So, yeah, this chapter's long, and a bit confusing. Sorry in advance.
Five
"So, my thoughts are, before we run after some of the most protected people on Earth, we should practice a little," Bella announced when they got to the factory.
Odd nodded. "Thing is, I don't think I've lost my ability, but I do think that I could use a little help, ya know, reawakening it."
Jeremie smiled. "Actually, Aelita came up with an excellent way of getting our abilities up to scratch. We'll have to go to the Amazon, where our best practice field is, then, instead of fighting mounted guns, or dodging pre set up traps, we use clones."
Aelita nodded. "Jeremie was telling me how he usually memorizes the practice fields, but it never mattered because he'd never gone long enough without missions to forget how to fight well. In order to keep things realistic, we could use real people, but that wouldn't work, seeing as I'm sure there are a lack of people willing to get killed in a practice session. That leaves-"
"Clones! Wow, Icy, for a pink haired nagger, she's got brains," Bella smirked.
Yumi elbowed her. "Did you think Jeremie would fall for a brainless floozy?"
"Anyway," Aelita said, ignoring the remarks, "that was my thought."
"Who'd clones would we use?" Ulrich asked. "It takes a lot out of the supercomputer to activate and maintain them, and are we just supposed to use our clones? It's not like we have the DNA of several security guards, stocked in the supercomputer's files."
There was a pause. "Well," Bella said, slowly, "Icy once downloaded the basic training for most guards, as well as a few higher class trainings. If he programmed the info into one of the clones' heads, would that work?"
Aelita exchanged a glance with Jeremie. He nodded.
"It should. We can use the teachers' clones, we have their DNA in the computer. We'll make them less powerful, of course, but we can alter their physical strength to be that of what we'd expect to find on our missions. As to the energy matter, it shouldn't matter, they won't be out long enough to cause any long-term energy depletion. So it's settled, we fly out to Amazone with the clones, practice there, until we're back in shape, and then we get to work."
"Amazone? And where are you gonna get the money?"
The three Nightshades exchanged looks. Odd grinned. "Well, one, Amazone is the name we, uh, I" he said, in response to the glares from his teammates "gave to our base in the Amazon. Two, money? Not much of a problem."
Yumi nodded. "If what Bella said was true, they have more than enough."
"So it's settled? Tomorrow starts a long weekend, so we'll fly out then."
.
Ulrich sat next to Odd on a flight. He had a strange sense of excitement and dread. It wasn't everyday that you got to see one of the most infamous assassins work their prowess, and live to tell the tale. But, the idea of watching goofy, lighthearted Odd flip around, killing clones, made him feel a little queasy. Especially in knowing that his friends' deadly skills would soon be applied against real people.
Next to him, Odd was bouncing in his seat.
Odd had the window seat, Ulrich took the aisle. In the row in the middle of the plane was Yumi, then Bella. The far aisle had Jeremie, then Aelita. The rows behind them contained the clones. Ulrich glanced over at Yumi, who was engrossed in a tale of Bella's. He knew that Aelita was also listening with rapt attention to Jeremie's story. He only wished that he could be as enthusiastic about Odd's story.
But when Odd talked, Ulrich felt strange, like this was all a joke. Odd's stories came off feeling so different. Ulrich knew Panther, a ruthless murderer. And he knew Odd, a cheerful prankster. The two didn't seem to want to mesh in his mind, and Odd's tales came off as stories, and not real life events.
The fasten seatbelt sign came on.
Bella and Yumi took one look at each other, and burst out laughing.
"I'm half expecting the stewardess to take someone hostage," Yumi laughed.
Ulrich assumed she was referencing a story Bella told her. The two girls seemed to have hit it off very well.
Ulrich fastened his seat belt. Odd didn't.
"Come on, Odd. Buckle up. You may be above the law, but let's try not to broadcast it."
Odd sighed, buckling his seat belt. "Ya know, Einstein once almost died by buckling his seatbelt."
"Wasn't his fault," Yumi called over, "besides, if Bella hadn't tripped the stewardess who held him hostage-"
"I knew her plan, I was baiting her on purpose!" Jeremie called.
Ulrich frowned, remembering the story Odd had told him. "No, Odd said that he took out the stewardess, when he saw you two at her mercy."
"Only 'cause I tripped her," Bella insisted.
"If you two had left Jeremie alone, he would have figured things out, he had a plan!" Aelita retorted.
There was a silence, before everyone laughed. "It depends on who you get the story from, I supposed," Ulrich said.
.
The six got off the plane, and headed out of town, toward the vast jungle.
"You sure you know the way?" Aelita asked Jeremie, as he led them into the Amazon. "It's been a while-"
She stopped, seeing the amused look he gave her. "You think I forgot? Relax Aelita, you'll be safe with us."
As they walked, it grew darker. The group had Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off, and the plane flight had taken most of Friday.
"What if we don't get there before sundown?"
"Chill Pinky, we're here."
Odd walked up to a large tree. He slid his fingers around, similarly, to how Jeremie had done it on his floor. He then slid his nail under a small panel, which opened. Odd typed in a thirty-two character code.
Aelita couldn't fight the thought that, Odd forgot his homework in a day, but could remember a long involved code over a year.
Just then, the bark on the tree slid over, revealing the tree to be hollow. Inside, it was metal, and lit overhead.
"Yumi, you and Bella go first," Jeremie instructed. "Then I'll send down clones."
The girls stepped in, Bella pushed a few buttons, and the bark-door, slid shut.
A few seconds it reopened, empty. Then the clones began squeezing in, until they were all down.
"We'll go next, Ulrich, you and Odd follow." He grabbed Aelita's hand and led her in.
Jeremie punched a code into a keypad, and the door slid shut. Aelita realized that it was an elevator. The door opened a few seconds later, and they stepped out.
Aelita blinked in shock at the hallway she entered. It was advanced, all bright lights and technology that she couldn't wait to examine up close. She could spend a year in this hall alone, getting to know each and every gadget.
But she couldn't. Just then, the elevator opened, and Ulrich and Odd stepped in and Jeremie led her through two sliding doors.
"This is the main room," he announced. "I can spend some time going over things later."
Aelita just gaped, wide eyed, at the huge, technology filled room. Top notch technology had been her life since she was a little girl, and this stuff fascinated her.
He led them on through a side door. "Down this hall," he gestured at a the doors lining it, "are computer rooms. Each have different applications, and are quite powerful, so no messing around with them."
He led them down another hall, and down an elevator.
"This hall has rooms. My room," he motioned to the first room on the right, "Odd's," he motioned to the next, "and Bella's. The rooms on the left are for you three." He then blinked at the clones. In order to make them not suck up energy, Jeremie had removed all traces of personality. All they could do was walk, and speak answers to easy questions. "You guys go to the cells."
Aelita frowned at him.
"Actually, they're not that bad, as cells go," Bella said. "So you don't have to worry 'bout your precious clonesys getting sad, Pinky."
Jeremie shook his head. "Look at it this way. The clones have no superstrength or superspeed, or anything that makes them anything more than normal humans. We put them in the cells in case X.A.N.A overrides my blocks and possesses them. They're stuck, and we deal with them in the morning."
She nodded, as the clones trooped off, following the instructions Jeremie had programmed them, regarding directions to the cells.
"So, tonight everyone gets their own room. You get ten minutes to settle down, then it's dinner time."
Aelita opened her door, and found herself facing a room that wouldn't look out of place in a luxurious hotel.
"Wow," she breathed. She entered the room, placing her small travel case on the bed. Due to the fact that they would be gone for a few days, Odd had suggested they each bring enough clothes to last them.
Aelita heard a knock on her door.
"Come in!"
Jeremie entered her room, smiling. "Like it? It's just a guest room, they're not as nice as our rooms, but it should suffice." He gave her an apologetic look, as if apologizing that the room wasn't nice enough.
""Jeremie, it's wonderful. It's so nice." Aelita gave a little twirl. "This is just so exciting! I can't wait to see you guys in action!"
Aelita, Yumi, and Ulrich would be watching the Nightshades make their way through the test fields via infrared cameras.
Jeremie gave a happy sigh. "It's been so long since I've been here. It's just like I remember."
.
Yumi walked into the room with Bella.
"Thanks for helping me set up, but don't you have things to unpack?"
"Me? Nah, I was just here a few weeks ago."
Yumi detected a hint of sadness in Bella's voice. "What's up? You sound down."
Bella sighed, giving Yumi a sad smile. "Things are lonely, is all. Without Panther and Icy. We used to always come here, it seems only yesterday that this place was finished and Odd was calling it Amazone. He knew how to fill the halls. Even if it was just the three of us, the place always felt alive. Now, when it's just me? Well, it feels like you're at home, alone. I never stay in one place at a time, I'm always moving around, 'cause I hate feeling alone. When it was the three of us, we'd stay somewhere for weeks."
"Well, I know your parents weren't big factors in your lives, but…"
Bella laughed. "No, they weren't. Icy forged documents, saying that we needed 'special tutors' and that we'd go to 'special camps' and 'groups'. So we were never at home or school, and we'd 'sleep over' at our 'groups' They never thought to check up on us, so we were able to leave home for weeks at a time. We spent that time at our bases, like Amazone."
Yumi looked at Bella, who sat at the edge of the bed, looking at her hands. Yumi had never thought, in a hundred years, that she would feel bad for the infamous assassin, but here she was.
"You're lonely without the boys?"
"Yeah, things are too quiet. But, what the heck! I always believed in living in the here and now. So let's get you unpacked and meet the others downstairs for food!"
.
Ulrich followed Odd downstairs.
"Odd, what are we gonna eat? I mean, it's not like anyone's been here for days, what kind of food do you have?"
Odd laughed. "Ulrich, ole pal, we ordered the meal yesterday! We had one of the clones pick it up for us, that's why they were late."
Ulrich hadn't even noticed, he had been to busy gaping at the interior of Amazone.
"You're in for a feast tonight, buddy."
Odd wasn't kidding. The blonde, spike haired boy, led Ulrich to the eating area, a bizarre mix between a grand dining hall, a family dining room, and a teen hangout.
The group dished themselves, and settled down at the table, chatting. Aelita was babbling about some techno thing, while Odd interrupted with random facts. Bella would smirk, cutting in occasionally with an acidic, sarcastic remark, generally aimed at her teammates, and sometimes Aelita. They would shoot back with an equally quelling remark, and this would sometimes escalate into a full fledge debate, before someone would settle things back down. Then Yumi referenced a XANA attack, and soon they were busy recollecting old attacks, explaining them to an amused Bella.
"Wow!" Aelita said. "Is it really eleven already? Don't you guys need your rest for tomorrow?"
"Nah," scoffed Odd.
"Sleep?" Bella smirked.
"Not really," Jeremie replied.
Ulrich exchanged a look with Yumi.
"Don't you have a bit to do tomorrow?" Yumi asked.
"Ulrich, pal, do I ever sleep? I'm always up late playing my games."
"You are?" Jeremie frowned. "Well, you know me." He said to the others. "I always work all night. Sleep has never been a big factor, we're better on less."
So they stayed up until three in the morning, eating and chatting. Ulrich noticed that Odd, Jeremie, and Bella weren't eating much. Okay, so Odd was eating like a normal person, instead of an elephant, Bella was just nibbling, and Jeremie wasn't eating at all. Pre-mission training, he supposed.
"Well," said Yumi. "I'm going to bed."
Aelita and Ulrich followed suit.
Upstairs in his room, Ulrich sat on the edge of his bed, with a surreal feeling. He didn't like it, he felt like he was slow on the uptake. The girls had adjusted happily to the strange double life his friends had, but Ulrich couldn't wrap his mind around it.
Goofy, lighthearted, happy-go-lucky Odd, a serious, threatening murderer.
Frail, shy, insecure Jeremie, the ruthless, feared assassin.
It was too bizarre. But, Ulrich was exhausted, especially considering the time difference. With these thoughts, he fell asleep.
.
Downstairs, with all the civilians gone to bed, Jeremie broached the topic of attack strategy.
He pulled out his laptop.
"Bella, I need everything you know. Who, where, when, what, how, and why."
Bella began telling Jeremie who was behind the attacks, where they lived, when they planned on attacking, what their targets were, how they were planning on attacking, and why they were doing this.
"Cool," said Odd. "Now, prioritize. Who is the biggest threat? Who is the most immediate threat?"
Jeremie began running hacking programs on each person. Bella gave the boys what she knew about each person.
"Aaron Ernendi? I once got a job from him. Rich guy, likes his comforts, and doesn't like things going wrong. A bit spoiled, really, and not a very nice guy."
"Well, yeah!" Odd chimed in. "He's planning on-what's he doing Jeremie?"
"He's been promised half a million dollars to nuke Beijing."
"That sounds up his alley," Bella snorted. "Never liked the Chinese since his Chinese wife left him. He's the type who thinks that he's rich and crazy enough to have as many wives as he wants, and so he paid a bunch of hot floozies to decorate his home with. Some of them run of with a half million, he rarely pays too much attention, but the Chinese lady robbed one of his mansions blind, and married one of his main connections."
"You seem very knowledgeable on the situation," Odd said.
"I should. That's all he talked about when he hired me to knock her off."
The three continued talking strategy until the others came back to the eating area.
"Were you up all night?" Yumi asked, incredulous, as she entered. "It's noon time!"
"It is?" Bella glanced at her clock. "Well, would ya look at that. You three sleeping beauties get some chow. We're going to prepare for our practice sessions."
"Sleeping beauties? I'm a guy, you know."
Bella gave him a flirtatious wave and a wink. "I know, but you're such a pretty boy, that-" She stopped, seeing the look Yumi gave her. She laughed, "Don't worry, I know a faithful guy when I see him. This one will stay with you, you have my word." Jeremie sighed, rolling his eyes.
"You get a good night sleep?" He asked Aelita. "I feel bad about the room I gave you, I-"
"Relax! It was fine, I've never slept so hard." Aelita smiled at him.
Jeremie relaxed slightly. "Well, I'm going to go prepare with Odd and Bella. After the practice, I'll show you around!"
Aelita nodded vigorously, and Jeremie left.
.
Aelita stood with her friends in a room, filled with screens. Odd had led them there, and they were now watching.
"Alrighty!" Odd's voice came from the speakers overhead. "Here's how things are gonna roll. Our goal, take out Jim."
Aelita still felt it hard to believe that, for practice, all the guards and targets were the clones of Kadic's teachers. Aelita looked at one of the screen, where Jim Clone was busy 'working'. On the other screens were numerous hallways, control rooms, ect. Each camera also had sound, which just reported patrolling feet.
"We're gonna wear our ninja suits, so, for the record. Bella's the one with widest sleeves, and the only girl, Jeremie's got wider sleeves and the dark blue belt, and I'm the one with no accessories."
"Panther, are you done?" Bella's exasperated voice came over.
"Question," Yumi asked, quickly. "Do the clones have real guns?"
"Yup!" Came Odd's cheerful answer. "Now on with the show!"
Aelita watched the cameras. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. The clone guards paced as if nothing was wrong. Ulrich and Yumi watched the screen that showed the entrance. Aelita watched too, when suddenly she pointed.
On of one of the screens, a dark figure dropped from a vent onto the ground. The almost bell sleeves, along with the clearly feminine form under her tight concealing garb, gave Bella away.
She crept silently down the hall, all but disappearing when she pressed against the wall. The patrolling guard walked down the hall, past where she lurked.
In one fluid movement, Bella flicked her wrist, reaching into her sleeves, withdrawing a hypodermic, and slithered behind him.
In a flash, her arm snaked out toward him.
Then she snapped back into the darkness, as the guard paused, feeling the slight prick her needle gave.
A second later, he crumpled to the ground.
Bella ran down the hallway, leaving her prey behind.
On another screen, Odd was backing down a hall. He was pursued by two guards. He kept backing away, until one guard radioed for backup.
An information screen showed the call being traced, intercepted, changed, and sent to the other guards, by Jeremie, who was just outside the building. The guards at the door received the false message, and set off down a corridor, and toward the far side of the premises.
Jeremie then made his way toward the building, punching a few codes into the door, and entered the building.
Odd launched himself at his assailants.
They appeared shocked at his sudden attack, and attempted to defend themselves, but after a few well placed hits from Odd left one unconscious, the other dead.
Odd then headed off toward a control room, where, after taking out the guard inside, quickly malfunctioned a piece of equipment, creating a diversion.
The guards ran toward it to investigate. Their vacated posts were soon passed through by Jeremie, moving swiftly and silently.
Jeremie headed toward a busy hallway. Bella quickly made her way to where Jeremie was headed.
Her timing was perfect. She dropped from the ceiling, dodge a quick shot from a guard, before finishing him off. She then disappeared, and reappeared, dropping the body in front of a few guards. They immediately rushed to him, and Jeremie slipped by unnoticed.
Now calls for help were flying from guards all over the grounds, only to be absorbed by the program Jeremie installed when the first guards originally made a calls.
Working like clockwork, never communicating, Odd and Bella evacuated the hallways and Jeremie slipped like a wraith through the abandoned corridors.
Aelita, Ulrich, and Yumi watched. Every time Odd or Bella engaged an opponent in combat, they seemed to only just avoid the shots. They would then make their moves so quick, that half the time it seemed like they were dropping of their own accord.
And still Jeremie made his way through the halls.
Once, one guard stayed behind, despite the fact that the others had rushed off to investigate a disturbance, planted by Odd.
As the guard closed in on Jeremie's location, Aelita felt her heart speed up. But Jeremie heard him coming.
The instant he rounded the corner, Jeremie's deadly aim made sure that he remained undetected.
Jeremie was fast approaching Jim Clone's quarters. The others were distracting and taking out any guard that stood in his way.
Jim Clone's room was accessible by only one, well guarded door. It became obvious to the Lyoko Warriors, why they had used the plan they were using.
Odd arrived at the door first, flipping, and avoiding fire. He would back off, but the guards refused to follow, as they knew of Bella's presence. As soon as she arrived, the two assassins made their way off, luring the guards, who were only aware of two assassin's presences, followed.
Once they were gone, Jeremie walked to the door. He typed a few buttons, and the door slid open.
Jim Clone's back was to the door, he didn't hear it open, though he seemed uneasy.
Jeremie paused in the doorway, as if waiting for him to turn around.
Jim Clone never did.
Jeremie's wrist flicked, as he unsheathed a knife from his sleeve. A toss later and their target had been acquired.
Now review! Or the Nightshades will come for you, mwa ha ha :)