Chapter 7: Despair

Seeing their doomed expressions, Mark tilted his head.

"Something's wrong," it wasn't a question.

The three boys stared each other down. The lights suddenly flickered, and then all but died. Now the three sat in semi-darkness.

Ulrich narrowed his eyes. Maybe he shouldn't of brought Mark.

"Of course you shouldn't have," growled Jeremy, reading his mind.

"Ah!" something interrupted him.

"What now??"

"Yumi!"

"Stupid krabs," growled Odd.

"Who's there?" Mark asked out of the blue. "It…kind of reminds me…naw, it's gone."

Mark swiftly crossed the room to the other boys. Ulrich and Jeremy shared a glance. What would happen if Mark's memory came back while he was still in the factory?

The doors swished open behind the boys. Yumi came in.

"That was so stupid of me!" she moaned.

Ulrich put his hand on Yumi's shoulder, silently. The tiny gesture made both blush. Ulrich pulled his hand away, turning his burning face away.

Mark noticed, and looked at Jeremy quizzically for an answer. Jeremy ignored him.

"Odd, you have to make sure Aelita isn't hit!"

"Roger that, Einstein,"

Jeremy rolled his eyes at the stupid nick name.

"Hey," Mark said suddenly to Ulrich. Mark spun around on the heel of his shoe, and the light rays caught the sparkly turquoise stone on the chain around his neck. Ulrich hadn't really noticed it before, but now it had his full attention. "Have you ever been to America? Are when in America now, even?"

Ulrich shook his head yes then no, then replied, "I've seen that stone before!"

Mark shook his head. "Impossible. There is only one other of these in existence! My brother has it."

"Your brother?"
Mark nodded. "My twin, to be exact. When we were three months old, he disappeared. My mom gave him a necklace with this stone on it. He always wore it…the only reason I know is because I have a photo of us the day he disappeared. We had the identical necklaces….the only other thing I know about him…is that his name is Alex. I don't even know his hair color!" Mark let out a little laugh. "I've never told anyone other than Max, Adam and Leslie. And you." Mark smiled easily.

"That's so sad," Yumi said. She brushed a tear from the corner of her eye. She had a younger brother, and even though he could get really annoying, she couldn't imagine loosing him.

Ulrich was silent. "You're from America, right?" He said eventually. Mark nodded. "And he was your twin? But he was kidnapped?"

Once again, Mark nodded. "Where is this conversation going?"

Ulrich gulped. "And…his name is Alex?"

Mark looked at Ulrich from the corner of his eyes. "Well…yeah. Why?"

Ulrich was about to answer, but just then a loud curse word was emitted from the microphone. The Aelita's panicked voice came on.

"Odd was just de-virtualized!"

Jeremy groaned. Aelita was all by herself.

Jeremy pushed his gasses up the bridge of his nose.

Just then, Odd came in, looking angry with himself.

"Aelita, hang in there."

"What are you going to do, Jeremy?"

Everyone looked at Mark, who was gazing at the visual Aelita had just put on the monitor for Jeremy.

"Mark?" Jeremy said.

"Mark? Who's that? The new kid?" Aelita asked.

"Yes," Jeremy replied. "He's coming to Lyoko. You're really close to the tower, so just try and protect yourself."

"Can we even trust him?" shrieked Aelita as she pulled a rock over and around herself.

"He won't remember it," Jeremy said. Aelita didn't want to, but she had to trust Jeremy.

"Okay," Aelita said. With a sigh, she sat down beneath her rock shelter, prepared to wait.

***

"Wo-o-o-o-o-o-ow," Mark stretched the word until it was seven syllables long. "A giant test tube thing!"

"Go inside one of them," Ulrich instructed him. "Any one of 'em."
Mark looked at Ulrich from over his shoulder, giving him a curious and tesing look, as if saying, 'I don't think so,'.

I've seen that look before! I know I have!

Trying not to look shocked, he told Mark to just go in side one already.

Mark took a deep breath, and said, "Just don't close me up in it, okay?"

Feeling a little guilty, Ulrich promised he wouldn't shut the doors on it. Then, bravely, Mark stepped inside the scanner. The doors automatically closed.

"Whoa, whoa, hey! Open this thing up! Let me out! I can't breath! Let me out! I can't breath!"
There was pounding on the inside. Mark looked around desperately, for a crack in the wall, or something he could get out of there with. It felt like his throat was closing; he couldn't breath, couldn't shout for help anymore. He continued to throw his shoulder against the walls, using himself as a weapon. Faintly, as if coming through a radio with bad reception, he could hear a voice, saying, "Scanner…Mark….Transfer, Mark….Virtualization!"

And then everything became black.