Chapter 8

Yumi sighed and washed her hands. The place she had run off to was the bathroom. She had sat in there for a while, trying to clear her thoughts. This was a really stupid thing to argue about. Why did she join into Odd and Ulrich's fight? She decided the only logical thing to do; she would become neutral like Jeremy and Aelita.

"I should apologize to them, Ulrich and Odd included." She said to herself and left the bathroom.

She heard screams and looked to the direction they were coming from. Jeremy, Aelita and Aki came running around the corner.

"Yumi! Run!" Jeremy yelled, grabbing Yumi's arm.

Yumi started to run and Jeremy let go of her arm. "Why are we running?" She asked.

"To get away from that!" Aelita yelled pointing to the monster behind them that rounded a corner.

Yumi turned her head and her eyes widened. She quickened her pace slightly.

"Jeremy! What is that thing!" She yelled to him. "Is it Xana?"

Jeremy nodded. "I think so. We need to get to the factory now!"

Yumi and Aelita nodded. Aki looked at them with a look of complete confusion.

"Xana? Factory? What are you talking about? Do you know what that thing chasing us is?" Aki asked.

Jeremy looked away, not sure of how to explain this. He saw that everyone had finally noticed the beast. Students were screaming and running. The building was in chaos, everyone running for the best way to get out and run for safety. He figured that they would need to return to the past anyways, so Aki wouldn't remember a thing he showed and told her.

Jeremy sighed. "I'll explain when we get there. First thing's first, we've got to get out of here, then warn Odd and Ulrich."

Aki frowned, but decided it would be better and nodded. They ran and saw an empty classroom.

"We'll go in there. It should buy us a bit of time!" Yumi yelled, Jeremy agreed.

The four ran into the room and shut the door. They paused to catch their breaths. The sound of the creature clawing at the door reminded them that they were still in danger.

"Come on. No time to rest." Jeremy called, hoping out the window. Aelita, and Yumi hoped out right after. Aki looked back at the door.

"That's so scary…" She muttered under her breath and hoped out after them. They ran into the woods and stopped. "Now where?" Aki asked before Yumi opened a manhole.

"Down here, hurry." Yumi replied hopping down the hole. Aki sighed and hopped down after them.

Jeremy had Aki ride on a scooter with Aelita, and he grabbed the second scooter they had gotten of Aelita. Yumi grabbed a skateboard and they were off. They rushed down the corridors of the sewer and stopped. They climbed up a ladder and came out in front of a big factory.

"Woh! It's huge!" Aki commented as she followed the three into the building.

They swung down by ropes and entered an elevator. The doors closed and the elevator went down. When it stopped they were at a room with a huge computer in the middle. Aki was completely astonished.

"Come on, Aki. We get off here." Jeremy said, getting off. Aki followed him off and the elevator shut.

"What about the other two? Where are they going?" She asked.

Jeremy sat on a chair that spun around the big computer, Aki followed. They stopped in front of a screen.

"They'll be virtualized onto the virtual planet Lyoko." Jeremy replied.

Jeremy began to type on his computer as Aki's confused look returned. Jeremy decided he'd explain everything after they were all set up.

"The activated tower is in the polar region. I'm sending you there now." His voice echoed below. Below, Aelita and Yumi nodded, and stepped into the scanners.

Yumi's picture appeared on the screen. Followed by Aelita's.

"Transfer: Yumi. Transfer: Aelita. Scanner: Yumi. Scanner: Aelita. Virtualization!" Jeremy hit a button and an exclamation mark appeared on the screen. "Oh no! What's happend!"

Aelita Virtualized on Lyoko and looked around. "Jeremy? Where's Yumi?"

"She's not there?"

Aelita shook her head. "No. Jeremy? Did something go wrong?"

There was a pause before Jeremy responded.

"I don't know what happend! Everything went right and- I'm going to check the scanners. Stay hidden, alright?"

"Alright." Aelita responded and hid behind a boulder, waiting and worrying.

Jeremy rushed down to the scanners, with Aki stayed up by the computer. He forced open Yumi's scanner to find nothing.

"Oh no! Where could she be? What happend?" He called and rushed back up.

"Well? Did you find Yumi?" Aki asked concerned. Jeremy had only told her the little she needed to know for now.

Jeremy shook his head.He put on his headset. "Aelita?"

"Yes? Did you find her? Is she alright?"

"No! She wasn't there! I'm going to call Odd and Ulrich, then I'll try to find Yumi. Stay put."

"Alright. Please hurry."

Jeremy nodded and dialed a number on the screen. "Hurry up and answer, Ulrich!"

Aki looked at the elevator. "I'm going to go make sure everyone at school is alright!"

"Aki! Wait! It's dangerous!" Jeremy objected, but Aki got into the elevator.

"I'm not afraid." She said and the elevator closed.

Ulrich was laying on his bed, sulking. "How could Yumi be as dense as Odd? We looked up Lyookisho, and it doesn't even exist!"

He slamed his fist on the wall and his phone rang. He grabbed it and saw it was from the factory. He turned it on. "Jeremy?"

"Ulrich! You've got to get over to the factory now! Xana's launched an attack, something went wrong and Yumi's gone, and now Aki's left to try and stop the monster! You've got to hurry!"

"Yumi's missing? Alright. I'm on my way. Wait, Jeremy?"

"What is it?"

"Do you think... Do you think Xana could do something to someone that would affect them after the return to the past?"

. . . I suppose it is possible.

"Arlight. I'm coming." He hung up the phone and clentched his fists. "I'm such a fool! This morning with Yumi, it was something Xana did to her before. It was something he did to her when he held her captive! Why didn't I see it before?"

He shook his head in anger and ran out the door. He was lucky enough to be on the other side of the school than the dog was and quickly and easily made it to the woods. Unlike Odd.

Odd sat in a tree, dangling his foot off the edge. He couldn't believe Ulrich's bull-headedness. He sighed and her his cell ring. He grabbed it and saw Jeremy's name flash. "Hey, Eistien. What do you need?"

"We don't have time, Odd. You need to hurry and get over to the factory. Xana's launched an attack."

Odd sighed. "Just once, can't he leave us alone?"

"Odd."

"I'd really like to have time to enjoy being angry..."

"Odd!"

"I mean, doesn't he realize we have other stuff to-"

" ODD!"

"Ow! What?" He cringed at how loud Jeremy had yelled.

"Hurry! Aelita's all alone on Lyoko!"

"Okay, Okay! I'm coming!" He said and hung the phone up.

He jumped out of the tree and literally ran into some kids running and screaming.

"Woh! What's going on?" He asked, but his question was soon answered by an ugly dog running out. Xana's symbol flashed in it's eyes. "I think I found what it was that Xana did! Man!" He turned and ran.

And there, is chapter 8. I was thinking of doing more, but I'm sick of writing. (Stupid writing portion of Sophmore Testing)

I've got musical practice and I've got to go. I'll write a new chapter soon!