Warning: Rated for language, some violence and adult behavior.

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 his dreams, he saw them standing there, the Host of Heaven.

They stood before him in perfect formation, training. Each move was precisely imitated by each individual. When they moved, they radiated power, power like he had never felt before. He could barely stand before it.

"It is Time," a voice called to him, the Leader of the Host, "Time for You to join Us."

"But what about her?" he asked. Off in the distance, Yumi was standing there, watching.

"She has her destiny, just as you have yours," was the reply, "and she has been but an excuse to you. You have seen this coming for a long time, but chose to run from it. You passed the test long ago and are ready. Now, she has been removed. Come, take you place amongst us."

Ulrich looked at Yumi, his Love, his Life. She had tears in her eyes as she waived goodbye to him and left.

He turned to the Leader. "You are correct, Sir, I have been running, but I will run no more. Live or Die, I Will Stand With You."


When Yumi told him that she was going to college in America, Ulrich felt like she had driven a knife through his heart. He would have preferred the knife; at least then he would have died with her. He got up and ran away.

When he got back to the Kadic campus, he ran into Mrs. Hertz, who was on her way home for the day.

"Ulrich, Principal Delmas was looking for you," she told the boy in passing.

Ulrich groaned and turned towards the Principal's Office. There was no use hiding from him. Jim Moralés would probably drag him in if he didn't show up voluntarily.

When he got to the office, Mr. Delmas had him sit down.

"Ulrich, I've been in conversation with your parents, and they're concerned about your grades. While you've been an asset to the school's soccer team, and you've improved over the last two years, you have always been a poor student. Your father has been especially concerned about this, and was wondering if a more structured environment might help you improve your studies."

"Your parents are going to be here shortly. I'm not certain what he has in mind, but your father has informed me that he is withdrawing you from Kadic Academy after the end of the school year. I can only hope that whatever he decides will help you improve yourself. I'm sorry we couldn't have been more of a help."

"Sir, you probably won't believe it, but you have," Ulrich said, "I'm sorry I've been such a pain these past years and I truly wish there was some way I could make it up."

Mr. Delmas was silent for a moment. "Ulrich, speaking for myself, if there was some way I could keep you here, I would. I don't mean to insult your family, but there has always been something about your father I didn't like. And the way your mother acts..."

"What about my mother," Ulrich snapped.

"I don't mean to insult her, but the way she acts, it's almost as if she were a whipped dog. One of the things that has concerned me all this time was whether or not he was abusing you both."

"I've always put your attitude down to family problems," the principal continued, "those years where your parents seldom visited was when I thought you would finally come around. Even your taking up with Mr. Della Robbia, Mr. Belpois and the others was a gift from above. But your schoolwork never improved sufficiently, and now my hands are tied. Unless there is something you can tell me that I could go to the State with, you will have to go."

"Mr. Delmas, even if I did that, and you called the State, it wouldn't change a thing," Ulrich said, "my father has talked his way out of much worse than anything you could come up with, and you would just wind up being hurt."

Just then, the principal's phone rang. He picked up the receiver and listened. After a second, he said goodbye and hung up.

"Your parents are waiting outside, Ulrich."


When they returned to their hotel room, Ulrich's father explained the situation.

"Son, I've been concerned about you for a while. Your grades haven't been cutting it, and you've barely squeaked by on advancing. Frankly, I think that your teachers have been giving you a pass just to get you out of their hair. It's either that or incompetence. Regardless, I've let this go on too long, and it's time for a change."

"Tomorrow, we are driving out to the Ravensbrook Military Academy. I've heard good things about their program, and I think they can help you, even at this late date."

"Dad, is there any possibility at all that I can stay at Kadic?" Ulrich asked.

"No, there's not. The sooner you're out of there the better."

"Can I at least stay through the summer? I want to see Yumi off to college."

"That Jap girl? Sorry son, no way. She's alright for a brief fling, but she's not for you. You can do way better than her kind."

Ulrich barely managed to keep the rage off of his face. He looked at his mother, who knew Yumi and loved her like a daughter, but only saw the woman lower her eyes in shame.

"Look son, you've always been destined for a much more refined woman than that girl. I mean, I was always glad you found something that was easy on the eyes and took the pressure off your balls, but she can't be anything more to you than that. You'll never make it in life with one of her kind on your arm. Everyone will just think you're escorting a whore."

Ulrich seethed in silence. If he thought he could get away with it, he would have killed his father where he stood. He knew his father was a bastard, ever since he sent his best friend and brother-in-law to jail for something he didn't do, but he never realized just how big a bastard he was.

Ulrich calmed down and composed himself. He was about to do something he hated.

"I understand, dad. Look, can I at least stay until after Yumi graduates? If I'm going to Ravensbrook, it'll probably be the last chance I'll have to get laid, and I want to give her something she'll never forget."

Mrs. Stern almost wept. Mr. Stern got a smile on his face. Ulrich just about vomited.

"Of course son. I'll even rent the room."


Ravensbrook Military Academy looked more like a prison than a school. There were high fences around the campus, and those people out on the grounds marched, not walked.

His father explained that Ravensbrook specialized in instilling discipline in its students. And when one had discipline, one had everything one needed to succeed.

They toured the campus, escorted by Heinrich Krieger, the Headmaster, or Commandant as he was referred to, and it was bleak. Finally, they came to the Commandant's office.

"Mr. and Mrs. Stern, could you wait in our visitor's area? I would like to have a private word with your son," Commandant Krieger said.

After his parents left, the Commandant sat down and regarded Ulrich for a moment. Then he said, "you're not exactly what I was expecting, Mr. Stern. I was expecting a truant."

Ulrich was silent.

"There are generally two kinds of boys that walk through these gates," Krieger continued, "one is the truant; blows off school, runs with gangs, gets into trouble with the law, that kind of thing. They go through the program here, fighting me tooth and nail, until I either break them, or they wind up in jail."

"The second type is the spoiled rich kid. Daddy's rolling in dough, and Junior's a little too soft. So Junior winds up here because Daddy thinks it will make a man out of him, or he just wants Junior out of his hair. Some of the weak ones don't last long here. Others who think the world should kiss their ass get broken just like the truants. Most figure things out and make it through."

"You, however are different; you're not really either type. From what your father has told me, you almost fit the truant mold. Bad grades, trouble at the school. No run ins with the law, though. And also not the street punk tough attitude truants generally try to affect. You obviously aren't the spoiled rich kid. You are hard in your own way, and you don't look like you expect the world to kiss your ass, like your father seems to. No, you're not really either type, but I think I see something I can work with, for the short time you'll be with us."

"Now, we can do this one of two ways. One, is we go hammer and tongs at each other and I break you. Don't even smile son, I've done it in the past, sometimes just on a whim."

"The other way is you buckle down and get with my program. It'll be hard, harder than anything you've ever encountered, but it will prepare you for Life. It will also prepare you to get back at your father."

Ulrich's eyes got wide at that statement.

"Do you think I'm blind?" Krieger said, smiling, "not to put too fine a point on it, but your father is a pompous asshole, with delusions of grandeur. It's his kind I enjoy breaking. Now, I don't know what your problem was at your last school, but I'll bet he figured in prominently. If you give it all you've got, you will do well here, and no one, I mean no one, will ever mess with you again."


Ulrich explained everything to Yumi when he got back, including what he had to say to his father to enable him to see her after graduation. She got a hard look on her face when he said it, more for what his father said than what Ulrich had to say, but she didn't like this new piece of information one bit.

"Maybe that's why Jeremie never brought your parents in to the group," she said at last.

"I warned Jeremie a long time ago about my father," Ulrich said, "Anyway, I'm sorry for the way I had to say what I said to him."

"But not what you said."

"No. I do want to be with you one last time, even if nothing happens. And I do want to give you something to remember me by."