Author's Note: So it hasn't been long but hopefully this is a good place. I am planning on having the materialization happen soon, but not quite yet. Guys, please let me know if this story is good or not. Your feedback is really important and I am doing duel stories as it is. If it's not worth doing, I might drop it, but we will see. I do have plans to continue for at least a few more chapters.
Chapter 3: The false images.
"I… am… bored!" Michael was rolling around in the tower where Aelita was sitting reading something on a screen in front of her.
"What are you, Michael? A kid? Don't you have things to keep you occupied?" Aelita asked with a little tease.
"Oh come on! You know that I have almost done everything I possibly could!" In truth, Michael had almost done everything. He had gone to all four sectors, went to most of the towers, mediated for as long as his brain could allow, and read almost everything in the archives of the tower. Heck, he even solved a problem that Jeremie had with an earlier problem.
Flashback a few hours ago…
"Aelita I am having a little issue here in this program right here." Jeremie pulled up on his screen. "If the X quantity goes there but then we pull the virtualization program to there, then there will not be enough energy for the super calculator to process all the information."
"Hm… What if we take that X quantity and apply all other variables to this spot over here in Y?"
"But… then that would cause the frequency cause a disturbance with the result 2 right? We would have two inconsistent variables." The two paused.
"AH! Gosh, I am so sick of this program talk!" Michael's patience had run thin and was about to leave when Jeremie made a snarky remark.
"He is just mad because he can't understand it." That caused Michael to stop right in his tracks and then he began to move back towards the center of the tower. "Let me see this Aelita."
Michael began to analysis the program and then saw the issue. But it would be too easy to just give Jeremie and Aelita the answer. No, he would have fun with it. So in a ridiculous British accent, he could think of he began his speech. "Well, I do say Jeremie, my old boy! This program is a ridiculous thing I had ever seen! I mean what kind of fool would think that the X quantity goes anywhere near the materialization program! This is sure to fail! The great Einstein is not known for failure! But maybe just this once it will happen!"
Michael finished his speech off and Aelita and Jeremie both looked at him with shock. Aelita couldn't help herself from laughing while Jeremie looked about as red as a tomato.
"You watched another British documentary didn't you?" Aelita still laughing at Michael's ridiculous accent. It truly sounded like a British person.
"I can't help it! They are so interesting!" Michael retaliated.
"First of all the result 2 would equal the table width around 100% and then you would have to align the center properly. Then you would have to make sure that snapshot length is equal to the proportion of your entry. But none of this matters anyways as you guys are using the wrong language for this code next time The Great Einstein will think before he speaks and remember that it's not C# but C++ he should be using!"
"Well, perhaps you should check your math again! I happen to know that C# would work perfectly…" Jeremie paused after looking at his calculations.
"Jeremie! Look he is right!" Aelita looked again at the screen in shock and realized that the program's second phase had been completed.
"And with that, I will take my leave." Michael exited the tower with a grin he would have for ages.
Flashback over
Ever since that day, Jeremie and Aelita had him always help with the program. And in truth, he couldn't quite figure out how he had done it. In truth, everything kind of just came to him. It was like he had seen it before.
"You know for a fact you guys would have been hopeless without me," Michael said lying on the ground.
"Yeah yeah… I still don't know why we didn't think of that." Aelita a little steamed that Michael was able to figure that out before them.
Michael sat bored out of his mind as he tried to entertain himself. He couldn't think of anything to do except...
"Heh heh heh…" Michael began to walk towards Aelita. He remembered a very distinct article that he read before and wanted to see if it held ground.
"Michael? What are you doing?" Aelita looking kind of scared at Michael's face.
"I just want to try something… Have you ever heard of tickling?" Michael grinned.
"No… Wait a minute no way!" Aelita began to get up but Michael quickly caught her.
"Let's see how long you can last!" Michael began ticking Aelita right under her armpits and Aelita now couldn't stop laughing.
"S-stop it, Michael!" Aelita said while laughing still. Michael now on top of her to make sure she couldn't escape.
"You have to say uncle first!" Michael grinned at her.
"Uncle! Uncle!" And with that I released her. She sighed as Michael began to get off but it turned out to be a huge mistake. Michael could almost feel Aelita's smirk.
"Gotcha!" Aelita tackled Michael now onto the ground and began tickling him. Michael while not as loud as Aelita, began to laugh as well.
"Now you have to say, uncle!" Aelita continued to move her around Michael's body.
"No way! That's not happening." Michael then began to fight back a little and started pushing Aelita off slowly while laughing. Unfortunately he used a little too much force and as a result, he sent both of them off the edge of the tower.
"Whoa!" They both screamed as the data streams began to take them to another neutral tower. When they both got onto the platform safely Aelita slugged him on the shoulder.
"Now look what you have done! We got sent to another sector!" Michael for some reason was loving to whistle and not stare Aelita straight in the eye.
As the two decided to check outside to see which sector they were in Michael had a tingly feeling down his spine. It was a feeling that he got very rarely.
"Aelita… I think XANA is on the attack." Michael said towards the entrance of the tower.
"What? How can you tell?" Aelita now looking shocked at Michael.
"It was the same as the pulsations feeling that I got. It's just a guess." Aelita looking a little defeated but Michael followed it up.
"Hey, we don't need that kind of attitude here. Unless you want to be tickled yet again, I suggest that you stop doing that." That statement cheered Aelita up and they both exited the tower.
They saw that they were in the ice sector and at first nothing seemed wrong. They began to walk little ways away just to be sure that it was indeed a XANA attack. All of a sudden the ground began to shake and the traditional pulsations showed up along with it.
"Uh-oh. XANA has really launched an attack." Aelita said while following the path of the trail.
"Well, you might as well contact Jeremie then. Let's see if we can get you there in record time huh?" Michael kneeled before Aelita signaling for her to get on his back. "Come on. It will be quicker this way."
"Are you sure? I can run perfectly-"
"Aelita?" Michael said somewhat seriously. "I will tickle you to the heaven at this point. Now come on. Besides you can't contact Jeremie while running can you?" Aelita now giving up got on Michael's back as a tiny silver aura came out of him and Michael began to run.
"Jeremie? XANA has launched an attack."
"Okay, Aelita. I will try and gather everyone up. In the meanwhile-"
"Stopped?" Michael now slowing his run down. He noticed something very strange with the pulsations. "Jeremie? It's Michael. You know I can sense pulsations but these ones decided to just stop. It's very odd."
"Stopping pulsations?" Jeremie wondered while scratching his head. He had never seen the pulsations from XANA's attacks stop.
"Yes, Jeremie I agree with Michael. Something very strange is going on here."
"Why don't I get Yumi? She doesn't have any classes and I will do anything to get out of gym class." Jeremie concurred.
"Sure thing. In the meanwhile, we will get to the tower and make sure to wait for you guys. We will need our brilliant lookout anyways." Michael said.
"Alright. Meet you guys soon." Jeremie then signed off and the line disconnected. After traveling for a while Michael decided to ask Aelita a question.
"Have you ever had this happen before? Pulsations coming in and out?"
"No, not before. It could just be XANA using a tactic. Or perhaps it is bugging out?"
"Whatever it is I don't like it one bit. I hate irregular things. This has XANA written all over it. I feel like it's a trap, but we just don't know how to counter it. Plus there is something else that is bothering me. We have been going for a good amount of time now. XANA hasn't sent one single creature and my senses haven't gone off at all. This is getting weirder and weirder."
"That's true. By now I was at least expecting some of XANA's monsters to show up." Aelita said confused.
"Aelita? Michael? You guys there?" Jeremie asked from his main computer in the factory.
"We read you loud and clear Einstein." Michael still keeping his stride to the tower.
"I will send Yumi to you guys. The tower isn't too much further. About a few more kilometers away."
"Sure thing Einstein whenever you feel like it. I will just keep running if you don't mind."
With the tower in sight, Yumi was virtualized right in front of them. Yumi had the privilege to see Michael and Aelita in their "interesting" position.
"What?" Michael asked as he saw Yumi's grin.
"Oh, nothing," Yumi whispered in his ear. "I will not tell Jeremie anything."
"But I haven't done anything." Michael honestly didn't know what Yumi was implying. But then again he had just come to the world a few days ago.
"Come on you three let's get a move on. The tower is about 30 degrees from your position. It's a straight-a-way."
"No kidding it sticks out like a sore thumb!" Yumi said as the group moved along. When they arrived at the tower Aelita went in as Michael and Yumi were the only ones left outside the tower. "What do you think happened?" She was now very doubtful that the tower was actually active. Especially after seeing a neutral color.
"Honestly? Your guess is as good as mine. I have no doubt in my mind that there were pulsations. But now… I feel like XANA laid some kind of trap."
"And you are sure that you guys felt pulsations?" Jeremie now asking Aelita in the tower.
"Hmm… Yes, we did. Well, we think we did. Michael wasn't quite sure. He thought that it might be some sort of trap…"
"He is right to be suspicious. I will see if there is anything going on recently that would have done anything."
THUMP! THUMP!
Michael's heart began racing as the feeling he had before intensified. He brought out his Katana and raised his fist with energy. Yumi while wanting to question it did the same with her fans.
"Who's there?' Michael asked nobody in particular.
All of a sudden two yellow balls engulfed the two of them.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Sounds like Yumi and Michael!" Aelita now looking towards the entrance of the tower.
"Yumi! Michael! What's going on? Answer me will you?" Jeremie now typing furiously on his keyboard.
"Jeremie! They are both gone!" Aelita shocked.
"What? Come on they couldn't have just vanished away?" Jeremie now seeing that at least Yumi was de-virtualized.
"Hold on Aelita I will be back."
Aelita was looking around for any clues as to what had happened. Unfortunately they only thing that Aelita found was Michael's Katana stuck into a wall nearby. It had looked as if it had been thrown there.
"Michael…" Aelita held the Katana close and for now was her weapon until she could return it to him. She knew he was alive. He had to be…
"Well Aelita, Yumi is back on earth but she is passed out. Any signs of Michael?" Jeremie asked.
"For now no. But, I found his Katana stuck in the wall. Maybe it's a sign that he is still around. I will look around for any signs of him."
"Okay. In the meantime, I am going to take Yumi to the infirmary. She is in pretty bad shape."
Elsewhere on Lyoko…
Michael was currently alongside Yumi in a guardian, a prison which the person has no sense of time. Although this had no effect on Yumi, it had a great affect on Michael has he was able to peer into his memories.
Flashback…
"Why? Why does this always happen to me?" A younger version of Michael was currently in a hospital room with himself covered in bandages. "It's not fair! Why did mom and dad have to die? I am so stupid! If only I didn't want to stop at that one store! I don't even remember it anymore!" Michael began crying hysterically and the nurse that was going to enter the room decided to leave the young boy alone.
"It seems he is emotionally scarred from the events, sir." A man outside the room said.
"Yes yes, I know. It's such a shame that his parents passed away right in front of him. Especially at a young age. It's such a tragedy." Another man said.
"What is going to come of the boy?" The nurse asked the two men.
"I think, for now, we will take him to the local child doesn't have any family that we know of, so I think it's best for now." One of the men said.
"I see. Thank you for doing this for him." The nurse bowed before leaving the two men in black.
"Of course. After all, we can't have news get out that the prime minister accidentally killed two parents of a child."
"Indeed. We have to keep quiet about this event as much as possible. I will explain to the others the situation and then we will do our best to keep this off the news." The two men in black suits smiled as they knew that they were going to get away with this.
Flashback over…
Aelita was searching around for Michael and saw that there were two yellow spheres that weren't there before. As well as two Kankrelats defending the area. Although Aelita was armed, she decided not to chance it she contacted Jeremie quickly.
"Jeremie? I think I found something." Aelita said as the link began to contact to Jeremie's main computer.
"I read you Aelita. Go on then." Jeremie typing away at his computer.
"I found two spheres on Lyoko that weren't there before. I am pretty confident that one of them has Michael, but the other might relate to Yumi's trauma."
"Although I would say that it was dangerous, you are at least armed with something useful."
"I am going to check it out, but I may need some backup." Aelita still playing around with Michael's katana.
"Okay. I will have Odd and Ulrich join you guys. Just be careful."
"You know me, Jeremie."
With the connection disabled, Aelita began to make her way up the stairs and saw that there were only two Kankrelats defending the two spheres. As Aelita made her way to the spheres she also snuck up behind one of the Kankrelats and stabbed it. The other seeing its friend destroyed fired a laser straight at Aelita who dodged the laser and ran and stabbed the other. After dealing with the two creatures, Aelita focused at the task on hand.
"Michael! Yumi!" Aelita saw both figures inside the yellow spheres. She saw that Yumi was fast asleep, while Michael was in pain?
'The Guardian's shouldn't cause pain but only act as a prison. Why does he look so pain?' Aelita wondered. 'Let's try this then.' Aelita kneeled before the two guardians and used her creativity song to make two images of Michael and Yumi. As the guardians as the image, they were shaking before shattering completely releasing its prisoners from their jails. Aelita kneeled next to the two as they began to wake up.
"Yumi, Michael, are you okay?" Aelita asked. Yumi was slow to get up while Michael seemed very depressed.
"What happened?" Yumi asked as she began to look around.
"It looks like something captured us," Michael said with no emotion in his voice. He looked at his katana held by Aelita. He grabbed it abruptly out of her hands. "And she got my hint of it seems." Michael sheathing his Katana in his back holster. "Come on. We got a tower to deactivate. Right Aelita?"
Aelita shocked by Michael's actions decided it could wait for later. "Yes. The tower isn't too far from here." Aelita pointed to the tower just below them. "XANA's attack is deceiving Jeremie and the others that Yumi is back on earth."
"Then we better hurry up and do something before XANA realizes that Yumi doesn't have to play character anymore." Michael ran off without the two and they followed behind.
"Anything happens with Michael? Like a fight?" Yumi asked curiously. She usually didn't see Michael like this although they hadn't known each other for that long.
"No. In fact, this might be the first time I have seen him this upset. When he was in the guardian, unlike you, he seemed in pain. I am not sure what was happening to him." Aelita knew that she was slightly lying. She had seen him in a familiar mood earlier about the materialization program and how he thought he stole it from her.
As the three began to approached the tower 4 Kankrelats stood in their way. While Yumi was quick to be on the defensive, Michael had simply stopped running and had a slow walk approaching them.
"Michael! What are you doing?!" Yumi cried out.
If Kankrelats could ever be confused this was a time for them. They all shot at Michael and two shots hit in the legs but he continued to walk forward. He reached for his Katana on his backside and took a stance.
"Dragon Draw."
To the naked eye, Michael was on the other side on the four Kankrelats in an instant. Michael's Dragon Draw required extremely fast speed and power. It was what he discovered he first did with his first encounter with those Kankrelats. By channeling his energy into his sword, the two dragons glowed throughout the drawback was that it completely drains him of stamina so he could only use it a few times. Michael took his time sheathing his sword. The Kankrelats seemed frozen in time until a sound came amongst them. The clink of Michael Katana being sheathed echoed throughout the sector and the four Kankrelats exploded. Michael didn't even look back as he just entered the tower. The two ladies couldn't see his face but saw his body actions said it all.
"Aelita," Yumi said sadly.
"Yeah. I know." Aelita began to enter the tower. She saw that Michael was sitting on the edge of the Lyoko sign. She knew he needed help but deactivating the tower came as a priority. Aelita ascended up the platform and typed CODE LYOKO into the panel before a white light engulfed the space.
After the return to the past, Aelita and Michael were sitting in the tower as the gang was discussing what had happened.
"That's really fantastic. The fact that XANA materialized another Yumi proves one thing: It proves that Materialization is actually possible." Aelita had a smile on her face which was quickly gone by Michael's frown or rather noninterest in the conversation.
"XANA is actually helping with your Materialization program!" Yumi said with enthusiasm.
"Back to work then Einstein," Odd said with glee.
"No sweat! I will start the programming right now!" Jeremie said.
As the group was bantering off each other Michael simply sat uninterested in the whole conversation. 'What were those things? Memories? Is this what that thing was talking about? Something that I have lost? But that would mean then… I existed on earth before?'
"Yeah, but if it wasn't for Michael, I wouldn't have known if he was around." Aelita dragging Michael out of his thoughts. "He left his Katana on the wall when he and Yumi got taken by the guardian. He at least gave me a weapon."
"..."
"Michael, is that true?" Jeremie along with everyone else was curious.
"Ah." Michael sighed out. "Yes, it's true. I was able to sense the guardian beforehand and had my fist as well as my Katana out. When they approached us I was able to blast one away with my windblast. However, the second one captured Yumi and left me alone. I determined that if the windblast couldn't kill the thing, I wouldn't be able to destroy it. Even Dragon Draw wouldn't have worked so as it approached me again, I threw my Katana at the wall hoping that Aelita could see it." Michael was greeted with a long silence. "What?"
"Wow. And here I thought Jeremie was Einstein." Ulrich said.
"No kidding. Michael, you are really something you know that?" Odd agreeing with Ulrich.
"Maybe we should call you Einstein 2," Yumi said jokingly.
"He kind of is… Over the past few days, Michael has been helping us with our Materialization system. He even corrected us on the type of programming we have been using." Jeremie sheepishly admitted.
"WHAT?" The group yelled as Michael kept his impassive face.
"We can talk more about it later. Right now we got to go to class."
"I will never understand the importance of knowing why a stem cell is so important to the world," Odd asked as Jeremie gave the whole explanation on stem cells.
As the line cut, Michael began to walk out of the tower when he felt a soft hand grab his hand from behind.
"Aelita…" Michael trying to break out of her grip gently.
"I saw that you were wincing while you were in the guardian. You want to tell me what happened?" Aelita having a soft yet confrontational look on her eyes.
Although Michael didn't want to tell her, something in his mind was telling him to. 'As much as I want to keep this to myself, Aelita's stubbornness will keep getting the better of me. Besides, I can't hold this forever.' Michael gave up."Alright. But you have to keep this a secret okay?" Aelita nodded in response.
"I had some… Visions? Almost as if they were memories?" Aelita had wide eyes as Michael continued his explanation. "I saw someone that looked like me, crying… Because his parents had passed." Michael barely got the words out. "Sorry. I need some time alone."
Michael got out of Aelita's grasp and went ahead out of the tower. Aelita was left starstruck. She felt awful that Michael had to go through such an experience. But what she thought more on was the possibility of Michael having been on earth before. 'Could I be… Human?'
Author's Note: Mysteries Mysteries indeed. Hope you guys enjoyed.