How not to Skip Gym
William crashed to the ground right after Ulrich. "Ouch. Darn it. I didn't think she was this tough."
"They don't call her Dragon Queen for nothing," Ulrich muttered as the two boys slowly crawled up to their feet. Sissi stood with her hands behind her back and a cold line for a 'smile'.
"Better, you managed to last longer," She said. "Of course, Ulrich probably shouldn't have that much trouble with Aelita, but then again, she's been practicing more." Sissi smiled at her pupil standing by her. "You two are both very slow. You rely too much on your reflexes. You're gonna have to train up your muscles. But for now." She motioned Aelita to bring them two tree sticks, about the length of a sword. "From now on, you two are gonna have to use each other to get stronger. Okay?" William and Ulrich took their 'swords', faced each other, and were about to start when Sissi stopped them. "How in the world did you manage to defeat XANA all these years, Ulrich?"
"Huh?"
"Both of your stances are horrible." This bickering and coaching went on for a while. Aelita and Jeremie sat by the sidelines to watch. When the boys were bruised enough, Sissi concluded the training. The boys crashed to the dirt ground of the factory.
"How did they do?" Aelita asked.
"They're better than they were, which is small. They're still too cocky for my taste," Sissi crossed her arms. "Ugh, I need a break."
"Why don't you help me with the computations Hopper sent me?" Jeremie asked.
"Strangely enough, that might work," Sissi sighed as they walked into the elevator. Aelita, wearing her gym outfit, helped the boys up.
"Wow, Aelita, I never knew you were so strong," William laughed.
"Maybe you're just weak," Aelita smirked back. Will rubbed the back of his neck. Just then, Yumi zipped down the rope and joined them.
"Hey, did I miss the beating?"
"Ha, ha," Ulrich grumbled under his breath.
"We just finished training. Both of them are a little sore," Aelita smiled impishly, "In more ways than one."
"Aww, I missed it," Yumi laughed.
"Anyway, did you see Odd? I didn't find him in bed today," Ulrich said.
"No, why?" Yumi asked.
"Nothing, I guess he's still upset about what happened at the tournament."
"He can't be upset that he had to forfeit," Aelita said as Yumi drank some water.
"No, it was something that Sam said to him. He told me they ended things well and that she whispered to him."
"Whispered what?" William asked.
"Something like 'go after her' or something?" Ulrich said.
Yumi spat up her drink, hacking out coughs while Aelita screeched a 'what' from her high-pitched voice. Even William's eyes widened. Ulrich bumbled out, "What's the matter?"
"She said, 'go after her'! That's what she said?" Yumi demanded to know.
"What did Odd do after that?" Aelita asked.
"He didn't say. He said he just went to the factory after that," Ulrich replied.
"Girls, what's going on?" William asked.
"Nothing!" Yumi and Aelita quickly glanced at each other.
"Just make sure that no one else knows about this, especially Sissi," Yumi said. Ulrich and William's eyes popped wide. "Yes, but don't mess this up, okay? She can't know! And we can not say anything to Odd about this, okay?"
"Got it," Ulrich, William, and Aelita said.
The gang joined in Jeremie's room, listening to another bad joke, courtesy of Odd. The blonde genius fussed and grumbled, snapping at Odd and the rest to keep it down as he rebuilt the rest of Lyoko; he even designed new equipment for the others. "Wow, Jeremie. I didn't think someone this smart could be this... this..."
"Edgy like you," Sissi teased William. "This is nothing. You should see him when he's fully rested. He's just a jumping nerve ready to explode."
"Then how do you deal with him?" William asked.
"Simple, I get Aelita to do it," Sissi smiled wide. "Come on, I think we could do with a little stroll. Jeremie's smart stench is starting to rise."
"Stick and stones," Jeremie mumbled as the others walked out.
"What do you think your new outfit will be like, Sissi?" Aelita asked.
"Who knows. I would like the same outfit back, but I wouldn't mind some black leather instead of brown," Sissi sighed.
Then William's phone rang.
"Hello? Oh! Hey Saaaaa-" He couldn't finish because everyone looked at him. Yumi's hand 'cut' the air at her throat, shaking her head vigorously. "Saaaiiiiirre. Sire. I am honored by your call." He whispered to the others. "It's my cousin. We always play around like this. I'll catch up with you guys." Will ran the other way. Odd shrugged, but everyone else glanced at each other.
Aelita whispered to Sissi, "I thought you didn't want that to happen."
"I didn't think it could happen. Besides... if she's calling him... then she's given up on Odd."
"Sissi."
"I know, I know!" She quietly hissed. "I feel awful about it, but I can't help feel... excited." Sissi slapped her forehead. "I feel so bad."
"Are you okay, Sissi?" Odd asked.
"Huh? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Sissi sighed. Later on, the school bell rang for the gym and Jeremie wasn't with them. Not having the time, Jeremie came up with a solution. If XANA could create a clone, he could too. However, when the others encountered the clone, who flirted with Yumi, they told Jeremie about some of the problems with it.
"Emerging properties," He replied from his home in the factory, "Anyway a clone is better than nothing, and everything should be fine."
"Famous last words," Sissi sighed.
"What's the best that could happen?" Odd asked.
"The best?"
"I know what the worst is, I just wanted to mix things up," Odd smiled.
"He just had to ask," Sissi muttered as her legs flew towards the factory. William and Aelita followed. "Move it, Slowpoke!"
"Alright, alright! Geez!" William muttered back. They darted down the ropes, slid into the elevator, and pressed the down button. "What's wrong?"
"Jeremie made a clone and now XANA's trying to take the tower that he made it with," Sissi said. Her fist smashed into the metal wall. "I knew it was a bad idea."
"Do you need me on Lyoko?" William asked.
Sissi gritted her teeth like something hurt. "Well... I want you to stay with Jeremie to keep him safe, but-"
"Okay, I'll do it."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah, I know you guys want me to mess up again. I understand." William smiled widely. Too widely. Aelita and Sissi glanced doubtfully at each other. "What?"
"What's the real reason? We won't tell anyone," Sissi promised. It was quiet for a while before Willliam said with a sigh,
"Sam is supposed to call me back."
"Tell her you can't make it."
"But-"
"William," Sissi said firmly. He looked away. "Why are you talking with her anyway?"
"I thought you wouldn't mind?"
"I-" She narrowed her eyes, furrowing her eyebrows. "What do I have to do with it?" William's eyes darted left and right before the computer lab finally opened. "We'll talk later. What's the stat, Jeremie?"
"The tower's in the Desert Sector. Ulrich and Yumi are already there."
"Let's go," Sissi said. "Wait." She pulled off the long black armbraces; this one made it look like she had a long-sleeved undershirt on. She gave them to William. "Tap on the front or up part of your forearm. Tap once for on, twice to absorb, three times for off. Got it?" William nodded and walked over to Jeremie while Sissi and Aelita went into the scanner room. Onto Lyoko they went, and Sissi found everyone's new suits. They were sleek, slim, and in darker tones. In fact, Yumi's outfit was a mixture of eggplant purple and rose with small pink flowers on her shoulder pads.
"Twin sabers, nice," Ulrich smirked.
"You look wonderful, Sissi," Aelita said. Sissi looked down. She had a slender black leather breastplate on with a leather mini skirt that stopped at her knees. A charcoal pair of boots were on her feet and her golden bracelets were swapped for obsidian bracelets. Her crown was gone as well. Sissi looked around her body and smiled.
"Wow, Jeremie, you didn't have to-"
"We can talk about your fashion later. Right now, we need to get to the tower," Jeremie urged them. Ulrich zoomed off while Yumi and Aelita took the overwing. Sissi super hopped toward the activated tower.
"Anything we should be worried about?" Yumi asked.
"It's XANA. When is there not something to worry about?" Jeremie muttered. A drip of sweat poured down his brow. "You have five Krabs to expect. Be careful."
"We'll try not to get de-virtualized too early," Sissi said. As they neared the tower, Sissi jumped high into the air and rammed her fist through the top of a Krab's head. "One."
Ulrich got off his overbike and sprinted in front of a Krab. The Krab fired its lasers. Ulrich deflected them with his sabers. He zoomed to the right. As the Krab shimmed around, Ulrich darted under it and punctured a hole right through the head. It exploded into pieces while Ulrich smirked, "Two."
"Our turn Aelita," Yumi said. They jumped off the Overwing, and Yumi threw her fan at a Krab. It dodged it but didn't dodge Aelita's Energy field.
"Three!" Aelita smiled as it blew up.
"You might want to stop counting," Jeremie sighed. "XANA brought some reinforcement to the party."
"What about Odd and your twin? How is that going?" Sissi asked. Just then, Jeremie and William heard the elevator door buzz as Jeremie's clone came out.
"Well, my twin found us," Jeremie said.
"I got this guy," William smirked.
"Don't get cocky," The fake Jeremie grinned.
William readied his stance and emotionlessly glared at the clone. "I won't." Sissi's cane was by his foot. William kicked up her cane and threw it at the clone. Jeremie effortlessly dodged it. William threw a punch and phased right through the clone, tumbling to the ground.
"Hehehe, you forgot to turn on your little sleeve," The Fake Jeremie walked toward the fallen teen.
"I didn't." William swung Sissi's electrified cane at the clone's head. The Fake Jeremie fizzled back. "I just needed to get close enough to you." The clone growled and struggled back to his feet as William slapped his XR-sleeves on. The two fought on while Jeremie struggled on the computer. "How are they doing, Jer?"
"Ulrich just got de-virtualized."
"Typical," William jested and dodged another punch. "Anything else?"
"They're almost to the tower."
"Alright, now we're talking DAHHH!" Electricity zapped William's shoulder. Clutching it, he gritted his teeth. The clone buzzed with his electric hands behind William. It was just about to tase him again when
BZZZZZZZ!
The Jeremie clone tumbled to the ground, revealing Ulrich behind it. "You look like you needed some help."
"I could have to be handled him," William replied.
"Yeah, sure, like he handled you," Ulrich smirked. Just then, the Jeremie clone disappeared into the air. "Did they de-activate the tower?"
"Yes, but now we have another problem," Jeremie fidgeted. His eyebrows became netted and his lips pursed tightly. "Sissi's been de-virtualized, XANA just possessed Aelita with the Scyphozoa, and she's heading for the Digital Sea!"
"What?!" The other boys shouted.
"Jeremie! I'm in the elevator," Odd called out, "Where do you need me?"
"On Lyoko, hurry!" The elevator opened up, and Sissi just got off the mattress in front of the scanner.
"Missed me?" Odd smirked.
"Just get onto Lyoko you cute idiot," Sissi muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing! Go!"
"Right," Odd quickly entered the scanner while Sissi trudged to the elevator. She breathed a small sigh of relief. He hadn't heard it. She had to be more careful next time. Sissi got to the computer room where the boys were glued to the screen.
"What's going on?" She asked.
"Aelita's been possessed and she's going to the Digital Sea!" Jeremie exclaimed. Aelita raced to the edge of the sector. Yumi threw her fan, but the elf kept ducking.
"Argh! She's too fast!" Yumi said.
Then
"Laser arrow!" shouted Odd, flying in from above. Two shots to the back de-virtualized Aelita on the spot. The cat warrior flew in low on the overboard to Yumi. "You know, I'm starting to have a knack for coming in on time."
"More like at the last minute," Yumi smirked. Jeremie relaxed in his chair as Sissi ruffled his hair.
"You really need to learn to relax," She grinned from ear to ear.
"Maybe when I have more time," Jeremie laughed, "Return to the Past now!"
"Okay, so what did we learn?" Sissi asked with her arms crossed.
Jeremie struggled to hide his head in his shoulders while he sat on his computer chair. "Not to skip gym."
"Or?"
"Try to use a clone to get out of gym. But-"
"But nothing. You're lucky I don't make you join my fighting class."
"You never know Jeremie. You might learn a thing or two," Aelita smiled.
"Yeah, like running away from a polymorphic specter," Ulrich smirked.
"Or making one," William chuckled. Jeremie grumbled under his breath.
"They have a point, Einstein. If it weren't for William and Ulrich, you would have been hurt," Sissi said.
"What do you think we should do?" Aelita asked. The Mechanist looked at the metal floor of the factory and stroked her chin. Sissi glanced at William and then at Odd. There were other things to deal with right now, but Jeremie's defenses were severely lacking. She had to come up with something. Then she looked at Aelita and her emotionless face suddenly pursed her lips.
"We could," She said slowly, "have Aelita teach him."
"Are you sure about that?" Odd asked.
"What? You don't think I can teach him?" Aelita asked, crossing her arms.
Odd threw up his hands, "I didn't mean that. I was just wondering if that was the best option. If your training is anything like Sissi's," Odd smiled, "then Jeremie might get his feelings hurt."
"I'm not a helpless child, alright!" Jeremie shouted. "I'll be fine! For now, Aelita, Sissi, and I focus on finding a way to get you guys onto the web." He went back to typing while the others quietly left the computer lab, but William kept feeling Sissi's eyes on the back of his head.
Continued...