Digital Love
Daphne is back from her trip. She sits in her chair, sips some Shandy, and gets a phone call. "Hello? A call from Swizterland?" "Daphne. My baby sister! It's me. Anthea!" Daphne drops her glass. "Love you, too!" Allison runs to Dawn. "Dawn, have you seen this?" "What?" Dawn checks her phone and sees a picture of herself kissing Odd the night of the fundraiser dance. Dawn gasps and starts to panic as she reads the headliner. "The Chronicles of the Secret Lover: The Coordinator, The Filmmaker, and The Backstabbing Kiss!" "What the fuck?" Allison exclaims. "I know you have feelings for Odd but are you two a couple?" "No. We shared a kiss after the dance and after finding Jack Slate's body. Who took this picture?!" "You know the media. They won't tell!" Dawn reads the article, and Allison takes her phone. "Don't read it. It makes Odd sound like a womaning SOB and you the boyfriend-stealing bitch." "I'm not. Sam and Odd were not a couple, and he ended things with her days before the dance." "Becasue he wanted to get in your bed!" Sam shouts. "Not true!" Dawn shouts. Sam throws a rock at Dawn but misses. Dawn grabs her bag and runs as Allison walks up to Sam. "Don't be mad that you and Odd are over, but coming after my friend was a mistake." "No. Dawn made the mistake of kissing Odd. Odd made the mistake of not wanting to pursue me." "Odd and Dawn are friends, and their trust level is higher than yours!" Sam's face drops as Allison leaves. Brock finishes talking to Ms. Hertz in the first class as Allison sits down. "Where's Ash and Dawn?" "Ash is running late. He had to have an extra pancake," Brock said. Allison chuckles. "Also, Dawn is sick, so I am taking her notes." Allison looks around and sees students gossiping. Moxie is shocked. "Who would write this?" "Milly did. She needs to check herself," Marnia said. Ash J looks up and sees his sister's worried look. "I think we need more information.
Later that day, Jeremy talks with Odd, Aelita, Ulrich, Yumi, and William. "I heard Dawn is sick, so when we fill Ash, Brock, and Allison in, they can tell her. "Tell her what?" William asks. "I found the Volcano Replica." "You did?" Ulrich asks. "Yes. XANA created it with some of its dying data fragments when the MAS was launched." "How come we haven't found it before?" Yumi asks. "We weren't looking for it, and XANA made it after the MAS destroyed all of the original replicas," Jeremy said. "I want to see it. Maybe it will be like the Aloha region," Odd said. "Or Vecna's world like in Stranger Things," Aelita said. Moments later, Ash charges into the group. "Odd, what is going on between you and Dawn?" "Excuse me! Since when you are Dawn's older brother?" Odd asks. "You don't get to ask me questions like that." "Plus, Dawn is sick," William said. "Wrong! Check your phones." "Why?" "Oh, that Kadic News has gone digital," Aelita chirped. "Hey, they joined the twenty-first century," Ulrich teased. Aelita opens the article and gasps as Jeremy looks shocked. "Such a scandalous headline," Jeremy said. "Well, who is the sucker that Milly and Tamiya made a fool of?" Odd teased. "You," Ash said. "What!" Ulrich shows Odd the phone. "When was this? And since when have you had feelings for Dawn?" Ulrich asks. Odd is flabbergasted. "I have to speak to Dawn." "Yeah, you do!" Ash shouts. "So, she is not sick?" Yumi asks. "No. This slam article probably made Dawn want to hide from embarrassment," William said. "I want to get my hands on those weasels!" Odd said. Odd takes off. "Please, don't let anything happen," Jeremy pleads. Laura walks around campus and sees the aftermath of her handle picture-taking skills. "I should be the official newspaper photographer," she gloats. "Now, they won't be bothered about the conversation. Laura sits by a tree and looks through the files she stole from the Supercomputer. "Franz Hopper's data on creating XANA. I see that Jeremy had used some to create a William clone. They are fools." Laura gets a video message from Professor Tyron, so she puts on her air pods. "Hello, sir." "Hello, Laura," Professor Tyron said. "The program is almost complete. Soon, I will exile XANA from the Cortex and create my AI in its place to control the world's powers." "Good. I gave the fuckers another distraction. However, we need to act fast." "Why?" "One of them recorded our conversation. They know about XANA's real home and your plan." "I should have known. I have been tracking them for years. This is why I told Jack Slate's family that I would pay for his funeral. He has evidence of XANA's flood attack, and when he was declared dead, I sent my people to get his body." "How did you remember from the RTTP?" "I had my people wear a device that allows them to remember. I didn't wear one because I wanted to see if it worked. However, those fuckers must have changed the program since XANA' return' because my devices don't work." "However, I altered the program when I was there so I can remember." "Good." "Yeah, XNA caused a lighting strike that almost burned the factory." "Strong. With my AI, we'll be unstoppable," Professor Tyron said as he laughed. Laura smiles. "I should celebrate our little victory." She goes to her room and locks it. She takes out a packet of white powder and sniffs it. "It's good to be bad. It is good to be smarter than Jeremy Belpois and his little fuckers. It is good to win!"
Throughout the day, Dawn and Odd get scrutinized by Samantha's friends. Allison tries to look for Dawn. After all, she does not show up for her classes because she is "sick." She sits in the courtyards and sighs. "Dawn, please pick up your phone; I want to talk to you." Ash J, Moxie, and Rocky walk up to her. "Hey Allison,' Ash J said. "Yeah?" "What's going on with your friends?" "My friends?" "Yeah, it seems that someone is picking on you guys one by one, and it appears to be working." Allison starts to think. Moxie sits by her. "How's Dawn?" "I wish I knew. I haven't seen her since this morning." "Samantha's friends called her a boyfriend stealing bitch and a whore!" Joanne shouts. "Joanne!" Jimmy and Marina shouted. "It's true. They kept accusing her of breaking Samantha and Odd up, and Dawn just couldn't take it, so she went to the park in the abandoned house." "I have to go see her." Allison got up, but Marina told her to sit down. "We need to talk about this." "We do!" Allison exclaimed. "Yes. I think Dawn is not a boyfriend stealer, and I believe that Samantha is way out of line." "Me too. My friend Haru and I were just talking about it. If Odd and Dawn like each other, that Odd did Samantha a favor because stringing her along would not be fair to her," Joanne added. "Also, I thought Odd and Samantha were not an item," Jimmy said. "They were not. They were just talking, but there was a spark," Moxie said. "I think that Samantha's friends are way out of line. I don't see them criticizing Odd about this," Rocky said. "They did, but Odd can take it. Dawn is getting the worst of it," Ash J said. Allison is in total shock. "I don't believe this!" "Plus, I think Odd and Dawn like each other!" Marina said. Everyone looks at her. "Have you lost it?" Jimmy asked. "No! I remember when Dawn's ex-boyfriend came, Odd became defensive of her. Odd also said he wanted to go to the dance with someone else, and Odd and Dawn did a slow dance at the end. Right before Jack Slate's body made an unscheduled appearance." "That was because they did not want to get left out!" Rocky said. "Wait! Go back to when Kenny visited. What do you mean that Odd was defensive?" Marina thinks. "I think when Kenny 'wanted' to return with Dawn, Odd seemed jealous and heartbroken." Allison has a light ball moment. "That is all true. That makes so much sense. I know Dawn like him, but could it be that he likes it back for real. They did have 'moments' together. This is all strange. Now I have to talk to Dawn." Allison gets up. "Thank you all for telling me about this. Now I need to go and cheer up my best friend." Meanwhile, Dawn is talking to Piplup. "Piplup!" "I know. Allison has been calling me, and Ash and Brock have been texting me. I need space." Piplup turns around and sees Houndoom. "Houndoom!" "Piplup!" "Houndoom? Odd, Leave me alone." "Dawn. Can we talk?" Odd asks. "Fine!" Dawn said. "Look. I didn't know anything until Ash told me. I thought you were sick." "I know. I went to the nurse and said I had stomach problems, which is true but from embarrassment." "I'm sorry. I think the person who took the picture is the same person working for Professor Tyron." "Why?" "Maybe they are on to us." "But we talked about it before the RTTP." "True, but what if they saw us and had the picture all this time. That person planned an attack." Dawn thinks about when she hears, Pip! "Piplup!" Dawn and Odd rush to find Piplup with a cut to the fin. Houndoom was licking the wound, and Odd fixed it. "Thanks," Dawn said as she blushed. Odd blushes also as Houndoom and Piplup runoff. "This is one of Franz Hopper's studies in the basement," Dawn said. "Yeah, but he burned everything the night before the agents came after him," Odd said. As they talk, Houdoom sees the door starting to close and uses his horns to stop it but winces in pain. "Houndoom!" Odd pushes Houndoom away from the door, and it slams, and pieces from the ceiling collapse into the room. "Piplup!" Piplup cries for Dawn. "We're okay. Go get help!" Dawn shouts as Piplup and Houndoom runoff. Odd checks his phone. "No service." Dawn looks at the walls, shifting slowly as black static surrounds the room. "XANA?" "XANA!" Odd confirms.
The rest of the Warriors arrive at the Factory. "The tower is located in the Desert Sector, and there are numerous sand storms around the tower," Jeremy said. "I might as well bring a virtual all-weather umbrella," William said. "Please, what are we, spies? That has not been invented yet," Brock said. "So, I figure that Dawn and Odd would sit this one out, so-" Before Jeremy could finish, Piplup and Houndoom started to make noise. "They are in the elevator," Yumi said. She unlocks the door, and Piplup and Houndoom look frantic. "Piplup!" "Houndoom!" "Where's the fire?" Ulrich asks. "If their Pokemon are here, where are Dawn and Odd?" Ash asks. "Piplup!" Piplup is getting agitated! "Slow down," Allison said as she got on the Pokemon level. "Are they in danger?" Houndoom nods. "Maybe they fell into a XANA trap," Aelita said. Piplup nods. "They did. Where?" Piplup tried to explain, but the humans couldn't speak Pokemon. "Maybe Piplup can lead the way?" Ulrich asks. "Piplup has a bad sense of direction," Ash points out, which leads to Piplup using Peck. "Hey!" Ash shouts as Piplup chases him around. "Rule number one, don't bring that up!" Allison teases. "Look, we already had to delay our trip to the Volcano replica that we found out about from the meeting at the Hermitage," Aelita says, but Houndoom interrupts. "Hound Hound!" "Hold on, I think Aelita said something," Brock said. "What? Volcano?" Houndoom shakes his head. "Okay! Piplup and Ash! Cool it!" Allison commands. The teen and the Pokemon stop the chase. "Not volcano but Hermitage?" Piplup cheers. "Piplup!" "Hermitage? What are they doing there?" William asks. "A quiet place that nobody will look for, Dawn," Jeremy points out. "Right. My cousin Joanne saw Dawn running to the park," Allison said. "Great! Yumi and I will look for them," Ulrich said. "We know a thing or two about Hermitage traps," Yumi said. "Everyone else, to the scanners!" Jeremy said. At the same time, Odd and Dawn hide as the ceiling falls. "Chicken Little was right," Odd said. "Hopefully, Piplup and Houndoom can get help," Dawn said. Odd holds Dawn's hands. "If we need to run, we need to stick together." Dawn nods. The ceiling stops falling, and the walls start to move. "I have an idea," Dawn said. She grabs an old window rod and extends it to the room's length, holding the walls in place. "How long will that last?" Odd asks. "Time will tell,' Dawn said.
On Lyoko, Allison sees the tower. "Stright ahead," Allison said. "And with six sand tornados," Ash points out. "We had this plan when we had to deal with the winter squall," Aelita said. "Right, we strike low, and Aelita strikes high," William said. "Of course, now that we have our vehicles, *cough*, we should get there faster," Brock said. "Heard you,' Jeremy said. As the Warriors arrive at the tower's location, there is static among the sand. "Why is there static?" Allison asks. Jeremy looks into it. "I think it is a monster." "A monster?" Brock asks. "XANA has been busy." The six tornadoes merge into one colossal sand monster. "Ladies, gentlemen, and personals, we have here the Kolossal's twin sister, the Gargantuan," William said. "It looks ugly as fuck!" Aelita said. The Gargantuan waves its arms and throws a massive amount of sand at the group. Allison quickly activates her Force Field and shields the group. "Hide!" Allison shouts as the group hides a few feet away. "What do we do?" Brock asks. We do nothing! William holds his head. "Are you okay?" Allison asks. "Sure," Willam said. He shakes off the voices. "We need to get across to the tower," Aelita said. "Do you think the Gargantuan will destroy the tower?" Brock asks. "I don't think so. Suppose Odd and Dawn are in trouble, maybe if Ulrich and Yumi don't find them in time. However, if there is no tower, XANA's attack stops," Jeremy said. "Well, where are the targets?" Allison asks. "Targets?" Ash asks. "Yeah. Each monster has a target. The Kolossal had two targets." Brock looks at the monster and sees nothing. "The targets might hide it in the sand, but I think we another plan," Brock said. Ash thinks for a moment. "If we can distract the monster, maybe William's Super smoke could help him get past," Ash said. "William?" Aelita scoffs. "Yeah, when he uses Super Smoke, he won't get blasted by sand." Aelita nods. "Okay." The plan is excellent, but there is one problem. "The tower relocated itself," Jeremy said. "Where?" Brock asks. "To the other side of the Sector." "Okay, we can still distract the Gargantuan, and William can Super Smoke his way to the other side," Aelita said. "Sounds like a plan," William said. Yumi and Ulrich arrive to the Hermitage with Piplup and Houndoom. "Where are they?" Yumi asks. "Yumi?" Odd shouts. "Yeah, and Ulrich too!" "In the basement. The walls are closing in, and the ceiling's falling!" "We need to move objects from the floor directly above the basement," Ulrich said. He Super Sprints objects out the way as Piplup and Houndoom move objects. Yumi heads downstairs and tries to open the door. "Yumi, it is jammed!" Dawn said. 'Okay, I will try something. Hopefully, Ulrich's superfast speed can help out," Yumi said. "Super fast speed?" Odd questions. "Yeah, he can Super Sprint, too," Dawn said. Some more debris fall; Odd activates his shield and protects Dawn. Yumi decides to use her Telekinesis powers to throw something at the door.
In the final moments of the attack, there is no sound. William is speeding through the Desert Sector as Brock and Allison throw arrows and plasma spears at the Gargantuan. It knocks them out. William reaches the tower as Aelita and Ash try their luck. Ash can hit one of the targets on its foot before he and Aelita get squished. The monster throws massive sand at the tower, and William feels it. "Jeremy, the tower is dying," William said. "Hurry and enter the code," Jeremy said. Yumi is about using a chair with her powers when Odd holds the broken window rod as a ram. Dawn grabs him, and she Super Sprints both of them out of the room with the rod as the ceiling collapses. Yumi is shocked at what she sees. William enters the code, pieces of the tower fall on him, and he wakes up in the scanner room. "Are you okay?" Aelita asks. "Me? You all got squished!" William said. "Think of it as a warm sandy wipeout," Ash said. They laugh as Dawn calls. "You're okay," Allison said. "Yeah, but there is a hole in the Hermitage." "Okay, when Jeremy does the RTTP, the house should fix it." William senses that it is taking too long. "We should go and see Jeremy," William said. When they get to the lab, Jeremy shakes his head. "What's wrong?" Aelita asks. Jeremy shows them the email. "Professor Tyron hacked into the Supercomputer," Ash reads. "No. It has to be his student spy, but when?" Brock asks. "During the fire," Odd said. "Odd, and I think the spy is the one who blasted our picture to the Kadic Trash," Dawn said. "What about the RTTP?" Ulrich asks. "It won't stop the press, but at least we can prepare for it," Ulrich said. "I can't," Jeremy said. "Why?" "Because it has been altered." "I see it. It has been scrambled," Aelita said. "Is everyone okay?" William asks. "Yeah," Odd said. Yumi looks at Odd and Dawn and has questions about Dawn's Super Sprint. "It is worse. Tyron somehow has ties to XANA," Jeremy said. "The enemy of thy enemy is thy friend," Allison said. "Why?" Yumi asks. "Tyron has a plan for something, and XANA is evil. They both want us out of the way. We can try and reason with Tyron, but XANA will be waiting, or he will," Jeremy said. "So, what do you want to do?" Aelita asks. Yumi takes Dawn's phone and gives it to Ulrich. Piplup and Houndoom run to their trainers. "We're okay," Odd said. "Dawn?" Yumi asks. "Since when you have your power on Earth, Yumi?" Dawn beats Yumi to the punch. "We have a lot to discuss. "Seriously!" Ulrich exclaims. "What?" Odd asks. "Jeremy thinks it is too dangerous to go back to Lyoko!" Ulrich states. The Warriors are all shocked. If we don't go, XANA won't attack. If it wanted to kill us, it would have!" Jeremy said. "So my decision is final!"
Laura sits in her room and drinks apple cider. "By now, Jeremy is probably telling the group that they will have to power through and crush XANA. It will be great to watch them explode!" Laura taunts. "It was also fun meeting with all of them!"
What! No Lyoko for a while! What about XANA? No Lyoko Warriors on Lyoko, no fun for XANA. Also, Laura thinks the Lyoko Warriors are charging through, but they are not. So now what? What is going to happen? Will the third-person narrator have a job? Yes, but what is next?