Jeremie and Aelita were trying to fix the errors in the Super Computer.
"I don't get it. How could it still be bugged up after the return?" Jeremie was getting frustrated. "It could be dangerous to send Odd to Lyoko until we fix the errors."
"We could try and do without him. Yumi, William, and Ulrich are great on Lyoko and I can fight too. I did for the last few months." Aelita had no plans to risk losing Odd.
"We'll have to. If we lose anyone we might not be able to get them back. We've been lucky so far. When Yumi fell into the Digital Sea, I had your one-shot materialization on hand. With you, your dad saved the day. Even with William we still had that chance to get him back and we did." Jeremie rubbed his temples. "I need a break."
"So do I. We should get back to the school. We've been gone for four hours. Jim might get suspicious." Jeremie and Aelita left the Factory.
-( ( • ) )-
Odd was walking through the woods alone, again. He had worked himself into a corner. He dated all the girls available at Kadic Academy. He had dated some outside of the school but his reputation had made it to the other schools. The only girls who would talk to him then were Yumi, occasionally Starla, Sissi, and lastly Aelita.
"You can't date them, Odd." he told himself as he kicked a rock along the path. "Yumi and Ulrich are together even though they're too stupid to admit it. Starla wouldn't date you again in a million years after the rumors. Sissi is...more human, lately, but she's still Sissi. And the Princess, forget that." He shook his head as the memory of being in the Factory made him smile. "She made up with Einstein finally. Those two were made for each other." He kept walking down the path, kicking the rock.
-( ( • ) )-
Xana watched and waited. With Odd's errors they couldn't send him to Lyoko, so the best thing to do would make him be the only one left to send.
-( ( • ) )-
Yumi and Ulrich were training. Ulrich liked these times because William didn't train in Pencak Silat so he and Yumi would be alone. He yelled out and kicked, and she grabbed his leg. He did a backflip, causing Yumi go flying as she held on to his leg. She fell and landed on top of him. He rolled over and they started to wrestle, one trying to pin the other.
Yumi yelled with a palm thrust and got Ulrich under the rib cage. She rolled and pinned him as he tried to catch his breath. "Are you okay?" She climbed off of him.
"I'll live." Ulrich was slow to get up.
"Where did you learn that?"
"Learn what?" Ulrich asked, wiping some sweat from his forehead.
"The backflip. I thought I had you beat, but wow." Yumi crossed her arms as she spoke.
"I saw it on Viewtube. Some college wrestler was caught like that and he did it. He threw the guy off of the mat and won his match."
"Cool. Want to go do something else?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Where?" Yumi uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her sides.
"Um, see a movie?" Ulrich suggested with a shrug.
"Let me get my phone and see if William wants to come." Ulrich made a choking sound. "What?"
"Do you have to?"
"I'm not going to the movies alone." Yumi said in an obvlivious manner, tilting her head.
"I'm going."
"I mean, not us alone. What would people say? I don't need any rumors going around at school. I hear enough from Hiroki as it is." Yumi dialed William. "Ulrich and I are going to the movies. Want to come?"
"Sure. Which movie?"
"Um...Hunter vs Johnny vs Steel Man Act Three?"
"Alright, I'll be there. I'll even pay for you."
"No, I'm paying for myself." Yumi rolled her eyes.
"Kay, see you there." She hung up after William spoke.
"I didn't think you'd like that movie." Ulrich noted, and Yumi looked over at him.
"Well, the first two were decent. And Donny Jepp is the lead actor in this one." Yumi smiled as Ulrich frowned. "What?"
"You got a crush on a forty year old actor from Canada."
"Maybe, so what?"
"It just sounds like something Sissi would say." Now Yumi frowned.
"I don't feel like going." Yumi clutched her stomach. "I'm going to the infirmary."
"But, Yumi." Ulrich knew she was lying. "Fine." Ulrich watched as Yumi started to run out of the gym.
"Hey," she whined as she pushed against the door, "The door won't open."
"What?" Ulrich came over and pushed the door, but it wouldn't open. "Maybe something fell in front of it." He slammed his shoulder against the door but it didn't move. "Or Xana is attacking."
-( ( • ) )-
Jeremie and Aelita were walking down the side walk in the city. They had decided since it was a Saturday to not worry about Jim or anything. They were holding hands and wondering what to do, for they were taking a break but didn't know what to do. Without the Super Computer or their friends...
"Want to get something to eat?" Jeremie asked. Aelita looked at her cell phone.
"It is almost time for dinner."
"No, I mean, not at school. You know, like, um, a date." Jeremie tried not to blush but couldn't help it. Even though they had gone on a couple of dates during the time Xana was gone, they were still very shy about their feelings.
"Yes, Jeremie." Aelita smiled. She started thinking about dinner with Jeremie when the beeping from his laptop shattered her thoughts.
"Xana!" they both yelled as Jeremie pulled the laptop out.
"Desert Sector. We'd better call the others." Jeremie and Aelita got their phones out to call the others.
-( ( • ) )-
Odd was near the Hermitage when his phone rang. He looked at the Caller ID before answering. "Princess?"
"Xana's attacking. Hurry to the Factory."
"Your knight in shining armor will be there." They hung up and Odd used the Hermitage's sewer entrance to get to the Factory.
-( ( • ) )-
Ulrich had just finished telling Jeremie over the phone that he and Yumi were trapped.
"That's not good." Jeremie said with a frown.
"Yeah, but Xana's not hurting us or anything."
"You don't understand. Odd is still bugged up. If he goes and is devirtualized he might not come back. That's if he even makes it to Lyoko if we try to send him. We need you two. Try to see if you can climb out through a window or something, okay, Ulrich?"
"We'll try."
"Don't try, do. Aelita, Odd, all of us need you to do not try." They hung up. "Aelita, did you get William?"
"He's coming."
"Okay." Jeremie said with a nod, waiting and worrying.
-( ( • ) )-
Yumi and Ulrich went into their separate locker rooms looking for a way out. When they came back out, both had bad news. "Locked."
"I tried breaking a window but there's nothing to do it with."
"Same here." Yumi looked around the gym. "There has got to be a way out. We've gotten out of here before."
"Yeah, but Xana wasn't trying to keep us in, then. I don't think he wants us out. He wants Odd alone."
"What, why?" Ulrich then told Yumi about the errors. "Oh, that's not good." She bit on a nail in worry.
"We better hope William can make it." They sat down back-to-back, hoping their friends would be okay.
-( ( • ) )-
Odd made it to the Factory first.
"Odd, I want to try something." Jeremie had an idea. "Step in the Scanners. I'll scan you and see if I can fix the errors. The matrix algorithm detected a sort of retrovirus in your DNA and implemented it in your avatar. A retrovirus is a strand of viral DNA that attaches to your DNA and becomes a part of your genetic code. The avatar's virtual DNA didn't match your new genetic coding, so the Super Computer tried to combine the two and your entire avatar got corrupted. So, if the matrix algorithm scans you again without the retrovirus being attached to your DNA, then it will match the vDNA and you'll be fine."
"How about speaking in normal words?" Odd asked sheepishly.
"You were messed up last time because of what Xana did to you through that candy junk. If they scan you without there being something wrong with you, then maybe it will help." Aelita translated.
"Okay, Einstein." Odd went down to the Scanner Room. He stepped in the middle Scanner and waited.
"Okay, Scanner Odd." The doors closed and Odd felt the rush of energy around him. When the doors opened he stepped out.
"Anything?"
"I think so." Jeremie quickly entered the data and a green exclamation point popped up. "It's fixed."
"Ha ha! I fixed the Scanners." Odd stepped back into the middle Scanner. "Send me, Einstein."
"We're waiting for William."
"What about the others?"
"They can't make it." With Odd being fixed it was better, but Jeremie was still worried. "No stupid tricks, alright, Odd? We can't risk Aelita not making it to the Tower while Xana does whatever it is he's trying to do."
"Gotcha." Odd and the other two waited.
-( ( • ) )-
William made it to the Factory and hurried inside. He took the elevator straight down to the Scanner Room. "Nice to see you finally made it." Odd smiled, showing he was joking. "Let's go."
"I'll be right there." Aelita took the ladder down and hurried over to a Scanner. The three warriors stepped in.
"Transfer Aelita, Transfer Odd, Transfer William. Scanner Aelita, Scanner Odd, Scanner William. Virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Desert Sector as the vehicles appeared. "Go west and hurry. We don't know what Xana is planning on Earth." Jeremie watched the screen as his friends went to save the day.
-( ( • ) )-
Ulrich heard a noise. "Yumi, quiet." He heard another noise, then the sound of shattering glass. "Xana's doing something."
"But what?" Yumi turned when she heard a noise. She saw a long deep crack in the wall of the gym. It grew bigger as more windows shattered.
-( ( • ) )-
On Lyoko the group made it to the activated Tower and its guards. "Dark Angel and some Hornets." Odd raised his arms. "I'm ready."
"Be careful, Odd, we need to get Aelita to the Tower." William pulled the Zweihander out from black smoke. He still didn't know what powers he had aside from that smoke manipulation. Under Xana, he was a powerhouse but not being under his control… He didn't know. He had his blue-gray outfit like the first time he came to Lyoko so what would his powers be?
"My middle name is careful." Odd aimed at the Hornets. "Laser Arrow!" He then proceeded to miss all of them.
"Oh, yes, Odd, very careful. Energy Field!" Aelita flung an energy orb and hit a Hornet, destroying it.
"I'll attack the Dark Angel." William charged it on the Overbike, ready with his Zweihander.
-( ( • ) )-
Yumi screamed when the gym wall on the far side collapsed, the fallen wall creating an impossible-to-climb mountain of rubble. "Xana's going to crush the gym with us in it!"
"The others will deactivate the Tower in time." Ulrich snuggled closer to Yumi. "I know they will."
"They'd better." Yumi snuggled him back.
-( ( • ) )-
William stayed on the Overbike, circling the Dark Angel. I just have to distract it so Aelita can make it to the activated Tower...
Odd fired laser arrows while riding the Overboard towards the Hornets. He dodged lasers, trying to lead the Hornets away from Aelita and the activated Tower. "Come on, bug brains!" Odd fired.
"Energy Field!" Aelita threw and hit another Hornet. "Four left." She stayed on the Overwing, creating another energy orb.
-( ( • ) )-
The gym collapsed more, demolishing half of another wall. Ulrich and Yumi ran over to the door and started kicking at it, screaming for help.
-( ( • ) )-
Odd fired more laser arrows and dodged the lasers from his opponents, but was getting frustrated. The Hornets seemed faster than before. He got close to one and went to fire but could't. "Einstein! Reload me."
"You got it." Jeremie loaded Odd's laser arrow program. "No! Odd, I can't." A red exclamation point covered the reload window. "Go after the Dark Angel and see if you can't tackle it or something while William goes after the Hornets."
"I'm ready to dance." Odd dove at the Dark Angel. It turned and saw him coming.
"As am I." Odd was shocked to hear it not only talk as it had before, but have a comeback. The shock threw off his dive and allowed the Dark Angel to strike the Overboard. Odd went flying off of the quickly dematerializing Overboard and landed on the ground. The Dark Angel leapt at Odd and started firing its continuous draining lasers from its claws as he punched, kicked and clawed at it.
"Odd!" Aelita went to help him but the Hornets turned and attacked her.
William activated the flight controls on the Overbike and flew after the Hornets. He swung his Zweihander and destroyed one. The remaining three broke apart and scattered. "Aelita, try to get to the Tower!" William chased after two of the three Hornets.
"Okay." Aelita dove at the activated Tower on the Overwing, but a Hornet shot and hit it, destroying it.
"No, Aelita!" Odd kicked at the Dark Angel one more time, this time successful, and ran to protect Aelita. The Dark Angel clawed at Odd's back, knocking him to the ground. Before Odd could recover, the Dark Angel grabbed Odd and lifted him off of the ground. "Let me go!" Odd struggled but couldn't get free.
"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb and destroyed the one Hornet that William wasn't chasing. The two remaining split up and one went after each remaining warrior.
"What are you doing!?" Odd struggled still but couldn't get free. He turned his head and saw that the Dark Angel was taking him near the edge of the Sector. "Help! Einstein, materialize me or something!"
"I can't!" A red exclamation point was on the screen again.
"I thought the errors were fixed!" Aelita yelled as she ran towards Odd and the Dark Angel, dodging lasers from the Hornet.
"I did too." Jeremie tried again to bring Odd back to Earth but couldn't. "Devirtualize Odd before he's thrown into the Digital Sea!"
"Energy Field!" Aelita threw it, her aim true, but the Hornet dove into its path and destroyed itself to keep Odd on Lyoko.
"No!" William flung his Zweihander at Odd, but the Dark Angel threw the feline warrior over the edge. The oversized sword launched well off the Sector edge and slowly arced downward towards the Digital Sea. "Odd!" William revved the engine of the Overbike, but the last Hornet fired a laser, hitting it, and William fell off of it.
"No!" Aelita screamed as she waved her hand over her star bracelet. Her wings formed and she took off over the edge. "Energy Field!" She threw the energy orb and missed. "Odd!" She threw another one and missed again.
"Help!" Odd saw the Digital Sea was getting closer and closer. He turned his head back around, and dread devoured his mind as he realized Aelita was too far away to catch him. "Jeremie, materialize me!"
"I can't!" Jeremie watched the map, helpless and fearful.
Odd saw his reflection in the Digital Sea and flinched just before falling in, a pillar of light bursting out from where he entered.
"No, Odd!" Aelita stopped just above the Digital Sea. "Daddy, please save him!" Aelita watched and waited for Franz Hopper to bring Odd back. He did it for me so he would do it for Odd, right?
"Aelita! Watch out!" She heard William's warning and turned to see the Dark Angel had flown off the Sector and was diving to get her. It used its levitation to slow its falling rate but wasn't strong enough to gain full control.
"Energy Field!" She created a field and it kept growing until it was a bubble big enough to hold all six Lyoko Warriors, including Jeremie, in it. The Dark Angel fell in and instantly disintegrated. She immediately shot up above the Sector and saw the last Hornet feebly shoot a laser at her. "Energy Field!" She created another large one and threw it, consuming the laser and destroying the Hornet.
"Aelita, you need to-" William's sentence is cut off by a medium energy field to the jaw, devirtualizing him immediately.
"Aelita, please deactivate the Tower." Jeremie tried to remain calm but the shakiness of his voice betrayed his true fear.
"You let him die!" Aelita screamed; she would be crying if she could on Lyoko.
"No Aelita, he, he's just in the Digital Sea I'm sure I can find him. We found Yumi before."
"You got lucky. You had the program set and she had just fallen in. Unless you have one for Odd ready right now he's gone." Aelita felt herself weaken. Her wings disappeared and she fell to the ground. "Odd, no."
"I still have the one needed to bring you to Earth from before, the Code: Earth program. I just need to make some adjustments and realign some things to bring Odd back."
"How long will that take?" William had just taken the elevator up after devirtualizing.
"I don't know."
"He'll be gone by then." Aelita looked at the activated Tower sorrowfully. "I have to finish this." She walked slowly to the activated Tower and entered it. One step; the first ring lit up. Two more; the second ring lit up. Two more after that; the center dot lit up, and she began to glow. She slowly floated up, her negative emotions dimming her glow and slowing her ascent. She landed on the second platform and slowly went through the process. "Tower deactivated." The screens fell around her. "Bring me back, Jeremie."
"Okay, Aelita." Jeremie did so.
-( ( • ) )-
A few minutes later they were arguing. "There are no errors! I just scanned the programs three times! You lied about the errors!" Aelita's yelling was so loud, no one heard the cell phones ringing.
-( ( • ) )-
Ulrich tried calling Jeremie again. "We're stuck in here until they launch a return." The gym had stopped collapsing, meaning the attack was over, but they were still stuck in the gym.
"They won't know to do one until they answer their phones." Yumi tried calling William again.
"If we had left for the movies instead of wasting time calling William we wouldn't be trapped here."
"I'm not arguing with you about this." Yumi called William again. "He has to be back to Earth by now." She tried again and sighed. "You see? This is why I am so afraid to go on the week-long trip to Japan next week…" Ulrich stared at her.
"That's next week? Wow, and today is Saturday too. I didn't know it was that soon...Yumi..."
-( ( • ) )-
"You were jealous! That's why!" Aelita had tears in her eyes and her throat was starting to hurt from yelling.
"Aelita, I told you I forgave you. I hurt you, you hurt me." Jeremie was trying to stay calm. "I tried to send him more arrows and the program bugged up. I tried to materialize him and it bugged up again."
"Then how come they're fine now?! I just scanned both programs and there is nothing wrong with either of them! Liar!"
"Aelita, I'm not lying! I wouldn't let Odd die. I wouldn't let that happen to anyone, not even Jim or Sissi!" Jeremie lost his cool. "You have to believe me!"
"Believe the person who said he wished I never existed?! You told me you wished you never found the Super Computer! How can I trust someone who wishes I didn't exist? I hate you!" Aelita ran to the other passage out of the Control Room and took off.
"Aelita!" Jeremie called after her, yet didn't follow. "I can't believe this. I...we need to work on finding Odd."
"What do we do until then?" William was scared. Odd had just been thrown into the Digital Sea. After his time with Xana, he was worried Odd had been taken and made into the new Avatar of Xana.
"I don't know. It could take weeks to recalibrate the old materialization program to work on Odd."
"Um, do what you did with me? Tell them he, like...went on a trip with his parents or something."
"They might get suspicious if Odd just disappears."
"Then the other thing? The cloning?"
"It will have to work. I just hope it works better than the last clone." Jeremie started to work on activating a Tower when William's phone rang for the umpteenth time.
"Hello?" William answered, distracting Jeremie. "Okay, I'll tell him."
"Who was that?"
"Yumi. Xana tried crushing her and Ulrich while they were in the gym. They need a return."
"Okay," Jeremie pulled up the program. "Return to the past now!" The white bubble expanded outward, reversing time.
-( ( • ) )-
Two days later Ulrich was dragging the clone with him to lunch. "Come on, Odd, you can't keep acting like this!"
"Like this? What is a this and how do they act?" Yes indeed, it was dumb, just like the last clone.
"Never mind."
"No mind to never never mind no mind never." the clone babbled. Ulrich, infuriated, almost punched it in the face. He had to stay calm, though.
"They better find the real Odd. Fast." Ulrich continued to drag the clone with him to the cafeteria, the clone babbling all the way.