It was another morning in Kadic as Yumi and Hiroki walking to school.

"If you had a choice, would you rather be a screwdriver or a monkey wrench?" Hiroki asked but with no answer from Yumi. "Hey, you dreaming or what?" he asked as Yumi shifted her gaze to him.

"What was that?" Yumi asked.

"If you were a tool, which one would you choose?" Hiroki asked.

"Can't you think of anything less dumb to ask?" Yumi replied back.

"Sure. Are you still in love with Ulrich or not?" Hiroki rebutted.

Yumi scoffed, denying the question altogether. "I'll never be a tool, but you'll always be a fool!" she headed into Kadic, unaware of the embarrassment she was about to witness.

The Rec room…

"ODD DELLA ROBBIA!" Saki yelled, catching everyone's attention as they were doing their own activities.

"Agh, Saki, your tone of volume is almost as loud as Mark!" Glimmer said. "For the love of my mom, what did he do this time?"

"Well, Yumi's officially the laughing stock of Kadic." Saki said, showing them the picture of Yumi dressed as a fairy princess with blonde hair and a pink dress. "How could he do such a thing, to Yumi of all people?"

"Where did he even get that photo anyway?" Mayumi asked.

"Doesn't matter where, once Yumi finds out about this, Odd's dead meat." Mermista said.

"And don't even think of having Ulrich take the fall this time." Saki said.

"Hey, in my defense, it was just a little practical joke." Odd said at the foosball table with Ulrich.

"A little practical joke? You gave Milly and Tamiya something embarrassing to publish in the Kadic News!" Glimmer said.

"And it's a total violation of a woman's privacy." Simon said. "You might've possibly endangered their friendship if you make Ulrich take the blame." he said as Yumi showed up.

"Too late." Mayumi said quietly.

"Odd!" Yumi said, showing the magazine to the aforementioned. "Are you the one who gave this picture to Tamiya and Milly?"

"Why are you angry? You look adorable." Odd said, trying to play things down.

"For once, Odd the dope is right." Sissi piped in, having been nearby. "It's true, Pink does wonders for you, Yumi. When I think of all the times you made fun of my look, you must feel like an idiot."

"No one asked you, Sissi." Mark said from across the room without looking up from what he was doing.

"Black is my color, black like your eye will be if you don't back off!" Yumi threatened, as Sissi left with a huff. "This time Odd you're gonna be sorry, because I'm gonna give Principal Delmas a list of all the pranks you've pulled in the last 2 years, I'm sure he'll be lucky to have it."

"Actually, you're wrong Yumi." Ulrich said, preparing to take the blame. "Because-"

"Aaaaah, it was Kazuma! He's the one who gave up the photo!" G. Aqua stepped in at the last second. "He was mad about what happened at lunch two days ago!"

"What are you doing?" Ulrich whispered to the goddess.

"Saving your butt, mister!" G. Aqua whispered back. "There's no way I'm letting your relationship with Yumi get strained because you're covering for the wrong prank. Feel free to praise me later!"

"Oh, thanks for the tip. I'm off to find that idiot." Yumi said.

It was at that unfortunate moment that Kazuma walked into the room just as Yumi was leaving.

"Oh, hey Yumi, have you seen David-?" Kazuma started to ask.

*POW!*

"Ah! What the hell was that for, you psycho?!" Kazuma said, lying on the ground holding his nose.

"For embarrassing me in front of the whole school! Aqua told me you sent the picture to the Kadic News!" Yumi said. "Don't you ever speak to me again!" she yelled as she stormed off.

Ulrich went to help Kazuma up.

"Let me guess… Odd's fault?" Kazuma asked.

"Yup." Ulrich said. "Odd gave Milly and Tamiya the photo as another one of his pranks. "Harmless, he says. That could've been me if it weren't for your friend."

"Some friend…" Kazuma grumbled as he was on his feet again. "I swear, I'll get that bastard back…"

"Phew! At least he's not blaming me this time." G. Aqua said.

"Oh right, I almost forgot. Thanks." Kazuma said sarcastically before hitting Aqua over the head with a fan. "Don't use me as a scapegoat, you idiot!"

"You know, they're the weirdest group of friends I've ever seen." Herb remarked from over where Sissi's group was.

"Yeah, they're a pretty lively and strange bunch, that's for sure." Mayumi said. "Say, Herb… I know we don't talk much, but has Sissi ever talked to you or Nicolas about… Um…"

"About what?" Herb asked.

"You know… Stuff she wouldn't tell anyone else." Mayumi said.

Herb looked at Sissi. "If this is about the Motor thing, don't tell her I saw her transform secretly." he whispered.

"I see. Interesting." Mayumi said. "I'm saying that because she's going to be living a dangerous life if she goes through with it. And she will need all the support she can get."

"Uh, sure. Whatever I can do, I'll do it." Herb said.

"Thanks, Herb. I knew you would understand. I hope things work out for you all once that happens." Mayumi said with a bow as she got back to her own thing.

"Worried about Sissi with her hero life as Motor?" Hope asked, coming up.

"I know what she is capable of. But… You know, I was thinking she might be thinking about Herb and Nicolas from the original timeline, you know what I mean?" Mayumi asked.

"Yeah, I mean… For a long time, they seemed like the only friends she had." Leonora said.

"I get it. Being the daughter of the principal, it would feel like you're lonely despite trying to be the big girl on campus." Hope said.

"Yeah, she was originally part of the group with Jeremie and the others, but… Then we discovered Lyoko, and… When she brought authorities in because of how dangerous XANA was at the time, well…" Mayumi said. "I admit, some of us did feel kind of bad about that, but in our defense, we swore not to tell anyone."

"We did the right thing. And it's not like Sissi's been worse off ever since. She's become a hero, joined a team of her own with Spectra, bonded with Rotom… she's come into her own. Back in the present, Jeremie even said that after XANA was defeated, they buried the hatchet with her and welcomed her as a friend again." Hope said.

"Really? Hmm…" Mayumi said.

"I'm pretty happy you're worried about Sissi. I am too. Honestly if it weren't for her around this time… I probably would still be stuck in a time loop." Hope remarked. "Long story in of itself. Anyway, we're set to go out and destroy a Replika later tonight. Ready to go see what XANA has planned and stop it?"

"I'm game." Simon said.

They soon departed in the Skid as they dove deep into the sea before emerging into a new replika, this one of the Ice Sector.

"Of course it's this one." Odd said. "Freezing cold."

"Meaning it's connected to somewhere just as cold." Hermit said. "Let's see…I got the location. A lab somewhere in Siberia."

"In Russia huh?" Simon said. "Kinda makes sense."

It didn't take long before they arrived in the frozen tundra and entered the frozen lab. "No signs of life." Jack said. "Makes sense considering this place is almost in the arctic."

"Yeah, no one in their right mind would come all the way out here." David said. "I say as we teleport here."

"But still, XANA's working on something here. Meaning he sees value in this place, even though it's all the way out here." Adora said.

"But…something doesn't seem quite…" Yumi said as they got further in before two figures appeared before them. Both of them were William and FreezeMan.

"I had a feeling you'd be here…" David said.

"You think you guys were the only ones who could materialize in the real world?" William asked, hefting his sword.

"Well, no. We've seen it happen before." David said.

"But not like this. XANA figured out how to bring me in this form here to…" William said.

"We're wasting time with this prattle. Out of this facility!" FreezeMan said as ice erupted across the walls and floor.

"Run!" Adora said as the group retreated from the oncoming frost.

"Nice to see he's as charming as ever." Legolia said.

"That just proves the point. Whatever is here, they don't want us getting near it." Naofumi said.

"They're not going to make this easy, that's for sure." Francisca said.

William and Freezeman chased the group until they managed to lose them in a specific room. Inside it, they found artificial brains being produced.

"What the…What is this crap?!" Kazuma asked.

"XANA's creating CPU's…and with their design, the thinking would be close to the level of a human. And with how many are being produced…he's got enough to make a whole army." Twilight said.

"An army of what, exactly?" Kazuma said.

"An army of fully functional, human-thinking androids." Tanya said.

"Correct." a voice said as FreezeMan stood there. "Long have I said that humans are flawed. But there are thought patterns even we machines cannot comprehend. These soldiers will not only have the ability to think but also learn and maybe even copy the movements of you humans."

"You had that potential too, FreezeMan. But you threw it all away, and for what?" David asked.

"The extinction of all organic lifeforms…as soon as this world is exterminated…we plan to move from world to world, creating a paradise only for machines." FreezeMan said. "However, you all still stand in our way. You and your ship."

"Hey, we have robotics among us too. Have you ever considered how they would feel?" David asked.

"They are traitors if they think they can gain anything by working alongside organics." FreezeMan said.

"Why would we, I already lost everything to you machines, being with these guys is enough for me." A2 said.

"A2, please stop." David said.

"No…let her speak." FreezeMan said. "That is where you're wrong. I too have lost everything. My comrades…my life…my goal…all of it. All of it lost because of those humans! You think…you think we don't know what it means to lose everything?" FreezeMan asked as tears flowed from his face.

"Are…you crying? I-I knew it. You can still feel emotions." David said.

"Of course I can. I'm not sure what you did but you humans pulled something at my processor, making me recall all of these memories that I wish would just go away!" FreezeMan said.

"Then you are content with running away from your past?" David asked.

"Running away? On the contrary…I'm running towards a bright new future. Of course, that future will not be shared by your comrades…or that sub ship." FreezeMan said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" A2 asked.

"Guys. Something is going on. I'm getting energy signatures being drained from multiple replikas!" Hermit said.

"Ah…seems the creature is finally ready." FreezeMan said.

"Hermit, send us a visual." David said.

The screen was shown as before their eyes, a massive monster emerged from the Digital Sea. A single white mask with the Eye of XANA on it, a massive blade arm. And its size, it was shown to tower almost everything on the Ice Sector.

"What the…? What the hell is THAT?!" David asked in shock.

"XANAs most devastating monster ever… the Kolossus!" Hope said. "You and William. You weren't just keeping us out. You were…"

"Buying time so XANA could bring it to life…of course. It takes a lot to bring life to a monster that size." FreezeMan said.

"And it only has one purpose. Destroying the Skid to make sure we can't destroy any more Replikas." Tanya surmised.

"The others don't stand a chance against an opponent that size." Simon said.

"That they don't. But if you're thinking of returning to help them escape, you won't get the chance." Freezeman said. "Because you're going to be frozen in place and watch as your only link to the Replikas is destroyed."

"Wind Tunnel!" a voice called at FreezeMan was knocked back as Skyler floated there.

"Skyler? But…" Hope said.

"Let's go." Skyler said as the group vanished in a massive windstorm.

"Ngh… They got away." William said.

"Yet again, that annoying girl throws a wrench in everything." Freezeman said. "No matter. They won't dare come back here again, not with the Kolossus in place. Next time…we will finish all of this." he said.

Back on the Galaxy King, the Hero Alliance reunited with the Freedom Seekers.

"So that's it. Seems the girl has been on the move a lot." Skyler said.

"Yeah. She's been busy gathering everyone here." David said. "Speaking of which, where have you guys been all this time? After the World of Light, we couldn't get a hold of you or anything."

"After that Color War, I've been busy as a member of the new council. There isn't any time to go adventuring or heroing or whatever." Skyler said.

"Ah, I see. After what happened with Rain Bow's death, it does make sense." David said.

"Still…this Kolossus thing…we'd be in big trouble if XANA lets it loose again." Theo said.

"It means the end is near." David said. "XANA isn't going to play around anymore. And that means we have to put our other plan into action soon."

"Yeah…but that plan will only tame FreezeMan." Miu said.

"Not that one. We've been considering creating…a multi agent program." Hermit said.

"Like the Marabounta? Didn't that end disastrously?" Nami said.

"It's the only thing that has any chance of permanently purging XANA." Hermit said.

"It won't be long now. So we have to be ready to take the Siberia base again soon." David said.

"So does that mean we're gonna do it?" Zacian asked.

"Yeah. Next time we go there… We're bringing William home." David said.

"Speaking of William, I hope Yumi payed the guys back for that photo this morning." Mayumi said.

"Oh, don't worry." Kazuma said. "She and I came to an understanding that I got tricked, and she's gonna get back at Odd for both our sakes."

"What do you two have in mind?" Hope asked.

The next morning….

"Whoa…this is…some interesting sides of them. How did you get these?" Pit asked.

"Just waited till they came out." Kazuma said proudly as they saw Ulrich chasing Odd.

"I told you I'd tell her, didn't I?!" Odd asked in fear.

"Grr… I'm gonna kill you!" Ulrich said.

"I love dishing out karma." Kazuma said.

"Oh, because you can't take it?" Saki asked.

"Snark all you want Saki. This… is our day." Kazuma said as he watched Ulrich continue to chase Odd across the grounds, he and Yumi sharing a fist bump.