Chapter 4

Spidey saw Yumi and Ulrich. They were smiling at him. Odd stood next to them with a thumbs up and laughed at Spidey. Jeremy stood on the other side of her gave a slight grin and pushed up his glasses. They all looked content, happy even.

"You're doing great, Spidey," Ulrich and Yumi said together.

Odd nodded. "Don't worry about us, we're doing awesome!"

Their words lifted him, he felt proud. Everyone he looked was white, the color of good and innocent, while his friends were right in front of him, complimenting Spidey. Their words were repetitive and sounded nothing like how they would talk, but it was nice.

"I'm here to help," Spidey claimed.

Suddenly, Jeremy frowned. He looked behind Spidey sadly. The picture was turning gray. Odd no longer held his shoulders, Ulrich's smile turn into a frown, and Yumi's beautiful smile vanished. Curiously, Spidey turned to find the last member of their group.

Aelita was facing away from them all, curled into a ball. She was letting out loud sobs that Spidey was surprised he didn't hear earlier. Every cry she gave out made things darker, until there was blackness surrounding all of them. Pressure on Spidey's shoulder caused him to turn his head.

Yumi was there. She spoke softly, a whisper that Spidey nearly couldn't make out, "She's the one that needs your help. There's nothing you can do for us."

Jeremy was over his shoulder. "She's the one in danger. You're the one that can help."

Spidey didn't want to nod. He wanted to argue and kick up a fuss that Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, and Jeremy were the friends that needed the help. But his Bit Beast didn't agree.

He looked from Yumi and Ulrich- no, I didn't want to do that. Spidey stride towards the girl- no, wait, take me back to my other friends. The more he walked towards Aelita the further away she became- that's okay let's go back to our other friends in the white light.

No matter how much Spidey fought with his Bit Beast, his feet carried him to Aelita.

Spidey didn't know how he had managed to sleep. Mostly likely from a stomach full of food Aelita and Dawn forcibly made him eat, and the exhaustion of only having a small nap in the span of 48 hours. What Spidey was sure of was what woke him up as his girlfriend slept on her bed.

He sat up in bed and his gaze went to Aelita, who was curled into a ball, clutching the same objects as last night. Her eyes were wide open and puffy from what Spidey could make out. Meaning while he and Dawn were sleeping away she had been here crying. That would be the third time Spidey did nothing while the only friend they had now broken down- she felt so upset that tears ran down her cheeks.

Both of them just stared at each other; the girl surprised to see him sit up so suddenly. Spidey watched as her fingers still shake from the effort of holding in her sobs. He felt so ashamed. She was most likely holding in her cries as to not disturb him or Dawn or the gang.

Before Aelita knew what was happening, the young man got up out of his own bed, and pushed her on the bed she was on until her back was against the wall.

"Wha-...!" she sputtered in surprise. Spidey lifted Ulrich's sheets that she was under, and to her amazement, climbed into the bed with her. Her wide eyes never left his face, as if it would clue her into what he was doing.

Spidey ignored her stare, grabbed the extra pillow by their feet and set it next to the one Aelita was using, laying down parallel to her. Then he pulled her close to his chest, mindful of the fact that she was still puzzled out her mind.

The princess' body was as stiff as a board from the turn of events, as she was now tucked into Spidey's chest, in the four bed, at two in the morning.

Their breathing was the only thing that could be heard, besides Kiwi, that readjusted in the bed. Had it been daylight or the both of them wide awake, this could have even been awkward. Spidey thought of his lingering dream, and clutched the girl closer, murmuring, "You can cry."

She processed it for a moment, before it all came crashing down on her. Jeremy, the person that turned on the supercomputer, freed her from it, found her father, and past, and was the only person she even considered having a crush on was dead. Yumi, her only female friend in the world, the only one that was patient, and would listen to her silly problems when they should have been common knowledge at her age. Dead. Ulrich, the samurai, acted like a big brother to her, protect most of the times when no one she can't turn to, dead. Odd, the only one that could make her laugh when she was down from someone teasing her, who always made up lie after lie to ensure no one found out whom she truly was, he was dead. All dead.

She clutched Spidey's tank top in her fists, bringing herself as close as possible to his comforting embrace, and making sure all of her precious possessions were still against her chest, let it all out.

Dawn was watching this as she watched Spidey comforted Aelita. She smile, her boyfriend knowing how to cheer up someone when they felt down in the dumps, especially their friends were dead.

Spidey let the harsh school shower water rush onto his body while thinking of what happened earlier that morning.

To his surprise, he had woken up with Aelita curled in his arms, the both of them having fallen in the fourth bed. As to not make it uncomfortable for her when she woke up, Spidey immediately left for the showers.

He stood in the shower contemplating if he had actually fled for selfish reasons. Perhaps he was seeking to make up for not comforting her earlier in order not to have strange dreams like that. To a degree, Spidey knew that he helped Aelita last night. But now he didn't know if he had done the right thing last night.

Not to mention the ache of loneliness in his chest when he realized he couldn't holler his question over to Odd or Ulrich.

Spidey was lost in thought scrubbing his body, but was brought back to Earth by his spider sense as a loud clicking noise. There was only one thing that made that noise.

The young man whipped around to see Hiroki, Yumi's younger brother, fully clothed and holding a Polaroid camera up to his face.

"What are you doing?!" Spidey demanded loudly. The younger boy just giggled, waved the camera in the air, and booked it out of the shower room. The teen grabbed his towel, tied it around his waist, triple checked it wouldn't fall off, and sprinted after the boy. Spidey only hesitated to follow the kid when he saw him dash out of the boys bathroom altogether, but nonetheless followed.

"Hiroki you give that to me right this second!" Spidey yelled, cheeks starting to blend red from embarrassment as a few on-lookers made strange faces.

"You have to catch me to get this picture!" taunted Hiroki. The Lyoko warrior wondered what had gotten into the boy that usually used respectful mannerisms around the teen.

Thankfully, when Hiroki got to the steps, he didn't start running through the girls corridor, and instead continued going down the stairs until he made it to the bottom floor.

Spidey had finally caught up to the younger boy just outside of the dorm. He yanked Hiroki's arm, nearly causing the boy to drop the camera. Spidey gave Hiroki a stern look, holding out his other palm for the camera.

"I'll only give this to you," Hiroki began, suddenly serious, "if you tell me where my sister is."

Spidey's arm dropped. Hiroki immediately backed a few feet away, out of arms reached. The younger boy glared at the older one for an answer.

What was Spidey supposed to tell him? 'Sorry your sisters actually dead and her body will never be found so don't keep your hopes up kid'? For nearly three minutes both boys stared at each other, neither saying anything to the other.

Hiroki gave Spidey a disgusted look, as if he had seen him for what he truly was, before turning and running to no doubt Milly and Tamiya were. Spidey let him go without a word. He needed to get some clothes on.

Aelita joined Spidey and Dawn at their table when there was just ten minutes of breakfast left. The teen was playing with the eggs that he grabbed but didn't bother to eat when she sat, glancing up slightly before his eyes drifted back to the eggs. Dawn knew what happened and about to after Spidey told her. Along with the gang they were under the table except for Reneamon who was on the rafters above them.

"Morning," she said lightly, though her voice was a little off from the intense crying late last night.

"Promise me you won't pick up a newspaper," was what Dawn replied.

Aelita's response was cut off by the cafeteria door opening loudly, and two younger girls in eighth grade shouting, "Extra! Extra!" Spidey's head made a loud thump as his head hit the table next to his tray in despair, complete with him putting his arms over his head, as if to shield himself. "See Spidey Parker like never before! Keep this one under your pillow because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" exclaimed Milly.

The girls made their way to every table, asking mostly the girls if they would want a paper. Aelita raised her eyebrows at Spidey's dramatic expression and what the girls were saying. When Milly and Tamiya had made it to Aelita, they gave the older girl a big smile. People that had papers in their hands were giggling and looking at Spidey in a way Aelita didn't understand.

"Aelita! Here, have a paper, no charge," said Milly with a big smile and slightly red cheeks.

Even though the papers didn't cost anything anyway, the girl mumbled a 'thank you' and was just reaching for the one outstretched for her to take when Spidey snapped up. He startled the younger girls, who didn't even realize he was sitting there.

Spidey snatched the paper meant for Aelita, stuck it under his arm, and grabbed Aelita's wrist. Dawn followed him and the gang also. He roughly pushed them outside, away from the commotion of people that were reacting to whatever was in the paper. As soon as they were by themselves outside of the cafeteria, he let go of her.

"Spidey! Hey wait, it can't be that bad," Aelita reasoned, rubbing her wrist slightly from his strength.

Anxiously, he ran his fingers through his already slicked back hair after he took off his hat and put it back on. Spidey had just opened his mouth to respond when there was a different voice.

"Excuse me," the teens turned to the newly approached men. "Would you two know where we could find the students Spidey Parker, Dawn Berlitz, and Aelita Stones?" The three Lyoko warriors lost their breath along with the gang except for Blade Wolf.

There were two men and they were obviously policemen, from their uniforms. But what really left them speechless was the fact that the second one, who hadn't spoken to them, was the one from the video. He calmly stood there, analyzing the teens behind his partner.

"That would be us," Spidey gritted out with eerie calmness.

The officers exchanged glances. The one that both of them had their eyes on began speaking.

"We've been looking for you three," the officer said. Aelita and Spidey and Dawn cringed at his voice, despite the friendliness. Aelita moved closer to the boy and the girl she was with, her heart beginning to pound. Subconsciously, she grabbed onto the back of his backpack lightly. "We couldn't find you three yesterday, but I guess we got lucky today, eh?" the officer finished with a laugh and scratched behind his head.

Spidey, Dawn, the gang, and Aelita just continued to stare at the officer.

He cleared his throat. "Yes, well my name is Officer LaFevre, and my partner and I would like to ask the three of you a few questions about your missing friends."

Although the questions were simple and it got them out of classes for the day, Aelita had wished she hadn't of gone through it. She was in there for nearly two hours by herself. Both officers were kind and spoke nicely, but just being near the one that shot Jeremy and her friends, Officer LaFevre, fried her brain. Aelita's hands wouldn't stop shaking the entirety of the session, and she would only respond to the other's questions. If she tried to talk to the other one, it would come out as a choke, before she finally decided to avoid his presence altogether.

They had let Spidey, Dawn, the gang, and her go to lunch together, where Dawn and Spidey had come up with an idea to sneak past the police and head to the factory for the rest of the day to calm down in Aelita's case, and avoid it all for Spidey and Dawn and the gang. But before either of them could think about eating a little more than they had the past few days, the men had come to collect them, probably guessing their course of action to ditch.

Now Aelita sat by herself in the forgotten computer room in the back of the Math building. They told her to stay there until they were done with her friend; much like Spidey and Dawn had to do when she was in there.

She wanted there to be someone there. She wanted Spidey and Dawn or everyone there. The last thing she wanted to do was be by herself. The questions were haunting her. A few of them were repeated, and they just so happened to be the scariest.

'Do you know where your friends are?' 'No.' Yes.

'Do you know what might have happened to them?' 'No.' Yes.

'Is there anyone you suspect of hurting or taking them?' 'No.' Yes.

'What was the last thing you remember them saying to you?' 'I don't know'

That last one was the truth though. She hadn't talked to Yumi for a number of days beforehand because of how busy they were individually. Odd hadn't said anything directly for her to hear recently that she could remember- most of his time put into talking was dedicated to speaking to the group as a whole and trying to get them to laugh. The last time she had personally talked to Jeremy was the night before the attack and they were working on a program. Ulrich, pretty much nothing.

Seeing the computers surrounding her in this room, and still fresh from being asked all those questions was causing her mind to go through an inner turmoil. One second she saw all the computers, the next, Jeremy grabbing her hand with a smile. Computers, Yumi hugging Aelita. Computers, seeing Jeremy for the first time. Computers, computers, Odd defending her from bullies. Computers, Jeremy. Computers, Computers. Yumi, Ulrich, Odd. Computers.

"Agh!" Aelita grabbed her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, backing away in the corner, attempting to get away from the computers. Tears slid down her cheeks. How long had she been in this room? Why was she over reacting like this? Was she having a panic attack? These visions were worse than when she was remembering the men in black after being materialized by Jeremy.

"Hey- Are you okay-? Wha-!" The suddenness of someone else walking into the room and seeing her spooked her out of the state she was in just enough to look up from the corner.

The person was no longer in sight, having tripped and fallen on the floor, with the computer desks blocking her view.

"Ah… ouch. No blood? Lucky!" the slightly nasally voice said from the other side of the room. The person popped his head up, to reveal that it was Hervé making a scene.

The girl stared right at him as he dusted himself off, and stumbled to her, going around the desks and computers. It was as if she was watching everything fast forward. In seconds he was next to her, with a hand on her knee.

Hervé leaned down by her with concerned eyes, asking, "Are you hurt? Should I get Yolanda?"

Immediately, Aelita's head shook sharply, and she squeaked a 'no'.

Right then, Guilmon and Spidey moodily walked into the room. "Aelita?" he called. Then he saw her clutching herself on the floor, tears still moist on her cheeks, and Hervé standing way to close to his last friend of the group.

The brain, realizing the predicament, nervously put his hands up in a sort of terrified surrender as Guilmon and Spidey angrily stalked up to him.

"It's n-not!- I found h-her like- please don't hurt me, Parker!" the boy whimpered.

Just as Spidey got a tight hold on the front of the smarter teens flannel, Aelita called out, "Stop, Spidey! He was just concerned."

Her companions nonetheless stared the other teen down, the hold on Herb's front tightening for a moment before he released him altogether from his grasp. Herb made a grunt as he was roughly dropped onto the floor and he rubbed his neck from the thought of almost dying.

Spidey and Guilmon quickly huddled to Aelita, softly wiping the tears away from the pinkette's face.

"Are you okay? How long have you been like this?"

Aelita held onto Spidey's forearms for comfort, like she was anchoring herself to the real world instead of her unwanted memories. She nodded to his first question and answered, "I-I don't know. It felt like a long time, though."

Spidey considered that before hugging her to his chest and mumbling soothing words while she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to get rid of the thoughts and tears.

Hervé looked at the three and couldn't decide if they looked like an awfully close pair of siblings, the best of friends, or lovers. Instead of making himself uncomfortable by trying to figure it out, he did his best to slip away from the trio without being seen, in fear of Guilmon's wrath.

Aelita caught sight of Hervé as he opened the door, and she quickly stammered, "T-Thank you, Herb."

The teen didn't respond, but ducked his head and closed the door behind himself. And he was hoping for a peaceful time on the computer.

They lay in their separate beds that night, Spidey in his own, Dawn lay in her own, the gang on their bed, and Aelita in the fourth bed's once again. It was just eight at night, and they could hear the sound of classmates walking and conversing out in the hallway. The light in the room was still on, they were in their sleeping clothes, except for Riley and the others and neither of the teens was under the covers yet, but they weren't talking either. It was somewhat of a comfortable silence.

Spidey thought about his questioning. It was uncomfortable to say the least, especially because of a certain officer. He quickly lost his temper with the police and stopped talking to both when they would ask the same questions over and over again. Spidey could tell by the agitated looks on their faces that they weren't of any help to the search.

Aelita, meanwhile, studied the room with Kiwi happily being pet beside her. She really did not want to be sucked back into any thoughts that would make her upset. All the times she'd been in here, she had never noticed the boy and girl's taste. Dawn's side of the room had a lot of pink and blue, a mirror and her makeup, and clothes in the closet. Spidey's side was made up of fighting posters, and plain colors like blue. His side was also much cleaner. Something caught her eye that was underneath Spidey's bed though, that stuck out and ruined the completely clean image.

Curiously, Aelita stood up and grabbed the item, to find that it was the newspaper from earlier. The girl's eyebrows rose in surprise. She had assumed he had thrown this away earlier, after stuffing it in his bag while they were walked to the Math building by the officers.

Spidey noticed in his peripheral vision Aelita get up and sit on the floor next to his bed, grabbing something underneath it. To his horror, what she had grabbed was the newspaper he had stuffed under there while Aelita had went to her room to change. Dawn got curious and went to Aelita.

The pinkette unfolded it to show the cover, which had on it an almost full picture of Spidey's naked back as he showered. Thankfully there was a half wall which covered anything below his hips, that would make this already mildly inappropriate photo completely out of the question to post in a school's paper.

Spidey covered his eyes with his hat and groaned while still lying on his bed, not bothering to attempt to stop her since she already saw it.

Aelita's cheeks flamed red at the picture, along with Dawn and she could see why there were a lot of reactions in the cafeteria. His back was awfully toned, and his head was dipped back, with his hair slicked back and eyes closed in thought. Not to mention the water dripping- Aelita quickly flipped the picture over, getting embarrassed for looking at it for so long.

"Sorry," Aelita mumbled to Spidey. Dawn sighed and went back to her bed.

He peeked out from under his hat, and begun to laugh. The look on her face was priceless, and there was something about everybody in the room being embarrassed at the same time that was humorous. Aelita looked up at him through her pink eyelashes and cracked a smile, still not able to get the picture out of her head.

They only stop laughing together when Aelita looked down and went silent. Spidey and Dawn curiously looked at the paper with her. The article on the back was titled, 'School Genius, Japanese Day Student, Soccer Player, and Class Clown Missing?' in bold letters.

"Read it," Spidey requested, his once playful expression turning stony.

She cleared her throat thickly.

"Tenth graders Jeremy Belpois, Odd Della Robbia, Ulrich Stern, and eleventh grader Yumi Ishiyama have been said to have gone missing about three days ago. Our sources say that there was no suspicious activity beforehand, and all three have disappeared without a trace. Rumors say that Ishiyama, Stern, Belpois, and Della Robbia have been kidnapped, but there is a lot of controversy over this. Our reporters have been making attempts to contact and get information from Spidey Parker, Dawn Berlitz, and Aelita Stones, but nothing has come of it yet. Keep looking for more updates on the situation."

Aelita was thrown off by the 'attempts to contact' part. Spidey was already speaking before she could comment, though.

"Hiroki," the boy said, turning over so Aelita was facing his back, "he tried to blackmail me. That's why the picture was in the paper. He wanted to know where Yumi was."

Aelita hesitated for a moment, the once light atmosphere now nonexistent. She stood next to his bed, and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "I have a feeling things are going to get better, Spidey." The boy didn't move, and didn't shake her off so she took it as a good sign. "Things are… difficult right now. Just… remember that I'm here, okay? Things will get better," she repeated. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll go to the factory and try and figure out the programs, okay?"

Spidey finally turned his head and looking her in the eyes, nodded with a small smile.

Sissy threw the rest of the paper away after clipping two things out of it. In her hand, she tightly grasped the picture of Spidey, which she only had the chance to glance at before narrowing her eyes and angrily looking away. How dare those little girls expose to all of the female population what her friend looked like in the shower? Sissy felt the overwhelming anger of not being the first and only to see him like that.

But more importantly, what actually did happen to her four classmates? She didn't believe for a second the story the two remaining members of that clan told her father. But how was she supposed to get the information?

Sissy didn't know why this was bothering her more. Instead of grossly examining the near-nude picture of her friend, her she was, studying the caption of missing students she didn't even think she liked at all in the other article she cut out. The curiosity to know was there, probably just like everybody in school, but it felt like something more was there than just that. And Sissy couldn't place the feeling she had when she stared this clipping down.

What she did know is that she wanted to get to the bottom of it, whether it is for her sake, or Spidey, Dawn, and Aelita's.