Chapter 28: Not over yet

The next morning, Jeremy awoke under the loud banging on his door. He sighed – if he could, he would have slept and wouldn't have gotten up until midday. But apparently duty called and so he had to wake up. He stepped out of his bed and walked to the door. All those time, the person who needed him didn't stop banging on the door and Jeremy hurried to the door, and he opened it before the others in other rooms woke up as well. Eventually, the person turned out to be Odd, who simply walked in without even saying 'hi' when the door was opened. He sat down on his friend's bed and Jeremy had to guess what Odd was doing here. And the look in Odd's eyes already warned Jeremy that whatever Odd had to say, it couldn't be good.

"Hello, Odd," Jeremy said, "What's bothering you to wake me and the others?" He had hoped Odd would just shake his head saying it's nothing, but instead Odd nodded.

"It's just two things," he said, and Jeremy sighed relieved, "but sadly enough, those two things are emergencies which can't be changed in any way whatsoever." Jeremy's face dropped in disbelief and he was already searching an answer, even though he did not know what emergencies Odd was talking about. He's been told that whenever Jim was too busy, he should solve their everyday problems, and even before Jeremy could ask what those emergencies were, Odd told Einstein himself.

"The first emergency is Aelita," Odd needn't say more to get Jeremy all worried and overprotective.

"Aelita? What's wrong? How's she doing right now? Is somebody with her? Please, tell me somebody's with her now." Odd sighed. Sometimes, Jeremy just worried too much about her, and h hated to think that he should stop doing that. As a leader, he should do what was best for the group, and not what was best for him and Aelita.

"She's fine," he said, "but not for long."

"What do you mean?"

"First, XANA's at our doorstep, in case you didn't know. Second, without those machines you brought to her, she would've already died for sure. But be reasonable: is this way good enough to save her? With the way you're doing things now, it doesn't really seem… achievable, if you know what I mean." Jeremy started t boil from anger with these words.

"Of course it's achievable," he told him, "Why wouldn't it? I've been helping her since the beginning!" Odd kind of was Jeremy's counterpart right now: where the genius was mad because Odd doubted his medical skills (which he did not really have), Odd was calm and he didn't yell like his friend. He also let Jeremy finish whatever he was saying before it was his turn again.

"I didn't expect anything else from you," he said, trying to be careful with the choice of words, "I just ask you to think about it. No machines means no life, but you should look through her eyes. Would you like it to live at the brink of dead? Barely alive, not yet gone? Wouldn't you rather die than to live and rely on those machines for the rest of your life? If I was in a position like hers, I knew what I would choose." Jeremy balled his fists. How dared he!

"Don't say such thing about her!" Jeremy yelled and Odd simply turned his head so he didn't need to look at the mad genius.

"Do you think I'm saying this with pleasure? Because if you think so, you're completely wrong. I don't now if you remember, but I also care about her. If we were a family, you'd be her overprotective boyfriend while I'd be the overprotective older brother. And if I had the choice and the chance, I would immediately swap places with her. I'd like to hear your angry comment now, if you please." Odd just added that last sentence without thinking. The way Jeremy reacted on whatever he had to say about her… Odd didn't like it a bit – the Jeremy he knew was kind and friendly, and not mad. But yeah, you couldn't change the fact they changed – the invasion changed people, as Odd knew by hanging out with Sissi and Nicholas the past weeks. After a while, Jeremy relaxed, and sighed.

"I'm sorry," the blonde said, "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm just a bit worried, that's all." Odd smiled weakly, turned his head back to his smart friend and put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It's alright. I'm also just a bit worried. Just make sure you don't Hulk up whenever you're angry." Odd weak attempt to joke was also weakly received, but at least with a smile from Jeremy.

"Thanks, Odd." he said, and sat down on the bed. Odd crossed his arms and then Jeremy remembered something, "Wait… didn't you say there were two emergencies? And if Aelita was the first, what's the second?" the young man sighed, and Jeremy guessed the second emergency was possibly worse than Aelita's.

"This is about multiple people… because of a wrong choice… made by a man who could have meant more for the refugees…" Jeremy turned his head to Odd. He had some suspects in mind, and hoped those suspects hadn't done it.

"How many?" the genius asked.

"The amount of people who wanted to learn how to defend themselves, plus their teacher." Jeremy's eyes widened, to close them later and lay down on his bed. No, this couldn't happen. Not now. Not after the many warnings he gave Jim about the danger, not after that accident with XANA possessing the man with the gun. He tried to fight back the tears. Jim… Emily… Yumi… everybody who were bold enough to try… He gulped, opened his wet eyes and looked at Odd.

"Did they do what I think they've done?" Odd shrugged.

"If you mean they've tried to surprise XANA this night but somehow got surprised themselves and entered battle with XANA's monsters, then yes." The room fell silent. They just had to fight him, didn't they? They were just bold enough to fight… He didn't remember much of XANA – he was already glad he could pronounce the name now – but the virus was very dangerous. He didn't know how many of his friends and classmates had perished that night, but that didn't matter now. It didn't matter how many, because XANA had at least an army a hundred times bigger, one by one much better fighters and more merciless than the refugees ever were.

Jim's group never had a chance to succeed.

Jeremy vaguely heard Odd saying something – something about him leaving and the bodies being t the entrance – but he didn't really listen to his words. He didn't look up when Odd left the room and… Oh, why should he? If he had known, he could have warned Jim about even more dangers. He could have told him not to do it. He could have at least tried to talk Yumi out of it. Yumi…

XANA had taken yet another Warrior's life. The difference with Ulrich was that he could have prevented Yumi's. They could have done something. He could have done something…

He lay down for a long time, mourning Jim, Yumi and anyone else who perished that night, and he thought about what he had not done to them, since their deaths were his fault. Too bad this was not over yet.

And that was the 28th chapter, all of you. What'll happen now Yumi's gone? And Aelita, will she too die soon? What about Odd and Jeremy now? Two more chapters to go, and then it's the end. I'll be back the 17th of July with the next chapter. And now the review!

Bluedog197 (The real reason for Odd staying behind will be revealed in the next chapter, and I don't care if you're the only reviewer (for now) I already am glad there are people reading it, and thanks!)

See ya next time!

-Dutchwriters2