Warning: Rated for language and violence.
The main characters of this story are based on characters from the cartoon 'Code Lyoko.' I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
O o O
There was pandemonium in front of the Hermitage. Police cars, ambulances, news trucks were all crowded on the little street in the aftermath of the situation.
The EMTs checked Emily over, and except for some cuts was okay. She was taken to the hospital, just in case, and given a tetanus booster. Suzanne was examined, and other than fright, was okay. Jim had a small cut under his left eye where Clark had slashed him, but two stitches set that right. He laughed and said he always nicked himself there shaving, so it really didn't surprise him that someone else with a razor did the same thing.
Taylor Thompson, Ann Grace, Aelita, Ulrich and Odd melted into the woods once the circus started. The last thing the Americans wanted was any kind of publicity, especially after the incident a few weeks ago with the Ambassador's daughter, which was the catalyst that injected the two into the goings on at Kadic Academy.
"Aelita, I think you need to go and reassure a friend that you're okay," Taylor told the girl, "if those two are any indication, I'm willing to bet Jeremie is just about anywhere else other than his room."
Aelita smiled, "I think I know where he is, so I'll just go and give him the news."
"You do that, miss," Taylor replied, "and tell him we're taking a break, no more sessions this week. I think we all have had enough excitement, at least for a little while."
As Taylor was talking to Aelita, Ann regarded her two prisoners. Odd and Ulrich were still bound and gagged. They could only stand there and await her judgment.
"If I had any sense, I'd march you both just as you are to the principal's office," she began, "but I guess I won't. There was definitely more than enough stupid floating around today, and you just got caught up in it."
With that, she carefully removed the tape from their mouthes, then cut their bonds.
"Alright you two, run along now." Then, she added with a grin, "and work on your sneaking skills. A deaf rhino could have heard you two in a heavy metal concert."
O o O
Jim and Suzanne were standing by a police car, talking to Detective Michellete.
"That was a very foolish thing you did, Mr. Moralés," the detective said, "we were seconds away. You could have gotten yourself killed."
"I didn't know you were that close," Jim replied, "and I just couldn't let Suzie face that madman alone."
"You are absolutely correct," Michellete said, "Clark Hertz is a madman. It seems that several years ago, he was in a very bad accident. A steel reinforcing rod struck his head, completely penetrating it. It's a miracle he survived, but he did."
"That explains the scars," Suzanne said.
"Yes. Though physically Clark survived, mentally he did not. The accident severely injured his brain, and the result was he became insane. He blamed the accident and all the problems he had in his life on the women he knew. About a year after the accident, he escaped the institution he was in and began murdering all the women he had known, starting with his wife and children. He's wanted all over the EU on murder charges."
"He said something about having their eyes and tongues. You didn't find anything like that inside, did you," she asked.
"No, but he probably has them somewhere else. You are very fortunate, Mrs. Hertz. This could have ended very badly. I would hope that in the future you will keep your friends very close to you."
Suzanne smiled and pulled Jim into a hug. "I certainly will."
O o O
Jeremie sat at the console in the lab, waiting and worrying. It had been at least an hour and a half since he left Jim in the sewers, and no word from anyone. Was she alright? Was she dead and it was too late to do anything? The genius was torn: should he leave and go find out what was going on, running the risk of being too far away from the computer to launch a Return To The Past? Or stay here, waiting. He had thought about calling, but was afraid of distracting someone at the wrong moment, a moment of life and death.
Suddenly, Jeremie heard the elevator come to life. Someone was coming down. Was it too late? Did Aelita die and they were coming to tell him in person?
Before the elevator arrived, he caught her scent, the smell of angels. The door opened, and she stood before him, She came to him and embraced him, climbing in the seat with him. Even though they both were small, Jeremie was surprised that they both fit. He let that thought go as he lost himself in her love and relief.
O o O
The hoopla over the capture of Clark Hertz quickly faded from the public's mind. Other than fear over the kidnapping, Emily was well enough to return to school that evening. Counselors helped her through the aftermath and she quickly went back to her old self. She did make it a point to pay closer attention in Mrs. Hertz's classes from that day on, a small price to pay for her life.
Principal Delmas seriously considered canceling the Autumn Harvest Dance that year, but decided against it. He reasoned that the school needed a positive counterpoint to the trouble that had plagued the school and Mrs. Hertz recently.
The night of the dance was perfect. Aelita was working her magic on the mixing boards, and all of the students were dancing and having a great time. Emily had come with her date, and, other than some bandages, looked beautiful and carefree dancing with her boyfriend.
Jim Moralés walked around the dance, looking out for troublemakers, glad that he hadn't found any. Tonight was not a night for trouble, it was a time for merriment. Every now and then, he would sneak a look at Suzanne, across the room, talking with a student or one of the other teachers. What he wanted to do more than anything in the world at that moment was to walk over and twirl her around the floor, to complete erasing the pain of the last few weeks away.
Jim's eye was suddenly caught by the entrance of four people. He recognized them immediately, Taylor Thompson, Ann Grace, and the other two from the dossiers he received, Pyle and Coffy. Taylor and Ann walked towards him, while the other two men walked in the other direction, looking for someone. They seemed to find what they were looking for, because they stopped and kept a discrete distance from the students.
Taylor proceeded on to talk to the principal, while Ann stopped next to him.
"How's it goin', Jimbo?" she said with a smile.
"Not bad, yourself?"
"The same. Hey, the reason we're here is because Miss Wilkerson is off the reservation again. We figured since she imprinted herself on Jeremie and Aelita, she would show up here, especially since there's a party on." Ann quickly scanned the room, then nodded. "And we seem to be right, there she is over there, dancing with that nerd boy."
Jim looked over, thinking that Ann was talking about Jeremie, but Jeremie was alone. He looked more, and saw Hervé Pichon dancing with a girl he had never seen before.
"That her?" he asked as he pointed.
"Yep, that is Jeanie Wilkerson, daughter of the United States Ambassador to France," Ann replied, "and she's dead meat when she gets back home."
Jim laughed, "it's not that bad, is it?"
"Yeah, it's that bad," Ann replied, "somehow, she's sneaking out past all of the guards and security systems we have in place. And if she can sneak out, then Bad People can sneak in. When we left, the Ambassador was tearing the head of her Protective Detail a new asshole for letting this happen again. That man will be lucky if he gets to shovel elephant shit in India after this. It's a shame, too; he's really a nice guy."
Ann noticed that Taylor was now standing by Jeremie Belpois, and was waiving to her.
"Well, the boss is calling. See you 'round, Jim." And as she walked off, she turned around and added, "and don't you dare leave this dance tonight without dancing with Suzanne at least once. If you don't, I'm personally going to tear up your Man Card."
He laughed at her last remark as she left, then went back to work.
Soon, the principal announced the Last Dance of the evening. Jim said to himself, screw propriety, he was going to ask Suzanne for the last dance. He quickly found her and walked up to her.
"Mrs. Hertz, would you do me the honor of this dance?" he asked her with as much formality as he could muster.
She smiled and replied, "I would be most happy to, Mr. Moralés, I seem to have an opening in my dance card, so I think I can fit you in."
She extended her hand, and he drew her onto the dance floor.
O o O
That night, the night of the Autumn Harvest Dance, bonds were cemented that resonated down the years. Ann Grace and Taylor Thompson, Jeremie Belpois and Aelita Hopper, Ulrich Stern and Yumi Ishiyama, Odd Della Robbia and Sissi Delmas; each of these couples would leave their mark on the world, through the silent battle they waged with the great evil that was XANA. Another couple, Hervé Pichon and Jeanie Wilkerson, would affect the world in their own way, from the Seats Of Power. In later years, each couple would look back on this night as a seminal moment in their lives, one to be remembered and treasured.
There was one other couple that forged their bond that night, another couple that would look back on this night with great fondness. Though history never mentions them, neither the histories of Men nor the histories of Angels, this night was special for them, too.
O o O
Jim and Suzanne swayed to the beat of 'Color My World' with the rest of the students at Kadic Academy. But, in their eyes, no one else existed, only Jim and Suzanne. They held each other close and kissed, losing themselves in each other, the music, and the magic of the night.