p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emstrongA/N: /strongTo Naruto Sakura Uzumaki: know right! I really wish more people would review, I can see that a lot are reading but you're the only one who talks :( I would stronglove /strongto hear ideas, you totally could PM them to me if you want. That goes for anyone really. I love feedback!br /ememRead and enjoy, everyone :)/em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd was having a problem with the clone. The clone itself wasn't bad, but Sissi.../p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sissi, I know you're upset, but that's not the real Ulrich." Odd insisted, trying to close the door, but Sissi jammed her foot between the door and door jam./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I want to see him." Sissi tried to push the door open, but Odd was too strong for her. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I know he's not real, but his scent, his touch, his voice..."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm doing this for your own good." Odd gave one last push and managed to get the door closed long enough to lock it. "You need to go to your room and calm down."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm not going anywhere." Odd could tell Sissi was on the verge of tears; her voice was shaky and she was obviously upset. He stood in the far corner and called Jeremie./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Jeremie, call Sissi and break up with her." Odd whispered, trying not to alert Sissi./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What? Speak up." Odd hung up and up and began to type on the keypad of his phone./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"A few minutes later, Sissi's phone rang out. "Hello?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hello, Sissi." Ulrich's voice came through the phone. "I don't want to see you any more and you need to calm down. I'm just a clone, I can't like you the way you like me." Jeremie crossed his fingers, hoping he sounded convincing with the Super Computer's voice filters./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But, Ulrich, why won't Odd let you talk to me?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I am talking to you. I'm seeing Yumi now to keep up the act. Don't be hurt, maybe the real Ulrich, without Xana, still likes you." Jeremie hung up before Sissi could respond./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The next day, Yumi and the Ulrich clone were holding hands and walking across the campus to the science building. "Come on! I'm tired of dragging you." Yumi slowed down a little as the clone dug its feet into the dirt. "Come on!" She yanked on its hand./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Sissi was missing from lunch. She couldn't stand seeing Yumi and Ulrich together. Odd ate only one course, for once in his life, and left the cafeteria to find her. "Sissi?" She was walking into the woods./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Leave me alone!" Sissi walked faster, but Odd jogged after her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sissi, I'm sorry for what happened." He took her wrist in his hand. She tried to pull away, but Odd was too strong./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Leave me alone, Odd."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No." Odd kept his ground, forcing her to stay. "I thought you were over this. You ate breakfast with us and were talking and being all happy. What happened?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Sissi held up her shirt, revealing a bruise. "Ulrich hit me before he betrayed us." Tears began to stream down her face. "You say it was Xana, but what if it wasn't? Ulrich said he was doing this on his own. What if it was really him who abused me?" Her eyes shone dimly as she looked vaguely into the distance./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What he did to you was wrong. Heck, even I'm mad at him. But I know Ulrich. He wouldn't do that. It was Xana. We'll make him pay, and we will win this war." Odd smiled at Sissi. "A pretty girl like you deserves better."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I...Odd, stop." Sissi pulled her hand away. "I just want to be alone."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You don't have to be. You have friends."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Sissi sighed. "I just need to be alone, okay? Maybe later."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Okay, later." Odd smiled as charmingly as he could before walking away. "Hopefully that will do it."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The next couple of days, Milly and Tamiya were after Yumi and Ulrich. On one particularly rainy day, Milly finally caught up to the two, Tamiya in tow with her camera at the ready. She held her microphone out like a jousting lance as she charged right up to the Ulrich clone. "What happened? What made you decide to break up with Sissi? Yumi, why did you steal Ulrich away from Sissi?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Leave us alone!" Yumi pushed past Milly, dragging the clone behind her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""That sure was rude." The two turned around to see Alex leaning against a tree, avoiding most of the rain./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I agree! We were just asking some questions for the Kadic Newspaper. They could have answered a couple of them." Milly pouted./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Alex shook his head. "I meant you two." The young reporters looked away, crestfallen. "Leave them alone. You're freshmen in high school, now. You're old enough to see that it's time to stop focusing on one group of people just because they're the only group that's friends with you outside of your newspaper. Odd and Aelita, Jeremie and Patrick, Yumi and Ulrich, they all have other things to do than give you guys stories all the time./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I heard Emily LeDuc made seven three-point shots at the last girls' basketball game. Laura Gauthier won first place at the France Math Marathon and she's moving onto a competition for all of Europe. She might even go worldwide." Alex continued. "Just because other students don't hang out with you, that doesn't mean they don't do interesting things. Aren't there bigger stories at Kadic Academy than just our social group's lives?" Alex continued./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Like what? Nobody cares about a dumb basketball game or math competition. Sissi is the principal's daughter, so she's always big news. Her losing Ulrich to Yumi is a super scoop!" Tamiya chirped./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""If you insist on covering this one story, then fine. It's your paper. But who did she leave Ulrich for?" Alex raised a playful eyebrow as the corners of his lips curled slightly upward in his signature Mona Lisa-like half-smile./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Wait, she left Ulrich?" Milly's jaw dropped. "But...who?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Just think about it." Alex pushed off of the tree and disappeared into the woods, leaving the two young reporters standing in the rain, discussing who might Sissi prefer over her Ulrich dear./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""He's stupid." Tamiya decided./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yeah. Math Marathon, ha! Does anybody really give two craps about dumb old Laura Gauthier anymore?" Milly laughed as she and Tamiya walked back to the dorm rooms./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The next day, Odd saw Sissi going into the woods again. "Sissi!" She turned and smiled fakely./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Um, hi, Odd." She twirled her hair around her finger./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What's up?" He jogged up to her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I heard about you and Aelita before I joined the group." Sissi blurted, putting a look of confusion on Odd's face./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What do you mean?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I heard you tell Sam, you know, black skater Sam, that you and her aren't really cousins. Before you guys told me."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Wait, what?" Odd wasn't expecting this, and it threw him off his pace. "What are you getting at, Sissi?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I accidentally told my dad, because it was bothering me and he could tell something was wrong. My father looked into it and confirmed it." She bit her lip, and the two were both visibly worried from the way their faces lacked a drop of color. "He knows she's living a secret life."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Why are you telling me this? It doesn't matter if he hasn't done anything in the last few months, right?" Odd smiled painfully./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""My dad wanted me to spy on you and Aelita. But you're my friends, aren't you?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd nodded, a bit of color coming back to his skin. "I told you that the other day when you ran off alone. You don't have to be alone. You have friends. That's why you're in the club." A bead of sweat ran down the side of his head. "But, um, as for me and Aelita, uh, how and why was your father able to confirm we aren't cousins?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""He said something about Franz Hopper being her grandfather and sending her here to find something he left behind." Sissi explained./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd bit his lip and focused to keep himself from laughing and from having a heart attack at the same time. He had to figure out what Mr. Delmas thought was going on. "So uh, they know about Franz Hopper? How about we take a walk and talk? Maybe we can come up with a plan to get your dad off our trails."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"As Aelita and Jeremie worked on the Super Computer, Patrick was following a GPS tracker. "Where the heck did he go?" Patrick stood on the streets of Boulogne-Billancourt outside of a boutique, lost. "East? No, west, south?" He turned and continued trying to follow the tracker./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Xana activated a Tower in an unfamiliar Sector, formed shortly after the Twilight Sector. A black mist escaped the Super Computer Room and entered the wires, going through the city's electrical system to find Patrick./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"When the Super Scan beeped, Jeremie and Aelita closed the windows and wordlessly pulled their phones out to notify the team./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd heard his cell phone ring, but ignored it. "And they think Franz sent her here to find whatever it is he supposedly left behind?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Well, didn't he?" Sissi's phone rang next, but she too ignored it./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No, she was trapped in the Super Computer, remember? But, um, some of that is right. Don't tell anyone else, okay? I know you already know not to, but I'm making sure. Tell your dad that her grandfather met my family when he and his daughter were fleeing from the Russians, years ago..."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi answered her phone. "Xana's attacking? We'll be there." Yumi hung up and turned to her companion in the library. "William, Xana's attacking." She rubbed her temples./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Are you sure you're going to be okay?" William gently squeezed her arm./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""If emhe's/em there, then we'll have to fight him."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll be there for you, Yumi."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Alex answered his next. "Uh-huh? Right. Okay, see you soon." He turned off the phone, put on his jacket and left the weights he was using on the bench, all within a few seconds./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd and Sissi soon came to the Hermitage. "They said this old dump was Franz's old house. They wanted me to look through it sometime."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Don't bother, this is the Hermitage. Remember, I told you we stripped the place down looking for clues about Franz." Odd's phone rang again. "One second, Sissi." He answered the call. "Hello?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Xana's attacking, finish what you're doing, call Sissi and hurry to the Factory." Aelita immediately ended the call./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sissi, I'm sorry, it's an attack. That was Aelita letting us know."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Not your cousin. It explains all the kissing between you two." Sissi smiled vaguely./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I, her, not any more. The Princess and Einstein have something I couldn't break apart." Odd smiled back. "So, there is a place for someone else in my life. Anyway...let's go." Odd led her to the sewer entrance at the Hermitage./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Xanafied Patrick arrived at the Factory and waited for any Lyoko Warriors to come./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi and William were the first to arrive and see Patrick. "Xana's possessed someone." Yumi took William's wrist, relieved./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""At least he didn't send Ulrich. Alex and Odd were lucky to survive those bullet wounds long enough to launch a Return." William walked toward Patrick threateningly. "Xana, come on."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""My old host. If I had done to you what I've done to Ulrich Stern, I would rule the world by now." Patrick's distorted voice promised./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yeah, but they saved me and beat you, and we'll do it again." William held his fists up./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""William, don't get hurt." Yumi darted into the Factory as the two prepared to fight./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd hurried to the Factory through the sewers. Sissi had lost track of him, but he knew she could find her way to the Factory. He needed to get there as fast as he could to help Aelita, and Sissi could help when she arrived./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Jeremie saw Yumi in the Scanner Room on the security camera. "Yumi! Where's William?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Fighting Patrick."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh, well, I already sent Aelita. Get in a Scanner." Yumi stepped into the left Scanner. "Transfer Yumi, Scanner Yumi, and virtualization." Yumi landed in the newest Sector next to Aelita./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hello, Yumi."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Aelita, is this another one of Xana's new Sectors?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yes." Aelita made a vague gesture to bring Yumi's attention to the various floating rock platforms with virtual dirt on the bottom. The sky was blue and serene, as was the Digital Sea below. Green grass and small clumps of vegetation decorated the landscape, and various marble structures were scattered about. Trees grew in some places, their roots hanging out of the bottom of the dirt on the underbelly of each platform. Yumi could see some kind of digital temple off in the distance on one of the larger platforms with a large green orb pulsing at the top. She could see a waterfall by another platform with a small pond by it. Thin green wires, no thicker than a hair, hung from the platforms, some dangling over the Digital Sea, some connecting the floating chunks of earth. They seemed to all go back to the temple./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I like this Sector." Yumi smiled. "So, are we the only ones?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Odd and Alex should be coming."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh. If Patrick beats William, they might have to fight him."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Patrick? Well, at least Xana didn't send-"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi stopped Aelita. "I know. At least he didn't send Ulrich." She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Jeremie, are you sending the vehicles? It'd be hard to get from platform to platform without them."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""On it. Hope these two work for you." The Overbike and Overwing formed by a crumbled marble pillar./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Patrick slammed William to the ground. "Ulrich is my ultimate soldier. They will never make it past him." Patrick stood on William's chest, pinning him to the ground./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Get off of!" A combat boot roundhouse kicked Patrick in the temple, causing him to stagger and fall. William grabbed his leg and pulled as Alex regained his balance from the sloppy technique. "I need to find a dojo in this city...I've been getting out of practice since that fight with Ulrich." he breathed. Odd pushed the sewer cover open and saw the situation./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Go! You're better on Lyoko!" William commanded as he pounced on Patrick and started to grapple with him./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Jeremie heard the elevator running and soon saw Odd and Alex getting off and into the Scanner Room. "Scanner Odd, Scanner Alex. Transfer Odd, Transfer Alex. Virtualization." They landed in the new Ruins Sector./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Whoa." Alex looked around. "Weird."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I like it." Odd smiled./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You're pretty close to the ladies, they're just two platforms to the north. You aren't far from the Tower, either."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Got it." Odd leapt onto the Overboard and Alex climbed onto the Overcycle, and the two flew onto the next platform and across it./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Patrick threw William off of him and stood. "They are going to see how useless it is to resist."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""They won't give up." William wiped blood from his chin./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It doesn't matter. My true attack is already going through as planned. Soon it will be mine and I will be one step closer to controlling this planet."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What will be yours?" William backed away./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You will find out when you are a slave." Patrick lunged at William once more./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The Lyoko Warriors finally came to the Tower and its guardian knight./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ulrich." Yumi held her chest where her heart would be beating if she were on Earth. "Aelita, you have to stay back." She looked Ulrich over. He wore black now, but the lining and accentuation was still the same yellow-orange, a color scheme like his doppelganger's from long ago. The Eye of Xana replaced the sun tattoo emblazoned on his chest. His hair was darker, his skin paler, and his brown eyes were tainted with hints of red. He drew both of his sabers, and they were longer, wider, and had black veins moving from the handles up into the blood-red blades./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We'll take care of him." Odd sped up on the Overboard and glanced at Yumi to see her reaction to to seeing Ulrich. "Yumi, I'll handle him. Keep the Princess safe."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Thank you." Yumi turned the Overbike to come next to Aelita./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll annihilate this traitor." Alex growled, green energy crackling up his arms, body and neck, surrounding his eyes like electric green flames. He turned toward Ulrich and disengaged the helmet and leg locks with the press of a button. The Overcycle's inertia kept it going even though green energy no longer pulsed through it./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Alex, no, you're insane!" Aelita warned as he connected his pistols./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Die!" He stood up and jumped off, bringing the Plasma Whip down at Ulrich. Green electricity crackled around him and a similar green trail followed him as he used both Lightspeed and Electrokinesis to protect himself./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Not today." Just as Alex swung downward, Ulrich slashed his red blades, sending two equally red crescents of energy out. The crescents overtook the whip and continued forward, slicing through Alex's protective electric field and reducing him to a blue wireframe as the whip barely grazed Ulrich's face./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Damn it." Alex pounded a fist against the Scanner wall as soon as he returned to Earth./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""One down, three to go." Ulrich taunted Odd./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey, Ulrich. Nice duds." Odd sprung off of the Overboard and landed near him. "But I don't think those colors suit you."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shut up, Odd." Ulrich swung his swords in a warning gesture. "I'll destroy all of you as Xana gets one step closer to taking over the world."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey, that's a good plan, but you forgot to let me know first. I'm going to have to go with my plan and beat you." Odd aimed a paw at Ulrich. "Laser Arrow!" He fired several, but Ulrich blocked them all./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Odd, you are too slow and too weak." Ulrich crouched. "Super Sprint!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shield!" Odd was just fast enough to block Ulrich's advance. "Laser Claws! Laser Arrow!" Ulrich couldn't block the first two claw swipes, but he sprung away in time to avoid the Laser Arrows. "Not so big and tough now, are you?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I don't need to be big to be powerful." Ulrich looked up to see Yumi with Aelita above the fight. "Hello, Yumi." He crouched, ready to attack./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yumi, watch out!" Odd tried to hit Ulrich with a Laser Arrow, but was too slow as Ulrich vaulted into the air, swords aimed at Yumi./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ulrich, no!" He tackled her off of the Overbike. She landed, hard, on the green grass below as Ulrich climbed onto the Overbike./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I missed this." Ulrich revved the engine and flew toward Aelita./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Energy Field!" She threw an energy orb and began to climb upward, but Ulrich dodged it effortlessly and pursued./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Aelita, run!" Odd fired Laser Arrows at Ulrich, but he dodged on the Overbike./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Energy Field!" Aelita threw another one when Ulrich was closer, but he was still able to dodge it. When he got even closer, she disengaged the Overwing and allowed her body to fall off the back of her vehicle. She activated her wings just in time to avoid devirtulization from the immense drop./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Too slow, Aelita!" Ulrich aimed a sword and it began to glow red as he prepared to fire an energy beam. It was an attack like the one he had when Xana took over his mindless body to destroy Carthage, not long before taking William as a slave back then./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No!" Yumi threw one of her fans and hit the Overbike from behind. As it dematerialized, Ulrich turned around in midair and swung his sword, sending a retaliatory energy crescent out. Yumi flipped onto a crumbled pillar, dodging it, and threw another fan./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"On the bridge, Patrick was beating William badly. "You know, William, you could surrender peacefully. With two warriors under my control, I will be even more powerful than before."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I would never surrender to you, Xana!" William backed away. "I hate you and everything you made me do!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Why? I made you strong, fast, intelligent. I made you more than anything you could become on your own."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You made me fight my friends. You made me hurt Yumi." William continued backing away, trying to keep from being beaten again./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Pitiful excuses. Now stop running and fight me!" Patrick was about to lunge at William, who tripped and fell backwards. William closed his eyes in fearful anticipation of the tackle that never came. He opened them again to see Sissi swing her purse at a fallen Patrick, and he assumed she had knocked him over with a first swing./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh man." William got up and approached Sissi when he saw Patrick wasn't moving. "You knocked him out cold. What do you have in that purse?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Stuff." Sissi said with a shrug. The two ran into the Factory and took the elevator down to the Control Room./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Are you okay, William? Sissi?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll be okay." William panted./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Patrick is out cold, so if Aelita is fast enough, we can get out of here so no return is needed." Sissi explained as William sat down and rested to calm his spinning head./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Ulrich charged both swords and continued to slash them, firing a constant barrage of energy crescents at Yumi. She flipped and twirled, dodging one after the other./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Aelita saw her chance and dove for the activated Tower, but Ulrich noticed. "I don't think so, Aelita." He launched one more energy crescent at Yumi before turning. "Super Sprint!" He ran for the front of the Tower./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shield!" Odd jumped in front of Ulrich and used his shield to block the oncoming Xana Warrior. They bounced off of each other and tumbled across the large platform with the Tower on it./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Stop!" Yumi flung her fans at Ulrich. He rolled back on his shoulders and used his hands to launch himself into the air. He swung his swords, cutting through the fans and dematerializing them. He threw a sword at Odd, and it cut through his Shield, devirtualizing him. Ulrich cackled evilly as Aelita ran into the Tower./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yumi, you were a foolish girl." Ulrich mocked as he sheathed his remaining saber./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What? Shut up, Ulrich! I wasn't made Xana's slave!" Yumi defended herself as she telekinetically picked up a rock./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Slave? I can do what I want. I don't have to be here defending the Tower. I could be at school. I could still be a Lyoko Warrior."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No, you're lying!" Yumi brought the rock above Ulrich's head./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What reason do I have to lie?" Ulrich walked slowly to Yumi as the Tower's aura faded to blue behind him. "I thought about using my powers to woo you, but it was more fun playing with Sissi. She was so easily manipulated, so easy to hurt."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shut up, Ulrich!" She dropped the rock, but he instantly pulled out a sword and cut it in half, and the halves fell harmlessly to his sides. "We know you abused her, you monster! We'll beat you, and I will hurt you if I have to!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You can't hurt me. You used to be able to. It hurt when you said you just wanted to be friends. I wanted to say no, to say 'Yumi, we should be more than friends,' but I couldn't. So many times I wanted to say 'Yumi, stop this act,' but I never could. But once we beat Xana, I thought we would finally be able to be more." Ulrich sneered. "But you always had William with us. We could never have alone time."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I, Ulrich, I wanted you to say something! I wanted you to be the one to ask me. It's how it's done in Japan. It's not proper for a girl to ask the guy."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Whatever. It doesn't matter." Ulrich turned to see Aelita come out of the Tower. "Good job, Aelita. But what will happen when Xana keeps these weaklings from making it to Lyoko?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll beat you by myself." Aelita hissed as she clenched her hands into fists. "And free you from Xana."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ask Yumi all about that." Ulrich turned into a black mist and shot off of the platform and through the air into the Digital Sea as Jeremie rematerialized the remaining two Warriors./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi immediately ran out of the Factory, and William chased after her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Is she okay?" Aelita watched her sprint down the bridge./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll tell you later, Princess. But right now, we have a bigger problem." Odd and Sissi began to retell the conversation they had in the woods earlier./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What do we do?" Aelita looked to Jeremie for guidance on the issue of Mr. Delmas' snooping./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I think we need to give her a story, I already gave her a rough draft. We can throw her dad off."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But what story?" Jeremie cut in./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We tell him what he already thinks he knows. That Aelita is Franz's granddaughter. Except in our story, Franz met my family years ago and that's how Aelita and I know each other. He is fleeing the Russian KGB, but sent Aelita back to find something he left behind. She doesn't know what it is or where it is since her father can't call her because of something. I haven't decided what."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Too poor to pay to keep phone service?" Sissi offered./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Alex shook her head. "No, that wouldn't work. He could use a payphone with just a few cents. Nobody is emthat/em poor for that long without dying from starvation because they can't afford food."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Unless he could have stolen the food or panhandled it." Sissi replied./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But by the same token he could have gotten some money as well to call. Besides, how could Aelita have phone service if he doesn't? Who'd be the one who pays for it, or at least who would we tell him pays for it? We obviously can't tell him that we had to create fake money for Aelita's bank account to pay for her things."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""The government is watching him? Another reason why he sent me away?" Aelita suggested./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd smiled. "Great idea, Princess. So the government doesn't know where you are. That should keep him off our trail."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Or at least get them away from the Factory." Jeremie looked at the camera above them that kept watch over the bridge. "Aelita, we'll have to be very careful. We can't be followed by them, or any one else." He looked over at Patrick, who was still knocked out on the bridge. "But Alex, can you carry Patrick back to my room and set him on his bed?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sure." Alex scooped Patrick up and set him over his shoulder, and pulled off the sewer cover in the middle of the bridge. "I'm going this way to avoid looking suspicious." Alex explained to Sissi, who gave him a quizzical look. He managed to get down the ladder with one hand and both feet, and he took off./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"As Alex was carrying Patrick, an object fell out of the unconscious cousin of Jeremie's pocket. "What's this?" Alex bent to pick it up and turned it on. "GPS tracker?" He looked in the direction the tracker said the beacon was. "Factory." He set Patrick down and pulled his phone out. "Jeremie, Patrick has a GPS tracker and it points to the Factory. It might be connected to something on your clothes, he might have put it in while you where asleep."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll get rid of it."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Okay." Alex picked Patrick back up and flung the tracker into the sewer water beside him./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd was having a problem with the clone. The clone itself wasn't bad, but Sissi.../p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sissi, I know you're upset, but that's not the real Ulrich." Odd insisted, trying to close the door, but Sissi jammed her foot between the door and door jam./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I want to see him." Sissi tried to push the door open, but Odd was too strong for her. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I know he's not real, but his scent, his touch, his voice..."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm doing this for your own good." Odd gave one last push and managed to get the door closed long enough to lock it. "You need to go to your room and calm down."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm not going anywhere." Odd could tell Sissi was on the verge of tears; her voice was shaky and she was obviously upset. He stood in the far corner and called Jeremie./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Jeremie, call Sissi and break up with her." Odd whispered, trying not to alert Sissi./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What? Speak up." Odd hung up and up and began to type on the keypad of his phone./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"A few minutes later, Sissi's phone rang out. "Hello?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hello, Sissi." Ulrich's voice came through the phone. "I don't want to see you any more and you need to calm down. I'm just a clone, I can't like you the way you like me." Jeremie crossed his fingers, hoping he sounded convincing with the Super Computer's voice filters./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But, Ulrich, why won't Odd let you talk to me?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I am talking to you. I'm seeing Yumi now to keep up the act. Don't be hurt, maybe the real Ulrich, without Xana, still likes you." Jeremie hung up before Sissi could respond./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The next day, Yumi and the Ulrich clone were holding hands and walking across the campus to the science building. "Come on! I'm tired of dragging you." Yumi slowed down a little as the clone dug its feet into the dirt. "Come on!" She yanked on its hand./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Sissi was missing from lunch. She couldn't stand seeing Yumi and Ulrich together. Odd ate only one course, for once in his life, and left the cafeteria to find her. "Sissi?" She was walking into the woods./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Leave me alone!" Sissi walked faster, but Odd jogged after her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sissi, I'm sorry for what happened." He took her wrist in his hand. She tried to pull away, but Odd was too strong./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Leave me alone, Odd."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No." Odd kept his ground, forcing her to stay. "I thought you were over this. You ate breakfast with us and were talking and being all happy. What happened?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Sissi held up her shirt, revealing a bruise. "Ulrich hit me before he betrayed us." Tears began to stream down her face. "You say it was Xana, but what if it wasn't? Ulrich said he was doing this on his own. What if it was really him who abused me?" Her eyes shone dimly as she looked vaguely into the distance./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What he did to you was wrong. Heck, even I'm mad at him. But I know Ulrich. He wouldn't do that. It was Xana. We'll make him pay, and we will win this war." Odd smiled at Sissi. "A pretty girl like you deserves better."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I...Odd, stop." Sissi pulled her hand away. "I just want to be alone."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You don't have to be. You have friends."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Sissi sighed. "I just need to be alone, okay? Maybe later."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Okay, later." Odd smiled as charmingly as he could before walking away. "Hopefully that will do it."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The next couple of days, Milly and Tamiya were after Yumi and Ulrich. On one particularly rainy day, Milly finally caught up to the two, Tamiya in tow with her camera at the ready. She held her microphone out like a jousting lance as she charged right up to the Ulrich clone. "What happened? What made you decide to break up with Sissi? Yumi, why did you steal Ulrich away from Sissi?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Leave us alone!" Yumi pushed past Milly, dragging the clone behind her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""That sure was rude." The two turned around to see Alex leaning against a tree, avoiding most of the rain./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I agree! We were just asking some questions for the Kadic Newspaper. They could have answered a couple of them." Milly pouted./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Alex shook his head. "I meant you two." The young reporters looked away, crestfallen. "Leave them alone. You're freshmen in high school, now. You're old enough to see that it's time to stop focusing on one group of people just because they're the only group that's friends with you outside of your newspaper. Odd and Aelita, Jeremie and Patrick, Yumi and Ulrich, they all have other things to do than give you guys stories all the time./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I heard Emily LeDuc made seven three-point shots at the last girls' basketball game. Laura Gauthier won first place at the France Math Marathon and she's moving onto a competition for all of Europe. She might even go worldwide." Alex continued. "Just because other students don't hang out with you, that doesn't mean they don't do interesting things. Aren't there bigger stories at Kadic Academy than just our social group's lives?" Alex continued./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Like what? Nobody cares about a dumb basketball game or math competition. Sissi is the principal's daughter, so she's always big news. Her losing Ulrich to Yumi is a super scoop!" Tamiya chirped./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""If you insist on covering this one story, then fine. It's your paper. But who did she leave Ulrich for?" Alex raised a playful eyebrow as the corners of his lips curled slightly upward in his signature Mona Lisa-like half-smile./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Wait, she left Ulrich?" Milly's jaw dropped. "But...who?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Just think about it." Alex pushed off of the tree and disappeared into the woods, leaving the two young reporters standing in the rain, discussing who might Sissi prefer over her Ulrich dear./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""He's stupid." Tamiya decided./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yeah. Math Marathon, ha! Does anybody really give two craps about dumb old Laura Gauthier anymore?" Milly laughed as she and Tamiya walked back to the dorm rooms./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The next day, Odd saw Sissi going into the woods again. "Sissi!" She turned and smiled fakely./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Um, hi, Odd." She twirled her hair around her finger./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What's up?" He jogged up to her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I heard about you and Aelita before I joined the group." Sissi blurted, putting a look of confusion on Odd's face./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What do you mean?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I heard you tell Sam, you know, black skater Sam, that you and her aren't really cousins. Before you guys told me."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Wait, what?" Odd wasn't expecting this, and it threw him off his pace. "What are you getting at, Sissi?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I accidentally told my dad, because it was bothering me and he could tell something was wrong. My father looked into it and confirmed it." She bit her lip, and the two were both visibly worried from the way their faces lacked a drop of color. "He knows she's living a secret life."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Why are you telling me this? It doesn't matter if he hasn't done anything in the last few months, right?" Odd smiled painfully./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""My dad wanted me to spy on you and Aelita. But you're my friends, aren't you?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd nodded, a bit of color coming back to his skin. "I told you that the other day when you ran off alone. You don't have to be alone. You have friends. That's why you're in the club." A bead of sweat ran down the side of his head. "But, um, as for me and Aelita, uh, how and why was your father able to confirm we aren't cousins?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""He said something about Franz Hopper being her grandfather and sending her here to find something he left behind." Sissi explained./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd bit his lip and focused to keep himself from laughing and from having a heart attack at the same time. He had to figure out what Mr. Delmas thought was going on. "So uh, they know about Franz Hopper? How about we take a walk and talk? Maybe we can come up with a plan to get your dad off our trails."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"As Aelita and Jeremie worked on the Super Computer, Patrick was following a GPS tracker. "Where the heck did he go?" Patrick stood on the streets of Boulogne-Billancourt outside of a boutique, lost. "East? No, west, south?" He turned and continued trying to follow the tracker./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Xana activated a Tower in an unfamiliar Sector, formed shortly after the Twilight Sector. A black mist escaped the Super Computer Room and entered the wires, going through the city's electrical system to find Patrick./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"When the Super Scan beeped, Jeremie and Aelita closed the windows and wordlessly pulled their phones out to notify the team./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd heard his cell phone ring, but ignored it. "And they think Franz sent her here to find whatever it is he supposedly left behind?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Well, didn't he?" Sissi's phone rang next, but she too ignored it./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No, she was trapped in the Super Computer, remember? But, um, some of that is right. Don't tell anyone else, okay? I know you already know not to, but I'm making sure. Tell your dad that her grandfather met my family when he and his daughter were fleeing from the Russians, years ago..."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi answered her phone. "Xana's attacking? We'll be there." Yumi hung up and turned to her companion in the library. "William, Xana's attacking." She rubbed her temples./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Are you sure you're going to be okay?" William gently squeezed her arm./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""If emhe's/em there, then we'll have to fight him."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll be there for you, Yumi."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Alex answered his next. "Uh-huh? Right. Okay, see you soon." He turned off the phone, put on his jacket and left the weights he was using on the bench, all within a few seconds./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd and Sissi soon came to the Hermitage. "They said this old dump was Franz's old house. They wanted me to look through it sometime."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Don't bother, this is the Hermitage. Remember, I told you we stripped the place down looking for clues about Franz." Odd's phone rang again. "One second, Sissi." He answered the call. "Hello?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Xana's attacking, finish what you're doing, call Sissi and hurry to the Factory." Aelita immediately ended the call./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sissi, I'm sorry, it's an attack. That was Aelita letting us know."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Not your cousin. It explains all the kissing between you two." Sissi smiled vaguely./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I, her, not any more. The Princess and Einstein have something I couldn't break apart." Odd smiled back. "So, there is a place for someone else in my life. Anyway...let's go." Odd led her to the sewer entrance at the Hermitage./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Xanafied Patrick arrived at the Factory and waited for any Lyoko Warriors to come./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi and William were the first to arrive and see Patrick. "Xana's possessed someone." Yumi took William's wrist, relieved./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""At least he didn't send Ulrich. Alex and Odd were lucky to survive those bullet wounds long enough to launch a Return." William walked toward Patrick threateningly. "Xana, come on."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""My old host. If I had done to you what I've done to Ulrich Stern, I would rule the world by now." Patrick's distorted voice promised./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yeah, but they saved me and beat you, and we'll do it again." William held his fists up./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""William, don't get hurt." Yumi darted into the Factory as the two prepared to fight./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd hurried to the Factory through the sewers. Sissi had lost track of him, but he knew she could find her way to the Factory. He needed to get there as fast as he could to help Aelita, and Sissi could help when she arrived./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Jeremie saw Yumi in the Scanner Room on the security camera. "Yumi! Where's William?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Fighting Patrick."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh, well, I already sent Aelita. Get in a Scanner." Yumi stepped into the left Scanner. "Transfer Yumi, Scanner Yumi, and virtualization." Yumi landed in the newest Sector next to Aelita./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hello, Yumi."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Aelita, is this another one of Xana's new Sectors?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yes." Aelita made a vague gesture to bring Yumi's attention to the various floating rock platforms with virtual dirt on the bottom. The sky was blue and serene, as was the Digital Sea below. Green grass and small clumps of vegetation decorated the landscape, and various marble structures were scattered about. Trees grew in some places, their roots hanging out of the bottom of the dirt on the underbelly of each platform. Yumi could see some kind of digital temple off in the distance on one of the larger platforms with a large green orb pulsing at the top. She could see a waterfall by another platform with a small pond by it. Thin green wires, no thicker than a hair, hung from the platforms, some dangling over the Digital Sea, some connecting the floating chunks of earth. They seemed to all go back to the temple./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I like this Sector." Yumi smiled. "So, are we the only ones?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Odd and Alex should be coming."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh. If Patrick beats William, they might have to fight him."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Patrick? Well, at least Xana didn't send-"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi stopped Aelita. "I know. At least he didn't send Ulrich." She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Jeremie, are you sending the vehicles? It'd be hard to get from platform to platform without them."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""On it. Hope these two work for you." The Overbike and Overwing formed by a crumbled marble pillar./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Patrick slammed William to the ground. "Ulrich is my ultimate soldier. They will never make it past him." Patrick stood on William's chest, pinning him to the ground./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Get off of!" A combat boot roundhouse kicked Patrick in the temple, causing him to stagger and fall. William grabbed his leg and pulled as Alex regained his balance from the sloppy technique. "I need to find a dojo in this city...I've been getting out of practice since that fight with Ulrich." he breathed. Odd pushed the sewer cover open and saw the situation./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Go! You're better on Lyoko!" William commanded as he pounced on Patrick and started to grapple with him./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Jeremie heard the elevator running and soon saw Odd and Alex getting off and into the Scanner Room. "Scanner Odd, Scanner Alex. Transfer Odd, Transfer Alex. Virtualization." They landed in the new Ruins Sector./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Whoa." Alex looked around. "Weird."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I like it." Odd smiled./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You're pretty close to the ladies, they're just two platforms to the north. You aren't far from the Tower, either."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Got it." Odd leapt onto the Overboard and Alex climbed onto the Overcycle, and the two flew onto the next platform and across it./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Patrick threw William off of him and stood. "They are going to see how useless it is to resist."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""They won't give up." William wiped blood from his chin./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It doesn't matter. My true attack is already going through as planned. Soon it will be mine and I will be one step closer to controlling this planet."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What will be yours?" William backed away./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You will find out when you are a slave." Patrick lunged at William once more./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The Lyoko Warriors finally came to the Tower and its guardian knight./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ulrich." Yumi held her chest where her heart would be beating if she were on Earth. "Aelita, you have to stay back." She looked Ulrich over. He wore black now, but the lining and accentuation was still the same yellow-orange, a color scheme like his doppelganger's from long ago. The Eye of Xana replaced the sun tattoo emblazoned on his chest. His hair was darker, his skin paler, and his brown eyes were tainted with hints of red. He drew both of his sabers, and they were longer, wider, and had black veins moving from the handles up into the blood-red blades./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We'll take care of him." Odd sped up on the Overboard and glanced at Yumi to see her reaction to to seeing Ulrich. "Yumi, I'll handle him. Keep the Princess safe."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Thank you." Yumi turned the Overbike to come next to Aelita./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll annihilate this traitor." Alex growled, green energy crackling up his arms, body and neck, surrounding his eyes like electric green flames. He turned toward Ulrich and disengaged the helmet and leg locks with the press of a button. The Overcycle's inertia kept it going even though green energy no longer pulsed through it./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Alex, no, you're insane!" Aelita warned as he connected his pistols./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Die!" He stood up and jumped off, bringing the Plasma Whip down at Ulrich. Green electricity crackled around him and a similar green trail followed him as he used both Lightspeed and Electrokinesis to protect himself./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Not today." Just as Alex swung downward, Ulrich slashed his red blades, sending two equally red crescents of energy out. The crescents overtook the whip and continued forward, slicing through Alex's protective electric field and reducing him to a blue wireframe as the whip barely grazed Ulrich's face./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Damn it." Alex pounded a fist against the Scanner wall as soon as he returned to Earth./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""One down, three to go." Ulrich taunted Odd./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey, Ulrich. Nice duds." Odd sprung off of the Overboard and landed near him. "But I don't think those colors suit you."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shut up, Odd." Ulrich swung his swords in a warning gesture. "I'll destroy all of you as Xana gets one step closer to taking over the world."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey, that's a good plan, but you forgot to let me know first. I'm going to have to go with my plan and beat you." Odd aimed a paw at Ulrich. "Laser Arrow!" He fired several, but Ulrich blocked them all./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Odd, you are too slow and too weak." Ulrich crouched. "Super Sprint!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shield!" Odd was just fast enough to block Ulrich's advance. "Laser Claws! Laser Arrow!" Ulrich couldn't block the first two claw swipes, but he sprung away in time to avoid the Laser Arrows. "Not so big and tough now, are you?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I don't need to be big to be powerful." Ulrich looked up to see Yumi with Aelita above the fight. "Hello, Yumi." He crouched, ready to attack./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yumi, watch out!" Odd tried to hit Ulrich with a Laser Arrow, but was too slow as Ulrich vaulted into the air, swords aimed at Yumi./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ulrich, no!" He tackled her off of the Overbike. She landed, hard, on the green grass below as Ulrich climbed onto the Overbike./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I missed this." Ulrich revved the engine and flew toward Aelita./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Energy Field!" She threw an energy orb and began to climb upward, but Ulrich dodged it effortlessly and pursued./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Aelita, run!" Odd fired Laser Arrows at Ulrich, but he dodged on the Overbike./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Energy Field!" Aelita threw another one when Ulrich was closer, but he was still able to dodge it. When he got even closer, she disengaged the Overwing and allowed her body to fall off the back of her vehicle. She activated her wings just in time to avoid devirtulization from the immense drop./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Too slow, Aelita!" Ulrich aimed a sword and it began to glow red as he prepared to fire an energy beam. It was an attack like the one he had when Xana took over his mindless body to destroy Carthage, not long before taking William as a slave back then./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No!" Yumi threw one of her fans and hit the Overbike from behind. As it dematerialized, Ulrich turned around in midair and swung his sword, sending a retaliatory energy crescent out. Yumi flipped onto a crumbled pillar, dodging it, and threw another fan./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"On the bridge, Patrick was beating William badly. "You know, William, you could surrender peacefully. With two warriors under my control, I will be even more powerful than before."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I would never surrender to you, Xana!" William backed away. "I hate you and everything you made me do!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Why? I made you strong, fast, intelligent. I made you more than anything you could become on your own."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You made me fight my friends. You made me hurt Yumi." William continued backing away, trying to keep from being beaten again./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Pitiful excuses. Now stop running and fight me!" Patrick was about to lunge at William, who tripped and fell backwards. William closed his eyes in fearful anticipation of the tackle that never came. He opened them again to see Sissi swing her purse at a fallen Patrick, and he assumed she had knocked him over with a first swing./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh man." William got up and approached Sissi when he saw Patrick wasn't moving. "You knocked him out cold. What do you have in that purse?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Stuff." Sissi said with a shrug. The two ran into the Factory and took the elevator down to the Control Room./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Are you okay, William? Sissi?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll be okay." William panted./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Patrick is out cold, so if Aelita is fast enough, we can get out of here so no return is needed." Sissi explained as William sat down and rested to calm his spinning head./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Ulrich charged both swords and continued to slash them, firing a constant barrage of energy crescents at Yumi. She flipped and twirled, dodging one after the other./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Aelita saw her chance and dove for the activated Tower, but Ulrich noticed. "I don't think so, Aelita." He launched one more energy crescent at Yumi before turning. "Super Sprint!" He ran for the front of the Tower./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shield!" Odd jumped in front of Ulrich and used his shield to block the oncoming Xana Warrior. They bounced off of each other and tumbled across the large platform with the Tower on it./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Stop!" Yumi flung her fans at Ulrich. He rolled back on his shoulders and used his hands to launch himself into the air. He swung his swords, cutting through the fans and dematerializing them. He threw a sword at Odd, and it cut through his Shield, devirtualizing him. Ulrich cackled evilly as Aelita ran into the Tower./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yumi, you were a foolish girl." Ulrich mocked as he sheathed his remaining saber./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What? Shut up, Ulrich! I wasn't made Xana's slave!" Yumi defended herself as she telekinetically picked up a rock./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Slave? I can do what I want. I don't have to be here defending the Tower. I could be at school. I could still be a Lyoko Warrior."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No, you're lying!" Yumi brought the rock above Ulrich's head./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What reason do I have to lie?" Ulrich walked slowly to Yumi as the Tower's aura faded to blue behind him. "I thought about using my powers to woo you, but it was more fun playing with Sissi. She was so easily manipulated, so easy to hurt."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shut up, Ulrich!" She dropped the rock, but he instantly pulled out a sword and cut it in half, and the halves fell harmlessly to his sides. "We know you abused her, you monster! We'll beat you, and I will hurt you if I have to!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You can't hurt me. You used to be able to. It hurt when you said you just wanted to be friends. I wanted to say no, to say 'Yumi, we should be more than friends,' but I couldn't. So many times I wanted to say 'Yumi, stop this act,' but I never could. But once we beat Xana, I thought we would finally be able to be more." Ulrich sneered. "But you always had William with us. We could never have alone time."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I, Ulrich, I wanted you to say something! I wanted you to be the one to ask me. It's how it's done in Japan. It's not proper for a girl to ask the guy."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Whatever. It doesn't matter." Ulrich turned to see Aelita come out of the Tower. "Good job, Aelita. But what will happen when Xana keeps these weaklings from making it to Lyoko?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll beat you by myself." Aelita hissed as she clenched her hands into fists. "And free you from Xana."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ask Yumi all about that." Ulrich turned into a black mist and shot off of the platform and through the air into the Digital Sea as Jeremie rematerialized the remaining two Warriors./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi immediately ran out of the Factory, and William chased after her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Is she okay?" Aelita watched her sprint down the bridge./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll tell you later, Princess. But right now, we have a bigger problem." Odd and Sissi began to retell the conversation they had in the woods earlier./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What do we do?" Aelita looked to Jeremie for guidance on the issue of Mr. Delmas' snooping./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I think we need to give her a story, I already gave her a rough draft. We can throw her dad off."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But what story?" Jeremie cut in./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We tell him what he already thinks he knows. That Aelita is Franz's granddaughter. Except in our story, Franz met my family years ago and that's how Aelita and I know each other. He is fleeing the Russian KGB, but sent Aelita back to find something he left behind. She doesn't know what it is or where it is since her father can't call her because of something. I haven't decided what."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Too poor to pay to keep phone service?" Sissi offered./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Alex shook her head. "No, that wouldn't work. He could use a payphone with just a few cents. Nobody is emthat/em poor for that long without dying from starvation because they can't afford food."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Unless he could have stolen the food or panhandled it." Sissi replied./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But by the same token he could have gotten some money as well to call. Besides, how could Aelita have phone service if he doesn't? Who'd be the one who pays for it, or at least who would we tell him pays for it? We obviously can't tell him that we had to create fake money for Aelita's bank account to pay for her things."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""The government is watching him? Another reason why he sent me away?" Aelita suggested./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd smiled. "Great idea, Princess. So the government doesn't know where you are. That should keep him off our trail."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Or at least get them away from the Factory." Jeremie looked at the camera above them that kept watch over the bridge. "Aelita, we'll have to be very careful. We can't be followed by them, or any one else." He looked over at Patrick, who was still knocked out on the bridge. "But Alex, can you carry Patrick back to my room and set him on his bed?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sure." Alex scooped Patrick up and set him over his shoulder, and pulled off the sewer cover in the middle of the bridge. "I'm going this way to avoid looking suspicious." Alex explained to Sissi, who gave him a quizzical look. He managed to get down the ladder with one hand and both feet, and he took off./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"As Alex was carrying Patrick, an object fell out of the unconscious cousin of Jeremie's pocket. "What's this?" Alex bent to pick it up and turned it on. "GPS tracker?" He looked in the direction the tracker said the beacon was. "Factory." He set Patrick down and pulled his phone out. "Jeremie, Patrick has a GPS tracker and it points to the Factory. It might be connected to something on your clothes, he might have put it in while you where asleep."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll get rid of it."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Okay." Alex picked Patrick back up and flung the tracker into the sewer water beside him./p