Lyoko/factory
Odd tripped and fell. The mini howlers were gaining rapidly. They were almost upon him when he reached up and grabbed a branch. He swing up high into the tree, not once wondering why there was a tree in the desert region. The mini howlers rumbled along below. –What are those things?—Odd asked himself for the fiftieth time as he waited for the herd to pass.
In the tower
"Jordan, you said something about 'it has begun', right?" Jordan nodded. "Well then, what does it mean?" Yumi asked again. "I'm not very sure. Its like a memory that's not mine. It just sorta came out." Aelita puzzled over this for a second. "I think you have access to X.A.N.A.'s memories. If you want, I think I could get the whole memory to show on a screen, that way all of us could watch." Jordan nodded and they proceeded to the top floor.
Verdana's flash back
I remember when I first laid eyes on the world I was supposed to protect. Chaos and destruction rained down upon what was left of once mighty trees and rolling plains. The mountains were silhouettes in the fiery sunlight. Just having been called into full existence, this world was horrible and definitely not the place I wanted to be. It scared me and I looked for comfort. I knew that I wasn't the first anti-virus to work this system. I had known my older brother for about a year before he became an anti-virus and left the half-existence we had lived in. I've never told any one why he left, nor why the betrayal hurt so much. We were both programs first created to inhabit the world, but the viruses came and our creation was delayed. Then the creator conscripted a few programs for change. My family of sorts. We were modified to fight viruses. Everyone before me had disappeared, except my brother. He turned into a virus of sorts himself. This was the most painful memory of all. I found out it was him, who was inciting the viruses and causing most of the destruction. He left when he saw me, presumably to some other world or system. I never saw him again.
End Flash back
In or around China
"I see you haven't changed a bit sis." "I see you have become even more viral and you're shorter than I recall." Verdana sent back an angry retort. "Do you still follow the way the creator made you follow?" "No, I choose to help others. I'm not selfish and evil like you. How could you do that me?" "Evil is a strong word, I prefer to think of myself as unorthodox. Anyway, evil is a point of view. The people that serve me think I'm good and you're evil." The irony of this caught Verdana off guard. "There you go again, getting surprised at the simple facts of life. Anyway, I bet you'd like to know what I need your blood for, wouldn't you?" Verdana bit her lip and refused to answer. "I know you would, but I won't tell you because I want it to be a surprise." He laughed and walked out of the room. "Who was that?" Jeremy asked having not understood. "My brother", Verdana said in a dejected voice, "Manuel. At least that was his real name; I haven't the foggiest idea what he's called now." Jeremy nodded as if he understood, noticing Verdana's reluctance to talk about it. In fact it only made it all the more confusing to Jeremy. - - Her brother? But that doesn't make any sense. Why is he hurting us?- - Verdana closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. She gave a long lingering sigh and fought to keep back the tears. Remembering she could heal herself, she began to glow green. Then she reached over and healed Jeremy.
In Lyoko
"There, its all set up. Now lets see that memory." Aelita said lightly, trying to help improve the mood. Jordan nodded and sat down in front of the screen. He wrinkled his brow remembering and concentrating. "Should it be taking this long?" asked Yumi. "Don't rush me. Ever try to get someone else's memory?" Jordan replied sarcastically and returned to concentrating. An image appeared flickering on the screen. The image stabilized itself and Jordan's eyes flew open. They were totally white. He began to narrate.
X.A.N.A.'s memory
The Shadow walked up with an odd look on his face. "Here's the thing", he said putting his arm over my shoulder, "I'm trying to make a war that will destroy all the other viruses and anti-viruses. If you help me, I'll let you live." I nodded, war was one of my specialities. I asked him what I would receive as payment. He laughed, a bitter, hollow sound full of cruelty. "Your life. You have twenty four hours to give me your answer. After that, I'll assume that you're against me and I'll kill you personally." That liar! I found out later that he would kill all of us any way. I also found out he destroyed the rest of his family. I vowed to myself right then, to give him war; give him hell. I wouldn't go down without a fight. But then, he vanished, without putting his plan into action. Later that day I would find out why. It was the only one with the power to destroy him, his little sister. Indevrigo. The one family member he failed to kill. She came out and imprisoned us. I barely managed to escape to this new system, named Lyoko, without her tracking me. I've been waiting for the moment his creatures will show up and destroy me. I still hold to that vow I made years ago. I'll give him hell before I die.
End memory
"Well, that's been educational. I wonder if Verdana knows?" Aelita was the first to recover. Yumi was sitting there stunned and Jordan was blinking and shaking his head. "I never knew." Yumi said softly. "Ulrich, I hope you saw that memory." Jordan said. "I don't think I could do that again." Ulrich's voice came. "Yeah, I saw it. That was horrible. It sounds familiar, but I can't quite place where it came from." "How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Aelita asked. "Based on what I see...forever. Those things will overrun the whole of Lyoko in about another ten minutes, give or take a few."
Outside the tower
- -Hmm. Those things just keep coming. I wonder what's up with that.- - Noticing that there was another break in the waves, Odd jumped out of the tree and began to race toward the tower. He ran and was suddenly pulled back by the tree. The branches caught him and pulled him back. "What the hell!" Odd exclaimed. Then he realized that it wasn't where it was supposed to be. He was in the desert region and trees were supposed to be in the forest region. - -Uh oh- - was his very last thought before everything went black.