Yumi's POV
Last night poor Jeremie went back to the hospital. He's been taking some hard knocks, but this is getting out of hand. I mean it.

"Hey, are you feeling any better?" I ask, walking into the room. Jeremie is asleep, but the eye of Xana on his right hand (the doctors think it's just a kiddy tattoo) is blood-red. "His heart isn't going as fast as normal, but I believe it's because of sleep."

"Yeah...it is." Aelita looks up from her research papers. She'd been on the internet all night, searching for something that not even Jeremie/Xana knew...I don't know either, so don't ask me.

"Goddamn, Aelita. Your eyes are red." "I was crying," she answers quietly. Xana heaves a gusty sigh, grey as pewter but not anywhere as common. "I cannot apologize enough...I can't...I just can't."

"Where's Odd?" I ask. Aelita shrugs. "I don't know. He wasn't here this morning, believe it or not." Xana fidgets with Jeremie's hands. "He yelled at me last night. And made me cry."

"Odd made you cry?" Aelita looks up in shock. "He made you cry?" I echo. Xana nods slowly. "Yeah. I don't know where he is, though."

"Hi guys." Odd (and Ulrich) trudge into the room. "Any progress, Xana?" Ulrich asks lightly. "Nothing. He's still comatose. Promise I'll let him speak with you as soon as he-oh! Here we go! I got something!"

The Red Eye slowly fades to black as Jeremie falls back against his pillow and the heart monitor zeros out. Suddenly his eyes flutter open as the monitor starts up again. A doctor runs in. "You're ok?" he pants.

"He's ok." Aelita gives the doctor a thumbs-up. "Came out of his coma just now." We share a group grin as the doctor scratches his head. "Strange. I'd better get back to reception." He dashes off as Jeremie rubs his head. "Guys, what is this place?"

"It's a hospital. Xana can fill you in later. You had a heart attack."

"What attacked my heart?"

"Nothing. Your heart didn't pump your blood like it's supposed to, that's all. But you're ok!" Aelita wraps her arms around him and squeezes. Jeremie's face turns pink as she lets him go.

"I...I'm gonna get something to drink, my mouth feels all dry." Jeremie gets up and leaves the room.

"Aelita, that was so cute!" I exclaim.

Jeremie's POV
I slowly troll the halls, feeling, in a way, worried. I don't know why. I'm ok. The others even said so. The doctor left my room. I've got to be ok.

I don't know what a heart attack is still, but I'm afraid that if I stay out of bed too long, I might have another one.

"Jeremie, you worry too much. You were stressed a lot back then, too, but..." I grab a paper cup and pour myself some water from a cooler-thing.

Something was gonna happen. I don't know whether it's good or bad. I turn and rest for a moment, my heart quivering in random patterns. I tip the edge of the paper to my mouth and sip. A shadow falls over me, but when I hear the voice, it's too late.

"Hello, Jeremie." The voice is sickeningly familiar. I turn to see Zombie Ulrich again, his claws resting on my shoulders. I freeze up.

"RUN!" Xana's voice springs me back to life, as I flee down the corridor.

"GUYS! ZOMBIE ULRICH IS BACK!" I scream, throwing me against the doors, which don't open. I glance at something on the wall with numbers and two sticks, which point at the numbers 10 and 11. Something in the thing says PM. I don't know what it's for, but I rip it off the wall. (2)

Zombie Ulrich rounds the corner as I toss the thing like a Frisbee. Whacking him in the stomach, I dash by, Xana lending me some extra strength.

"RRRRAGHH! I'M GOING TO GET YOU THIS TIME, JEREMIE!"

"Why are you after me?! Why is EVERYONE after me?!!!" I scream, turning around. And something weird happens. Something big and bright and red shoots out of my hand. Xana gasps and I hear something about 'access to his deep well of anger.'

"LEAVE ME ALONE! I WANT TO BE LEFT IN PEACE!!! WHY ARE YOU TORTURING US?!!!"

Zombie Ulrich glares at me, his white eyes narrowing. "Humans," he spits angrily. "Such useless creatures, infesting and overusing this planet, not caring what their actions do to anyone or anything. I was born out of hatred, rage, and despair against you humans."

Ulrich glowers at his Zombie half, now a couple steps behind me. Yumi halts a couple inches from me, but Aelita is nowhere to be seen.

Zombie continues, baring his teeth. "I'm going to have to get rid of the five powerful psyches for this planet to begin falling apart at the seams. And you're harboring number one-you're hosting Xana. I'm going to get him, and you can't stop me!"

The anger feeling surges up from within me again, and the red and orange hot stuff surrounds me, flickering and dancing, yet I can see through it. It doesn't burn. I think that's what it's supposed to do.

"You can't touch me. One step inside this bubble of fire, and you'll be incinerated," Xana mocks. He sounds very sure that this will work. And I hope along with him.

Zombie Ulrich smirks. "But you can't hurt the ones you call friends. And guess who I've gotten?"

"No..." I mutter, eyes widening. "You didn't! Leave her out of this!"

"Too late!" Zombie cackles insanely. Aelita appears from the shadows and slowly walks over to me, her eyes blank, skin the same color as his own.

"Jeremie, focus. Focus your hate at Aelita, unbelievable as it may seem. Don't look at her within...only look at the thing controlling her!" Xana commands. I don't understand, but he wants me to aim at Aelita. And I do so.

Xana pushes the hate feeling, he pushes it out of my hands, aiming at her feet. My fire shield disappears. And ice freezes Aelita in her tracks.

"HUUUMMMAANN!!!" Zombie Ulrich screams, his voice more demonic than human. The real Ulrich, followed by Yumi, both leap in front of me, but Zombie shoves both of them aside and plunges a hand into my chest.

I slowly am pulled from my body, pulled free from myself, from Xana, even. As soon as I slip out of my body, Zombie Ulrich grins. "I've got you...Now all I have to do is kill your body."

"You won't!! Though I could leave this body, I WILL KEEP MY FORMER HOST ALIVE!!" Xana roars, using my voice. He grabs the collar of my shirt. A tug-of-war ensues, the prize being my soul.

Oh joy.

1: Jeremie's talking about a clock, the time at that point is 11:50. Jeremie was out the entire day.

Ohhh boy. Tug-of-war with Jeremie's incorporeal form. No fun for Jeremie. Or Xana.

Preview:

Ulrich gives a white packet to Xana, who releases his grip on me. As Zombie pulls me to him, water splashes on us. Salt water. I grab Odd's hand to avoid facing my captors, and something amazing happens at that instant.

Slowly, very slowly, I pull another hand from Odd's body, but it doesn't resist at all. Finally, the face of a surprised ghostly Ulrich appears.