My computer is finally working! Get ready for update fever! Enjoy everyone!! Please R&R (that's read & review for some of you who might be confused).
Chapter 4
Ice Cream!
In the mall's food court, the six kids sat two to a table; Kiko sat with Od, Yumi with Ulrich, and Aelita with Jeremie. At their table, Od was hardly touching his chocolate ice cream, instead he was watching Kiko slowly slurp her strawberry shake. "What's wrong, Od? Why aren't you eating? Do you feel all right?" Kiko asked, worried that Od's strange behavior may be due to illness.
"Both my ice cream and I are fine. I was just thinking about the sweetest thing I know, and I spaced out a bit." Od said, quickly swallowing a few spoonfuls of the rapidly melting treat. "I was thinking about you, Kiko."
"You know what, Od? I was looking at that dairy poster, and I thought of the cheesiest thing in the world . . . you!" Kiko joked. The two looked at each other, and then they broke into one of their usual giggle fits, but they stopped when they saw the news flash on the shop's TV in the corner.
"I'm standing just on the other side of the river from the old factory, where a strange cylindrical tower has appeared. This red tower has all local experts, and authorities baffled. Four black, horse-like creatures emerged from the building about five minutes ago, and began to shoot lasers at random civilians. They left shouting messages warning the 'six warriors' that someone or thing called X.A.N.A. knows where they are, and is coming to destroy them." A nervous female reporter said.
"We have to get out of here! We've got to run!" Aelita cried, upset that X.A.N.A. had returned.
"That's the least of our problems . . . look at Kiko!" Od exclaimed urgently. "She's going to blast that TV! We have to get her away from all of these people, and help her calm down."
The five "normal" teens took Kiko by the hand, led her out of the building, and into a back alley, where Kiko let loose a huge ice blast from her eyes into a dumpster. "I'm sorry, guys. When I saw that tower . . . how the heck did X.A.N.A. come back?! I thought we destroyed him on Lyoko!"
"I don't know, but somehow he did, and you guys need to destroy him, here and now." Jeremie said, knowing he'd be no help destroying their enemy.
"If you wish to destroy me . . . you had best do so before I destroy you!" The group turned and leapt out of the way as a barrage of lasers blasted the still frozen dumpster, causing the metal to crack at the seams. X.A.N.A. stood over the terrified teenagers. They knew it was X.A.N.A. because he looked exactly the same as when he had been on Lyoko, but he was much larger.
"Umm . . . I think you gained a bit of weight. You might want to try Weight Watchers or Atkins." Od joked, then squeaked as X.A.N.A. shot an annoyed glare at him.
"I do not care for my weight. I've come only to get revenge for my destruction . . . if it wasn't for you, I would have control of both worlds by now. On the other hand, I should thank you for leaving Lyoko intact, if you hadn't have done so, I wouldn't be here now." X.A.N.A. gloated. "And now for your destruction, say good bye you meddling brats."
Kiko made a mouth shape with her hand. "Blah, blah, blah . . . you haven't changed X.A.N.A. You're such a pain, and you know what they say . . . use ice to get rid of aches and pains . . . heyah!" Kiko fumed angrily. Kiko's eyes and hands turned a cold, icy blue, and four ice beams went shooting into X.A.N.A. freezing him on the spot, and creating an escape for the six friends. "You guys get out of here. You need to figure out how to get the tower deactivated . . . I'll take care of our old buddy."
"Kiko, be careful." Od whispered as he walked past the confident girl.
"Don't worry. I will be." Kiko responded gently. "You'd better get out of here. My powers can protect me, and hopefully defeat X.A.N.A, but I don't know if I'd be able to protect you too. I should be coming along in about five minutes . . . I promise." The two kissed, and then Od ran off to catch up with the others. "Okay, let's see how you like being destroyed . . . again."
Kiko closed her eyes, clapped her hands together, and then quickly pulled them apart. This action formed a wide, sharp band of ice that sped up through the air, and cut X.A.N.A. cleanly across his eyes. "No, not again! You'll never destroy me!" X.A.N.A. shrieked, and then he blew up, spewing guts and blood everywhere.
"Yay . . . big, red, evil horse guts . . . I'm the luckiest girl in the world." Kiko groaned. She heard a noise, and turned around to see X.A.N.A.'s four elite warriors preparing to blast her into oblivion. "I don't think so!" Kiko grinned, and repeated what she had done to destroy X.A.N.A. This time . . . Kiko used her powers to make a force field that protected her from the spray that marked the demise of the black monsters.
"I'm sorry, children, but nobody is allowed to cross this bridge until the cause of the tower's sudden appearance is discovered." The old, male police officer spoke to the five teens.
"But, Sir, we know what's going on, and we need to get inside to stop it!" Yumi protested.
"I'm sorry, but my orders are not to let any civilians through. Now I must ask you to leave peacefully, or I'll be forced to call for back-up."
"Hey, guys!" Kiko called from up-wind (wind blowing on her back, forcing smells forwards) to her friends. "Why aren't you in the lab yet?"
As Kiko walked closer, Ulrich wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Yuck, what happened to you? What is all that nasty gunk?"
Kiko looked at her shirt, and quickly slipped to a place where she would be down-wind (wind blowing any smells away). "Oh yah, let's just say that the monsters aren't as clean here . . . and they don't clean up after themselves like on Lyoko." To show how disgusted she was, Kiko used a hand to try to wipe her face clean. "So, why are we all out here?"
"We can't get in. The cops won't let us." Jeremie groaned. "I need to get to the super calculator . . . I think the only way we'll ever keep X.A.N.A. from returning again is to unplug Lyoko . . . sorry, Aelita."
"It's okay, I knew that it would have to happen someday, but how will we get in to do it?" Aelita asked.
"Leave that to me. I'll start acting like some deranged monster, and that'll get the attention of the guard. When he gets close enough . . . BAM! I'll hit him with a freeze ray, and then we'll be able to sneak in." Kiko said quickly.
"Great idea, Jeremie, you were right, Kiko is a logical genius." Od whispered as he watched Kiko jog off to a spot where the guard would see her. I just hope she doesn't get hurt.
"What the-? Freeze or I'll shoot!" The startled officer threatened as the slime covered Kiko shuffled towards him in a zombie-like way. "Ahhhhhhh!" He was hit by Kiko's freeze ray.
"Okay, let's go!" Kiko shouted, motioning for her companions to hurry across the cement bridge. When they got inside, Kiko had to freeze the three detectives who shouted at them. "We'd better hurry, it's warm and I'm not sure how long those guys will stay frozen!"
"That would be the last thing we need." Aelita groaned as they slid down the ropes, and hurried to the elevator.
"I agree. Jeremie, you'd better be ready to shut everything down . . . who knows how long it will take for X.A.N.A. to return if we don't pull the plug on Lyoko as soon as possible." Od said, patting his friend on the shoulder.
"I'll go as fast as I can . . ." Jeremie trailed off bitterly. "I just wish that I'd had the chance to actually go there." The elevator stopped, and Jeremie ran to the computer.
Kiko thought for a moment, and then spoke. "Jeremie, I was thinking . . . since Lyoko is a computer program . . . couldn't you rewrite it after you erase it all?" Everyone looked at her, and then turned to Jeremie.
"Now that you mention it . . . I might be able to do that, but this time I'd make sure that there is some sort of virus protection system . . ." Jeremie trailed off, already beginning to form the new program in his mind.
"First you need to get rid of the old Lyoko, and then you can get going on the new one." Od reminded their excited friend. Jeremie nodded, and began to type away furiously on the keyboard.