The Other Code Xana Episode 8: Read Or Die
Author: James the Lesser/The Bunnyman
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own These Characters! Moonscoop Does! Actually, I own most of these characters, I made them up, but the place and the settings and the back round stuff is Moonscoop.
Please read my episodes, 53-119 plus the OVA of Code Lyoko to know what is going on. Oh and Code Xana the Movie and Episode 1-126 and OWCX 1-7
Sanne is trying to make things right with Krieger but was having a little trouble. He doesn't want you! Ha! I wonder if he acts like that in the real world! "Shut up I'm trying to talk to Krieger!"
"Sanne, no one said anything." Krieger is getting annoyed. "I don't care ok? Leave me alone. Without a return Maria would have dumped me."
"I didn't mean to do that! There is something going on in my head. The Sanne from your world is messing with my head."
"Wait, the Sanne from my world threw herself at me? That's interesting. I guess that means the rumors about her and Skitz are wrong." Krieger smiles. "But I have a girlfriend so tell her to leave me alone."
"No not," Yes, go ahead, tell him it was me. Keep Skitz and I safe. "Yes it was her but I'm still sorry. I wasn't able to stop myself. Friends?"
"I guess."
"Ok, how about we do homework later? I don't want to read, uh, what were we supposed to read?"
"Helsing In London. It is supposed to be about some monster hunter."
"Like I said I don't want to read it. We deal with enough real monsters that we don't need to read about fake ones." Sanne sighs with relief as she leaves the gym and goes to her room.
Xana watches and waits for his chance to attack. He has an idea.
Sanne is in her room alone. Skitz didn't like being around her. She wasn't the Sanne she loved she was the imposter as Skitz called her. When there is a knock at her door Sanne almost leaps off her bed. "Krieger?!" She opens the door and sees him with the book. "Um, come in." She turns around so he doesn't see her face flush with color. You want to jump him right now don't you? "Shut up." Sanne whispers so Krieger doesn't hear her.
"I read the first couple chapters it doesn't seem too bad." Krieger sits down on Skitz's bed. "Where's Skitz?"
"I don't know probably out with another boy."
"Really?"
"If you think Ark is bad with girl friends well, I probably shouldn't say anything. Your Sanne is telling me to shut up about Skitz. Just don't tell Ark ok? Skitz doesn't want him to know."
"I won't. I promise." Krieger gets some bad thoughts and questions. "What about you?"
"Huh?"
"Well if Skitz has been busy what about you? Or my Sanne?"
"I'm not telling you it's not for you to know." Sanne gets a mischievous smile to act like she was hiding a sordid past with boys.
"Ok we need to do our homework. Like I said I read the first couple of chapters and it isn't too bad."
"If you say so Krieger." Sanne gets her book and starts to read with Krieger.
Xana watches and reads with the two. "Not a bad idea!" A Tower is activated and his attack begins.
"Aaaa!" Sanne and Krieger are attacked by black mist. They both black out.
Dante is on Lyoko and feels the pulsations. "They'll come. No point in going to Earth."
Sanne wakes up in the middle of the woods. Wait, these aren't the woods she knows. "Krieger?" She looks over and sees what could be Krieger. "What are you wearing?"
"Huh?" Krieger wakes up and rubs his head. "Sanne?" Krieger turns his head with a confused look on his face. "Is that you?"
"Yeah why?" Sanne looks down and sees her outfit. "What am I wearing?" She stands up. She has black pants with a tight black top. A long black leather trenchcoat that feels really heavy tops off with black leather boots. She reaches into a pocket of the trench coat and feels a dagger. She pulls it out.
"Is that silver?" Krieger stands up and finds he is in pretty much the same outfit. Except he has a belt with several daggers, guns, and a mini crossbow. "What am I, are we wearing?"
"I don't know." Sanne looks around. "And where are we? These trees don't look right."
"It look like chapter five."
"Huh?" Sanne was confused.
"Chapter five, Helsing and his partner Elied were hunting a werewolf in the woods."
"I only got to chapter three." Sanne flinches when she hears a wolf howl. "He did it again, well, the first time."
"Huh?" Now Krieger is confused.
"In my world Xana sucked Skitz and I into our history book. We had to run through the Civil War, WWI, a couple other things."
"Wait so this Xana is copying your Xana?"
"No he can't possibly know what that other Xana did." At least I hope not. "We are in a lot of trouble."
"If we are in the book then there is a werewolf out there looking to kill us." Sanne looks at the dagger. "I guess this is probably silver."
"Silver, why?"
"Silver is what kills werewolves."
"How the frak do you know that?" Krieger pulls the mini crossbow out and sees three bolts attached to the side. He pulls one out and sees a silver tip.
"My mom read me stuff. Silver for werewolves, crosses and holy water for vampires, and smash the brains of a zombie."
"What? Why would she read you stuff like that?"
"Franz read her Norse Mythology. That stuff is really scary. Did you know in the end the Norse Gods are killed?"
"I didn't know and still don't care. Sanne we have a werewolf out there looking to kill us."
"But we're prepared." She finds a gun. "Wow Helsing and what's her name were packing."
"Elied. I'm Helsing." Krieger loads the mini crossbow. "We might have the weapons but we don't have their skills."
"We've fought Krabes, Tarantulas, and Assassins. How bad could a werewolf be?" Sanne laughs nervously as the wolf howl is heard again a little closer.
"That was on Lyoko. If we lose our life points here we'll probably die." Krieger points the mini crossbow into the woods. "I sure as hell don't want to die in a frakking book."
"Neither do I." Sanne and Krieger stay close together listening to the wolf howl as it gets closer.
Dante gets frustrated waiting for the others and goes to Earth. First he calls Sanne but she doesn't answer. He calls Krieger who doesn't answer. He tries Ark who does answer. "Ark, Xana's attacking. Try and contact Sanne and Krieger."
"Ok, I'll check their rooms." Dante and Ark hang up. Dante calls Skitz and tells her Xana is attacking.
Ark gets to his room, empty. He goes down to Sanne's room and… Empty. "Xana probably got them." Ark runs off for the Factory. "He took out our best fighter and strongest fighter. Well I'll show him a thing or two."
Krieger and Sanne, or Helsing and Elied, are running through the forest. The wolf howl was so close they were sure they were being hunted. Krieger has the mini crossbow out loaded with a silver tipped arrow. Sanne has a gun out although she's not sure what to do. She had played some arcade games but this was a real hand gun. She looks around waiting for the werewolf.
The alarm sounds telling Dante that someone made it to the Factory, Skitz. He brings up her profile. She goes straight to the Scanner Room. "Transfer Skitz, Scanner Skitz, and virtualization." She lands on Lyoko in the Mountain Sector.
Sanne and Krieger stop when the wolf howl seemed right on them. "We might as well kill it." Krieger looks around with his mini crossbow pointed out. "I don't know if we have to hit the heart."
"It isn't a vampire." Sanne points her gun into the woods and hopes it wasn't like a vampire.
A flash of light, a tree rustles, was it the wind? Was it the moonlight shining off of some leaves or the bloodstained body of a werewolf? When the night is quiet the moon howls alone but the night was not about to be quiet. "Rawr!" A blur of movement comes out of the forest charging for Sanne.
"Aaaa!" She fires at the blur blindly. Elied would have surely killed it in one shot but Sanne… Fires until the clip is empty.
"No!" Krieger pushes Sanne out of the way and fires the arrow. It hits the werewolf in the shoulder. It stops, growls, and is about to leap at Krieger when Sanne throws the gun. This second of distraction allows Krieger to get another silver tipped arrow out. He tries to load it into his gun but the werewolf pounces. Krieger, not even thinking, holds his arms out to block the werewolf. It lands on him but the silver tipped arrow pierces through its skin and into a lung. The werewolf rolls off of him and runs back into the woods.
"Krieger, are you ok?" Sanne sees a few scratches on his face.
"I think so." Krieger sits up. "What happened?"
"I don't know. It ran off though." Sanne looks and sees in the moonlight the shine of blood on the ground. "We got lucky."
"Yeah but its still out there." Krieger is helped up by Sanne. "I think we need to keep going." They take off down the dirt road hoping to find a place to hide until their friends deactivate the Tower.
Ark makes it to the Factory and Dante sends him. Soon he sends the vehicles and himself. "We go west." Skitz is on the Overboard, Dante on the Overbike. Ark not needing a vehicle is already off for the activated Tower.
Krieger and Sanne are being watched. "Interesting. They are not as deadly as the reputation is. The werewolf should be dead already." He turns into a bat and flies off to his castle where the dirt road led to.
Sanne and Krieger run when the dirt road leaves the forest and they see a large castle. "What do you think that is?"
"A castle." Sanne shakes her head.
"I mean, did you read whose castle it was?"
"I didn't get that far."
"Well, it's titled Helsing in London so maybe it's the royal family's castle. We can hide there." They run to the front gate.
"I don't think it's locked." Krieger pushes against it and it opens easily. "But where are the guards?"
"I don't know. The book was weird. Like it took place in the past but there are guns and old cars and stuff."
"Yeah so maybe uh, robot guards?" Krieger and Sanne look around as they enter the castle.
The Lyoko Warriors see the activated Tower and its guards. "Three Mega Tanks and three of us."
"Two, I can not fight." Dante holds back as the twins go forward.
"No problem." Ark uses his superior speed to dodge Mega Tank blasts.
"Whoa, that was close." Skitz gets her spear out as she dodges a Mega Tank blast.
Sanne and Krieger see a large wooden door. "I bet that will hold the werewolf out if it follows us up here." Krieger tries to open it but it doesn't. He pushes, and then pulls, no good.
"How rude." The voice makes both of them jump. The accent was not one they recognized. "To try and enter without even knocking."
"Um, uh, we, sorry." Sanne looks around and sees a man in a long black cloak walking towards them. "You might want to get inside there is a werewolf on the loose." The man laughs.
"The two mighty hunters scared of a little werewolf?" Sanne and Krieger remember who they are supposed to be.
"Uh, no. But you are not us." Sanne tries to think of a lie.
"We injured it that will only make it more dangerous. We decided we need to let it come to us so we will be prepared for when it strikes back." Krieger hopes the man will buy his lie.
"I see, well, come in please." The door opens by itself as the man walks towards it. Sanne and Krieger follow in after him and the doors close by themselves.
On Lyoko the Warriors are dodging the Mega Tank blasts. Ark runs trying to get near one but in the Mountain Sector he was limited to the paths. "Whoa!" He stops just in time to keep from running into a Mega Tank blast. He takes off after the blast dissipates.
Skitz dodges on her Overboard. She flips around and throws her spear at a Mega Tank. It tries to close but her spear gets pass the shell. The shell though catches the spear before it hits the Eye. Skitz flies down and the Mega Tank tries to roll away. The spear impedes its movement. Skitz grabs the spear and forces it farther hitting the Eye. The Mega Tank explodes and Skitz flies away.
Dante watches the twins and waits. The Mega Tanks are too dangerous to risk an attempt without it being completely safe.
Sanne and Krieger are led through the castle to the throne room. "Wow, this is quite impressive mister, um, what was your name?"
"Vlad, my name is Vlad." Krieger stops.
"Vlad? Wait, that was the name of…" Krieger reaches for a knife but was too slow. Vlad turns fast. A power comes from out of him and freezes Sanne. Vlad moves like lightning and strikes Krieger across the chest with his right hand. His right hand has claws for fingernails and they cut deeply.
"Frak!" Krieger falls backwards. "Sanne do something!" Sanne is frozen in place.
"Your friend is taken by my power. She can not move she can only do as I say." Vlad moves next to Sanne, puts a hand on her cheek. "A beautiful woman isn't she? I can tell by the smell of her blood that no man has touched her. Why would a man not take care of a woman?" He leans down and kisses Sanne. When he breaks the kiss a puff of air is formed between him. He was as cold as death and Sanne's warmth causes it. "I will take care of her for a few years. After killing you Van Helsing." He turns away from Sanne. His face and body changes. He becomes bonier, his face more sharp. His fangs appear and his eyes become black as coal.
"Vlad the vampire!" Krieger gets his hands wrapped around the handle of his knife. He pulls it out as Vlad lunges at him.
"That is Lord Vlad!" He lands on top of Krieger and they fight. Krieger tries to stab Vlad with the knife but Vlad is too strong and knocks it out of his hand. "You must die!" He goes to jab his claws into Krieger's chest but Krieger rolls out of the way. Krieger kicks out and hits Vlad in the face. Krieger rolls back onto his shoulders then launches himself up to his feet.
"I am Kri-" He stops. "I am Van Helsing. The greatest hunter of them all." Krieger feels like a new man. He changes, his facial expression changes. The way he holds himself changes. The way he moves changes. "And you are my next victim." Krieger, Van Helsing, snaps his arm and a long silver sword comes out from his sleeve. "This was blessed by the Pope himself. It is said to be made of the silver given to Judas. It was in the presence of the Lord! It is the most holy weapon known to man. Soaked in holy water for a century. Prayed over by the Cardinals and Bishops every second of that century. You will fall upon the holiness of this sword!" Helsing lunges at Vlad and swings the sword.
"You won't be able to touch me!" Vlad moves with a quickness that Helsing can't match. He tries to hit Vlad but he finds it impossible.
"Is this the great Van Helsing the council has warned me about?" Vlad chuckles. "I told them not to worry." He laughs louder now. "I am the elder. I was around in the time of Jesus Christ. I am the man who held that silver!" He lunges at Helsing and actually grabs the blade! It burns in his hand.
"You're name isn't Vlad is it!?" Helsing pulls away from Vlad. He looks at the Holy Blade and sees where the Holy Blade has turned black.
"It is, now. When I ruled Transylvania I was known as Vlad the Impeller. I grew rather fond of that name and took it as my new name."
"But your true name? Is it what I think it is?" Van Helsing and Vlad circle each other.
"It is."
"Why are you telling me this Vlad?"
"Because no one who has been told has lived!" Vlad lunges at Helsing and slashes at him with his hand. Helsing dodges and swings the Holy Blade. Vlad dodges it and attempts to strike Helsing again. Helsing ducks under and goes to thrust the Holy Blade into Vlad but Vlad dodges it and grabs it with both hands. He rips it out of Helsing's hand and tosses it away. "Now that you have lost your little toy I believe it is time for you to die!" Vlad lunges at Helsing again and tackles him to the floor.
On Lyoko Ark is dodging Mega Tank blast after another but finds it impossible to get close. Skitz is dodging the other ones blasts and also can't get close. One fires and is lucky. It hits the Overbike. Dante leaps off before the Overbike devirtualizes and lands on the Sector. "Take care of the Mega Tanks!"
"We're trying if you haven't noticed!" Skitz flies near a Mega Tank but has to pull away when it fires.
Helsing and Vlad continue to struggle. Helsing has more weapons on him but can't get to them as he continues to fight Vlad.
Sanne is frozen. She can't move. She wants to help but every muscle is frozen. Even her eyelids are frozen. Her eyes were starting to dry out as she couldn't blink. She watches the two men fight and knows her fate is sealed by the death of one or the other. Or was it…
On Lyoko Ark slides past a Mega Tank. It turns to fire again when Ark's foot stops on a rock. He uses it for leverage and leaps at the Mega Tank. As it charges he reaches out with his claws. The Mega Tank fires just as his claws touch the Eye. Both are destroyed at the same moment.
"Now maybe I can make it." Dante starts to run for the activated Tower. The last Mega Tank turns onto its side, opens, and fires.
"No!" Skitz leaps off of the Overboard and lands by slamming her spear into the ground. The Mega Tank blast hits the spear and stops.
Helsing is pinned against the wall. "It is time for you to die Helsing. I will enjoy using your partner."
"Frak you Vlad, or should I say Judas?" Krieger spits in his face.
"It has been more then a millennia since I last heard someone call me that." Vlad pulls his arm back. He was going to decapitate Helsing with his claws.
"No!" A sword goes through Vlad's chest. He looks down.
"You missed my heart." He grabs the Holy Blade and pulls it until it can go no farther as it is in Helsing's chest. "I wonder how you were able to break my hold. No woman has done that since Lilith and Mary."
"Your original name wasn't Judas." Sanne's, no, Elied's eyes burn. "You were there to make friends with Christ so you could betray him to the Jews. But you had no idea what his death would bring." Elied looks over Vlad's shoulder and looks at Helsing. "And I know Helsing is far stronger then you could ever know."
"She's right." Helsing pushes against the Holy Blade. "She didn't miss your heart. She missed mine." Helsing shoves a silver tipped arrow into Vlad's heart. Vlad's eyes go from coal black to a burning red.
"Nooooo!" Vlad's cries echo through the castle. Bats fly out from the tallest tower. The land grows cold as his cry echoes through the land.
Vlad's body shrinks as though it were being dehydrated. A black ooze comes out from the wound. The Holy Blade starts to glow as the black ooze touches it. Vlad's body turns into dust and disappears.
"Go!" Skitz struggles to keep the spear in the ground. The Mega Tank blast pushes against it bending it.
"I am!" Dante is crawling underneath the Mega Tank blast. He sees the activated Tower and crawls faster.
Elied pulls the Holy Blade out of Helsing. His wound was already healing. "Are you ok Helsing?"
"I'll be fine Elied." He pulls his shirt up and checks the wound. The scar would be the only sign of the wound. It is next to three other scars. "You were a little close to my heart that time."
"I'm sorry. The Holy Blade was the only thing powering me." The holy aura of the blade broke Vlad's power. It allowed her to move, to fight. If Vlad had not thrown it and it had not landed at her feet Helsing could very well be dead.
"That is the power of the Holy Blade." Helsing takes it back from Elied. "We have an inured werewolf to hunt." They walk out of the castle Helsing taking the lead leaving the darkened unholy halls of the castle behind.
Dante makes it to the activated Tower. He goes up to the second platform.
"Aaaa!" The spear breaks and Skitz is hit by the Mega Tank blast. The activated Tower shakes as the Mega Tank blast hits it.
"The Tower is deactivated." The screens fall around him. "We do not know if a return is needed." Dante sends himself back to Earth.
Sanne and Krieger land on the floor. "Wow." Sanne looks down at herself. "We're back. I guess they did it."
"Wow." Krieger had felt the rush, the power, and the confidence. Helsing never doubted himself. Helsing knew he would kill Vlad, Judas, Satan. Krieger doubted if he'd make it to another day.
"We did it." Sanne laughs lightly. "We killed Dracula or whatever his name was." Sanne stands up then helps Krieger up. "Whoa," Sanne feels light headed. She leans on the bed next to her as her head swims. She gets so dizzy she gets motion sickness and throws up on the floor.
"Sanne!" Krieger grabs her as she passes out.
"Huh?" Sanne finds herself on Lyoko. Dante, Krieger, Mira, Barack, and Skitz are around her. "Wait, Mira and Barack and Skitz? What's going on?"
"Whoa." Mira shakes her head. "What happened?"
"I don't know." Dante shakes his head. "Skitz?"
"Yeah, what's with you guys?" Skitz is even more confused. "Now that you mention it I was busy with Barack then ended up here. Did Xana posses me?" Barack and Mira are confused even more.
"But, you, you're in America." Barack sees Skitz and feels a rush of feelings fill him.
"I am? I'm pretty sure this is Lyoko." Skitz laughs then stops when no one else laughs. "Ok now you're starting to scare me."
"But, you, this is impossible." Sanne walks over to Skitz and whispers in her ear. "Are we lovers?"
"No!" Skitz pushes Sanne away. "What was that about?"
"Then you're not the Skitz from that world." Sanne and the others are confused.
Naia is watching them, barely. She felt so weak. Like a part of her had been ripped out of her. "I made it back. But why am I so weak?" She has to sit down as she watches the others.
A/N Ooo… The mystery shall be explained in the next episode! Also, ITS MY BIRTHDAY! July 9th 1986. So I am now 22 years old! WOOOO!! I am a year older! And I have work tonight, lol. But anyways, enjoy this episode!