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.

In their dreams, Sissi was sitting next to Odd in their forest, relaxing after their play. It was a good chase this time, but the anvil Odd dropped on her head came out of nowhere, and she was down for the count. Some of the little birds that had circled her head after it hit were still flitting and chirping around them.

"Feeling better?" Odd asked, "I didn't mean to hit you so hard with it."

"It's okay..." Sissi suddenly stopped for a moment. She seemed to shimmer for a moment, like a bad television signal, the she stabilized.

"Sissi, are you okay?" Odd asked, shaking the girl.

Suddenly, Sissi grabbed Odd's throat and constricted. Then, a jolt of energy erupted from the hand holding him. Odd screamed as loud as he could, given Sissi's hold on him, then passed out. Sissi let go of him and looked down at her work.

"You won't be able to warn them now," Sissi said before she disappeared.

A chime sounded on Jeremie's workstation. He woke up, looked at the computer, and saw a banner display reading, "Franz Hopper Arriving," in fuzzy red letters. Jeremie got up, put on his glasses and went to his desk.

A window popped open, and the image of Franz Hopper resolved itself.

"How are you feeling today, Franz?" Jeremie asked.

"A lot clearer," was the reply, "Jeremie, there is something you need to see."

Another window popped open, and an image appeared in it. It was a video feed. In the picture, Sissi Delmas sat in a chair in her pajamas. Some kind of object was attached to her chest. Sissi just sat there, not moving, like a puppet with her strings cut.

"What's this all about!" Jeremie exclaimed, "what have you done to Sissi!"

"What I needed to," Franz replied, "you will also find your friend Odd unconscious. It seems they have some kind of telepathic link between them, and I couldn't have him raising a warning. Unfortunately for him, I had to put him in a coma to silence him."

"Franz, you don't need to do this! We aren't your enemies!" Jeremie told the man.

"As evidenced by your last humanitarian act," Hopper replied, "there is no point discussing this further. The device attached to Miss Delmas will kill her very slowly and very painfully if I activate it. I will also activate if anybody even touches it or her. The only thing keeping the device inactive is a signal I am sending out from the computer. If that signal is disrupted, the device will activate. First, you will provide me with the administrator's password. If you do, I'll revive your friend Odd. If you do not, he will spend the rest of his life as a vegetable and Miss Delmas will be days in dying. You will next send my daughter to join me in Lyoko within one hour or I will activate the device. Now, the next words that come out of your mouth had better be the password, boy."

Jeremie sat silently. He didn't utter a word for fear that Franz would assume that was the password, try it and kill his friends. He tried to think of some way, any way, to buy himself some time, but couldn't.

"Queen," Jeremie said, "k, upper case; u, lower case; u, upper case; nine, the number; three, the number; n, upper case."

There was a moment of silence.

"Mr. Della Robbia should be waking up now," Franz Hopper said, "you have one hour to deliver Aelita to me, starting now."

The image of Franz Hopper disappeared.

Fifty-five minutes later, Ulrich, Odd, Jeremie and Aelita were standing in front of the console at the factory. Jeremie typed some commands in at the keyboard, and Franz Hopper appeared.

"You are cutting the deadline very fine," the man told them, "send Aelita down to the scanners now. I will do the transfer. I will also be verifying that actual biological matter is being virtualized, so don't try sending me fake data."

"She's on her way," was all Jeremie said.

Aelita gave her love one last kiss on the cheek and went to the elevator. Moments later, her voice could be heard saying, "I'm in the scanner, Franz. Perform the transfer."

Aelita virtualized in the Mountain Region. She dropped to the ground in the middle of four Krabes. Their eyes regarded her, but gave no other indication of their intentions.

"They are here for my protection," came the voice of Franz Hopper, "the second thing I did when I got administrator access back was instantiate them. I'm sorry for the need, but I must make sure you really are you, Princess. Once I'm reassured, I'll send them away."

Another creature appeared then, a Scyphozoa. The Krabes moved aside for the newcomer, which approached Aelita and ensnared her in its tentacles. Aelita screamed as she was lifted up. The creature then took one tentacle and waived it all around her body for a moment, then pointed it at her head. I pulsed for a second, then stopped. The Scyphozoa then gently set her down on her feet again, turned and left. The Krabes closed ranks after it had left.

After a moment, her father then appeared from behind an outcropping of rocks close by. He walked up, smiling, and waived off the creatures, who then withdrew. Father and daughter were now alone.

"Are you satisfied, Franz?" Aelita said, "will you now let Sissi go?"

"It's already done, child," he replied, "I released her the moment I knew you were truly here."

"May I verify that with Jeremie?" the girl next said.

"Of course, but be quick; I'm in the process of shutting down all external access to and from Lyoko."

"Jeremie?" Aelita called out, "is Sissi okay?"

"Yes, Aelita," Jeremie replied, "Sissi's fine. Franz told us where she was, and we've got her now. Are you alright?"

"Yes..." Aelita was about to continue when Franz cut her off.

"Jeremie, our business is concluded. I am shutting down all external access to and from Lyoko. All I ask of you now is to leave us alone in peace."

"Jeremie?" she called out. There was no response.

"Jeremie!" Again silence.

"JEREMIE!"