Author's note:
I got this chapter rewritten super quick. I got super deep into a writing mood. It's so nice to go back to Code Lyoko. Let me know how I'm doing, and thanks for reading! P.S. Adalene is playing dot hack because it's one of my favorite things in the world.
Upload date:
3 April 2020
Content warnings:
This chapter contains mentions of death and food.
Chapter Two
Code: Anticipation
A few hours later, sleep found itself escaping another student.
The young blond laid in his bed. Kiwi was still curled against him, and Odd wouldn't say that the feeling of velvety fur against his side was unpleasant. He'd gotten in a few hours after their return to the past, but his bladder had woken him up uncomfortably early. He returned to bed and found a cozy spot again, but still sleep would not come back.
Odd Dell Robbia was hungry. Very hungry.
Maybe the past few chaotic days had multiplied his appetite. There had been three attacks in one week, after all, and adventures in Lyoko required plenty of energy. Occasionally the virtual sensations made him or his friends sick or weak, but for some reason, this week he was just hungry.
Helping with that feeling, though, was the memory of the breakfast they'd eaten this morning. Before they'd returned to the past, that is. Odd closed his eyes and let his stomach's eye wander back. It'd been uncharacteristically delicious of school food. Warm, savory, soft, it was all of the good things that a breakfast should be. It was the kind of fresh and well-prepared food that you would find at a restaurant.
A few squeaks wiggled their way out from under the blanket.
Odd grabbed his cellphone, unlocking it towards his face. He regretted that immediately—the brightness was almost all the way up. Odd hissed and scrambled to cover the screen, but it was too late. Kiwi let out a low whine, stretching his legs out and looking sadly toward him.
"Shh, shh, Kiwi, I'm sorry," Odd whispered. "It's O.K. Go back to sleep." He murmured these words soothingly while attempting to tuck the dog back in, but Kiwi was having none of it. The tiny creature jumped hastily off the blond's bed and curled up underneath his roommate's. Odd could feel his glare from in the darkness.
He sighed. It seemed the hunger and the drowsiness were there to stay for a while.
Carefully he unlocked his phone again, peeling the blanket away a little at a time and pointing the unholy beacon towards the wall. Ugh. It was an hour until breakfast. His stomach protested again. This time, instead of squeaks, it was a full-on growl.
"Do you have another dog over there or is that just your stomach? Ulrich's voice was low and hoarse.
Odd released a whine that sounded suspiciously similar to Kiwi's. "I think I'm starving to death. X.A.N.A. kept me from eating lunch. If you count the return, I haven't eaten in a whole day!"
"You'll be fine."
"But will I, Ulrich? Will I?" Odd's voice was thick with dramatics. "If I am denied sustenance much longer, I shall wither away until there is nothing left! Nothing! The Lyoko Warriors will be devastated, nay, crippled by my untimely demise, and poor Kiwi shall fall into inescapable grief!"
It took Ulrich a moment to respond. "Wow. I didn't know you had half those words in your vocabulary."
Once again Odd's midsection let out a pained cry. Ignoring Ulrich's vocal jab, he said, "You hear him? He needs food!"
"You'll get food soon. It isn't that much longer." Ulrich rolled out of bed, careful not to step on the dog. "I'm turning on the lights."
With a prolonged, dramatic sigh, Odd conceded. "Fine."
Kiwi, already very unhappy with this morning's series of events, growled at the sudden light. He retreated like a goblin into his dungeon of unfolded clothing under Odd's bed.
Odd propped his head up on his arm, using his free hand to rub the sleep out of his eye. "What are ya doing up so early?"
Ulrich grunted and headed to his dresser. "I've got some business to take care of."
"Oh?" A devilish grin. "That business wouldn't be with a certain girl, would it?"
"Of course not," Ulrich said almost immediately, prompting a widening of Odd's smile.
"Finally taking the dive, mm?"
Ulrich paused and swallowed hard. "I can't." His face was passive as always, but his tone betrayed his inner anxiety.
"C'mon, buddy. You go ask her, she'll obviously say yes, and then we can all have breakfast to celebrate." Odd rubbed his hands together eagerly. "And then tonight, pizza! A 'he finally did it' pizza party!"
"She won't say yes."
"Are you sure about that?"
"We're 'just friends.'"
"She's nuts about you, Ulrich. People don't look at just friends the way she looks at you. Trust me, I would know." Dating practically every available girl at Kadic had made Odd almost an expert when it came to the game of love. Or, at least, the game of flirting. "You've set off every single flag so far, you just have to trigger the final scene, than bam! You're an item!"
Ulrich shook his head. "I don't know what you're referencing, but if I promise to go to breakfast with you, will you drop the subject?"
"No fair, I just want to help you out." Odd frowned.
Ulrich sighed. "Don't worry about me, okay? I'll be fine. I'll meet you in the cafeteria for breakfast after I'm finished with… business."
"Woo!" Odd cheered a little too loudly for how early it was, and he immediately felt a death glare from somewhere under his bed.
Ulrich left with a change of fresh clothes, leaving Odd behind to think. And to hide his nicer garments from Kiwi. You know, Odd thought while digging through his pile, it's only a matter of time at this point. He's gotta ask her some time, right? After a moment he snickered and spoke to himself. "With how shy those two are? Quand les poules auront de dents!"
A few minutes later, Ulrich returned. He'd taken what seemed to be the world's quickest shower. He dropped off his pajamas and towel and attempted to tame his wet hair. He failed, naturally, but one couldn't say he didn't try.
The brunet headed once more for the door. However, when his hand touched the door, a voice stopped him.
"Ulrich?" Odd spoke his friend's name with an unusual softness.
"Hm?" Ulrich didn't turn to look.
"You can't keep her waiting forever."
His mouth set into a hard line. "I know." Ulrich left without saying another word.
It took a few seconds, but something in the air caught Odd's nose. He sniffed.
Is that… cologne?! Holy shit, maybe he's actually gonna do it!
A giddy smile filled Odd's face, and he grabbed his phone at the speed of sound.
Jérémie was on cloud nine. Here he was, half asleep, sitting with the prettiest girl in France. She was sitting behind him, arms tucked around his belly while he sat with a portable PC on his lap. In his peripheral vision he could see soft pink locks and just a sliver of her face. She rested her chin on his shoulder and watched his screen.
"Oh, there!" she exclaimed, pointing a short painted-pink nail towards the screen. "You've got an extra closing brace." Her other arm tightened slightly around his stomach.
Jérémie felt like his face was on fire. "Ah, th-thank you, I didn't even think to look there."
Aelita giggled and leaned her head against his. "Two brains are always better than one, Proxy-Pie."
He smiled and looked away. "You're right. Thanks."
She exhaled lightly. "You know, I wish this could last forever."
"What could?"
"This. Us spending time together. No X.A.N.A. No life or death. Just… existing. Working on projects with you. Being happy."
"Me too. That sounds like a wonderful thing." He closed his eyes contentedly, leaning back into the firm embrace of his best friend in the world. "Hey, Aelita?"
No response.
"I've been thinking…"
Still nothing.
He opened his eyes again. The firmness wasn't from the person he wanted to hold the most, it was his office chair. The pressure on his shoulder, the edge of his desk. His head was stuck to his keyboard with a numb hand underneath.
"Oh no no no!" He sat up with a jolt. "Oh, God." He cringed at the thousands of line of garbage code his cheek and hand had made in his sleep.
He pulled on his face and rubbed his temples vigorously.
"What a mess…"
He looked down at his watch.
"Time for breakfast, I guess." He looked up at his program. "Sorry. I'll fix you this afternoon."
A soft melody wormed its way into the quiet stillness of a bedroom. Yumi shot a hand out to grab her phone and silence the alarm. Her black-nailed hand was precise, and the phone was quiet before she'd even registered that it was her wake-up call.
"Morning already, hmm?" she murmured, pulling away from her roll of blankets.
Her morning routine was quick and simple:
1. Complete several sets of squats, lunges, and push-ups.
2. Meditate for half an hour, varying distractions and distraction volume daily.
3. Shower and get dressed in fifteen minutes.
4. Look over class schedule and refresh memory on previous day's material.
5. Walk to class.
It was a simple list, one that kept her mind and body ready at almost all times. She'd had too many slip ups in the past. Too many near accidents. She had to be prepared for the worst. In addition, with their returns to the past, it also helped to remember what had been undone, and what hadn't. Each of the Lyoko warriors had run into problems where they'd done homework before the return and forgot to redo it.
Yumi especially liked to remind a certain someone about homework. He'd finally gotten his grades high, and he couldn't afford to slip. Odd made sure to send her photos of their coursework to help her remind Ulrich-
Ulrich...
Realizing her concentration was slipping, Yumi shook her head vigorously a few times and finished her stretches. A good workout would help with focus.
Yumi thought about their situation during her reps. Three attacks in one week… Every day it attacks, X.A.N.A. seems to be getting weaker. Is it actually? Or is it trying to trap us?
Her brow furrowed as she squatted in place, arms curling with weights.
Surely Jérémie has noticed. Would he be insulted if I asked? Maybe I should ask Aelita…
As if reading her mind, her phone buzzed.
[ Don't worry. You're going to do amazing at Kadic, my dear Laura.
[ Stay strong. This won't be forever.
[ I love you.
[ P.S. I dropped a few off yesterday for you. I know you'll make us both proud. ]
Laura reread the email multiple times. It was short but sweet. Efficient but soothing. It was like a hug from her mom compressed into a few words.
She smiled to herself and wiped a few loose tears from her eyes.
Today was her first day of classes, and she was going to make the most of them.
"No no no no no!"
A few blocks away from Yumi's home in Boulogne-Billancourt, a tiny apartment was filled with the sounds of furious clicking from a gaming controller.
"Heal, heal, heal! C'mon! You still have mana, Elk. C'mon!"
Faster clicking, and then static, and then nothing. The words 'GAME OVER' filled the TV in a bright red font.
A girl was sitting on the floor in front of the screen, and her face scrunched up in irritation before she lightly slid the controller away across the carpet.
"Damn it." She sighed and leaned back into the front of her couch. "The last room of the dungeon, too." She closed her eyes and pouted, still mumbling to herself. "What I get for trying to speed level my Wavemaster."
After a few minutes of inner sulking at the thought of repeating all the leveling she'd done in the past two hours that she would now have to redo, she resigned and shut off the system.
"Guess I gotta get ready for class. Adalene, you're gonna be late again!" She spoke in a mock motherly tone while brushing her copper hair into something almost resembling a style.
Her monologue was interrupted by her phone buzzing. She bounded over to the charger, and her face lit up with a grin when she saw the name.
"Aelita!"