SamandMax0569 - Trust me, I'm not getting ff dot net e-mails either. Weird, huh? How do the computer program and the toyman know each other? Well...
Holiday Magic
Chapter 5: The Toyman's Elite
Staring down the short, yet armed creatures guarding the tower, one of the MegaTanks opened up and fired at group. Joey conjured up an energy wreath that absorbed the blast.
Ricky stared in awed respect at the images on their identification cards. "Wow... the Elvin Force Five... Santa's elite... it's really them!"
"You visit the website, doncha kid?" he heard Joey guess.
"He certainly does," piped up the elf in glasses labeled Dewey. "Patrick Nathaniel Affeber is one of Santa's most active followers and the 7th most frequent at the website. I should know, I'm one of the lead elves in helping Santa maintain his list."
The elf named Sammy stepped in front of the other MegaTank to block its blast as he added dryly, "And, how a Poindexter like you ended up on the E.F.F. is way beyond me. That goes for the geek, here, who wants to be a dentist of all things," he added pointing to the elf named Hermey.
"Hey, don't mock my dreams!" he whined.
"OK, break it up!" shot Joey. "Don't forget, the big guy says we gotta protect this tower by all means until the pink-haired gal gets to the other tower."
Dewey piped up again, "Yes, you mean, Aelita H--"
But, Joey cut him off. "OK, Dew, I think we all know about your knowledge of the beyond-ridiculously long list already."
Meanwhile, Odd leapt to dodge the blasts of a very angry spider, and Aelita's memory was going by the seconds.
"You might wanna hurry it up, Odd," warned Ricky. "She's running out of memory!"
"Almost done here," he assured. He then dived under the Tarantula, and when the monster looked underneath for the annoying boy, he sprang up from behind and landed on its back. When the monster reared its head up, Odd fired four arrows into the Eye and back flipped as it exploded.
As this was happening, Santa tossed the evil Comet across the floor. "I surrender!" he cried, but as Father Christmas walked over to the villainous deer, it swung its hind leg around, tripping the old man.
Santa pulled himself up, glaring at him. "You always did fight dirty, didn't you, X.A.N.A.?"
At this point, Lenny and Sammy had pulled out candy cane sabers for their fight against the MegaTanks. "Gee," commented Lenny, "This X.A.N.A. guy sure is hitting us hard."
Dewey adjusted his glasses and mused, "He never really did forgive the boss for putting him on the naughty list back in '94."
Sammy stared at him incredulously. "He's a computer program! What's he doing on the list at all?"
The listkeeper shrugged. "Hey, if it thinks and acts independently, it's on the list."
As he said this, Lenny flipped over, landing on one open MegaTank. As he did, he struck his sweet weapon down into the inner Eye and jumped back as the large monster blew to smithereens. "Whoo!" He caught his saber in midair and struck into a happy-go-lucky victory dance. "Oh, yeah! I got 'im! Uh-huh!"
"LENNYBEHINDYOU!"
"Huh?" Upon hearing Ricky's frantic warning, Lenny turned his head just in time to see an elliptical laser coming his way, and the careless elf was taken out of the game.
Joey shook his head groaning softly, "Lenny, you idiot. One of these days you're gonna get yourself killed for real."
However, just before the remaining MegaTank (the one that devirtualized Lenny, of course) could close up, another candy cane saber struck it in the Eye. Sammy was still in throwing position when it blew up.
Hermey stared around the ice barrier and at the three other survivors. "Well, at least that's over."
"I'd like to say the same thing," piped up Ricky, "but you're got two more bogies at 6:00."
As for Aelita, well her memory was just about drained. If the Scyphozoa could grin, it probably would as victory was in sight.
But, of course, that was always the point when one or two of the warriors from Earth would break through the monster barrier and scare him off. This case was no exception, and a few well-placed laser arrow shots send the brain-sucking squid packing.
"Aelita!" Odd ran to help her up. "You OK, Princess? Say something!"
The virtual princess looked up at him with a rather cheeky grin and said, quite literally, "Something."
"Hey, quit stealing my material!" Kitty Boy complained before the two made their way back to the tower.
As Dewey struggled to fend off one of the MegaTanks, the other found an unprotected section of the candy cane tower and opened fire. Sammy saw this happening and jumped in the way. "Oh, no you don't!" But, before he had time to redraw his weapon, the monster's laser smacked him down and back to the polar ice cap from whence he came.
Just as the MegaTank rounded on the other two, who were distracted long enough for the other monster to take a few strikes at the tower, something stabbed the former's Eye from behind. As it exploded, Hermey stood rooted to the spot, candy saber drawn and face clenched up anxiously.
Joey smiled. "I gotta hand it to you, Herm. Sammy really underestimates you."
Hermey responded to the comment with a rather modest smile. But, the moment was broken by the blast of the remaining MegaTank. Reminded why they were there, the remaining Elvin Force Three got back to work.
The remaining Block that guarded the red tower saw the advancing Lyoko warriors and opened fire on them, quite literally. The two dodged the flaming rings as Odd tore past and dashed around the tower. The monster turned to stare down Aelita when Odd came around the other side and ambushed it. With that last monster gone, Aelita tore into the tower.
Joey was thrown back by a near miss from a MegaTank's blast just as Aelita reached the center of the tower and began floating up. And, while the MegaTank charged up to fire at the tower again, Aelita had reached the upper platform and placed her hand on the interface, and the final blow shut the candy cane tower down.
Joey fell back, moaning in defeat, "Ah, chestnuts!"
Without Santa's assist, will Aelita deactivate the tower in time? Find out next time.