with a cocked brow and curious expression. They nodded. He found the door was loose. "It's open."
They walked with a casual gait, as if they were just passing through. He looked left while Aelita looked right. Cassidy looked both ways, worried.
"Right or left?" Aelita asked the two.
Odd pointed left. "Through there."
Cassidy squeezed her eyes shut. Where do we go? Her schematic went jumpy. Then she shook her head rapidly, as if she was in a stretch and squeeze cartoon. "Darn it!" she whispered. "The dream barrier may be dissolved for now, but the schematic is not running right. I'll have to agree with Odd this time, Aelita."
"How can you be so sure, Odd?" Aelita asked.
"Because my sense of direction is infallible," Odd smiled.
The girls shrugged. Cassidy felt a tug on her visions. NO! I cannot let it take me right now. Keeping to the casual gait, the three walked down the left hallway. They reached a wide window when Aelita gasped and touched Odd and Cassidy's shoulders. Inside was a brunet man, pulling at light green material on a plant-like organism with what looked like forceps. He turned around, the eye of XANA in his eyes, thinking he heard something. The window didn't give the answer. Instead, it was devoid of any human (virtual or non) life. He came closer. Seeing that as fact, he turned around.
Unknown to him, Aelita, Odd, and Cassidy were ducked under the window. He crawled to them and pointed where his sense of direction was telling them. Cassidy nodded, knowing the signal well. The three crawled under the window, the psychic feeling a second pull so strong she dropped to an army crawl. Whoa…what is tugging at all my visions today? I didn't have any nightmares all this week. What's going on now? She winced in silence.
Odd signed, + Are you okay, Cassidy? +
She signed back, + I don't know. My visions…they are tugging me in two different directions. I don't know what to do. +
He fell in crawl step with her. + Just keep calm until this mission ends, okay? +
She nodded. + I'll try. +
They continued on, undaunted.
Back on Lyoko, William walked forward. Ulrich spun his vehicle around on his foot and sped toward him. The enemy saw this as a chance. He raced forward.
Ulrich picked up his katana, dragging it on the ground. It was time. He drew his weapon in front of his face.
William charged and, as Ulrich tried to slice him, ducked, slashing through his enemy's tire.
The vehicle started skidding. The good guy jumped off just in time, but it revved over the edge. Ulrich flipped over, feet landing at nearly the exact fate. However, he caught himself in time. He watched as his vehicle disappeared into the Digital Sea.
Behind him, William wiggled his fingers on his side.
Meanwhile, Yumi used her tessen fan to block the shots fired. She maneuvered her vehicle left and right. The lasers were a part of the territory. It was not that hard, seeing as she was a skilled Lyoko Warrior. Soaring behind it, she threw her fan. It sliced through its head. She dodged trees as the fan came back to her.
-Back with Trio Amazon-
Odd sidled up to the wall. He was standing. So were the girls. As they looked down Hall C3, they found a door. Cassidy leaned on Odd, still a bit weak from a third tug.
"How many tugs are you going to have?" Aelita whispered, concerned.
Cassidy looked to Aelita. "I think as many as the night is young in France."
They walked out and put their backs to the wall. They could hear footsteps. Cassidy held Aelita's hand, trying to hold back all types of noise inside her being. Her system was shaking.
Aelita gave a firm, yet gentle, squeeze. + It'll be okay, Cassidy. +
She tried to take in a deep breath. Then Aelita took her and Odd into a door. "Hurry up," she whispered. "This way…"
The door shut behind them. Cassidy tried to stay calm. "Um…" she whispered, eyes wide at something. "G-guys?"
Aelita and Odd looked behind them and walked forward. He looked in "What's this, huh? A supermarket display for…office plants? Uh-oh, guess not!" A huge cubic glass terrarium stood in the middle of the room. A tree-like structure was populated with giant arachnid-like creatures. Most of these creatures had a familiar eye symbol.
"Aelita, Odd, Cassidy, hurry up and find the supercomputer. Yumi and Ulrich are busy fighting off a bunch of Tarantulas!"
"And let me guess…him, too?" Cassidy shivered.
"You got it. I feared that you would get flirted with again, so I told you that you could come, Cassidy."
"Thank you, Einstein."
"Anyway: Funny, their cousins are right here!" Odd joked in semi-quiet.
"What are you talking about, Odd?"
"Uh, nothing, Jeremie." He turned his head. "Aelita, Cassidy, what do you make of these souped-up spiders?"
Cassidy squeezed her eyes shut. The tugs doubled. "I don't know, Odd. These tugs are not letting me access my visions. Now I have six tugs."
"Okay, okay… Aelita?"
Aelita kept staring into the tank. "I'd say that XANA wants to transform these tropical tarantulas!"
"But for what? Spiders don't attack unless you sit on them!" Suddenly a spider jumped onto the glass, making both cat avatars jump. Odd screamed.
The pink-haired girl turned around and shushed Odd, holding a firm hand over Cassidy's mouth, worried that she might scream, too.
Odd looked at Aelita cross. "Okay, okay, don't look at me in that tone of voice! Anyway, I'm sure nobody heard anything."
Cassidy tensed and removed Aelita's hand. "I'm sure somebody did, Odd," she hissed.
The door behind them opened. Cassidy glared daggers into Odd. "Told ya, Odd!"
"You were saying," Aelita whispered.
A bald-headed man opened his hand. He was wearing glasses just like Cassidy.
Odd raised his arm. "Laser arrow!"
The purple flashes flew to the man. However, he clasped his hand around them.
"Anybody ever teach you to play fair?"
"I don't think that he's wants to play fair, Odd," Cassidy countered. "Look!"
The man threw them back. Odd ducked once, and felt one in his shoulder. The force threw him into a console. Aelita and Cassidy gasped.
The XANAfied victim smirked evilly.
The cat-boy, on the other hand, held his shoulder. "Hey, that really stings." He looked at a metal bar on the ground.
Cassidy grabbed at her sash, unveiling a clear tube. Pistol, please? When it transformed, she aimed for the bad guy. "Let's see if you can dodge this bullet." She pulled the trigger. He returned the fire onto her.
She fell down, feeling the bullet in her chest. She winced as her chest area faded and wiggled. She managed to weakly say, "Your turn, Aelita."
An orange ball of fire formed in Aelita's hand. "Energy field." She threw it, but he ducked.
Cassidy shakily rose to her feet. "Talk about taking your own bullet."
Just then, XANA-scientist raised his hand. A blue beam shot through it to the girls. A golden shield absorbed and blocked the blast. Aelita gritted her teeth and tried to hold on. Cassidy stood behind her, panting in exhaust. "It's not going to hold, Cassidy!" Aelita cried.
Cassidy held Aelita's shoulders. "It's going to be okay, Aelita." She took her hands off.
The shield weakened as the beam hit her, sending her flying to the glass. She fizzled and faded.
-Back on Lyoko-
Ulrich crossed his katanas together. William brought his zabanto down. The two held gazes as the swords flashed. The good boy moved his and brought the other one's sword down. As William held out his hand, Ulrich quipped, "You lost, William."
He looked to him. A voice hissed inside his head, "What a nuisance." The non-XANAfied warrior was holding his blades out in front of him, ready for an attack. He held his concentration, and in a cloud of dark gray smoke, the sword dissolved and reappeared in his hand.
Ulrich charged, determined to take down Cassidy's XANAfied ex. However, he rushed straight into the blade. "Oh, no…" Right away, he started to dissolve into a cloud of pixilated dust.
William chuckled evilly.
-In the scanner room-
Ulrich groaned to himself. "What an idiot."
-Back on Lyoko-
A Tarantula shot at the Skid, and then turned around and shot at an incoming Yumi. Before she could come twenty-five feet close, two lasers connected to the OverWing. She flipped off, unsheathed her fans, and threw them. Both of them connected to the eye on top of the head. It combusted as she caught her fans.
William dragged his zabanto on the ground. Yumi turned around to face him. She was ready to give him a what-for.
He charged.
She threw her fans. "Not so fast, Pretty Boy…" she joked. He ducked, still racing to her.
She sighed. Oh, he is so in for it now. Putting her fingers to her temples, she started to glow. The fans went far, then ripped around back.
William turned, stuck his sword into the ground, reached up, and simultaneously caught the fans. He then turned to Yumi, showing her fans. They glowed red until they burst into dark gray smoke. His hand went for his zabanto, and pulled it up.
He pointed it to her. "It's over, Yumi."
Yumi backed up. This was not how it was supposed to happen. "Jeremie! Mayday, SOS, I need two more fans like, right now!"
"Uh-oh, 'right now' is a pretty tall order, Yumi. But ok, let me see what I can come up with!"
-Back in the Amazon-
Aelita stopped fizzing and fading. The man was standing over her. Cassidy dropped to the floor, a few more tugs coming into play. "Odd, help…"
"Hold on, Cat Girl!" Odd whispered. He swung the metal bar, but the man caught it. He looked at him, shocked. Then XANA-scientist pushed him into the desks.
Behind him, Aelita charged up another Energy Field. The force of it pushed the man out of the room and into the wall across from it. He fell to the ground.
Odd walked out, and looked ahead. There was a room. After scoping it out, he scooped the guy from the armpits. "Here we go, back in your cage now!"
The man's eyes opened again. A second later, Odd was flying through the air. He was about to do the final act when…
"Hey, you!"
He turned around. Aelita had another golden Energy Field in her hand. Throwing it sent the man flying through the air and into the room. A claw pressed on the interface. The door closed on him. Odd rubbed his chin. "You're a great specter!"
Aelita looked to him. "You really think so?"
"Well no medals just yet, Princess. We still have to find the supercomputer!" Odd turned around.
Cassidy blinked. "Thanks for helping me back there, Odd…" she dripped sarcasm.
Odd weakened under the angry gaze. "Sorry, Cat-Girl. That guy was more important."
-Back to Lyoko-
William jumped and slashed, though Yumi dodged. He slashed three more times. All the while, Yumi ducked, dodged left and right, and flipped backwards. Suddenly, her feet met an edge. She gasped. "JEREMIE."
-Back at the lab-
Jeremie typed on the computer. "It's okay. I'm nearly there." He heard the elevator hiss and clunk open.
A few seconds later, Ulrich asked, "Well?"
"You wouldn't have a rabbit's foot, a four-leaf clover, or a horseshoe on you, would you?" Jeremie countered.
Ulrich turned his attention to the screen. "Is it as bad as all that?"
-Back to Team Lyoko-Amazon-
Aelita, Odd, and Cassidy raced out into another hallway, stopping in the middle. Aelita put her hands on her hips. "Infallible sense of direction, huh, Odd? I was positive that we should've gone in the other direction!"
"Wait, Odd may be right on this one," Cassidy smiled.
Aelita turned to leave them, thinking that this time Cassidy had lost the rest of what was left of her marbles, when a clawed hand grasped her arm. "Hold on a minute." He let go, walked forward, and looked inside a window above a door. Cassidy followed him. Inside was what looked like a wired down racecar inside a lab complex. "Bingo!"
Aelita raced up to him, a smile forming on her lips. "Jeremie, we've found the supercomputer!"
"Way to go, Odd," Cassidy smiled.
About a couple seconds later, Jeremie's voice echoed in their ears. "Great, you'd better destroy it right away, because Yumi can't hold on much longer!"
A code panel looked up at the three. Odd typed on it, but came up in the red. "Oh no, an entry code…why not a couple of guard dogs too?"
"I think Aelita is useful here," Cassidy sighed. "With my visions being tugged in several different directions, I can't find the code."
"Cassidy's right, Odd. Let me handle it," Aelita walked up. She put her hand up to it, as if that hand was cold, and concentrated. A few seconds later, the code panel lit up all green, and the door opened. Aelita, Odd, and Cassidy smiled.
Meanwhile, a light above a door turned green and opened. The man walked out. Time to make those miserable brats pay.
After the three walked inside, Aelita sighed, "Now we've gotta get rid of this thing for good!"
Cassidy nodded.
Odd raised his arm. "Let me handle this one. LASER ARROW!" He shot one at it, only to see that it was absorbed into some sort of shield. "I don't believe this…" Odd groaned as he looked to Aelita.
"Jeremie, we've got a problem. The supercomputer has an energy field around it!" Aelita reported.
"You've gotta find out where the shield is getting its energy from. I can't do anything from here, do whatever you have to, but hurry up!"
-Back on Lyoko-
It wasn't looking good for Yumi. She managed to dodge every attempt William had, but now she backed into the tower. "Jeremie, it's now or never!" she cried.
Suddenly, fans materialized in her hands. She smiled as they did, but it came too late. William smashed her, and was entering the tower.
-In the Scanner Room-
The scanner opened. "Oh, Jeremie, I'm really sorry…" Yumi sounded about ready to cry.
In the lab, Jeremie sat with wide eyes. Ulrich seemed unfazed.
-Back to Team Lyoko-Amazon-
Odd looked around. There was a little circle in the middle of what looked like a metal computer. Aelita pointed. "There! That must be the lens that is projecting the energy field."
Cassidy fell to her knees. Then one of the tugs ripped a small hole in her visions. She got up. "Something's wrong! Something is wrong!"
"What is it, Cassidy?" Aelita asked, concerned.
"I…I don't know, but something is wrong! I know it!" Her virtual heart raced frantically.
Another tug ripped.
"If we destroy it, we can deactivate the shield."
Odd smiled. "You know, you could've me a little bigger target."
A third, Cassidy gulped. What in blazes? I need to do something!
"No one could possibly hit from this distance. That is, except me," Odd protested, then bragged. "But if it's all the same for everyone, Cassidy, you take the second shot. You need some action."
"T-Thanks, Odd," Cassidy nodded, feeling dread.
"No problem, Cat Girl." He raised his fist.
The door opened with three XANA-scientists. Cassidy gasped, three more rips. What is happening here? "Odd, I—"
"Go ahead, Odd and Cassidy. I'll take care of them," Aelita assured.
A beam of light came to the three, only for it to be absorbed and blocked. Aelita held her stance and her energy shield.
-In the Tower-
William floated to the top platform.
-To team Lyoko-Amazon-
"LASER ARROW!" Odd shot it to the tiny target. When he did, the field fell. "Yeah! Adiós, amigos. You're up, Cassidy."
Cassidy raised her arm with her gun. "Here…I…go…" she felt eleven rips. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Odd…" she panted, almost in a whisper.
"Cassidy, hurry up!" Odd hastened.
"Odd, Code—William—tower—Yumi—Ulrich—scanners—Code—Willi am—The code, the code, the code, the code! Tower—William—Ulrich—scanners..."
"Cassidy?" Jeremie asked. "Are you okay?"
"The code, the code…" she repeated several times.
Odd growled. "CASSIDY, WHAT CODE?! We have a supercomputer to destroy. This is no time to have flooding visions."
"William—tower—scanners—devirtualize—William—Ulric h—Yumi…"
"What in the world is going on back there?" Aelita looked behind her, still holding the shield.
-In the tower-
William walked up to the middle of the second platform. An interface appeared. He placed a hand on the screen.
CODE:
X…
-Back to Team Lyoko-Amazon-
Suddenly, Cassidy's words made sense. "Odd! The code is…"
-Back to the tower-
…ANA
The pink beam dissolved as the tower turned red.
-Back to Team Lyoko-Amazon-
"…XA…" the three blipped from existence and back into the Skid.
"Odd, Aelita, Cassidy, come in please," Jeremie called.
Aelita appeared in the cockpit, head forward, eyes closed. Odd and Cassidy appeared in separate NavSkids.
The girl in the NavSkid woke first. "XANA!"
Odd woke up next. "Yumi and Ulrich have been devirtualized, and William entered the tower and then the code XANA. Is that it?"
"Yes!" Cassidy nodded.
Odd looked around hazily. "What is this? What's going on now?"
Cassidy's eyes fell shut again. Whatever attacked her powers that strongly exhausted her.
"XANA has taken over control of the tower, you guys. Your Teleportation has stopped. We gotta abort the mission. You might as well come back home. Wake up, Aelita!"
Aelita shook awake and looked around in a daze.
"Aelita, let's get outta here!" Jeremie ordered.
She looked out the window. A tiny dot was on the move.
"Spider-Man and company have just arrived!"
"Best get out of here while Cassidy's sleeping. I don't think she'd like the shock of Mr. Hated," Odd cautioned.
"Okay," Aelita almost whispered as she pressed a button. "Let's go!" She pushed the thrusters forward. The Skid did a circle around the tower. The last Tarantula kept firing, though the vehicle was going away.
Safely, it dove into the digital sea.
-Later-
Cassidy frowned, still exhausted. "I'm so sorry, guys. It's my fault. If my visions weren't so 'My friends all call me Mr. Tuggy', I would've been able to help you shut down the supercomputer this time."
"This time?" Odd looked to her.
"No idea what I'm saying," she sighed.
"There's no sense dissing ourselves."
She looked up at Ulrich's words.
"After all, we did our best."
Aelita raised her arms, as if gesturing to Jeremie. "Maybe, but we've still gotta find out what XANA's planning to do with those cybernetic spiders."
"Right. We'll have to go back onto the Replika, Teleport you back in, and destroy that supercomputer!" Jeremie nodded.
Odd yawned. "That's fine, but until then, anyone mind if I sleep for a few years?"
Cassidy joined suit. "I'm about to fall asleep on this factory floor."
Yumi smiled at her two beat friends. "Ok, we get the message. We could all use a little sleep!"
-Later, at the bridge-
Odd, Cassidy, Aelita, and Jeremie walked in front of Yumi and Ulrich. He tapped her arm. "Uh, Yumi?"
She turned around. "What now?"
He held the two gifts. "Here, two little birthday gifts."
When he handed them off, she took the gifts in her hands. "Oh! Thanks, Ulrich, that's very sweet!" She leaned in, and kissed him on the lips.
His cheeks heated up. When she broke the kiss, Ulrich smiled as if in a daze. "Aren't you gonna open it?"
Yumi shook her head. "In Japan, you never open a present in front of the person who gave it to you."
"Well, that's fine with me!" Ulrich said quickly.
Aelita looked at them, a sad look crossing her face.
"I bet you're thinking about your own birthday," Jeremie softly said.
She nodded. "Well, yeah… It-it's one of those things I still don't remember. I haven't any idea when I was born."
Cassidy smiled. "I did some looking in the Hermitage el otro día. I found something that'll please your eyes." She took a plastic covered piece of paper out of her bag. "The year is a bit smudged, but the month and the day are still intact." She handed it to Aelita.
She looked at it and gasped in surprise. "My birth certificate! Where did you find it?"
"In your father's room. It was a road less traveled, but I found it in his sock drawer," Cassidy giggled.
Aelita hugged her. "You are the best, Cassidy."
Jeremie patted Cassidy's back. "Thank you, Cassidy."
"Hey, are you guys coming or not? Hurry up before I fall asleep on this bridge!" an impatient voice asked.
"Yeah, we're coming, no need to wake the whole town up!" Ulrich smiled.
-In Odd and Ulrich's room-
Cassidy sat on Odd's bed with the owner. She was so tired, she decided to stay on the boys' floor, but promised to sleep upstairs at the right time.
Odd was opening Kiwi's gift. "Who's the pretty present for, huh? Who's it for, my little diggety dog?"
Ulrich looked to them. "Hey, Odd and Cassidy, thanks again for Yumi, you really saved me this time!"
"Hey, no sweat," Odd smiled.
"De nada, Ulrich," Cassidy yawned. "And thank you for letting me bunk here until six o'clock."
"Don't mention it," Ulrich smiled the widest.
Odd took out the yellow dog bone. "Thank you for saving me, Cassidy."
"I knew that present wasn't right," Cassidy smiled.
-At la casa de Yumi-
Yumi opened Ulrich's gifts. The first, the one with the brown paper and red ribbon, held a necklace. She smiled. It was beautiful. The second she opened next. Her eyes widened. In it was two elegant fans almost like her own. They weren't metallic, but they were almost like her fans.
If Ulrich was about to wish me a happy birthday late, this is definitely surprising…
A/N: Thank GOD! I got this done. I'm glad this is done. It is proof that RTTPN isn't dead. Sorry about that, fans.
