A/N: I can't believe myself, forgetting to post yesterday! Goodness. Hope this'll make up for it!
It had been three days since Ulrich was taken by Franz for upgrades. Jeremie and Aelita were working on finding more information on Antea and her location, and a message window opened itself. "Whoa, it's Franz." Jeremie read the data. "He's done?"
"What?" Aelita glanced at the screen. "He's done already? It took a whole week with Alex, and even longer with Odd."
"Well, maybe he knew what to do this time." Jeremie and Aelita read through the rest. "He's sending him back in an hour."
"We need the others. You know, in case Xana attacks and tries to destroy the Nautilus." Jeremie pulled up the telephone app on the Super Computer and began to call the others.
-( ( • ) ) -
Odd and Alex dragged the clone through the sewers. "Come on, Ulrich, buddy, you're almost done." Odd smiled.
"Done with what?"
"Your job." Alex grunted as he yanked the clone away from staring at a rat.
"I have a job?"
"Don't worry, you'll see." Odd smiled again and the two continued working on getting the clone to follow them.
-( ( • ) ) -
Yumi and William arrived next. "Is he really done this fast?" Yumi was both excited and worried. She missed Ulrich. After all, he was a really good friend. She worried that he would have the same sort of charm as Odd and Alex, not that all three boys weren't already charming in their own ways. Odd was a clown and a food lover, but also really empathetic and caring. Alex was good looking and well built, but also really loyal and dedicated. But most of all, Ulrich was quiet and precise, but also really down-to-earth and he related to her. He could charm any girl, and that meant she might get charmed too, and that could hurt their friendship.
Sissi arrived immediately as Yumi spoke. "I'm so excited for Ulrich to come back." Sissi was most definitely excited. She missed Ulrich. After all, he was her crush. She hoped that he'd have the same sort of charm as Odd and Alex, not that all three boys weren't already charming in their own ways. Odd was a jokester and charming, and really cute at times. Alex was hot and hunky, with all those muscles. But most of all, she thought Ulrich was super hot, super charming and super hunky, and fit the tall, dark and silent archetype pretty well. He could charm any girl, and that meant she'd be even more in love with him.
"I guess so. Franz is sending him soon." Jeremie interrupted their daydreaming.
"Where?" William leaned on the Holomap.
"The Desert Sector. I'll send you there to meet him in case Xana attacks." Jeremie pulled up the transfer bar and selector. "I already sent Odd, Alex and Aelita." Yumi, Sissi and William got back on the elevator and took it down to the Scanner Room. "Transfer Yumi, Transfer William, Transfer Sissi. Scanner Yumi, Scanner William, Scanner Sissi. Virtualization." They landed in the Desert Sector, near the edge.
"Are you excited?" Odd smiled at Yumi and Sissi, both of whom looked away.
"I'll just be glad we can get rid of that stupid clone." Yumi scoffed.
"I just can't wait to have the real Ulrich back." Sissi said with a blush.
"Oh come on, it wasn't so bad. I don't see why you guys complained so much about my clone."
"Your clone was dumb as a rock." William laughed a bit.
"So was Ulrich's, but I know how to treat them." Odd looked over the edge, looking for the Nautilus.
"And how's that?" Alex asked sarcastically.
"Make them want to do what you want them to do. You know? Like, 'Ulrich, go sit on the bed and do nothing.' When he asks why, say 'because you want to.' And he will." Odd couldn't see anything yet.
"We have about thirty minutes. Be careful. I hate having you guys being near the edge." Jeremie worried.
"We'll be fine." Aelita assured him.
Odd sat down. "Anyone have a board game or something we can play?" The group laughed and waited.
-( ( • ) ) -
Twenty minutes later, Xana activated a Tower. "Pulsations!" Aelita looked around. "Jeremie, where's the activated Tower?"
"Wait a minute." Jeremie watched the Super Scan until it found the activated Tower a few seconds later. "Desert Sector, not far from you. I'll send the vehicles." Jeremie did so and the group boarded them. "Go southeast. You're not far."
"Got it." Odd took off with Aelita on the Overboard and the others followed.
-( ( • ) ) -
Five minutes later, they could see the activated Tower and its guards. "Jeremie, Xana did something to the Hornets and Bloks." Yumi pulled her fans out.
"I'm getting signals." Jeremie started to track them.
"Well, we just found a hive, and boy, are they mad!" Odd prepared for battle as seven Dark Hornets and three Dark Bloks approached them.
"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at the Dark Hornets, but missed.
"Watch out, Princess!" Odd yelled as he passed the Dark Bloks and they fired strange continuous lasers at Aelita. "Shield!" He blocked the lasers.
"Thank you, Odd." Aelita and Odd flew back as the Dark Hornets and Dark Bloks advanced.
"Enough!" Yumi threw her fans and missed as the Dark Hornets dodged them. "Where's Franz?!" Yumi backflipped and cartwheeled away from the monsters, and caught her fans.
"He should be here soon." Jeremie watched the screen, waiting for Franz to appear with Ulrich.
"Laser Claws!" Odd's claws glowed as he passed a Dark Hornet, and he reached out, slashing the Eye. The Dark Hornet spun around as it exploded, acid erupting from the blast. Fortunately, Odd and Aelita escaped on the Overboard.
"This is bad." William used his Zweihander to block lasers. "Yumi!" William moved to stay in front of her as a Dark Hornet zoomed down to attack her. He swung his Zweihander and cut the Dark Hornet in half, destroying it.
"Thanks, William." Yumi threw her fans and managed to destroy a Dark Blok.
"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired and hit another Dark Hornet. It also spun and spewed out acid before exploding, just like the last one. "Ulrich's going to be useless against these guys. If he gets close enough to hit them, they'll just spray him with acid." Odd fired more Laser Arrows at the Dark Hornets.
"Electrokinesis!" Alex was on the Overbike with Sissi, and he managed to steer with his elbows. He held his hands together and electricity sparked between them, forming into a large ball. The electric orb grew larger and larger with every second.
"Energy Field!" Aelita held her hands above her head and the energy field grew to the size of a large beach ball.
"Hey, Aelita!" Sissi called to her, and the pinkette looked down at her. "How about a combination attack?"
"Sure!" She called back. "On three!"
"Do we go on three or on go?" Alex asked to be sure as Sissi placed her hands on his shoulders. She began to glow, trying to transfer some of her energy to his attack.
"I hope this works." Sissi mumbled. She knew that she was able to drain the Scorpion and then give William the Life Points by making contact, so perhaps she could give Alex some of her power by making contact. Sure enough, the green ball of electricity began to shine with a heavenly white light.
"On three! One, two, three!" Aelita answered, and she threw the field. Alex outstretched his left hand, taking his and Sissi's energy orb with it and launching it. The two orbs mixed in midair, and became a swirling behemoth of pink, white and green plasma. Alex used his control over the electric part of the orb to curve it in midair. It rammed through two of the Dark Hornets, and then came down on a Dark Blok.
"Aw, yeah! That worked great. We should do that again some time." Alex smiled at Aelita from the Overbike.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie watched the screen as the red blips, representing Dark Hornets and Dark Bloks, disappeared one by one. "Good job, guys! Two Hornets and a Blok left!"
"Make it no Bloks left!" Odd shouted as he jumped atop the Dark Blok. "Laser Claws!" he cried as he dug his claws into the top eye, destroying it.
"Who's the king, baby?" Odd pumped his fist.
"Elvis." Aelita laughed as Odd slumped his shoulders and pouted. Yumi shouted and threw her fans, and missed once again.
"Maybe I do need an upgrade." She threw the fans once more.
"Wait, there's something on the screen." Jeremie zoomed in on the pale white blip. "It's Franz, it has to be him." The others turned to see the Nautilus flying over the Sector. When it got close, a small pod shot out of the side. The pod hit and destroyed a large boulder. As it screeched to a halt, an opening appeared on the side.
"Super Sprint!" Ulrich ran out. The two remaining Dark Hornets flew at him.
"Ulrich, be careful! They spray acid when they're hit!" Sissi warned. She noted the smile on Ulrich's face.
"Then I won't get close." Ulrich's swords glowed red, then he swung them. "Crescent!" Red energy blades shoot out of the sabers with each swing. The Dark Hornets dodged the first few energy blades, but were soon destroyed.
"Wow, cool, Ulrich!" Odd flew down on the Overboard and jumped off, landing next to Ulrich. "Looking good, too."
Ulrich was wearing his very first Lyoko outfit, but the green band around his waist wasn't as large, the black undershirt was gone and the sun mark was now a brown tattoo on his bare chest. His gloves started lower down his arms than they used to, the right glove only reaching his bicep and the left glove stopping just below his elbow, an inch above where the gauntlet stopped. Like Odd and Alex, he had taken an upgrade to his physique as well, and was at about the muscle level of Alex before upgrades; his abs were more defined, his biceps showed more, and his pecs showed a bit through his gi even though they were already visible.
"Feeling great." Ulrich stretched a little. "Glad to be out of the Nautilus." Ulrich looked up and saw the Nautilus flying away. "Mantas!"
"Xana's going after the Nautilus and Franz Hopper! Protect him!" Jeremie felt helpless as he watched.
"Laser Arrow!" From the distance he was at, Odd had a small target, but with his upgrades, he was able to hit the slow Mantas.
"No!" Yumi launched her fans as hard as she could and guided them with her telekinesis.
"Energy Field!" Aelita threw energy orbs.
"Die!" Alex aimed both guns, and like Odd, was able to hit with his upgrades.
"Rosetta!" William sent an energy blade out from his Zweihander.
"Crescent!" Ulrich sent dozens of energy blades from his swords just as fast as he could swing them.
"Um..." Sissi reached out and found that she was able to send a thin beam from her palm, but she had great difficulty aiming it.
The Mantas fired at the Nautilus and hit it a few times, but the attack from the Lyoko Warriors soon destroyed all of them and the Nautilus escaped. "Good job, guys. I'm bringing you back." Jeremie materialized them one by one.
-( ( • ) ) -
In the Scanner Room, Odd came out of the left, Ulrich out of the middle, and Alex from the right Scanner. As they all converged in the middle of the room, William laughed, and Sissi noticed why.
"You're going from scrawniest to buffest!" She covered her mouth with a hand as she secretly stared at Ulrich.
"Hey, I'm not scrawny, I'm svelte!" Odd growled.
"Wow." Yumi couldn't help but stare at Ulrich. Like Odd and Alex, his upgrades had been both physical and mental. He was a little taller, a little more buff. As Sissi was thinking to herself, he was also a lot more hunkalicious. He now wore a brown-green coat that ended just above his knees, faded blue jeans, a black shirt, and gray-brown shoes.
"Look pretty awesome, huh?" Ulrich posed a bit. "How long was I gone?"
"Three days."
"That's it? Felt a lot longer then that." Ulrich smiled at Yumi and she blushed. "How did my clone do?"
"We kept him in line." Yumi finally looked away. "Odd did most of the work."
"I hope he annoyed you as much as your clone annoyed me." Odd laughed loudly at Ulrich's remark.
"I knew how to handle him. I don't know how you had so much trouble." Ulrich frowned at him.
"Well, if I had been upgraded before, then maybe it would have been as easy for me as it was for you." Ulrich looked over at the elevator. "I want to get outside. I've been stuck in small places for way too long." Ulrich walked over to the elevator and got on.
"Wait for us." Odd said. He, Yumi, Sissi, Alex and William got on after Ulrich.
"Well, um, we have the location of another Super Computer." Jeremie looked at the monitor.
"If we fix the Translation program soon, we can start destroying them." Aelita and Jeremie stayed as the others left.
-( ( • ) ) -
The next day, Ulrich was playing foosball against Odd. They were equally matched, but both were shaking the table as they slammed the ball from one side to the other. "Careful, dorks!" Sissi screamed when the ball flew off of the table and at her on the couch, and she barely deflected it with her magazine.
"Don't need to be." Ulrich caught the ball easily after it bounced back. "But you might want to be. Wouldn't want you to damage your pretty face." Ulrich smiled at Sissi, who blushed immediately.
"Um, yeah." Sissi scooted away from the table as Ulrich and Odd continued to play foosball.
-( ( • ) ) -
After playing for nearly an hour and ending it at zero to zero, Ulrich and Odd took a break. Ulrich sat on the couch next to Sissi. "What are we watching?"
"Um, The Old and the Restful." Sissi scooched away from Ulrich.
"Meh, I'd rather go see a movie, want to come?"
"Um, what?"
"Want to go see a movie with me?" Ulrich scooted a little closer and smiled.
"I, uh, sure." Sissi and Ulrich left the rec room.
"What the?" Odd was stunned. "Did Ulrich just ask Sissi out? Dang, he's getting her on a date before I did." Odd approached the couch and sat down, looking for something to watch.
-( ( • ) ) -
The next day, Ulrich sat with Sissi during classes. At lunch, Yumi grabbed a tray and sat down with the others. "Ulrich, um, what's going on?"
"Huh?" Ulrich had some meatballs in his mouth.
"I heard, um, from Nicholas that you and Sissi went to the movies yesterday."
"Yeah, saw Ultraman Forever."
"But, why?"
"Why not?"
"But, you and, um, me."
"Are just really good friends. Sissi wants to be more then friends, so hey, why not?" Ulrich resumed eating as Yumi got up and left the table.
"Man, that's not right." Odd looked over at Ulrich, who seemed unconcerned by what had just happened.
-( ( • ) ) -
The next day, Ulrich and Sissi were in the latter's room, working on homework together. "Wow, Ulrich, those upgrades really improved your smarts!"
"It's not just Jeremie and Aelita that can do physics anymore." Ulrich and Sissi continued working.
-( ( • ) ) -
Yumi was in her room, crying. She held a picture of her and Ulrich in her hands. "What happened? What did Franz do to you?" Tears fell onto the photo.
-( ( • ) ) -
The next day Ulrich and Sissi were eating lunch together on the other side of the table, chatting away, oblivious to the other Lyoko Warriors. "Look at them." Yumi squeezed her orange, and juice squirted all over her hand. "Like I'd fall for that. I'm not that stupid."
"Fall for what?" William looked over at Ulrich and Sissi, who were unaware they were being talked about.
"He wants me to get jealous. Well, I'm not the jealous type. He can have her." Yumi glanced at William. "Want to go see Ultraman Forever after school?"
"Sure, um, if you want to." William couldn't help but smile.
-( ( • ) ) -
Yumi and William went to the movie, where several times Yumi got teared up, but not because of the movie. Ulrich and Sissi went to the gym and trained, and probably kissed a few times, since he'd apparently fallen in love with her after his upgrades. Aelita and Jeremie went to the Factory to work on the Super Computer and try to finish the Translation program, so they could begin work on making a new Super Computer and destroying Xana's Replikas. Alex was out with some friends, a short tan dark-haired girl named Skye and a lanky boy with curly brown hair, Mathieu. Odd...was bored. "What to do?" He walked past the rec room. "Tired of the foosball table and there's nothing good on television. Why can't Xana attack? That's always interesting."
In the Control Room, the Super Scan appeared, eclipsing Jeremie's coding window. "Xana's attacking, dang it." Jeremie had been close to completing the new Translation program. "Aelita, call Yumi. I'll call Odd."
"And the other four?"
"I'll tell Odd to call Ulrich and Sissi, you have Yumi call William and Alex." They made their calls.
-( ( • ) ) -
Yumi was watching the movie with William when her phone rang. "What is it, Aelita?"
"Xana's attacking. Call William and Alex."
"Okay. William's with me." They hung up and Yumi dialed Alex's number. "Xana is attacking."
"I'll be there." Yumi hung up, and William had obviously heard her tell him. The two got up and left the theater.
-( ( • ) ) -
Ulrich heard his phone ring during a 'sparring' match with Sissi, and went over to his gym bag. "Hey Odd."
"Xana's attacking, you and Sissi get to the Factory."
"We'll be there soon." Ulrich hung up. "Sissi, Xana attack."
"Oh, but um, we were just, stuff. Darn it." Sissi sighed.
"This won't take long, I promise. Here's something to tide you over until we're done." Ulrich kissed her on the cheek, and the two ran out of the gym.
-( ( • ) ) -
Xana sent a black mist into the middle Scanner. "Aelita, an error just came up." Jeremie looked at the data. "Xana's sending something through the Scanners." Jeremie could hear the Scanner doors close, then open. Soon a buzzing noise was heard, and a Dark Hornet flew up from the ladder to the Scanner Room.
"Jeremie! Set up the delayed transfer!" Aelita ran for the elevator. The Dark Hornet turned to her and aimed, and fired just as the doors closed.
Jeremie started up the countdown and ran out of the Control Room through the other passage. The Dark Hornet began to pursue him.
-( ( • ) ) -
Yumi and William arrived at the Factory first and took the elevator down to the Control Room. "Hello?" Yumi looked around, surprised to see it was empty. Aelita appeared on the monitor in a chat window.
"Yumi, William, hurry and send yourselves to the new Lagoon Sector. Xana sent a Dark Hornet and attacked Jeremie." The screen closed.
"Um, I don't know how to do it." William looked at Yumi, unsure.
"Jeremie showed us how, but I, its complicated. I'll try and send you if you trust me." Yumi offered.
"Of course I trust you." William got on the elevator and took it down.
"Wait!" Aelita appeared in the screen again. "Don't use the middle Scanner. Xana used it to send the Hornet so it's probably all corrupted.
"Oh, okay." Yumi said with a nod.
-( ( • ) ) -
The Dark Hornet shot Jeremie in the back of the knee with a laser. He screamed out and fell forward, his glasses bouncing away. He scrambled for them, but the Dark Hornet fired again, hitting him in the back.
-( ( • ) ) -
"Um, Transfer, Scanner, and, um, virtualization?" Yumi hit the enter key. "William?"
"I'm here, you did it, Yumi." William looked around for Aelita, and saw her come out from behind a damp stalagmite. "Where's the Tower?"
"Near here, east, I think." Aelita watched the pulsations that only she could see. "I didn't have time to look at the Super Scan."
"Yumi, are you coming?"
"I don't know how to do the auto transfer." Yumi heard the elevator run. "Someone else is here." Yumi waited for them.
-( ( • ) ) -
The Dark Hornet hit Jeremie again. He didn't scream or react aside from naturally moving from the force of the laser, like any other object would. The Dark Hornet flew back to the Control Room.
-( ( • ) ) -
"Odd, Alex, um, Jeremie can't send us." Yumi bit her lip.
"I'll do it." Odd looked at the screen. "It's not that hard."
"You're as lost as me." Yumi stared at him.
"I was as lost as you. The upgrades," Odd knocked on the side of his head, "make things easier."
"I wanna try, see how easy it is." Alex chimed in.
"Alright. Your upgrades should make it simple." Odd stepped aside for Alex.
"Geez, you three and your upgrades. Do you ever shut up about them?" Yumi rolled her eyes as she got into the elevator. "Go ahead and send me."
"Alex!" Aelita opened the window and saw him. "Look at the Super Scan and tell me the coordinates."
"Uh, Sector Code 5, Tower Code 9, bearing 51 degrees north, 22 degrees east, 93 elevation."
"Alright, thank you." The screen closed.
"No problem, Aelita." Alex watched through the security camera and saw Yumi get in the rightmost Scanner. "Transfer Yumi, Scanner Yumi, and Virtualization." She landed on Lyoko.
"Do you ladies want the vehicles?" Odd took the headset and asked as Alex took the elevator down to the Scanner Room.
"Hey!" William crossed his arms and pouted.
"Would be helpful." Aelita nodded, and a few seconds later, they appeared.
"Amazing." Yumi and William got on the Overwing. "Before, he could barely send someone."
"The upgrades are amazing, but, um, I still wouldn't do it." William looked around. "No monsters."
"Yet." Yumi took to the air on the Overwing.
"What about you?" Yumi blinked at William's question.
"What about what?" she replied.
"The upgrades. Would you get them?"
"No way I could let a dopey clone near my family."
"Um, what if a clone wasn't needed? I don't know, like if Franz could do it in a day. Would you?"
"I don't know." Yumi and William waited with Aelita for the upgraded trio.
-( ( • ) ) -
Odd was setting up the delayed transfer when he heard the wings of a Hornet beating. "Xana's pet is coming back."
"Run! Or get to Lyoko, Odd, you can't let it hurt you or Alex." Aelita was almost hysterical. "Please!"
"I can handle a bug. Just give me a bug zapper or a fly swatter." Odd looked around and saw Jeremie's Ghost Buster laying in a corner. "Let's see if this works. Alex, the delayed transfer is set up, go to Lyoko." Odd commanded as he grabbed it. The Hornet burst into the Control Room as Alex got in the middle Scanner, unaware of Aelita's warning to Yumi. As the transfer began, the black mist seeped into the Scanner and surrounded his body.
-( ( • ) ) -
The group on Lyoko waited for Odd and Ulrich as Alex landed. He took a little while to get up; he had landed on his feet but was still hunched over.
"Alex, are you okay?" Aelita walked over to him.
"I'm fine." Alex waited a moment before straightening to a standing position. The Eye of Xana flickered in his eyes for a moment before he turned around, his eyes their normal medium spring green again. As Aelita had been on Lyoko when Xana used a necklace to possess her on Earth, Alex had been possessed through the Scanner, not the Scyphozoa, so his eyes were normal.
"Is Odd alright?" Yumi asked from the Overwing.
"He can handle that Hornet." Alex shrugged, nonplussed.
"Are you sure you're okay? You seem a bit detached." Aelita tilted her head.
"I said I'm fine, so I'm fine." Alex growled, his voice dripping venom. Aelita backed away, startled. Alex wasn't normally like this; he was a gentle giant. He looked scary, but he was kindhearted as long as he wasn't angry about something. And if he was angry, he would usually talk about it.
"Come on, Odd, don't do anything stupid." Aelita appeared in a screen in the Control Room, and she saw him running around. The Dark Hornet fired at him. "Odd!"
"Just trying to start this thing." Odd dodged a laser.
"The lever is on the bottom. Pull it back to charge and push it forward to fire." Odd flipped the Ghost Buster over.
"Got it." Odd backed away from the Dark Hornet then aimed the Ghost Buster at it. "Bye bye." He fired it and hit the Dark Hornet. It sparked, then fell to the floor. "That was easy." Odd set the Ghost Buster down and went over to the control panel. "Thanks for the help, Princess."
"Ulrich and Sissi are behind you." Odd turned around and saw the two, Sissi panting heavily.
"I didn't even hear the elevator."
"We took the other way."
"Why?"
"Felt like it. Will you send us?"
"Sure." Odd waited for Ulrich and Sissi to go down to the Scanner Room, and they got into the left and right Scanners, respectively. "Transfer Ulrich, Transfer Sissi. Scanner Ulrich, Scanner Sissi. Virtualization." The two landed near the others. "I'll be…" Odd saw the middle Scanner operate. When the door opened, there was another Dark Hornet. "...there after I take out this Hornet." Odd picked up the Ghost Buster again.
"Odd, I don't think you can use it this soon. It needs to recharge." Aelita warned from her window.
"Oh, well, uh-oh." Odd watched through the security camera, and saw another Dark Hornet come out of the Scanner. "I'm going to run now." Odd ran to the elevator and got on as more Dark Hornets appeared from the middle Scanner.
-( ( • ) ) -
The group on Lyoko got on their vehicles and headed for the activated Tower. Ulrich and Sissi were on the Overbike, Yumi and William on the Overwing, and Alex and Aelita on the Overboard.
"Let's see what I can do against the Dark Angel or Scorpion." Ulrich laughed.
"Even with your upgrades you better be careful." Yumi looked over at Ulrich sorrowfully. She couldn't look away. Even with her being mad at him about Sissi, she still had feelings for him.
"I can handle it." Ulrich ignored Yumi's lonely look.
-( ( • ) ) -
Odd was trying to leave the Factory when the Dark Hornets cut him off. "Okay, nice bugs." Odd backed away as two waited near the entrance. Another swooped down from the ceiling. "I need a really big fly swatter." Odd turned and ran. The only place to go was the other path to the Control Room.
-( ( • ) ) -
The Lyoko Warriors came into the Tower's cavity. "Aelita, stay back." Ulrich pulled his sabers out as the Scorpion formed.
"I can fight." Aelita looked around and saw two dark blue Krabs with large, padded front legs and yellow eyes, with a black Eye of Xana on the shell, waiting behind a stalagmite. "Look out!" She created an energy orb. "Energy Field!" The two Dark Krabs emerged from their hiding place and began to fire lasers. Three Insekts swooped down from the top of the cavern and started to fire as well.
"I know you can fight, but I want to see what I can do." Ulrich stood up on the Overbike, letting Sissi take the controls. "Super Sprint!" He ran right off of it and went for the Dark Krabs and Insekts.
"Go!" Yumi threw her fans at the Scorpion. It fired a laser and knocked one out of the air, but the second one slashed it across the shoulder.
"Can't touch this." Ulrich dodged the lasers fired by the Dark Krabs and Insekts, and slashed a Krab across the Eye. In a last-ditch effort, it lunged forward and tried to stab him with its large, padded claws. Ulrich barely dodged in time.
"Ulrich, watch out!" William saw the Dark Angel form behind another stalagmite. His warning came in time and Ulrich dodged the Dark Angel's slash.
-( ( • ) ) -
On Earth, Odd was running through the other path to the Control Room when he saw Jeremie. "Einstein! What happened?"
"Hornets." Jeremie had regained consciousness.
"But, didn't Ulrich and Sissi try to help you?"
"I didn't see them. Why would they have gone this way?"
"Well, Ulrich said they did. Maybe they didn't see you. Sissi was out of breath so Ulrich probably made her sprint all the way to the Control Room, and they probably ran right past you." Odd turned when he heard the Dark Hornets. "Stay down, Einstein. I'll distract them." Odd ran at the Dark Hornets as they came around a corner.
-( ( • ) ) -
On Lyoko, Ulrich was handling the Dark Angel as William and Yumi went after the Dark Krabs, Sissi went after the Insekts and and Aelita and Alex distracted the Scorpion. "Energy Field!" She threw and missed and had to dodge the tail when she flew too close on the Overboard. Yumi let out a war cry as she launched her fans at the Dark Krabes, but they leaned out of the way.
"Rosetta!" William swung his Zweihander and the energy blade radiated out. One Dark Krab lunged away with its large claws, but the other was unable to in time and was destroyed.
"Good job, William." Yumi threw a fan at the last Dark Krab, but missed.
"Haha!" Sissi had used the flight controls on the Overbike and grabbed onto an Insekt, taking it with her as she drove along, and it fired lasers wildly. Her hands glowed brightly and the Insekt was rapidly draining. "Not so tough now, are ya?"
"You can handle the last Krab, Aelita and Alex need help with the Scorpion." William jumped off of the Overwing and landed on the cavern floor below.
A laser from the Dark Hornets hit Odd, but he wouldn't stop running. The three Dark Hornets chased him back into the Control Room, and he hit the button for the elevator, but it was going to have to come down from the Factory floor. He screamed as the Dark Hornets let loose with lasers and acid.
"Odd, I have to save Odd." Aelita created an energy orb. She held it and concentrated, making it larger. "Energy Field!" She threw it at the Scorpion as it fired a laser. Her energy orb slammed into the laser and destroyed it, continuing and hitting the Scorpion.
"Rosetta!" William swung his Zweihander and the energy blade hit the Scorpion across the chest.
"Energy Field!" Aelita threw another energy orb and hit the Scorpion again. It roared, then exploded.
"Triangulate!" Ulrich ran around the Dark Angel and struck it from all sides, destroying it.
"Stay still!" Yumi threw her fans at the last Dark Krab, but missed again. "Maybe I should get upgraded." She caught her fans as Ulrich Super Sprinted over to the last Dark Krab and destroyed it effortlessly. Finally, Sissi's Insekt exploded, fully drained. The remaining Insekt fired exploding mines onto Yumi, devirtualizing her. This Insekt was apparently on a roll, as it managed to do the same to William.
"Super Sprint!" Ulrich leapt off of a rock formation and slashed the Insekt, destroying it.
"Alex, are you sure you're okay? You didn't even try to fight. Is everything okay?" Aelita gave him a look of concern as she got off of the Overboard near the Tower.
"I'm fine. At least, I will be, Aelita!" Alex turned to her, the Eye of Xana pulsing and flickering in his own eyes, and his last three words were distorted. Aelita backed away and ran for the Tower, but some kind of Dark Scyphozoa was there, waiting for her in front of the Tower. Its tentacles and 'bubble' were charcoal gray, its brain was a ghostly white, the purple on it was now black, the orange was now a crimson red, and the green parts were now a hazardous orange.
"No!" Aelita backed away and fired an Energy Field, hitting the bulbous transparent mass containing the Dark Scyphozoa's brain. The Dark Scyphozoa was unaffected as it continued floating toward her threateningly.
"It's over!" Alex sneered as the Scyphozoa swept Aelita up in its tentacles and put three to her head. Instead of orange and pink energy holding Aelita in place and flowing through the tentacles, black and gray energy sparked around. It didn't hold her as high in the air as it normally did, allowing Xana in Alex to circle around so he could see her shocked expression. He looked at Aelita as black energy flowed into her and he smiled cruelly, but quickly frowned with a growl when William soared through the air and cut the tentacles, and slashed through Alex on his way down.
"Forget it, Xana."
"Damn!" Alex devirtualized and Aelita ran into the Tower.
-( ( • ) ) -
When the elevator doors opened, Odd ran inside, ignoring his wounds. He pushed the button for the doors to close, but one Dark Hornet managed to fly in. "Close quarters. You don't have room to get away." Odd lunged at it and grabbed hold of it. He went to punch it in the Eye, but it sprayed acid into his face and he screamed, dropping the Hornet and falling to a fetal position, clawing at his face to get the acid off.
-( ( • ) ) -
Aelita floated up to the second platform, and placed her hand on the control panel. "Tower deactivated." The screens fell around her. "Odd? Jeremie?" No response came to calm her worry. "We need a return." She used the control panel to bring it up. "Return to the past now!" The white bubble came up reversing time.
-( ( • ) ) -
Aelita ran down the stairs to the boy's floor and knocked on the door to Jeremie's room. It swung open, and Aelita flung her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Yeah, just a few burns. The Return fixed them." Jeremie hugged Aelita back. "But, um, Odd said Ulrich took the other path to the Control Room."
"Yeah." Aelita nodded.
"I didn't see him."
"Well, um, if the Hornet was attacking you and stuff..."
"He would have helped me. I don't know, maybe something happened. We know the upgrades from Franz affected him."
"You mean going out with Sissi?" Jeremie nodded. "Well, I...maybe. But would Ulrich have changed that much?" There was a knock at the door, and before either could answer, Patrick opened it.
"Um, my homework is in here. Sorry for interrupting you."
"Um, I have to go anyway. Bye, Jeremie." Aelita walked out.
-( ( • ) ) -
Odd sat on his bed staring at a picture album. After his close call with the Dark Hornets, he wanted to have some happy memories to replace the horror he just experienced. He looked at the door when a knock filled his ears. "Come in."
"Hi, Odd." Aelita opened the door and looked at the photo album. The picture she first noticed was of the original five Lyoko Warriors. The second one was of her, Odd and Samatha at the skate park. The third was of Aelita playing at the concert, and the fourth was of her and Odd, smiling together. "Are you ok?"
"The return fixed everything." Odd stood up. "You did it, Princess." He smiled.
"I, um, we did it. I would have been doomed without the others. Xana got Alex when he used the middle Scanner. I should have made sure that you guys knew not to use it, and the Scyphozoa almost got me because of it. Who knows what Xana would have done with me."
"You would have figured something out, Princess. You wouldn't let Jeremie down."
"Yeah, Jeremie." Aelita looked away. "Um, I, if you're okay and everything, I'm going to, uh...go do homework."
"Wait." Odd reached for Aelita's wrist. "Princess, I just want to know."
"Um, what?"
"Were you worried more about me or Jeremie?"
"Um, I," Odd kissed Aelita ever so lightly.
"Don't worry, Princess, Aelita." Odd smiled at her.
"Odd, you can't keep doing that!" Aelita backed away from Odd and bit her lip as tears began to well up in her eyes. She turned and ran out of the room.
-( ( • ) ) -
Sissi saw Odd kiss Aelita and went to the stairwell. This was the second time she had seen the two kiss. "I'm friends with Jeremie too. I knew they weren't cousins but they've kissed twice and Aelita's supposed to be with Jeremie. I have to tell him." Sissi began to climb the stairs to the boys' dorm.