To my dear and beloved reviwers:

Dude of dudeness...ing- I am basing my knowledge of their Lyoko fighting skills on the episode "Amnesia", where Odd had to re-teach Ulrich how to fight. They gain the ability to fight in Lyoko, but they still have to know how to use it. Sissy has the ability to use her kusarigama now, but she has to be taught how to use it. It's kind of like singing- you are capable of doing it, but you have to be taught to use your diaphram and how to project.

Trake-Okay, you do have me on the Jim thing (and Jim fighting Yumi-chan for Ulrich is a scary thought). However, it has been implied that Sissy knows something about what is going on, according to Yumi in the episode Logbook, and in the episode "Holiday in the Fog" where she askes Jeremie why he doesn't get his friend "X.A.N.A" to help him (as if!). In any case, for story purposes at least, let us assume that she has some limited knowledge of Lyoko.

Palantiri- See my above response, and to your second question: Sissy is pretty much in shock right now. The idea that ball launchers are running loose on the campus combined with the idea of a virtual world has her mind pretty much in overload. That, combined with the fact that Yumi inadvertantly insulted her have Sissy distacted at the moment.

Theresina Dragonwagon: Sissy will be formidable...you'll see. In any case, I might end up being lucky that I don't have a car yet, lol!

Winner Take All By Ransomed Heart

I do not own Code Lyoko

"May the best man win"
"I intend to"
-Speedy and Robin, respectively (Teen Titans episode #22)

Chapter Two: Bring It On

"I think we're here!" Yumi ducked behind a tree stealthily. Sissy froze on the path.

"Wow, there's so many," she breathed.

"Hide!" Yumi dragged her behind the tree sharply, making sure to cover the younger girl's mouth before she squealed. "Three Crabs, three Megatanks, three Hornets and two Roaches. X.A.N.A. might have us this time."

"No kidding," Jeremie said dryly from above. "You two certainly have your work cut out for you."

Yumi drew her fan and ran a pale finger along the edge, testing it's sharpness. Sissy drew her sickle and looked slightly uncertain as she sized up the monsters. "I assume you will be keeping score for us, Jeremie?"

A sigh from above. "Do I have a choice?" Yumi didn't respond.

The Roaches and Hornets appeared to be on patrol, as well as two of the Megatanks and two of the Crabs. The other monsters were blasting away at the tower, unconcerned with any possible threat. The tower was taking a serious beating, and Yumi wasn't sure how long it was going to last.

"We have to do this now," she hissed to Sissy. "Are you ready?"

The younger girl had taken on a look of pale shock that the sight of the monsters. Yumi turned her and peered into her eyes. "You aren't going to curl up in a fetal position and chant 'it's all a dream' over and over, are you?"

Sissy shook her head fiercely. "Let's do this."

"Follow my lead, and remember to aim for the eye symbol on the monsters." Yumi readied her fan and lunged out from behind the tree.

"Hiiyaa!" One Crab exploded as Yumi's fan made contact. "Bull's eye!"

A Roach had approached Sissy and was preparing to fire. The principle's daughter dove to one side and threw her kusarigama, hitting the symbol and looking shocked as the monster vanished. "Wow," she breathed.

"Tied at one," Jeremie announced. "Have I mentioned that I don't like this? It will only lead to trouble."

Both girls ignored him, and were honing in on the swarm of Hornets that had approached. Yumi clasped her fan shut and with a mighty leap into the air drove it home into one Hornet's symbols like a dagger. She cried out in pain as another hornet's stinger caught her in the shoulder.

Yumi fell, sprawling. "Careful, Yumi," Jeremie cautioned. "Don't try any crazy moves! You have to save Aelita! You can't just go tossing your life points around like that!"

The teen bit back a harsh retort, reminding herself sharply that Jeremie was only looking out for her, in his own, somewhat pushy way. As much as Yumi resented his remarks, she knew he meant the best for her. "That's enough, Jeremie! I've got it, okay? It's not like I've never done this before, I know the risks and the stakes."

"But are these stakes enough to push you too far?" The blonde boy's words were soft, and rang on deaf ears. Yumi had turned back to the battle, shutting out everything but her enemies. Jeremie shook his head. "I hate to be the wet blanket up here, but this just seems wrong somehow," he murmured.

Sissy had destroyed the other Roach and was ducked behind a tree, kusarigama ready to take out one of the Hornets. She sprang out to take it down, but Yumi was suddenly there, fan whirring and slicing the Hornet in half through the eye symbol before Sissy's weapon reached it. Sissy shot Yumi an annoyed look, but said nothing.

"Yumi leads by one," Jeremie intoned. It may not be the best motivation, he though grimly, but at least they are destroying the monsters. "Sissy, behind you!"

"Eeeak!" Sissy squealed and turned, finding herself standing before a Megatank that had rolled up behind her.

"Get out of the way," Yumi called out, catching her fan as it returned from a failed strike at a Hornet. (A/N For anyone keeping track, that leaves them with three Megatanks, one Hornet, and two Crabs)

Seeming to not hear her, Sissy raised her sickle and launched it. The Megatank was charging up for a blast, but the kusarigama made contact. Sissy yanked the chain back as the behemoth rolled away and exploded. "I did it," she squealed in excitement.

"Whoa," Jeremie breathed. "Not too shabby, Sissy."

"Lucky shot," Yumi said, trying to sound casual. It seemed utterly impossible that Sissy, of all people, could take down a Megatank her first time in merely one shot.

"Call it what you want," Sissy gloated, "But I'm still tied with you, Yumi."

"Don't celebrate just yet," Yumi cautioned. "There're still six monsters left. One Megatank is impressive for a beginner like you, but two more? Maybe you should just have Jeremie devirtualize you know to spare yourself the pain and embarrassment." The geisha wore a smirk at the almost pleasant thought of Sissy giving up.

"What's the matter, scared of a little competition, Yumi?" Sissy's voice had taken on a sickly-sweet tone. "I don't think it's me that's going to be embarrassed when this little adventure is over."

"We'll see about that," Yumi spat back.

"Um, ladies? Can I suggest you beat the remaining Hornet before it attacks you!" Jeremie's voice broke the tension and snapped the teens back to business.

Yumi looked around. "Two Crabs, two Megatanks, and one Hornet remaining. Not bad."

Sissy leapt away as the Hornet fired at her. "Hey you stupid bug-thing! I dare you to try that again!"

Yumi suppressed a snicker as the Hornet obliged, smacking Sissy square in the chest. The ninja fell back, but was still alive. She muttered a string of words under her breath and inspected herself for damage.

"I wouldn't tempt them, Sissy," Jeremie said gently. He didn't want to incur the wrath of the uber-competetive girls any more than he had to at this point in their little game.

Yumi tossed her fan and sliced the Hornet through it's symbol.

"I could have killed it, you know!" Sissy was on her feet and giving Yumi a peeved look.

"Then I guess I saved you the trouble," the geisha shot back, clipping her fan together in annoyance.

Sissy gave a haughty sniff and sprinted off towards the Crab that was fast approaching. Her sickle whirred over her head and sailed to connect soundly with the symbol on the monster.

"Nice shot," Jeremie praised. "Tied at four with three monsters to go."

"Jeremie!" Aelita's panicked voice cut in as her head popped up on another screen. "Please hurry, the tower is going to fall soon, I can feel it!"

Jeremie nodded at her. "Alright, Aelita. Just hold out a bit longer, the girls only have three monsters left."

"I'll try, Jeremie," the A.I. promised, and the screen vanished.

"Yumi, Sissy," Jeremie called down to the warriors. "The tower can't last too much longer! For the sake of Aelita and the world, you had better hurry it up!"