Please Be Warned! This part may contain intense scenes not intended for younger readers. Read at your own risk.

Dedicated to TigerChic121, American Kitty, Lyokolady, and all the others!

Part Four: Be Prepared

"Life, created out of love.

Death, created because of life.

Love, never created,

Always existed."

Chapter Forty-One: A Final Farewell

"Ladies and gentlemen," the principal announced over the D.J.'s microphone, "thank you all for making our first annual fall dance a success."

There was wild applause, but died down quickly. "We are here to celebrate the start of new school year, and we are here with our friends to do so. But we have to remember those friends who are not with us now.

"Perhaps you have seen outside the gym that there are three crosses. Around these crosses are toys, books, poems, and flowers; and all around the crosses are candles. If you would like to light a candle, please see Jim outside for the lighter.

"For you freshmen out there, this may be a new story for you. It was at the last spring dance when two of our beloved students mysteriously died by asphyxiation. Another student was hospitalized because he was in a coma, but he recently passed away. We speculate that there may have been a bombing of some kind, but we are not certain.

"Anyway, we are here to remember these three students' memories. My daughter Sissy, who is a junior here, will read the names of those deceased and hurt because of this mysterious attack." The room fell silent as Sissy took the microphone from her father.

"We salute those who were directly injured in the attacks at the last spring dance. Carina Tomir, junior. Harvey Slate, graduate…"

Odd was somewhat uncomfortable in his shirt and tie. He loosened it and glanced at Aelita, who was also clearly looking uncomfortable.

Nearby, Yumi sat at the punch bowl, wondering if anyone would love her, let alone dance with her.

And on the other side of the dance floor, Ulrich wrapped his arm around the waist of the red-head who he had been mysteriously hiding from the gang for so long.

"And now for those deceased. Turner Smith, freshman, died on the attack. Priscilla Ramon, senior, died on the attack. William Dunbar, junior, died on September 2nd of this year after being in a coma for many months. We salute you, Turner, William, and Priscilla. We will never forget you."

And from near the punch bowl, a slow clap began. It was a lone clap, but soon the entire dance floor began to clap faster and faster. Sissy turned off the microphone and wondered who on Earth would applaud for the three dead souls.

Chapter Forty-Two: The Voice of Reason

"Yeah, it was a fun dance, I thought," Yumi replied to Jeremie's comment while talking on their mobiles. She was walking home in the brisk autumn air alone, but still in Jeremie's company.

Jeremie clicked his tongue. "Well, you'll never drag me to any dance."

"Then why were you upset when Aelita asked Odd to the dance?"

There was a long pause. Yumi opened the door to her house quietly as to not disturb her sleeping mother.

"The point is, I don't want Aelita with anyone but me," Jeremie said quietly.

Yumi slowly trod up the stairs. "Do you think she really loves you?" she knew, knowing perfectly well what the answer was.

"I love her- shouldn't that count?" Yumi fell back on her bed and let out a long breath.

"That doesn't count. She has to love you too. Well, I got to go," she pulled off one of her high-heeled shoes. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Jeremie sighed on the other end. "Thanks for the, um, talk. It helped put things into perspective."

Yumi closed her eyes and smiled to herself. "Anything for a friend, Jeremie. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye." It was the saddest farewell she had ever heard.

Chapter Forty-Three: The Stars outside My Window

Aelita and Odd were the last ones other than the chaperones to leave the dance floor. From a distance, they appeared to be contemplating the universe as they walked slowly from the gym.

However the talk was as easy-going as it had been that previous summer in Paris. "You aren't upset at Jeremie, Odd?"

"No, he has every right to give me a black eye. But hey, it's nearly gone now!" he replied excitedly to Aelita's solemn question.

Aelita chuckled, and Odd asked this time, "Why?"
"I just don't want our friendships to be ruined, that's all," she defended. "And besides, I don't love Jeremie."

"Me neither," Odd joked. But when he saw Aelita wasn't laughing, he quickly changed his mood. "That's okay. Love is fleeting, always changing," he replied distantly.

"Are you in love?"

Odd shrugged and walked to a window near the doors to the outside. "I'm not sure," he said into the outside. The stars made the night a diamond blanket; it was so beautiful, and Aelita noted this too.

"And, Odd, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," she smiled without making eye contact at Odd but hardly looking at the crowded city of stars in the sky. He didn't say anything.

"I think I found true love."

Odd stumbled out of his trance at the stars and turned towards Aelita. "Where?"

She half-smiled so one of her dimples showed. "It's over there, but I think you just missed it!" she joked as she pointed outside and towards the star-studded sky.

Playing along with her joke, he turned around and leaned his hands on the windowsill. "I don't see it!"

"You don't need to," she whispered as she slipped her hand into his.

Chapter Forty-Four: Girl

"So this is my dorm," Ulrich opened the door slowly as he silently invited his guest in. The girl was a bit more outgoing; she bounced into the room causing the slinky black dress she was wearing to flutter outwards.

"I like it, Ulrich!" she giggled as she turned around quickly and landed on Ulrich's bed. Her hair was messy because she and Ulrich had been dancing, but he thought she looked sexy, not like any of the girls at Kadic.

He laughed at her. "You've got to be kidding me. This place is a dump! But I'm sure your dorm isn't much better."

She shook her head. "You've got that right!" Ulrich sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"It was a fun dance tonight, don't you think?" he gingerly touched her soft chin and led it so her eyes met his. She blushed under the surprise gesture.

"Yes," she whispered, "I had a wonderful time with you." She shivered happily as he pulled her body closer to hers. He could detect the faint smell of the same perfume as Yumi wore.

Why was he still remembering her? Okay, he tried to compose himself and focus on his date, I can do this. One kiss, I'll be head over heels for her. I'll forget all about Yumi. I don't need her.

He smiled nervously at the red-head. She hadn't seemed to notice any sign of distress from Ulrich.

Her large cobalt-blue eyes dimly reflected Ulrich's face in them. Another red curl fell out of her carefully arranged up-do as she quietly giggled again. He realized that he was close when he could count the freckles dotting her nose.

He closed his eyes and slowly cocked his head. This was his first kiss with her- well, their first kiss rather- and he didn't want to mess it up. The night was going so perfectly.

"Beep-beep-bada-beep!" chirped Ulrich's mobile from his pants pocket. Ulrich silently cussed at himself for not turning it on to silent mode.

The girl pulled back and let him answer it. "Ulrich here," he said grumpily.

"Ulrich, there's another activated tower on LYOKO! Come to the factory right now!"
Ulrich flipped over his wrist. It was near midnight. "I guess he doesn't wait for anyone, does he?"

Jeremie didn't respond right away. "Just get over here." Jeremie hung up first.

Ulrich got up to leave. "Wha- where are you going?" she looked as if she were about to cry.

"Um, I can't talk about it. Maybe later. Look, just nap here until I get back."

The girl got up off the bed quickly and stomped her petite feet. She was only five-foot-two compared to Ulrich's five-foot-seven, but that didn't mean her spirit was small.

Ulrich saw her freckled face scrunched up in anger. He felt bad about ditching her, so he ran back into the doorway and kissed her lightly without a fleeting glance.

She saw him running down the dormitory hallway and into the stairwell. "Bye, Ulrich!" she called out.

"Bye, Mariah!" he responded in the distance. Satisfied, she went back into the room and closed the door quietly.

Chapter Forty-Five: Girl Down

The entire gang arrived at the factory, ready to be devirtualized but still exhausted from the dance.

When the virtualization was completed, Jeremie informed them that he would get the vehicle to the forest to send them to sector-5 right away. "S-C-I-P-I-O…" he spelled out as he carefully typed in each letter. He pressed the "enter" key and said a happy, "Ta-da!"

"Thanks for the lift, Jeremie, but where is EVE-10?" inquired Yumi.

Jeremie sighed. "He's doing one last run before I give him upgrades. I'm sending him to sector-5 as soon as he's done in the mountain region. Well, off you go!"

The she-elf, the cat-boy, the samurai, and the geisha were whisked away into the center of LYOKO, known as sector-5.

"Okay, you know the drill," Jeremie said dryly overhead.

Odd didn't budge. "I'm sick of not being able to use vehicles here. Come on, Jeremie! Give us our stuff!"

"The clock is ticking…" Jeremie warned. "Fine, here you go," he relented while the vehicles appeared before their very eyes.

"Two minutes and forty-five seconds, guys! Hurry up!" And without another word, the teens zoomed into the all-blue world of sector-5.

"Oh, no…" Aelita moaned at what she saw. There were monsters everywhere, some she didn't even recognize. The button was on the other side of the large room. And to make matters worse, they were running out of time until the reconfiguration began.

Yumi paid no attention to Aelita's worries. She blindly hurled one of her steel fans while trying to steady the over-wing. Two mantas were taken out with that shot alone.

When she caught that last fan, she threw her other one with her right hand. She kept on driving the over-wing with one hand.

As the over-wing progressed on down the line, Yumi never stopped her pace of throw a fan, catch a fan, throw the other fan, and catch the other fan. It worked quite well.

"Good work, Yumi, but we're going to have to move faster if we're going to make it to the key in time!" Jeremie tried not to sound panicked.

"We?" asked Aelita incredulously. "The last time…"

Yumi's concentration was broken. With a gasp she realized that she hadn't caught the last fan she threw.

The two girls screamed as the over-wing crashed into the side of one block. They were devirtualized instantly.

Chapter Forty-Six: Much Needed Relief

"Uh, Jeremie? What was that?" Odd perked up as he heard the screams of Yumi and Aelita. He couldn't look in that direction because he was focused on shooting the random collection of monsters on the edge of his board.

Ignoring him, Jeremie replied, "You two have only one minute until reconfiguration- and stop getting hit, Ulrich!"

Ulrich grunted as he tried to stab at the mega-tank. The monster opened up and began to charge before it shot Ulrich.

"You have only ten life points left! I guess it's up to Odd to push the little button…" Jeremie said. Ulrich wasn't paying any attention to him.

He was struggling because he was weak, and he chucked his sword with all the strength he could muster.

By a sheer miracle, Ulrich's sword had destroyed the mega-tank. Ulrich collapsed onto the hard ground.

"Thirty seconds! Ulrich get up! You still have ten points left!" Jeremie urged.

Odd zoomed as fast as he could past Ulrich and made a beeline towards the key.

"Ulrich! Get up!" Ulrich tried to lift his hand in response, but his muscles felt like stone.

"Fine, I get it. Ignore the hero of the day," Odd complained as he neared the key. "By the way, Jeremie, I'm not mad at you; so stop ignoring me already!" he groaned as he pushed the key in, two seconds before reconfiguration.

"Jeremie, how am I supposed to get this place deactivated if I don't have Aelita here to help me?" Odd asked as he raced towards the narrow exit.

Jeremie was too busy trying figure out why Ulrich was down to give a precise answer. "I don't know," he said distractedly.

Odd groaned and narrowly made it past the last wall as it closed behind him. He caught his breath and heard some beeping noises behind him.

"I swear, if that's another monster," he growled as he pivoted to see where the noise was coming from.

Odd was surprised to see a sea-green haired youth who wore a golden toga over a brown shirt and matching brown pants. The youth, who had eyes to match his toga, smiled and opened his mouth. Two beeps came out.

"Jeremie, what's this?" Odd murmured while hardly moving a muscle.

Jeremie was always intrigued by new things that the gang found, so he stopped what he was previously doing and focused on Odd. On the screen there was a brown triangle.

"I do believe that's EVE-10. He's there to fix the computers." Odd stepped aside while the human-like robot whisked past and started working on the computer.

Chapter Forty-Seven: Focus

"Jeremie! What about Ulrich?" whined Yumi from behind Jeremie.

"We'll get him soon, don't worry about it!" Jeremie hissed. He turned to see Yumi's angry face and Aelita's no-nonsense frown. Jeremie let out a sigh. "Fine, I'll work on it, but I don't make any promises!"

Yumi groaned and paced the room behind Jeremie. Aelita laid a hand on Jeremie's shoulder. "Are you sure there isn't anything we can do?"

He nodded, but stopped midway. "Oh no, there's another activated tower in the ice sector. Didn't we just go there, EVE?"

Aelita heard a series of long and short beeps come from the computer. Jeremie didn't say anything but motioned to both girls to get in the scanners.

"On our way, Jeremie," Yumi said distractedly as she ran to the elevator. She couldn't lose Ulrich this easily.

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Predicament

"There you are ladies," Jeremie said quickly as he dropped off the over-wing in front of them. "And this time, let's not crash into anything, mm-kay?"

"Where's the tower, Jeremie?" Yumi looked around the peaceful white landscape, but there was neither a monster nor a tower in sight.

There was a pause. "South of here, but there shouldn't be any obstacles other than monsters. If you and Aelita hustle and don't wait for anything, Aelita can deactivate the tower and we can go back to the past. So let's go!"

Yumi went full throttle and headed south towards the activated tower.

"Odd, I'm sending the transport chamber to pick you and EVE-10 up. You guys are going to the mountain region and deactivating a tower there. Boy, XANA won't let us rest tonight!" Odd looked at EVE-10 and noticed he was still working avidly on the computers.

"Uh, Jeremie, it looks like EVE doesn't want to stop working. And there's the vehicle!"
"Just grab him and get on already!" Jeremie commanded. Some days, working the computers was like managing an army full of soldiers who couldn't think for themselves.

As soon as Odd and EVE were on the transport machine, he went back to finding Ulrich's problem.
Yumi noticed that they were far off from the tower, so she decided to start a conversation. "So, how are Jeremie and Odd getting along?"

"Odd isn't mad at Jeremie, surprisingly," Aelita replied calmly.

"And what about you and Jeremie?"

There was a long pause. "Well, don't tell anyone, but he kissed me."

Jeremie interjected. "So what if I did? I love you Aelita!"

Aelita rolled her eyes and kept her thoughts to herself.

Odd heard Jeremie say that he loved Aelita. He was on his over-board with EVE-10 grabbing on to his shoulders firmly. The tower slipped his mind while he tried to grasp what he was saying.

"You did what, Jeremie?"

"Odd? You can hear me?"

"Duh, Einstein. Well, what did you do that you love Aelita so much?"

Jeremie yelled across the mountain skies. "I kissed her! Is that so much a crime?"

"Yes! I know you love her, but there are other people who love her too!"

"Aelita, did you hear that? Odd just said he loved you!"

Aelita clapped for joy. "Oh, Odd, I love you too!"

"Aelita?" Odd was confused as how he could suddenly hear the pink-haired girl and her companion. EVE-10 beeped excitedly and pointed at the tower in front of them. "Okay, we'll go there, hang on little buddy."
"He never said he loved you!" Jeremie defended himself. "He said that other people loved you."

Aelita would have none of that. "Well, that kiss meant nothing to me."

"And if it came from Odd?"

Aelita stomped her foot in anger. "Jeremie, if anyone kissed me but you, I would enjoy it."

"What!" Odd was in shock, as if he hadn't heard it before. "He kissed you!" Then he got angry. "Aelita, if you love me, tell me that you didn't enjoy that kiss."

"I didn't, Odd!" Aelita whined back. "I never wanted him to kiss me!"

Jeremie had another side to put out. "It seemed like she enjoyed it, at least to me."

Odd stopped his vehicle while EVE-10 got out in front of the tower and went in. They had gotten there early enough so no monsters were in front of the tower. "Aelita, don't break my heart."

Aelita began to cry as Yumi hurled her fans at the mantas that guarded the tower. "I love you, Odd. What more can I say to make you believe that?"

Odd didn't say anything and waited patiently for EVE-10 to deactivate the tower.

Chapter Forty-Nine: The Girl with the Gun

"Perfect timing," she giggled. She hitched up the skirt of her black dress and brushed her hair out of her face. She laughed quietly as she pulled the gun out of the holster on her right leg.

She sat back down on the stiff yet comfortable bed that was not her own. She laid back down on the bed with the gun at her side, ready for the next part of the mission.

At 1:00 in the morning, she would begin.

At 1:00 in the morning, XANA would win.

Chapter Fifty: Back in the Factory

Yumi hadn't lost any life points on the second round of the night. "Well, I'm glad we got the majority of the gang back." She was still angry that he couldn't get Ulrich back into her dimension. "Please tell me he's alright, Jeremie."

Jeremie shook his head. "He's nowhere on the map. I'm sorry, Yumi, but I'm sure we'll find him."

Yumi rubbed her temples. Perhaps she was being tested by the divine forces above, to see whether or not she loved him. Before she could ask to go back again, Odd and Aelita stepped out of the tower.

"Oh look! It's Einstein, but I guess we should call him Heartbreaker, huh?" Odd grumbled.

Aelita glared at Jeremie and stormed over to him. "Why did you do that, you monster!" she screamed as she tried to punch him.

Jeremie looked confused. "Me? I'll apologize for the kiss, but I won't apologize for my feelings."

"I don't love you!" she cried with tears streaming from her eyes. "I don't love you! Why can't you understand that?"

"But… the kiss…"

Odd interrupted them. "Aelita, it's me or him. Me- or him." He said 'him' with such loathing in his voice.

Aelita gave Jeremie such an evil look that even Yumi was afraid. "I love you, Odd. I don't tend to love overprotective jerks."

As she walked away, a shot rang through the room.

Chapter Fifty-One: The Writing's on the Wall

"What the hell was that?" Odd meekly responded to the unexpected noise.

Yumi wasn't afraid. "I do believe that was a gun shot. But where did it come from?" She searched the ceiling but could only see darkness with a few spots illuminated by the turquoise light of the computer.

Jeremie took off his headset. "I don't think we should stay here if it is an assassin. But of course I wouldn't be able to sleep," he tried to laugh to calm himself down.

"I'm not afraid," Aelita tried to muster up courage. "Let's go see what it is."

"Always taking one for the team," Yumi clicked gleefully. "I'm right behind you, girl!" The two ran off, Yumi in her typical outfit and Aelita in her pastel pink sundress, with Jeremie and Odd, who was still in his button-down shirt and loosened tie.

They went outside of the factory, figuring it would be safer outside to split up than to be fish in a barrel waiting for the next shot from inside the factory. As soon as they got out, Aelita turned around abruptly and gasped at what she saw.

Graffiti, in blue and white paint, decorated the wall of the factory. It wasn't typical graffiti because it left a cryptic message:

Die Lyoko Die

Smart at Two

Be Prepared

Die Lyoko Die

Odd nodded. "That's an interesting poem."

"That's not a poem, Odd," Yumi replied thoughtfully.

"Whoever wrote this was probably our gun-wielder. It's got a double meaning, I bet."

Odd scratched his forehead and then chuckled. "I get it! This person wants to kill us!"

"Oh, that's a good one, Odd… I couldn't have figured that out myself," Jeremie said bitterly.

Aelita laughed. "This is easy. It means to meet at the academic building at two o'clock. I suppose this dueler has manners. But we need to be prepared," she said darkly. "This person obviously has better weapons than we can ever dream of."

Yumi cracked her knuckles on her chin. Odd rubbed his toe on the cement sidewalk. Jeremie shivered as he looked at the clock.

"Well, it's 1:45 right now. We don't have to go…" he muttered.

Aelita whispered, "Coward," and pivoted to take on the assassin at the school.

Chapter Fifty-Two: Pitch Black

Aelita pulled a bobby pin out of her hair and proceeded to unlock the academic building. Her pink dress was torn from the run from the factory to here, but neither that stumble nor the bloody knees faltered her.

The door opened with a soft creak and Aelita snuck in. It was so dark, so quiet, and so alone. Is this what death felt like?

She couldn't concentrate. The gunman could be anywhere. She stepped carefully, but her heels clacked too loudly for her liking. Slipping them off, she placed them in an alcove in front of Room 1.

She hurried back up and tried to compose herself. The hall was forever black… where was the gunman?

Behind her, a gust of cool air whipped across her bare shoulders. With nothing but goose-bumps on her arms and legs, she bravely ran into the dark, dark hallway.

What was she up against?

Chapter Fifty-Three: In the Lion's Den

Ulrich groaned; his muscles hadn't felt this heavy since his first training day at martial arts. Even if he couldn't move his muscles, he wanted to see his friends' faces.

He opened his eyes, but there was nothing but pitch black. His ears began to ring with the sound of nothingness. He did not feel hot or cold. He felt nothing, he couldn't think of anything except for searing pain. Is this what death felt like?

Ulrich mustered enough courage to look down at his body. He was lounging against a wall, his bottom half laying on an equally dark surface. It wasn't hard and it wasn't soft; it was as if he were sitting in oblivion. He dared not to move.

But he was frightened. He was in his LYOKO body, but without the samurai armor he was used to. His sword was nowhere in sight, as well as his clothes. Whoever undressed him, though, had the decency to leave on his boxers.

He looked straight ahead. Before him, a white spirit in the form of a woman he knew glided in from the darkness. He could only whisper, "Mom…"

She loomed over him with a peaceful smile on her face. Her eyes met his, and her face turned into a one of grotesque disgust. Her smile contorted into that of a lion's mouth: lots of pointed teeth in a large blood-red mouth. Her eyes had the intent of a shark that had just smelled blood. The soft white form turned into a giant human corpse, partially decomposed with insects feasting on the remaining flesh.

Ulrich mustered a scream and closed his eyes. He felt hot tears on his cheek- he had never been so afraid.

Chapter Fifty-Four: Stairs

She could hear someone's footsteps running underneath her. "Foolish child," she chuckled softly. "Nobody can outrun me!"

With her gun still in her right hand, she picked up the can of blue spray paint that lay by her feet. She tiptoe-ran to the stairs at the end of the hall. "Heh, this is too easy."

She heard the intruder softly coming up the stairs. After the fourteenth step, Mariah pushed down the top of the spray-can. However, nothing came out. "Shit…"

Aelita listened to the cursing. A girl gunman! She ducked as the spray-can was chucked at her head. It ricocheted off the wall behind her and fell down the stairs.

Aelita dared not to move. Obviously, this girl knew she was there, but the girl didn't know what happened to Aelita. Using this to her advantage, Aelita silently listened under the stairwell for the footsteps to disappear.

Chapter Fifty-Five: The Void

"It's okay, Ulrich, nothing's going to harm you," the voice cooed. "Nothing's going to harm you, open your eyes."

He opened his left eye. Sure enough, the horrific sight had vanished. He opened both eyes, but he was still afraid and tearing.

Perhaps he was still in oblivion, but this time, it was a red oblivion. His boxers had in fact disappeared this time and he wondered what had been going on.

The soft and womanly voice cooed. "Nothing's going to harm you," and Ulrich somehow believed this voice.

A gruff, manly voice overrode the woman's voice. "Hello, Ulrich Stern. Welcome to the Void." After a pause, the voice continued. "I am here to keep you… safe."

Ulrich's muscles still felt heavy and he couldn't make any gestures. His only option was to stay still.

"The Void is where you will stay… as a hostage… until the… demands… are met."

"What demands?" Ulrich squeaked.

The voice didn't change his stupor. "Your friends for your life."

Ulrich's eyes grew wide. "Don't… don't you dare… hurt… them," he breathily answered.

The voice grew intense. "Too late. After tonight, you will be free. Mariah won't let me down."

Chapter Fifty-Six: Ms. Hertz's Room

The girl wasn't very smart, Aelita deduced as she ran down the second-story hall of the dark academic building. The door was open to the room where she was in. Aelita wasted no time in going into Ms. Hertz's science classroom.

The room seemed empty, but she could sense that she was in there. The door banged shut behind her, causing her to jump and gasp.

With that vocal, Aelita was suddenly the target of two gun shots from across the room. She wasn't hit, but the door was.

Aelita dropped down on her hands and knees and crawled underneath the lab tables quickly. This is hopeless, she thought. No matter what, she can shoot me. Maybe she is smarter than I take her for.

Aelita turned around and crawled back to the door. But as she was reaching for the round, silver doorknob, the door opened.

Another shot fired from across the room. Aelita ducked, but the bullet landed in the door. Aelita looked at the partially opened door and noticed a figure staggering for a bit before falling on the ground.

Aelita darted out of the room and went to the figure's side. In the dark, she couldn't see exactly who he (or she) was. She found the shoulders and put her head down on the person's chest to see if they were still breathing.

"Girl, I'm not dead yet!" Odd laughed quietly.

"Oh, Odd! Are you hurt?" A gun-shot interrupted them.

Odd got up quickly and whispered to Aelita. "No, but we need to get you out before you get hurt yourself!" He grabbed her wrist, but she pulled it away.

"Where are the others?"

"They're coming- now come on!" He held her hand and they ran to the opposite end of the hall.

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Shatter

Mariah was angry. How could have the girl avoided all of her shots? "No one escapes me that easily," she grumbled as she jumped from her position on top of one of the large cabinets in the back corner of the room.

"Not so fast," a young woman's voice disrupted her escape. "You can't kill off LYOKO that easily."

Mariah ducked under the nearest lab table. "Wanna bet?" She reached around the table and fired a shot at where she thought the voice came from.

"You're aim sucks, did you know that?" the voice laughed. Mariah reloaded her gun nervously. "Why don't you come out and fight me like a real warrior?"

Mariah couldn't resist a challenge. "All right then, I will." She stood up to meet her match.

All she could see in the shadows was the menacing eyes and the gleam of the trigger. Mariah became afraid. "Where did you get that gun, shadow girl?"

"My mom has one in case there's a burglar," she smugly replied. She wasn't backing down anytime soon. "And please, call me Yumi."

Mariah jumped on top of the lab table and fired two shots at Yumi. She flipped onto the table in front of her and landed perfectly. To her surprise, Yumi hadn't faltered from her position.

"Nice landing for someone in high-heeled shoes, but again, you suck at shooting me!"

Mariah cursed under her breath as she barely dodged the bullets fired from Yumi's gun. "You're not much better."

"Am I?" the devious smile illuminated. As if in slow motion, Mariah saw the barrel of the gun and heard the shot and felt the pain searing through her leg.

She screamed and fell off the table with a loud crack. All she saw was her face reflected in a boy's glasses before he slit her throat slowly with a broken beaker.

Chapter Fifty-Eight: This isn't the End

"Let him go!" The white light appeared from the left side of the room. Ulrich watched in breathless silence as the white overcame the red. "I said, let him go!"

The voice in the red responded calmly, "If the friends are dead…"

"Your assassin is dead!" the white light's voice boomed. "Let him go!"

Ulrich was confused, but he dared not to argue. He didn't want to end up in the black oblivion. Being in the Void was bad enough.

"I'll let him go over my dead body!"

The white light stopped, as if confused. "XANA, you don't have a body."

Ulrich gasped. Everything was making sense to him finally.

"I'll take the boy and leave quietly." The red light fumed and little sparks emitted from it.

"Fine, go. You've won the battle, but you haven't won the war!" The red light vanished and suddenly, Ulrich was surrounded by the white light.

Here there was no more pain.

Please find out what happens next in Legacy of Lyoko: II: In Our Darkest Hour. Thank you for reading the first part! Happy Reading!