Meanwhile, at a restaurant on the other side of town, Ulrich, Yumi, Jeremie, Aelita, Hiroki, and Milly were already sitting down at a large table and talking about everything that had happened in their lives.
"So the last straw was when my father forced me to marry Sissi." Ulrich said. "That's when I decided I would never speak to him again."
"Wait." Aelita said. "Your father forced you to marry Sissi? What is she doing nowadays anyway?"
"She's now the principal of Kadic." Jeremie said. "You know, Ulrich? You really should talk to your father again. Maybe you can work out your differences."
"Jeremie's right." Yumi said. "I bet he's just as anxious to make up as you are."
"Yeah right." Ulrich scoffed.
"So what have you've been doing with your life after you married?" Milly asked.
"Nothing much." Yumi said. "We settled down, had three wonderful kids. That's about it."
"I went into literature." Ulrich said.
"Really." Aelita said. "What did you write?"
"A few books: A self-help book for teens which has yet to be published, a couple science fiction novels in the works." Ulrich said. "Oh, and Lyoko: A World Without Danger."
"Wait, hold the phone." Hiroki said. "You wrote Lyoko: A World Without Danger? You?"
"Yep." Ulrich said. "And I was so close to making it big. So close to opening my own Pencak Silat dojo. But then William Dunbar, who happened to work for the newspaper company I sent my manuscript to, stole the manuscript, rewrote it almost word-by-word, and marketed it off as his own."
"Oh my God." Jeremie said. "Who would have thought he would have sunk that low."
"And now here I am, running the bookstore at Dunbar Publishers while he just sits back and rakes in over 50 million euros a year in sales and licensing and I don't make a cent except for 25% of what's in the register at closing."
"That must be humiliating." Milly said
"Not only that, but he rewrote it so that he ended up saving the world and that we were portrayed as the villains. He took all the credit for everything we've done and…"
"Calm down. Will you, Ulrich?" Hiroki said. "It's just a fantasy novel. You treat it like it actually happened."
"Sorry." He said. "I guess I got carried away. Anyways, Yumi's working as a freelance proofreader for a local newspaper."
"It doesn't pay much, but it's the best I can find." Yumi said.
"I'm working in computers just like Dad." Hiroki said. "Milly is a reporter for 'The Kobe Shimbun'. Unfortunately, it doesn't make as much money as you think."
"Aside from my video blogs, I sell prime numbers to the government." Jeremie said. "It has decent salary."
"Why would anyone want that?" Ulrich asked.
"For your information, Ulrich." Jeremie said "Prime numbers are used in many top secret codes. Government officials will pay top dollar or euro for any new prime number over 100 digits they can use."
"That sounds like something Calvin would be good at." Yumi said.
"Oh really?" Jeremie said. "I take it he's pretty smart."
"Not only that." Ulrich said. "He's in the running to be the class valedictorian."
"Wow that's impressive." Aelita said. "Especially if it's the child of someone who barely squeezed through his classes."
"Ha ha. Very funny, Princess." Ulrich said sarcastically.
"It's true you know." Yumi said.
"Need I remind you that I was on the honor roll during my senior year?"
"Only so you could get into the college William and I went to."
"Alright, you got me there." Ulrich said. In a short time he chuckled to himself.
"What's so funny?" Aelita asked.
"I was just thinking about when Odd was still alive." Ulrich said. "Remember that senior prank he pulled on Ms. Hertz? Good times."
"Yeah." Yumi said. "Its times like this I wish he was still alive. Who would have guessed that Italy would be full of drunken gunmen?"
"Well, if he didn't stand in the way of that policeman that the gunman was chasing, it wouldn't have happened." Jeremie said.
"I know. He was like a brother to me." Ulrich said as a tear ran down his face. He then turned in the opposite direction.
"When he died, it was like part of me died." Ulrich said sounding sadder. Yumi just laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Ulrich, are you okay?" She asked.
"Excuse me; I got something in my eye." He said as he walked outside. Yumi then turned to the others.
"I'm taking it he didn't take it well." Jeremie said.
"No." Yumi said. "You should have seen him when he heard the news."
"At least it wasn't XANA." Aelita said. "I mean don't get me wrong, it's still tragic. But it's good knowing that he had nothing to do with it."
"I know what you mean." Yumi said. "But he's dead now as he's been for three decades, so let's put that out of our minds. Besides, it's not like he's halfway across the world slowly formulating another plot."
"Hey, Yumi." Hiroki said. "Who's this XANA, anyway?" Nobody said anything.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Siberia. A man in a heavy coat had finished installing some machinery in an abandoned research base covered with deactivated robots, he then walked out. He was covered head to toe in thick clothing; the only thing that could be made out about him was his eyes, which had a familiar eye-like symbol in them.
Coming next: Johannes Stern Part 3. Please Review.