A/N: Hello my lovelies! Another chapter this fine evening and all week long! Thanks so much for reading and especially reviewing, you guys make this all worth it! It really makes me sooooooo happy to look at the views or see a review be added so thank you! :)
The Subdigitals were in France and were coming to Kadic Academy, and as promised, Aelita would open for them again, just as she would next year at prom. Even though it would be a smaller crowd than her first concert, she still couldn't believe it. Her stomach flipped around as she tried to decide on what music to play. She decided to go to Jeremie's room, hoping to work on the Super Computer and talk with him. Things had been rough lately, but she still had feelings for him.
"Jeremie?" She knocked on the door.
"He's not here right now." Patrick's voice answered.
"Oh, do you know where he went?"
"No. He gave me the slip. He left his homework here too. I'm supposed to find out why he keeps missing classes and stuff."
"Um, can you open the door?"
"He's not here."
"Well, I don't know where he is and would rather wait for him in there than out here." Patrick opened the door and Aelita stepped in. She took note of his laptop on the desk. Jeremie wouldn't be gone for long without his laptop, she knew.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie was coming back from the sewers for his laptop. In his rush to get away from Patrick, he forgot it. When he got to his room, he put his ear on the door to hear if Patrick was in there.
"I don't know. I wish I did, Patrick. I'm so worried about him." Jeremie continued to listen. "I messed up a few weeks ago but I apologized and he said he forgave me."
"What did you do?"
"After he said something horrible to me, I flirted with some other guys. He saw us but he knew what he said was terrible. We made up and tried to date and stuff but things keep getting in the way."
"I'm sorry, Aelita. I don't know him as well as I used to, but I'm sure he still has feelings for you. As beautiful as you are, I know I couldn't stay mad at you." Jeremie waited for more, but heard only silence. He flung the door open.
"Stay away from her, Patrick!" Jeremie grabbed Aelita's wrist and yanked her out of the room.
"Jeremie, you're hurting me." Aelita pulled away from Jeremie. "Ow." She rubbed her wrist. "Where were you?"
"What were you just doing?"
"Waiting for you. I want to talk to you, Jeremie."
"About what? Patrick is the enemy, so don't talk to him."
"He isn't the enemy, Jeremie." Aelita was incredulous. "You know that Xana is. I was waiting for you." Aelita clasped Jeremie's hands in hers. "I want to talk to you."
"About what?"
"My concert is coming up. I'm so nervous."
"Why? You did a couple already at bigger events."
"I know, but I can't...I just don't want to screw up. When I'm up there, I can handle it, but the waiting freaks me out."
"If you know you'll be okay, why are you worrying? Sounds stupid to me." Aelita stared at Jeremie. He had his mind on other things and didn't realize how he should act, she knew, but that didn't excuse his indifference. "I was reading through some of the information Franz sent us,"
Aelita pushed Jeremie into the wall. "I can't believe you!" Tears filled her eyes. "I'm freaking out about my concert tomorrow night and you don't care! You don't care about me! You just go to the Factory no matter what is going on!"
"I have to, because you released Xana!"
"And I was right! My father was still alive and my mother can be found!"
"He tried to die to save us! I have to go to the Factory and fix your mistake, Aelita! Sorry if that takes time!"
"You, you think being reunited with my parents is a mistake? Don't be sorry, because I am! I'm sorry, alright! I'm sorry I saw any good left in you!" Aelita turned around and bounded away.
"Aelita, I, wait!" Jeremie took off after Aelita as Odd, Ulrich and Alex all watched from the oldest of the three's room, having been distracted from the Z-Ramid by screaming.
Aelita sprung down the last three steps of the staircase and rounded the corner, and Jeremie tried to do the same, but landed badly and fell to the floor. Aelita exited the dorm building as Jeremie clutched his knee.
-( ( • ) ) -
The next day, Aelita sat with Odd during class. She hadn't needed to worry about talking to Jeremie, as he was gone, most likely skipping class. Ms. Hertz was having a special class, as everyone was excited about the upcoming concert and dance.
"Today we'll have a lesson on computers." She had a monitor sitting on her desk, connected to a computer under it. "Many of you own one, and undoubtedly all of you have used one. This technology has changed the world. The world is round, but has metaphorically taken a different shape." She placed her hand on top of the monitor. "We can travel around the world, share another family's daily lives, and meet new friends. A trip that once took months can now be made instantly. We will be talking with a class from the United States of America."
Ms. Hertz reached to the top of her desk and used the mouse to start the connection. "Are you there? I have a message to send. Are you there?" A screen popped up.
"Bonjour Mademoiselle Hertz." An older man was in the screen. "Comment allez-vous et votre classe aujourd'hui?"
"We're fine, thank you, and how is your class, Mr. Madden?"
"We're tired, but very well. As you know, the time difference has us up late, but it was worth it."
"We're happy you could do this." Ms. Hertz turned to the class. "One simple connection with our computer allows us to travel far. So much information moves through the internet almost instantly. With the webcam, we can see who the others are."
"Yes, and we have some questions for your students." Mr. Madden moved out of the way and a girl with pink and blonde hair moved into the screen.
"Wow." Aelita was stunned and had her own questions to ask.
"Um, comment vos classes sont-elles installees en France?" The girl had a bit of trouble speaking the language.
"Well, instead of a different teacher for different years, I teach all the kids here at Kadic, from 6th to 12th grade. We're a boarding school so we aren't as populated as many schools. I use different lessons for each grade. This is my sophomore class, 10th grade. We recently started allowing children of higher grades in the Academy whenever we were able to get some more dorms and classrooms built, and to build a larger cafeteria while converting the old one into an ag shop for classes like automobile maintenance."
"That's very interesting. Our school recently did the same to our old cafeteria, but with a CT building for computers and technology." Mr. Madden said from offscreen. Aelita moved a bit closer, and the girl saw someone.
"Heidi!" The girl shrieked, and Heidi Klinger pushed through the crowd and began screeching back and jumping up and down.
"Vicki!" The two girls yelled and squealed. Aelita blinked and stepped back a bit.
"Who do we have here?" Mr. Madden returned to the screen.
"The student who suggested we speak with your class, specifically."
"What are the odds of this?! You're so pretty!" Heidi shrieked as the conversation continued.
"It's so good to see you at last, ever since we became pen pals I wanted to know what you looked like!" Vicki yelled back.
"Ah, well, as I'm sure you've told your students, we're in America. We're from the state of Maine, and Maine, as you might know, shares the border with our friendly neighbors to the north, Canada."
"We have a student from Canada." Ms. Hertz gestured to Aelita.
"Yes, well, any other questions?" The class continued, with both sides asking different questions. When Odd got a chance to ask a question, several girls pushed each other to look at him.
-( ( • ) ) -
Xana noticed the communication with the school in America. He activated a Tower, and a black mist moved across the floor of Ms. Hertz's classroom and into her computer, where it instantly appeared in Mr. Madden's room and snuck into the power system.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie was reading about materials used to build a Super Computer, when the Super Scan beeped. "Not now, almost onto the power system." Jeremie checked the Super Scan. "Mountain Sector. I have to call the others." Jeremie pulled his cell phone out and sent a text message to Ulrich.
-( ( • ) ) -
"SOS XANA." Ulrich put his phone away. "Guys, Xana is attacking." He looked at the wall clock. "We have three minutes before class is over."
"I don't want to skip lunch." Odd patted his stomach.
"Odd, you can eat at the concert tonight. Remember the last concert?" Aelita assured him, and he smiled at her.
"The buffet was great."
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie text messaged Yumi. "SOS XANA. Not good." She looked at the wall clock. "Three minutes. We can wait."
"Huh?" William hadn't been paying attention.
"Xana's attacking but class is almost over. We'll wait a couple minutes then head for the Factory."
"Okay." William tapped Alex's shoulder and whispered the news to him. The three stared at the clock and waited.
-( ( • ) ) -
Xana left the school in America and traveled through power systems and went to a site just past the Canadian border, where there was an old warehouse. Xana entered it and into one of the Super Computers he had built, then disconnected from the line as a specter. The specter took the shape of an agent and turned the computer on, giving him a new Replika to draw power from.
-( ( • ) ) -
When the bell rang, the Lyoko Warriors sprinted out of their classrooms and met in the sewers near the woods.
On the way, Odd took the lead. "I wonder if Xana will send the Dark Angel, or the Scorpion."
"The what?" Aelita blinked.
"The Scorpion. The tail makes me think of a scorpion."
"There's a new monster?" Ulrich asked, but went ignored.
"That's stupid, Odd." Yumi rolled her eyes.
"It looks nothing like a scorpion." William shook his head.
"It looks more like, uh, I don't know, maybe a...hmm..." Alex started, then stammered.
"I named the others so I get to name this one." Odd decided as he and the others continued.
-( ( • ) ) -
Power was diverted from the Super Computer in Quebec, by Maine, to the one in France.
-( ( • ) ) -
The Lyoko Warriors arrived at the Factory and hurried to the Control Room. "What's the attack?" Yumi breathed. Jeremie shrugged his shoulders.
"There's nothing on the news, so it's probably local." Jeremie pulled up the transfer bar and the ID Card selector. "Hurry." The Lyoko Warriors got on the elevator and took it down to the Scanner Room.
"Transfer William, Transfer Odd, Transfer Ulrich. Scanner William, Scanner Odd, Scanner Ulrich. Virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Mountain Sector. "Transfer Aelita, Transfer Yumi, Transfer Alex, Scanner Aelita, Scanner Yumi, Scanner Alex. Virtualization." They landed next to the others as the vehicles formed. "Head north and be careful!" Jeremie watched the green blips representing the team, plus Aelita's yellow, pass over the blue blips representing the Overvehicles, and zoom away.
Xana created three Kankrelats and two of another creature. The Kankrelats were different, as they were a dark smoke color with yellow-orange marks. The new creature was a steely green monster resembling a Hornet with three red wings, sharp mandibles on the head, and long, brown claws where the stinger would be. Behind them, the Scorpion materialized.
"Wait, something's going on." Jeremie saw signals coming to Lyoko. "One of them is coming from Italy, the other from Canada." Jeremie checked to make sure what he was seeing was correct.
"Jeremie, what is Xana doing?" Ulrich was nervous. He controlled the Overbike as Yumi sat behind him.
"I don't know. It's like when he sent the Kolossus, but I'm only seeing two signals." Jeremie confirmed their locations. "And I just found a new one."
"A new what?" Odd was on the Overboard with Aelita.
"Super Computer. Franz found seven, and I just found an eighth one." Jeremie worried as he wondered what Xana was planning.
-( ( • ) ) -
The Lyoko Warriors got to the activated Tower and saw the Scorpion, the new creatures, and the Dark Kankrelats. "New paint jobs and some fancy Hornets." William, on the Overwing, pulled his Zweihander out, holding onto Alex's shoulder with the other hand.
"No, they aren't Hornets. They look more like they'd be called Insekts. With a K for kreepy." Odd decided.
"Be careful. I doubt Xana would add the new looks just for show." Aelita looked around for a sneak attack.
"They're doing something." Yumi cautiously withdrew her fans from her datejime. The three Dark Kankrelats took the lead, moving faster than normal Kankrelats would.
"Like it matters? They're still Kankrelats." Ulrich scoffed as he withdrew his blades. Odd aimed and fired, but missed when a Dark Kankrelat sprung out of the way. "They're faster."
"Be careful. Xana did something to them and I can't bring up any information on them." Jeremie tried to hack into the information.
"Let me have a go." Yumi stood up on the back of the Overbike. She threw her fans at the Dark Kankrelats, and they amazingly leapt away from them.
"Try this." Alex fired five bullets, but the Dark Kankrelats avoided all of them.
"Yumi, you take control." Ulrich commanded as he prepared for a daring move. Yumi sat down and reached around him to grab the controls as he stood up. "Super Sprint!" He jumped off of the Overbike and sprinted across the Sector floor. The three Dark Kankrelats fired lasers and he blocked them with his swords. "They're stronger." The sabers glowed red. "That's not good."
"Ulrich, watch out!" William saw the Scorpion aim at Ulrich, but the warning came in time and Ulrich dodged the laser.
"Triplicate!" Ulrich split apart in mid-Super Sprint. The Dark Kankrelats fired at the clones and hit one.
"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired and missed.
"Energy Field!" Aelita threw two energy orbs and missed as the Dark Kankrelats dodged them.
"Go." Ulrich and the last clone attacked the Dark Kankrelats. He slashed at one and cut a leg.
"Good job, Ulrich." Yumi got ready to use her fans.
"I was aiming for the Eye." Ulrich and his clone circled the three Dark Kankrelats, trying to hit them, but the three fired lasers too fast for the two Ulrichs to get closer.
"I'll handle the Scorpion." William had been tackled hard last time. He wanted another shot.
"Okay." Alex activated Lightspeed and jumped off, and his Life Points began to tick away.
Yumi saw William and tried to help. She screamed and flung her fans at the Scorpion, but it waved its tail, knocking both out of the air.
"Die!" William drove the Overwing straight at the Scorpion. It fired a laser and hit the Overwing. As it devirtualized, William held his sword in front of him. He cut the Scorpion deeply, almost in half. Any other monster would be destroyed, but the Scorpion roared and swung its tail at William. He was hit hard, and yelled out as he slid into a Dark Kankrelat.
"Impact!" Ulrich shoved his sword into the Dark Kankrelat, getting a surprise. "Whoa!" He leapt back as it swelled up. "Jeremie, it's doing something."
"I can't tell from here."
The Dark Kankrelat leapt at Ulrich, and he screamed as it exploded.
"You just lost fifty life points!"
"That was different." Odd aimed at another Dark Kankrelat and fired, but it dodged his attack.
"Help!" William put his Zweihander up as the Scorpion attacked him. He was easily crushed and devirtualized.
"You're finished!" Alex jumped up from behind William's fading wireframe and fired three bullets through it into the Scorpion's Eye. "Got it!" The Scorpion exploded.
"One signal just quit. The one from Italy." Jeremie began to figure it out. "Xana is using the Super Computers to make new monsters. Those new Kankrelats are being made by the Super Computer in Canada."
"That would explain why they're so strong." Aelita created another energy orb. "Energy Field!" She threw it but the Dark Kankrelat dodged them.
"Why we need to build our own."
"What?" Aelita blinked.
"I'll tell you later! Just get Aelita to the Tower!" Jeremie watched his friends fight on the screen.
"Ulrich, Yumi, we need to pull a Yoo-hoo It's Us." Odd took charge.
"Aelita, we'll distract and you dive." Ulrich was ready.
"Okay, be careful. We don't know what else they can do." Aelita soared over the others with her wings.
"Super Sprint!" Ulrich took off.
"On it!" Yumi threw her fans like frisbees.
"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired.
Aelita dove for the activated Tower. She watched her friends risk their lives to help her. Who knew what else these Dark Kankrelats could do. One of them shot Yumi in the shoulder, and the wound sparked. The sparks showered from her shoulder, which was currently a wireframe.
"Yumi, you lost thirty points and now you're losing them at two a second." Jeremie watched them deplete.
"Yumi!" Ulrich Super Sprinted to her and blocked the lasers from the Dark Kankrelats with his sabers.
"Princess!" Odd yelled as the Dark Angel formed. "Leave her alone!" Odd jumped off of the Overboard and tackled the newcomer. He wrestled with it and they rolled near the edge.
"Odd, be careful. You can't expect Franz to save you again." Jeremie watched Odd begin to roll away from the edge, but the Dark Angel pushed away from him and he began to fall.
"Odd!" Aelita cried.
"I got it!" Alex ran to the edge and emptied his clips into both the Dark Angel and Odd, devirtualizing them both before either could be swept away by the Digital Sea. Aelita breathed a sigh of relief as she ran into the activated Tower.
"No!" Ulrich felt a Dark Kankrelat's laser pierce into his leg. "It hurts! Why does it hurt?"
"It must be part of the new Dark monsters." Jeremie guessed. The pain distracted him as he rubbed where he was hit, and it got him again in the chest. The sparks spread like they had with Yumi, and he devirtualized.
"Ulrich!" Yumi used her fans to block lasers as she cried out, ignoring the pain in her shoulder. "Jeremie, if he was feeling pain when he got shot, does that mean devirtualizing him means he's..?"
"He's okay, he's here." Jeremie wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Tower deactivated." The screens fell around Aelita. "Do we need a return, Jeremie?"
"I don't know. Xana may have activated the Tower just so he could make contact with his Super Computer in Canada." Jeremie theorized.
"We can't afford to make him any stronger. Unless we find a reason, we shouldn't launch a return." Aelita affirmed. Jeremie materialized Aelita and Alex, and went to materialize Yumi, but the sparking depleted the last of her Life Points and she came back on her own.
-( ( • ) ) -
In the Control Room, the group had a meeting. "Jeremie, why do we need to build a Super Computer? We already have one." Odd leaned against the wall.
"We can use it without Xana's influence. We could create another Lyoko and use its Towers for our own purposes without Xana being able to take over it."
"And send us a ghost to Jeremify us?" Odd smiled. "That'd be cool. I felt great when I fought Yolande with a ghost, except for the part about fighting Yolande."
Jeremie shook his head. "No, Odd. I could use it to create a new multi agent program and power it. I doubt Franz could help us again. That's why he's showing me how to make a new one, so we won't need him."
"Wow." Aelita was stunned. "But, Jeremie, we don't have the materials."
"Well, that's where you all come in. I can remake the translation program for the new Skid."
"Then what? Send us to Earth to steal stuff?" Yumi stared at him.
"Um, not really steal. Just borrow without asking." Jeremie looked away from the others. "It's to save the world."
William looked at the monitor. "Well, you should take a break tonight."
"Why? The more I work, the faster this will go."
"But Aelita has her concert tonight, you have to be there." Alex stared, amazed that Jeremie would just blow her off.
"I don't have time. I went to the last ones."
"So? I went to lunch yesterday. It doesn't mean I don't care about today's lunch." Odd laughed a little.
"Well, I'm sure she understands. She released Xana and now I have to stop him, again." Aelita glowered at him and got on the elevator. The others followed her and they left the Factory, leaving Jeremie behind.
-( ( • ) ) -
That night Aelita was dressed up for her concert in her skull top and burgundy skirt. She was putting a bit of eyeliner on, waiting in the girl's locker room, which was being used as the dressing room. "Pink Star, can I come in?"
"Sure, Chris." Aelita turned around and saw Chris with the group, minus Jeremie and plus Sissi.
"Hi, Princess." Odd walked over and hugged her.
"Wanted to wish you good luck tonight." Yumi hugged her as well, and the rest of the small crowd took turns hugging her and wishing her good look.
"She won't need it, she has all the skill anyone could hope for." Chris put a hand on her shoulder. "Any requests?"
"Just, um, did any of you see Jeremie?" The group looked at each other, then turned to Aelita and bobbed their heads no. "So he didn't make it." Odd shrugged his shoulders.
"Sorry, Princess."
"I'm glad the rest of you made it, I hope I impress you." Aelita beamed.
"You'll do great, you'll see." William assured her.
"Her music is great to dance to." Sissi laughed and swung her hips back and forth while snapping her fingers, deliberately bumping Ulrich with her butt, causing him to blush and stumble away awkwardly.
"I guess. Um, thanks, Chris, for letting me play for you." Aelita blushed, embarassed by all the attention.
"Thank you, Aelita, for gracing us with your music." Chris smiled at her. "Well, you're up in a couple minutes."
"I know! I'm so nervous." She laughed a bit.
"Tell you the truth, so am I. All the guys are before a concert, but once we're up there, the music is all there is."
"Wow, I feel the same way." Aelita felt her nerves calm. "Um, yeah, can I have a minute alone with my friends?"
"Sure, Pink Star, anything for you." Chris left the locker room.
"I can't wait to hear you, Princess." Odd smiled while the others nodded in agreement.
"Thank you all." They had a group hug, and the kids began to go and wait in the crowd, leaving one by one until Odd and Aelita were alone.
"I guess I should get going so you can finish getting ready." Odd turned to leave.
"Um, after I'm done, where will you be?" Aelita grabbed his arm.
"Where do you want me to be?"
"I don't want to be alone, and I doubt the others will want me around, since they'll all be flirting with each other."
"Yeah, I think Ulrich's going to make a move for Yumi, finally."
"What about William, Alex and Sissi?"
"William's going to go for Yumi, Sissi's going to go for Ulrich, and I guess Alex will either flirt with some other people or stay to himself. As much as I'd love to see Ulrich beat William up over Yumi, I'd rather be seeing you." Odd smiled, causing Aelita to blush as red as her bracelet.
"I, uh...yeah." Aelita blushed a bit more, but was saved from further embarassment by a knock at the door.
"Aelita, you're on." Chris's voice floated past the door.
"Okay." Aelita called back. Odd went to the door and opened it for her. She left the room and Odd disappeared in the crowd as she went onto the stage.
"And here she is, the Pink Superstar, Aelita Stones!" Aelita gazed out at the crowd in the gym. There were both students and adults. The adults had paid money to get into the fundraiser concert, but afterwards they would leave and the students would enjoy the dance.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie was in the Control Room, stunned. "It can't be." He read the line again. "She can't be there." He read it again. "Antea is still alive, as we know, and being held by the Russian government." He read the line again. "In a base in Siberia. But why? Why would Tyron turn her over?" Jeremie read the line again. "Aelita would want to know this." Jeremie called her but she didn't answer. "That stupid concert. She'd rather know Tyron gave her mother to the KGB."
-( ( • ) ) -
After playing her opening act, Aelita climbed offstage and saw Odd in the dressing room. "How did I do?"
"You blew them away, Princess." Odd clapped his hands twice. "You looked like you were having fun."
"I was. It's amazing being up on stage."
"I bet it is." Odd smiled. "Let's go dance!"
"No way. The gym is packed."
"Well, once the Subdigitals are done, they're playing regular music over the speakers. We can dance then."
"Until then?"
"I saw they have a buffet table in the boys' locker room." Odd grinned and Aelita laughed.
"It's the least I can do." The two went to the other locker room so he could stuff himself.
-( ( • ) ) -
After an hour, Aelita was tired and Odd walked her out of the gym. As they get outside, a slow song started to play. "Ready to dance now?"
"Sure." Aelita and Odd held each other and danced. Near the end of the song Odd leaned down and kissed Aelita slowly and romantically on the lips. They kissed for only a second, but it was still a kiss.
"Oh my god." Sissi saw them as she was walking to the dorm building, stunned as her jaw dropped to the ground. She was a good distance away as she watched in shock.
Aelita broke the kiss and reeled away. "Princess, Aelita, I-"
Aelita shook her head. "You shouldn't have done that."
"I'm sorry. I won't tell anyone."
"No, I, I'm sorry. I'm so confused."
"So am I. I know what I want but know I can't have it."
"It would never work. You'd get bored and mess with someone else like every other girl."
"I'm sorry." Odd walks away.
"No, Odd, don't be." Aelita watched him walk away. "Odd, don't go, please!" He either didn't hear, or was ignoring her, and kept walking. "I'm so tired, and lost, and I...I need to sleep." She turned and ran back to the dorms, passing Sissi on her way. Aelita wasn't able to sleep; she kept thinking about the kiss and what it would mean for her, for Odd and for Jeremie.