Bulletproof
William sits on the bed and thinks about a few days ago. "I felt XANA, but how?" William walks around his room and takes in the smell of cologne and hairspray. "I know that my friends-" William stops speaking. "My friends went to the factory because they know that XANA is back. I am no longer a threat. If I am vulnerable, so is Aelita. Like the damn girl is always XANA'sm target. But since she can deactivate towers, she is an asset." William grabs his tower and heads for the showers. He sees the boys chatting as they brush their teeth. "No. They will not win the World Series, Odd. They suck. Plus, they only got lucky because Mario Wario is out," Ulrich said. "No. The Electabuzz Team has gotten better," Odd said. "What! Odd! We are not speaking about the same team. They suck," Ash said. "You have a friend that is a die-heart fan, right?" Jeremy asks. "Right. She would be Odd's best friend," Brock said. "People are losing it," Ulrich teases. William walks over to wash his face. "Hey, how was your night?" Ash asks. "Great. I think I learn in my sleep," William said. The boys laugh as Ash, Brock, and Odd head for the showers. William talks to Jeremy. "Is Aelita okay?" "Yeah. It has been a few days, and she is much better," Jeremy said. "Good. I'll bet the walk did her well." "Walk?" "yeah, the walk that Ash said you all went on after the lightning strike." "Right. Aelita and I go on walks after class to help clear our heads." "Good." "Is everything okay?" Ulrich asks. "Yeah. I feel like I can help for something," William assures. "Okay. See you at breakfast," Ulrich said as he and Jeremy entered the showers. William rolls his eyes. "I know that Jeremy and Aelita have gone to the factory this week. I sense that XANA has an attack planned!" William states.
The statute that XANA has animated has blended well among the students. It goes by the name of Mali, and it has a soft voice. Mali walks over and sees Nicholas and Herve playing Pokemon Snap. "I found a Maril," Herve said. "Please, I found a Galarian Moltres," Nicholas said. Mali approaches the boys and smiles. "Hi, what are you doing?" "We are playing a game. Are you new?" Nicholas asks. "Yeah. I tend to play games from my VR staff." "VR staff? Cool. Can we see it sometime?" Herve asks. "Sure. How about right now?" "Yes!" The boys said. Mali's eyes glow as the staff is taken out of the backpack and emits light that stuns the boys. "What's lost is mine!" Mali shouts.
Later in the day, William sits in the park and reads his notes for a quiz in Ms. Hertz's class. He feels pulsation on the ground. "XANA. What is it going to do?" He looks around and notices Aelita holding her head. "XANA. It is about to attack," she said. "Okay, we need to be on the lookout," Yumi said. "I'll call Jeremy," Dawn said. Allison looks around and sees Ash talking to Mali. William follows her. Mali takes out the staff, and lights emerge. "Once upon a time. I lost a soul of mine. Let the light restore the time. Return what is mine. Return what is mine." Mali chants. Ash starts to get sleepy, but Allison grabs him. "Hey," Allison said. Ash snaps out of it, and Mali growls. "What!" Ash said. "We need you," Allison urgently said. Ash nods and leaves. "Curses," Mali said. William approaches Mali, and they lock eyes. William senses something from her but can't pick it up. Mali walks away. "I need him as my soldier again," Mali said. William gets a cold feeling from her. He looks around and sees that Ash and the girls are gone. "Shit, they went to the factory." Sissi runs toward William. "Have you seen those two nerds of mine?" "I think I saw them by the vending machines." The two went there and were in for a shock."Nicholas!" Sissi shouts. "Herve!" William shouts. They were comatose. Sissi and William placed them on wagons and raced them to the infirmary, where they saw Jeremy and Aelita. "What are you guys doing here?" Aelita asks. "We found Nicholas and Herve like-is that, Tobias and Stacey?" William asks in shock. "Same reason as us," Jeremy said. "At least twenty students are like this," Yolanda said. "We'll take it from here. Go back to your room."The students nod their heads but Jeremy and Aelita head for the factory passageway from school. William is going to follow, but Sissi grabs him. "Come on; we're going back to the dorms." William looks back and sees all students have purple foam in their mouths. "Purple like Mali's staff," he whispers.
"Okay, so these students all have purple foam in their mouths," Yumi said. "It was weird. Could this be XANA's attack?" Ulrich asks. "It has to be. Ash and Odd stayed on campus to look around," Brock said. "I think it is Mali, the new girl," Allison said. "Why? Was she flirting with your man?" Aelita teases. "Sort of. But, she had this rod that glow3d, and she was saying this chant, and Ash looked dead, but when I touched him, he snapped out of it.' "Okay, how long has she been at school for/" Dawn asks. "A few days, but I only noticed her today." "A few days? The only kid with purple hair, Odd," Jeremy points out. "Anyway, the tower is in the Mountian Sector. Everyone is going but be careful. The sectors have all changed." The Lyoko Warriors head for the Mountian Sector and see that the sector is more rocky and foggy. "The tower straight ahead. Jeremy, do you have our vehicles?" Ulrich asks. "To you, right," Jeremy said. "Thanks, Einstien," Yumi said. As the Warriors head for the tower, Hornets arrive. "Looks like the monsters missed us," Dawn said. "Do you miss Odd? I don't miss his humor," Brock said. The Hornets shoot red lasers at the Warriors. "I'll hide with Aelita while the rest deal with the monsters," Yumi said. Ulrich takes out his Katanas and slashes two monsters. "Still got it," he states. "How about me?" Allison asks as she makes two plasma sticks and slashes three monsters. "Whatever," Ulrich numbers. Brock hears something coming. "More monsters!" "I see Krabs," Jeremy said. "I'll go back to the girls." Brock heads back as Dawn uses her Poi Sticks to shoot three Hornets down. Brock arrives as Yumi is battling one Krab as two more corners Aelita. "Not so fast!" Brock jumps on a Krab and uses one of his arrows to shoot the target on its back. Aelita flies and uses some energy fields to shoot the third Krab. After all of the monsters are defeated, Aelita senses something will happen. "I think we should head for the tower as soon as possible.' As they run for the tower, an earthquake happens. The Warriors are sent flying across the Sector, and the activated tower changes to the Forest Sector. "Guys! Hello! Fuck, answer me!" Jeremy shouts. The Warriors are scattered on the ground as rocks fall all around them. However, Allison's tiara activates her force field and protects everyone while they lie unconscious. Meanwhile, Odd and Ash drag unconscious students out of the way as Mali sings. "So Mali uses her staff to put the students into comas," Odd said. "Yeah. Because Allison interrupted, XANA's attack spared me," Ash said. William sneaks out of the dorm and sees Ash and Odd coming face to face with Mali. Mali is about to wave her staff as Ash and Odd put on overhead- headphones. William feels the pulsations changing. "XANA is changing attacks. Mali stops and starts to twitch. "I don't remember that," Odd said. Mali looks at the boys, waves her staff, and shocks them. "Ouch!" Ash said. "What the fuck? Since when did XANA changes plans mid-attack!" Mali smiles and attacks again. "Run!" Odd said. Mali chases after them, and William follows as well. Ash and Odd are on the factory floor as Mali gathers some parts and throws them at them. Odd grabs a rod and tries to hit her on the need, but she dodges and shoots a purple pulse at Odd. Ash throws some mirrors at Mali, but she uses her staff as a shield. "Careful; we don't want to hurt her," Odd said. "Sorry," Ash said. William hides and sees the horror of Mali and waves her staff to create a ball of energy to crush Odd. Odd tries to get up, but his shirt is caught in a machine. Ash runs towards Mali and sets off the sprinklers. "Hey!" Odd shouts. As Ash turns it off, he notices that Mali starts twitching and melting. "Melt!" Ash said. He looks closer. "Odd. Mali is not a possessed person!" "What do you mean?" Odd asks. "She is not real, look!" Odd looks and sees that Mali's wires are exposed. "No fucking way." Odd takes a closer look. "She looks like Maleficent from the Hall of Villians." "She is. XANA changed its appearance!" Mali turns violet. "You shouldn't have figured it out!" Mali turns the factory floor into a static arena, and William rolls out of his hiding place. "Ouch!" "William!" Odd shouts. "Hello, what is happening?" "XANA animated a statue, and it is mad as fuck!" Ash said. "Say no more," William said as he got a spear. Mali grabs each boy by the throat and throws them into a pile of machine parts.
"Guys!" Jeremy calls out. Ulrich and Brock come to see the rocks flying, and the force field is activated. "We need to move the girls to safety," Brock said. They manage to move them to a Way Tower. "Okay, they are waking up," Ulrich said. "What happened?" Yumi asks. "You all lost half of your life points from the earthquake," Jeremy said. "I feel it," Dawn said. "Allison's tiara went into auto mode and protected everyone." "I think my manipulation powers might have saved us," Allison said. "Anyway, XANA pulled a fast one on us. He changed the tower to the Forest." "What? Doesn't that change attacks?" Yumi asks. "It does. We have to hustle," Aelita said. The Lyoko Warriors make their way to the Forest Sector, where the vines move. "Be careful about the vines," Jeremy said. As the group moves closer to the tower, the vines are wilder. Yumi and Dawn dodge some vines, but a thick one smashes them into a tree and de-virtualizes them. The others run faster as the vines attack them. Allison creates plasma razors to cut the vines. Once they reach the tower, a large Megatank awaits. "Aelita, we are going to handle it. Wait for us by the trees," Allison said. "I am not a helpless flower," Aelita said. "Aelita, if XANA changes attacks, Ash and Odd, along with our school, are fucked. We need you to deactivate the tower," Brock said. Aelita hides but crosses her arms. Ulrich and Brock use their weapons to go after the Megatank as Allison waits for her chance to strike. At the same time, Ash looks around as Mali walks in, looking for round two. Ash imagines then a big steel block would crush Malimand it does. She is turned to crumble. Odd and William wake up. "What happened?" Odd asks. "Something fell on her," Ash said. "Whoa," William said. Ash looks around. "If felt like my telekinesis powers," he thought. The crumbles start to reform. On Lyoko, Allison rushes forward as she shoots at the target, and Aelita runs to the tower. She makes her way to the top as Mali reforms and starts to shock the boys, and Dawn and Yumi scream in horror to watch. Aelita enters the code, and the attacks stop. "Are you okay?" Dawn asks as she hugs Odd. Odd blushes. "Yeah." "Jeremy, Odd, Ash, and William are okay," Yumi said. "William? No worries. We need to save the school," Jeremy said. "Return to the Past, now!"
The following day, William joins the boys in the showers and talks about baseball. However, William saw the game when he had to hide in the dorms and made a small wager with Odd. Meanwhile, the group recaps the attack as William listens. "I know that William remembers, but he should stay away for his safety," Jeremy said. "I don't think we should make the decision," Dawn said. "It is what it is. We can talk about it if he is involved in the next attack," Aelita said. "Okay. But XANA changed towers. What" Odd said. "XANA is stronger! We have to keep our guard up," Yumi said. Ash thinks about moving the steel block. "XANA tried to mess with us because Ossd and I thought Mali was a real girl." "I know. However, the Lyoko Warriors are back and better," Jeremy said. Allison looks behind her and sees William. "I wish we could." "Look, if he is around the next one," Ulrich said. In the rec room, the Electabuzz team lost, so Odd had to do the "Wobble" dance in front of the school. The dance that everyone does at weddings. "Fuck you," Odd said. "Smile Odd. Your Insta is going to blow up!" Dawn said. Odd moans as William smiles. That is one way to hurt your friends. William starts to breathe. "Get out!" He said.
XANA has gotten more potent, but this is only the beginning. Plus, Ash was able to use his telekinesis on Earth. Did the Lyoko Warriors get an upgrade as well? William and Aelita can feel XANA's pulsations as well. Hopefully, The Lyoko Warriors will include William in the group. William has a nightmare about chasing after his friends and screams. Meanwhile, William walks around and slashes a tree. William? The William cutting the tree is a polymorphic clone. Uh-oh?