Disclaimer: Don't own Code: Lyoko, the characters thereof, blah blah blah, and other legal junk…
Oookayy. For starters, this has got to be the LONGEST chapter to date. I just couldn't really find a good place to end it. There was sooo much to put in, it just kept going. But I finally reached a good place for a cliffie…Anyways, this is mainly an emotional roller coaster type chapter. Hope you enjoy it!
Code: Lyoko
Mirror, Mirror
Part V: Feelings, Nothing more than Feelings
Time slowed almost to a stand still. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes like hours. The only thing that seemingly wasn't slowed was the droning hum of the computer, but eventually the meticulous timing of the droning slurred into one big hum. It seemed as if everyone were in slow motion when they did move.
Her twin had separated herself from Jeremie's lips and started laugh mockingly. Then Aelita felt something snap inside her. Now, it felt as if she were watching what was taking place in third person. She had yanked her arm out of Yumi's grasp so hard, she nearly pulled Yumi over. The only thing Aelita physically felt was her heart thumping in her chest and the pounding of her feet on the metal floor. Mentally, there was a feeling of anger so intense that it caused her mind to practically shut down.
Atilea, oblivious to Aelita's current state of motion, grabs Jeremie by the throat and picks him up. Then slides him about three inches up the wall, causing his glasses to fall to the floor. Her demonic laughter filled his ears as he struggled to get air into his lungs.
Yumi froze to the spot where she stood until she saw Imuy pull out a tessen fan. Imuy was so focused on Aelita that she didn't see Yumi coming. The next thing Imuy feels is her face being pressed into the cold floor of the control room and her shoulder being painfully locked behind her. Yumi grimaces and looks up at Aelita.
Ulrich and Odd, who have just arrived, stands frozen, staring in shock and awe at the scene.
Aelita feels the sensation of running, but her normally logical and passive mind has left her. Tears being to blind her, but she somehow manages to reach her destination.
Atilea turns surprised by the noise and a look of shock instantly appears on her face when she sees that Aelita is nearly on top of her. Then Aelita shoves Atilea with both arms, causing Atilea to stumble backward and smack into the wall. Atilea tries to regain her balance and recover from the shove, but is met by a punch to the face that sends her unbalanced body to the floor. She yelps in pain and clutches her face.
"DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH HIM AGAIN!" screams a furious Aelita. She begins to shake with rage as tears distort her vision and her body seizes up.
Suddenly, a coughing fit from Jeremie snaps Aelita back to reality and she turns to see him red-faced and breathing heavily, trying to recover.
"JEREMIE!" she yells and runs to him. She throws her arms around him and sobs loudly. Jeremie flinches but finds that he can't move due to another person holding onto him tightly. He blinks as he tries to wrap his mind around what just happened to him and turns to the person who is latched onto him, but discovers that all he can see is a blurry pink mass that he believes is Aelita's hair.
Atilea lifts herself off the floor and pulls her hand away from her face. The look of shock remains as she glances around the room wildly. Pain…. She felt pain. It was a feeling so foreign that her mind didn't know quite how to handle it. Then, she feels a trickle of wetness begin to run down from her lower lip. She slowly lifts her hand to her lip and feels…. something more than just wetness. It was just a little bit sticky, not like water. Water also had less viscosity than this. She pulls her hand back and sees a bright red liquid on her finger that was slowly becomes tacky. Her eyes widen in shock. This substance had a name: blood. Her mind struggled with this revelation. Then her mind stopped trying to deal with the new information and turned to the cause of it. Aelita. She caused her to bleed! Anger then replaced the shock and she started to stand.
"I wouldn't move if I were you," says a gruff, male voice from above her. She freezes for a second before looking up to see Yumi holding the opened tessen fan close to her head, standing next to a brown haired boy. "She's in a very foul mood and I wouldn't push her any farther," the boy continues as Yumi's scowl deepens. Atilea's eyes fall to the fan and it's sharp edges, then back up to the couple.
Imuy struggles against her restrains as Odd kneels down next to her. She narrows her eyes in hatred at him but remains silent. Odd stares back at her with the same disdain and disgust. "Go away, you freak!" she spits out at him through gritted teeth. Odd snorts defiantly at her. "No. Since you were the ones who missed us so much that you just had to come here, I'm gonna stay right here so you can get your fill of me!" replies Odd, leaning in closer to her face. Imuy bites at his face but he easily dodges the attack and she nearly falls over on her side.
Ulrich finishes tying the rope around Atilea's ankles as Yumi keeps the sharp edge of the fan near to Atilea's neck to keep her from trying to kick him. He tests the rope to make sure it is tight enough, then stands. Atilea just stares straight ahead angrily, not saying a word or making a noise. Yumi closes the fan and glances at it then over to her now sullen twin. She notices that her twin's clothes are exactly like the uniform worn on Lyoko. Yumi turns to look at Atilea and notices the same thing with her. Then, she notices Aelita helping a still unsteady Jeremie to his feet.
Jeremie leans against the cool wall of the control room as Aelita gently leans her head against his chest. He rubs his neck and swallows to dampen his now dry throat. He blinks and tries to focus on anything in the room but gives up after a couple of tries. "My…. glasses…." he whispers to Aelita. "Where are they? I…. can't see." Aelita lifts her head and glances around. She sees them and goes to retrieve them. She hands them gently to him and he promptly puts them back on. Jeremie smiles slightly as the world comes back into focus for him. "Thank you," he says to her. She nods and he notices that she is now distanced herself from him a little bit. "Aelita?" he worriedly asks her. Then he gets a glimpse of Imuy and Atilea restrained on the floor. "What…. happened?" Aelita glances up at him briefly and replies, "You don't remember?" He shakes his head slightly. "The last thing I remember was being…. violated by her and then feeling as if someone were crushing my windpipe," Jeremie answers motioning towards Atilea. Atilea tilts her head to look at him and smiles slyly. "The rest is a blur," he finishes. His mind flashes scenes from the violating kiss and he shudders in disgust. Jeremie wipes his mouth and spits. "That was horrible…" he mumbles. Atilea chuckles and leans her head back. Aelita walks over to her and kneels down next to her twin. Atilea regards her lightly and smirks defiantly.
"Why? Why did you… kiss him? Do you really think you have a chance with him?" Aelita asks harshly while staring intently into Atilea's eyes.
Atilea laughs softly at her. "What? You think I have feelings for him? Oh, please. Don't be so naive. I could care less about Nerd Boy."
"Then why?" asks Aelita becoming more intense.
"Because you care for him and I wanted to see how much like me you are!"
Aelita sits back hard against the floor, shocked at Atilea's statement. "I am NOT like you!" she exclaims. Atilea gives her a disbelieving look and replies, "Oh, really? I seem to recall being shoved against the wall and being punched in the face. And if I'm not mistaken, it was YOU who did that!" Aelita sits on the floor completely appalled at Atilea's words, unable to respond. "It was a simple little kiss and you go and fly off the handle like that! Sounds pretty selfish and possessive if you ask me. I guess you are more like me than you'd like to admit!" Aelita feels rage begin to build up inside her and her face turns from shock to anger. Atilea smiles upon seeing the change in Aelita's demeanor. Then she leans slightly closer to Aelita. "Ah, there's that anger and hostility again!" Atilea's tone then changes to a seductively evil tone. "Why don't you just give in to it, Aelita? It is a lot easier to give than try and bottle it up inside. I can see that you want to attack me again! Go on! Do it and prove to me that you are indeed just… like… ME!"
The air is thick with tension as Aelita struggles to maintain her emotions. Then, a hand gently touches her right shoulder and a wave of familiar warmth washed over her. "Don't listen to her, Aelita. She's just trying to mess with your head. I know the real you and that poor creature on tied up on the floor isn't it. All that she is, all that she represents is a perverted and twisted copy of the real thing. All the love, care, and compassion have been stripped away, leaving only a sad husk of existence." Aelita turns her head and looks up to see Jeremie standing beside her with a reassuring smile on his face directed towards her. Atilea shoots him a hostile glance and looks away angrily. "Humph. Besides, that wasn't the greatest kiss in the world. He was so rigid and bland. Felt like I was kissing a rock!" she mumbles. Aelita stands and wraps her arms around his waist as Jeremie gently rubs her back.
Odd smiles to see things beginning to go their way for once. He turns to look at Imuy, who hasn't made a single noise, and regards her disdainfully. "Why you? Why did you come here and not one of the guys?" he asks. She remains silent. "Why were you two sent here? Huh? Answer me!" he nearly yells at her but she still remains silent. Atilea turns to look over at him. "Give it up, Odd. She'll never tell you anything," Atilea says confidently. Odd shoots her an anger glance. "Shut up, I wasn't talking to you!" "Ooh! Such hostility! I can see where Dod gets his attitude from!" Atilea counters with a smile on her lips. "And what about you?" asks Ulrich crossing his arms. Atilea tilts her head to look up at him. "You're welcome to try but I'm not gonna tell you anything either." He frowns and turns his back on her then walks a few steps away and leans against the wall. Yumi glances at the two twins and then walks over to him. She wraps her right arm around his waist and rests her head against his shoulder. Odd crosses his arms and stares down at Imuy.
Yumi raises her head and turns to look at Jeremie. "So, what do we do with them now?" she asks. Jeremie lifts his eyes and glances at Atilea, pondering her question. "We can't keep them here. Imagine the confusion they'd cause if someone discovered them. Also, if by some chance, they escaped, imagine the havoc they'd cause," Yumi continues. "We also can't just send them back to Lyoko. There's nothing to stop them from rematerializing back here." A moment of silence passes as they consider their options.
"I say we dump them in the river," states Odd harshly. Everyone, including Atilea and Imuy, turns and stares at him in shock. "Odd! I can't believe you just suggested that!" exclaims Ulrich after a very awkward and silent pause. "Why not? It would solve two of our problems!" he replies coldly. Odd kneels down to Imuy and stares coldly into her eyes. "Well, you can feel fear, can't you? Good!" he whispers to her. "We can't just dump them in the river, Odd. That suggestion is totally uncharacteristic of you. What's wrong, Odd?" Jeremie says with concern in his voice. Odd snorts and stands, turning away. Jeremie steps away from Aelita toward Odd and stops halfway to him. "You wouldn't understand," Odd replies blandly. "Besides, you haven't given me any reasons to not throw them in the river." "For one, if we did dump them in the river, we'd be no better than them. Also it would mean that there wasn't any difference between us and them. Secondly, if we did, there is a possibility that their bodies would be found either in the river or on a beach or riverbank somewhere. How would we explain how Aelita and Yumi suddenly had a twin sister of sorts?" Jeremie replies firmly. "I've answered you. Now, please answer me. What is wrong, Odd?" he continues with concern. "Maybe later," Odd states blandly. "Now, please don't mention it again." Jeremie lets his shoulders droop in disappointment and sighs, but honors his request.
Aelita walks up behind Jeremie and wraps her arms around his middle then lays her head gently on his back. "Don't worry about him, Jeremie. He'll tell us when he is ready to," she says to him. Jeremie nods and replies, "I know. I just hope he opens up to us before he does something he'll regret." She hugs him and he gently rests a hand on hers. She then turns to look at her twin who has a look of mild relief on her face and is now watching her.
Aelita lifts her head to speak to her. "See? This is the thing that really separates us from you. Our love and care for each other. I wonder if you can say that you care for Imuy or the others. Can you truly say that, Atilea?" Atilea starts to throw out a retort but stops and a faint sadness fills her face. She glances over at Imuy who has a perplexed look on her face. Imuy then replaces her perplexity with coldness. "Why does it matter?" she asks blandly. "It matters when you are faced with the decision to lay down your life for a member of your team or not," states Yumi. Imuy stares at her blankly for a second before responding. "We will never be in that situation. We are superior to you in every way!" Odd smiles and turns around to face her. "And yet, despite that fact, you still ended up being tied up on the floor!" he says. Imuy frowns at him then grows silent. Atilea turns her head to look at her skirt. "Are we really superior?" she whispers to herself ponderously. Then she lifts her head to look at Ulrich and then over to Jeremie. "So, what are you going to do with us? You've made it clear that you are not going to kill us, but you are not going to leave us here nor send us back to Lyoko," Atilea asks. Jeremie turns his head and glances at her. Then a noise from the computer console catches his attention. He looks inquisitively at it and walks over to the console, leaving Aelita behind. Just as soon as he starts to pick it up, a voice resounds from the earpiece that causes him to freeze.
"Atilea! Are you there? Answer me! What's going on over there?" the voice says irritatedly. Jeremie quickly covers the mike and turns to the rest of the group wide-eyed. He motions Aelita to come over to him and she quickly and quietly jogs over to him. "I think it is Dod!" he whispers to her when she gets into earshot. "He's asking for Atilea! Do you think you can act like your twin?" She looks at him and shrugs. "Well, try!" he says and hands her the headset. She looks at it nervously and finally takes it from his hand.
"Hey! Answer me, you stupid, pink-haired broad!" bellows Dod. Aelita swallows nervously and Jeremie motions to Ulrich and Odd to keep Atilea and Imuy quiet.
"Watch what you call me, you jerk!" Aelita responds as gruffly as she can. Dod perks up at the response. "It's about freakin' time! Where have you been?" Aelita begins to put herself in the roll a little more. "Hey, I've been here! Do you have any idea how dark it is? It took some time to get to the control room!" she replies. "I may have incredible abilities, but seeing in pitch black isn't one of them!" Dod frowns and crosses his arms. "Whatever. Just start the materialization program and get us there. We've wasted enough time already!" Aelita's mind races, trying to come up with a feasible excuse not to. Then she sees the power level indicator on the monitor. "I can't. The power level is too low. If I did, the power would give out before you were transferred fully. Then you'd be stuck in limbo! But if that is what you want…" she states in the best snooty voice she can.
Dod grits his teeth with agitation. "How can the power levels be too low? According to Master X.A.N.A.'s estimations, the power should have been up enough by now!" Aelita's mind races once again. "Well, has it ever occurred that maybe the transfer used more power than anticipated?"
Dod sighs and runs his hand down his face if frustration. "FINE. Then transfer me first. Then H'cirlu. Is that satisfactory enough for you, your highness?" Aelita smiles deviously and replies, "Why should I transfer you first? Why not H'cirlu first?"
Dod stares in disbelief. "You're joking, right? Don't tell me you are going to nit-pick about something as insignificant as that!" Aelita sits back in the computer chair and smiles in enjoyment. "Yes, I am. I'm in control over here and the way I see it, I'm in control of who transfers next!" "We don't have time for this, Atilea! Just transfer Dod first if it'll make him shut up!" exclaims an annoyed H'cirlu. Aelita turns to Jeremie for guidance, realizing she may not be able to stall them for much longer. Jeremie shrugs and begins to rack his mind, trying to figure out the next move. "Fine. But I want Dod to apologize first," she says off her head. "WHAT! Apologize? For what?" shouts Dod exasperated. "I want you to apologize for calling me names! Then I will transfer you." Aelita replies.
Dod can't believe his ears. His anger suddenly explodes and he fires several shots at a boulder, causing it to crack and break apart. "NO! I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE TO YOU, YOU SELF-CENTERED TROLLOP!" Aelita holds the earpiece away from her ear due to the sudden increase in volume. Then Jeremie comes up with an idea and whispers it quickly to her. She nods and tenderly puts the earpiece back on. "Look who's talking. You're more self-centered than all of us put together. And don't call me that again or I'll strangle you to death by your tail!" Dod presses his lips together in anger, unable to respond. "Look, I'm having trouble with the transfer program. It seems the nerdy one they call 'Jeremie' has put on some serious security features. It's gonna take some time to crack the codes. H'cirlu, I'm not going to talk to Mister Idiot anymore. I'll talk to you instead. You seem to have better control over yourself and probably won't throw a temper tantrum," she continues.
H'cirlu sighs and glances over to an angry Dod that has walked a few feet away and has sat down sulking. "Security codes? That's new. I thought they didn't have anything like that. It's not in the memories we have," he replies. "Apparently they have added them since then. I will do what I can. So far we haven't been detected, so I should be able to work without interruption for a while. Just sit tight and try to get Mister Sunshine into a better mood. If not, I'll just leave him behind and we'll have all the fun!" H'cirlu reluctantly nods and answers, "Fine. Just hurry up, ok? Master X.A.N.A. will want an update soon." "Right. I'll call back when I have something to report." Aelita says and hangs up. She takes off the headset and sets it down then lets out a heavy sigh. Jeremie smiles at her and hugs her. Odd gives her a big smile and a thumbs up. Ulrich and Yumi smile at her. "Great job, Aelita! Though, I think you enjoyed that a bit too much!" Jeremie states as she slides down from the chair and into his arms. "Well, I had to make it convincing. But, I have to admit, it was fun!" she replies and gives him a quick kiss.
Atilea looks at Ulrich from the corner of her eye. He has his hand cupped over mouth to keep her quiet and she notices that his isn't paying attention to her. She glances quickly up at Yumi and notices that she too isn't paying attention. Her eyes narrow deviously and she smiles to herself.
Suddenly Ulrich yells in surprise and jumps back away from Atilea, holding the wrist of the hand that was over her mouth. Yumi turns instantly and sees him staring in shock and disbelief at his hand. "What! What is it!" She pauses for a second and then asks angrily, "Did she bite you?" Ulrich looks up at her and replies, "No… worse. She…licked me!" Atilea bursts out laughing and Odd turns to look at Imuy, who is eyeing him. He jerks his hand away from her mouth before she can do anything. "Don't worry. I would have bitten a chuck out of your hand instead of childishly licked it! Besides, that's really gross, Atilea! I can't believe you did that!" Imuy says. Atilea just giggles and smiles at Ulrich defiantly. Ulrich takes his hand and wipes it on Atilea's leg. "Ooh, Ulrich!" she moans in mock pleasure. Ulrich jerks his hand away and glares at her angrily. Yumi shoots her an equally angry glance. "Don't flatter yourself, Atilea. I wouldn't be caught dead with you!" he states confidently. "Heh, I wasn't trying to hit on you. I was trying to make her jealous!" Atilea replies nodding toward Yumi. "And I think I succeed, too!" Yumi leans down and gets in Atilea's face. "Jealous? Of you? You're kidding, right? Look, I know where Ulrich's affection and love lies. It's gonna take a whole lot more than that to make me jealous and make me question Ulrich's trust," she says firmly. "But I warn you, if you ever flirt with him again, I'll put you in a whole world of hurt!"
Jeremie sighs and takes a seat at the computer. "At least we've bought us some time. I'm gonna need plenty of it to figure out what do to next." Imuy frowns and begins to pull against her restraints. Odd turns to look at her when he hears her grunt. "Easy there, She-Woman! You'll hurt yourself!" he quips. Imuy glowers at him and grits her teeth. "I wish you would go away!" she spits at him. "Aww, and we were getting along so well together!" he remarks sarcastically.
Jeremie studies the logs on the computer intensely as Aelita rests her arms on his shoulder. "That is the power consumption log. Have you got a plan?" she inquires. "Maybe. I'm really looking for the reason of the huge power loss when those two arrived. If I can find it, maybe I can replicate the power loss and keep them isolated to Lyoko. Of course, there is a risk that if the power loss is too great, the entire system could go down. And I don't have to tell you what that means," Jeremie replies. Aelita shakes her head and tries not to think of the consequences.
Atilea's mind races, trying to figure out a way to escape and warn Dod and H'cirlu. Then she feels an odd sensation in her abdomen. She tries to ignore it, but a sudden bubbling inside her puts a look of worry on her face. "Something's wrong with me…" she says. Jeremie and Aelita turn to look at her. "We knew that already," Ulrich replies uncaringly. "No, really, something is wrong with me! I feel…strange!" she says, becoming increasingly distressed. "Can you elaborate on 'strange'?" asks Jeremie. Atilea pauses before responding. "Um, well, for one, there is a strange bubbling in my abdomen. Then there is a pain. Not a pain like someone punched me but pain that is like…. I don't know! It's there but a soft kind of pain." Jeremie glances at Aelita. "That's almost like the way you described being hungry for the first time!" he says to her. Aelita smiles and nods. "Yes, it is. I bet she is just hungry and doesn't know it!" Atilea looks at the pair bewildered. "Hungry? Really? How do I get rid of it?" Yumi raises an eyebrow. "You eat food," she replies simply. Atilea turns to her. "Eat…food? I've never done that." "You haven't had to until you came here. No one needs to eat when they are on Lyoko," replies Jeremie. "But here, you eventually die if you don't eat." Aelita sighs and finds what she is about to say hard to do. "I guess it would be wrong not to give them something to eat. If we didn't, well, like Yumi said, there would be no difference between them and us. I'll go and get the pizza I bought for us to eat." Jeremie looks at her and nods reluctantly. "Alright. I guess I could take a rain check on our little bet. But don't think you're gonna get out of it!" Aelita looks at him in mild annoyance. "Somehow I didn't think you would let me! I'll be back in a little bit," she replies playfully. "Have Yumi go with you, just to be safe, ok?" he asks politely. She looks over at Yumi and Yumi nods with a smile. "OK, Jeremie. We will," Aelita replies and gives him a kiss on the lips. Then, the two girls leave via the maintenance hatch.
Ulrich turns and begins to watch Atilea carefully, Imuy's stomach rumbles audibly and she gets wide-eyed and red-faced. Wow. That was almost as loud as Odd's stomach, Ulrich thinks to himself. Jeremie continues to pour over the power consumption logs and Odd sits facing Imuy. If I were on Lyoko, I'd break these ropes easily! Then I would pound his goofy face in! Imuy thinks, frowning at Odd. Another stomach rumble causes her anger to dissipate a bit and she turns red again. "Man, that's embarrassing…" she whispers to herself. Atilea squirms and tries to focus on something other than her new-found hunger. "Does hunger get any worse than this?" she asks finally. "Yes. Especially if a person goes without food for a week or so. Then it gets really bad. But if hunger goes unsatisfied over a long period of time, then the body starts, well, digesting itself," replies Jeremie, not looking away from the monitor. "Yikes…." Atilea whispers and pulls her knees to her chin.
A couple of quiet minutes later, Jeremie shakes his head and slides out of the chair. "Hey, I have to run down to the scanner room real quick. Do you two think you can handle it here?" he asks Ulrich and Odd. The two turn and nod. Atilea finds herself staring at Jeremie as he leaves. She shakes her head and glances around the room, trying to find something else to put her mind on. Ulrich sighs and squats down but keeps a watchful eye on her. Imuy has adopted the philosophy of "out of sight, out of mind" with Odd by keeping her eyes tightly closed as not to look at him. Odd begins to feel hungry himself and wishes that he hadn't left Sam to finish eating alone. Then an idea pops into his head and he pulls out his cell phone. Odd scoots to the opposing wall and begins to dial Sam's number.
Ulrich raises an eyebrow has he watches Odd. "Odd, you're supposed to be watching her…" Ulrich warns. Odd nods and points his finger from his eye to Imuy. Ulrich shakes his head slightly and turns back to Atilea. She has straightened her legs out again and is fidgeting with her skirt hem. Then, Ulrich hears Jeremie coming back and turns to see him enter the room, his face beaming. "I take it that you've made an important discovery," Ulrich speculates. Jeremie nods and retakes his seat at the computer. "Oh, yes. I'm going to run a couple of simulations first to make sure I'm right before actually putting what I discovered into practice," he replies as he starts typing away at the keyboard. Ulrich smiles slightly and relaxes a bit. He glances back over at Odd who is whispering into his phone, trying to keep his conversation private.
"No! Seriously! I am fine! Just… still hungry," he says a little louder than he intended and realizes everyone except Jeremie is looking at him. He frowns and covers the receiver end of the phone. "Hey! Would you guys mind not listening in, please?" "You're the one sharing with us, Odd," states Imuy. Odd gives a restrained smile and then says into the phone, "Sorry about that. I have some eavesdroppers in the room. Can I give you a call back later, Sam?"
Then, the maintenance door opens and Aelita and Yumi enter carrying two large pizza boxes. The aroma of the pizza fills Odd's nose and his stomach rumbles. "Is that…. pepperoni?" he asks as his mouth begins to water. Jeremie perks up and turns to stare hard at him. "The pepperoni is MINE. You can't have any!" he informs harshly. Odd looks at him perplexed then nods and remains silent. "Jeremie Belpois! That wasn't very nice!" scolds Aelita giving him a hard look. "Then you don't remember what happened last time we had pepperoni pizza with him around!" retorts Jeremie. "Still, that's no excuse to be rude!" she chides back at him. Jeremie snorts softly and turns back to the monitor and begins to sulk. "Now, now, children. Let's not fight. I'm sure there's plenty for everyone," Yumi says in a motherly fashion and sets the pizza boxes on the edge on the hologram display in the center of the room. "I'm not hungry, so that means someone will get to have my share." She opens the boxes and Aelita opens the package of paper plates and napkins. "Are you going to eat any, Babe?" Yumi asks Ulrich. He shakes his head no and replies, "I'm not hungry either. Your ham and turkey filled me up nicely, Dear." Atilea gets a disgusted look on her face. "Ok, would you two refrain from talking like that? It's ruining my appetite!" Ulrich looks at her quizzically. "This is the first appetite you've ever had. How would you know if it's being ruined or not?" he asks. "Because you two are making me sick with all the 'babes' and 'dears' and other blecchh stuff!" she replies frowning. Ulrich blinks in mild bewilderment and responds, "Oh, yeah. You're also an expert in that sort of stuff too, I suppose. Despite having absolutely no experience in that field. You'll note that I'm not including your violation of Jeremie or your weak attempt at flirting with me." Atilea stares at him with a mild wounded look on her face for a moment before responding. "You can be a very harsh person, Ulrich. Even when you don't sound like you are being harsh. Did you know that?"
Yumi hands her a plate with a slice of pizza on it and the smell of it catches her attention. She looks at her wrists and at the rope that binds them together. "I don't suppose you could untie me for this?" she asks in fake-hope. "No," Yumi simply. "Didn't think so. But it didn't hurt to ask, though." Atilea takes the plate and napkin then looks at the pizza skeptically. "Um, wh-what is this?" "Pizza. Bon Appétit," Ulrich replies. She gingerly picks up the slice and regards it curiously. "I know the word 'pizza' but this isn't what I had in mind when I envisioned what it was." "Just eat it," Odd says carrying four slices back to where he was sitting on the floor. Imuy pokes the single slice of pepperoni pizza on her plate and grease oozes out the sides. "You people eat this every day?" she asks baffled. "No, it's just a quick, cheap, and filling meal usually eaten when time doesn't allow a full course meal," replies Jeremie sliding down from the chair. Aelita gives him a questionable look. "Are you saying that I was being cheap when I bought this for you today?" she asks, crossing her arms. Jeremie turns pink and shakes his head. "No, I saying that as a general fact. Not as a statement toward you!" "Diggin-a-hole! Diggin-a-hole!" Odd says quickly, slurring his words together. Jeremie glances at him and turns redder. "In fact, I wouldn't have cared if all I did get was bread and water. You would have been the one who made the lunch for me, and I enjoy anything you make for me," he says, trying to smooth things over. Aelita looks at him, unconvinced. "Jeremie, how many times have I told you to stick to the truth?" she asks. He pauses for a second, then replies, "Ok, the truth. The truth is I'm sorry for barking at Odd and arguing with you. Also, I love you and my life, therefore I'm going to get a single slice of pizza, return to my chair obediently, and eat it quietly because I know I'm in trouble." Aelita gives him a strained smile and nods. "Yes, you are!" she replies quietly.
Odd snickers and finishes swallowing a bite. "Coming this summer, to a theater near you: 'When Geniuses Collide'!" he says like a voiceover on a movie trailer.
Aelita turns her head slowly around to look at him. "Odd,"
He looks up at her with an innocent smile on his face. "Hmm?"
"Eat your pizza and be quiet."
"Yes, Ma'am!" he replies with the smile plastered to his face and takes another bite.
Jeremie takes a seat in the computer chair and sets his plate down in his lap then begins to type away at the keyboard. Atilea swallows a bite and licks crust crumbs off her lips. "Mmm! This is good!" she says happily. "Better get your fill now. It's probably going to be the last you'll ever have," Ulrich states seriously. Atilea looks up at him and blinks in confusion. "Why do you say that?" she asks wiping her mouth with her napkin. "Think about it. You two were obviously sent here to hack into the computer, materialize the other two twins, and remove the first Seal on X.A.N.A. Once the Seal is gone, he'd escape out here and begin taking over the world again. That includes all the places that make pizza. Do you really think he'd spare a pizza place just for you?" he replies crossing his arms.
She looks at him blankly. "Maybe…"
"Have you even thought about what is going to happen when he does escape?" Ulrich inquires.
"Uh, no. But that doesn't mean anything! I'm sure Master X.A.N.A. has great plans for us!" Atilea replies confidently.
"Really? Have you asked him? Probably not. The way I see it, you were created only to free him. Once you've done that, then your usefulness is over. What then?"
Atilea shakes her head, not wanting to hear anymore. For some unknown reason, his words pierce her heart and she tries to block out the affect his words are having on her by rolling over in her mind the things her Master has spoken to her about loyalty and trust. "No! Stop! Don't say anything more!" she bellows out.
"We've known X.A.N.A. a lot longer than you and we know what he is truly like! He doesn't care about anything except total world domination. To him, you are nothing more than pawns in his game. To him, your master, you're expendable!"
"SHUT UP!" Atilea explodes at him, tears streaming down her face. "You're wrong! Master X.A.N.A. cares for us! He even calls us his children! He wouldn't just dispose of us like we're garbage!"
Ulrich leans in closer to her. "How do you know? Has he told you he wouldn't?"
"No, but he hasn't said he would, either!" Imuy counters, fighting back her own tears. She never expected to lose control like Atilea did, but she wasn't going to give in to them. She'd fight these strange emotions that have suddenly gripped her.
"So, you really don't have a guarantee either way, do you? You'd think if X.A.N.A. really cared for you as much as you claim, he would have told you, right?" Ulrich follows up without missing a beat.
Imuy shakes her head, glaring at him. "Stop trying to be all philosophical with me! You won't shake MY loyalty!"
Atilea puts her head down on her knees and trembles, not understanding how Ulrich's words could shake her belief in her Master. She'd never questioned him before; only obeyed willingly. But, now, X.A.N.A. wasn't here to speak to her. "What" Her tears choke her up briefly. "What have you done to me!" she asks him, lifting her tear-dampened face to look into his eyes.
Ulrich sighs and leans back away from her. "Nothing. I just asked the questions that you seem to have never asked yourselves or X.A.N.A.," he replies calmly. Jeremie pauses his work and peers around the monitor at them. "Interesting…" he mumbles to himself.
"There is one thing I'm curious about. Are the emotions you've displayed, the sadness, the apparent caring, and the happiness, is it real or all a big act? I know the anger, hatred, and apathy is real enough, based on what you and the other twins did to us on Lyoko. But, what about the rest? Surely X.A.N.A wouldn't have allowed emotions to be present in you that would potentially turn you against him. Like, love, for instance. You never really responded one way or the other when Jeremie said that those types of emotions had been stripped away."
Atilea looks directly into his eyes. "You want to know about what emotions I feel? Here's one: loneliness. Despite the fact that Imuy is here with me, I still feel lonely. When I was on Lyoko, I could feel Master X.A.N.A.'s presence. It never left me. I could always count on it being there when I would awaken and emerge from my pod after resting periods." She wipes the tear trails from her cheeks. "But now, it's gone. This is the first time ever to have my Master's presence removed from me. I can't feel his presence or hear his voice and that makes me feel all alone." Atilea turns to look up at Aelita. "And if you want the truth, having this void scares me!"
Aelita gasps as she can see in her twin's eyes that she is telling the truth and, for the first time, she sees true fear in her eyes.
"Atilea! Get a grip! You are a child of the Almighty X.A.N.A.! You are not supposed to be afraid! Especially since you are the one who can create huge boulders!" pipes up an angry Imuy. "I can't believe that you are acting this way! They are only messing with your mind!"
Atilea turns and looks at her. "If you haven't noticed yet, my hands are tied! I couldn't create a pebble if I wanted to! Besides, I tried to create something before we came here to the control room, but I failed! Apparently, that ability was left back in Lyoko! Unlike you, who was able to bring one of your tessen fans here. A lot of good it did you, though. Yumi stole it from you!"
Imuy bites her lower lip to keep herself from exploding in anger at her sister. Odd looks at her in mild disgust. "'Almighty X.A.N.A.'? You're kidding, right?" he asks skeptically. "I mean, if he was really almighty, would he let himself get partially sealed back in Lyoko?"
Imuy turns and glares at him angrily. "How dare you….!" she angrily says, barely able to get the words out amidst her anger. She stops and looks at her sister. "No! They're pitting us against each other, Atilea! Divide and conquer!" she exclaims wildly. Atilea looks back at her blankly.
"Yeah, right! You just don't want to admit to feeling scared also!" Odd quips. Imuy turns and looks at him with a wild look in her eye. "Feelings? You want to know about my feelings! Fine! I hate all of you! Especially you, Odd! Including that stupid dog of yours!" Imuy explodes angrily.
Odd narrows his eyes at her. "Hey, you watch what you say about Kiwi!" he warns harshly.
"And Samantha, that ghetto tramp girlfriend of yours!", she continues. "Imuy, don't," cautions Atilea as she sees Odd's face become beet red with rage.
"I've never smelled Kiwi personally, but according to the memories from Yumi that I have, he smells terrible! Like rotten eggs!" Imuy spouts.
Then, something inside Odd's mind snapped. Almost instantly after she finished her sentence, Odd pounced on her with fists flying, knocking her over with his sudden lunge. He straddles her and she screams in surprise and tries to cover her face with her bound arms. Jeremie and Ulrich dive towards him the instant they see him attack Imuy. He manages to get one good punch to the face before Ulrich and Jeremie pull him off her. Even as they pull him off, Odd tries to hit her. Ulrich and Jeremie wrestles him down on his stomach and Ulrich manages to pin his arms but not before Odd elbows him in the cheek. Ulrich finally immobilizes him and nods to Jeremie to let him know he has Odd securely. Jeremie stands, breathing hard, and Aelita and Yumi rush to Imuy to see what kind of damage Odd did to her. Atilea stares at the scene, horrified.
"ODD! CALM DOWN!" Ulrich shouts at Odd.
"ARRGH! Get off me, Ulrich! I'll kill her!" he screams back.
"NO, YOU"RE NOT!" Ulrich responds, shoving more of his weight onto Odd's head, pressing it harder on the cold, metallic floor.
Yumi and Aelita gingerly helps a bawling Imuy sit up and wipes a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth with a napkin. Imuy shoves Yumi away hard when she realizes who is touching her. "GET AWAY FROM ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!" bellows Imuy and curls into a ball, then rolls onto her side, sobbing. Aelita stands and backs away from Imuy; her own eyes threatening to unleash tears of their own. Jeremie walks up behind Aelita and gently wraps an arm around her waist, then guides her to the other side of the room. There, she turns into him and buries her head in his chest, crying. Yumi slide backward on the floor then sees Ulrich finally succeed in calmly Odd down just a little bit.
"She—she insulted Kiwi—and—and Sam!" Odd stammers and closes his eyes tightly.
"Odd, I know…" Ulrich consoles as best as he can while still trying to hold Odd in place. "…and it was wrong of her to say those things, but it was also a very bad thing to attack her like that! Possibly worse!"
Then, a wave of realization washes over Odd's face and he relaxes more. "Ulrich, what have I done?" he asks remorseful. Ulrich looks into his friend's eyes and sees that his rage has abated somewhat. He can see that Odd is contrite about what he did to Imuy but the underlying disdain for her and the other twins still remains.
"Um, you're kinda heavy, Ulrich," Odd says, trying to get a descent breath. Ulrich relaxes his grip and Odd inhales deeper. "No offense," he says meekly. Ulrich waves off the comment with a simple nod of the head.
"Can I get up now?" Odd asks weakly. Ulrich pauses and considers his request. "Depends. Will you keep calm?" Odd frowns in guilt and nods as best as he can. "Yeah. I—I'm sorry. Really." Ulrich sighs and glances at Imuy, who is still in a ball crying, then over at Yumi, who is hugging her knees and watching them.
"Ok, Odd. But don't do anything like that again. I don't want to have to hurt you," Ulrich says and rolls off of him. Odd sits up and hangs his head sorrowfully.
"Ulrich?" asks Odd.
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"Could you not tell Sam what happened? I—I want to be the one to tell her…."
"Tell her what? That you attacked a clone of Yumi?" Ulrich asks.
Odd realizes what Ulrich is saying. "Yeah, I guess it would be hard to explain… never mind. Thanks anyway." Ulrich gently places his hand on Odd's shoulder. Odd gives him a very weak smile and continues, "I think I'd better leave before I do something else wrong…" Before anyone can say anything, he stands and heads toward the maintenance door.
"Ok, that officially got out of hand," Jeremie says after a long pause. He sighs and gently runs his fingertips up and down Aelita's back, trying to soothe her. "I was hoping to run another simulation before implementing my plan, but it looks as if I'm just gonna have to chance it." Ulrich crawls over to Yumi and she gives him a gentle hug and kiss. She stands and wipes her nose with her napkin. Ulrich then looks over at Atilea. She has a blank stare on her face and the tear tracks have reappeared, but it seems as if her eyes have run out of tears. He glances up at Yumi and sees her begin to clean up the pizza that was send flying everywhere when Odd snapped. He sighs and slides over to Atilea. Ulrich gently touches her thigh, but she doesn't respond.
"Atilea?" he whispers to her.
No response.
"Hey, Atilea, are you alright?"
She finally moves her eyes to look at him, and he sees no emotion in them. "Atilea…?"
Her mouth opens as if to speak, but no words come out. Then a look of sheer loneliness creeps onto her face.
"I'm sorry for what Odd did. That was way out of line, even for him," Ulrich says apologetically to her.
Jeremie, who has since reseated himself at the computer, turns to him and says, "Ulrich, I'm ready to begin."
Atilea finds her hand sliding toward Ulrich's and closes her eyes. "It wasn't you, Ulrich, so you don't have to apologize." She opens her eyes and looks at Jeremie. "Let me guess, you're going to send us both back and you've also found a way to keep us there." Jeremie presses his lips together and replies, "Yes, I have." Atilea's hand finally reaches Ulrich's and he jerks slightly in surprise. "Ulrich, I don't know what will happen the next time we all meet. X.A.N.A. may have my memory…. altered so I won't remember what has happened here, but I want you to know this," she says softly. Yumi turns and watches her carefully. "You're words cut me deeply, but I know now what you were trying to do. You were only trying to open my eyes to what X.A.N.A. really is. I can't hide anything from him when I'm on Lyoko. X.A.N.A. has some sort of telepathic link with each of us while we are there and it is apparent that the link is severed when we are here. Therefore, the moment I return, he will know everything that transpired, including the nifty little ruse Aelita pulled on Dod. I may not be this pleasant ever again, so I have a few things to say before Jeremie sends us back."
Ulrich pulls back and sits on his legs, regarding her with curiosity. Jeremie glances at the screen and shakes his head slightly. "Well, better make it quick. If the remaining two twins figure out that something is wrong, X.A.N.A. may try sending one or both of them here." Atilea glances up at him and nods.
"First off, I want to thank you four for being so kind to an enemy. You've truly shown that you are better than us. I probably will miss pizza, at least until my master rewrites my memory. Jeremie, I'm sorry for kissing and choking you. Aelita, I hope you can forgive me. Yumi, I can see a small piece of the reason why you love Ulrich so much. This may not mean much, but take care of him. Ulrich, tell Odd I'm sorry for Imuy's behavior. She's usually more in control than that. And finally," She pauses to swallow to moisturize her throat. "I have a rather off the wall request."
Ulrich raises an eyebrow, trying to guess what it could be. "Ok… what is it?"
"I… I want to see this world that you so passionately protect and defend."
Jeremie's jaw drops open in shock. Ulrich nearly falls backward and Yumi drops the plateful of pizza scraps on the floor. Aelita stares in shock at her twin, speechless. "You… what?" Ulrich finally asks. Atilea glances around the room at all of them. "I want to see and understand why you protect this world so avidly. If that is a problem…."
"Yes, it is! For one, to the rest of the world, there is only one Aelita. Should someone see you two together…" Jeremie starts. He shakes his head, unable to finish due to the numerous potential results of that situation flooding his mind.
"Well, then either take me some place where there aren't any people or Aelita can stay here and Ulrich and Yumi escorts me. Or the third option, do both," Atilea replies logically. "Besides, I'm not asking for hours on end out there. Just five, ten minutes."
Jeremie shakes his head. "No, this is a bad idea…." Ulrich rubs his forehead. "Jeremie, if you were to implement your plan now, what would be the percent chance of success?" he asks. Jeremie blinks in thought. "Roughly 42.3 percent," he replies. "Ok, after, say ten minutes of you tweaking it, what would it go up to?" Ulrich inquires. Jeremie chuckles and rubs his temple. "Heh, not as much as I would if I had a couple more hours. Say, around 46 to 48 percent. That is, if all goes well." Ulrich nods and replies, "I like 46 better than 42. Me, personally, I think we should allow her to go. My opinion, but I'm willing to do it. We just pop up in the forest for a few minutes, just enough for her to get in a few nature scenes, then pop back down. Now, I think both Yumi and I should agree to do this. If Yumi doesn't want to go, then we don't go, period. End of story. But if we go, Jeremie gets ten more minutes of uninterrupted work time to tweak his plan and the chances of success go up."
Jeremie sighs and runs his hand down his face. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm in an episode of MythBusters and that things are going to go badly?" Atilea looks over at Yumi and says, "Well, it's really up to Yumi. I don't think I can say or do anything to sway her, but I will say this, I would really like to go and I will behave." Jeremie frowns sternly and looks at the trio. "No. We can't risk taking her up there. She could escape and do who knows what. Besides, I need Aelita to help me set this up. Who will watch Imuy?"
By this time, Imuy has sat up and dried her tears. She watched as the four deliberated over what to do. "Fine. Then Yumi can take me by herself and Ulrich can stay here and watch Imuy," suggests Atilea.
"No! No one is going anywhere! Atilea, you have a mission and I order you to carry it out!" blasts Imuy. Everyone turns and stares at her shocked. Then Atilea breaks the silence. "No. I don't take orders from you. I take orders from only two people; Master X.A.N.A. and me! Now, I want to take a look at the world we're going to destroy with my own eyes instead of seeing it through the eyes of someone else's memories! Maybe you don't care about that, but I do!"
Imuy snorts in disdain at her and grows silent. "Fine. Do what you want. But when we get back, Master X.A.N.A. will hear of you blatant insubordination!" she says finally. Atilea narrows her eyes and glares at her with painful realization. "Hey! You don't have to say anything to him! He will know when I get back! Did you forget that he can tap into our minds at will in Lyoko?" Imuy looks away from her sister's gaze and remains silent.
Aelita turns to Jeremie and gently touches his hand. "Let her go, Jeremie. I can watch Imuy. You really don't need me to help. I'd just be in the way," Jeremie turns to look at her, slightly appalled. "Aelita…!" he starts but then stops himself when he sees the serious look on her face. "Ulrich, you and Yumi take Atilea up to the surface. We will be fine." Ulrich starts to say something but a stern look from Aelita stops him. He sighs and replies, "Fine. But be careful, both of you." And with that, he and Yumi help Atilea stand. Yumi pulls out the confiscated tessen fan and cuts the rope around Atilea's ankles. "I hope you know what you're doing, Ulrich. I want it on the record that I said that this is a very bad idea and that something could go wrong!" Jeremie says shaking his head while staring at the monitor.
Ulrich glances over at him quickly and replies, "Yes, Jeremie, we know how you feel about this. But don't worry. Yumi and I can handle ourselves. We'll be back soon." Then, the trio heads for the door with a disagreeing Jeremie watching them go. Aelita gently pats his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. "They'll be alright, you know that. Just relax and tweak your plan, ok, Babe?" she whispers to him. "I know, but it's too risky! Way to risky!" he replies. She gives him a reassuring smile and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Well, just work your magic on the computer, Dear. I'm going to have a girl-to-girl talk with Imuy," Jeremie turns, slightly befuddled, to watch her walk over to Imuy.
Ulrich opens the steel door at the top of the staircase leading from the cellar that connects to the sewers. As the trio step into the fresh air, Atilea blinks in the brightness of the sun. Yumi glances around and sees puddles of water dotting the area, then looks up at the sky to see gray clouds beginning to dissipate. "Looks like it rained a bit," she says. Atilea glances around the area and blinks in awe, trying to take it all in. "The colors; they're so vibrant! And the smell of the air…" She inhales deeply, drawing in the air through her nostrils. "…so many fragrances!" She spots the puddles and regards them inquisitively. Suddenly, a memory from Aelita hits her. She sees Aelita and Jeremie walking in the rain. The two are laughing and genuinely enjoying themselves. Then, Aelita and Jeremie come across a large puddle and she sees Aelita jump in it, causing the water to splash up on Jeremie. He laughs deviously and jumps in the puddle, splashing Aelita back. The two continue to do this until the puddle in nearly empty, despite the rain trying to refill it.
Atilea smiles and rushes over to a puddle. Ulrich and Yumi instantly follows her, unsure of what she is doing. Atilea leaps up and lands right in the middle of the puddle, splashing a shocked Ulrich and Yumi. The two gasp as the cold water soaks through their pant legs on to their skin. Atilea giggles happily and watches as the water runs back around her feet. She looks up to see Ulrich and Yumi staring at her totally confused. "Eeewww!" Yumi exclaims. Ulrich sees Yumi bend down and pull her pant legs away from her shins and try to brush away the dirt left behind from the water. Ulrich can't help but chuckle and Yumi looks up at him sharply. Atilea lets out a laugh and jumps again, causing Yumi to jump backwards, trying to avoid the water. Ulrich just lets the water hit him, knowing that it won't make a difference if he tried to move. Yumi presses her lips together tightly and glares at him. "Would you do something besides stand there like an idiot?" she asks him. Ulrich gives her a playful hurt look and shrugs. "What do you want me to do? Jump in after her? She's not going to drown!" Yumi shoots him a harsh glance. "That's not what I mean and you know it! Get her out of the puddle!" "Why do I have to get her out of the puddle? Why can't you get her out of the puddle?" he retorts playfully. Yumi glances around, trying to form an excuse. "Well, because your pants are wetter than mine and it won't make any difference!" Ulrich chuckles disbelieving and turns to see Atilea laughing at them.
"Enjoying yourself?" he asks Atilea. She stops laughing and smiles at him, nodding. "Yes! This is fun!" She steps out of the puddle and turns to take in the tree line that is surrounding the area. "See, she got out of the puddle all by herself!" Ulrich says to Yumi. Yumi gives him a slightly miffed look and sticks her tongue out at him. "Where are we?" Atilea asks, finally noticing the large house behind them. Ulrich smiles and replies, "I'll show you!" He takes the lead and guides her and Yumi to the front. Atilea regards the overgrown picket fence curiously and sees a sign hanging on the opposite side. Ulrich walks over to the old gate and swings it open. The trio walks out and Atilea looks up at the two story house in awe. "Wow…"she says, studying the exterior intently, taking in the historical beauty of the old house. Then, she looks down at the sign, which is covered by overgrown ivy and tilts her head to try and read it.
"The… Hermitage?" she says curiously, just above a whisper. "Isn't that…..?" she starts but stops when various memories begin to replay in her mind. "Yes, it is. This is where Aelita lived before she was sent to Lyoko for the very first time," Yumi states. Then, Atilea's wonder turns to sadness. "I have all these memories of this place, but none of them are mine. I… don't have any memories of a childhood that is my own…." she says sadly and looks at the ground. "Or real parents…." Atilea then looks up at the house and turns to Ulrich and Yumi. "Can I go inside?" Ulrich glances at Yumi and she shrugs. "Um, I guess it wouldn't hurt for a minute or two. We'll have to start back to the factory soon," he replies.
The trio heads toward the front door. Suddenly, Atilea feels a pain in her head and groans. Ulrich opens the door and turns to look at her. "Are you ok?" he asks. Atilea shakes her head. "Yeah, I think so. Let's go on in." As they enter the living room, Atilea glances around the room. Books, papers, and dust balls litter the room. "Man, someone needs to clean this place up," she states running her finger through the thick layer of dust on a nearby table. "Well, we had planned on doing that once X.A.N.A. was gone for good…" Ulrich replies. Atilea glances at him blankly and wipes her finger on her skirt. Then, more memories surface and Atilea feels the pain in her head return. She grabs her forehead and stumbles slightly. Yumi catches her and asks, "Hey, what's wrong?" Atilea shakes her head. "I.. don't know. Memories from Aelita's past keep resurfacing and replaying in my mind!"
Suddenly, Atilea convulses and falls to the floor hard. Yumi gasps and reaches for her, but Atilea's extremities begin to shake and her eyes roll back into her head. "Atilea!" Yumi shouts. Ulrich quickly pulls out his phone and starts to dial Jeremie's number, but stops when Atilea begins to speak.
"MOMMY!" Atilea shouts and begins to cry like a small child, still in her convulsive trance. Yumi and Ulrich turn to each other in astonishment.
"DON'T LEAVE ME, MOMMY! MOMMY!"