Disclaimer: Same old thing.

A/N: I have a crap load to say before we get to the actual chapter. Sorry for that. But it's nothing really serious anyways.

First I'd like to say that school started and they already forced two projects on me so I have to do those before I do anything else.

Also, I drew pictures for this fic, they are currently on my deviant account (if you are interested) the link is on my profile page. Next… well, I was original going to write something different for this chapter but decided that I rather do something more exciting for chapter 10! Because you know… it is… 10.

I might have gotten a little over excited though…

Chapter 10: Frustration and Desperation.

--

I know what you want.

Come to the Hermitage,

And you can know as well.

Sissi stared at the note in her hands with growing aggravation. Her hands started to shake and her teeth ground together as she stared at the perfectly aligned print. If this was a joke from Odd she would wring his neck.

Only Odd would say something like this…

After insisting that Sissi was missing the one thing she demanded most from her life. This must be his way, to get her to talk to him after she told him off earlier. The nerve of that boy! This was the last thing she wanted to deal with on this day.

She better go and give him a more stern verbal beating.

Obviously the last one didn't make it though that thick skull of his.

Scowling she crumbled the paper in her clenched fist.

This time he'd get it! She'd make sure he never messed with her life again, even if she had to crush every feeling he had. It didn't even matter if he never got over it, she just wanted him to stop complicating her life, she wanted him out of it.

Even if the last thing she ever got to say to him was: Go away.

"I can't stand seeing her like… that."

Odd scowled at his own words as he skipped out of the remainder of lunch. He had the inkling feeling that he just had to get out of there, the moment the girl (of his currents thoughts) sulked out of the building.

Anything to get away from the invisible rain cloud she left behind.

He heard Aelita call after him but he was already around the corner and her footsteps thudded off in the opposite direction when he didn't reply. It occurred to him that he should probably head back and explain himself or something… but he just kept walking.

There was this awful urge to talk to Sissi.

--

Her room was just a few doors down-- around the corner.

This was when a student of Yumi's grade level brushed past him. This meaningless face wouldn't have caught Odd's attention at all if not for the vast amount of room in this hall. The stranger could have easily steered clear of him. And as such Odd stopped and turned around, wondering just what they wanted.

Whatever he was expecting… this wasn't it.

They looked back and for a second their eyes met and behold… that it was Xana's symbol that stared back.

Odd was absolutely certain.

At least in that split second before pain exploded through his head and his vision went black.

He awoke with a haze plastered to his mind, which made it increasingly difficult to understand his blurred surroundings. He could just faintly make out the rectangle ceiling lights and realized he was laying on his back-- in the middle of an empty hallway.

There was no way he could have been out very long…

And there was no way that could have been XANA if he was still alive, intact, and not held captive.

Maybe he had just fallen asleep? Yeah right… and Sissi was going to admit she was over Ulrich. In the seriousness of the situation Odd resisted from rolling his eyes.

Instead he sat up pressing his hands to the back of his head where a splitting headache was forming.

"Ouch…" He muttered mutely as he supplied a small amount of pressure. His fingertips suddenly felt a sickly damp but his fuzzy mind couldn't connect the dots, at least until he lowered his hands in front of his face.

Blood?

Odd bit his lip and dug his hand into his pocket, silently wondering about the lack of communication from the Lyoko warriors. Did they not know about Xana yet? Or was it something else.

Jeremie should of contacted him by now.

Not that Odd was worried. Odd had COMPLETE confidence in his friends.

So, no. Odd had no doubt that his friend's were at least still alive.

He was sure his phone had been in this pocket but it wasn't. Maybe he was wrong-- he just wasn't thinking straight, he was feeling pretty drowsy. All these excuses but it didn't explain why his phone wasn't in his other pocket either. He always kept it on his person.

Something was happening. He needed to tell Jeremie. He needed to get to the factory.

He bolted up but staggered abruptly sideways, loosing his footing. He threw out his hand in a feeble attempt to keep himself from smacking into the wall. And half slumped against it, he dragged himself along for support.

Never mind, he probably couldn't make it that far.

What he needed to do now was review his options.

Where could he get his hands on a phone? --Nearly tripping over his own feet, he held closer to the wall-- Preferably somewhere close by.

Then it clicked… Sissi!

She would have a cell phone. He forced his pace to quicken, the ground seemingly bucking beneath him.

"This… must bew la-ike to chalk on the o… oh-cean's sur…" His head racked pain and his eyes stung as the words fell heavily from him lips. The letters sounded dragged from one to the next and made little sense to him.

He stumbled again, grabbing the doorknob before he crashed forward into it. He widened his stance as his knees threaten to buckle together and thumped his fist against the door. "Sissi! Sissi!" Wait… he wasn't even suppose to be talking to her.

What if she slapped him again?

What if her father called the police?

Hesitatingly he took a few steps back.

Still something was screaming from the back of his bumbled thoughts that none of that mattered right now. But he was having a hard time grasping this concept. He couldn't even tell if he was at the right door as he stumbled forward once more, but luckily it was unlocked.

"S-sissi?" She wasn't there.

And he may not have found Sissi but he found something else, as he fell blindly forward onto her bed.

A crinkle of paper, and all his concussion induced drowsiness floated away.

Jeremie sat in front of the three screens, fingers running over the keys as he examined their situation.

Odd wasn't answering his mobile regardless of how many times Jeremie called it. Which was strange because with exception of that time that Odd was unconscious and Sissi was dragging him through the forest he always answered.

But he had been acting kind of strange lately. Maybe it did have to do with Xana…

But what could be keeping him, short of possession? Which didn't work on them.

It'd be quicker to just deactivate the tower then to ponder this right now.

"You guys find that tower yet?"

Elisabeth 'Sissi' Delmas soon found that Hermitage was a maze of sorts.

Once she entered she had quickly become lost in the intertwinement of rooms.

She was growing increasingly unsettled in the gloomily and deserted atmosphere. It felt like someone was trickling their fingers down her spine-- and every now and again she swore, she saw something moving out of the corner of her eye.

It was very unnerving.

"Come out Scrawny!" She had ended back up in the living room. It was her third time passing through this particular area and so she stopped, scowling loudly at the surrounding dust. "I'm not in the mood for your stupid jokes."

She expected him to jump out any moment and startle her.

She thought for sure that this was just a dumb joke of a not so amusing boy but the moment she felt the clammy hand against the bare skin of her arm she had her doubts.

She almost jumped clear out of her skin. She screamed so loud that she was sure the birds in the trees surrounding this old house took flight. She was startled into the need to fight but her hand slapped out at nothing but empty air.

She didn't have time to grasp how quickly the familiar figure reacted because in a moment she was lying sideways on the ground-- covered in dirt and dust.

For a moment she felt anger at the fact that her outfit had been ruined.

Then suddenly her heart sped up.

What was going on?

She looked to the boy crouched nearby, his body tense and alert. He wasn't focusing on her, but then… he didn't mean her any harm? It was hard to believe that when he brought her to this abandoned place and then tackled her to the ground.

But…

She pulled in a breath ready to yell something, anything to get his attention. She was very annoyed by her own confusion and ready to take it out on the closest source when she felt that same damp hand clamp over her mouth.

What?! She didn't have the right to speak her mind?!

Her eyes flickered towards the boy in anger and even in the dim light she could see he had a finger to his mouth. The international sign for 'shhhh', even as he wasn't paying attention to her but instead peering around the couch they had fallen behind.

She scrunched up her nose in annoyance, unable to identify the odd coloration of the hand close to his own mouth but she knew the one directly under hers smelt of copper and iron. That should mean something…

Something frightening.

But before she could ponder this line of thought she heard the echoing of footsteps.

This could still be a joke.

A very elaborate joke.

Maybe Odd and the others were just getting back at her for something she had done to them…

That would make sense. Maybe that was why the purple boy beside her didn't look as scared as she felt. The way he wore his emotions so openly he couldn't possibly be frightened --in this situation-- so whatever was walking passed on the other side of their hiding place, couldn't be a threat.

Sissi jumped up from her floored position. For a moment she felt Odd's fingers tug at her blouse as if he was trying to stop her from rising but his motions were lagging far too much and his fingers slid right off.

"HA!" She blurted as she pointed at the…

Unfamiliar figure. She had expected Ulrich, or Yumi, or even Aelita-- nope wasn't them.

Their head snapped around and immediately she felt unexplained terror rising up inside her as their eyes met. This wasn't just simple hate. No, this was… much, much worse--

She wasn't even sure how she recognized it but it made her want to flee as fast as her legs could possibly carry her-- because this awful expression was a terrifying thing, soaked thick with murderousintent. She couldn't even comprehend how far she was in over her head.

She couldn't breathe and the sudden realization lead to noticing other (just as unpleasant) things. The little bit of sunlight casting through the room brought her attention to the spot where Odd had grabbed her shirt.

For he must of known the danger of what was a waiting them. Not something she wanted to think about right now.

On her shirt was a streak, a very dark stain that ran its way to the bottom seam and in this light she could see just what color it was.

It was blood.

She may have not wanted to move her sights from the serious threat in front of her but she couldn't stop herself from wondering just how bad it was.

At the same time she worried that she might pass out if it was too bad. Either way her eyes flickered down to where Odd was curled against the couch.

Now she knew that was blood staining his blonde locks and sticking to his fingers.

It wasn't too bad. Then why'd she feel so nauseous…?

Maybe it was the way he looked at her…

Was that worry? Hurt?

Was that was the same emotion she saw when he said he hated her?

--

She hurt his feelings then, had he worried about hers?

And what about him now? Was he hurt that she didn't listen to him? Or… was he hurt because it was his fault she was here in this dangerous situation right now?

Was he worried about himself?

No.

He was worried about her.

Odd was joker and he ridiculously over cocky at times. And she had never seen him frightened, she had never seen him extremely depressed, and she had never seen him worry about anybody but his friends. And all these foreign emotions she had only seen in small burst.

But now he was worried about her and she was… terrified.

She needed to get out!

She spun suddenly around and tried to run.

It occurred to her when a number of colorful splotches were flashing into existence before her eyes that she probably hadn't even had the slightest chance of escape. She didn't know why…. But something inside her was saying this was a powerful foe. It felt like this wasn't her first time facing them.

Then she was on the ground. Her heart beating erratically in her chest and a gentle tugging pulling at her arm as short spasms ran through the length of her. She hadn't known she was screaming, she hadn't even been able to see the electricity sparking over her skin but now that it stopped--

She wanted this… pulling to stop!

Her nerves were unresponsive though and she couldn't even push the persistent purple blur aside. "Go… a.. way…" Her words seemed to slur together with her breathing and she didn't even think it worked at all, because the splotch of color still remained as her vision faded.

"Sis…

-me on… Siss-

See…

Siss-E!"

She felt like she was being dragged and at the same time she felt like she was being ripped every which way. And slowly she tired of the sensations and the small snippets of sounds and feeling, falling out of existence.

Last thing she remembered had been like drifting… floating…

Flying.

Are you sure the tower's around here?

Jeremie stared at the screen. "Yes." It wouldn't be the first time Xana hid the tower. "It has to be there."

--

This was ridiculous though, the amount of time this was taking… anything (horrible) could have happened by now. From mild injuries to… death.

It was with this frightening thought that an unidentified number popped up the screen. Very few people could know this number-- it might be XANA.

He shook his head, that was a little too personal for the virus wasn't it?

Besides… it could be Odd.

Jeremie!

And it was Odd. But then that was expected. "Where are-"

Usually Odd didn't cut him off during a conversation like this but this must be exception because Odd --who loved risking his own life-- sounded absolutely terrified.

Sissi… Sis-

Jeremie frowned, not having the slightest idea what was going on except that Sissi was involved and the line Odd was using was buzzing with static. Traces of sentences were falling into senseless sounds as the troubling noise rose in volume.

"Odd, just tell me what's going on."

There was a jumbling of noises and Odd's seemingly frantic voice in the background. It sounded like he was yelling at some one. Not joking or threateningly but extremely, extremely, worried. But when Odd had decided to talk to him again his voice had mellowed out somewhat.

It only seemed to crackle as he struggled to keep calm.

Sissi's na… ot breathing, Jere- Jeremie.

Jeremie was sure is own heart skipped a beat. He wasn't certain he heard right. He couldn't of! "What?…"

He just had to hear it again but for a moment there was no response on the other end and then Odd seemed to be struggling to say it once more.

Sissi's… not breathing…

Jeremie pulled in a deep breath feeling his heart speeding up. "Are you… certain?"

Jeremie! She's NOT breathing. Jus… tell meh what to do!

"There's probably-" Odd cut him off once more.

Jeremie! Just. Tell. Me! I'm… I'm not go… ing to let Sissi die! I don't care what you think!

Jeremie didn't want her to die either but… "Check to see if she still has a heartbeat. Maybe she's still breathing but you just can't tell…" It was a very weak hope. It be hard to impossible to explain the principal's daughter's death. "Where are you Odd?"

There was a hiss of breath but aside from that no other sound from the other side of the line. But then the static had picked up again.

--

Jeremie switched lines. "Please tell me you guys found that tower…"

Is something wrong Jeremie?

"Seriously so Aelita…" He buried his face grievingly into his hand. "Please just tell me you are on your way to the tower."

Actually we are having some trouble. It's really well hidden.

This was bad.

--

Jeremie…? Jeremie? I tha… ink Sissi might be breathing!

Quickly he switched lines to respond to call. He wanted to say that was really good but at the same time he wanted to say: "You think?!" How could Odd not be certain of whether or not Sissi was breathing.

Jer… e-me…

Before he had blamed the crackling of Odd's voice mostly to the static, along with the rise and fall of it but now he could tell that it was mostly just Odd's tone in general.

"Are you, alright Odd?" If Sissi was barely breathing then what condition could Odd possibly be in?

He was at least conscious, that much was good.

But Odd seemed to completely ignore his question of concern, instead whispering:

Sissi… she's na- ot doing… so well… and Xana.

Odd's words were starting to make less and less sense but Jeremie just gripped his knees. He wasn't sure what was happening, but the words were slurring and struggling to keep volume. It was really unnerving the way there was no hint of humor to them… "Well, you could always try CPR."

She was e-lect… ro-rocuted Jeremie, nat dra-owned.

Why did Odd think he knew what to do then?

Jeremie fumbled over the options, the pressure was intense though.

Even if he was a genius he was placing his assumptions on someone's life. It made it difficult to think as clearly as he would have liked. He wasn't sure he couldn't live with it, if he made the wrong choice.

"It's probably her heart. Another electrical shock just might jump start it back to normality or it might…" He was beginning to doubt his own suggestion.

It… it might what?

Odd sounded more alert now. Like he was hanging off every word.

"It might just… kill her." Jeremie shifted uncomfortably in the following silence. "Listen Odd…" It must be really hard to be in that kind of situation but…

You… dan't e… even know where the tow-tower is do… you?

Had it been that long?

"No, but…"

I'm going… to do it.

"It's too dangerous." But of course Jeremie couldn't even hope for Odd to listen because the line disconnected the second after he said that.

This was really bad… the more he thought about it the more he doubted it'd even work.

It was way to risky but he knew there'd be no stopping Odd now. Not when he was all ready set on it like this. He could only hope the others would find the tower in time.

For awhile Odd had listened to the footsteps, coming and going…

Fading in and out of existence.

At the same to time he hung onto his consciousness by the bleated sound of Sissi's breathing.

It took a huge amount of concentration to hear it, so strangely enough… it was keeping him from dosing off. He really wanted to lie his head down and sleep right now. Even with their lives on the line.

It might have something to do with the heaviness of sensations, his lagging ability to react and most probably the blood caked on the back of his head. But he was having a hard time thinking about this right now… or anything for that matter.

He only knew what he had to try.

It was knowing this that gave him the energy to pick himself and Sissi off of the floor.

He kept his arms hooked around her midriff as he edged out into the hall and seeing the shadowy shape coming around the corner he slowly crept backwards. Xana…

Heaving Sissi closer to him, he bumped into the wall.

He knew he was scared.

Scared this wouldn't work.

Scared Sissi would die.

Electricity was hissing and snaking around the outstretched hand. Instinctively Odd wanted to fight, or at least try to shield himself against what seemed to be a ridiculously powerful attack. It was hard to resist the urge and he loosen his grip just slightly on Sissi.

He was afraid too much would kill her.

Because…

Xana would have no reason to end his assault, not when he got Odd just where he wanted him. The virus would most likely keep on it till Odd was dead and, yes--

Odd knew what he was doing was most likely suicidal.

If it could possibly save Sissi though (the girl that was only in this mess because of him-- then he'd do it). He'd never been afraid of risking his life before. Maybe his friends hadn't found the tower yet but he had always trusted them to do so in time.

Maybe not in time to save Sissi…

But it had to be in time for him.

He hoped--

No, he was certain. His friend's wouldn't let him die just like he wouldn't let Sissi die.

A smile slid onto his features as he tilted his gaze innocently towards Xana's host. "Nothing scary about this…" He said as solidly as he could manage even if it was more of a whisper then anything.

No one would die today.

--

Then again if Xana had anything to do with the matter.

Someone, most certainly, would.

Someone would die.