After hearing about Aelita and Odd from Sissi, Jeremie was ready to quit. He had screwed up his grades and class record. He had screwed up his cousin's life because he was too busy fighting Xana. He had messed up his health and wellbeing. And for what? To have the woman he loved cheat on him? Aelita had tried to tell Jeremie there was nothing with her and Odd. Odd had kissed her, not the other way around, and she told him to stop, and he didn't. But Jeremie wouldn't listen to her. She was angry at Sissi at first, but she came to realize that Sissi did nothing wrong and was trying to keep Jeremie from getting even more hurt when he found out on his own.
Ulrich and Yumi were fighting too. Ulrich and Sissi were now an open couple at Kadic Academy. Milly and Tamiya broke the news in their newspaper. Yumi had tried to ignore it, but every time she saw Ulrich, Sissi was with him, and every time she saw Sissi, Ulrich wasn't far behind. She wasn't as mad at Sissi as she was Ulrich. If she had been crushing on Ulrich the way Sissi had, and just now had the chance, she'd likely take it too, but she was still angry at both.
William and Alex were stuck in the middle. Alex had known them all only since December, and it was April now. He didn't like the fighting, but he simply didn't know enough about the group to really interfere. He had his friends, Skye Jensen and Mathieu Morrison, and they were close. They didn't have much drama since Jake left.
William was more prone to taking sides; he took Aelita's side while still being mad at Odd, since he never did like Odd much. He also obviously felt inclined to take Yumi's side because she went out with him on several dates. It was only as really good friends, but it was great for him to be alone with Yumi without Ulrich around, and that influenced his opinion. He had been wanting this for the longest time; it didn't occur to him that she and William were doing what Ulrich and Sissi were doing.
Xana was making plans. The group was all that stood between him and world domination. If he could destroy them from the inside, his path to victory would be without obstacle.
-( ( • ) ) -
After classes, Ulrich and Sissi went to the rec room. Little did they know, a certain jealous raven-haired Japanese girl had been going there too and noticed them.
"I can't believe him." Yumi clenched her hands into fists as she watched the two holding hands and walking along.
"Um, Yumi?" Yumi turned around to see William. "Are you okay?"
"Want to go do something?" Her smile was crooked and obviously forced.
"Um, we have homework and stuff, but if you want to go do something else, we can."
"Come on." Yumi stormed to the school gates, William in tow.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie worked in the Control Room, alone. Aelita had tried to help, but he refused to be alone with her.
"Translation." Jeremie tapped the Enter key, and a small rat soon appeared in the Control Room. "It works, finally." He saved the changes. "Now, we can finally hunt down and destroy the Super Computers made by Xana." Jeremie glanced at a small window depicting a grid with several red blips. "Ten found so far. Hopefully we won't find any more." He then turned to the column beside the window. "If we destroy that one, we'll be rid of the Scorpion." Jeremie steepled his fingers, wondering which one to destroy first.
-( ( • ) ) -
Aelita was alone at the Hermitage. Jeremie refused to be with her, and she couldn't be around Odd. "What can I do, Daddy?" She held the picture of Franz and her younger self. "I love him, but I...why can't you be here? Why wouldn't you come to Earth? You were able to bring Odd, Alex and Ulrich so why can't you come?" She wiped away a tear.
Jeremie's phone rang and he glanced at the Caller ID before answering. "What do you want, Patrick?"
"Could you help me with the science homework?"
"Could it wait?"
"Jeremie, you know I'm here because of you. You could at least help me with my homework."
"Fine. I'll be there soon." Jeremie put the phone back in his pocket.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jim and Mr. Delmas approached the Hermitage. "There it is." The principal pointed at the old building beyond some brush.
"It's been abandoned for years, Mr. Delmas." Jim walked to the front gate. "I looked up the records, and no one's bought this place."
"Poor place. It used to be impressive back in the day." They walked to the front door.
"What was that?" Aelita heard a noise downstairs. She got off of her old bed and approached her doorway, listening carefully.
"It looks like someone's been here recently." Mr. Delmas picked up a rag.
"Yeah, like someone tried to clean it up." Jim saw the countertop in the kitchen, taking note of the way dust wasn't collected on it.
"What are they doing here?" Aelita slowly and quietly closed the bedroom door and looked for a place to hide.
-( ( • ) ) -
Xana activated a Tower in the Forest Sector.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie was running through the woods near Kadic Academy when he heard beeping in his backpack. He pulled his laptop out and looked at the Super Scan. "Forest." He pulled his cell phone out and called Ulrich. "Xana's attacking."
"I'll be there." Ulrich went to hang up.
"Bring Sissi." Jeremie began to turn around and go back to the Factory.
"Um, Sissi, that was Jeremie. I think you already know what's up."
"Jeremie?" Patrick came up to Ulrich and Sissi. "Where did he go? He was going to help me with homework but never showed up."
"Um, I can't tell you."
"Then don't tell me. I'll follow you."
"No, it doesn't concern you." Sissi complained.
"Fine." Patrick slinked away.
"We'll be there." Yumi hung up. "William, Xana's attacking."
"Great. Pay thirty Euros for a movie and don't even get to watch it." William and Yumi left the theater at the south end of the mall.
-( ( • ) ) -
"Alright." Alex shoved his phone in his pocket. "Guys, listen, I need to go take care of something."
"Aw, what?" Skye yanked his arm closer, her arms linked with Alex and Mathieu both. She wasn't being flirty of course, just friendly. The Korean girl wore a white spaghetti strap top, purple jeans and bright red shoes.
"Mmm, um, I have to go help Odd get down from a tree. He was climbing and got stuck and he won't come down. Like a cat." Alex smiled awkwardly.
"Oh. Odd's there? Well, I was going to ask if I can come along, but I really don't like him." snarked Mathieu as Skye released her vice-grip on Alex and she strutted into the nearest clothing store she deemed 'cute' with Mathieu in tow.
-( ( • ) ) -
A black mist emerged from an outlet and attacked Jim. "Look at this." Mr. Delmas held up a picture. "It's Franz and who I suppose is his wife." Mr. Delmas went to show Jim when the gym teacher held out his hand and electrocuted the stout principal.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie was going through his contact list when he stopped on Aelita. He almost called her, but stopped. "Forget it." He scrolled back up from 'Schaeffer' to 'Ishiyama' and hit the button to call her. "Yumi, call Aelita, alright?"
"Sure." Yumi hung up.
-( ( • ) ) -
Aelita was hiding in her closet when her phone rang. "No, turn off." She rejected the call and turned the device off.
Xana in Jim had heard the cell phone ring and began to climb the stairs.
-( ( • ) ) -
"She's not answering." Yumi looked to William.
"Um, I heard she was going to the Hermitage."
"When?"
"During lunch. Something about finding something." William shrugged his shoulders.
"We need to get her."
"I don't know where the Hermitage is, exactly."
"Then I'll go." Yumi and William ran in different directions.
-( ( • ) ) -
Aelita heard something smash in the hallway. She hugged her knees, hearing the bedroom door crash open. I should have opened the window so he'd think I jumped out, or just actually jumped out.
-( ( • ) ) -
Odd saw Ulrich and Sissi running into the woods. "What's up, guys?"
"Xana's attacking."
"No one called me."
"Well, I guess Jeremie didn't want to call you." Sissi said matter-of-factly.
"I can't believe him!"
"We can't believe you either." Ulrich turned and continued running toward the sewer entrance in the woods, and Sissi shrugged and followed.
-( ( • ) ) -
Yumi got to the Hermitage and burst in the front door. A scream floated down the stairs.
"Aelita!" Yumi shot upstairs.
"Help!" Aelita had screamed when Jim broke her closet door open, and crawled between his legs. She shoved the window open and leapt out, but Jim grabbed her ankle, letting her dangle at Xana's mercy.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie was dashing through the sewers when he felt and heard a rumble. Soon, there was a loud crashing noise, and when he went around the corner, he saw the sewer passage had caved in.
-( ( • ) ) -
Yumi tore into Aelita's bedroom. "Xana, you leave Aelita alone!" She hit Jim with a flying kick. The possessed teacher nearly fell out the window, dropping Aelita. The pinkette screeched and barely managed to grab the edge of the roof. "Aelita!" Yumi kicked Jim again, with all her force, and he fell through the window this time. He slid down the roof and hit Aelita, knocking her loose.
"Yumi!" Aelita cried as she fell to the ground below.
"No!" Yumi ran out of the room.
-( ( • ) ) -
Odd and Ulrich climbed down into the sewers and took off for the Factory.
-( ( • ) ) -
Yumi dashed out of the Hermitage and to Aelita. "Aelita, are you okay?"
"I think so." She was a few feet away from Jim, who she glanced with concern at. "He broke my fall. He's heavier and had more momentum so he fell faster, and I ended up falling on him and bouncing off."
"Let me help you up." Yumi extended her hand, and Aelita took it. Yumi pulled and Aelita was soon on her feet.
"Thanks." Aelita smiled.
"We need to get going." The two rounded the corner and opened the door to the Hermitage's sewer entrance.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie was trying to find a way around the collapsed section of sewer. Ulrich, Sissi and Odd sprinted up to him, the principal's daughter panting. "We can't go that way." Jeremie sighed, dashing their hope.
"Why?" Odd skidded to a halt, while Ulrich and Sissi stopped in a less dramatic way.
"Xana destroyed it." Jeremie said the words as if they were as obvious as the sky was blue.
"Einstein, come on. You need to stop acting like this." Jeremie ignored Odd, running past him for a new route. Ulrich and Sissi followed, and Odd slowly came after.
-( ( • ) ) -
Yumi and Aelita were running along the sewers when the others intersected their path.
"What are you guys doing?" Aelita blinked.
"You're going the wrong way." Yumi pointed to the route they would normally take.
"Xana collapsed the sewer back there and we're trying to go around." Ulrich replied, getting no response from Yumi.
"We better be careful. Xana possessed Jim. He's out cold right now, but who knows how long that will last." Aelita warned. They all turned and ran in the direction that the boys plus Sissi were already running.
-( ( • ) ) -
William made it to the Factory by the streets and took the Elevator down. When the doors opened, he saw Alex leaning against the wall. He pushed off and walked to William.
"The others aren't with you?" Alex raised his eyebrows.
"Aelita and Yumi were at the Hermitage. I don't know about the rest." William exited the Elevator and sat against the wall.
-( ( • ) ) -
A rumbling resounded through the sewers.
"He's doing it again!" Jeremie stopped, and the sewers began to collapse.
"Run!" Sissi wailed.
"Watch out!" Yumi saw dirt and who knows what else sprinkling from the ceiling behind them as well. She rammed Aelita away with her shoulder as the sewers separated the group from the pinkette.
"No, are you okay?!" Aelita screamed at the wall of debris and rubble.
"We're trapped but not hurt." Ulrich kicked at the barrier. "I don't think we're getting through."
"Yumi, where're William and Alex?" Sissi turned to the Japanese girl.
"William went to the Factory from the mall. I have no idea where Alex is, probably with his friends, also at the mall."
"So they should be there."
"Hope so, or you'll be alone." Odd kicked at another wall of collapsed sewer. "We have faith in you, Aelita." Odd kicked it again.
"Thank you." Aelita ran off, looking for the nearest exit. She couldn't risk being trapped in the sewers, or the Tower wouldn't get deactivated.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jim came to and sparked with energy, floating to his feet. He ran at superhuman speed to the sewer entrance at the Hermitage and zoomed off to the Factory.
-( ( • ) ) -
Aelita climbed out of a manhole in an alley, looked at the street name, and ran for the Factory.
-( ( • ) ) -
Sitting in the collapsed section of the sewers, the five stared daggers at one another. Jeremie wanted Odd hurt. Yumi wanted Ulrich and Sissi hurt.
"Stop staring at me." Ulrich growled.
"Like I'd stare at you." Yumi quipped with a roll of her eyes.
"Hey you two, why can't you kiss and make up?" Odd tried to make a joke, but it set both Jeremie and Sissi off.
"Like you and Aelita?!" exclaimed Jeremie.
"You want my boyfriend to kiss another girl?! What a stinky idea!" proclaimed Sissi.
"Hey, it was me kissing her, not the other way around. You should stop being mad at her. And Sissi, I didn't say it was a good idea."
"You shouldn't have kissed her at all, you jerk!" Jeremie got up and threateningly neared Odd, who also stood up and stormed toward Jeremie.
"If you had been at the concert, she would have been so happy, I wouldn't have needed to comfort her." Odd hollered.
"That stupid concert was a waste of time! I was reading what Franz sent and found out Aelita's mother's location and how we can save her!" Jeremie yelled back. "Are you saying Aelita'd rather do a concert with a dead mother than not do one concert out of plenty and have her mother alive?"
"You could have read it the next day. Aelita's music is important to her and it makes her happy. You make her happy sometimes, but you keep messing up. It's not my fault I'm there to make her feel better." Jeremie swung at Odd who dodged the punch easily.
"She released Xana! I wouldn't be messing up at school or with her if she hadn't released him!" Jeremie swung at Odd again, who dodged again. "And I wouldn't care so much if you comforted her if you didn't do it by sucking on her face!" Jeremie picked a rock up and threw it, and hit Odd in the shoulder.
-( ( • ) ) -
Aelita made it to the Factory and took the elevator down. "William, Alex, we're the only ones who made it."
"But, this is bad." William looked at the screen.
"Neither of us know what that means." Alex explained. "I could probably guess with my upgrades if I knew what number designated what Sector, aside from numbers four and five. Those are Sector 5 and the Lagoon Sector, right? And I don't get what the Tower Code or coordinates correspond to. Like how do I know which Tower would be 5?"
"Right. That's two, so it's the Forest Sector. Zero is Ice, three is Mountain, and one is Desert. There'll be a decimal if there's a Replika, but the numbers are the same, they'll just be point one, point two, you get the idea. That number there designates what Tower, there's ten Towers per Sector so it goes from zero to nine. Those three numbers are the X, Y and Z coordinates. If you watch the Holomap onscreen, it'll have the X, Y and Z coordinates in the bottom right of the window. And Xana puts up barriers around the Tower to keep us from virtualizing directly next to it, so you'll need to calculate that from the numbers in the bottom right of the Super Scan, next to the Tower." Aelita explained.
"Good to know, I guess." William blinked.
"Got it." Alex nodded.
"Right. So, I'll send the vehicles first then us." Aelita typed on the control panel and sent the vehicles. "Get on the elevator." William and Alex stepped on, and soon Aelita followed after bringing up their ID Cards in small windows and a delayed transfer countdown.
-( ( • ) ) -
Odd had Jeremie pinned to the ground. "Jeremie, you idiot!" Odd struggled to keep him down as he thrashed. "She loves you still, as to why, I don't know, with the way you mess up with her."
"Shut up, Odd!" Jeremie swung a leg up and managed to get Odd off. "She's my girlfriend and you keep trying to take her from me."
"And I failed, didn't I? You're right, when you hurt her I was there to make her feel better. But you know what? She still goes back to you because she still loves you. I asked her after an attack who she was worried more about getting hurt, and she said you." Odd backed away from Jeremie.
"I, stay away from her. Stop kissing her like that. Sissi told me about how she told you to stop and you didn't. You know that can get you arrested?" Jeremie threatened.
"Whoa, hey, hold on, I'm trying to remain neutral here." Sissi held her hands up defensively. Fortunately for her, she went ignored.
"Then treat her better. I wouldn't have to hug her and kiss her if you didn't hurt her like you have."
"I'm sorry if having a super powerful being trying to kill me keeps me from taking her on dates. And that still doesn't give you an excuse to go kiss her. You shouldn't kiss every girl who gets sad just because you're a player like that." The sarcasm and resentment dripped from Jeremie's mouth.
"At least it makes sense." Yumi interrupted the two's argument.
"What makes sense?" Jeremie turned to her.
"Aelita going for Odd and you." Yumi glanced at Ulrich.
"And what? Sissi and me don't make sense?" Ulrich blurted.
"Why not?" Sissi wore a look of legitimate concern. She'd really changed since making good, healthy friendships.
"She likes me as more than just really good friends. We have fun and by getting together we learned we have a lot of things in common, but enough differences to keep us from going insane." Ulrich defended.
"But, you, I was just..." Yumi was stuck. She knew that from the way Ulrich put it, she had no reason to be jealous, but he had to know how she really felt, didn't he? Then again, she knew better than to try to split Ulrich and Sissi up out of jealousy.
"Man, she was trying to get you to confess your feelings." Ulrich and Sissi turned and stared daggers at Odd. "But you're almost as bad as Einstein when it comes to girls." Odd then smiled at Yumi. "But you're not innocent either."
"Shut up, Odd." All of the trapped Warriors, minus Odd, growled simultaneously.
-( ( • ) ) -
Aelita, Alex and William were on Lyoko, headed for the activated Tower. "Aelita, I don't want you to get hurt but we're really going to need help." William called from the Overwing.
"I know. Xana might win this time." Aelita worried on the Overboard.
"Just stay back. Your Rosetta attack is hard to dodge and you have your Super Smoke." Alex suggested from the Overbike. "My Electrokinesis, Lightspeed and pistols should give us enough ranged coverage."
"Good idea." William prepared his Rosetta as Alex's hands began to spark and Aelita created an Energy Field.
The trapped five were yelling at each other. "What makes you think you're all that, Odd?!" Ulrich pushed Odd.
"What makes you think I'm not?" Odd's goofy smile was knocked off when Ulrich tried to kick it off.
"You're nothing without those upgrades." Jeremie clenched his hands into fists, but didn't try to hit Odd again. He was too slow to hit him.
"Aelita liked me before the upgrades, if you remember, Einstein. But she still went to you even after you said you wished she was dead."
"And she did not like you that way before the upgrades, you just liked her. You kept flirting with her and now with your upgrades, she literally can't resist because of that stupid charm Franz gave all three of you! And when I said that, I didn't say I wished she was dead. I said I wished I never found the Super Computer. I, it, I was upset and frustrated. "
"And she was upset too." Odd backed into the wall. "But that doesn't mean I'm innocent right? I shouldn't have tried anything with her, but man Einstein when she was crying, helpless, I would have done anything for her." Odd sighed. "You know that feeling don't you?"
"I, shut up, Odd." Jeremie growled, ready to swing now that Odd was cornered.
"Stop it!" Yumi yelled at Ulrich, who was just as ready to hit Odd.
"You're an idiot! And you're an idiot! You're all idiots!" Sissi let out a frustrated scream.
-( ( • ) ) -
Aelita, Alex and William got to the activated Tower.
"He must be using another Super Computer." Aelita sighed. In front of the activated Tower was a swarm of new monsters. They resembled white orbs with a small stinger in front of a skinny stalk. The Eye of Xana was imprinted on the white orbs.
"At least I can knock them out fast." William aimed his Zweihander. The three creatures saw the three and began to attack. They bent backwards and their heads glowed bright orange, then they flicked their bodies forward and sent the orb flying.
"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb but missed when they scattered.
"They're fast." Alex tried to shoot a few, but only hit one.
"Rosetta!" William swung the Zweihander, and the crescent of energy destroyed a few of the monsters, but most of them scattered away.
"Energy Field!" Aelita aimed for a cluster of them and fired, destroying a few. "If we do that a few more times, we'll make it."
"Just two more times and I'll be down to ten Life Points." William charged up again.
"We should call them Mites. They're annoying like insects, but fun to hunt and kill." Alex cackled as managed to destroy a few as they fled, firing energy balls all the way.
"Aim to the left of the second clump of Mites." Aelita ordered William as she charged an energy orb. "Energy Field!" She launched it a bit right of the group, and it jumped left, where it was decimated by a Rosetta.
"Good job. Just a few more to go." William charged his Zweihander up again when two of the Mites flung themselves at him and exploded. "Gah! What are these, suicide bombers?"
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie and the others remained silent. After the blow up of emotions they were worn out and went back to glaring at each other, but Xana wasn't going to leave them alone.
Jim shifted through the wall of rubble with Xana's powers. "Whoa, Jim." Ulrich got up and took a shuto uke stance.
"Let's see what we can do." Odd held his fists in front of his face.
"Take this!" Yumi tried to give Jim a flying kick like she had earlier, but he battered her away with a wave of his hand.
"Go away!" Sissi shrieked and kicked at Jim under the chin, but she too was flung away like a rag doll.
"Yumi, Sissi, you're weak. Stay back." Ulrich lunged Jim and got a punch in, and ducked under a punch from Jim. Odd ran and slid on the ground, swinging his leg up and getting Jim in the knee. Ulrich kicked Jim in the chest, hard, knocking him over. Odd got up and jumped on Jim, and Ulrich followed. Sissi kicked at his side but jumped away with a shriek when Jim swung a meaty arm at her.
"Odd, get his legs. Ulrich, get his arms." Yumi ordered.
"Got it." Odd barked. He hugged Jim's legs as Ulrich pinned his arms. Sissi and Yumi, of their own free volition, sat on Jim's stomach.
-( ( • ) ) -
On Lyoko, the three were in trouble. William's energy blade had missed and now he didn't have enough Life Points to use another, and Alex was out of bullets and had nobody at the control panel to reload him. He also had used all of his Skill Points on Electrokinesis, which, like if Odd had used his Shield too much or Ulrich had Triplicated, kept him from using it again for a while.
"Aelita, if I kamikaze, you might be able to get into the Tower." William theorized.
"Kamikaze? Are you sure Yumi would like you using that word?" Aelita raised an eyebrow.
"Why not just wait for my Electrokinesis to recharge so I could knock a few out, and then Aelita could run for it?" Alex reasoned.
"Could you make it or not?" William snapped.
"I might." Aelita shrugged.
"Then here goes." William accelerated the Overwing and charged at the Mites. They fired their energy orbs, and William blocked them with his Zweihander. When he got closer, a few of the Mites flung themselves at him and knocked him off of the vehicle. They all self-destructed, and he devirtualized.
"Now!" Aelita sprung off of the Overboard. It crashed into the group of the Mites as she passed her hand over her watch. Her wings appeared and she flew to the activated Tower. "No!" An energy orb impacted her back and she fell short. She looked back and saw that a few of the Mites had managed jump away, and weren't destroyed. "Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb and missed.
"I've had enough of you!" Alex held his pistols awkwardly in one hand and ran at the Mites. Electricity crackled between them and a magnetic pull connected them. From the barrel, a brilliant viridian cord of pure plasma sprung forth, ending in a shining tip that looked as though it'd be spiked were it solid. Alex gasped in awe and quickly swung this new whip at the Mites, spinning and twirling it to get them all.
"Thanks, Alex." Aelita, relieved, smiled at him, then turned and ran into the activated Tower.
-( ( • ) ) -
Odd, Yumi, Sissi and Ulrich all screamed as electricity pulsed through Jim and into them. He got up and pointed his arm at Odd, his palm sparking with blue electricity.
"Stop!" Jeremie tackled Jim, who effortlessly threw him off and turned the electricity on him.
-( ( • ) ) -
"Tower deactivated." The screens fell around Aelita. "The sewers! We need a return." She used the control panel to launch a Return to the Past.
-( ( • ) ) -
Jeremie knocked on the door to Aelita's dorm. "Aelita?"
"Jeremie?" Aelita opened the door and was immediately hugged.
"I'm sorry, Aelita." Jeremie pulled away. "I'm sorry I've been acting like I have, but I have to work. I have to beat Xana. I have to find a way to save Franz."
"No you don't, Jeremie." Aelita hugged him back. "We have to work. We have to beat Xana. We have to save my father."
"And mother." Jeremie smiled. "I worked on the Translation program. We can start hunting down the Super Computers. And maybe with some calculations, find a way to send you and the others to the place Franz says your mother is."
"Really? But, how, how would we get her out?"
"I haven't worked that out yet. Let's just take things one at a time."
"One at a time." Aelita kissed Jeremie with a blush.
A/N: Odd got Laser Claws, Ulrich got Crescents and now Alex has that Plasma Whip! The drama seems to be over... but who's that Jake from the start of the chapter?