Jeremy and Aelita watched without distraction as the bush to their side rustled, it's leaves producing an ominous sound as they rubbed their pigmented bodies against each other.

Seconds passed before their stress was relieved by the sight of a friend, not a foe, exiting the shrubbery.

"Whoa, what happened?" William asked, knocking a few leaves out of his hair.

Jeremy released a sigh of relief upon realizing it was William behind the bush instead of a X.A.N. student.

"She tripped earlier, I think her leg could be broken." Jeremy replied, readjusting Aelita's arm slightly to dilute the feelings of his ever-growing fatigue.

William walked quickly towards Aelita and Jeremy, generally taking Aelita's arm.

"You look like you could use a break. I'll help her for a while." William said, Aelita now having shifted all of her weight on him.

They moved as quickly as they could towards the factory, having to be extra careful with Aelita. They reached the sewer grate, Jeremy and William helping Aelita down, and began their trek through the sewers.

—

Ulrich and Yumi swung from the rope hanging at the entrance of the factory, sliding slightly as they landed on the cold, hard floor. They ran for the elevator, time taking a high importance, and entered upon it's metallic opening.

Their ride down was quiet other than the usual stannic clang of metal as they descended, giving them seconds to think over what had happened earlier today.

Yumi blushed as she looked down, having forgotten through recent events that she still possessed the flower she had been given a few minutes earlier. As the elevator doors opened, she placed it into her pocket in such a way that it wouldn't be crushed.

Franz looked over to them, his hands still typing as he turned away. "Are you ready to head to Lyoko? We have no time to lose."

They nodded in unison, receiving a return nod from Franz. Ulrich send the elevator down to the Scanner Room, the doors sealing tightly in front of them.

—

Odd stood exposed in the courtyard, looking around frantically for a place to hide. His eyes found themselves locked on the cafeteria, unsure whether it was because he thought it would be a good place to hide or if it had to do with that fact that he was starving.

'Well, it's a better place than standing out here.' Odd thought, taking a dash towards the building. Just as he was about to open the door and enter, he heard a low-pitched yell erupt behind him, a mob of X.A.N. students far off in the distance.

Odd frantically opened the door and ran in, slamming the door behind him.

"Whew, that was close." Odd said, walking into the kitchen in hopes of finding food to fill the void in his stomach. The area seemed bare, but his eyes caught a glimpse of a polished red beauty: a lone apple sitting against the wall.

"Yes!" He yelled, running to the sustenance he so desired, holding it in both hands. He inspected it first with his eyes, making sure there were no bruises or blemishes, then with his nose, detecting a crisp aroma emitting from the apple, a freshly picked marvel.

As he raised it towards his mouth for the final and most important test, taste, his eyes suddenly widened, his jaw dropping. He released his grip on the apple as it seemed to fall in slow-motion to the ground.

Through the window looking out of the kitchen, Odd saw a massive cluster of students charging the building, their eyes red and their precision fierce.

The blond reacted instantly, running into the cafeteria and showing tables against the exits. Seconds after he finished adjusting the final table, the students began slamming their bodies into the doors, slightly moving the tables each time.

Odd stood in the back of the room, watching his defense hold steady through the massive pummeling. 'You guys better hurry up on Lyoko, if not, I'll either die from X.A.N.A., starvation, or both.'

—

"Scanner Yumi, scanner Ulrich."

"Transfer Yumi, transfer Ulrich."

"Virtualization." Franz said, pressing the enter key, sending the two children to Lyoko.

Yumi and Ulrich landed in the Mountain Sector, both on high alert.

"The tower should be due south from your location." Franz said, watching them from his monitor display.

"But what are we supposed to do once we get there? Without Aelita here we can't deactivate the tower." Yumi said, her head tilted up slightly.

Franz readjusted his mic before speaking. "All you have to do is make a physical connection with the tower, then I can deactivate it from here."

Suddenly, the Supercomputer began to beep a familiar sound, the bearer of bad news delivering again.

"It appears you have company, be careful."

Ulrich and Yumi nodded and began running towards the tower. As they ran, Ulrich turned to face Yumi, her returning the glance. They both smile slightly, their bond stronger than ever.

But that bond would be put to the test very soon...

Thanks for the wait, I was away from the internet all weekend for a vacation, and was surprised by a random test in two of my classes, so I worked hard to have this out tonight. Enjoy, and make sure to leave a review!