Unfair Circumstances Chapter 8, a Code Lyoko + Iron Man: Armored Adventures Crossover fanfic

Unfair Circumstances

Chapter 8 ~ Distracting the Uninvited Guests

~Unknown~

"They are all here now. Time to begin the final phase…" A voice called out to his followers. William nodded his head and looked at the lyoko warriors nearby. Each one was floating in a cage as if yet to get affected by gravity after entering a sector. Almost as though they were suspended in animation with their arms and legs locked into place.

The purple character was transferred from his cage to a dark platform in the middle of the room. Its main interface was riddled with Xana eyes, and flashing buttons. The main overhead light shone ominously as William stalked over to Odd's prone form hovering above the pad. Tapping a few keys, the transfer pad lit up green as a collar-shaped choker appeared around his neck and digital code began rising upwards, as a hum filled the room. Odd's slumbering form began depixalating. When the light died down, Odd was gone and the transfer pad was ready for its next . . . victim.

The next to be transferred had codes of Orange pouring out. Under the fabric wrapped around Ulrich's forehead, a Circlet began to materialize. Once it was fully formed, William began the second transfer sequence. The transfer pad lit up purple and code began flooding the machine. Within seconds, the Lyoko Warrior was depixlated, and the pad was empty.

Xana gave full control of the process over to William once Ulrich had fully been transferred. With the two boys virtualized, they would soon need to meet their challenges. Something Xana's programming still would not trust William to handle. However, it meant that a bit less of Xana's powers would go toward controlling William, giving the controlled mind more freedom for causing some smaller grievances.

Yumi was quickly materialized onto the transfer pad. William itching to get back in on the action as he put in the code for a choker to appear. Once it was fully materialized, he worked on inputting the code to transfer Yumi into the desert. As he worked, small bits of guilt began building up in William. This used to be his team after all. However, there was no time to relish as Xana told William to hurry. He quickly finished the code to transport Yumi, the pad lighting up orange as she began to depilate, and super-smoked his way over to Xana.

After all, how else would Xana stall the Warriors even further without his favorite pet in on the distraction?

~Odd's Location

Still unconscious from the virtualization, his form plopped down to the sector below. The force of the contact with the ground not only bounced his prone form but also jostled him awake. He was stuck on a platform of grass with tall trees surrounding him. The platform was soon crowded by swarms of hornets. "Hm, child's play" he remarked, cocking his arm and attempting to fire, "Laser arrow!" When nothing happened he dropped him arm in astonishment and horror as he noticed his usual arrow mits to be missing altogether. "Oh no" Seeing the hornets closing in on him, he sheepishly called out, "Uh, did I say Laser Arrow? No, no I meant uh… Flower power?"

Quickly ducking from a laser shot by the hornet from the right, he meeped, before turning around trying to find cover from one of the trees.

~Ulrich's Location

Groggily opening his eyes, Ulrich notice that he was suspended in the air, as the materialization ring worked its way down his calves. "Huh…wha-" He incoherent question was cut off as he plummeted towards the purple mountain below him. "Argh!" He exclaimed as his side met the clift side of the mountain painfully. At the last minute, he grasped the edge as to not fall more. With eyes clenched tight, he attempted to pull himself up, only partially pulling his torso up so he could prop himself using his arms. In front of him stood the weirdest-looking megatank he had ever seen. It was blood red, with rusted gold metal spikes attached to it.

~Yumi's Location

A pounding headache greeted Yumi, as she forced her eyes open. The orange sky was a tell-tell sign of her materialization in the desert sector - which also explains the headache. With a low moan, as she staggered to her feet, Yumi quickly glanced around. Her path of movement was very slim. She had pathways leading around and around back to the same start and end point but had many holes, and debris, all quickly filling up with crabs and kankerlots. Reaching for her fans behind her, she bemoaned in dismay at only finding one. Whipping it out she launched it at the crab about to fire, only to have the kankerlot shoot it off its course, allowing the other monster's shot to graze her arm. Hissing in pain, she jumped and grabbed the fan, before ducking behind a sand rock.

~Stark and Aelita

Stark's eyes flew open, as he frantically scanned the room. Looking past the bars in front of him, there was very little to see. Most of the room was dark with very little light reaching out of the corners. Although with enough focus, you could see code of different colors that referenced the different sectors coursing through the walls.

Looking to his left, he noticed his pink-haired friend still passed out from their impromptu fall to the digital waters below. He attempted to stand up, only managing to slam his head up against a caged ceiling. Rubbing it with a grumble, he looked at his locked cage. Stone ceiling and floors meet his view, with plasma or energy beam bars connecting the two sections. The only good part about being trapped in this cage is that Aelita was right next to him in the cage, so he can at least put up a fight to defend her if and when they try to separate them. Aelita's non-existent breathing freaked Stark out, while he tried to rationalize that a digital being didn't need the common necessities of human functioning such as blood, breathing, sweating, etc. Reaching over, he gently shook her should, arousing her from her slumber.

"Aelita? Time to wake up." Stark commented to the slowly waking princess. "Hmm" she mumbled as she blinked her eyes open. "Tony? What's going on?" She asked as her eyes scanned the room for any exit.

"To put it bluntly, Tall-Dark-and-Ugly tried to swan dive with you into the digital waters below. I jumped after you, to try to pull you out of his grasp. I thought this armor on my suit was like the real one I had back on Earth…it has a jet propulsion system built it. I thought this was similar…it sadly can only hover currently." Aeltia's eyes turned fascinated at his discussion about his suit, before she reimaged her priorities, offering him a kind smile, "That's okay. Thank you for trying to save me, and I want to know more about this suit of yours, but for now, let's try to escape this cage."

Before any more discussion or planning could take place, they heard a 'thump' of heavy footsteps. The scraping of metal on metal following after, screeching in their ears. The footsteps and scraping metal stopped, and a chilling silence followed. It didn't last for long though, as a soft hiss rang out. Light slowly seeped into the room as a door steadily began to appear. Revealing not just William, but a humanoid form cast in smoke and shadows.

William commented as he walked up to their cage, "Looks like Xana will finally have your company for good, Aelita. And a new battery." He said the last part with a nasty smirk toward Stark, zeroing in on his blue arc reactor. Stark feeling uncomfortable by the mention of his arc and the looks, covered it with his right palm, while his left shifted Aelita behind him. While he was scared of this A.I. getting its hands on his reactor, he knows that if they drain Aelita of her memories/code, Xana would be unstoppable.

This imposing figure seemed to be floating softly across the floor as he neared Stark and Aeltia's cage, his hanging chains rattling at his feet. A deep, echoey voice rumbled out, "It's been a long time since I have last laid eyes on you Aelita…I see you have grown into a fine teenager. However, your tantrum is no longer cute." Turning away from Aeltia's confused and angered face, he looked at the outlier, "You on the other hand…are intriguing. Especially that glowing light in your chest. Your data tells me, that it is a permanent fixture in your physical body?"

Stark gulped before stating, "Yeah? So what, you're not going to get your slimy hands on it!" A reverberating chuckle filled the room, "I don't need to physically touch the device. You forget that your whole body was scanned upon your entry into the scanner, digitalizing every piece and particle of you. Whether it be human, artificial, or technological. I already have the specs of the device and the power level predictions. It is how I know that your device will be a great…contribution in allowing me to escape this digital wasteland and become fully digitalized on earth, where I can finally put an end to all Hopper cares about!"

With a dismissive wave at Starks horror-filled face, he deactivated the bars on one side of the cage, commenting, "Don't even think about running or fighting, all your powers have been bugged, and rendered useless. There is no fighting this, organic." With very little thought of movement, the limp chains around his waist became lifelike, shooting out towards the pinkette while Xana's hand wrapped around Starks forearm. Shoving the girl towards the raven, he instructed, "Take her to her room and keep her company - make sure she doesn't try to escape. I will be preoccupied for a few … days."

Aelita yelled out as she was separated from her protector, "NO!" William quickly caught her by wrapping his arms around her upper body, hauling her out of the room kicking and screaming like a petulant child not getting their way. She roared out as they continued to stalk down the dark yet sleek hallway, "Let me go William!" Coming towards the end of the hallway, William rested his palm on the left side of the metal door. A line of red light traced around his hand, before it moved. Now tracing an almost invisible crack in the wall, revealing a door lit in red as it slowly slid open. He walked in a few steps before releasing her near the bed, turning on his heel.

"This is your new living arrangement. Get comfortable, you will not be leaving any time soon." WIth that statement, he walked back out of the room, and locked the door. Barely missing the book Aelita threw at the back of his head.

With tears of frustration, she nervously sat down on the bed with pink fabric. The room was similar to her home at the hermitage, but the usual warmth she get's when visiting in memories is long gone and forgotten. Snatching the plush pet, she buried her head and silently breathed through Williams' taunts through the door, "I'll let you cool off princesses, before showing you your friends."

William made sure to activate the security on her room before stalking toward the viewing room of Lyoko. Xana was able to view every piece and inch of each sector on Lyoko, the digital sea, and all his replicas' from this one room. Jeremy would have fainted with all the technology and access. Speaking of Jeremy, William pushed a few buttons to turn on the live feed from the factory. His chuckle reverberated around the room, as he viewed Jeremy's frozen form, mere inches away from the computer chair and headset, literally a block of ice.

Knowing that the genius was out of play, for the time being, he zeroed in on his prey…Ulrich.