Double Trouble

Karen

The white dragon flew back and forth across the schoolgrounds, looking for her friends. Then she saw the spectacled bronze – no. It wasn't the spectacled bronze; it was similar, but three shades darker. Anyway, it zapped the small brown! Then it flew off. White followed after him as he went to a large building and went down to a large room. White placed herself above on a beam, while he set himself up at the computer in the middle.

She waited, and saw her friends: Small Brown, Dark Gold, and Pink-Gold appear, and then continue down into a room below. Then a little later, the real Spectacled Bronze appeared with the strong bronze and they all started fighting. Then White fell from her post on top of the fake spectacled-bronze and got zapped herself for her pains. Soon after that, though, it disappeared. Then her friends got into a smoky discussion.

Later, Dark Gold was talking to a bronze that was not as large as the principal, but larger and slightly darker than even Strong-Bronze. Whatever they were discussing, they agreed on it, for they shook claws with grins.

I looked up at the ceiling. Okay, that one was fairly easy to understand. I was going to get involved in something with Lyoko. But why would her friends start blowing smoke?

"So what was the dream this time?" I turned and looked at Aelita.

"Uh…I think that Xana's going to try something. Can he make duplicates of other people?"

"Polymorphic clones? Yes. Who did he duplicate?"

"Uh…Jeremie."

Aelita

That got me worried. Jeremie would be the one copied? This could lead to trouble.

Later, I got a call from Jeremie, and he said that there was a clone running around of himself. Actually, I said that.

"Karen dreamed about it?" He didn't sound surprised.

"Yes, she did. I think I'm the only one who really understood it."

I hated lying to him this way, but I knew he wouldn't like it that I told her without asking first.

Jeremie

I waited at the lab for the others to get there. Yumi called, telling me that she found Odd near the principal's office, groggy but otherwise okay. I was just about to think that everything was okay when I heard a disturbingly familiar voice behind me.

"You are more clever than I gave you credit for. It's an honor to use your appearance. But you are still going to have to die." Then I was grabbed and thrown down the elevator shaft!

Just before I went too far down to really see anything, I thought I saw a girl with white hair up on one of the ceiling bars. Karen?

Karen

I was happy that I managed to get up there without being noticed, though I think I was nearly caught three times. I waited until I saw and heard Yumi, Odd, and Aelita check in with the fake Jeremie. Odd sounded very suspicious about this Jeremie, though. The girls were both certain that this was the real guy.

I stayed up there until I saw Ulrich and Jeremie – the real Jeremie – come in to try to stop Xana. I already knew I was slipping, but I decided to hold on until my target was right underneath me. Finally, the moment presented itself to me. And that was when I dropped.

Direct hit! I braced myself for the electricity that was sure to come. I wasn't disappointed. As I lay down there in pain, I heard Jeremie frantically saying something about bringing Aelita, Yumi, and Odd back. Suddenly, I knew why the dragons in my dreams were blowing smoke at each other: Aelita still hadn't told them that she had told me!

Aelita

We all met up in the lab. Jeremie was extremely mad – to say the least. "You told Karen?!"

"You had said that if she reacted to one more return trip I could tell her!"

"I meant for you to let me know if she reacted, so that I could tell her!"

Karen suddenly spoke up. "That was yesterday, right around lunch time. I can keep a secret, but I don't know how well I can fight."

Yumi suggested, "Maybe we can ask William."

That was so unexpected from her that we all just stared at her.

"What? I changed my mind!"

Karen

I watched as Yumi explained to William about Lyoko. Oh, William was the dragon that Yumi had been talking to.

"So, what are you going to do about me?" I couldn't help it. I just had to know that.

Jeremie considered. "Uh…I'll probably just virtualize you. We do need more warriors. I know you said you can't fight, but…your dragon can, right? That would work."

Personally, I thought that was assuming a lot, but at least I would get involved directly. And across from us, William and Yumi shook hands, smiling at each other.

Odd calmly stated, "So now we'll have two new warriors."