Government Blackout
Jeremy and Aelita are just walking back to their car after a long day of work, excited for the two week break they have. They don't realize however, an underlying fear is going to come true.
—
They just talked about old memories and new plans whilst walking. It had been 15 years since they had shut that supercomputer down, 14 since they graduated Kadic and moved on, moving to the United States to further their education. It had been 8, almost 9, since they had finally tied the knot and gotten married and 5 now since they had their daughter, Anthea.
They'd left their whole old lives behind in France, including the friends they had grown so close to when fighting XANA. They still kept in touch though, and had been planning a reunion with their old friends for a while, and with the next two weeks off, there wasn't a better time. It'd been years since they last saw each other and hung out in person. They kind of laugh at that fact now, remembering how just a couple days was a bit much to be split up back when they were "just a group of friends attending Kadic". They'd never forgotten their old lives, the supercomputer, Lyoko, XANA and the constant threat that it posed. They had risked their lives constantly, for the fate of the world and for each other. It was worth it though, even all these years later.
Despite the move across an ocean and halfway around the globe, Jeremy was always a bit anxious and today was no different. The occasional glance over his shoulder had long since become a habit of his. Aelita's gotten used to his little nervous quirks over the years, and in truth found them to be charming and even a little bit calming and reassuring, they always have been to her. She'd never really admit that out loud though, at least not to Jeremy. As such, she didn't really pay it any mind until he stopped walking and grabbed her wrist.
"What is it?" Aelita asked, confused at her husband's seemingly abrupt stop.
"I think somebody is following us, Lita."
Aelita's thoughts began to race hearing that. Somebody following us? What? Who? Why? Do they mean harm?. Memories that she tried to keep buried began flooding back, and with them came fear.
"What do you mean?" She asks, though she already knew what he meant…
Despite sounding insane that anyone on the busy sidewalk could be specifically following them, her anxiety doesn't let her brush it off.
"The man in the grey suit has been trailing us ever since we left work, he's kind of creeping me out. I've seen him every time I glanced back."
That creeps Aelita out even more, causing her head to spin and thoughts to race even more. A man in grey following us? For this long? What is this guy's deal? Why would he be following US? Does he want to hurt us? I don't like this.
She glances back and sure enough, at a table outside a diner they passed, she sees a man in a grey tuxedo and sunglasses sitting there, not looking at a menu or his phone or anything, just staring at them.
They both have had nightmares ever since they fought XANA, and since they learned of Aelita's past, fears of the government. It's the reason they were so eager to move away from France. They both feared that some government body would come after them since they messed with Lyoko, XANA and the secret supercomputer. Those fears flash before Aelita's eyes as she just looks at the man, fears that she'll end up like her mom, fears that she could be taken away, leaving her daughter like the French government left her.
If it wasn't for it being September in North Carolina, around 50 degrees with a nice autumn breeze, Aelita would be sweating bullets as she moves closer to Jeremy.
"Let's go" She quickly whispers to Jeremy, beginning to pull him away and towards the car. He doesn't argue, he's just as worried about this weird guy as she is. Luckily for them though, their car is not very far away.
The man just looks as they rush away, a slight smirk growing across his face.
"Hmph, they noticed. Figures that they'd get suspicious, they are a couple of geniuses after all…".