The Search For Franz Hopper
2: Loss

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko or the pilot Garage kids
Jeremie awoke the next day and tried to access Lyoko from his computer. But there was no signal.

"Hey that's weird", Jeremie said in surprise.

He tried his laptop but it was the same case. He began to worry and try to solve the problem. He tried localizing Lyoko but that was futile. Good thing for him it was the weekend, but he knew Ulrich and Odd would whine about how it was a weekend and they intended to sleep in. He called Aelita and told her to meet him at the factory to try to solve this dilemma. Otherwise, Franz Hopper would be in great danger.

"So the supercomputer isn't responding?" asked Aelita.

"Yeah it's the weirdest thing", replied Jeremie. "I guees we have to check it out."

Soon the two found the supercomputer had been turned off so they turned it back on and went back to the lab thinking nothing of it.

"Okay good. Lyoko's back online", said Jeremie.

He then checked to see if everything's there only to find nothing.

"OH NO!" cried Jeremie.

"What's wrong?" Aelita asked.

"Everything's gone!" replied Jeremie in a sad voice. "Everything. Franz Hopper's data, the vehicles, weapons, everything. Even your materialization program!"

Aelita gasped. She became worried as she began to comfort Jeremie.

"Everything's gonna be fine Jeremie", said Aelita. "We've gone through worse things."

"But, but..." Jeremie replied.

"No buts", said Aelita. "I know you can do it. We can do it"

Aelita kisses Jeremie. At that moment Jeremie realized Aelita loved him, but there was no time for that now. He knew what he had to do and Aelita was there with him.

A few hours later he had completed the vehicles and the weapons. Since Franz Hopper's diary was destoryed when Jeremie was possessed by XANA and that was the only data left on the face of the Earth, it couldn't be retrieved. The last piece of the puzzle was the materialization program for Aelita, which he worked on for months before its completion. He thought this would be one hell of a feat to rewrite the program but with great support from Aelita, he could do it. Then half and hour passed and to Jeremie's surprise, half the program was already done. At the same time they were getting hungry and they should be considering they've been working for three hours since 8:00 AM without breakfast. So they went back to the school and met up with Odd, Ulrich and Yumi in the cafeteria.

"Where were you guys?" asked Ulrich.

"Somehow or someone erased all the files from the restricted access part of the supercomputer and turned it off", replied Jermeie. "So Aelita and I have been working on restoring everything in there. Unless you guys can take on Mantas with your bare hands."

"I'll pass on that", said Odd. "Hey wait. So our vehicles are gone to?"

"Not anymore", Aelita answered. "Everything but my materialization program has been restored."

"I don't think we should start pointing fingers but who do you think did it?" asked Ulrich.

"Well how many of us think it's XANA is more like the question", said Yumi. "Let alone who knows about the factory."

"Yumi's right, it's most likely XANA's doing", added Jeremie. "Problem is, we have no way to stop him yet. Remember, he doesn't need the towers on Lyoko anymore. Oh and I forgot to mention Franz Hopper's data's gone for good thanks to XANA. So Sector 5 is our last hope now."

"We should go back to factory soon", said Aelita. "I Jeremie can finish the program before dusk."

The team agreed and finished their lunches. They went to the factory immediately and waited for Jeremie to finish. To Jeremie's own surprise, he finished the program in under an hour considering it took him months for the first try. He compiled it and tested it. All was good. Soon enough Odd, Ulrich, Yumi and Aelita were all on Lyoko heading for Sector 5 in the trasporter. As usual, Odd felt sick and the key was out of reach, but on a wall instead of a ceiling this time.

"This is so much easier without any monsters", said Odd. "But I kinda miss those ugly Creepers."

"But remember, you still have the Mantas to worry about, and I can't do a thing to help you guys while Aelita's accessing Sector 5", said Jeremie. "Two minutes left."

Ten seconds later, "Got it!" Yumi announced as she jumped off the small nook the key was in and landed on her feet.

"Let's go", commanded Ulrich.

They reached the exit and the open space of Sector 5. The wall began to expand.

"The Mantas are hatching!" announced Jeremie. "Be careful."

"Hey what's that?" asked Odd as he pointed as a small object speeding towards the group.

"A FLYING MINE!" yelled Yumi. "Take cover!"

Odd hit the mine, but what they didn't notice was that the Mantas hadn't come anywhere near them. Instead, they laid a field of mines around them as a form of camoflauge. They could barely see the large white and blue wings of the monsters. The explosion caused all the other mines to explode. The shrapnel hit everyone, unable to block the projectiles in time making each of them lose half of their life points. Aelita continued to search through Sector 5 for info on Franz Hopper.

"Aelita please hurry", said Jeremie.

"Almost done...", Aelita replied. "And...done! All yours Jeremie. The data's in the supercomputer."

"I'm programming your vehicles."

"Let's get outta here!" Odd yelled.

"Right behind ya", said Ulrich.

The vehicles were fast but the Mantas were very persistent and at full health. Each followed one of the vehicles. Ulrich reached the exit first, then Odd. But Yumi and Aelita on the Overwing were closely followed by a Manta. It fired on the two. Yumi was hit and devirtualized. Aelita got a hold of the controls and flew out safely into the Ice Sector where Odd and Ulrich were waiting for her. Jeremie devirtualized Odd and Ulrich as Aelita headed for a tower.

"Okay Aelita, I'm running the program", said Jeremie. "The big jump revisited..."

"Okay ready", replied Aelita.

Jeremie hit the return key and watched the program run. They four went down to the scanner room to wait for Aelita. The scanner doors opened, but she wasn't there.

Where's Aelita? More trouble rises for the Lyoko gang with her disappearance. R&R and try to guess the fate of the gang.