Chapter 20
The Underground
The Transfer Sphere rose up from the edge of the forest sector. The gang stood and watched as the bright white ball with the Xana symbol on it. Settled down upon them, and with a white glow; opened up and absorbed them inside it. To the gang it felt like they where in an elevator. Odd however had a bit of a weak stomach, he always felt a little queasy from the ride.
The sphere dropped down into the digital sea. It fell for a few minutes until it hit another sector. A large opening in the floor of the sea lead into a tube line entrance that lead to a cave like room. The room had a single beam of light shinning down from the ceiling. The room had a pool of water around it with a single section of land connected to the room's entrance with a single rock like bridge.
The sphere landed on the middle platform of the room and vanished, revealing the gang. Odd fell to his hands and knees as he held is stomach.
"Oh I forgot this feeling" Odd squealed as he stood up slowly. The gang looked around the cave as they took in the sights. The cave walls looked like a scene from a movie or a video game. The walls were back and brown, with stalactites' hanging from the ceiling. Their where several crystal like structures on the walls as well. And their was also some stalagmites on the ground which held some type of crystal in place. These crystals glowed enough to light up the whole room.
The gang looked around in aww as they took in the sights. "OOOO pretty lights." Odd joked as Ulrich stepped off the platform and onto the bridge.
"Ok I have the halo map of the sector on. It's huge! It's almost the same size as sector 5. Can you guys give me a visual?" Jeremy asked. Aelita concentrated for a second. A video screen opened up on Jeremy's computer, revealing to him the entire room. "Incredible! It looks even better then the other sectors."
The gang walked across the bridge and into the next room. The room didn't have an opening in the ceiling like the last room. The ceiling glowed Blue with several large crystal's hanging from the roof. Each the size of a car. The floor was laid out like the forest sector. With winding Path's leading to various other area's. Only these paths were actually wide and opened unlike the forest sector. The walls where Granite colored
With the occasional root pattern. On the floor their where stalagmites and the occasional mound of dirt with a type of glowing moss on it. The paths where aligned with several random mushrooms and other fungus like plants. The 5 teenagers took in the sites with several Oh's and Awe's. Yumi Whistled at the size and sites of the room. William walked over and touched one of the crystals that where giving off light. It rippled as he touched it. It reminded him of water. Aelita panned around as she continued to show Jeremy the sites from the video link. Jeremy was amazed by the size and majesty of the sector. If there was ever a time he wanted to go to Lyoko. Now was that time.
William walked towards the edge of the path they where on and looked down towards the bottom. Unlike the other sectors this apparently had a bottom. A river even ran through the bottom sector.
"Ok guys. I got a good look at the map and it looks like the cave sector has about 7 towers and the Pyramid I mentioned earlier. In order to input your Virtual DNA so you can devirtualize and arrive on earth. You need to go to one of those towers. Once their, Aelita will input your DNA so that you guys are all set" Jeremy said as he clicked on the closets tower near them. "But be careful. Xervix might already know you guys are there. And the last thing I think you guys need is to run into him again."
The words from Jeremy's mouth made the team shutter from the thought of another Xervix fight. "Last thing I need to see is that Wired looking…..Demon guys face." Odd said.
"That made my whole body hurt just from thinking about it." Yumi said. "So Jeremy, how about some new vehicles. I want to see what Williams's ride looks like."
"Ten dollars it's a pair of roller blades." Ulrich joked to which the gang giggled.
"Sorry guys. Until Aelita can register your DNA on the sectors main frame Hub. I can materialize your vehicles either. So it looks like you guys will have to traverse the area the old fashioned way." Jeremy said.
"Well a little exercise never hurt anyone" Yumi joked as she and Aelita began to run down the path with Ulrich and Odd behind them. William covered the rear.
"Yeah but it's usually what we run into during the exercise that does." Aelita remarked as the 5 teens ran along the path.
The gang continued to take in the sites of the cave as they ran. They where able to get a better look at the river that ran along the bottom of the area. Along with various sparkling colors along the wall. Odd couldn't help but take in the sights.
"Reminds me of a level off Metroid Prime or Gears of War" Odd noted as Ulrich nodded.
"First Locust that jumps out, I'm looking for a lancer" Ulrich joked
"Don't tell me your talking about that stupid 360 game you guys play with Hiroki is you?" Yumi asked. "I don't get the whole underground alien thing."
"I've never been into video games as much as every one else has. Theirs some I like but then theirs games like that Halo which is just plain stupid and over ratted. Plus the one that's like the online RPG." William added.
Odd looked towards William as he tried to contemplate what William just said.
"William. Has it ever occurred to you that you're in a video game styled world right now?" Odd said.
"Ok so there is one game I play." William joked.
"I've always been more of a Nintendo fan. Jeremy's parents got one of those Wii's. It's pretty fun." Aelita added.
Jeremy typed in a series of commands as he listened to the group's discussion. He looked at the map as he suddenly noticed a spit path coming up on their right side.
"Sorry to break up the conversation guys but it seems like the path you guys are one splits in two directions. One goes to the tower while the other heads up towards a cliff area over looking the river."
The gang finally came to the path Jeremy mentioned. "Well if one path leads to the tower and the other heads towards the river. Lets head to the one with the tower first." Yumi said.
"Okay lets head to the tower." Odd said.
"Actually I don't need every one to come to the tower with me. I can just link up the tower to the computer terminal at the lab so that Jeremy can download the DNA for each of us in seconds." Aelita said.
"So some of us can go and check the river while the rest of us head to the tower. It would also help us with the terrain a little better" Ulrich said as he pointed towards the river. "Ok seeing as how Xervix is after Aelita. William and Odd will go with Aelita to the tower. Yumi and I will go to the river side and check it out cool?"
"Cool" the others said simultaneously.
"So princess. Your knights in shining armor will escort you to the ball." Odd joked as he bowed his head. Aelita mealy giggled a little as William rolled his eyes at the lame joke. Yumi and Ulrich started sprinting towards the river area. All the while. Two dark figures watched from the shadows.
Near the top of the roof to the sector, a large stone perch sat nestled between two stalactites'. From that point, the two watchers prepped their attack.
"Il takes the 3 heading towards the tower" One voice said in a deep monotone voice to the other as he stood up from a crouching position. "You can take the two heading towards the river. Remember, we need the purple one, yellow one, and the tall girl in one piece."
"I should have known you would want to take on the original Tartarus." Aether replied with a sneer on his face. Aether stretched out his arms as a pair of silver colored lights, shot out from under his arms. These lights suddenly formed a pair of silver wings that extended from under his arms. He jumped off the balcony and flew off into the darkness of the cave's ceiling. Tartarus merely stepped into a darker shadow and slowly melted away from plain view.
Aelita, Odd, and William arrived at the tower, the large white; cigarette looking object had sat on a large cliff overlooking a large fungus forest. Which consisted of large towering mushrooms like trees and several layers of moss? Odd and William took a quick look around before Odd entered the tower. Whenever Odd entered a tower, he felt like he was passing through a wall of gell-o. He almost wanted to stick his tongue out and taste it. As he entered the tower, he cocked one of his arm cannons and pointed it around the room. Nothing, the room was clear. Odd stuck on of his arms out of the wall and gave thumbs up. Aelita entered the room next, followed by William.
The trio rose to the top floor of the tower. Aelita approached the terminal and pulled up several hollow screens. She flexed her finger tips as she began typing in several commands and pulling up several programs. Back in the lab Jeremy prepared to scan William and Odd's DNA.
"Ready guys?" Aelita asked.
"This isn't going to hurt is it?" William asked.
Suddenly William and Odds feet left the floor as a stream of light surrounded them. And engulfed them with a bluish light ring. As soon as it began the light faded and the two boys found themselves standing on the floor again.
"You tell me." Aelita joked as she prepared to transfer Ulrich and Yumi's DNA.
"Wait a minute. Don't Ulrich and Yumi need to be in the tower for them to get scanned?" Odd asked.
"I don't need to. Aelita is accessing the super computer's DNA reader, which allows you to enter Lyoko and gain your abilities." Jeremy said as he finished prepping for Ulrich and Yumi's turn. "Ulrich, Yumi. Were ready to download your DNA to the Sectors mainframe. Are you ready?" Jeremy asked.
Ulrich and Yumi both came to a stop as they looked around the area they were at. After giving the area a clean sweep, they looked at each other and nodded.
"Were ready Jeremy." Yumi replied.
The same action that happened to Odd and William happened to Ulrich and Yumi. Their feet left the ground as a ring of light moved up and down their bodies. After they landed, the light flew at tremendous speeds to the tower and entered the tower through the ceiling. The light hit the center of the floor and was read by the computer. Accepting Ulrich and Yumi's DNA.
"Ok that's everyone." Aelita said.
"Wait a minute. What about you?" William asked.
Aelita walked to the center of the room and stood in the middle. Her feet left the platform as she rose in the air. The same ring that scanned the others appeared above her and moved up and down as it scanned her DNA. As the light faded, Aelita slowly descended to the ground. She opened her eyes and Smiled towards William.
"You're all set Aelita." Jeremy said over the intercom.
"Thank you Jeremy."
"Don't worry. You'll know the answer to questions like that soon enough." Odd said as he elbowed William
William rubbed the back of his head as he realized what had just happened. "I should have seen that coming shouldn't I?" The tall boy said.
"Heck any one with glasses could have seen that. No offense Jeremy." Odd remarked.
"None taken Odd. But I got a kind of issue here. Their appears to be a few monsters in your area. You better go out and regroup with Ulrich and Yumi." Jeremy said
"Have you told Yumi and Ulrich?" Aelita asked.
"I just did. Head back to the fork in the road and meet them there. It's time to investigate that pyramid."
The 3 warriors landed on the lower platform and made their way outside. Jeremy monitored them from the lab as he scratched the back of his neck; the new sweater his mother got him was still scratchy. His mother had sent him a new turtle neck to replace the old brown one that was thrown away when he was cut by the shard of glass. This sweater was of course…Blue. With a light blue arrow like design pointing downwards. The arrow stretched around the front and back. The others liked it because Jeremy actually looked good in it. Yet they said that if he got rid of the khaki pants and got some jeans that he would look a lot better.
William and Odd stepped outside first, followed by Aelita. Once they stepped outside, they noticed a figure standing just outside near the tower's entrance. It wore a black hood with metallic armor on his chest. It was primarily black with hints of red along its sides and near its chest It looked like a pair of snakes wrapping around the Xana symbol, on his hands where spiked gauntlets and on his ankles where the same spikes, sitting on top of his metal boots, which where black with hints of red.
Behind the figure where 4 sentry's and 2 tarantula's. Behind them were a Defender and a Scyphozoa. Aelita's heart froze as she heard the squid like monster growl and moan as it hovered in the back ground.
Odd and William stood in front of Aelita. William reached around his back and pulled out his sword, Odd cocked one of his arm cannons and pointed it straight at the figure.
"So...Xervix was it. Back for round 2? Where the points double and the score get higher?" Odd asked.
The figure just stood and watched.
"So do you want what's behind door number 1." Odd asked.
"Or door number 2?" William asked. In the back ground Aelita held up her hand as a pink glow emitted from it.
"That face…that was once mine." The figure said . "That voice, those eyes. That was once mine. I was once Human. Or I thought I was."
Odd and the others looked at each other for a minute. Jeremy was paying close attention to the figure as he tracked Yumi and Ulrich at the river. They had gotten a little lost and where looking for an exit to get back to the fork.
"Ulrich, Yumi. Aelita and the others have a problem. There is a small army of monsters standing in front of the tower. You need to get back there as fast as possible." Jeremy said.
Ulrich and Yumi where standing on a hill overlooking the river. Next to them a giant mushroom glowed yellow as the two teens began to run even faster back to the tower.
"We copy Jeremy, where on our way." Yumi said.
Ulrich suddenly noticed something moving beneath the surface of the ground. Ulrich quickly grabbed Yumi's hand and pulled her to a stop.
"What are you doing?" Yumi asked as her voice was a little high from the running.
"Look" Ulrich said as a large bump appeared a few feet in front of them. The ground suddenly shook as a large crack ran across the ground.
"Jeremy! Are you seeing this?" Ulrich asked as he drew his swords.
Jeremy noticed the area where some kind of hole was beginning to appear. Suddenly the hole filled up with several dots."
"Ulrich, Yumi. Look out! It's an ambush!"
Suddenly the hole burst open, revealing a large drill like instrument came out of it, along with two long pink legs. And a capsule like body.
"The Kalamar!!!!" Ulrich shouted as Yumi drew her fans. The Kalamar stepped out of the hole along with 3 sentries' and a Scyphozoa.
As Ulrich and Yumi prepared to defend their position they realized the monsters where standing out of position, they weren't attacking or anything.
"Why are they just standing there?" Yumi asked. Yumi noticed a strange noise coming from behind, it sounded like flapping. She turned around in time to see a shadow flying straight at them.
"GET DOWN!!!!!!!" Yumi shouted as she tackled Ulrich to the ground. The shadow flew right into the direction they were standing at. As it came into the light it shimmered and glowed a silver color, it landed right next to the newly arrived army and folded his wings under his arms.
"Expecting someone else?" The silver armored figure said as the wings retracted from his arms. It stood in front of the monster army and stared at the couple. Ulrich pulled out both his blades as Yumi crouched down low to the ground and prepared to throw one of her fans at the monster.
"Who are you?" Ulrich demanded.
The monster slowly raised his hand in the air as he dangled his fingers in the air. "Do you feel it? It's there. Drifting slowly. The sky, the sky of our lives."
The monster suddenly leapt into the air and landed on the kalamar's head.
"It's the same sky that has existed for many years. It has covered the heads of many creatures. It's witnessed the end of many civilizations. And it will soon witness the end of yours. I am the one who harness's its power. I can control it. I am the sky samurai. I am Aether."
Jeremy ran a quick bios can on Aether. He saw that his life points where pretty low. But his agility and stamina gauge was off the charts."
"Guys be careful. This Aether guy is extremely agile and fast. Most likely it's for his air speed but still. He may be worse on the ground; I suggest you keep him on the ground to prevent him from flying." Jeremy said
Yumi looked square at Aether and stared him right in the eye. "What do you want? Do you want Aelita? Because she isn't here if you noticed."
"It's not what I want, it's what I demand. Lord Xervix demands scans of DNA"
Aether jumped in the air and landed on the ground with his knee, He slowly looked up and smiled a little. Yumi Pulled out both of her fans as Ulrich readied to attack.
"This I hope will hurt you quite a lot. You dirty little land walkers" Aether replied.
Suddenly Ulrich felt a whip like strike hit him in the back. He flew towards the nearby wall and slammed into the rock wall. Yumi turned around in time to see the scyphozowa standing behind her. It attempted to warp its tentacles around her. But Yumi managed to toss a fan at it. The fan sliced through one of the squid's tentacles and came back to Yumi like a boomerang. She threw it again at the monster. Only to see a thin orange red laser slice through the fan, slicing it in half. Yumi turned to see Aether's mouth glowing red. Suddenly Yumi felt cold and numb. Her eyes panned around to see the scyphozowa had a hold of her. Its two main tentacles reached out and touched her forehead. She suddenly felt the same sensation she had felt before. The same sensation Aelita had felt several times before. First, everything got quite. Then she felt cold and alone, vulnerable. She felt like there was some kind of stalker or predator watching her. She felt as if every single fear she ever knew or was afraid of had happened. The fear of being alone, losing her family, losing her friends, and more importantly. Losing Ulrich.
Jeremy typed in several commands as a screen appeared, revealing Yumi's condition. He noted all brain waves where firing off. But the strangest thing was that the squid wasn't removing any memory from her brain, and it wasn't inserting a virus or any type of harmful object. It seemed to be scanning her DNA. It wasn't removing it. Just scanning it.
Ulrich stood up and felt a sudden swell of anger rise inside him. He ran towards the scyphozoan. The two Sentry's started to fire at him; he reflected two shots and jumped over one. He ran towards the nearest sentry and threw out his blade as he ran by it. The sentry jerked a little and looked his way. As it prepared to fire it suddenly split in half and exploded. Ulrich ran over and dropped kicked the second sentry to the ground, he then jumped on top of it and attempted to slice his sword into its chest, the Sentry grabbed the blade and tried to push the sword away from it. But Ulrich shook the blade loose and slammed it into the Sentries chest. Causing it to explode. He then turned his attention to the approaching Kalamar. It raised one of its arms and swung it at him. Ulrich jumped out of the way and cut the kalamars arm off. Ulrich then jumped onto the second arm and ran up its arm to the top. He then jumped high in the air and threw his second sword at the Xana symbol. The Kalamar shifted as the sword missed its mark. Ulrich landed on the ground and ran to grab his sword. He then faced the Kalamar.
"Triplicate" Ulrich shouted as he split into 3 Ulrich's. One ran straight towards the Kalamar while the other two ran to its sides. The Kalamar slammed its arm into one of the Ulrich clones. The others swiped at its legs as it teetered over to the ground. As the Kalamar screamed as Ulrich walked up and stabbed it in the Xana eye. Causing it to explode. The two last Ulrich's fused together and turned to face Aether. Who was clapping.
"Let her go" Ulrich said in a firm voice.
Aether continued to clap. "Bravo comrade. It's true that love is the ultimate weapon….and the ultimate weakness. Love is nothing more than a sick human emotion. So sick that if I could, I would have thrown up by now."
"LET HER GO YOU BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!" Ulrich shouted at the top of his lungs.
Aether slowly turned and looked at the Scyphozowa as it continued to work its magic on Ulrich's girlfriend.
"If you harm one hair on her head, I swear to god himself I will tear you and your boss to pieces."
Aether turned to look at Ulrich. "Very well" Aether drew out two long daggers and looked at Ulrich. "You want her? Come get her." Aether said as he pointed one dagger at him.
Ulrich ran towards Aether as Aether ran towards him. Aether suddenly jumped into the air and flew towards Ulrich. Ulrich flipped his sword around and held it so the blade pointed towards his left. He jumped in the air and clashed swords with Aether. Aether blocked one sword with his dagger. Ulrich tried to swipe at Aether with the other. Only to find his sword blocked by Aether's helmet.
Ulrich landed on the ground as Aether flew around in a circle. He flew back towards Ulrich and aimed right towards the yellow samurai. He opened his mouth as a beam fired towards Ulrich. Ulrich leapt out of the way as the beam chiseled a red hot streak into the floor. Aether pulled up and dive bombed Ulrich. Ulrich Jumped up into the air, close enough to see Aether's face. He punched the monster right in the jaw. Aether tumbled and rolled as he flew into the wall.
"Jeremy! How's Yumi?" Ulrich asked as he ran over towards the Scyphozowa.
"It's not doing anything to her from what I can see on my angle. But you better hurry. Quick!!!" Jeremy replied
Ulrich ran halfway to Yumi when Jeremy yelled at him.
"Ulrich Look out!!!"
Aether slammed into Ulrich and knocked his swords out of his hands. Ulrich fell to the ground as Aether ran up and grabbed his shoulders. He held Ulrich up and pointed him towards the Squid and Yumi. Ulrich tried to wiggle free but he couldn't.
"Just watch the show. It will be all over soon. Then it's your turn."
Then suddenly it was over.
The scyphozowa realsed Yumi and laid her on the ground. Yumi sighed a little as she tried to recuperate. Her head felt like someone drove a nail through it.
Jeremy ran a scan on her. She was fine. Her memory was intact, her DNA in one piece. She checked out ok. Then he realized what was going on. He scrolled over to Aelita's group; they were still under a lot of fire.
"Aelita. Ulrich and Yumi are in trouble. There's a scyphozoan and some new monster like warrior attacking them. Yumi was juts released and its Ulrich's turn. I think their making copies of their DNA. As to why I don't know entirely. One of you better gets over there and helps out."
A Sentry exploded as Odd shot it 4 times in the chest. William slammed his sword into the ground as He and Aelita took cover behind it.
"That's going to be a little hard Jeremy. This Darth Vader guy isn't giving us a chance either." Aelita replied with a sign of distress in her voice.
"Next!!!!!" Aether shouted, like a nurse in a doctor's office. He pushed Ulrich towards the scyphozowa. It caught him and lifted him into the air. Ulrich felt the same searing pain and numbness that Yumi had just felt. Aether began to clap quietly. Like a golf clap.
Aether slowly turned around and looked at Yumi. "Now for you."
Aether slowly approached the still unconscious Yumi.
"Yumi wake up!" Jeremy shouted into the microphone. "Yumi please wake up. Ulrich needs you."
Yumi continued to lay their unconscious as Ulrich's session began. She slowly started to stir a little as her fingers began to twitch. Her eyes twitched a little. Aether stood over the sleeping ninja and opened his mouth and aimed at Yumi, his mouth glowed as he prepared to fire.
"All too easy." Aether said.
"YUMI!!!!!!!!!!!!" Jeremy shouted.
Yumi suddenly jumped off the ground and flipped in midair as the laser shot hit the point where her head once laid. Yumi landed on her hands and spring boarded into Aether's face. Aether didn't even hit the ground, his wings spread from under his arms and he flew off and landed on a nearby rock. Yumi pulled out her fans and stared right at Aether.
"You hurt me. Now Ulrich! No seriously, you're screwed. Il trash you for this" Yumi spread her right leg so that she was extremely close to the ground.
"Interesting. That's just what your boyfriend said before I subdued him."
Aether pulled out his blades and pointed one at Yumi. 'Show me what you got my little Asian." Aether challenged in a whiney squeaky voice.
Yumi yelled loudly as she threw one of her fans at Aether. Aether jumped off the rock and flew towards the other end of the cave. He circled back and dove towards Yumi. His mouth opened as a stream of red energy flew out of his maw and scorched the ground next to Yumi. She threw her second fan at Aether as he flew over head. The fan went behind him as Aether turned to laugh at her. The fan ricochet off a rock and hit one of Aether's wings. Aether tumbled and fell to the ground as Yumi caught her fan. Aether hit the ground head first as he slammed into the hard cold floor.
"No one talks to Ulrich like that in front of me.' Yumi said.
Aether stood up and looked at his wing. There was a large tear in it.
"Dirty earth walker!!!!! You will pay for that! Aether shouted as he ran towards Yumi screaming loudly. Yumi ran towards him two. She yelled as if she was squaring off with someone in her Pancake salt class. The two jumped in midair as they prepared to hit each other., all Jeremy could do was watch.
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man it is hard to create a new sector, harder then the story, harder then the monsters. harder then.....getting a girlfriend!
but i did it.
Inspiration for the sector came from gears of war 2. metroid prime, resistance 2, and god of war.
pluse i had to get the Titans thier debut
And come on. the gang has to play video games, and i think Aelita would more then likely be the best one of them.
REVIEW OR THE LOCUST FROM GEARS OF WAR WILL ATTACK!!!!!!!!!!!!