A/N: Last chapter in the block which means that you get a nice cliffy! I've also decided to start replying to reviews so if you have any questions please ask. Also, for some reason I can't write the "at" or the "equals" symbols in my stories so just bear with it. Enjoy. Don't forget to R&R. Thanks.
The "..." when Ulrich speaks is him coughing.
Trake: Sorry about your inbox being flooded. I kind of did go on an updating rampage about a week and half ago.
The-Angel-From-Hell-09/10: You were the only one who saw through what I did in the last two chapters. Good observation. As for longer chapters, how's this one for size? Also, I originally had Yumi slap Ulrich but I thought that, that was going too far. Storming out the door is good enough for me.
Janika: No, I'm not going to have my character got out with Yumi or anything like that. I have other plans...like reviewing your stories.
thesuperdot: Yeah, Ulrich has seen better days. Don't worry, I going to have a "good" thing happen to him in later a block. As for Dan, you will find out more about him soon (like in this chapter).
J(at)lyoko: You're a babbling moron but thanks for your support. Spelling and I have never mixed in the past but I'll try to spell things correctly from now on.
anime chicka 901: You put in your review just as I was going to post this update. Anyway, I don't want to say whether they kiss and make out...er...make up just yet.
Disclaimer: If I owned Code: Lyoko then Sissy would have never made it onto the air waves, Y&U would have kissed in like episode 3 and CN would never have stopped running it. Long story short, I don't own it or any of the characters except for Dan.
Inside Ulrich's and Odd's dorm---
"Whazzzz up???" An enthusiastic Odd said. Apparently, news of the classes being canceled had reached him.
"It's me. I need you to come...by my room. Dan's acting...a little weird and I need you...to do something." I choked out of my mouth.
"Ya know, Ulrich, it's my room too." Odd replied.
"Whatever. Get Jeremy too." I said and then I heard Odd's voice yell out to an "Einstein" and hung up.
Five minutes later the door swung open and Odd waltzed in doing a victory dance. An off-key singing Odd exalted, "Oh, yeah. School's canceled. Oh, yeah. School's canceled."
"Shut up, Odd." I ended his celebration. Jeremy entered the room and shut the door.
"So what's the problem?" Jeremy asked sitting down on Odd's bed.
"I think Dan's...up to something." I replied.
"Like what?" Odd inquired sitting Indian style on the floor.
"Don't know. I want you and...Jeremy to break into his room...and see if you can find anything strange." I said. It's not that I don't trust him it's just that he knows everything about me and probably the rest of the group when I first met him. That's just too strange and now this.
"Okay, Ulrich, I think your cold is starting to get to you." Odd said. 'He probably thinks that I'm crazy.'
"Look, when I first met him...he knew all about me, you...and Yumi. He says that he can hear...what we say because the walls aren't...very solid." I tried to explain it as simply as I could for Odd but I don't think he got it.
"Do you think he might know about Lyoko and the factory?" Jeremy asked.
"I don't know. He didn't...mention you or Aelita but if he does know..." I didn't finish my sentence on purpose.
"If he does then what?" Asked Odd.
"Well, think about it, Odd, if somebody found out about Lyoko and started to tell other people then X.A.N.A. could pretty much claim victory right there." Jeremy rebuked Odd. "We have to find out what he knows if anything."
"He just left and said that he'd...be gone for a couple of hours...You should go now." I said weakly. "But before you do, you...do know that Sissy is dead, right?"
"Yeah, we found out during class. I feel kind of sad." Jeremy said. Odd added in a "me too".
"X.A.N.A. killed her." I confessed. This had been on my mind since Dan told me that she was killed by a gun shot earlier today but I couldn't tell him about it for obvious reasons. The two guys were shocked as I told them everything that happened while Odd and Yumi were fighting in Lyoko. After that Odd grabbed some lock picking tools from under his bed and they both left for Dan's room.
Outside Dan's room---
"Okay, Odd, do your thing and hurry. I don't want anybody to see us." Jeremy told me as I put an unwound paper clip inside the lock.
"Relax, I do this all the time." I replied.
"Really? How often?" Jeremy asked. I stopped working the lock and thought about my answer. 'Well, let's see. There was the time when Ulrich couldn't stand my snoring one night so he took my key and the other time when I forgot my key in my other pants and the time when I lost it. Oh man, they're so many!'
"Uh...I do this as many times as you hack into the school's computer system." I answered with a sign of relief and put another outstretched paper clip in the lock.
"That many, uh? Wow, I thought you and Ulrich were friends." Jeremy said. His answer confused me.
"Hey, Jeremy, exactly how many times have you hacked into the school's computer system?" I asked turning my head to look at him.
"Not as many as you're thinking and besides were supposed to be in his room anyway so let's just get going, okay?" He replied waving his hands in the air. Looks like someone has a dirty little secret.
I continued working the lock. After putting another paper clip in and messing around a bit I felt the lock give in and slowly retracting into the door. "There I got it!" I exclaimed full joy followed by Jeremy's whining about the noise level. I turned the handle and pushed the door open.
"Welcome to Dan's Domain." I said as we entered the room. Jeremy quietly shut the door behind me.
Inside Dan's room---
"Well, this looks bleak." I said noticing that folders, books and piles of papers covered the entire top of the desk beside the bed on the left side. Both beds were neatly made and lacked any kind of wrinkles. On the far end near the window are a flat screen monitor, PC tower, printer, scanner and a little 8' television. There is also a dark black leather chair on wheels in front of the computer. The remaining space that wasn't occupied by the hardware was gilded with even more papers and folders; the remote control for the TV acted as a paper weight resting on top of the TV. I looked below the computer desk on the right side and saw a 3-foot tall metallic gray box.
"No way, I had no idea that this guy had a mini-fridge. This is sooooo cool." I said as I walked over and opened the door. "Awesome! My favorite flavor!"
"Okay, Odd, be careful and don't touch anything unless you...ODD!!!" Jeremy yelled as I opened a can of pop.
"What? You want one too?" I asked tossing him a grape flavored can.
"You idiot! If he finds out that we were in here then were DEAD!" Jeremy exclaimed catching the can.
"Don't worry about it. It's not like he's going to miss two cans." I replied.
"No thanks," Jeremy threw the can back at me, "If he finds out and decides to kill us then I am going to blame everything on you so that way he'd kill YOU and not me." I put the can back and scanned the papers by the computer.
"Fine, have it your way, Einstein." I said sipping my spoil. Unlike the cans from the vending machines here at school, this one was actually chilled. I so want to be good friends with Dan now.
"Hmmm, Advanced Placement Computer Science, Math: Computation and theory, Human Physiology, Intro to Mechanized Robotics, Advanced Chemistry. I guess this guy likes to study." Jeremy said with his head in Dan's closet.
"Any signs of X.A.N.A.?" I asked setting my can down on some papers.
Jeremy reported, "No, nothing yet." Then he pulled out a little brown leather backed book. "It's a passport." Jeremy stated flipping though the small pages, "Hmm, turns out Dan's American."
"Wow, I would have never guessed that." I said running my eyes over the undecorated walls wondering if he had any kind of life outside studying. There are a series of trophies on the top shelf of the book case. The first one closest to his bed was a figurine swinging a bat. Next, was a trophy in the form of a soccer ball that was mounted on a plaque. The other three trophies are variations of the first one.
"Hold on, it says here that he's only thirteen." Jeremy said with a perplexed look on his face, "He looks a lot older than that, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, you're right he looks like he's...fifteen or sixteen." I replied. Jeremy set the passport back in the closet and closed the door.
My eyes wandered back over to the door of the room. I looked at both beds again, not looking for anything in particular. I guess I was trying to think; I can't really say for sure. There was something about them that just didn't seem right. 'Why are they so neat and orderly fashioned?' I thought, walking past Jeremy.
With a birds' eye view of the beds my eyes attention was captivated on the way the covers were made. Both beds had their covers touch the ground.
I peered under the bed on my left-hand side and found only darkness. However, when I revealed the contents of the right-hand side bed I found a gray suitcase. I pulled it into the light for a better look. It had a four digit combination lock on it and shimmered from the rays of sunlight seeping in from the window. The contents must have weighted at least fifty pounds because I had to call Jeremy over to help me drag it out.
"Do you think you could pick it?" asked Jeremy. I examined the exterior. Specifically, I was looking at the way the suitcase was closed and was looking for any areas that I could exploit.
"Not without breaking it first," I replied, "There's no way I could insert a paper clip in or anything without the combination. I wonder what's in here."
"Well, if you can't open it then let's put it back." I nodded and we simultaneously hid the metallic suitcase under the bed. After we made the covers touch the ground again I moved back to the computer desk.
"Have you looked at the papers on his desk? What are they?" Jeremy said as I picked up my can of pop and read the paper underneath it.
"This is a letter from the Reed Corporation. Do you know what that is?"
"No, what's it say?"
"Dear Daniel, we are pleased to hear that you have decided to move into town. Please stop by our lab anytime you wish. Signed, Professor Helen."
"I guess I have to do some research on that corporation." Jeremy said as he probed the book case above the paper-weighted desk, "Let's see what we have here." I watched as he carefully plucked a red book from the shelf and started reading, "I found his diary. Okay, Odd, keep the door unlocked and let's go back to your dorm and see what we can find in this."
A/N: One last thing, it might be a while (7-9 days, maybe) before I update this story so just hold on tight and please review (I love feedback)! Thanks.