Chesrook: Hello, people of a fanfic section I never wrote in before!

Lister: [taps lead pipe in hand threateningly]

Chesrook: Er, I'm here because I happened to think of a fanfic for here that I...

Sakura: [taps magical staff in hand threateningly]

Chesrook: WHAT DO YOU WANT?!

Lister: Ches, when was the last time you posted a story?

Chesrook: Erm, January?

Sakura: Mm-hm. And wasn't it part of a longer story?

Chesrook: Ye-es...

Lister: Right. Well, in that case...

Lister/Sakura: WHY ARE YOU WRITING THIS?!?!?!?!

Chesrook: Look, we're taking up too much space. Well discuss this later, ok?

Lister: Fine. But if you run...

Chesrook: I won't. Now then... [clears throat] I decided to start a new story even though I have one already in progress. I just want something to pass the time by, and I wanted to get this in while people were still reading this section. The CCS section has plummeted headfirst into nothing but romances. But, I'm rambling. I'll just get to the story, ok?

The desert was empty, devoid of all but a few sparse trees and rocks, near what was an infinite abyss. Data suddenly began pouring in, and a shape appeared some distance above the ground. A moment later, color and solid form poured into it, revealing a dark figure. When he was complete, he landed softly on his feet on the ground below him. He stood up slowly and opened his eyes. He knew his purpose, but first he had to seek out his targets. He must patiently wait for them. It was only a matter of time...

"Ulrich, you've got 20 life points left."

"Don't worry Jeremy, I'm fine."

"Jeremy, Aelita's almost at the tower."

"Roger that Odd."

A battle had been raging on in Lyoko for the past 2 minutes. Jeremy was getting tense. If they didn't hurry, students trapped within the school would die. "Odd, you've got three wasps coming in."

"Got it."

"Jeremy, I got the last of these guys."

"Ulrich, hang there. You're in too much danger."

"But Odd-"

"I said-" Jeremy froze. He had sworn that... There it was again! Something had appeared for a brief moment on the console!

"Ulrich, there's something by a rock to your left... I think..."

"What do you mean, 'you think'?"

"Ulrich can you see anything?"

Ulrich turned towards the rock quickly but saw nothing. "Jeremy, I don't-" he stopped as he heard a pebble rolling down a rock. He then saw the pebble appear at the bottom of it. He narrowed his eyes and carefully walked forward.

"Ulrich, Aelita's at the tower."

Ulrich ignored this and kept walking. Just as he reached the side of the rock, he caught a glimpse of a black blur flying away from the rock and dashing away. A split second later, something hit his side and he yelled as he vanished from the world. At the same time, a bright white glow grew from a small abandoned factory in the middle of France, radiating outward.

"You saw a what?"

"Some sort of black blur," Ulrich replied. Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, and Jeremy were gathered in Jeremy's room, Aelita on the computer nearby. "And then I was hit."

"Maybe it was one of Xana's monsters? A new one?" offered Yumi.

Jeremy shook his head. "No, it couldn't be. I couldn't even see it except for a split second."

"Maybe a new virus got into Lyoko. Forget to check your e-mails, Jeremy?" Odd said.

Jeremy shook his head again. "No, I don't think so."

"Then what-"

Yumi was interrupted by a gasp from Aelita. The group turned towards the screen to find a gleaming dagger at her throat, a black hand gripping the hilt. "Come to the forest," came a mysterious, deep voice. And a moment later, Aelita disappeared from view. "Aelita?" Jeremy yelled at the screen. "Aelita!"

"Jeremy, I'm still not too sure about this," Yumi said. "It could be a trap."

"Regardless, we have to save Aelita," Ulrich said.

"I agree. Besides, we wouldn't die there. We'd just come back here." Odd said.

"And even if it was Xana, why does he want all of us? Why wouldn't he just destroy Aelita?" Jeremy said.

"I still don't like this," Yumi said. "It smells worse than Odd's gym bag."

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Guys, just go down and I'll virtualize you."

It wasn't long before the three found themselves in a clearing in the forest. "Well Jeremy, where to?" Odd asked.

"Aelita's signal is in a clearing directly ahead of you," came Jeremy's voice. "There are four paths heading into it."

"There's a reason you're telling us this, isn't there?" Odd asked.

"I think he wants us to split up and surround the clearing. The paths to the side, they lead to the clearing, right Jeremy?"

"That's right Ulrich."

"Alright. Yumi, you go to the left. Odd, you take the right. I'll go down the middle." The other two nodded and the three went off in their respective directions.

It wasn't long before Ulrich came to the clearing. Aelita was in the middle, the gleaming dagger held to her throat by a man clad entirely in black. Only the area around his eyes was left uncovered, revealing two steel-blue eyes. "I'm glad to see you came," he said in the deep voice they had heard earlier. "All three of you."

Ulrich's eyes narrowed. "I'm the only one here."

"Oh, please," said the figure. "Your friends are so loud I'm surprised Xana hasn't woken up just from them!"

Suddenly, he whirled around, throwing Aelita to the ground, sheathed his dagger, spun around sending flying discs at Yumi and Odd, whipped out a gleaming silver blade, ran up, and slashed Ulrich from shoulder to pelvis. All in 3 seconds.

Jeremy was simply staring at his console.

Yumi was groaning on the ground.

Odd picked his head up to look at the figure.

Aelita turned to stare at Ulrich.

Ulrich simply glanced up at the figure before him.

"Hmph," he said. "Pathetic." And with that he turned around and sheathed his sword. "Why I'm surprised you've even lasted this long against Xana's monsters."

Odd was the only one who didn't seem completely stunned by this. Carefully, he aimed an arrow at the figure and fired.

The figure stood stock still as the arrow flew 2 feet from him and plunged into a nearby tree.

"I repeat myself," said the figure. "Pathetic."

Yumi stood up. "Who are you?" she asked defiantly.

"Call me N," said the figure. "I am your trainer."

Chesrook: Sorry it's short, but I'm tired. Anyway, what do you think? Good? Bad? Sucks? Go ahead and review! The story will just continue until it ends.

Lister: When will you get to your other stories, buddy?

Chesrook: Soon, Lister, soon. Oh, BTW, these are what I suppose you could call my muses. An original character named Lister and Sakura from the show all my other fanfics are based on. So, let me know what you think. I'll write more soon.

Sakura: You'd better.