Ana's POV

"Gah!" I shot up in bed, breathing heavily.

My clock showed I had one minute 'til I had to get up.

Groaning, I got up and went down to breakfast. Only Gem was there yet, she seemed still out of it.

"Missing Jace?"

She sighed, shrugging. "This feels like my fault, that's all."

I frowned, turning toward my food. I didn't like seeing Gem like this. Usually she's so firey, but now she's just quiet, which really isn't like her.

My thoughts were rudely interrupted by the others' arrival at the table.

Lilly and Hutch wore determined, and slightly gloating, smiles.

"What's up?" I asked.

Ertugrul sat down across from me, frowning.

Hutch sat down next to him. "Nothing much. Just that me and Lilly were right. They weren't possessed, not at all."

TJ's POV

Tick… tock… tick

Pause

ttttttock

The broken clock on Ro's wall ticked feebly, as bored as we were.

Jay Jay sighed, massaging her temples, clearly ticked.

Eva stared vacantly out the window.

We were all waiting for Ro and Lucas, who apparently had big news to tell us.

Or something.

The door banged open and Rose blasted in, followed by Lucas.

"Alright," she said, "I've called you to meet here, because, as you may have noticed, Lucas and I have been incredibly busy with a secret project, one we claim will change our lives, forever!"

I sighed. "Damn it, Ro, you called us in here to talk about your project."

She gave me glare. "No, TJ, it's bigger than that. Lucas, begin explaining."

Lucas turned toward us.

"A few days ago, I was approached on my computer by a mysterious contact. I was asked to meet in a specific place, at a specific time. Once I reached that place, I was met by a cloaked figure. He told me that he had long battled to gain control of the world, and that he had been thwarted thus far by his enemies. He had been trapped for years, but had escaped, only to be faced with new ones. He said that my close proximity, deep enmity, and superior intellect, along with an unassuming position, placed me as the perfect candidate to assist him.

"At first, I was merely sent on reconnaissance, to get a look at our enemy's daily routines, but things became more complex as he realized what I was capable of, and how far I was willing to help him.

"So, he gave me another task. One far surpassing the others in importance. He gave me a computer chip, and told me that I was to keep it safe, and make some adjustments. I was also scanned, to prevent memory loss, which I'll elaborate on further. One day, as I was working, I was interrupted by Rose, who was able to wheedle the information out of me. But this was good, as I now had a partner to work with."

Rose began speaking. "X.A.N.A gave us elaborate instructions, and so far, they've worked. We've managed to decrease their numbers by one, in only a single attack. We've managed to wreak havoc on their team, and make progress on the chip.

"But, we have been hampered. As you've probably noticed, a certain chip has gone missing, the very same one that Lucas was talking about. That's why we're talking to you about this now, we can't afford to wait."

The two faced us.

I was completely quiet. What the hell do you say to that? If I wasn't so sure they were telling the truth, I'd say they were lying.

Still, you can't blame we for not believing them.

"Prove it," I told them. "Then we'll talk."

Rose grinned. "Follow me."

Ertugrul's POV

"Well, this changes things," Gem stated flatly.

"No kidding," I told her. "If Lucas is working for X.A.N.A, then we've got a problem."

"Do you think his friends are?" Ana asked.

There was a pause.

"Maybe. On one hand, they are pretty crazy," Lilly said. "On the other hand… World domination? Eva? I mean, they're not exactly the type you could think would pull this off."

Ertugrul frowned. "I agree. It's a stretch that Lucas is even in it. I can't see the others blindly joining him and X.A.N.A. Seriously, what would X.A.N.A. promise them? And really, they're pretty pathetic. No, I think that X.A.N.A.'s tricked him somehow. I mean, come on. I doubt he really understands the scope of X.A.N.A.'s plans.

Joanna's POV

We followed Lucas and Ro out of the school, and down into the forest.

I shivered slightly. I'd always hated this place.

"This place stinks," I said. "There's gotta be a better way to your secret."

Ro turned around, and put her hands on her hips. "Trust me, Jay, this will make a hundred treks into the woods worth it, trust me."

As we walked further, the ground started to get muddy.

"The mud keeps sucking my shoes off! I growled.

"Cool it," Tyler said, smirking at my unhappiness.

"I'll cool it when-"

"We're here," Lucas said, interrupting our conversation.

"Oooooh," Eva said, blue eyes wide. "This place looks creepy!"

We were staring at some old building.

"Great," Tyler sneered. "This was really worth pulling us out here for."

Ro whipped around on us. "We are about to let you in on the chance of a lifetime!" she snapped, self-righteously. "Complain all you want, but your lives are about to change. Forever! This is big, guys, and we need help! We need you! X.A.N.A.'s trusting us to get you on our side, and when we're united, nothing will be able to stop us! We need your ideas, your strengths, your ambitions! We need more people on our side! Join us, and when X.A.N.A. takes over the world" she paused for breath, dramatically, "you will too!"

There was a pause as we took this in.

"Oooooh, I'd like to rule the world!" Eva chirped.

Tyler frowned, though he usually would have jumped all over this comment.

"I'm all for ruling the world," he finally said. "But you've gotta prove this, or your little speech will be worth crap, got it?"

Lucas smiled. "Come right this way."

Rose's POV

I led the way into the dilapidated old building (AN: no, it is not the hermitage, it's just a different building, smaller than the hermitage and in a different part of the woods.)

Once inside, we led them into what looked like a mere closet, but was really an elevator to the below ground.

It was down here where we conversed with X.A.N.A. He took the form of what he described as a "Lyoko-detached polymorphic specter".

Lucas explained briefly. A polymorphic specter has the ability to transform into any human form, though some limitations apply. However, because these were usually connected to Lyoko, Lucas had to steal some software from Ertugrul and assist X.A.N.A. with a program which made the specter disconnected from Lyoko.

However, this meant that the only ability the specter had was the ability to shape-shift and use small electricity bolts. Apparently, these specters used to have super strength and speed, and could shoot lightening out of their hands and multiply and go intangible.

But whatever. It gave us direct communication with X.A.N.A., and we used that to get our missions.

As the closet/elevator lurched, I heard Jay Jay gasp, and whimper slightly.

I smirked. Good. That meant we were getting through her usually bored exterior, and letting her know that this is serious.

Even Ty seemed tense as the elevator came to a stop.

When it opened, Lucas stepped out into the large room. In the middle was a computer interface. According to Lucas, this was very much like the lab room in our nemesis's base factory, except that theirs had several floors and a direct portal to Lyoko. Ours was far less powerful, and had only one floor, with the actual supercomputer in another room. This computer was mainly to run and store programs, so, according to Lucas, this made it harder to program on.

"Wow! This is like alien stuff!" Eva said, eyes wide. "I didn't even know this stuff existed!"

Ty shot her a snide glance. "Honestly, Eves, it's a big computer. These things exist in real life! Dumb as dirt," he muttered.

Lucas frowned from where he was sitting at the computer. "Shut up! I'm trying to reach X.A.N.A."

He said the name with a reverence I understood, but the others seemed mildly impressed at least.

Well, they were gonna have a surprise waiting for them.

Suddenly a shadow appeared in the middle of the room, and a figure began to take shape.

Tyler's POV

"The hell?" I whispered to myself at the thing started to appear. God, calm yourself, Ty, I thought, it's just some damn illusion.

But that's hard to believe when landed with a solid thump.

The person, even fully formed, was frustratingly hard to make out, 'cause of the damn cloak he was wearing.

He looked up at us, his eyes blazing with a strange symbol.

"These are our allies, which you have brought to help us on our glorious quest for true domination."

I got the impression that this wasn't a question, but a statement.

Still, Ro motioned us to answer.

Eva only nodded, though she looked like she was about to wet herself.

"Y-yes," Joanna stammered, before turning to me.

Well, I wasn't gonna stutter like an damn idiot. "Y-y- uh, right."

Damnit.

X.A.N.A. nodded. "Are they loyal? Committed? There will be no backing out. Are they willing to change their lives for a higher goal? I shall hear it from them."

Again, we went around, pledging our loyalty. This was the freakiest thing I've ever done. Hearing it from X.A.N.A., up close, was more heartpounding than anything I've ever done before.

Then he walked around, touching each of us on the forehead, a shock pulsing through us. Nothing illusion about him. Then, if things weren't crazy enough, he transformed into different shapes, with electricity zapping around him.

I felt a weird lightheadedness, which wasn't really like me, but I realized why.

This was real, man. There was nothing fake about it. And only after I had pledged my faithfulness did I realize.

Nothing was ever going to be the same.

Lucas's POV

After X.A.N.A. had left, Ro ordered the others to head back to the dorms, to think it over.

We had business to do.

If our enemies, the Lyoko Warriors, had the chip we needed, then we were gonna have to get it back. And the best way to do that was to attack.

So Ro and I planned with X.A.N.A. the rest of the night.

Jace's POV

It was so dark where we were. Not that I knew where we were. Only that it was dark.

One of the figures walked up to me.

This one was a female, I was sure of it.

Though taller, and more filled out than the person who had first brought me here, she was still pale, and emaciated.

The other boy was with her.

The two glanced solemnly at me.

They didn't speak much, I didn't know what they were doing here.

Or what I was doing here.

But I did know they had something to do with X.A.N.A.

I must leave, the female thought mentally. Don't worry, I will be back.

She turned and faded until she vanished.

Is she going back to one of the leaders? I asked.

The remaining boy gave me a small smile. If you could call them that.

This is how the three with me spoke of the leaders. Though I was the only one to call them that, that was the role the two figures seemed to exercise.

The two figures were the weakest, physically, of the small group, but seemed to exercise the most power.

Though they both seemed androgynous, the physically stronger one seemed more female, and the less seemed more male, though it was impossible to tell.

It was the second one who brought me here.

All of them were pale, and emaciated, and all glowed in the darkness.

But their light was dimming.

Even in my short time here, I could see that.

Oh, and there is one more thing I know about them…

They're dying.

Lilly's POV

It had been a few days since Gem had gone missing.

I still felt like this was my fault. When your friend's life is in danger, don't friggin drop her cover!

I headed outside after class.

Hutch was trying to show Ana how to play some video game, and Gem had opted to watch them.

But it was cool out, and I needed to clear my head.

As I headed walked by the gate, I saw a guy, maybe a few years older than I was, holding something over one shoulder.

He looked slightly uncertain.

"Hey," I asked. "Can I help you? You look like you just landed on an alien planet."

He frowned. "I'm looking for someone. I haven't heard from her in a few days, and she never picks up when I called her." He shrugged. "Is it so wrong that I should be worried?"

He seemed to get all defensive when he said that, so I held up my hands. "No, it's fine! Hell, a lot can happen in a few days." I held out my hand. "I'm Lillith Perez. Who are you looking for?"

He shook it. "Axl Turner. I'm looking for a girl named, Jace."

I froze. "Y-your sister. Are you sure."

He gave me a funny look. "Yes I'm sure. Do you know her?"

"Y-yeah, she's a friend of mine." He looked suspicious at that, so I pulled out my phone, flipping to a picture, which held me, Gem, Jace, and Ana, grinning. Gem had her arm around Jace's shoulders, and Ana was trying to block the picture, giggling.

I was trying to act too cool for pictures, an attempt I see, which failed miserably.

He looked at the picture, smiling softly. "I didn't know she had so many friends." He looked up at me. "Anyway, would you know where she is?"

I hesitated, but before I could answer, he shifted the thing he was holding, and the blanket covering it shifted slightly, too.

Under the covers I saw, what I thought at first was a baby doll. But I realized it wasn't, one: because no guy would ever tote one around, two: because it was way too lifelike, and three: because he moved slightly.

I suddenly had a feeling of misgiving. I looked back up at Axl.

"Who are you? And who is he?"

He bit his lip, thinking, before deciding to answer.

"I'm her brother. And this is her son."

.

Sorry for taking so long to update! Also sorry if this isn't very good, but I had to clarify some things with our antagonists (none of who's owners I've heard from, so I have no idea how I'm portraying them).

Anyway, please review! Tell me how well/horribly I'm portraying your OCs!