Chapter Seventeen
"...What...?" The girl's eyes saddened as she gazed at him, causing him to shift uncomfortably. She took a step towards him, and he unconsciously stepped back. She sighed.
"So it has begun..."
"What? What's begun?" asked Od, eyeing the distance between them warily. "And what's wrong with Orrick?"
"It's Xana--"
"Xana!" interrupted Od, his eyes wide with surprise. "How do you know about Xana!" he frowned, "Who are you, exactly!" The girl frowned in frustration at being interrupted.
"I really wish you guys would stop that so I can tell you!" she objected, taking the blonde by surprise. "Xana is planning on infecting you and your friends with viruses that stay, even after you deactivate a tower! He's planning on breaking you apart--one by one! He's already infected you, Od!" Od started in surprise.
"Me?" he asked uncertainly. "What do you mean I've been infected? I feel just fine!"
"What I told Orrick before was wrong. The viruse reacts to a person differently...it doesn't only rid the person of everything pertaining to love, it searches for its host's worse fear that has to do with the mind or heart, and makes it come true..."
"I still don't see--"
"Your worse fear is forgetting about your love for Orrick!" she interrupted, bringing a confused frown on his face. "You've always been open and outgoing with people, and the virus made you withdraw from contact with other people! See!" She proceeded to grab his arm, causing Od to flinch at the contact. He jerked his arm, trying to get away, but she held on tight. "Do you see what I mean, now?"
"Let go of me!"
"Not until you see, Od," she replied, her voice earily calm. "The only way to overcome the virus, is to--" The ground shook violently, sending every standing person to the floor as screams echoed within the cafeteria. Od banged harshly against the bleachers, as the girl crashed into a nearby wall. The punch table toppled over, spilling the liquid on the floor.
Od sat up, rubbing his head where it had hit the bleachers, and searched for the girl. She seemed fine, despite the fact that she had hit the wall so violently. She merely stood up, and headed over to the blonde. Od felt his heart beat quicken in slight aprehension and fear, and his breath caught in his throat, but he didn't know why; he only knew he didn't want her touching him again.
The girl stopped three feet away from Od, and her body slowly began to digitize and fade away. Od glanced around; no one else seemed to notice. He turned his attention back on the girl, confusion on his face.
"You never answered my question: who are you, and how do you know Xana!" he asked, sounding more irritated then he truly felt.
"My name is Vanessa," she replied softly, her eyes beginning to water as her hands disappeared, "and Xana is my creator." Od's eyes widened at the unexpected response. Tears began streaming down her face, and a small sob escaped her throat. "No matter how much I love him, what he's doing is wrong... I had to stop it any way I could..."
"Wait a minute, back up," said Od, his voice strained. "I don't know what you're talking about! What's love!" Vanessa bowed her head.
"That's for you to figure out," she said. The only part of her body left were her torso and her head. "Now listen carefully, Od: the only way to delete the virus is to overcome what it has made you do or forget. Deactivating towers may stop the earthquakes, but it only activates the virus. Please Od..." Before she could say another word, she disappeared completely, leaving a confused and baffled blonde behind.
Od sat there for another few minutes, unaware of the earthquakes shaking the ground, before slowly turning his head so that he could see Orrick's sleeping face. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 'If that's how the virus works...what is Orrick's greatest fear...?'
Aelita reached the tower, and immediately swam inside. Yumi stayed behind, eyeing the Sharks swimming lazily about in confusion and aprehension. Aelita proceeded towards the middle of Xana's symbol. She floated upwards, towards the second platform. She landed timidly on it, and walked towards the middle once again. A screen appeared in front of her, and she laid her palm upon it. Her hand's imprint stayed for a moment, before disappearing, to be replaced by her name, only to be replaced once again by 'CODE:'. She typed in 'LYOKO', and closed her eyes, as everything around her started to slow down.
"Return to the past, now," said Jeremy, pressing the 'enter' button. A bright bulb engulfed everything, before disappearing completely.
Yumi stretched her arms, a deep frown on her face. "I'm really getting tired of this. I have to go to the dance again, tonight." Jeremy sighed, but smiled wearily at her.
"Let's find Orrick and Od," he said. "I'm still worried." Yumi smiled at him.
"I bet they're in the cafeteria already." 'I hope,' she added silently to herself as they continued down the hall towards the cafeteria for breakfast. After they got their trays, they headed towards their usual table. They noticed that someone was missing, and worry etched their faces.
"Where's Orrick?" asked Jeremy, almost dreading the answer, as he and Yumi sat down. Od blinked at them, as if he hadn't noticed them approach. He scooted back in his seat, causing Yumi's expressiong to sadden.
"Um...he's back in our room," he replied slowly and uncertainly. "He's still asleep, and won't wake up." Yumi bit her lip, worry crossing her face once more.
"It's almost unheard of for him to sleep in," she said. "I hope he's alright..."
"He could just have caught something..." Jeremy sharply turned his gaze on Od, causing the latter to flinch.
"Like a virus?" he asked, stressing the word slowly and pointedly.
"Ah..."
"What is it, Od?" asked Yumi, leaning forward in her seat slightly. "What's wrong with him?" Something rose inside of Od's chest, and he immediatly felt annoyed and irritated at the Japanese girl before him.
"Why the hell should you care?" he bit out, taking his friends by surprise. "You broke his heart without a second thought, and now you're worried about him!" Yumi's jaw dropped, and Jeremy's eyes looked as if they were ready to pop out. Everyone seated near their table turned in their seat curiously at the outburst. Od breathed deeply, and blinked in horror. 'Where the hell did that come from...!' "I'm so sorry, Yumi. I don't know where the came from. I didn't mean it like that..."
"I-it's ok, Od," replied Yumi, though her voice shook. Jeremy studied his blonde friend curiously, not seeming as angry and surprised as he should've been. 'I wonder...' he thought to himself, just as Od noticed his scrutiny.
"Is something wrong?" Jeremy shook his head.
"Are you guys done with your breakfast yet?" he asked. He recieaved two nods. "Let's go check on Orrick..." The trio stood up, descarded their trays, and headed for the soccer player's room. They reached the door, and Od unlocked it. They entered the room, and found Orrick sleeping in his bed.His skin was paler, and sweat was poring from his forehead, but other than that, he looked to be fine.
"Did Xana do this?" Jeremy asked softly. Od only nodded, and sat down on his own bed. Yumi knelt down beside Orrick's sleeping form, and brushed his bangs away from his sweaty forehead. She noticed his body temperature changed dramatically, not unlike Od's when he was the one in a coma. She bit her lip worriedly, but otherwise didn't react. Jeremy turned to Od expectantly, and the latter sighed, drawing his knees up to his chest.
"While we were locked up in the gym at the dance while you guys were at the factory," he started, closing his eyes to rest them, "Orrick lost consciousness, and I met a girl named Vanessa. It turns out Xana is her creator, and she trying anything she can to stop his plan..."
"What is his plan, exactly?" Yumi asked quietly, slowly turning her head so she could see the seemingly unaffected blonde on the bed.
"Vanessa said he's planning on infecting all of us with the virus," Od replied, a deep frown on his face as he studied his best friend's dormant face. "He's planning on separating us... She told me...she told me he infected me first..." he raised his eyes to look at Jeremy, "is that true...?" Jeremy turned away, and sighed.
"Yes, I'm afraid," he replied. Od looked back at Orrick's face again.
"Oh..." Silence reigned inside the room, but Yumi never thought anything could be louder. It pounded in her ears, almost as if mocking her. She shut her eyes, stood up, and turned away from Orrick. "...Vanessa said that what she told Orrick about the virus was wrong..." Jeremy and Yumi jerked slightly at the unexpected sound of Od's voice.
"What do you mean?" asked Yumi, the first to recover.
"She said the virus affects the person differntly," continued Od. "It searches for its host's greatest fear that has to do with his mind or heart, and makes it reality..." Od tightened his hold on his knees. "She said my greatest fear...was forgetting the love I felt for..." his eyebrows furrowed, and he lowered his face, "for..." Yumi watched him expectantly, but Jeremy looked away.
"You don't have to continue, if you don't want to," said the blonde genius. Od relaxed somewhat, and smiled slightly out of gratitude. Yumi sat down in a nearby chair wearily, and Jeremy studied Od's fetal position, a pained expression on his face. "Did she tell you anything else...?" A nod. "What did she tell you...?" Od glanced over at Kiwi, envy evident in his eyes, as he slept contentedly on his pillow, not a care in the world.
"...She said the only way to beat the virus is to overcome the obstacle it placed in us..."
"What does that mean...?" asked Yumi, staring at her folded hands in her lap.
"It means," started Jeremy, "that Od has to overcome his fear of human contact and remember what love is for him to return to normal..." Yumi laughed humorlessly.
"That's going to be a piece of cake," she stated wryly. "There's no way to explain love...it's just something you have to feel for yourself." Od pulled his knees closer to his chest, trying to make himself smaller if possible.
"I think...I'm beginning to understand..." he said quietly, but his two friends heard it loud and clear as if he had yelled at them. Yumi raised her head, Jeremy turned to the other blonde, and they both watched him hopefully. "I think...I'm beginning to remember what 'love' is..." Od stared at Orrick's sleeping face sadly, and sighed. 'If that's the only way for me to get rid of this virus...I'm not so sure I can do it...' he looked away from his best friend, 'I'm not even sure I want to...I remember feeling so miserable before...'
Before he could go on, a small moan sliced through the sudden silence. Od looked back at Orrick, but didn't move from his spot. Orrick turned his head to the side slightly, and moaned softly. In an instant, Yumi had risen from her seat and was kneeling beside him, as was Jeremy.
"Orrick?" called Jeremy, worry seeping into his voice. The three teens watched with baited breath as Orrick's eyes fluttered open. Small smiles appeared on Yumi's and Jeremy's faces as the brunette turned to look at them.
"Yumi? Jeremy? What are you guys doing here?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse. He coughed to clear his throat.
"We came to check on you," replied Yumi, letting out her breath. "You had us worried sick."
"Do you feel ok?" asked Jeremy. Orrick slowly sat up, and checked everything. 'Ok...who am I? Orrick. How old am I? 14. Where am I? In my dorm room at boarding school. Yep, everything seems fine up here.'
"Yeah, I think so," Orrick replied finally. He looked passed his friends to find Od still sitting on his bed, knees pulled up against his chest in a fetal position. "I'm sorry, but...who are you?"