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.


To Amherst & general observation board: here you go and thanks for your support! Hope you all enjoyed it!
"Mr. Hopper, could I speak with you a moment?"

Desmond Hopper looked up from his desk and saw Miko Ishiyama and Jeremie Belpois standing in the doorway.

Desmond generally spent one day a week at the Kadic Group's offices in the old factory. Partially, he did it partially so he could coordinate the renovation and reconstruction of the factory into an office building, and partially so he could be close by in case some information came across Miko's desk that needed his attention. Miko's interruption of his work indicated that the latter was probably the case, but Jeremie's presence was unusual, since he should be in school right now.

"Jeremie, what a nice surprise! Miko, what do you have for me?"

"Desmond, it's about Rachael Stern, Ulrich's mother," Miko began, "a little while back I found out some disturbing information from her that I needed to follow up on. I didn't think it was related to the Kadic Group, so I asked Jeremie to look into it for me on the side. He called me this morning and told me he found something interesting. I need your help in deciding what to do with it."

"Well, come in and tell me what you've found," Desmond said, "I'm sure it won't be too troubling."

Desmond changed his mind when Miko told him Rachael's story, then what Jeremie had found. When the conversation reached the point of Deiter's abuses of Rachael, Desmond said to Jeremie, "son, I think you had better leave now. This is more adult than your parents would want you exposed to."

"No," Jeremie said flatly, "Ulrich is my friend, and this concerns him."

"Jeremie," Miko said, almost pleading, "you truly do not want to hear this; I did hear it and I wished I never had. This doesn't concern XANA or his followers, so please, leave us now."

"You're wrong, ma'am. Mr. Stern is one of XANA's followers," Jeremie told her, "Ulrich told me about a month after the Embassy Ball three years back that his father was saying some of the same things XANA said when it tried to kill us that night. Since then, I believe he has been helping and recruiting others. And as for whatever you are about to say being too adult for me to know about, I can assure you that I've seen worse. Now, please continue, I really need to get back to the dorms soon."


The graduation ceremony at Ravensbrook Military Academy was like a military parade review. The graduating class marched out on to the parade field, led by the Cadet Major. They marched in review, then presented themselves before the Commandant.

Each student was announced, and they approached and received their diplomas, then returned to the ranks. Because they were ordered by last name, it was a long time before Ulrich went forward to receive his diploma.

The Commandant was right, Ulrich thought to himself, this was the hardest thing I ever went through.

The actual physical training wasn't all that bad, soccer and fighting in Lyoko prepared him for that. But the academic program Ulrich went through was a killer. He in essence went through both his Junior and Senior years at the same time. And there was absolutely zero room for any kind of escapade, what with the Commandant personally guiding Ulrich's studies. Commandant Krieger was a strict man, and a perfectionist. But whenever Ulrich failed to meet his standards, he would automatically revisit the failed area of learning, and repeated it again, taking care to direct Ulrich to the correct answer. He never shouted, never raged, never laid a hand on the boy, and never quit until Ulrich got it right.

And on top of it, he gave Ulrich responsibility for eight of his fellow students, the men of his squad. When the Commandant dropped that little present in his lap, Ulrich thought he would surely die, because he didn't have a clue about being a leader. He eventually found out he was wrong about that. He understood the defining characteristic of a leader; being the one that said, "follow me," and leading the way. The only thing Ulrich needed to learn in that area was technique.

After the ceremony, Ulrich was looking around for his parents when the Commandant called to him. He walked over and saluted the man.

"There's no need for that any more, Ulrich, you've graduated," Heinrich told him.

"I know, Sir," was the reply.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm proud of what you achieved in your time here," the man then said, "I know you will accomplish whatever you set yourself to do."

"Thank you sir, I appreciate that," Ulrich replied, "oh, have you seen Dex? I wanted to say goodbye before I left."

"Mr. Pennington left with his parents earlier today," the Commandant replied, "they'll be spending a lot of time in family counseling over the summer, if I'm not mistaken. I've got a slot open for him if he decides to come back, but it wouldn't surprise me too much if he didn't."

"He might surprise you, Sir," Ulrich said, "I think he was getting the hang of things towards the end."

"I guess winning the Pugil Stick Championship does that to you," Heinrich said with a smile, "well, I see your parents over there waiting for you, so you'd better move along."

"I... I also wanted to thank you for the help you gave my mother and me," Ulrich said, "for helping me enlist."

"Your mother was more instrumental in that than I was," the Krieger told his student.

"Yes Sir, but you gave her the courage to make the choice," Ulrich replied.

"Your mother has more strength and courage in her than either of you realizes," he replied, "I only supplied the excuse. The only reason she is where she is right now is because she believes that it's the only place she deserves to be. But your mother has changed over the last few months, and I'm willing to bet your father doesn't realize it. Do you remember our first conversation, when you came here a year ago? That if you get with the program, it will prepare you to get back at your father?"

"Yes Sir, I do."

"Well, here's how you do it, Ulrich. Get your mother away from that bastard."


The drive home was silent. Ulrich was running the Commandant's final words through his mind. When they arrived home, there was an additional car in the driveway, one that Ulrich had never seen before.

"Ah, good! She's here," was all his father said as they went inside.

Ulrich stowed his things in the room his mother showed him. He changed out of his school uniform and put on his preferred jeans and tee shirt. They hung looser on him now, since he had lost a little weight and gained a lot of muscle. Then his father called for him to join them in the family room.

Ulrich joined them. There, his father and mother were sitting, talking to another young woman. She was about Ulrich's age, blond haired and blue eyed, and quite a pretty girl. His father motioned him over.

"Son, I would like you to meet Kristen. She is to be your wife."

"Nice to meet you," Ulrich replied, nodding to Kristen. He then turned to his father and said, "now what's this about her being my wife?"

"That's what I said," his father replied, "I started making the arrangements about six months ago with an acquaintance of mine. I want to make sure you have a proper start in life. My friend has also agreed that you will and come and work for him. You'll start a month after the wedding."

"Dad, thanks for doing this, but I'm not interested. For your information, I'll be leaving in two weeks for Basic Training. I've joined the military."

His father was stunned. "How could you have done that, you aren't old enough! You won't be eighteen for another month yet! The only way you could have enlisted is if..."

Realization dawned on Deiter Stern, and he turned to his wife.

"What the hell did you do! You knew I was setting this up! You knew that! I had my whole future riding on this, and now you've screwed it up!" He lashed out and struck his wife, knocking her off the couch. Kristen's eyes got wide, but she didn't move.

"No! I won't let you ruin his life like you did mine!" Rachael said from the floor, "he wanted this! You thought sending him to that school would break him, make him your puppet! But look at him, Deiter! He's strong now, and he sees you for what you really are! At least one of us will escape you..." She was silenced as the man she married struck her again.

"You think so! Well I've got a surprise for you!" He stood up and faced his son.

"Ulrich, there are two kinds of people in the world, those that are used, and those that do the using. If you go down the path you are walking now, you will be used for the rest of your life! Follow my road, and you will be the user! And just so you know, let me demonstrate the difference between the user and the used!"

He then reached down and tore the dress from Rachael's back. He then tore her hose and panties from her. She cried and huddled face down on the floor as he did.

"You know what I want, bitch, now do it!" he yelled at the woman before him, "it will be bad enough having your son watch this, but I'll make it worse if you don't obey!"

Sobbing uncontrollably now, Ulrich's mother rose to her hands and knees, head hanging down, assuming the position required of her, submitting to his will. Her tears stained the carpet below her face.

Ulrich's father jerked down the fly of his pants and undid them. They fell to his ankles, joined soon after by his underwear. Ulrich turned to leave the room when his father said, "if you turn away, if you walk out, I'll kill her. Her screams will haunt you for the rest of your short life."

Ulrich turned back around.

Deiter knelt down and forced himself into Rachael. She cried and was driven forward by his thrust. She buried her head in her hands, sobbing, hiding herself from the shame she had to endure. Deiter began thrusting violently into her, causing her to moan and cry out, not in pleasure, but pain. Each thrust ground her face into the floor while he continued, uncaring. The look on his face not one of love, or even lust, but anger and hate.

"This... is... the... difference... between... a user... and... the used!" he said. At the end of his sentence, he spent himself into his victim, then pushed her violently away from him. She collapsed before him and lay still, sobbing.

"Choose now, boy," Deiter told Ulrich as he stood.

Ulrich was utterly calm. He had finally reached the place he had only heard about, from men who had been there before. It was a place he had been longing to reach for so long now; the calm, quiet place that warriors sometimes went to before they inflicted their deadly violence. His Body, Mind and Spirit united in resolve, and he acted.

There was no warning; one minute Ulrich was standing six feet from his father, the next instant, he had merged with his target and drove his open palm into the man's solar plexus. Deiter Stern was blasted back, away from Ulrich, away from the victim he called wife. He hit the couch where they had originally been sitting and flipped back over it.

"I think I'll choose 'none of the above,'" Ulrich said, "Kristen, it was nice meeting you, but I don't think it could ever work out between us. You see, I'm already married to the most perfect woman in the world. I'm sorry that you had to see this, and I think it would be a good idea if you left."

Kristen, a silent witness to the whole scene, just shook her head in assent and left. By this time, Deiter had picked himself up from behind the couch.

"Deiter, I am taking my mother and leaving. If I even think you've been around her, I'll hunt you down and finish this."

He picked his mother up, went and got clothes for her and got his own things, and they left.