Chapter 3: Phase Three

General POV

The next day was a typical Monday. The gang all woke up, and got ready for school. On her way to the shower, Aelita hummed her favorite song. Her boyfriend hummed his favorite song by Jason Derulo: Talk Dirty. He finished up in the shower, still confused as to why X.A.N.A. would have his girlfriend to obtain data in an activated tower. After he got dressed, he went to meet up with the others when he saw Aelita. She was on the ground and she was unconscious. He called the others and they came running as soon as he hung up.

"Baby? Can you hear me?" Christopher asked, but did not receive an answer.

"Let's take her to the infirmary." Yumi said.

"I'll do it. Jeremie, make sure that X.A.N.A. isn't attacking. Because right now, I'm praying she just passed out from the heat." Christopher said, earning a nod from Jeremie. Christopher then carried his girlfriend bridal-style and headed for the infirmary. When he got there, he gently set her over his shoulder so he could knock on the door. After a few seconds, Yolanda answered the door.

"Yes? Oh dear. Aelita. Bring her in and set her on the bed." She said and Christopher obliged. Yolanda then went over to her music player when Christopher stopped her.

"Wait. This is her favorite song. Can you play it for her?" He asked, handing Yolanda the CD that was titled "Ariana Grande: Problem" that he made for her birthday. Yolanda obliged and put the CD into the CD drive and the song started playing. Yolanda then went to examine Aelita while, even though he shouldn't have, Christopher was dancing to the song. As the song progressed, Yolanda had deduced that it was due to the heat that Aelita fainted, and waited until Christopher had finished dancing to tell him. Finally the song ended and Yolanda decided to tell Christopher. Only when the music stopped did he realize Yolanda was still there.

"Oh my God, I am so embarrassed right now." He said, his face flashing the deepest red it could.

"Don't be. You're a good dancer. Anyway, she just passed out from the heat. You're welcome to stay if you like." Yolanda said. After finishing what she was saying, Christopher went over to Aelita's side. Yolanda then went back to work.

A few seconds later, while Yolanda was busy, Christopher got a call from Jeremie.

"Yeah, Einstein? What's up?" He said.

"Christopher, get away from Aelita. X.A.N.A.'s launched an attack!" Jeremie said, causing Christopher to look at Aelita and see the Eye of X.A.N.A. was in her eyes.

"Oh shit." Christopher thought. X.A.N.A.-Aelita then grabbed Christopher and threw him against the wall. She then took off for the factory.

"Christopher, are you okay?" Yolanda asked as he was starting to come to.

"I think so. Where's Aelita?" He said.

"She took off after throwing you to the wall." Yolanda replied. Christopher then knew where his XANA-fied girlfriend was going to.

"I have to find her." He said, getting back to his feet and running out the door to the factory. On his way, he called Yumi.

"Christopher?" She said.

"Yumi, put me on speaker phone." He ordered and she obliged.

"You all right, dude?" Odd asked.

"Could be better. I'm on my way to the factory. By the way, Jeremie, sometimes I hate it when you're right. I'll virtualize myself and try to stall Aelita while you send in the others." He said.

"Got it." Jeremie said. With that, Christopher hung up his phone and climbed down the ladder to the sewers. He saw Aelita's scooter was gone which meant she had to be in either the factory or on Lyoko. He grabbed his board and rode it at full speed.

When he arrived in the lab, he saw Aelita was on her way to the activated tower.

"72 degrees east. Desert Sector." He said to himself as he prepared the Self Virtualization process. He then headed back to the elevator and went into one of the scanners and then was virtualized onto Lyoko.

Christopher's POV

I landed in the Desert Sector and saw Aelita was on her way to the tower. I hopped onto my Ghost and rode out ahead of her. I fired warning shots at her feet and then drove in front of her.

"I'm not gonna let you through, baby." I said as I hopped down and prepared to fight. After she failed to hit me with her Energy Fields, she charged at me and we fought in hand-to-hand combat.

"Give it up, X.A.N.A. Aelita has never beaten me in hand-to-hand yet." I said.

"We'll see about that." X.A.N.A. said through Aelita. She then charged at me again and we continued to fight hand-to-hand.

"Not bad. But you can't hit what you can't see." I said, activating my active camouflage. I then snuck behind Aelita while she was looking for me and I swept her legs out from under her. She fell face first.

"Sorry, baby." I said. During the fighting, William, his Black Manta, and a huge swarm of Hornets arrived. The others then had arrived to deal with William and his pals while I continued to fight Aelita. Unfortunately, Aelita then kicked me in the stomach and I went flying into a wall. I got the wind knocked out of me and couldn't catch up to her. She made it into the tower.

"No." I said, trying to catch my breath, but William then came by and held his sword to me.

General POV

X.A.N.A.-Aelita went to the center of the bottom platform and levitated to the top. Once she was there, she placed her right hand onto the interface and clenched a fist with her left.

Aelita

CODE: XANA

When William saw that the task was done, he devirtualized Christopher, who then came out of the scanner and saw he was in his Lyoko form. William then turned his attention to Odd, who was busy fighting off the Black Manta. Odd managed to destroy the monster, but afterwards, was devirtualized by William as well. Odd came out of the scanner and was confused to see Christopher dressed like on Lyoko.

"Dude?" Odd said.

"If you can't believe it, take a look at yourself." Christopher said, and Odd did. He too was dressed like on Lyoko. Ulrich and Yumi then came out of the scanners, in the same position as their friends.

"Let's just head up to the lab and wait." Christopher ordered, and the four of them headed for the lab, wondering what Jeremie would think when he saw it.

"Guys, why are you dressed like on Lyoko?" Jeremie asked.

"We're just as confused as you, Einstein." Christopher said as he came to the computer and saw Aelita was out cold on the bottom platform of the tower. He then took the earpiece from Jeremie and spoke to Aelita.

"Baby, wake up." He shouted.

Meanwhile in the tower

Aelita woke up and was confused as to why she was in a tower. She then walked outside and then wished she hadn't. She saw an entire swarm of Hornets and William. William then grabbed Aelita and smiled evilly.

"NOW!" William ordered and the Hornets shot at both of them and they both ended up back in the scanners, just like the others, dressed in their Lyoko attire.

"Let's go see the others, shall we?"

That's chapter three. Next chapter will be even darker than this one. Review and you'll find out why.