I HATE MY PHONE! IT HAS SERIOUSLY DELETED MY WORK TWICE NOW! Anyways, this was originally a birthday chapter, but I couldn't get it work with the story.
Chapter 6: Holiday in the Fog
It was the evening before holiday break, and Ulrich, Odd, Jeremy, and myself were finalizing our plans for me and Jeremy to stay during the break. It was orginally going to only be Jeremy staying, but when we realized that I didn't have anywhere to stay, it was decided that I would stay as well.
"Let's go over this one last time." I said. "At 11 PM, Ulrich, Jeremy, and I will go over to our designated wall and begin painting it. Then, when we're almost done, Odd will wake up Jim using Kiwi, and Kiwi will lead Jim to Jeremy and me spraying the wall."
"Yep. That's about it." Jeremy said.
"God, I feel so bad planning this." I truthfully said.
"Why's that?" Odd asked.
"Well, I was Little Miss Try Never To Break The Rules." I said sheepishly.
"Even so, you're still better than Sissi!" Ulrich said, making us all laugh. I wiped a tear from my eye.
"Man, you guys might not be my old friends, but you've definitely got their humor!" I said.
Later that Night
Ulrich looked around the corner, then stepped forward, ushering to follow. We ran over to our designated wall and began spraying the spray paint. After a few minutes, we heard Kiwi barking in the distance. Ulrich took it as his cue to leave, and ran off while Jeremy and I finished our 'masterpiece'. As we were putting the finishing touches on, Jim ran by, chasing Kiwi.
"Jeremy! Emily! You mind telling what you two are doing up at this hour!?" He then noticed the picture. "And that! What is that supposed to be, huh!?" It was a picture of Jim with pink bunny ears, and making the goofiest face in existence. Needless to say, he was less than amused.
"If we had a little more time, we could've done the eyes better." Jeremy said, feigning innocence with the look in his face. Jim glared at both of us. Yeah, we were in trouble, big time.
Morning
"I hope this will teach you a lesson, you two." Mr. Delmas said as we walked out. "I don't understand, model students like yourselves, you should be ashamed of yourselves!"
"Uh, yes sir." Jeremy said. He closed the door as the others walked up to us.
"What'd he say?"
"Go on, tell us!"
"He gave us detention for the whole week of vacation." I said, pretending to be disappointed. We walked out of the office into the main entrance of the administration building.
"Cool! He really let you two have it." Odd said.
"As punishments go you two are champions!" Ulrich exclaimed.
"I'm sure that we couldn't have done better than that." Yumi said.
"Anyway, XANA won't be getting a vacation this time." Jeremy said with a smirk.
"And the best part is with me here, I'll be able to help quell any grief he may give us." I said as we walked out. Little did we know, that maybe we should've kept our conversation a little more quiet.
"Is it just me, or do Jeremy and Emily look happy that they're being punished?" Nicholas asked.
"Yeah, that's weird. It's almost like they wanted to be punished." Herb noted. "I din't get it."
"Me neither. And who's this XANA they were talking about?" Nicholas asked.
"Herb is right, it's even weirder than weird." Sissi said. "I'm gonna find out just what's going on."
"What're you gonna do? Don't you have to leave with your dad after school?" Nicholas pointed out.
"A little change in schedule." Sissi said, eyeing the door to her fathers office.
Outside
"You get to go and see your parents at the other end of the planet." Ulrich said, looking at Odd. "Yumi's off for vacation in the mountains, and what do I get? A whole week of math tutoring!" Odd slung his arm around Ulrich's shoulder, laughing.
"If they think they make a good student out of you in one week, well I say good luck to them! It sounds like mission impossible, if you ask me." Odd said with a grin.
"Are you sure you two can manage on your own, without us?" Yumi asked.
"Ah c'mon Yumi! Now that I know I can at least use lightning magic on Lyoko, XANA had best be afraid!" I said, punching the air.
"No sweat." Jeremy reassured her. "And if XANA leaves us alone, I'll be able to work in Aelita's materialization." He looked my way with a grin. "But even if he does attack, I know a certain mage who can handle things." I grinned in response and gave two thumbs up.
"Oh, don't worry, they won't be alone." An annoying voice said. "I'm staying at school too, and I'll look after them. I'll be their guardian angle."
"More like devil in disguise." I said. "Actually, scratch the disguise part."
"Wow, aren't you two lucky." Odd said sarcastically. During this event, we failed to notice Jim walking up to us.
"Alright you two, you think this wall's gonna clean itself? Get to work, NOW!" He yelled.
"Alright, Jim. C'mon Jeremy, let's get going." I looked at the others. "See you guys when you get back." Jeremy and I began walking over to the wall as Jim pointed out to Sissi that she was actually going to have to study.
When we got there, we found buckets and sponges already set up for us. We eached picked one up and began ti scrub.
"And this is why I recommended the use of chalk." I muttered. A few minutes later, Jim and Sissi came into the same area as well. Jim pulled the tab off of his soda and began to drink it.
"C'mon! You can do better than that! Put in a little more elbow grease!" Jim yelled. I scrubbed a little harder, and found that the m in Jim's name was starting to show a little sign of coming off. "How's that math problem? Making any progress solving it? I sure hope so." He asked Sissi.
"Um, I'm a little bit stuck here. Maybe if I give Jeremy and Emily some help." Sissi suggested. "My father says that manual labor is good for the brain!"
"Huh, I guess all kids aren't lazy after all!" Jim said. "Stay there, I'll go and get you a sponge."
"Can you bring us a step stool too? We can't clean the higher parts." I said, which he nodded at. As soon as he was gone, Sissi walked over to us.
"Oh, what a shame to have to wipe all that off. I guess I'm not the first one to recognize your 'talent'. It's really well done, a work of art." She said. "Oh, by the way, did you two do it alone, or did your friend XANA help you a little, huh!?" Jeremy visibly paled at the mention of XANA's name. We looked at each other with a worried glance.
"I heard you talking to your friends about XANA. Is she your girlfriend? Maybe I know her." Sissi said. "C'mon Jeremy, tell me!" Jeremy let out a frustrated sigh.
"XANA is the name of the villain in a game Jeremy and I play." I said. "Since you're not into gaming, you wouldn't know about it."
"Do you think I'm an idiot or something!?" She screeched. I shrugged.
"You said it, not me." I looked back and saw Jim approaching. "Now, get to work! You're the one who volunteered to help!"
Later that Night
"I know I'm on the right track, but I need the computer in the lab to check out the figures." Jeremy said, causing me to look up from the game I was playing. "I'm ginna head over to the factory."
"You should go to bed, Jeremy." Aelita suggested. "XANA seems to be stable. I don't feel any pulsations. And you know, it's not the end of the world if I stay virtual one more day."
"It might be the end of the world for Jeremy." I said with a grin. Jeremy sent a glare my way before continuing.
"Might be fine for you, but if you don't come soon, Emily and I are going to have to spend the rest of our vacation with Sissi and Jim. We'll never survive."
"Jeremy, thank you. Thank you for everything you're doing for me." Aelita thanked, making Jeremy look down and blush.
"That's ok."
Boiler Room
Jeremy and I managed to sneak out without any major problems. We were about to enter the sewers, when we heard a crashing sound in the storage room. We looked at each other warily, before we cautiously approached the door. Jeremy put his hand on the handle, and turned it. The room was filled with a purple gas that made us both cough heavily. Jeremy quickly closed the door, but we were still coughing. We failed to notice Jim approaching us from behind. We both yelled when we felt his hands on our shoulders.
"Now don't try to tell me you were sleep walking, because I've been working here for 20 years, and I heard that story about-"
"Jim! Something awful has happened! Take a look! In there!" Jeremy interrupted. When Jim opened the, however, all the gas had vanished.
"What the!? It looks like there was a hurricane in there!" Jim looked at us sternly. "This has better not been your doing!"
"But the smoke! It disappeared! That's weird, not even a trace." Jeremy noted, then looked at me, alarm written all over his face. "It's XANA!"
Jim then lead us back to Jeremy's room (I was given permission to stay in his room over the break).
"Don't you two even think about leaving this room. Tomorrow, I'm calling both of your parents." Jim warned. You two have got some explaining to do! I wouldn't want to be in your shoes!" Jim slammed the door shut before walking off. Jeremy mad a mad dash over to his computer
"Aelita! Come in, please, hurry!" Jeremy exclaimed. "We've got a big problem!"
"You're not the only ones. XANA's woken up!" Aelita informed us. "But I don't know which tower he's activated. But the pulsations converge in this direction."
"Ok, we'll sneak off ti the factory again." I said.
"Ok, I'm off." Aelita said.
Factory
Jeremy and I took the manhole entrance this time around. We entered the elevator, and went down to the lab.
"It's even worse than I thought! The spilled bottles contains an extremely poisonous substance." Jeremy explained. "If the data from the computer is right, the gas can even be deadly in in cases of extended inhalation!" Suddenly the computer beeped. "Bingo! Aelita, I found the tower. 37 degrees south in the Forest Sector
"Ok, I'm on my way. But I'm nowhere near it, and I'm going to need some help." Aelita said.
"I know three volunteers who 'd be happy to cut their vacation short and help." Jeremy said. I sent a text to Ulrich, and Jeremy said he would call Yumi and Odd.
"Jeremy, I'm coming into the Forest Sector now." Aelita informed us.
"Yumi, Ulrich, and Odd should be there very soon. Be careful Aelita, there are bound to be monsters around there." Jeremy removed his earpiece. "We'd better go back to the school. Sissi and Jim might be in trouble."
School
Jeremy and I ran as fast as we could back to the school.
"Sissi? Jim? Where are you?" Jeremy shouted. We both gulped when we saw the gas surround us. I covered my mouth and nose with the hood of my jacket, which was surprisingly rather effective. I didn't inhale as much smoke as Jeremy. Jeremy was on his hands and knees a minute later, crawling out of the smoke with my help.
"Jeremy!" Ulrich exclaimed, and ran over to help me. We carried him over to the park.
"Jim, and Sissi, are still inside. We've got to find them." Jeremy said weakly.
"I'll go!" Ulrich volunteered, and ran off into the gas.
"Ulrich, wait!" Yumi exclaimed, but it was too late. Ulrich was already gone.
"Maybe I should've given him my jacket. It proved ti be rather effective against breathing in the gas." I wondered. Yumi and I helped Jeremy walk until we ran into Odd, who jumped down from a tree.
"Odd! You got here in the nick if time!" Yumi exclaimed.
"Where's Ulrich?" Odd asked.
"He decided to play hero and to try and save Sissi and Jim." I explained.
Lab
We managed to make to the factory without any major issues.
"A strange and toxic smoke, whose origins are unknown. The elderly and children are advised to stay indoors-" Yumi turned off the newscast.
"Odd, help me get over to the computer, and get ready to dive in." Jeremy said, as he was leaning against the wall, still recovering from the gas attack. "Stop looking at me! C'mon! There's no time to lose!" Odd nodded and helped Jeremy over to the chair while Yumi and I went down to the scanners. Odd soon joined us as we stepped in. "Transfer, Yumi. Transfer, Odd. Transfer, Emily. Scanner, Yumi, Scanner Odd. Scanner, Emily. VIRTUALIZATION!
The three of us landed in the Forest Sector.
"Where do we go now?" Odd asked.
"The activated tower is over this way!" Aelita said, emerging from behind a tree. We turned around to greet her.
"Hi Aelita. Have you seen any monsters?" Yumi asked.
"Not yet."
"Guess you didn't look very hard!" Odd exclaimed, pointing at the approaching Roachsters. We each readied our weapons for the fight.
"Ulrich! Do you copy? How's it going!?" Jeremy asked.
"Still nothing. I've been through most of the building." Ulrich said, coughing in between sentences.
"Ulrich, get out of there! You can't stay in that smoke any longer! It's too dangerous! And they may be outside already!"
"I'll try one last room, then I'll go." Ulrich promised.
"Ulrich! Get out of there right now!" He heard no response. "Ulrich!? What's going on!? Answer me!" He pushed one of his keys. "Look, I don't mean to rush you, my friends, but it's getting kind of urgent here!"
"What about us!?" Odd protested. "What do you think we're doing!? Getting a suntan!?" He dodged a few lasers before firing a laser arrow. Yumi threw one of her fans at a Roachster, and destroyed it. Odd dodged a fee more lasers again, before getting hit in the chest. Aelita tried to go over and make sure he was ok, but a Roachster fired its laser first, making Yumi push her out of the way and to take the hit.
"You ok, Yumi?" Jeremy asked.
"No broken bones yet!" She replied.
"Take good care of Aelita!" I fired a thunderbolt in the direction of our minster friends, and hit one of them. I was then hit in the leg, forcing us to take cover behind a tree.
"The only way to access the tower is via a tree bridge, but it happens to be behind the monsters, so you're going to have to find a way around them!" Jeremy informed us. Yumi looked over at a nearby rock, and an idea formed.
"I might have a way to take care of the monsters. You two take Aelita to the tower." We nodded and started to take off.
"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired an arrow at another Roachster that tried to follow us. We took off as Yumi used her telekinesis on the rock. She lifted it up and dropped it in front of the monsters, then jumped on top of it. She threw her fan, but it missed, and she was shot twice.
"Yumi!" Jeremy exclaimed. "If she gets hit one more time..." She was indeed hit one more time. "Odd! Emily! Hurry up!"
We ran up to the tower, but there was no way to get into it.
"Well, how do we get out of this scenario?" I asked.
"You two take care of the monsters, I'll make a way into the tower." I pulled out my staff again and Odd readied his arm. The Roachster fired several times, as even aimed at Aelita at one point. Odd protected her by taking the hit however. While he was down though, the Roachster went up to Aelita and prepared to fire.
"Hey you!" I called out. "That's right, you!" The Roachster looked my way. "Magic Blast!" I killed it, but I was devirtualized in the process. But Aelita was in the tower, that was what mattered. As soon as she entered the code, Jeremy prepared the return trip.
"Aelita! Hurry up!" Jeremy urged. As soon she was done, he hit enter. "Return ti the past, now!"
The Night Before
We were back to spraying the walk again, but with a nicer design in mind this time.
"I don't understand why you insist on getting punished with detention again, Jeremy." Ulrich said. "C'mon, XANA's not gonna retry this attack. You could give yourself a short vacation."
"Not as long as Aelita stay virtual." Jeremy protested. "And this time, to tell you the truth, considering what we've painted, Jim can't be too angry!" This time, we painted Jim wearing a crown. We heard Kiwi barking again, but Ulrich stopped before he took off.
"Come to think of it, I'm gonna stick around." He decided. "Anything is better than another one of Ms. Schmits math lessons, even this!" Jeremy and I grinned as we put on the finishing touches. Then, we saw Jim run by.