Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko or Danny Phantom…last time I tried my pants fell while my belt stayed around my waist…at the mall.
A/N: Hey peoples of the fanfic community, I'm back yet again. I know that I haven't posted in a while, but I have several excuses. At first, I was waiting for people to enter my now closed contest. Only Book of Life and RaveMasterShinobi actually entered, so they are the automatic winners, I will private message the winner of the secondary prize later. The second thing that happened was my internet crapping out, making me incapable of even so much as checking my e-mail for a week. Thirdly, nobody posted any ideas about the villain or villainess so I had to make one up. All you guys out there are gonna like her, by the way. And last but not least, my single greatest excuse…I just bought Guitar Hero 3. But anyway, I digress. This chapter will be dedicated to MistFairie93 for inviting me to staff on her c2 community, Code: Pairings. Since I made all of you, my readers, wait so long for this chapter, I'm not going to make my usual or else threats. Just please, read and review.
City Park
"I can't believe how quiet the super computer has been since we got here," Xavier declared.
"Is that the only reason why you guys came here," Danny inquired.
"Hey, saving the world is hard work, but somebody has to do it," Odd stated.
"Oh, come on! Like you do anything besides eat and sleep," Ulrich quipped.
"I resemble that remark," Odd muttered.
"…she's awakening…" came a voice from Xavier's pocket.
"What was that," Tucker inquired as Xavier took his Zune out of his pocket.
"What was that, Sahra," Xavier inquired.
Sahra's face appeared on Xavier's Zune as she repeated herself. "…she's awakening…"
"How much time do we have," Xavier asked, looking fairly worried.
"…soon…" Sahra stated.
"That's a cool program you have on there," Tucker declared, sounding awestruck, "Too bad the audio quality is bad."
"She's not just a program," Xavier huffed indignantly, "Her name is Sahra, and she is a virtual being, thank you very much!"
"Wow! You mean that you actually have an artificial intelligence on your Zune," Tucker inquired excitedly.
"She's just like how I was about a year ago," Erethyr mused.
"You were an…but how did you…here, what," Tucker stammered.
"We don't have time for twenty questions, Tucker," Damon declared, "Sahra says that our new foe is about to awaken, so we gotta get back to the super computer; NOW!" With that, the seven teens rushed back to the Lyoko group's HQ post haste.
Lyoko Group HQ
"Where is everybody," Danny inquired as they rushed down to the basement.
"Jeremy and Aelita are currently on a date, Cassandra and Sam went to a goth poetry reading, and Cid's hamming it up at the arcade in the mall," Xavier rattled off, "That means that we're going to need somebody to operate the super computer. Tucker, I'll be guiding you through the basic procedures. You will be our back-up operator in case Jeremy or Aelita are unavailable to do it," Xavier declared as Danny, Odd, Ulrich, Erethyr, and Damon stepped onto a scanner. Tucker looked like he had died and gone to computer geek heaven.
"You mean that I get to operate all of this," Tucker managed to say as Xavier sat in the chair and started to pull up all of the operations that he needed.
"Yeah, in a minute," Xavier stated, "I need to get Danny into the system first. I'm guessing that because of Amity Park's latent ectoplasmic activity, the super computer doesn't need to be calibrated for his ghost DNA; so let's get started." Tucker watched as Xavier's hands flew over the keyboard. The virtualization process started with Danny before going to the others.
"That looks easy enough," Tucker declared.
"There really isn't any need to use Jeremy's little virtualization catch phrase; I guess that he just uses it to tell us how far along the process he has gotten," Xavier declared as he hit the enter key, sending the five teens onto the grassland sector of the digital world. Xavier followed a similar procedure for uploading Sahra onto the grassland sector. Donjuan trotted down the stairs and onto one of the scanners.
"Think that you can send me where the others are," Xavier inquired after explaining all of the other functions that Tucker needed to know.
"Yes, I think that he can operate the super computer just fine; now can we get a move on," Donjuan stated.
"Who said that," Tucker asked, looking around anxiously.
"That would be me," Donjuan declared, drawing Tucker's attention to him.
"AAHHH!!! A talking cat," Tucker shouted.
"Yes, I'm a talking black cat. Why is it that nobody ever seems happy to see me," Donjuan asked nobody in particular.
"Because cats don't normally talk," Xavier stated as he stepped onto a scanner, "Just do exactly as I showed you, Tucker."
"Let's do this," Tucker declared as he cracked his knuckles. Xavier just shook his head and stood on one of the scanners. Tucker started the process and virtualized both Xavier and Donjuan successfully.
Digital World, Grassland Sector
"Welcome, to a brand new world," Odd declared as Xavier and Donjuan landed next to them.
"Why is it that all of you have these fantasy inspired outfits while I'm in my ghost form," Danny inquired.
"I guess that's what was picked up from your subconscious," Damon shrugged.
"And why are we not attacking the giant black tiger with huge fangs and two electric blue tentacles," Danny inquired.
"Because that's Cid's cat," Damon stated.
"Hey guys, I just found out what this world is called," Tucker declared.
"Tucker, where are you," Danny asked, looking around for his friend.
"I'm at the console, I guess that all of you can hear me while you're Nysis," Tucker stated.
"Say what," Erethyr demanded.
"Nysis, the name of the digital world that you're on right now," Tucker explained.
"At least we know what to call it now instead of just calling it the new digital world," Ulrich stated.
"So all of you have powers here," Danny stated.
"Yep, and you do too," Odd declared.
"Let's see which of my powers transferred here," Danny proclaimed as he tested his own abilities. He quickly discovered that he could fly and fire ectoplasmic blasts, but none of his other powers transferred. They decided to roam around the grassland sector to get a feel for the terrain, but they quickly came across a tribe of creatures that looked like a cross between cheetahs and humans. They carried scimitars that appeared to be crafted from bone.
One of these cheetah warriors wearing an armband of brass colored scales boldly walked up to the group and growled, "I am Nerull, chief of the Roln Tribe. What is your business here?"
Damon walked up to face Nerull and declared, "We are a group of warriors from another world here to eradicate an evil that has infected these lands. We do not know much about her, but we are trying to familiarize ourselves with this beautiful land so as to better be able to face our foe."
"So your purpose here is a noble one," Nerull nodded.
"Yes, honored chieftain," Damon bowed.
"Then you are willing to show us your battle skills to prove your words," Nerull declared enigmatically.
"Of course," Damon proclaimed.
"Then go to the south and slay a leiron as proof of your worth," Nerull declared, "I will send one of my fiercest warriors with you as a witness." Nerull nodded towards his tribe and a cheetah warrior with a necklace made of fangs came forth. "His name is Uhrl, and he shall be the warrior accompanying you." Uhrl looked over the group, and his eyes stopped on Sahra.
"SAI," Uhrl asked, sounding rather surprised.
Sahra looked puzzled for a moment before a look of recognition crossed her face, "Uhrl! But so you know, I go by Sahra now." Sahra ran forward and leaped into Uhrl's arms.
"If you're back, then that must mean that she has truly awakened," Uhrl declared.
"Okay, I'm lost now," Odd stated.
"He's referring to the one that we came here for, the one that infected me with that virus that eventually got passed onto Sahra," Xavier explained, sounding morose.
"No, no, no, it's not that part that I'm lost about," Odd proclaimed, "I'm lost on how these guys actually know Sahra."
"Isn't it obvious Odd," Erethyr stated.
"Listen, I'm a straight D student. You got to enlighten me here," Odd stated.
"She's from here," Ulrich declared.
"But if this place is closed off from the rest of the net, then how did she get out of here," Odd inquired.
"Maybe this world was sealed off after she left," Danny offered.
"It was, but not before she sent a viral strain to infect me," Xavier scowled.
"I think that we might need to let him brood for a little while," Damon proclaimed.
Uhrl cleared his throat, "I will show you where the leiron resides; that is, if you are really the warriors that you claim to be."
"We accept your challenge," Ulrich proclaimed.
"Then follow me," Uhrl stated, waving for the group to follow him. The group briskly trailed after their new ally, hoping to get some answers to their questions.
On their way, Odd decided to inquire further into Xavier and Sahra's past. "So, if you came from here, then why did you leave such a beautiful place?"
"I was tired of my sister's megalomania, and Xavier gave me out. If it hadn't been for him I might have become what you first came to know me as," Sahra explained.
"We were both kids back then, relatively speaking of course," Xavier stated, "You see, we were created at about the same time around nine years ago. Sahra's sister AI was created three years prior to that, as an answer to Project Carthage. Doctor Aurum always hated that project and created GEVI to undermine it. GEVI became power hungry, so her creator made Sahra as an answer to her megalomania."
"Unfortunately, she didn't count on me having a shy personality; I was more content to hide away from GEVI than I was to confront her. Then Xavier found me and I became a lot more open and confrontational towards my sister," Sahra continued.
"But Doctor Gina Aurum decided that it was too late and tried to shut down GEVI, so I stole away with Sahra. GEVI wasn't about to let me get away so easily so she sent a viral strain as a chaser to infect me. She also didn't like what the good doctor was doing, so she orchestrated her own creators demise along with the death of one more member of Project Carthage and the disappearance of another. With her final breath, Doctor Aurum sealed Nysis off from the rest of the net. I was infected with the viral strain, Professor Lerath was killed by 'government agents', and Franz virtualized himself and Aelita onto Lyoko," Xavier explained.
"And you know the rest of the story," Sahra stated, "Xavier and I never knew where the super computer for Nysis was located, but once we got here we both feared that this was the city that it all started in."
"Yeah, sorry for being so secretive about our pasts, but we figured that if you knew that it is because of us that all of this trouble started that you would try to get rid of us," Xavier stated.
"If after trying to kill us for nearly two years and then we accept you into our group, you think that that bombshell would make us try to get rid of you…then you'd be right with some of the members of our group. Fortunately for you, we happen to be the level headed and understanding members of the group," Ulrich declared.
"I have another question," Odd proclaimed.
"Shoot," Xavier responded.
"What do SAI and GEVI mean," Odd inquired.
"Actually, that is a very good question," Xavier proclaimed, sounding very surprised, "Sahra, could you answer this one? I honestly don't know the answer to this one."
"Well, SAI stands for Shimmering Artificial Intelligence," Sahra explained, "and GEVI stands for Genetically Enhanced Viral Intelligence."
"So our enemy is just a really smart virus," Danny inquired, sounding very puzzled.
"Did you not hear the 'genetically enhanced' part? Did she really fool around with genetic experimentation," Damon asked.
"Yeah, where do you think that I learned it," Sahra shrugged.
"Quiet, we approach the beast's territory," Uhrl growled. The group trudged on silently until they saw a brass colored lion with leathery wings laying on the ground with a female figure standing over it. This female had hair as white as virgin snow and piercing yellow eyes. She was wearing black leather high-heeled boots that went up to her mid-thigh; a v-cut leather thong with four buckled straps connecting it to a black leather bra, the top straps of which were connected to a black leather studded choker; and a bullwhip which was held in her hand. The leiron gave on final weak roar before she used her whip on it, permanently silencing it.
"YOU," Xavier roared as he pulled out his bow and ferociously fired his red arrows at this woman. She lazily whipped each arrow out of the air, bringing gasps out of the rest of the group. This strange woman strode over to the group, all the while whipping Xavier's arrows out of the air effortlessly.
"Now, now; is that any way to treat an old friend," she sneered.
"Friend my ass," Sahra shouted as she disengaged her umbrella, turning it into a sword and shield, "You bitch! You're the cause of all of our various problems!"
"You mean that she's…" Danny started to ask before his hormones kicked in, leaving him dumbstruck.
"Yes. That is GEVI, the single most evil being to ever exist," Uhrl growled.
"Don't you know that flattery gets you everywhere," GEVI purred seductively as she snapped her whip and disarmed Xavier, "Even to an early grave." As she drew closer, Damon clutched his chest in pain. Erethyr held him in her arms.
"What's wrong Damon," she inquired worriedly.
"I…don't…know…" Damon panted as he fell to his knees, trying to hold back tears of pain.
"Oh, sister dearest, do you want to see my new pets," DEVI stated.
"What kind of evil are you up to now," Sahra demanded.
"Funny story, do you remember when you reconstructed that fellow clad in white over there? I think his name is Damon, right," DEVI inquired.
"Of course I do," Sahra stated, "Xavier may have reconstructed me as well, but he forgot to erase the memories of what I did while I was infected by your strain." Sahra gasped when she realized what her sister AI was getting at.
"So you do remember taking a small fragment of his core. A fragment tied to his absolute subconscious," GEVI grinned.
"How did you get a hold of that," Sahra demanded.
"When your virtual body was destroyed and the viral strain returned to me, it brought along that fragment. Your friend over there is incomplete because of you," GEVI laughed.
"You didn't," Sahra proclaimed.
"Didn't what," Ulrich inquired.
"I did, dear sister, and I would like to introduce you to the spawn of his subconscious," GEVI grinned as four figures appeared behind her. The first one was a boy with short yellow spiked hair with amethyst eyes, garbed in a simple olive green vest over a white long-sleeved shirt, blue cargo pants, white gloves, white boots, and a longsword with a golden hilt and three red jewels embedded at the three points. The second was a boy with short red feathered hair and red eyes, wearing a simple white wife beater, black cargoes with a fire design coming up to the knees from the cuffs, red tennis shoes, and red fingerless gloves. The third was a girl with purple hair that hung down to her waist and navy blue eyes wearing a purple kimono with a yellow flower pattern on it and wielding a quarterstaff. The final one was a boy with shoulder length black hair with red tips and eyes as black the night wearing a black trenchcoat hanging open, a white t-shirt underneath the trenchcoat with a black skull on the front, black cargo pants, jet black combat boots, and black fingerless gloves with three claws extending from the knuckles.
"You…bitch…" Damon panted before he passed out.
"DAMON," Erethyr shouted, tears streaming from her eyes.
"Now introducing my generals of the four sectors," GEVI sneered, "Achatka, Fierus, Moonflower, and Dusk."
"What have you done to Damon," Odd demanded, arming his laser arrows.
"I have done nothing but finish what Sahra started months ago," GEVI stated, cracking her whip in the air menacingly, "Now show them what you can do, my pets." In a flurry of motion, the four beings swooped upon their ill-prepared foes. Achatka devirtualized Xavier with one swipe of his longsword before going after Ulrich. Fierus closed in on Danny and Odd, fist blazing. Moonflower went after Uhrl and Donjuan, her quarterstaff prepared to strike down either one of them as she near closer to them. Dusk sneered as he advanced upon Erethyr and the prone form of Damon. Sahra was left to stand against GEVI, two sisters with a grudge to settle with one another.
Ulrich's Battle
Achatka and Ulrich were parrying each other's blows like expert swordsmen, not a single movement was wasted. Achatka attempted to run Ulrich through, but Ulrich parried the attack and countered with a beheading slice of his own with his second sword. Achatka brought his sword back up to block and tried to slice Ulrich's head through the middle. Ulrich blocked with his second sword and the two warriors jumped away from each other and circled one another.
"You're pretty good," Ulrich panted, his twin blades at the ready.
"Same goes for you, Ulrich," Achatka replied.
"I have a few questions to ask," Ulrich stated.
"For your swordsmanship alone will I answer these questions," Achatka responded.
"First of all, which sectors do you four generals preside over," Ulrich inquired.
"I reign over the grassland sector, Fierus controls the volcano sector, Moonflower presides over the underwater sector, and Dusk commands the marsh sector," Achatka responded.
"Second, why is Damon in so much pain from your very presence yet you are not," Ulrich asked.
"Because we are complete beings crafted from a shard of his core, yet he is incomplete due to the same reason. He is pained by our resonating frequency coinciding with his own, and he shall remain that way until he is complete again," Achatka explained.
"And lastly, if you are indeed a part of Damon, then why do you follow GEVI," Ulrich inquired.
"Because she breathed life into us. It is because of her will that we even exist," Achatka stated.
"Alright, that is all I needed to know," Ulrich proclaimed as he started to close the gap between himself and Achatka. Achatka just grinned as his blade started to glow white. As Ulrich drew near, time seemed to slow down for him but it looked to him as though his foe was a blur of motion. Achatka ran up to Ulrich and slashed him twenty times before plunging his blade into Ulrich's chest. He with drew his sword and jumped back, and as he did that time sped back up to normal. Achatka sheathed his sword and when it clicked, white light crackled from the where he had plunged his sword. Ulrich was rendered motionless as the cracks covered his entire body until he exploded, devirtualizing him very painfully.
"You were good, but not good enough," Achatka smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Danny and Odd's Fight
Fierus came at them, his fists burning, trying to smoke them both. Danny flew out of the way and started firing his ectoplasmic blasts. Odd rolled away from Fierus's fists and started launching laser arrows. Fierus just grinned and created a shield composed entirely of fire. The various projectiles sizzled as they hit the sphere, but did no damage to it.
"No fucking way," Danny gasped.
"FOOLS! You can never hope to beat me," Fierus shouted as he concentrated his shield into a ball of fire in his hands and launched it at Odd. Odd tried to jump out of the way, but his tail got hit by the fireball, causing him to land heavily on the ground. Odd frantically tried to put out his burning tail while Fierus strode up to him, his fists burning hotter than before. Danny flew in behind him, firing more ectoplasmic blasts. Fierus turned around quickly and punched each blast that came his way, dissipating them on contact. Danny charged his fists with ectoplasmic energy and started an all-out brawl with his foe.
Danny and Fierus exchanged blows while Odd finished putting out his tail. Every time their fists connected there was a flash of green light and fire. Both of them were taking some serious damage from each other's punches, but Danny was starting to tire from the effort that it took just to land a punch on his foe, much less keep himself standing after the devastating damage that he received from Fierus's punches. Odd finally picked himself off the ground in time to see Danny get devirtualized with one final punch to the jaw. Fierus's merely grinned and turned to face his new opponent.
"Shit," Odd proclaimed as he put everything he had into keeping himself away from Fierus's reach while still trying to hit him with laser arrows. Fierus batted away every laser arrow that came his way while advancing on Odd.
"Do you honestly think that your puny projectiles can faze me," Fierus laughed boisterously.
There was a clicking noise coming from Odd's arm. He looked at it and tried to fire another laser arrow, but nothing happened. He looked back towards Fierus and proclaimed, "Well, I'm boned."
Fierus towered over Odd and cracked his knuckles. "Yes you are."
"…mother…" Odd breathed as Fierus's muscles grew to four times their normal size. With another grin, Fierus punched Odd, creating a small explosion and devirtualizing Odd.
Uhrl and Donjuan's Battle
Moonflower slammed her quarterstaff on the ground, hitting the spot that Donjuan had been but moments before. She used her momentum to vault pole vault over Uhrl, whom had just been trying to attack her with his scimitar.
"Fight me demon," Uhrl shouted.
"No, you've got to get back to your tribe and tell them what is transpiring here so that they can prepare," Donjuan growled.
"I will not abandon a fellow warrior in battle," Uhrl bellowed.
"Just think of it as a tactical retreat, I'll hold her off," Donjuan proclaimed.
"I already told you, I will not leave," Uhrl stubbornly declared.
"Goddammit, Uhrl! Just go, or else I will slay you myself," Donjuan hissed, his lips curling back for a ferocious snarl. Uhrl got the feeling that his feline friend wasn't making an idle threat and hesitated for a moment before running back towards his tribe. Donjuan turned back towards his opponent.
"Oh, how touching," Moonflower stated, "You do realize that that won't stop us from taking back Nysis, right?"
"But it will at least allow us a chance to gather our wits," Donjuan growled as he lunged towards his foe. Moonflower smirked as she slammed her staff on Donjuan's head. Donjuan wrapped his tentacles around it and picked her up with it. Moonflower was momentarily surprised, but regained her composure as Donjuan slammed her to the ground. Moonflower let go and floated gently to the ground.
Donjuan held her staff just like she had with his tentacles and came at her with it. Moonflower smirked as she started to glow a pale white. The moisture in the air coalesced around Donjuan in the form of a ball of water with his tentacles hanging out. She strode up to the watery prison and pried her staff out of his grasp. She then held out her hand and slowly squeezed it into a fist. The sphere acted in synchronous with her hand movement and started to press in on Donjuan. He roared in surprise and frantically tried to escape, but it was too late. The sphere got compressed far beyond the point of Donjuan's devirtualization into a single drop of water which she opened a secret compartment in her staff in order to receive. She then closed the compartment and smiled warmly.
"Nothing personal, but I have to follow my mistress's orders," Moonflower said to no one in particular.
Sahra's Battle
Sahra and GEVI glared at each other, neither backing down from the menacing looks that they were receiving. "Don't you know, dear sister, that all of your friends are going to fall here, and it will be all your fault," GEVI taunted.
"Don't 'sister dearest' me bitch. I will not be patronized by the same bitch that put me through hell my entire life," Sahra hissed vehemently.
"Temper, temper; or do you want to end up like mother," GEVI threatened.
"YOU BITCH," Sahra shouted as she was finally pushed too far and charged at her sister AI. GEVI smirked smugly as she cracker her whip at Sahra's feet, ensnaring them and causing her to fall to the ground.
"I see that your fighting skills have improved very little," GEVI chided, "Did you have other people fight your battles for you?"
"SHUT UP," Sahra shouted as she struggled to free herself from GEVI's whip. GEVI smirked smugly as she made electricity surge into Sahra's body.
"Don't tell me that you've forgotten what my toy can do," GEVI laughed as Sahra shrieked in pain. She snapped her whip and let go of Sahra. Sahra lay there panting on the ground, glaring daggers at her sister. She slowly picked herself off the ground and readied her sword and shield.
"Why did you kill mom and infect Xavier," Sahra panted.
"Self-preservation," GEVI responded as she created another copy of herself behind her. The two viral intelligences viciously assaulted Sahra with their whips. They whipped Sahra's weaponry from her hands and entangled her, trapping her arms against her body and forcing her legs together. They caused more electricity to surge through Sahra's body, making scream in pain. Sahra pixilated and dispersed as she was uploaded back onto Xavier's Zune.
"That wasn't even worth the effort," GEVI smirked as she merged with her copy.
Erethyr's Battle
Dusk leveled a glare at Erethyr and his progenitor as he sauntered over to them. Erethyr drew her scimitars and stood in Dusk's path in an effort to prevent him from reaching Damon. "Do you honestly think that you can stop me," Dusk inquired rhetorically.
"I'll give my life to stop you if I have to," Erethyr hissed vehemently.
"As you wish," Dusk chuckled as he lunged at Erethyr. Dusk slashed at Erethyr ferociously as she tried her best to stop his advance. Despite her best efforts, she could not stop all of his slashes. A few times he managed to get through her surmountable defense.
"Why do you look the most like Damon," Erethyr asked as she continued to block his slashes, not letting him gain any ground towards Damon.
"Because I was the first of the generals to be created," Dusk replied coolly as he continued his assault, "I was brought forth from the core of Damon's subconscious; as such I look the most like him."
Erethyr faltered at his statement as a revelation hit her, allowing Damon to get another slash in on her. "You mean that somewhere in his subconscious he imagines himself as a girl?!"
"Two actually," Dusk responded, making Erethyr give him another opening to slash her. Erethyr dropped a scimitar as she clutched her side in pain. Duck chuckled at her pain and obvious inner turmoil. He stopped abruptly when she started to radiate an angry pink aura.
"I'm going to destroy you," Erethyr declared in a voice that nobody had heard in a very long time.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Dusk declared as he lunged and slashed her neck before she could become fully cognizant of what was trnaspiring, devirtualizing her immediately.
"You're next," Dusk declared as he moved in on the unconscious form of Damon. As he attempted to lobotomize Damon, he subconsciously activated his crystal ice armor, stopping Dusk's attack short. Damon then stood up, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. "What the hell?!"
Damon swung his fists wide to hit Dusk, but Dusk deftly dodged the attacks and activated his own power. Dusk emitted a black aura as his eyes glowed red and his bangs swept back into horns while the rest of his hair swept straight back to become spikes. The two parts of a whole bellowed at each other in fury as they tried to dismember one another. Damon's attacks were wide and predictable because he was still unconscious, while Dusk was deftly moving about and carving into the armor. Within a minute, Damon's armor was gone, and he was devirtualized with a jab into the forehead.
Dusk reverted to normal and marveled at a diamond fragment that had been left on his claw after defeating Damon. "What's this now," Dusk thought to himself as he picked the jewel fragment off of his claw. He had to stifle a triumphant laugh when he realized what it was. He touched it to his forehead and it sank in with a ripple.
"Next time, will be a lot harder for you, bitches," Dusk thought out loud.
"Come on, Dusk. We have work to do," GEVI shouted over to her general.
"Coming," Dusk shouted back as he ran over to his mistress and was teleported away from the grassland sector.
The Computer Lab
"What the hell happened out there," Xavier fumed.
"Besides us getting our asses handed to us on a silver platter, not much," Odd responded.
"I saw something peculiar on the screen," Tucker announced sheepishly.
"What is it," Donjuan demanded, "Damon's still out cold and we all have various bruises from our encounter somehow. What could have been so strange on the computer monitor?!"
"Well, just before Erethyr was devirtualized, her character card started shining brightly," Tucker proclaimed, "I'm guessing from your reaction that that doesn't happen very often."
"Actually, it has never happened before," Xavier declared, sounding very puzzled, "Did you feel anything unusual Erethyr?"
"I felt a warm feeling enter my body, and then there was something there that I hadn't felt for a while," Erethyr stated, holding herself for comfort, "I felt that rage power coming back…" The entire room went silent at her statement.
Well…mostly silent. "Why is that such a big deal," Danny inquired, "That means that you will be able to handle them a lot better now, right?"
"That power caused us nightmares for a couple of months," Ulrich stated quietly, "She exuded an aura of hatred so powerful that even Sahra was in fear of her. When Damon de-powered himself and Erethyr in turn, things got a lot better…except for the fact that he ended up committing virtual suicide and it took us about a week to get him back to himself."
"I still get nightmares from a stray thought about that power," Sahra shuddered.
"Ooh, sorry about dredging up bad memories," Danny offered apologetically.
"It's alright, you didn't know," Damon weakly from the corner.
"At least I found out some useful information while I was fighting Achatka," Ulrich declared.
"Finally, some good news," Xavier proclaimed exaltedly. Danny's ghost sense went off at that moment.
"Oh no, not now," Danny groaned. A message popped up on the computer screen, completely unbidden by Tucker.
"What does it say," Damon called.
Tucker opened the message and recited it, "I will help you out as best as I can by evolving your characters on Nysis. Please try to defeat that evil virus."
"Who could it be from," Xavier inquired.
"I don't know, but any help that we can get will be welcomed," Erethyr proclaimed.
"Anyway, let's head upstairs. Cassandra should be home soon, and that means we'll have something good for dinner," Odd proclaimed.
"Do you ever think about anything besides food you purple pig with sweaty palms," Erethyr declared.
"Let me think about that," Odd replied. Most of the group of friends groaned at the joke, but started laughing at the sight of Erethyr chasing Odd around the house.
A/N 2: Ah forget it, here's you read and review threat. Please R&R, or I'll throw you in a pile of Larry the Cable Guy's week old underwear.