Author's Note: I found this rotting away in one of my folders and decided to put it up here. I really should show off my garbage more often, eh? This story takes place… I think it's the second-to-last episode of season 2. It's the one where they were decoding Franz's diary, XANA tried to take over the tower, and all that fun. This is the part when Ulrich was fighting his clone. This is short, I don't know if it has a point. I think it did at one point, but... eh... Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko.

Ulrich vs Ulrich

by Zeakari

Stabbed. I stabbed it right through the heart. It immediately stopped, eyes wide, realizing it was finished. I looked up within the disgustingly orange eyes of his opponent, feeling a grim satisfaction at finally claiming victory. Black blood started to drip from its gray lips, and it started to slump forward as its muscles relaxed from being tensed. For some reason, I did not move away from it. I didn't yank my sword from its soon-to-be corpse and move out of the way to allow it to drop to the ground.

I actually stopped it from falling, catching it with my right shoulder and holding it up with my left arm. My right one was occupied, you see, considering it was still holding the sword within the monster before me.

I may have felt a bit of sympathy for this creature. It looked human, even though I knew full well that it was not. It didn't just look human, in fact. It was a distorted image of myself.

I had planned on lowering it to the ground, allowing it to rot as I left it behind to continue on my mission.

It's grip tightened slightly on my arm, and I tensed, ready to twist the sword and cause the thing agony. It didn't breathe, but a strange, continuous rasping noise came from its lips, along with disgusting gurgles from its blood. It lifted its head from its lowered position, shaking horribly. It looked up at me, a strange smile on its face.

For some reason, I couldn't move. My body wouldn't respond. I wanted to shove the creature to the ground, but I just couldn't.

The thing's lips moved and for the first time since I had seen it created in my image, it spoke.

"Y'lucky," it said, its words slurring and the inky blood flowed gurgled and flowed a little faster. "You… c'n keep…"

At this, its head feel forward as its neck lost its strength. This resulted in the creature's forehead touching my own. I would've normally have stumbled away in disgust, but as I had stated before, I couldn't move.

"Yur delusions, "it continued, the creature's voice becoming strangely strong. I couldn't look away from its eyes, at it didn't look away from mine. "…of righteousness. While I'lready know…"

There was a moment's pause before suddenly inky, black mist started to rise from him, as though he was bleeding through more of his body now. It's lips pulled back wider, the small smile becoming a wide grin that tore at the skin a little. Its eyes widened and the mark creating its pupils disappeared, morphing into ones that looked just like my own.

The mist dissipated, along with the horrible creature. For a moment, I did not move. I merely stared at the place where the creature had been seconds ago.

My arm dropped, stopping the now-free sword from hitting the ground inches from it. I stood upright and made to wipe the blade, but stopped when I realized the blood had disappeared along with the creature. I placed it within my hilt and sprinted through the mountainous area, heading toward my next destination.

Author's Note: ... :D