I want to just say a very heartfelt thanks to all of you who have waited around for this chapter. I am so very sorry for the delay in updates, but my schedule is packed an i am doing good to remember i have a story to finish. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer: Don't own Code Lyoko, just my own characters.
Note: I want to especially thank my faithful reviewers for hanging in there, please continue to be patient and let me know what you think.
Chance and Jesse were frantically firing at the onslaught of soldiers when they heard the sickening sound of guns being cocked behind them.
"Lower your weapons and you will not be killed."
Chance looked at Jesse who nodded and the two dropped their rifles and turned to face their captors. They found three young men of average height and build with assault rifles at the ready.
Odd felt a searing pain rip through his side and he looked down and saw blood pooling around him.
"Ahhh….Ulrich….I'm hit." Odd grimaced as he grabbed his side.
"Ulrich we can't fight our way out of this, especially with Odd shot." Ivan yelled from his shelter under one of the other trucks.
"I know…..we have to surrender."
The three soldiers tossed their rifles out from under the trucks and Ulrich slowly crawled out holding a white bandage in surrender.
"On the ground now!" A very rough looking soldier said as he ran up and knocked Ulrich to the ground.
"Ouch you….." Ulrich was punched across the face.
Ivan didn't fair any better, and Odd was on the verge of unconsciousness.
"Medic!" The soldier who dragged Odd out yelled and a medic rushed to the blonde boys side.
"You surrender to us?"
Ulrich nodded and Chance and Jesse were marched down the hill to stand along side their friends.
"Good, I am Grayson, you are now my prisoner and will do as I say."
All the soldiers, except Odd who was being patched together, nodded.
"Very good," Grayson said puffing his chest out, "We will take you for interrogation now."
"Oh boy." Ulrich sighed sarcastically and this brought a very small but welcome smile from Chance.
Jeremy was sitting in his tent when his commander walked in and saluted. Jeremy jumped up quickly and returned the salute.
"Sir, is there something you need?"
The commander paused for a moment, "Actually I have some bad news, your friends haven't reported in from their patrol yet. We believe they have been killed or captured."
Jeremy was silent. Every moment he had spent over the past few years with Odd and Ulrich, saving the world again and again, seemed to pass before him. After what seemed like an eternity he snapped back to reality.
"Thank you sir…uh can I inform their loved ones personally?"
The commander nodded sadly, "We need a tech man in that sector anyways. I was on my way to assign you there when the news of your friends arrived. I'm sorry I can do nothing more to help you son."
Jeremy thanked the commander again and packed his stuff and waited for the jeep that was coming to take him back home. 'home, what kind of home will it be if we never see Odd and Ulrich again?' Jeremy dashed the thought from his head and a jeep pulled up in front of him. He tossed his stuff in and started preparing his mind for the tragic news he had to share.
"I have some bad news for you….you aint getting a word out of me you ugly bastards."
Another fist landed square across Chance's jaw and he fell over in the chair he was in. Odd and the others were also tied to chairs in the dimly lit room.
"He never really learned the proper timing for talking shit did he?" Jesse sighed as he tried to scoot closer to Odd.
"A lot like me." Odd laughed, as he admired the cuts and bruises he wore from going through the interrogation before Chance. His side had been relatively left alone during the interrogation, but it still hurt like hell from where the bullet had struck him.
Ulrich cracked a smile through is bloody lips.
"I can't take much more of this stubbornness, I'm going to have you all killed." The interrogator said as he stormed out of the room.
All the boys sagged in their chairs. They were alone for the first time since being captured.
"So how do we escape?" Ivan groaned as he worked at the ropes that held him securely in his chair.
"I don't know yet, but they won't keep us alive for long." Ulrich grimaced.
"Then let's kill them walk out of here and declare ourselves unstoppable." Odd smirked.
Chance laughed but the others just gave a 'shut up' look and went back to thinking.
The door opened and a light hit their faces causing them all to squint to see around the light, but everything was a white glowing blur.
Jeremy arrived in front of the factory. It was ironic that this had become their new home, since for years it had been an escape from home and the everyday life for them. Now it was all they had.
"Jeremy?" Millie questioned as she looked up and saw the man standing there as the jeep drove away.
"Hey Millie." Jeremy said in a melancholy tone. 'The news will hit her hard.' Jeremy thought as the younger girl ran and gave him a friendly hug.
"Come in the others will want to see you…especially Aelita." Millie smirked.
Jeremy blushed at the last remark, but smiled and followed the redhead inside.
As the two walked in, Jeremy spotted Yumi tossing a small rubber ball around with JJ. He waved to her and she waved back then picked up JJ and headed over towards her old friend.
"Jeremy? What's wrong?" Yumi asked seeing the worried look on his face.
"I'll tell you once everyone is gathered."
Yumi nodded, and Sissy and Kasey arrived on the elevator that had been fixed by army technicians a week earlier. The two joined the group and everyone looked at Jeremy.
"Shouldn't we wait for Hiroki?" Jeremy asked not knowing of the young man's recent death.
Yumi's face glassed over and she tried to hide her emotions but like always when Hiroki came to mind she couldn't hold the tears back. JJ jumped out of Yumi's arms and ran to Millie scared that she might upset Yumi more.
Kasey hugged Yumi and looked at Jeremy, "Jer…Hiroki was killed in a skirmish, but we do need to bring one more person to this meeting."
Kasey ran off to the back of the factory and Jeremy continued comforting Yumi. When Kasey returned Jeremy saw a girl with her. A girl that was in chains being led by Kasey.
"Who is this and why…." Jeremy stopped as Kasey held her hand up.
"This is Sarah, she was a part of the attack that killed Hiroki, and she is our prisoner not the military's. We will deal with her as we see fit."
Jeremy was shocked by the hatred that seemed to fill the two older girls, but Sarah seemed to be in good condition.
"What news do you have?" Kasey asked and everyone, including Sarah, turned their eyes on the blonde man.
"I…I." Jeremy sighed, 'this won't be easy' he told himself. "I have some bad news about the others."
Everyone gasped and even Sarah appeared to worry which surprised Jeremy immensely.
"The squad never reported in. We have searched for them but no bodies have been found. All we can figure is that they were captured."
The girls all stared in silence for a moment until a small quiet voice broke the quiet. "What sector were they in?"
Jeremy turned towards the prisoner. "Why? What's it matter."
Sarah looked at the ground in what appeared to be shame. "I'm the daughter of Hades…the former leader…I might be able to help you free your friends."
"No! You just want to lead us into another trap and get us all killed." Yumi exclaimed.
Sarah looked at Yumi, "It is not only you who lost a brother. I feel the same pain every day as you do. I'm tired of this war. I only wanted revenge for my father's death, but I didn't know what that death would do to others."
"How could you not have known?" Yumi screamed, causing JJ to burrow her head into Millie's side.
Sarah stood up and for the first time put on an air of defiance. "I only thought of you as murderers and rebellious numbers on paper. I didn't know you were just like me!"
Everyone grew silent as Sarah started crying.
"Sector 32 by the river."
Sarah looked at Jeremy, "I can tell you what I know, but it's not good. The man who runs that area is named Grayson and he has a short fuse with prisoners. We have little time to try and save your friends."
I hope you liked the chapter and so now it's time for some input. Please review, thanks.