10-4: Mistake

I'm updating pretty quick, huh? I'll dedicate this chapter to Lyokolady for being such a great reviewer. It's all yours!

(((-4-)))

Odd stared at Janika in disbelief. "No way…you can't be leaving!"

She wouldn't meet his eyes, one hand nervously knotting her braid around her wrist. "Do you really think I would do this to you guys out of spite? Look, I need to sit down and relax. Maybe have a drink or something."

"You can't have alcohol!"

"I meant more like cocoa. Hey, maybe I'll see you before I go away." She gave him a quick hug before heading off the school grounds.

(V)

The weather was frigid, but Mekri didn't seem to mind despite the fact that only a few threads seemed to be holding the whole outfit together. Maybe her element kept her warm.

Ulrich walked into a coffee shop and sat down at a booth in front of the windows. Hopefully one of the gang would see him and realize what was going on, but in the meantime he was stuck with Mekri. He treated her politely and she enjoyed his attentions.

He happened to glance over at one point and saw Janika sitting nearby, sipping cocoa and glancing distractedly out the front window. She was twisting a loose strand of hair around one finger and biting her lip.

"Mekri, why don't I get you something nice to drink? You can relax here while I go order it, all right? I promise I'll be right back."

She smiled and nodded, allowing him to leave. The dark-haired teenager stood in line and found himself close enough to speak with his friend.

"Psst, Janika! We've got big trouble here! I'm trapped with a Pawn right over there," he said gesturing toward the table.

"Isn't that Sissy?" Janika glanced back at him and smiled apologetically. "Uh, I know that I look—"

"Who is this?" the Pawn stormed, appearing beside Ulrich and staring at the girl there with jealousy.

Ulrich gulped. "Mekri! This is your friend. You don't want to hurt her."

She glared at Janika, murder in her eyes. "I know you. My Master told me to kill you. I won't harm my Ulrich, but I have no misgivings about you!"

She raised a hand and Janika jerked back instinctively, but Ulrich grabbed Mekri and they both fell to the floor together. She didn't resist him as he pinned her down, only appearing hurt as her true love 'betrayed' her.

"Get your mitts off my girl!" someone yelled.

Ulrich looked up just in time to get punched in the face by Herb. Mekri gasped in shock, her eyes turning red with a fiery light.

"Uh oh…" Janika muttered right before a small explosion in the tiles just beneath the pot-marked kid's feet blew up, tossing him into a table on the other side of the shop. The stench of burnt hair and melted plastic filled the shop and several people cried out.

Janika hunkered under her table beside Ulrich as he held his bleeding nose. "I take it that was Sissy's doing."

"Mekri's actually. Sissy should be on Lyoko by now. Oh no!"

Janika looked completely incredulous. "What?"

"Yumi's at the door! If Mekri sees her, she'll attack for sure."

He gestured wildly at the Japanese girl to leave, but Yumi ignored him, intent on Mekri alone. And the Pawn had spotted her.

"Another Warrior?" She grinned with malice. "My Master will not be wholly displeased with my actions."

The girl at the door glowered, crossing her arms over her chest as if to gather something to herself before throwing them out quickly, and a solid, near-invisible barrier pressing outward appeared. Mekri braced herself, pushing her hands forward to form a flaming shield. It absorbed most of Yumi's telekinetic energy until she was forced to break the attack off.

One hand went to the girl's head and she leaned against a table, glancing over toward Ulrich to mouth something. More people were screaming by now. One person said something like, "See, Meredith! This is what you get when you complain about cheap French entertainment!"

Mekri's grin twisted into a sneer and a ball of fire blossomed in the air between her hands. With a cry of passionate hatred, she threw it at her enemy.

Janika tried to dart forward to help, but Ulrich grabbed her ankle. She attempted to kick him loose, but he wouldn't let go. The fireball flew toward Yumi and she looked up right on cue. Just as it was about to strike her, a shield appeared. It bounced straight back at the Pawn and Mekri's eyes widened just before she was thrown back behind the counter by her own assault.

The Japanese girl looked over at her friends. "Get out of here! I can take care of her. Once Aelita deactivates the Tower she'll be back to normal, so the sooner the better. Get going, you two!"

Ulrich yanked Janika to her feet. "Let's go!"

"I can't! I don't even know—"

He turned on her. "You want to come on your own or should I leave you to deal with that?"

"I'm coming," she answered, glancing back at the counter.

(V)

Jeremy turned as the elevator opened. He had just located the large black Megatank and both Towers, oddly enough, which were near each other in the Desert Region. Janika and Ulrich stepped out and he raised his eyebrows curiously.

"I thought you wouldn't be here, Janika. According to Odd you were…indisposed? He wasn't very clear on what happened between you two."

"Plans change," she shrugged, looking around the room with cool disposition before grinning suddenly. "So are we gonna do this or what?"

He gestured to the elevator. "Odd and Aelita are being transferred now. Why don't you guys go down there too? I'm still trying to calm Sissy down. She's flipping out and thinks she's having a nightmare."

He worked on the transfer while muttering, "Yes Sissy, I know it's terrible and you just finished getting a pedicure—" shudder "—but as long as you keep absolutely still and don't do anything rash you'll be fine and back in your body real soon, okay? Just imagine rainbow-colored ponies."

Janika let Ulrich lead the way and she kept very quiet. She had hardly spoken a word since the coffee shop. It was very uncharacteristic of her, but he was too preoccupied worrying about Yumi to ask what was bothering her. The doors split open and they entered the lowest level. She watched the dark-haired boy go into a scanner as it opened for him, and then did the same.

Upstairs Jeremy went through all the familiar motions and virtualized them both, but even as they appeared in Lyoko, a red exclamation point and warning signals flared around Janika's profile. The blonde computer operator skimmed the information and his mouth dropped open.

"No way…this is impossible!"

(V)

They virtualized behind some sheltering rocks and Ulrich landed neatly on his feet. Janika, on the other hand, fell flat on her face. She bean to rub her jaw as she stood up, but stopped when she caught sight of her hands and the cheetah spots on her skin. She stared at herself with amazement, marveling especially at her tail.

"Whoa, now this is freaky, but it feels so real! What kind of place is this?"

She finally saw the others' serious expressions and started as Ulrich's katana appeared centimeters from her throat in less than the blink of an eye.

"Who are you?"

The other kid in purple aimed his arm at her, glaring with something that seemed more than suspicion. Aelita stood behind them, ready to bolt in case she tried to attack.

But the girl that looked like Janika held up her hands disarmingly. "I guess I got caught, huh?"

"Guys?" Jeremy's voice came over. "There is definitely something wrong with Janika."

"I think we figured that out on our own," Odd informed him dryly.

"Hey kid, you'll put someone's eye out with that thing," she told Ulrich. He didn't move and she swallowed nervously as he frowned. "Okay, okay, I'll come clean. I'm her twin sister, Jira."

(V)

Janika checked her watch again. "Man, where is that stupid bus?"

"Are you waiting for one?" a young woman in a business suit wondered.

"Yeah, the 2884 from out of town."

"It came and left about fifteen minutes ago. You look familiar. Didn't you get off?"

"You've got to be kidding me! Awww, man! I told her to stay put. She never listens to me!" she muttered, beginning to walk away and ignoring the woman's inquiring gaze. "I'm gonna kill her. I'm going to tear the lungs out of her chest and mash them into ground beef to make a hamburger, and then I'll go to work on her!"

She twisted around as there came several explosions in rapid succession a couple blocks away. "Nuh uh! This is insane!"

Breaking into a run, she began to rush toward the clamor. It didn't take her long to get there and see what was left of the coffee shop. People were running in all directions, several taking snapshots on cameras of a pair that had crashed through the front window of the store: Yumi and Sissy.

They were both screaming something about Ulrich not liking the other. The Pawn threw fireballs while the Japanese girl used her Telekinesis to block and attack the other. She somehow managed to clout Mekri on the side of her head and glanced over, catching sight of Janika.

"What are you still doing here?" she shouted, breathing heavily. "I told you and Ulrich to get to Lyoko and help Aelita!"

"You didn't tell me squat!" the girl with a long braid shouted back. "I've been waiting for my—son of a beandip!" She took off at a dead run for the factory.

Well, was that enough of a plot twist? Never thought she had a twin sister, did ya? I know it takes the spotlight off Mekri and Yumi, but all they're really doing is fighting. Can you guess what'll happen next?
Poll: out of curiosity, what would you do if you won the lottery? (if you want to follow Ulrich's unselfish example, fine w/ me)