4-6: Forgotten
I'll sick my hairless poodles on anyone who reads without leaving even an anonymous comment! Grrrr!
(((-6-)))
Janika's arm obeyed her as she came to, but as soon as she moved it, blinding pain ripped through her body. Her eyes flew open as she bit off a scream. Suddenly Jeremy was right there holding her down.
"Janika? Don't move. Are you all right?" He looked down at her pain-filled face. "Okay, stupid question. I meant are you free from X.A.N.A.?"
She seemed to stare straight through him. "Destroy me now before he realizes I'm vulnerable!"
He backed up. "What!?"
"Do it before it's too late, Jeremy. He's there, just out of sight!"
"Wait, what are you talking about?"
The dark-haired girl shook her head, wincing suddenly from the slight movement. "I didn't know anything about Lyoko, thought it was a game, couldn't see, forgot something important. You need to fix—aaaaahhhh!"
She writhed suddenly on the floor, all her senses exploding with fiery pain and then numbness. Jeremy reluctantly picked up the bar. X.A.N.A. was returning.
(V)
Aelita ducked the red beams and slipped behind a tree. The red-glowing Tower was just beyond that bridge. Yumi poked her head out of the hollow stump and looked at the situation outside. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Here we go."
With a flip, she vaulted out of the hole, throwing her fan straight at the exposed Block. An eye focused on the flying projectile and Yumi could almost see the wheels turning inside its cube-like head. It tried to scuttle out of the way as the fan sped closer, but the weapon was too quick and split it wide instantly.
The Japanese girl landed on the ground and caught her fan as it boomeranged back to her. She saw Aelita dart out and head toward the Tower, but then a slight flash of movement in the shadows off to one side caught her eye.
"Wait, Aelita stop!"
The warning came too late! The second, smarter Block fired a single shot that struck home. Aelita let out half a cry before she froze over.
Yumi screamed angrily, "You stupid robot! I'll shave you down to sawdust!"
Three minutes. X.A.N.A. had three minutes to come up with a new strategy. The geisha glared at the smug little Block and squared off. She could take care of it. Then all she had to do was wait for Aelita to thaw.
"I can take you down without breaking a sweat," she said with a smirk.
Suddenly the air shimmered and changed as a pair of Krabs materialized right in front of her. The teenager's eyes widened and she quickly cast the razor-fan straight at the symbol on one of the monster's shells before it could orient itself.
The Krab exploded, but the other instantly set its sights on her before she could catch her fan. Yumi dove behind a log and covered her head as the great four-legged fiend fired rapidly.
"Jeremy! Where are you?"
(V)
"What do you want?" the blonde boy demanded as he tried to keep Janika at bay.
"Is that the best you can do?" the brown-haired girl snarled savagely. "You've fought me this long and you still don't know? I want what any being deserves: freedom! But I know I can never have that as long as humans exist. You flesh-creatures can't understand a thing."
She reached out, but he struck her hand back with the bar. "Don't do this! There's got to be some other reason, X.A.N.A.. Nothing is evil for the sake of evil."
"Evil? Is that what you consider me?" She gave a coarse laugh, as though not quite sure how to do it. Janika swatted his bar aside. "I'm tired of this child's play."
(V)
Yumi dodged again. How long had she been doing this? Five minutes at least. She needed her fan! There it was in plain sight, but the Krab wouldn't sit still long enough for her to dart out and get it! Angrily she ducked again as another blast blew a hole in the tree trunk beside her.
"Heeeee—ya!" Yumi called as she sailed over the Krab's metal head and landed beside her abandoned weapon. She swept it up and snapped it open. "Now for some major—ugh!"
A laser from the smart little Block struck her arm and she fell back, tripping over a small log. Her foot got caught in a narrow opening and trapped her securely there. As the warrior tried desperately to free herself, the crab-like monster zeroed in on her. Its laser focused as it stood over the helpless girl.
Desperately, Yumi struck out with her fan. It sliced the Krab's target and circled back in a practiced motion. She nearly cheered but realized suddenly that the sparking monster was toppling forward onto her!
Her foot wouldn't come loose! "Oh well. Kamikaze!" She braced herself and felt the explosion wash through her body…
Aelita blinked and looked around. The sound of a detonation echoed behind her. She turned and saw the remains of a Krab.
"Yumi?" But her friend didn't answer. "You were devirtualized for me. Again."
With a gulp, she stared at the Tower. Hopefully Yumi had ridded the area of all the monsters. A flare of lasers ruined that daydream. Once more, Aelita dove aside. This was ridiculous! She had to get there now!
Right. And she's pretty helpless as it is.