Aelita was stunned as she read the same line that Jeremie had read during her concert. "Tyron abandoned her, he...he must have only wanted her to get to me and Lyoko. My mom is locked away in some base right now...Maybe the base belonging to Project Carthage, whoever they were, but my father abandoned them so they can't be good!" She reached out and touched the screen.
"I know." Jeremie watched Aelita's reaction. "We'll save her, Aelita." He reached out and touched her hand.
"Can we? How? Even if we did, where would we put her?"
"I don't know. A Translation to send you and the others to the base and break her out? It might work."
"I don't know. A Siberian base would be different from something Xana would build. Guns and bullets instead of lasers and stuff. Would we still just reappear back in the Skid if we get shot? Can we risk it?"
"I have no idea. It would be something we never dealt with before." Jeremie closed the file. "But there is something we have that I know works." Jeremie pushed out of the computer chair and approached a cardboard box sitting on the floor. He pulled something out that looked like a metal rod with a small round box and a fork at the end.
"What is that?" Aelita wrinkled her nose.
"My Ghost Buster 3.0. What do you think?" Jeremie handed it to Aelita.
"What does it do?" Aelita turned it over.
"Send an EMP shock through the end. You just hit the possessed person, and it'll destroy the specter. A lot smaller and more efficient than my last one, don't you think?" Jeremie smiled.
"That's amazing, Jeremie. When did you do it?"
"Between looking for Odd, and then Franz, Super Computers, learning how to build a new one, messing things up with you, and a lot of other things."
"Um, I, I'm sorry." Aelita hadn't told Jeremie about the kiss with Odd after her concert. "I yelled at you about this, but you, it was worth it."
"Exactly. But right now, we can't free your mother or find your father. I'll work on that though."
"We'll work on it." Aelita set the Ghost Buster 3.0 down in the box. "I'll help you. But we can't skip classes."
"I have to. I need the extra time." Aelita hugged Jeremie.
"We won't skip classes. This is important, but Patrick is here because you skipped classes. Your parents are worried. Your grades have fallen. Xana is important, but he isn't everything."
"I, okay, Aelita. He isn't everything." Jeremie smiled at Aelita. "You're a large part of it. I'm doing this for you as much as I am for me. I know you want to find your parents, bring them back. You went behind our backs and fought Xana alone to do it. I, I was mad then but I know now I was wrong. Please forgive me."
"Only if you forgive me." Aelita hugged Jeremie again and he hugged her back.
"Of course, Aelita. You just wanted to save your parents." It wasn't what Aelita meant, but she wasn't going to ruin the moment.
-( ( • ) ) -
Odd was walking through the woods when he heard something coming from behind. He turned around and saw Milly and Tamiya. "Hi Milly, hi Tamiya." He smiled at the two freshmen.
"Um, Odd, being the cousin of Kadic Academy's hottest star we were wondering if you could um, give us an interview."
"Yeah about the star." Tamiya lifted the camera.
"I'm sorry, but the star wouldn't want me to talk about her behind her back." Odd leaned against a tree. "But if there's anything else you two wanna talk about, I'd be more than happy to spend time with you."
"Huh?" The two girls blinked.
"Well, maybe not now. Another few months and you might be ready." Odd turned around, laughing at their expense, as the two blushed.
-( ( • ) ) -
Xana activated a Tower. He wanted to see how Jeremie's Ghost Buster 3.0 worked, and see if it could be useful to him. If not, he would have to find a way to destroy it.
-( ( • ) ) -
"No, not now." Aelita saw the Super Scan come up. "Huh? Jeremie, the Sector number, it's at 5. Jeremie, we need to call the others and see what's going on."
"Got it." Jeremie pulled his cell phone out and called Ulrich as Aelita called Odd.
-( ( • ) ) -
Soon the Warriors were racing to Factory, figuratively. Odd arrived at the sewer entrance when he saw Sissi through the trees. "I can't let her see me go in the sewers." He approached her. "Hey Sissi, what's up?" He smiled at her.
"Hi Odd." Sissi smiled back. "Um, I was just taking a walk."
"So was I, great minds think alike, huh?" Odd grinned wider. "No Herve and Nicholas?"
"They're in detention. Got caught trying to sneak out and fish at the river near some old buildings last night." She blushed.
"Oh, really? So you're all alone right now." Sissi nearly swallowed her tongue as Odd walked closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You know, we've never gone out alone have we?"
"Um, uh, no."
"Maybe we should. Get away from our other friends for awhile." Odd moved his hand down Sissi's arm.
"I, Odd, I,"
"It's okay, I know you aren't ready right now. Go to your room, change, do whatever, and meet me at the gates after dinner, okay?"
"Uh, sure." Sissi walked away.
"That should do it. I just hope we get a return. I'd hate to blow things with her before we even do anything." Odd ran back to the sewer entrance and climbed down.
-( ( • ) ) -
Sissi was almost back to her room when a black mist appeared from the lights on the ceiling and entered her body. She pixellated for a moment and lost color as she leapt through a window and landed two floors below. Returning to her normal appearance, minus the Eye of Xana replacing her normal eyes, she took off running, much faster than any normal human being possibly could.
-( ( • ) ) -
The Lyoko Warriors made it to the Factory and converged in the Scanner Room. "When you get to Lyoko, you're going to have a surprise." Jeremie's voice filled the room.
"What?" Yumi looked upwards.
"The Super Scan's Sector number was five."
"So we have to go to Sector 5 to deactivate the Tower. Big deal." Odd shrugged.
"Not exactly, Odd. The Super Scan works from zero up, not one up. Sector 5's designation is four, so if the Tower was there, the Super Scan would say four. There's some kind of new Sector, probably made by Xana."
"How'd he manage to do that?" William was amazed.
"He probably used one of his Super Computers to make a new Sector so he'd have ten more Towers at his disposal. He might make more Sectors later on."
"Great." Alex sighed. "Another Sector to get used to."
"Well, at least all of us have to get used to it." Aelita offered.
"We're ready." Ulrich stepped into a Scanner.
"Transfer Odd, Transfer Ulrich, Transfer William. Scanner Odd, Scanner Ulrich, Scanner William. Virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in a dark area with rocky brown walls and a ceiling. "Transfer Yumi, Transfer Aelita, Transfer Alex. Scanner Yumi, Scanner Aelita, Scanner Alex. Virtualization." The three landed next to the others as the vehicles formed.
The new Sector was like a cave system. There was dripping 'water' from stalactites above, and many tunnels snaking through larger chambers with Towers in them. Most of the tunnels were big enough to go through on the Vehicles and still have room to maneuver, but some were smaller. It resembled some kind of underground lagoon, as water collected on the floor and went up to knee-height for most of the Warriors. The walls were brown, but had a shimmering blue glow to them as well.
"Where to, Jeremie?" Ulrich got on the Overbike with Alex, who held his shoulders.
"West."
"Um, we can't see Sector 5, so we don't know which way that is." Aelita informed Jeremie while she and Odd got on the Overboard.
"Face that Tower I virtualized you by, and to your right."
"Got it, but there's a lot of tunnels, at least four that appear to go west." William warned, not wanting to go the wrong way, as he held Yumi's shoulders on the Overwing.
"Take the first one on the right, it should lead you there. I don't know what the attack is, yet, so be careful. You might find another new kind of monster. This Lagoon Sector could be dangerous." Jeremie watched his friends' blips take off into the tunnel as he crossed his fingers in hope.
-( ( • ) ) -
Sissi leapt over a building and landed on the roof of the next one. She saw the Factory, sprinted, and vaulted off of the side of the building, landing near the bridge.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie watched Sissi come into the Factory on the security camera. "Xana possessed Sissi!"
"We haven't made it to the Tower yet." Odd complained as he looked over at Ulrich. "We might have to send someone back."
"Yeah, maybe." Ulrich revved the engine and went a little faster, swerving to avoid a stalagmite and then again to avoid a hole that opened into the Digital Sea below.
-( ( • ) ) -
Sissi smashed the elevator and went crashing down into bottom of the shaft, level with the Super Computer Room.
-( ( • ) ) -
"What was that?" Yumi's voice was frantic. The crash was so loud, the Lyoko Warriors heard it through Jeremie's headset.
"That was the elevator." Jeremie heard the elevator doors of the Control Room being ripped open by a flying Sissi. "I need help!" Jeremie got out of the chair and started to run for the other passage out of the Control Room.
"Ghost Buster!" The others looked at Aelita. "Um, his new invention."
"Xana will never give him the chance to use it." William sighed hopelessly.
Odd flew on the Overboard over to Ulrich. "Me and Alex are the only ones strong enough to fight a possessed person with our upgrades. Devirtualize at least one of us, Ulrich."
"Are you sure?"
"You're the better fighter on Lyoko." Ulrich shrugged and took a sword with his left hand, and slashed Odd across the chest, devirtualizing him and leaving Aelita to pilot the Overboard.
"I'll go on the Overboard to make things less awkward if you want." Alex offered.
"Alright." Ulrich went to slow down as did Aelita so the electric Warrior could switch vehicles, but three Hornets came up behind the group.
"Watch out!" Aelita's cry came too late, for the Hornets shot Alex off of the Overbike.
"Ow!" He was slammed against the tunnel wall and rolled down to rest in the lagoon bed by some stalagmites. Next to him were two craters that opened above the Digital Sea, but had a tall enough rim to keep the lagoon water from draining into them. One Hornet flew down and rammed him into the nearest hole just as the other two sprayed acid. Fortunately for Alex, several globs fell on him, devirtualizing him before he could fall into the Sea.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie picked up the Ghost Buster 3.0, which was resting by the passage out of the Control Room, but Sissi pounced on him. "Sissi, Xana, no!" Jeremie struggled but couldn't fight Sissi off.
"That invention is interesting, but you will be crushed." Sissi snatched away the Ghost Buster 3.0 and scrutinized it. "You really thought this would stop me?" She taunted as she tossed it to the side. "It was a waste of time attacking just to see that useless junk." Sissi sparked with energy. "So I'll do something else."
"I don't think so, Xana." Sissi turned and saw Odd and Alex, the purple-wearing boy with the Ghost Buster 3.0. Alex tackled her off of Jeremie and rolled with her, pinning her. Odd lunged and Sissi tried to block, but Odd went around her and pressed the fork-like part against her thigh. He pushed the only button on it as Alex got off of her and backed away.
"No!" Sissi screamed as blue electricity ran down the fork-like part of the Ghost Buster 3.0 and destroyed the ghost.
"Cool, it worked." Odd looked at Sissi lying on the floor.
"Wait," Alex kneeled and touched her neck. "She isn't breathing."
"What?" Jeremie was happy to see his invention worked and was ready to get back to the Super Computer, but hesitated at that news.
"She's not breathing!" Alex lowered his head to her chest. "I can't hear her heart beating."
"This is really bad." Odd began to freak out.
"But, no. She has to be okay." Jeremie leaned down to Sissi and checked for himself. "You're right, she's not breathing."
"I'll try CPR." Alex tilted back her head.
"You know CPR?" Odd blinked.
"Of course. It's something the military generally knows." Alex explained as he gave her chest compressions. "It's helpful to know before you join up."
"We can't let her die, we have to do something." Jeremie shouted.
"I don't know what to do!" Odd threw his hands in the air. "Ew. You totally just kissed Sissi."
"Now isn't the time, Odd." Alex shot him a glare after trying two rescue breaths. "Scan her. That'll heal her, right?"
"No way! That would make her unaffected by the returns and we'd have to let her in the group." Jeremie shook his head.
"And let her die instead? No way! I'm scanning her!" Odd interjected.
"I'll try to help." Alex offered.
"No way, Odd. We just need to wait for Aelita to deactivate the Tower and launch a return."
"We won't have time! She's going to die!" Odd pushed Jeremie away as he leaned down to pick Sissi up.
"If she isn't already dead!" Alex added, taking hold of her by her armpits while Odd took her legs.
"You, I won't let you do it, you two. We can't let her into the group." Jeremie tried to get Odd and Alex to put Sissi back down.
"I won't let her or anyone else die! She's helped us before." Odd growled.
"But it will make her one of Xana's targets and she could die!" Jeremie reached for Sissi to take her from the two.
"She might already be dead!" Odd kicked out with his leg, getting Jeremie in the stomach and knocking the wind out of him.
Alex went down the ladder after Odd put Sissi on his shoulder, and the two slowly lowered her down. Alex put her in the middle Scanner and checked her pulse one last time to make sure.
"If she dies, we're done. We'll have to tell someone about this." Odd shook his head as he typed and brought up the transfer bar and ID Card selector.
"Stop it, Odd, we can't do this." Jeremie was still bent over, holding his stomach.
"Sorry, Jeremie. I'm not letting anyone die." Odd activated the transfer and the Scanner doors closed around Sissi.
-( ( • ) ) -
On Lyoko, in the new Lagoon Sector, the Warriors came out in a gigantic chamber with the Tower on a small, dry islet at the other end, guarded by the Scorpion and two Megatanks, plus the two pursuing Hornets. One of them had been destroyed by Aelita.
"This should be interesting." Ulrich looked over at Yumi and William. "You two go after the Megatanks, I'll handle the Scorpion. Aelita, you get the Hornets and try to get into the Tower."
"Okay, Ulrich." Aelita turned around on the Overboard and fired an Energy Field at a Hornet, destroying one. She worried about Jeremie, Alex and Odd.
"What's going on?" Sissi's voice came out of the Super Computer's headset.
"Hi, Sissi." Odd put the headset on and smiled. "What are you doing there? I thought I told you to meet me at the gates of the school." he joked. On the other side of the Sector, the other Lyoko Warriors looked at the top of the cavern.
"Who are you talking to, Odd?" Aelita blinked, and he ignored her.
"He said Sissi's name, so that means...oh no." Yumi's eyes were wide as saucers.
"I, I don't know. Where am I? How can I hear you? Where did I get these clothes?" Sissi climbed to her feet near the Tower the others had virtualized by. Her hair was bound in a large Chinese-style bun with two additional buns on either side of her head, with poofy and fuzzy white cotton ball-like ornaments near her ears. She wore a black one-piece dress ending just below her thigh with yellow edging along the bottom, a white tapestry with a dragon design going down it from her neck down to the bottom of the dress, poofy straps just below her shoulders, and white gloves with frills at the wrist. Her small Mandarin footwear matched her hair and dress, while the socks, frilly at the top, matched her gloves and tapestry. A white flower decorated her left hip.
"Tell me, have you ever overheard us talking about a place called Lyoko, or someone named Xana?" Odd asked.
"Yeah, but, I don't remember. I was at the dorm building and um, now I'm here." Sissi looked around the Sector. "Wherever here is."
"You're on Lyoko. That thing over there is a Tower."
"Um, you said that you were just talking about a video game."
"Oh, no, we lied." Odd grinned, even though she couldn't see. "Well, Sissi, what do you think? Is it better when we're alone than with the others around?"
"It would be if I had a clue what was going on and if I could see you."
"Fair enough."
-( ( • ) ) -
Back near the Tower, Ulrich was ready, despite the shock of Sissi's apparent joining the group. "Now!" Ulrich jumped off of the Overbike. "Super Sprint!" He charged at the Scorpion, dodging lasers. Yumi threw her fans at a Megatank as it opened. She hit it across the Eye, destroying it.
"Great shot, Yumi." William had his Zweihander out. "I'll go after the other one, you just wait." William jumped off of the Overwing and landed on the cavern floor.
"Okay, I guess." Yumi hovered nearby. The Megatank opened and fired at William, but he dodged and charged his sword.
"Rosetta!" When he swung it, the energy blade arced out, but the Megatank closed. When it opened, William charged at it. It fired and he put his Zweihander up, stifling the blast. "Yumi, get it!" She yelled out and threw her fans, destroying the Megatank and relieving William of holding the shot back.
Ulrich was getting closer to the Scorpion. "Triplicate!" Ulrich split apart. The Scorpion hit a clone and destroyed it. Ulrich lunged at the Scorpion but it swung its tail and hit him. The remaining clone jumped over the tail and slashed at the Scorpion. The Scorpion backed away and fired a laser, destroying the final clone.
"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an orb at the remaining Hornet and destroyed it. The Scorpion fired a laser at her and hit the Overboard, destroying it. She moved her hand over her watch, and her wings appeared.
"Ah, good, the Overboard is destroyed. Hey Sissi, watch this." Odd typed, using his upgrades to help him send the vehicle to Sissi. "Climb onto that baby and go into that first tunnel to your right."
"Um, how do I steer this?" Sissi asked as she stepped on.
"Bend your knees a bit and push down with your feet." Odd instructed as Jeremie finally recovered and stepped over, taking the headset away from Odd.
"Okay." Sissi obeyed Odd's instructions. "Oh my god!" She screamed as the Overboard screeched into the tunnel at breakneck speed, taking her with it.
"Odd, you idiot!" Jeremie shrieked as Alex came back up the ladder.
"Is that Jeremie?" Sissi yelled, having heard Jeremie's scream through the headset. Nobody answered her, but Odd did grin at Jeremie.
"Jeremie, go away, you're messing things up." Odd wanted to hear every bit of Sissi's first Lyoko experience.
"You messed things up! You scanned her, now she won't be affected-" Odd put a hand over Jeremie's mouth.
"Odd?" Sissi cried. "Odd!"
Alex managed to stifle a laugh. "This is too funny." He picked up the headset and put it on. "Hi Sissi."
"Alex! Is that you? Tell me how to make this thing slow down!" Sissi screeched.
"Oh, just lean back a bit." The Overboard came to a halt and Sissi went flying off of it. It hovered down to her as it was programmed to do.
"Thanks a million." She breathed a sigh of relief as she climbed back on and kept from going. "Is there any way to make it go slower?"
"Oh, yeah, just lean forward." Alex smirked evilly as Sissi's screams resumed.
-( ( • ) ) -
"What are the others doing?" She managed to yell, getting used to the high speed.
"Probably fighting the Scorpion, one of Xana's monsters." Alex answered nonchalantly.
"Um, is that it right there?" Sissi came into the chamber with the other Lyoko Warriors and flew around, barely avoiding the stalactites and walls.
"Sissi?!" Aelita gaped.
"Hi Aelita! Cute skirt!" Sissi's voice varied in pitch as she continued zipping around the area. Ulrich was battling the Scorpion in close combat. "Aelita, go for it!" He ducked under the tail and slashed the Scorpion across the chest. It charged him and slammed into him, knocking him away. Before he could get back up, the Scorpion fired two lasers, devirtualizing him.
"My turn." William dashed at the Scorpion from behind. It swung its tail at him, and he jumped over it. He slashed his Zweihander at the Scorpion, hitting it across the back. Yumi screamed out and threw her fans. The Scorpion shot one out of the air, and swung its tail, knocking the other one down.
"Energy Field!" Aelita threw two energy orbs and one hit. The Scorpion was not destroyed, but was immobilized as the energy from the orbs sparked around it.
"Help me!" Sissi wailed as she finally managed to stop the Overboard again, once again sailing through the air. She landed smack on the Scorpion and held onto its back for dear life. Her hands began to glow.
"What?" Jeremie stared at the screen. The Scorpion's remaining thirty Life Points began to tick down. "What's going on over there?"
"Sissi's holding onto the Scorpion. Her hands are glowing and the Scorpion is flailing around." Yumi explained. The monster let out a roar and exploded, sending Sissi into the air.
"Ow!" She managed to crawl to her feet, and probably would have fainted if she was on Earth. Her hands still glowed.
"Good job, Sissi." William used Super Smoke to approach her and he held his hand up to offer a high five.
"Thanks." Her voice cracked and she looked ready to throw up. She managed to bring a hand up to high five William, and her hand stopped glowing when it made contact with the other Warrior.
"William, you just regained thirty Life Points." Jeremie informed.
"Does that mean Sissi has healing powers?" Alex managed to gather from watching the screen.
"Looks like it." Jeremie nodded.
-( ( • ) ) -
Aelita flew down and entered the activated Tower. She floated up to the second platform and placed her hand on the control panel. "Tower deactivated." The screens fell around her. "Maybe a return will glitch and erase Sissi's memory or something." She brought up the program. "Return to the past now!" The white bubble expanded, reversing time.
-( ( • ) ) -
Odd was in the woods by the sewer entrance as before. He looked to where Sissi was standing earlier, and saw her looking around, confused. "Sissi?" She screamed and turned around to see Odd.
"Odd, we, no, we already met." She panted.
"What?" He tilted his head.
"You, like, talked to me in the sky. And Jeremie, and Alex, and then the others were in this cave and we were wearing weird outfits. And you were talking about Lyoko, and Xana, and Towers, and Scorpions. Then Aelita went into this tall Tower thing and a bubble came up and here we are."
"Welcome to the club." He smiled.
"Tell me what's going on, please." Sissi begged.
"Come with me to my room. Ulrich and I will tell you all about it." He put an arm around her shoulder and walked away.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie and Aelita were working on the Super Computer, when a message box opened itself. "Aelita, Franz is contacting us!" Jeremie read the message.
"He wants to upgrade someone else? So soon?" Aelita read over Jeremie's shoulder.
"We're to send them to the Ice Sector so he can pick them up."
"But that means we'd need to make a clone again."
"And we'd have to ask who wants to go. Maybe Sissi should go."
"I can't. I need to deactivate the Towers."
"And William and Yumi refused last time we talked about it."
"Then I guess we see if Ulrich or Sissi will do it." Aelita pulled her cell phone out. "Ulrich, do you want to be upgraded?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Franz is offering it right now. If you come here we'll send you to him."
"Um, okay. We were just telling Sissi about Lyoko and Franz, since there's a lot she needs to know. I'll let Odd deal with a clone."
"Ask Sissi if she wants to be upgraded."
"Okay." Jeremie could hear talking in the background. "She wants to wait since she's new to this and it freaks her out."
"Alright. Get here as fast as you can."
-( ( • ) ) -
Soon, Ulrich was sent to Lyoko. A minute later, the Nautilus appeared from the Digital Sea. Ulrich walked over to it and saw an opening. He walked into it and the doors closed, and it disappeared. Jeremie leaned back in the computer chair. "Let's hope he's back soon."
"What's that?" Aelita pointed at a new file. Jeremie opened it for her.
"The location of two more Super Computers." Jeremie activated a Tower and the clone of Ulrich formed beside him.
"I'll take it to school. Call Alex and tell him what's going on." Aelita led the clone to the elevator and left the Factory.