The virtual dreamer, Part 2
The sun had already set, Jim was making his patrols through the corridors of Kadic, making sure that the students were locked up and asleep in their rooms. Stopping at his usual place, he pounded on the door of Ulrich and Odd's room.
"ULRICH! ODD!" Jim shouted, slamming his fist into the door, "you two better be asleep! Are you!" Jim cried, slamming the door again, hearing no response he turned around and walked back, "good…you better be," Jim muttered halfway down the corridor, straightening himself up and brushing himself down Jim thought to himself, "way to go Jim, you got these kids disciplined at last."
Inside, a pair of organized pillows occupied the two beds normally slept in by Ulrich and Odd. Outside the school, two shadowy figures crept slowly towards the underground tunnel leading to the abandoned factory. Climbing down their usual tunnel Ulrich and Odd grabbed their skateboards and set off underground.
Arriving in their usual fashion they climbed the tunnel leading to outside the factory. Dashing inside the two hitched a ride on the elevator and walked into a large room with the central console where Jeremie sitting and typing away at it.
"We're here Jeremie," Ulrich said walking up behind him and watching the screen as Jeremie typed, "What's the disturbance?"
"That's what we're here to find out Ulrich, you and Odd get down to the scanners and I'll begin Virtualization."
"Sheeesh, you could at least say hello you know..." Odd replied, walking off slouching slightly and yawning.
Jeremie ignored Odd's comment and continued his work on the central console, clicking a button on the computer so Aelita's face appeared on screen.
"Hello Jeremie," Aelita said, smiling,
"Hey Aelita, Odd and Ulrich are on their way to Lyoko right now. Where did you say that disturbance was?" Jeremie asked
"It was in the mountain sector Jeremie. I'm there right now checking things out." Aelita replied.
"Roger Aelita, inputting co-ordinates now," Jeremie said. Ulrich and Odd stepped into the scanners, preparing themselves for anything they might find. "Scanner, Ulrich. Scanner, Odd, begin Virtualization." The scanners hummed to life and glowed brightly, Odd and Ulrich closed their eyes as the machine slowly converted them into virtual data. Soon enough the computer had dropped the two into the mountain sector of Lyoko in their usual attire.
"Virtualization complete, welcome back to Lyoko guys, Aelita's waiting for you up ahead."
The two virtual warriors nodded and ran forward, looking from side to side for any sign of disturbance. As they reached the edge of a short cliff they dove from it, flipping and landing on their feet. After looking up from their jump they were greeted by a pink haired figure.
"Hey Aelita," Ulrich said, "Any sign of this disturbance?" Aelita shook her head slowly and replied,
"No Ulrich, but I'm very worried about this. I've never felt this kind of disturbance before...where's Yumi?"
"We decided to let her sleep; Odd and I can handle this." Ulrich replied
"Guys, Over here!" Odd called. Ulrich and Aelita ran over to where Odd was standing, "What's this?" Odd asked, pointing at something lying on the ground. Crouching on the ground to get a closer look, but being careful not to touch it yet, the three virtual warriors saw a long grey staff lying flat on the ground. Aelita reached out slowly to touch to it.
"Wait Aelita, don't touch it!" Jeremie's voice cried, "We don't know what that thing is, it could be dangerous…"
"I don't think so Jeremie…just looks like a stick…"Odd said, reaching towards it to pick it up, the second Odds hand touched the staff Aelita gasped and placed her hand on Ulrich's shoulder,
"The disturbance, it's back, I can feel it!" she cried. No sooner after she had finished that sentence, Jeremie's voice boomed out for all of them to hear.
"Heads up everyone, there's something heading your way fast, really fast!"
Ulrich drew his sword and Odd placed his hand on his glove, preparing an arrow to fire, they stood on either side of Aelita, ready to protect her from anything that might come. Odd had picked up the staff and held it with his tail, ready to swing it if necessary.
"Ulrich look out!" Odd shouted, seeing a black figure speeding towards Ulrich at top speed.
"Huh?" Ulrich replied, looking around, catching the figure in the corner of his eye he turned and prepared to defend himself. Speeding closer by the second the figure finally reached Ulrich, instead of attacking Ulrich, the figure dashed straight past him. Odd has his back turned defending the other side, but turned just in time to see the figure leap towards him, dealing a powerful kick
"You shouldn't touch things that aren't yours!" the figure said, and as he said the word yours the kick connected with Odds head, sending Odd flying backwards, skipping against the floor, bouncing off a few times and skidding to a halt with the staff flying from his tail and landing on the ground in front of him. Odd looked up from the ground, rising slowly, and looked at the figure that has just attacked him. The figure was dressed in baggy black cargo pants and a white t-shirt with a black vest on top. The figure had a grey camouflage patterned bandana tied around his arm, and kept his eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Walking over to the staff that Odd had dropped after being kicked the figure raised his foot and stomped on the end of staff, flipping it into the air and catching it. Odd staggered to his feet.
"Odd what happened?" Jeremie asked, "You just lost thirty life points"
"We got company Jeremie..." Ulrich told him, standing between the figure and odd, holding his sword ready to attack. Dashing towards the figure with his sword raised Ulrich took a swing at the figure, which the figure dodged. He ducked under the sword, spun around, and punched Ulrich in the back of his head. Ulrich stumbled forward and swung his sword in a full circle, turning his body with it and aiming to take off the figures head. Leaning back just in the time the sword swished past the mystery fighter, leaving a cut across his cheek. A small trickle of blood flowed from the figures cheek.
"What? He's bleeding? No one can bleed in Lyoko, who is this guy" Jeremie said, shocked and slightly panicked. The figure heard this and replied to what he heard.
"I am Lyoko's Nomad, and this place is now my domain. Leave and no harm shall come to you. Stay if you wish, but you must prove your might and defeat me in battle."
"Defeat you in battle?" Odd said, "How 'bout we just take you down." Jumping into the air and firing an arrow at the figure, "Laser arrow!" The figure back flipped out of the way, Ulrich had already gotten into position and swung with his sword, the figure didn't have enough time to dodge this time, but parried the attack with his staff instead.
"Not bad, it seems I will have to actually use some effort," the figure muttered. Stepping backwards and preparing to attack. Biting down on one end of the bandana tied around his arm and holding the other end with his hand, he pulled on it, tightening it and leaning his head from side to side, cracking his neck. Ulrich and Odd stood side-by-side, ready for battle.
"I'll take him on first," Odd muttered to Ulrich,
"Hmm." Ulrich grunted, nodding and keeping his eyes fixed on the Nomad. Odd dashed forward towards the Nomad. The Nomad's expression remained solid and he swung his staff heavily towards Odd, muttering the word, "pathetic…"
At the very last moment before the staff hit Odd, he dodged underneath the staff. Odd was too far from the figure to punch or kick the Nomad, so instead he dashed past the attacker. Odd used his tail to grab the attackers foot and continued running, holding onto to it, the Nomad lifted his leg behind him and tried to keep his balance, Odd pulled hard on the Nomads foot and the nomad tried to pull it away. Suddenly Odd released the nomad's foot and the nomad lost balance, falling over onto his back. Ulrich charged forward with his sword, leaping into the air and aiming to skewer the Nomads head with it.
"Impact!" Ulrich yelled, inching closer by the second. The figure managed to move his head to the side as the razor sharp virtual blade jammed into the ground literally millimeters from his cheek. The nomad rolled to the side and rose again, but didn't see Odd standing behind him with his hand placed on his glove ready to attack.
"Laser Arrow!" he cried, firing an arrow at the Nomad, the arrow missed his body but cutting against his arm and tearing the bandana around it slightly. The Nomad looked down at the bandana and remained completely silent, shaking slightly out of rage.
"How dare you…You will pay for that…" the Nomad muttered, picking up his staff once more. "You will see me again, but be careful; the Nomad will always be watching you."
"Oh no ya don't!" Odd cried, charging toward the Nomad. Ulrich has risen behind the Nomad and done the same, they were both on a direct crash course to hit the Nomad; at the same time the Nomads body changed to a wire frame for a split second. and then vanished. Odd and Ulrich slammed hard into each other and fell backwards.
"Uhh…Jeremie?" Odd said, staggering to his feet, "I think we found our disturbance."
"Yeah, no kidding Odd," Jeremie replied, "but it doesn't look like that guys up to anything…you guys better come home for now. We'll meet up with Yumi and talk about this tomorrow."
The two virtual warriors de-virtualized and returned to reality, setting a time and a place to meet up the next day. They made their way back to Kadic and snatched what little sleep they could get.
The next day Yumi was shocked to hear what had happened.
"How could you not call me, I could've been there! I could've helped! We could've beat him if I was there!" She complained.
"That's not entirely true Yumi," Jeremie replied, "You may just be the factor that lets us defeat him."
"What are you talking about Jeremie?" Ulrich cut in, "if Odd and I couldn't beat this guy together, how's Yumi gonna?"
"This Nomad guy has seen your guy's moves Ulrich." Jeremie replied, "So he knows the way you two fight, but he's never seen Yumi fight before. That can work to our advantage if we plan it correctly. "
"What do we need to plan?" Odd asked, "We rush him all at once and he loses,"
"Yeah, sure Odd, remember what happened the last time you tried that?" Ulrich said, "It went a little bit like this," he continued, answering his own question. Holding up a fist and his open palm apart from each other he continued, "eeeeeeeeeooooo-splat!" Ulrich said, smacking his palm with his fist lightly
"You didn't do much better Impact boy, how the heck did you miss his head after I tripped him up for you!" Odd replied angrily,
"Guys, guys… calm down!" Yumi said, stopping the argument from going any further, "Look here comes Damon, maybe he's got something new to talk about." Yumi continued, watching Damon approach. Approaching with a scowl Damon walked straight through the group, not raising his eyes or saying a word. Odd followed Damon for a few steps and tapped him on the arm.
"Hey Damon, you ok?" Odd asked him. Damon pulled his hand back angrily.
"Don't touch me Odd; I'm in a real bad mood right now." Damon replied, turning away to walk off again. As Damon turned Odd could see a large hole torn through Damon's bandana.
"Hey, what happened to your bandana?" Odd asked, pointing at the tear.
"I have absolutely no idea, that's what, I woke up and put it on my arm, and I saw this massive hole in it." Damon replied, clenching his fist and looking down at the bandana.
"That's weird," Yumi said, walking over and taking a look at Damon's arm, "Mind if I take a look at it Damon?" She asked.
"OK, but be careful, you have no idea what this thing means to me." Damon replied, removing it carefully and handing it to Yumi. Yumi looked closely at the tear, and then back at Damon.
"Do you have any idea what it could've been Damon?" she asked, running her fingertips over the edges of the tear. Damon shook his head slowly and Yumi turned to Jeremie, "What do you think Jeremie?" Jeremie muttered something to himself, but then shook his head.
"Maybe rats did it." Ulrich suggested, stepping forward and taking hold of a corner of the bandana, examining the hole with Yumi. Yumi turned the part of the bandana she was holding upside down to get a better look at it, and as she did her hand touched Ulrich's. Ulrich and Yumi eyes met and they stared into each others eyes for a moment, blushing slightly. Ulrich noticed that everyone else was starting to stare and broke his eye contact with Yumi.
"cough cough So uh….yeah, it could've been a rat Damon" Ulrich said, releasing the bandana.
"I guess so…"Damon replied, "that Bandana is….its all I have."
"What do you mean it's all you have?" Jeremie asked.
"Yeah, I could get you a better one for like 75 cents." Odd cut in.
"No, you don't get it," Damon replied, "The professor gave me that; she said that this bandana is the key to my past and to my life."
"How the heck can it do that?" Odd cut in, "it's a bandana, big deal I've got three back in my room."
"This is no ordinary bandana!" Damon replied angrily, "It's special to me and it's been ruined, I have no idea how and I can't fix it, so I've lost all I have…"
"I might be able to fix it Damon," Yumi said. Damon's eyes opened widely and he stared at the bandana in Yumi's hands.
"You can! How!" He asked excitedly.
"I can ask my mom to sew it back up for you." Yumi replied.
"Will you, please?" Damon asked, "I've had that bandana for as long as I can remember, it's always been there with me…"
"Don't worry Damon, I'll have her fix it up and I'll give it back to you in a couple of days okay?" Yumi replied, carefully folding up the bandana and putting it in her pocket.
"Okay…but be careful…" Damon replied, "I've gotta go for now, there's someone I gotta see."
"Mind if I tag along?" Odd asked.
"Actually Odd, I'd rather go see this person alone," Damon replied, "no offense."
Odd shrugged and watched with the others as Damon walked off into the park….
Ok, id keep going, but…I'm tired, it's like 3:30 am, so MEH, I also don't want to make the chapters too long…... So read this and deal with it!
Jason.