Verdana: This chapter is dedicated to one ofGlow's betas, Angels 'n Dreams who could not help with this chapter due to homework situation.
Glow: Oh yes.
Viv: Has anyone seen my Starbucks gift card I got for Easter?
Odd:No...Why, is it missing?
Verdana: -slaps Odd on the head- Are you brain dead? Why else would she be asking if it wasn't missing!
Jordan: Did you by chance leave it on the counter?
Viv: Yes, why?
Jordan: Glow, what did you do with it!
Glow: Nothing, except for what it's meant for...
Viv: you bought a Cafe Mocha didn't you?
Glow: Maybe...
Yumi: I thought we agreed to keep anything she can use to get coffee locked away...
Glow: Yeah, about that...
Aelita: Get on with the story, they don't want to hear about your coffee problem!
Glow: That's a good idea...Here's chappie 7!
Palov
Odd looked and saw Verdana was right. "Who is she?" he whispered back. Verdana's eyes were wide open and she stared at the girl with mild surprise. Odd leaned forward to ask her name, but she turned heel and disappeared.
Verdana turned to Odd and said, "Things are definitely not as they seem. There are two possibilities, one: it was not Viv's sister that died, two: this is not anyone related to Viv, but a viral trick. Either way, we can't tell Viv. She'll automatically assume her sister didn't die and it could prove bad for all of us."
Odd nodded solemnly, which ruined the effect because, if you can imagine Odd being serious, looked hilarious. "We'd better get back to camp; the others will have dinner ready by now! Yum!" Odd said, almost collapsing with laughter.
Back at camp
"Dinner's ready!" Yumi called to the rest of them. "And I'm surprised Odd isn't here yet." She finished under her breath. Aelita spooned the rice into bowls, as Jeremy, Jordan, Ulrich and Viv sat down at their makeshift table. Viv had arrived a short while ago, hearing the arguments of Jeremy and Jordan.
"Where's Verdana?" Jordan asked when Viv sat down. "Dunno. I was with her for a little while, then assumed she went back to camp."
Just when everyone was on the verge of extreme panic, Verdana and Odd showed up. The whole camp sighed. Jordan ran over to them and started yelling. "How could you do that to us! You had us worried sick!"
Verdana and Odd almost burst out laughing because he looked so comical. Jordan wasn't one of those people that get angry easily, so it was hilarious to see him mad. The whole camp began laughing when they realized Jordan was smiling. In fact, he was having a hard time keeping a smile off his face, while he pretended to be serious. Here among the joys and happiness of the moment, Viv could forget her sorrow. They settled down for a hearty meal and talked of their plans. Odd almost forgot about Verdana having to face her brother again and maybe having to die again.
Afterwards, while the others had fun trying to open the coconuts for dessert, Verdana when back to check on SIRS. He was fine, although a bit pissed off about missing dinner. Verdana had just rolled her eyes and ignored his pleas.
She returned to find the camp in a state of disarray. "What the hell happened here!" she exclaimed to the empty clearing. Reaching out with her senses, she felt they were still alive. One of the limitations of this material body was her excellent senses in the virtual worlds was somewhat dampened. Thus, she could not locate their exact location.
Letting out a large breath in frustration, she tried to calm herself. Then she walked over to the bags, seeing their contents strewn everywhere. "Judging by these marks, whoever it was didn't find what they were looking for." she spoke aloud with dry humor. - -They were looking for Viv's box, whoever they were.- -she thought a bit sadly. Viv was just caught in the middle and had to endure so much pain because of it.
Feeling a prickling between her shoulder blades, she whipped around. Her eyes probed into the darkening forest. That was the feeling that usually accompanied her brother's presence. Seeing nothing, she returned to her search. Jeremy's laptop caught her eye.
It was the only perfectly undisturbed item there. It seemed so innocent, but her practiced eye picked up little things about it that made her think something was wrong. Upon further examination, she realized there was a coded message on it. "Help, we're being chased! They looking for Viv box. Help! We need you help. We trapped. We being att-" it read. It looked like Jordan had been typing as fast as he could before he was pulled from the keys.
On the other hand, it looked suspicious. It was sitting out there, the only item not disturbed. Verdana frowned as she puzzled over this new development. - -It might be a trap. I better be on guard.- - she thought, making sure not to speak aloud, not with the possibility of unwelcome ears listening in. She wondered where they had gone; she hadn't been gone that long, only about five minutes.
Carefully she studied the prints on the ground by the tunnel entrance. (They were camped in a main chamber of the cave with an entrance facing the forest) There were two tunnels leading away from this room. One was the route she had taken, the other led to the computer room. It was now totally dark outside, and she studied the footprints by the light of their dying fire. Verdana noticed there were footprints leading into the opposite tunnel of SIRS's. Some of them were covered by what looked like the marks of a body being dragged. Her eyes raised from the prints to the darkness beyond the tunnel entrance. She frowned again and grabbed a smoldering branch from the fire. She relit it and used it like a torch. Then she marched down the hallway, a determined look upon her face.
After a short while, she reached the doorway. Verdana quietly set down the branch and peeked into the open door. Seeing nothing, she pulled back then leapt into the room, weapons at the ready. She looked around puzzled then turned to the wall. She reached over and flipped the light switch. Bright light filled the room, revealing it to be totally empty. Verdana was about to leave when she noticed a bit of cloth on the ground. Upon closer inspection, she determined it belonged to Jordan. Extremely curious, she walked over to the computer. Amazingly, all the wires were fixed and her codes had disappeared. Frowning, she typed in another code. A 3-D picture of the landscape showed up. (It was just like the one that Jeremy has for Lyoko)
"Uh huh. Just as I suspected. They've been virtualized into this world." She typed a few more things. "The person who did this obviously knew exactly what they were doing. They gave my friends their virtual forms. Minus the weapons, of course. I wonder why?" Verdana pressed several keys then ran over to a wall. She pushed on it and it opened. She walked inside.
There were 7 scanners all in a row, just like Verdana had remembered it. She counted off the scanners with her friends names. "Viv, Jordan, Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, Aelita, and Jeremy. Wait a second, Jeremy doesn't have a virtual form. How cruel! They made him virtualize the gang! They must have taken him with them, whoever they are." Then she stepped on a scanner. Verdana sighed, then pushed a button on the remote she was carrying. Instantly, she was virtualized.
In the Virtual World
- -I never expected to come back to Palov.- - Verdana thought as she dropped to the ground. She glanced around, but did not see her friends. The icy landscape was as bare as she remembered. Shaking her head, she reached down and pressed a lump in the cloth on the side of her shoes. Blades, like ice skates, popped out. Then she pushed off and started to search for her friends.
As she slid by familiar landmarks, she wondered why they had been sent here. - -SIRS couldn't have escaped, and anyway, there is no way he could break my codes in two minutes. I would say it was my brother, but he doesn't know I'm back.- - Verdana slid to a stop. She took a deep breath and raised her hands. She touched the tips of her middle and pointer fingers together. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated.
In her minds eye, she searched the whole landscape, sensing for her friends. Her search led her to an ice dome. Inside her friends were helplessly caught, without any means of escape. Verdana's eyes shot open. "I'm coming, hold on just a little while longer." she whispered under her breath. Then she sped off, going by memory to the ice dome.
Inside the cave
Odd paced back and forth around the interior of the cave. Aelita stared blankly at one of the walls. Ulrich and Yumi were holding hands while sitting against one of the walls. Viv was sobbing, wings folded dejectedly at her sides. Jordan was standing over her, patting her shoulder for comfort. All at once, Odd gave a shout and threw himself against the ice, clawing at it. It did little if nothing. Frustrated, he pounded and screamed at the solid walls. That did even less. With a final kick at the wall, he sighed and sat next to Aelita. Suddenly, Jordan shouted, "There's someone coming!" Indeed, they could see the silhouette of a person sliding up to them.
The person slid to a stop, spraying ice chips. It then approached the wall of the dome. It gave a tentative rap on the ice. "Hey guys, ya in there?" it said.
"Verdana!" Odd shouted.
"Stand back, I'm gonna break you out!" she responded. Instantly, they all stood up and flattened themselves against the opposite wall. They saw Verdana pull out a chain, something they'd never seen before. She gave it a whirl, sending it flying into the ice. As she whipped it back and forth, it gouged a hole in the ice. Within seconds, the hole was big enough for them to escape. Once everyone was outside, Verdana pulled out the remote. "I'm uploading your weapons. It won't be good if danger finds us unarmed."
A light flashed, then they all had their weapons back. "Nifty little device." Jordan commented. "One thing puzzles me though. Why couldn't Viv use her weapons; I mean, their not material, their part of her body?"
Verdana looked at him, frowning. "I 'spect the dome was impermeable, meaning that Viv couldn't do anything. It imposed its power on her, making her unable to fly or otherwise." She cocked her head, as if listening for something. Turning to the others, she said, "We should go. We need to leave from a safer spot."
Then she pulled out the remote again. "I'm uploading your vehicles. We've got a long way to go." Their rides showed up instants later. Ulrich got on his overbike, Yumi and Aelita on the overwing, Odd on his overboard, Jordan on Verdana's triangular wind surfer, Viv flying and Verdana skating. Verdana led the way because no one else new the landscape.
They went for a while, then suddenly, Verdana skidded to a stop. Around one of the many icy cliffs, came four beings. The gang all leapt off their rides and took fighting stance. Yumi pulled out her fans, Ulrich pulled out his sword, Odd readied his laser arrows, Jordan pulled out his rod, Viv extended her claws, Aelita borrowed Verdana's bow, and Verdana herself pulled out a boomerang. Odd looked at her surprised; she had another new weapon. Only one of the creatures was flying, so Viv floated up to take care of her.
The being was a female, wearing a full body suit with flaps of cloth between her arms and legs. Her long gold-blond hair was tied into two buns on the side of her head, with two ponytails coming off the bottom.
Urich and Yumi prepared to take on the one that looked like a squid, only with a square head. His evil red eyes glared at them.
Jordan and Aelita took positions against the one that looked like a demonic frog thing. It was slimy, yellow, with fangs and horns on its head.
Verdana and Odd prepared to fight the remaining one. He looked like a bird-snake. His torso was like a human's, only covered in feathers, and he had a wicked looking beak. The rest of his body was a snake's tail, extremely long and scaly. All of the new arrivals looked somewhat familiar, but Verdana couldn't place them. They all stood, poised on the edge of battle.
Glow: So Read and Review people! All in favor of a spoiler at the end of the next chapter, say AYE! And I shall try to acomodate...
Viv: -attacks Glow- You owe me 10$ for the card you stole...
Verdana: Theres nothing to see here folks, go about your buisness, whatever it might be. -pulls curtain over the scene-