The Games of Moriarty

by Ragnarok777

Xana is gone. Victory has been achieved by the Lyoko Warriors. But a simple test to understand William's nightmares of Xana unveils a new enemy: Moriarty. This evil entity wishes to play a series of games that shake the Lyoko Warriors to the core.

11. Chapter 11

Okay, first of all, I need to mention that Sarkozy is no longer President of France. He has been replaced by Francois Hollande. But I prefer to keep Sarkozy as president in my story. This has nothing to do with politics, it just works with my story in ways that are too complicated to explain. And since this is really an AU story where Code Lyoko actually exists, I think that gives me a certain poetic license to do what I want.

Part 26

Élysée Palace: The official residence of the French president. Outside a swarm of reporters, officials, and other onlookers prepare to hear the President make a speech. An army of security guards surround the main entrance. After a long wait, Sarkozy exits the main doors to the central podium. He is greeted by cheers and applause, in addition to a few boos from some of his vocal opponents. Simon, representative of les invisibles, stands ten meters to the right of the president. But he is not alone. Moriarty is standing right next to him. He is smiling arrogantly while Simon feels annoyed and uncomfortable. Sarkozy begins his speech. He appears cool and collected despite the enormous crowd.

Sarkozy: Good afternoon citizens of France, and thank you for your warm greeting. He pauses. In light of the recent troubling events, first and foremost the breakout at La Santé Prison and the subsequent hostage situation at Kadic Academy, I feel it is imperative to mention that there is no longer any need for concern regarding our national security. I can assure that rumors of a cybernetic attack triggering the crisis are false. It was a terrible accident, but all of the prisoners have been apprehended and the threat is over…

Simon leans close to Moriarty. He adjusts his sunglasses.

Simon: You have a lot of nerve….daring to come back.

Moriarty keeps on smiling.

Moriarty: Oh, this must be so difficult for you.

Simon: You have the audacity to come back and accept a reward…..FROM OUR OWN PRESIDENT?

Moriarty taps his fingers together with glee.

Moriarty: Hey….it's your fault for not telling him who I really am.

Simon is fuming.

Simon: I can't believe the Director is letting you do this.

Moriarty: He loves secrecy. I do believe it's his only weakness.

Simon subtly aims his index finger at him.

Simon: If it were up to me, I'd kill you right now!

Moriarty puts both hands on his chest in fake panic.

Moriarty: Oh I'm so terribly frightened!

Simon: Don't mock me. Those agents you killed were good friends of mine.

Moriarty's sarcastic attitude devolves into murderous spite.

Moriarty: Antea Hopper was also a good friend of mine.

Simon looks away.

Moriarty: So who is this 'Director'? I've heard his name several times, but his identity eludes even me.

Simon almost spits at him.

Simon: As if I would tell you that….

Moriarty laughs. He then stops laughing and gives Simon a crazed look.

Moriarty: Perhaps you didn't understand me. Tell me who he is, or I'll kill you.

Simon barely restrains the urge to strangle him right in front of the President.

Simon: …..Go to hell.

Moriarty waves his finger in a warning fashion.

Moriarty: Last chance. Tell me who he is, and you won't die.

Simon growls through his teeth.

Simon: I swore an oath of secrecy. And I intend to keep it, no matter the cost.

Moriarty shrugs.

Moriarty: Suit yourself.

Sarkozy: …..And now we simply must recognize this outstanding citizen of France. The brave and humble school teacher….who went far above his calling to save the lives of hundreds of young students. A man such as him is a rare find in this modern age, but his heroics harken back to the French heroes of old….

Moriarty elbows Simon.

Moriarty: He's talking about me.

Simon curses several times.

Sarkozy: ….Dr. Sébastien Renard, for your extraordinary civilian valor, I am proud to bestow upon you the highest honor….He holds up a medal. The Grand Croix of the Légion d'Honneur. Congratulations.

The crowd erupts into applause. Moriarty steps forward to shake the President's hand and receive his medal. As soon as he gets his award, a bullet rips through the air. It pierces Simon's heart and instantly kills him. The crowd screams and the guards leap into action.

Guard: MR. PRESIDENT GET DOWN!

They tackle and separate Sarkozy from Moriarty. They rush Sarkozy into a nearby black limousine, which quickly accelerates from the scene. In a nearby building, a sniper under Moriarty's control removes his gun from the window and slips into the shadows. The guards in Sarkozy's car check for injuries.

Guard: Are you okay Mr. President?

Sarkozy waves them away.

Sarkozy: I'm fine.

Guard: How in the world did they get past our security?

Sarkozy watches the crowd disperse from his safe vantage point.

Sarkozy: That guard…what was his name again?

Guard: Simon Morel. He's dead Mr. President.

Sarkozy shakes his head.

Sarkozy: I don't understand. If I was the target, how could the shooter have missed so badly?

Moriarty has been pulled to a safe location inside the Palace. He watches Simon's body being taken away. He leans back in his ornate chair, quietly enjoying his view within the sacred halls of French power. Several hours later, the warriors get embroiled in a fierce battle deep in Sector Five. They are positioned on a hill of sorts consisting of several circular platforms that gradually shrink in diameter from bottom to top. Aelita works on a central module on the highest platform, occasionally throwing energy fields at monsters that interrupt her. Meanwhile Ulrich, Yumi, and William fight the monsters that try to climb the staircase to stop her. Essentially their mission has evolved into a dangerous game of King of the Mountain. Odd and Jeremie watch from the lab room.

Jeremie: Note to self. Moriarty does not like it when we go through his personal stuff.

Ulrich cuts two cobras in half.

Ulrich: No kidding!

Yumi does her best to hold off some tigers and humanoids. A giant scorpion crawls up the stairs toward William.

William: We won't be able to hold them forever. How much longer?

Aelita: Just a little longer!

Yumi uses her fans to hold off a tiger's saber teeth.

Yumi: Well move faster!

Aelita: You try to decrypt these codes and fight at the same time!

To illustrate her point, a vulture nearly takes Aelita's head off. She ducks and launches an energy field that destroys it. Two broken hulks of former scorpions fall to William's feet. He looks up to see an entire wave of tigers leaping forward. William's heart sinks. There's no way they can take all of them. He looks to Ulrich, who has just jammed his saber through a humanoid's head. He catches his attention.

William: Ulrich, now may be a good time to triplicate!

Ulrich surveys the situation.

Ulrich: I have a better idea.

Ulrich lowers himself onto a platform the monsters are beginning to reach. Then he extends his swords and breaks into a super sprint. His blinding fast speed creates a solid wall that cuts apart any monster that dares to pass. The rest screech in annoyance.

William: Impressive. But two can play that game.

He dissolves into super smoke and spins around the platform in an irregular revolution, knocking down unsuspecting monsters. Meanwhile Yumi finishes off the monsters that managed to get past Ulrich and uses her telekinesis to push random monsters of her choice away from Aelita.

Jeremie: Yumi, Aelita has started the downloading process. How is it going on your end?

She throws one of her fans.

Yumi: Well the boys put enough brain cells together to come up with a good defense, but there's a lot of them and Ulrich can't sprint forever.

Jeremie: Hold on for just a minute.

Yumi: Ugh…..I hate 'just a minute'!

Aelita: ….Just need to organize this data…

She presses a few buttons and several bars load to capacity and then reload.

Aelita: It's coming Jeremie!

A file opens on Jeremie's computer.

Jeremie: Yes! Now we can know the secrets of Moriarty's earth form.

Odd: And send him back to Lyoko?

Jeremie: Um….maybe. In the absolute best case scenario, we may find a way to destroy him for good. But let's not get our hopes up. He talks back into his headset. Job well done guys. Now get out of there.

Aelita prepares to join the fight, but suddenly the monsters retreat. They quickly disappear into cracks and crevices throughout the chamber. The warriors are silent for a moment, confused. After a few seconds, William scratches his head.

William: Are you serious? That's it?

The room starts to shake.

Ulrich: You really know how to jinx us, don't you?

Yumi: What's happening?

Aelita looks down.

Aelita: The chamber is shifting! RUN!

The four run off the platform, which soon collapses in on itself. Blocks disappear from the floor, leaving the warriors with no choice but to jump and hope they avoid running over a falling block. All of them manage to reach the safety of a steep ledge except for Aelita, who trails behind. Yumi extends her hand.

Yumi: Come on Aelita! You're almost there!

Aelita reaches but their arms are too far apart. She briefly stops to activate her wings. Ulrich points.

Ulrich: AELITA LOOK OUT!

Aelita notices that the block underneath her is falling too late to react. She loses her balance and fails to sprout her wings in time. She slips down a crack in the floor.

Jeremie: Aelita!

The chamber has become still. It has now reformed into a checkerboard of blocks and empty spaces. The warriors peer over the hole, looking for any signs of her.

Jeremie: Aelita, can you hear me? Aelita?...He looks at the screen in confusion. Odd looks closer.

Odd: What's wrong? Where'd she go?

Jeremie: I don't know. But wherever it took here, there's no communication uplink. I can't contact her.

William looks to the ceiling.

William: Is….is she…gone?

For a terrible moment, Jeremie doesn't reply.

Jeremie: No…..I would have seen it on my screen. She's just trapped way deep down there, and she's not responding.

Yumi: Can't you just materialize her?

Jeremie furiously types on the computer.

Jeremie: Unfortunately no. That's not an option either. I can't do anything from my end to get her out.

William: Then we'll follow her down.

Ulrich suddenly seems a little uneasy.

Ulrich: Follow her down? As in….jump?

Yumi affectionately pats his shoulder.

Yumi: Aw…does the brave little hero still have a slight fear of heights?

Ulrich growls in annoyance.

Ulrich: Not funny….

Yumi: You're very cute when you're scared…

Ulrich: Yumi…..

Yumi: It's okay, you can hold my hand.

Ulrich: One more word and I'm dragging you to the snake exhibit at the zoo!

Yumi gasps. The thought makes her cringe.

Yumi: You wouldn't dare…..

Ulrich: Try me.

William puts his hands over his ears.

William: Enough! You're arguing like an old married couple!...Jeremie, we're going in after her.

Jeremie: But if you all go down, I won't be able to contact you. There's some sort of dead zone down there.

William: I know. But do we really have a choice?

Jeremie thinks and then shakes his head.

Jeremie: Okay. Just bring her back.

William: Alright. He nods to Yumi and Ulrich. On the count of three. One….Two….

Ulrich closes his eyes.

Ulrich: Why me?

William: Three!

The group jumps into the rectangular hole. They fall for a good distance until the vertical drop transforms into a slide that leads further into the heart of Sector 5. They slide down until the passage empties into a small circular dome. The warriors uncomfortably land on top of each other. After recovering from their fall, they notice Aelita lying on the floor a few meters away. Next to her is a glowing white sphere that brings light into the dim chamber. Yumi helps Aelita up.

Yumi: Are you okay?

Aelita rubs her forehead.

Aelita: Yes….I think so. Where am I?

Yumi: That's a good question. Ulrich, try to find an exit. No reply. Ulrich?

Yumi turns to see that William and Ulrich are staring at the sphere. It casts a mesmerizing pall over their faces. Their expressionless eyes are locked on to the sphere.

Yumi: Guys….hello…..Snap out of it!

No response.

Yumi: What's the matter with you two? She walks up to them and waves her hand over their faces. It's time to go. What's so interesting about a little shiny?…She looks at the sphere and stops speaking. Her face becomes blank. The light in front of her shifts and changes intensity. It draws their fascination like that of a campfire, burning into their minds with a combination of beauty and power. The sphere vibrates. The three can hear a distinct hum, which builds into a drumbeat. The drum's percussion grows deeper and louder, gaining in intensity. A raw symphony is formed, which pummels the warriors and sets them adrift into nothingness. In this chamber, worries vanish and personality is removed. There is nothing but the sphere and its steady beat. And with that comes comfort. No burdens. No thoughts. Nothing. Nothing but to look at the sphere and surrender oneself to its rhythm. And with that lack of freedom…is a kind of freedom.

Aelita feels around the wall. She finds a switch and pushes it. A passage opens up.

Aelita: Guys, I found it. We can get out of….She looks at the sphere, and is quickly hooked. She starts walking toward it, not fully aware of her actions. She seems to be trying to remember something. We…Jeremie….going to worry….where we…..

She joins the others. For a while no one speaks. They cannot see, feel, or hear anything but the sphere. They stand a meter away from the sphere, not wanting to touch it but simply worship its movement. Then Aelita unexpectedly leans forward to get a closer look. She trips and falls onto the sphere. Her hands lock on. Instantly a wave of horror passes through her. The sphere turns red around her hands. All she can see is black smoke and two burning red eyes. She screams and falls back into the warriors. The disruption finally brings them to their senses. They rub their eyes.

Ulrich: What…..what just happened?

Aelita stands up and backs away.

Aelita: Moriarty….

William: You mean Moriarty is controlling that sphere?

Aelita: No…..He is that sphere. That sphere contains his personality, his memories, his emotions, his….soul.

The other three hesitantly look in the direction of the sphere.

Aelita: No! Shield your eyes! Don't look at it! It'll draw you in again!

All of them quickly cover their eyes with their forearms. The sphere continues to hum and shine to the rhythm of the drumbeat.

William: This place is evil. Let's get out of here.

Ulrich: Agreed…

They start to move slowly toward the exit, but Yumi stops in her tracks. As she stands there, something dawns on her. Her face seems to light up, and a strange smile crosses her lips. She turns around and faces the sphere with her eyes closed.

Aelita: Yumi what are you doing?

Ulrich: Jeremie's waiting on us!

William: We should get out of here…

Yumi waves her hand to signal for the others to calm down.

Yumi: You said this was where Moriarty's memories and emotions were, correct?

Aelita nods but motions for her to go.

Aelita: Yes, I did. Now let's go.

Yumi walks closer, her eyes still closed.

Yumi: Tell me Aelita, why would Moriarty separate his personality from his central power core in the Network?

Aelita is getting exasperated.

Aelita: I assume to keep it safe from attack. Now LET'S….GO!

Yumi chuckles. It is not her usual laugh. There's something strange about her, which becomes even more apparent when she turns to face her friends. A strong hunger is radiating from her eyes. She smiles at them, filled with pride that she has stumbled on to something while the others are still in the dark.

Yumi: Perfect….

Ulrich: What's perfect?

Yumi: Moriarty…has tormented us. He's done things to our minds that no human should have to endure. He's torn through our deepest secrets and regrets, and laughed at us while we could do nothing but crawl into the fetal position and cry. He's hurt some of those closest to us. He's made our lives a living hell and he has no regrets. But now…..it's our turn.

The other three give her a questioning look, clearly not following what she is talking about. Yumi burns with impatience.

Yumi: Moriarty's emotional cortex is in that sphere! I say….let's do to him what he's been doing to us for so long.

Without waiting for a response, she turns and reaches her hands to touch the sphere.

Aelita: Yumi I don't think that's a good ide-

Yumi plunges her palms into the sphere. Her hands become red. At first she shivers with disgust, but she hangs on. She concentrates, inserting her conscious mind into the sphere. Finally she relaxes. She laughs a little at first, then starts to laugh hysterically.

Yumi: Oh you have to try this! It's so fun to give him a piece of his own medicine!

A strong desire for vengeance soon overcomes Ulrich. He turns away from the exit and follows his girlfriend's example. Aelita seems hesitant, still looking at the exit, but then she notices how the sphere shudders to Yumi and Ulrich's touch. It is not anger…it is fear….weakness. The overwhelming aura of the sphere has been eliminated. It is vulnerable….Moriarty is vulnerable. Once this thought crosses her mind, she becomes like a shark smelling blood in the water. Memories of her father's murder and Jeremie's lapse into insanity hit her like a tidal wave. She fumes and joins them. William is the last to move to the sphere. Initially he appears hesitant, but the thought of sweet revenge against Moriarty is too great a temptation to ignore. They all crowd around the sphere and allow their minds to pilfer through via their hands.

Back at Kadic, Moriarty arrives at his faculty dormitory room. It is small and bare, no decorations save a wooden carving of the fleur-de-lis. He hangs the Grand Croix next to it. For a moment he stands there, admiring it. Then, out of nowhere, he feels a deep throbbing in his head. He goes to his knees and puts his hands over his ears. He opens his eyes, looking down at the floor. His face has turned ashen.

Moriarty: No….it can't be. They're…..they're…THEY'RE INSIDE OF ME!

The room around him spins. A loud and steady drumbeat works its way into his head. The world grows dark. He finds himself trapped in a dark dungeon. A single gray light shines over him. He looks around, silently waiting for them to strike. The solitary history teacher can hear a few laughs behind him. He turns around, his face burning with outrage.

Moriarty: So, you entered my mind. Congratulations. But let me assure you that you will get far more than you bargained for.

A distant voice penetrates the blackness.

Aelita: We'll take that risk.

Ulrich: It's payback time.

William: We're going to make you suffer everything we suffered two times over.

Moriarty suddenly feels someone whispering into his ear.

Yumi: And we're going to enjoy every moment.

Moriarty wheels around, trying to locate them. He walks with a certain nervousness to his step. More laughter. Moriarty then stands up straight.

Moriarty: You think a little darkness is going to scare me?

Fiery images of Yumi, Aelita, Ulrich, and William in their normal Earth attire take shape around him. Their faces are wild and distorted, bent on tormenting their tormentor.

Moriarty: I am the darkness! I am fear! You cannot scare me!

The warriors only smile.

Moriarty: No amount of access to my mind can shake me. I am an expert in psychological torture and am immune to its eff-

His words are cut off by a sudden choking. To his horror, he notices bugs crawling out of his mouth and running down his body. His pupils dilate with shock.

Yumi: Oh, but we are just getting warmed up.

Back at the computer lab, Jeremie and Odd wait. Jeremie leans back. Odd nervously paces around the room, his body starting to shake.

Jeremie: Relax Odd. They'll come…..they…..they have to.

Odd: I hate waiting.

Jeremie: It's just a matter of time. They will get her out….But he can't help but get nervous. Oh please get her out.

Odd suddenly cries out in pain. Jeremie wheels around to see Odd writhing on the floor.

Jeremie: Odd, you're having an episode!

He runs over to him.

Odd: MAKE IT STOP!

Jeremie: It's just a memory. It can't hurt you. Come back to reality. The lab. Come back to the lab.

Odd: MAKE THEM STOP!

Jeremie: Odd, you're going to be ok-….Them? Who's them?

Odd claws Jeremie's shirt. He has that tortured look in his eyes.

Odd: They're hurting him! And it's hurting me too!

Jeremie becomes more frantic for answers.

Jeremie: Him? Who's him?

Odd convulses on the floor again.

Jeremie: Odd…ODD!

The scene shifts to a sunny open courtyard. Moriarty is clothed with the robes of a king, but his crown is a dunce's cap. An entire crowd of onlookers laughs at him. Moriarty gasps, momentariliy losing his composure. The warriors surround him.

William: Hey Moriarty, got something for you.

He slams a pie into his face. The crowd laughs harder. The others pour soda all over him.

Ulrich: Hail our all mighty ruler!

Aelita: He's so brave and worthy!

Yumi: Of course! Did you know he psychologically torments teenagers for fun?

Moriarty fumes. He wipes pie and soda from his face.

Moriarty: I WILL NOT BE HUMILIATED!

The laughing shades grow more sinister and circle around him. Their voices become demonic, beckoning Moriarty to come closer. Their jaws grow wide and fill with bloddy teeth. Their bodies become black and goopy. Moriarty cringes a little.

Moriarty: You can't scare me.

The shades become hundreds of Men in Black, otherwise known as les invisibles. Four of them are the warriors in les invisibles' uniform. Moriarty gapes.

Yumi: Are you scared now?

They start to march toward him. Moriarty is now unable to speak. He withdraws into himself, covering himself with his hands.

Moriarty: Stay back…STAY BACK!

They grab him. Their hands burn him.

Moriarty: GO AWAY PLEASE!

Terrified images of him running from les invisibles echo through his mind. He is hiding behind some buildings somewhere in Europe. He feels cold, hunted, and scared. The black of their sunglasses engulf him. Moriarty begins to lose control. He sweats profusely. Fear has overtaken his bravado act.

Moriarty: ENOUGH PLEASE!

The fiery images of the warriors return.

Ulrich: Why should we?

Aelita: You never showed us any mercy!

William: You brought this on yourself!

Yumi: And we are not even close to done.

Suddenly Moriarty is pinned against the wall by his volatile stepfather Gautier. Except this time his face shifts to that of the four warriors, alternating in sequence. They imitate his voice.

William: Worthless son!

Aelita: Nazi wannabe!

Ulrich: You're nothing but a burden!

Yumi: You never should have been born!

They all take turns punching him repeatedly. Moriarty does his best to brace himself, but the full weight of their anger falls heavily on him. He morphs into a nineteen year-old whose expression is weak and pained. A few moments later William's face appears on Gautier's body. He reels back to nail him. But before he can strike, William starts to hear a voice he knows all too well.

Xana: Mercilessly taking advantage of your enemy's weaknesses…Good. And I thought you were just a useless slave.

William pauses. A certain sentiment works its way to his conscious mind. He quickly realizes that it is not rage or hate. It is pleasure. Xana's pleasure at William's actions.

Xana: He is powerless. Assert your strength and annihilate him. Kill him without pity. That's what I would do…..

William shudders. He slowly starts to fade from Moriarty's mind. He takes his hands off the sphere. He looks up to see the rest of the sphere turning red. This red energy is coursing from the sphere onto the gleeful warriors. William can see them continue to inflict pain. As they do so, the red energy around them becomes stronger. He looks down at his hands and notices that they are red too, although the light is dying. William looks up with extreme concern.

William: Alright, enough is enough. We need to stop this.

No response. The red light grows. Their faces become malicious.

William: Take your hands off! This is wrong! We need to stop now!

Ulrich snarls.

Ulrich: Stop ruining the fun!

Yumi: I'm not finished with him yet!

William presses more earnestly.

William: This isn't good for you! Something bad is happening. Take your hands off!

Aelita: Why should we listen to a pathetic Xana slave like you?

William almost chokes on his own tongue from that statement. His suspicions are confirmed. Something is really wrong with them. Aelita would never speak to him like that. He walks forward and grabs Yumi's shoulders.

William: Moriarty's mind is corrupting you. SNAP OUT OF IT!

Yumi lowers her eyebrows. William is suddenly slammed into the wall by her telekinesis. He cannot move. He can do nothing but watch as his friends tear themselves to shreds. In Moriarty's mind, the abuse continues. Moriarty is strapped to a desk in a classroom, forced to endure the lecture of his "teachers".

Yumi: Today's lesson, class, is on the definition of irony.

Aelita: And let's begin with a demonstration. Ulrich, if you'd be so kind….

Ulrich: Gladly.

He takes the ruler and smacks him over the head. Moriarty groans, doing his best to mask the pain.

Yumi: I don't think he understood the lesson, Ulrich. Let me try to help him.

He hands it to her.

Ulrich: If you insist.

Yumi bends it back like a baseball bat.

Yumi: This is for what you did to me at the pool!

She hits him with all her might. Moriarty is heavily injured. He spits out blood onto the desk. He looks exhausted from the punishment.

Moriarty: You've had…..your vengeance….No more…..that's enough!

Aelita takes the ruler from Yumi's hands.

Aelita: We'll be the judges of that.

Aelita takes the ruler from Yumi. Her hands shake with hate as she approaches him. Moriarty's bloodshot eyes reflect intense coldness in the face of punishment. She winds back the ruler. But before she swings her hands are stopped by a slight voice.

Odd: Aelita stop!

She freezes. She looks around, trying to determine the voice's origin. Then she gazes at Moriarty. For a brief moment, Aelita thinks she sees Odd's face grafted onto Moriarty's head. His eyes plead for her to stop. As Aelita tries to absorb the shock, the voice comes back with greater intensity.

Odd: I can feel everything you do to him. And it's killing me. Please…The voice becomes weak….stop.

Aelita lets the ruler hit the floor. She wraps her arms around her chest and lowers her head, trying to piece together her actions over the last five minutes. A wave of revulsion makes her feel sick to her stomach. She lifts her head to face Ulrich and Yumi.

Aelita: William was right. This sphere is doing things to us. We need to stop.

Ulrich and Yumi react to Aelita's betrayal coldly. Their faces become hard as stone, and they clearly don't seem to be listening to her.

Yumi: I knew you would chicken out. You always were the 'good little princess'.

Ulrich: I knew it too. But defending Moriarty? Step aside before I get really mad.

Aelita doesn't budge. Ulrich growls. A saber appears at his side.

Ulrich: I said MOVE!

Aelita: NO! You can't! You're not just hurting Moriarty, you're hurting-

After taking a glance over to Moriarty, she clamps her mouth shut. The injured sociopath looks somewhat intrigued. Aelita remembers that a revelation of Odd's subconscious connection to him could be devastating. Meanwhile Yumi and Ulrich get increasingly impatient.

Yumi: Who? Who will we be hurting?

Aelita stammers.

Aelita: You…..you're hurting yourselves! I mean just look at you! You've gone mad!

Yumi: Oh shut up! I don't want to hear it!

Ulrich unsheaths his saber.

Ulrich: Allow me to show you the door.

Aelita: No, WAIT!

Aelita is thrown off the sphere and lands next to William, who is still attached to the wall. Once she gets up, she senses William's piercing stare, which quickly makes her feel ashamed.

Aelita: William I-

William: Now's not the time. Just stop them!

She regains her focus and aims an energy field at the two mad warriors. But another wave of telekinesis makes her another wall decoration. Aelita struggles in frustration.

Aelita: Listen to me! You have to stop! You're not just hurting yourselves, YOU'RE HURTING ODD!

No response.

Aelita: DO YOU NOT EVEN CARE?

William: Save your breath. They're lost.

Aelita: There has to be something we can do!

William: I wish there was. But the way I see it, their only hope is recognizing what the sphere is doing to them before it's too late.

Yumi and Ulrich delve deeper into Moriarty's mind. They now hover over him in a pit surrounded by fire. The flames bring light to their malevolent faces. Moriarty kneels, his hands covering his face.

Yumi: Look around you Moriarty.

He doesn't. Ulrich hoists him up by his collar. Hatred foams from his mouth.

Ulrich: She said LOOK!

Moriarty looks. Within the flames are burning images of people. People who were tragically taken from him. Yumi raises her right hand, and one image rises above the rest. It appears to be female.

Yumi: Do you recognize this person?

Moriarty says nothing. He maintains his wrathful focus on Yumi.

Yumi: It's your mother. Wouldn't she be so proud to see you now?

Moriarty cringes but tries to remain firm. His response enrages Yumi and makes her eager for more. The image of a slender man in military regalia rises.

Yumi: What about him?

Moriarty looks away. The muscles around his face contort in pain.

Yumi: Surely you recognize HIM.

Moriarty: …Yes…you adolescent witch. I can recognize my own father.

Yumi smiles wickedly. Ulrich steps forward.

Ulrich: Let's see who else is hiding in these sick memories of yours.

He peers into the flames, eager to inflict more pain. But as another image begins to take shape, Ulrich suddenly turns white, as if he has seen a ghost. He steps back a little.

Ulrich: No…..

Moriarty: I told you….you were going to get far more than you bargained for.

Ulrich stares incredulously for a moment, trying to make sure he is seeing correctly. But the image corresponds perfectly with that of an old photograph that belongs to Aelita. It is a tortured figure of a woman with pink hair. Ulrich grabs Yumi's wrist.

Ulrich: We need to go.

Yumi slowly turns toward her boyfriend. For a brief moment she studies his confused and increasingly terrified expression. Then she shakes her head in disappointment. She lowers her head and lets her black hair cover her face. A strange laugh works its way out of her mouth, sending chills up Ulrich's spine.

Yumi: Of all people Ulrich, I thought you would stand by me on this.

Ulrich: We've had our fun. Now it's time to stop.

Yumi yanks her arm away from Ulrich's hand. Her voice starts to get deepier and creepier.

Yumi: Why? Why should we stop now? Isn't this what we dreamed of?

She points an index finger at Moriarty.

Moriarty: DOESN'T HE DESERVE IT?

A shaky nervousness takes hold of Ulrich's voice.

Ulrich: Yes, but….but we are stooping to his level. We are better than that.

Yumi exhales through her nose with a grunt. Her unforgiving eyes cut Ulrich to the core.

Ulrich: And you….you're just…..not yourself.

Yumi: You…you're a traitor. She steps toward him. Ulrich backs up. You all are traitors. Weak little traitors. I should have known I would be the only one who could do what was necessary.

Ulrich: Listen to yourself for a second! You don't talk like that!

She backs him up closer to the flames.

Ulrich: Just how much is enough for you?

Yumi starts to become hysterical.

Yumi: HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

Yumi causes their surroundings to change. They find themselves in Moriarty's old home in Algiers. Moriarty is a little nine year-old huddled in the corner. Their father is tied up. But this time, there are no Algerian nationalists. It is just Yumi and Ulrich. Yumi holds up a pistol to his beaten father's head. Ulrich's heart goes on hiatus for a few seconds. He can tell that she's lost it.

Yumi: THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD START!

Moriarty whimpers.

Moriarty: Please…don't hurt daddy….

Ulrich: For God's sake Yumi! THAT'S WAY TOO FAR!

Yumi holds the pistol steady. Her face is as cold as steel.

Yumi: How does it feel Moriarty, huh? HOW DOES IT FEEL?

Moriarty starts crying. Yumi's crazed look gains intensity.

Yumi: Beg. Beg you sick freak. And maybe I'll let him breathe a little longer.

Ulrich: THAT'S IT! I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS TO YOURSELF!

Yumi: You….stay out of this…

Ulrich: No. Give me the gun.

Yumi: Don't make me hurt you too…

Ulrich: I SAID GIVE ME THE GUN!

The two wrestle with it for a second. After a brief struggle, the gun fires…..into Ulrich's chest. Ulrich collapses. The blast hits a light switch in Yumi's head and brings her back to herself. She is instantly stunned. At first she is utterly lost, but then the sight of Ulrich's blood chokes the life out of her. A few restrained cries issue forth from her throat. She drops the gun. Immediately the two wake up on the floor of the dome. William and Aelita fall off the wall. The sphere hums and rages. The warriors shield their eyes from it. William motions for them to leave. When Ulrich and Yumi don't respond, William and Aelita drag them out. Not a word is spoken.

At Kadic, Moriarty wakes up sweating on the floor. He pats his chest and his stomach, trying to recover himself. In a half-conscious haze, he brings himself to the mirror. The confidence and scheming mastermind can only see fear. Pure, unadulterated fear. This realization quickly enrages him. He shouts madly and throws his mirror across the room. Sparks fly out of his hands. The entire building flickers on account of his wrath.

An hour later, the group sits around Odd, who leans against the walls of the lab room, hugging his knees together. They do their best to comfort him, but he resists. His cold response makes them feel ashamed. Yumi refuses to look Odd in the eye. Her eyes are closed in her attempt to shut out the world and pretend that the sphere experience never happened. Jeremie taps his fingers on his knees. His expression is grim.

Jeremie: Moriarty will be furious. He'll have his revenge, one way or another. And I have to believe that it's going to be terrible.

No one responds, and the room is quiet again. William clears his throat.

William: Odd, I know this may not mean anything to you right now…..But…..I wanted to say that we're sorry.

Aelita nods.

Aelita: We didn't mean to hurt you. We didn't know.

Odd rubs his foot on the floor.

Odd: Then why did it go on? Why did it continue when I told you to stop?

Yumi lowers her head even more. Once again the hum of the main computer is the only noise in the room. Odd opens one of his eyes. All he sees is hopelessly repentant faces. He sighs.

Odd: Enough. What's done is done. Stop moping around and begging for forgiveness. You can save your breath.

Ulrich: Odd, what we did to you was wrong.

Odd: And I'm completely innocent? Let it go Ulrich. I'm done pointing fingers.

Ulrich: But-

Odd: Moriarty brings out the worst in people Ulrich. I know that all too well. So stop feeling sorry for yourselves…..He looks up. All of you…stop.

The warriors are silent again. Jeremie steps in to prevent this moping from continuing.

Jeremie: One thing is for sure. We need to be careful about hurting Moriarty. It could hurt you in the process.

Odd dismisses the notion with a wave of his hand.

Odd: Don't worry about me. You can't hesitate to go on the offensive just for my sake. That's not fair for everyone else. Do what you have to do.

Jeremie: Unacceptable. We are not going to do something knowing that it could hurt you.

Odd: Protecting your weakest link is not a good military strategy.

Aelita: Odd, you're not-

Odd quickly interrupts.

Odd: LOOK AT ME! I am worthless. You might as well feed me to the Leviathan!

William scratches his head.

William: The what?

Odd briefly disengages himself from his self-hating rant to explain.

Odd: The monster Ulrich and Aelita faced. Figured it was a good choice. I named it after a boss in a video game that I could never beat.

Aelita: Odd, you're not worthless.

Odd: Oh yeah? Exactly how have I helped you fight Moriarty? Not very well I think. May I remind you that I was your enemy for a long time?

Jeremie: True, but your dreams have provided great information on Moriarty's past. That kind of knowledge is invaluable.

Odd rolls his eyes.

Odd: Big deal. I'm still nothing but a PTSD loser.

Aelita stands up, her face very serious.

Aelita: That's not the Odd I know.

Odd: Well, it's the one I do.

Aelita: Then please tell me who it was who saved me countless times from Xana both on and off Lyoko.

Odd pauses. He hesitates.

Odd: ….Me.

Jeremie: I distinctly recall you singlehandedly taking out a heavily defended enemy supercomputer in the Amazon and defeating William.

William raises an eyebrow.

William: Excuse me?

Jeremie: Oh….right. You probably don't remember that.

Ulrich begins his spiel.

Ulrich: What about 'Odd the Magnificent'? Do you remember him? He saved my butt many times. If it hadn't been for you, I would have been drowned, asphyxiated, poisoned, cooked alive in a sauna, and eaten by wolves.

Aelita: Don't forget zapped to death by Xana's possessed victims.

Ulrich: Oh yeah….that. And don't forget it was you who taught me how to fight again when I lost my memory to Xana. He chuckles. Not to mention you managed to save the day when you were virtualized together with Kiwi!

Kiwi barks and licks Odd's hand.

William: What?

Jeremie: Oh yes, we never told you that either.

William: What else haven't you told me?

Odd: Guys, I appreciate this a lot. But that was a long time ago. I may have been an okay fighter back then. But there is a reason I got into this mess. I…..I'm selfish. I always was.

Yumi: That's not true.

Everyone looks at Yumi, surprised that she has decided to speak. Odd turns to face her.

Yumi: Do you remember when a possessed Delmas kidnapped us and kept us in a cold room in an old warehouse?

Odd looks down at the ground.

Odd: Yes.

Yumi: Then you'll remember how cold we felt. Our breath was so thick you made a joke that you wanted to eat it. You know how much I hate the cold. I…I was freezing. Chills were going all up and down my body. I was miserable. I was afraid I wasn't going to make it to the two o'clock deadline. But you….She smiles warmly. You saved me. You stood up to Xana and demanded that Delmas hand over his jacket. You could have easily kept it yourself. I knew you were suffering too. You don't have any meat on those bones to insulate that scrawny body of yours.

Odd: I'm not-

Yumi: But you didn't. You gave it to me. The instant you gave me that jacket I felt better. That kept me going that day. Ever since that day, I have always been grateful to you.

Odd raises his head. He looks at Yumi, who still seems too overwhelmed to look at him.

Odd: Um…..wow. Thank you. I don't know what else to say.

Yumi: You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to remind you.

William: You've all saved us at one time or another Odd. Even me. Don't forget it was you who put the laser arrow in my back and saved me from Xana's control.

Odd: Yes. That's true…Everything you have said is true. He looks up at the ceiling. I just wish I could get that old Odd back.

Aelita puts a hand on his shoulder.

Aelita: You will find him. You just need more time.

Odd shrugs.

Odd: If you say so…

Ulrich: You'll see, you'll come back better than ever.

Jeremie: It takes more than Moriarty to bring down 'Odd the Magnificent'.

Kiwi barks in agreement.

Jeremie: Isn't that right William?

William looks awkwardly to the side, clearly hesitating.

William: Um….yeah. Of course.

After another thirty minutes of talking, the group disperses. William walks through the woods alone on the way to Kadic. A moonlit shadow follows William behind the trees. Its figure follows William's movements. William senses his presence. An ordinary person would check to see who is behind him, but William already knows.

Xana: You disappoint me slave…..as always.

William: Then I must be doing my job.

Xana: Perfect opportunity…lost. A colossal failure.

William: If we hadn't stopped when we did, it would have been worse.

Xana: Why didn't you crush him when you had the chance?

William: The benefits were not worth the cost.

Xana: Humans and their morality….He snarls thinking about it.

William: Choosing the higher path is what separates us from Moriarty…and you.

Xana's imaginary specter shifts.

Xana: Is that why you delay in acquiring the Russian female?

William stops in his tracks. A slight tremor of agitation works through his eyebrows.

William: That's none of your business.

Xana: Wrong. Your mind is my mind. Your business is my business.

William: Natalya is just a friend.

Xana: Your hormone levels say otherwise.

William growls in annoyance.

Xana: I wonder what she woud think of you if she was aware of my existence…..such a scenario is…enjoyable to consider.

William turns around to face him.

William: Don't you dare threaten her, or I'll find the deepest pit in my mind and bury you in it.

Xana takes a moment to examine his host's intense emotional response.

Xana: Passion….He pauses. How revolting.

He fades away and leaves William alone. That night Jeremie sleeps soundly in his room. The super scanner suddenly turns on. After muttering incoherently to himself, he gets up and approaches his computer. A specter comes out of a socket and slithers on the floor next to his feet. As he bends over to examine the screen, the specter envelops him. A brief muscle spasm quickly ends with Moriarty's eye radiating in his pupils. He sits down at the computer and begins to adjust the super scanner. In less than a minute, the possessed Jeremie has completed his task. He heads back to bed. The tower deactivates and the specter leaves him. Jeremie is now sound asleep, completely unaware of what has happened.

At around the same time, Moriarty bursts into the dark science lab. He stalks through the room, his right hand glowing with electricity. He angrily opens one of the storage containers in the room. He removes a petri dish. Moriarty shines his glowing hand next to the petri dish to get a better look. Green splotches of bacteria cover the plastic. He turns on a microscope and examines a sample. Once he starts to see the bacteria moving, he conjures up a specter. Like a chef proudly observing his culinary masterpiece come to fruition, Moriarty watches as the specter envelops the bacteria. Underneath the microscope light the bacteria starts to mutate and reproduce rapidly.

The next morning Ulrich, Aelita, and Jeremie wait nervously for their 9th grade history class to begin. Jeremie's fingers tap against the desk. Ulrich checks the clock. Aelita takes a few deep breaths. Their faces are strangled with dread. Ulrich leans over to Odd's clone, who shares a desk with him. The desks are in a circle, just as the 10th grade class left them.

Ulrich: This is bad. What are we going to do?

Odd's Clone: Course of action unknown. Options limited. Recommend warrior subject Ulrich Stern prepare for all possibilities.

Ulrich: We really made him mad. What's he going to do to us?

Odd's Clone: Consequences of enemy's destabilization impossible to predict.

Ulrich nervously covers his mouth with his clenched fist.

Ulrich: What if he decides to end it….right here and now?

Odd's Clone: Likelihood of enemy Moriarty viciously liquidating warrior subjects in class in front of human witnesses is only 9.8%.

Ulrich turns to Odd's Clone in horror.

Odd's Clone: Recalculating….if mental damage exceeds spectral entity's hypothesis, likelihood raised to 17.9%.

Ulrich: Is that supposed to make me feel better? He looks down. And what is with these desks?

Odd's Clone: Enemy subject Moriarty seeks further experimentation.

He groans and his head hits the table. He looks up slowly and notices three students in the top left corner of the classroom. Ulrich doesn't recognize them, but the circular formation allows him to get a good look at their faces. The first student is a short and stocky teenage male, his dark brown hair mostly hidden under a blue baseball cap. He gazes around the room with a general naiveté about him. Emily LeDuc sits next to him. Emily seems to be asking questions, and the guy has a strange look on his face as if he is having trouble understanding what she's talking about. The girl on the next table has an olive complexion with brunette hair. She is dressed nicely and appears to be bored. The guy next to her is blonde with curly hair. He shifts around in his seat, obviously uncomfortable in this new environment. Ulrich turns to Odd's Clone.

Ulrich: Hey, who are they?

Odd's Clone: Processing query. School logs indicate that they are exchange students. Status: recent arrivals.

Ulrich: Do you know their names?

Odd's clone gets a blank look in the eyes for a moment.

Odd's Clone: Processing secondary query…..Name of dark-haired confused male: Tobias Hopkins. Nationality: American. Residence: Dallas, United States of America. He shifts his head. Name of unoccupied female: Isabel Cacais. Nationality: Brazilian. Residence: Sao Paulo, Brazil. Another shift. Name of fidgety male: Lucas Maes. Nationality: Belgian. Residence: Antwerp, Belgium. He pauses. Does subject Ulrich Stern request more personal information?

Ulrich shakes his head.

Ulrich: No need for that. He casts a sympathetic look toward them. Boy did they pick the wrong time to come….

Literally seconds after Ulrich's statement, Moriarty thunders into the room. Instantly the class goes quiet, and it is not a coincidence. Moriarty looks positively distraught. His blond hair is disheveled, and his dignified poise is gone. He stomps loudly to his desk and slams some books on top of it. He lifts his head. Jeremie, Aelita, and Ulrich nearly wet themselves from the death stare that is targeted at them and them alone. The rest of the class seems uneasy. Herb leans forward, watching Moriarty with a sort of fascination. Moriarty taps some chalk on the board.

Moriarty: Class….you're probably wondering why your desks are arranged this way.

He drops the chalk to the floor.

Moriarty: Although, some of you probably have already heard of the communist experiment in my tenth grade class. He turns to them and gives them a fake smile. Well, I say why should they have all the fun? From now on we shall do the same.

Confused mutterings filter through the room. Sissi raises her hand.

Sissi: But…..this is Ancient and Medieval History. I thought communism wasn't invented until…uh….1789.

A stare from Moriarty makes her quickly lower her hand. His face tightens.

Moriarty: I have changed the course. From now on it is Contemporary Political Doctrine. And we are going to discuss communism, Comrade Sissi.

Sissi: But how-

Moriarty: I was growing bored with the subject and your dear daddy said it was okay.

He turns to the class and makes a circular motion with his hand.

Moriarty: Any more questions?

The new exchange student Tobias raises his hand. He looks around the room like he's somehow stumbled into the Twilight Zone by mistake. He blinks in confusion. Moriarty reluctantly calls on him. He stands up and clears his throat. A distinctly Southern U.S.A. twang to his voice quickly gives away his point of origin. Some students immediately start to snicker.

Tobias: Okay I know I'm new here, but uh…communism experiments? What in the world are y'all talking 'bout?

Moriarty chuckles with a mad look in his eyes. He turns to the class again.

Moriarty: I'm sorry. I forgot about the exchange students coming in. So I suppose I must take the time to explain to our American friend what is going on very…VERY…..slowly.

More laughs. Herb leans his head back and guffaws at Moriarty's joke. Tobias lowers his eyebrows.

Tobias: The folks back home were right. Y'all are rude!

Moriarty signals for them to quiet down.

Moriarty: In all seriousness Comrade Américain, this is a class social experiment. In other words, we don't just learn about communism. We live it. Understand?

Tobias: Yes, I guess so.

Lucas raises his hand. A chorus of stuttering comes out of his mouth.

Lucas: But why do w-w-we not t—take the original ap-pproach?

Moriarty's glare that reeks with restrained anger quickly silents the newcomer.

Moriarty: Because lecturing is boring. Why not make it a lot more fun for everyone?

The class seems to subtly agree with him on this. Moriarty slams a fist on the desk, making the students jump in their chairs.

Moriarty: So, does anyone have a problem with that?

Aelita looks at Jeremie seeking advice on how to answer. But Jeremie shakes his head, not wanting to draw attention to themselves or incur his wrath. No one objects. The silence is only filled by Isabel filing her nails, ignoring Moriarty.

Moriarty: Then it is settled. He slams his fist into his palm. Let us begin comrades!

The class sits with their hands nervously scratching the desks, not sure how to begin. Moriarty circles the room. When his eyes focused on the warriors, he smiles and rubs his tongue against his teeth, sending the message that he has not forgotten what they did. Then he pauses.

Moriarty: First things first. In a communist society, everything is held in common. From now on grades will be averaged together on all assignments and tests. That means those of you who are struggling will get a much needed boost.

Some students react very positively to this. Ulrich finds it hard not to do so himself. But Moriarty's tense demeanor quickly makes them quiet again.

Moriarty: Good. The desks are equal. Grades are equal. Nothing missing except…..He notices a very expensive bracelet on Isabel's wrist. He yanks it off her.

Isabel: Que diabos?(What the hell)That's mine!

Moriarty holds it up for the class to see.

Moriarty: Comrades, what is this?

Nicholas: Uh…..a bracelet.

Moriarty: Brilliant Comrade Poliakoff. But what does it represent? Why is she wearing it?

No one has an answer for this. Moriarty holds it up to the light and stares at it hungrily.

Moriarty: At the most basic level, it is nothing but a fashion statement. But it means much more. It is a sign of wealth. It tells the world, 'I have the money to buy this and you don't.' Comrades, this is what capitalists use to belittle the working class. We must not have this. All capitalist trinkets must be removed during class.

Theo rolls his eyes.

Theo: What a bunch of-

Moriarty turns around with the speed of a cheetah. Theo nearly bites his lip. Moriarty's eyes widen.

Moriarty: What was that?

Theo: Nothing Dr. Renard.

Moriarty: COMRADE RENARD!

Theo: C-Comrade Renard…

Fearing that Moriarty may take things out of hand, Jeremie stands up and braces himself for confrontation.

Jeremie: Comrade Renard.

Moriarty slowly turns his head.

Moriarty: Yes?

Jeremie: You are trying to take away one of our comrade's belongings because you believe that taking it away will prevent us from being unequal. But the truth is that most of us are from the upper tier of society. We also have very expensive stuff. He shows off his laptop as evidence. Other students follow suit, showing off watches, earrings, and clothes. Jeremie smiles. So if we all have nice things, then we are equal.

Moriarty: Comrade Jeremie….

Jeremie: Karl Marx never objected to having things, only that there be an abundance of them held in common.

Moriarty chafes from Jeremie's unexpected maneuver. He begrudgingly gives the bracelet back to Isabel.

Moriarty: Very well. I suppose it is difficult to remove capitalistic elitism if all of you are children of elites. But he quickly grins. However, even among you there are those who are more elite than others. If it is not money comrades, then it is something else.

Lucas: W-what else c-c-could it b-be?

Moriarty: Oh think comrades. Envy and outrage over the excesses of Russian nobles compared to the poverty of the masses triggered the Bolshevik Revolution. Now, does envy exist at this school?

Classmates nod. Moriarty fakes surprise.

Moriarty: Really? Well, if you are all are on an equal economic footing, then what is left?

A hand goes in the air. It belongs to Herb.

Moriarty: Yes Comrade Pinchon?

Herb: Some students are more popular than others, and they often have strong connections to the faculty, allowing them to get away with a lot of things.

Moriarty taps a finger on his chin.

Moriarty: Interesting. Now, who could you be referring to…..? It would have to be someone with a strong tendency toward narcissistic behavior, able to pull some major strings at the school, and be considered a very spoiled person. Hmm….now who could that be?

Very quickly all eyes focus on Sissi. She swallows uneasily.

Ulrich: She's dead.

Moriarty: It appears injustice still has a place in this school…

Sissi: But….but….but-

Moriarty: It seems you have an unfair advantage on the rest…

Sissi: That's not fair! She flips her hair back. You're talking about character traits…..you can't take that away from me.

Moriarty thinks for a moment.

Moriarty: Maybe…maybe not.

Herb stands up and points at her.

Herb: She's been able to get her way at this school forever! And everyone here knows it!

Sissi turns to Herb.

Sissi: You….traitor…

Herb: Look in the mirror….

Some of the class joins in, drawn in by Moriarty's persuasive argument.

Heidi: She has abused her power here!

Romain: I heard that her dad prevented her from failing out of school!

Magali: And from getting in trouble hundreds of times!

The majority of the class regards her coldly. The warriors look at her sympathetically. Tobias, shocked at this scene during his first day in France, looks at Lucas in confusion. Lucas can do nothing but shrug. Isabel holds her bracelet nervously, looking around the room. Sissi is lost for words.

Sissi: What….what do you want from me?

Moriarty: To leave this classroom Comrade Sissi. You are to write an essay about how you will reform yourself for the good of the whole commune. Then maybe you will be welcome again.

Sissi stammers.

Sissi: You…..can't do-

Moriarty: I can. Leave now.

Tears start to come down her eyes.

Sissi: It's not even true anymore. I don't have any privileges anymore. And neither does daddy…..AND YOU KNOW-

Moriarty: OUT! Everyone is agreed on this matter.

Ulrich stands up.

Ulrich: Comrade Renard, that's not-

Moriarty: Sit…down…..Comrade….Stern.

Sissi looks at Ulrich with gratitude. With great reluctance she exits the classroom. Herb smiles. Moriarty clears his throat.

Moriarty: Now where was I….? Oh yes. Elitism among you isn't the only threat to a true egalitarian society. There is another threat as well, one which we may be able to fix. You see, in every society, there are groups of people who only stick to their respective cliques. They ignore anyone outside their group and pursue their own agenda. They are secretive, only discussing things among themselves. Their behavior can be described at best as antisocial. At worst, it can be subversive. This is contrary to sound community. So think comrades. Does anyone here fit that description? Does anyone here behave suspiciously exclusive…..possibly disappear for a while for no reason….?

Eyes now focus on Ulrich, Aelita, Jeremie, and Odd's Clone. Immediately the warriors curse internally, fearful of what may come. The only exception is Odd's Clone, who, being incapable of fear, just stares blankly into space. Moriarty grins with delight, almost tasting the fruit of revenge.

Jeremie: Aelita?

Aelita: Yes Jeremie?

Jeremie: We're….

Scene shifts to 10th grade class with Yumi and William. The same question has been presented to the class.

Yumi: …..dead.

A silence overtakes the classroom. Emmanuel gives William the evil eye. Christophe watches them with concern, refusing to follow this increasingly hostile crowd. Natalya goes against the flow of the tide and directs her evil eye toward Moriarty.

Moriarty: I see we have some that fit that description…So…..His eyes burrow into their souls with the hatred of a demon. He focuses most of it on Yumi, who wants nothing more than to hide in a hole right now. What do you have to say for yourselves?

William channels rage from deep in the back of his mind. The onrush of intense feeling drains away his fear. He stands up.

William: Comrade Renard, with all….due respect….William resists the urge to punch himself for saying that….we don't see ourselves as antisocial. Yes, we may like to only hang out with each other, but Yumi, Ulrich, Aelita, Odd, Jeremie, and I are not antisocial. And we certaintly aren't subversive. If anything, we hang out with each other because the rest of the school thinks we're strange. Perhaps we act that way because we don't feel welcome around others.

Moriarty nods his head calmly, walking around like a prosecutor about to annihilate the witness on the stand.

Moriarty: Not subversive…..just misunderstood. I see. Then please explain….He opens up a folder…why you six combined have amassed the largest amount of demerits within the last ten years. He shrugs. Most of these are for being absent….and you have been getting them at the same time.

He looks up from the folder to observe Yumi and William's reactions. They remain stone-faced. Moriarty presses further.

Moriarty: It makes me wonder….just what exactly are you doing together?

Some of the students stare at Yumi and William with more curiosity. William and Yumi begin to feel the weight of their glances fall upon them.

Moriarty: And that's not all. Jeremie was the main suspect behind the disappearance of Mr. Klotz's computer files. When Mr. Klotz tried to question Jeremie, he took a strange leave of absence shortly after. Odd's behavior has been incredibly strange to say the least. Mr. Klotz is a good friend of mine, and believe me when I say he is very concerned. You Moriarty points to William have been reported talking to yourself at very strange hours of the night…something about telling yourself to go away or to leave your mind alone. Ulrich, our star soccer player, has quit for 'personal reasons'. Aelita claims to be a Canadien citizen, yet on a test she said Quebec was the capital of her home country instead of Ottawa. And to top it all off, He focuses menacingly at Yumi….several students have mentioned that you have fallen asleep in study hall and mumbled about killing a Sherlock Holmes character. Moriarty finally takes a moment to breathe and reflect. He turns around. Well?

The room is silent. Yumi and William nervously avoid the strange looks they are being given. Yumi lowers her head. William reaches under the table and wraps his hand around her wrist, reminding her that she's not alone. Then he exhales.

William: Comrade Renard, He takes a moment to boldly face everyone looking at him…I don't know what to say except we are not subversive. He looks pleadingly at his classmates. We don't mean anyone harm. We never did and we never will. Yes we are strange, I admit that. But come on. It's us….William and Yumi. You know us….

Moriarty: Do they? After what I've pointed out, do they really know you?

William runs out of things to say. He and Yumi look helpless in the face of this verbal onslaught. Moriarty goes in for the kill.

Moriarty: If anyone here sincerely believes that Comrades William, Yumi, and the rest of the group aren't behaving suspiciously in such a manner that could hurt the commune, then raise your hand.

A tense silence ensues. Emmanuel, Mathias, Anais, and several others refuse to raise their hands. Some think about it for a while, but eventually decide not to, either in an effort to follow the crowd or they are honestly convinced by Moriarty that there is something wrong with them. Yumi and William's hearts sink, sincerely believing that their class has abandoned them. Moriarty revels in the moment. But before he can speak, two hands shoot up around the same time. A shock reverberates around the room. Natalya and Christophe are raising their hands high. Moriarty gazes at them in disbelief. A tremor of anger and surprise shakes his already shaken body.

Moriarty: Comrade Dikau and Comrade M'Bala….you….you believe there is nothing suspicious about them? You believe that they're still the people you think they are?

Natalya: They may be a little strange She takes a moment to look at William …but I can't imagine that they would ever do something bad.

Moriarty turns his attention to Christophe.

Moriarty: And you?

Christophe: It's none of my business what they're up to. I think they're nice people, and none of the things you've said makes me think otherwise.

Moriarty notices that Christophe is listening to music through concealed earbuds. He lowers his eyebrows.

Moriarty: Turn off your IPod and pay attention! A true communist would consider the interests of others and not listen to garbage during class.

Christophe's jaw becomes tight. He stares at Moriarty.

Christophe: Garbage?

Moriarty: Yes. Would you rather listen to mainstream garbage or my lecture?

Christophe pauses. He starts to give Moriarty a really ugly look.

Christophe: To be honest Comrade Renard, I can't tell the difference.

A pen is dropped to the floor. The room is instantly quiet. Students watch in amazement as Christophe openly defies this impressive academic behemoth. Moriarty stands frozen in enraged astonishment from this unexpected move. Christophe remains steadfast, waiting to see what Moriarty does to him. The lack of fear from this random student fills Moriarty with fury. He grits his teeth and makes a mental note. He looks at the clock.

Moriarty: Well, class is over….He glares at the two warriors…My policy with you is the same I gave your friends. You are allowed to stay in class, but you are officially on notice. And you are not the only ones. Hopefully this experiment will correct your suspicious behavior.

Class is dismissed. Later at lunch, William serves himself some hot chocolate. The other warriors wait for him at their usual table.

Natalya: Hey.

William turns to see Natalya looking at him with a playful look on her face. He tries to smile.

William: Hello.

Natalya leans her head forward.

Natalya: Aren't you going to say something?

William seems lost.

William: What should I say?

Natalya is quickly offended.

Natalya: Oh I don't know. How about 'Thank you for standing up for me in Renard's class.'?

William: Oh that. He rubs his neck. I'm….not sure you should have done that.

Natalya: Why not? She appears confident. The man's a jerk. He reminds me of Putin.

William mutters under his breath.

William: I wish that was the case…

Natalya: I'm sorry?

William sighs. He looks at her face. The sunlight from the windows falls lightly onto her beautiful blonde hair. In an instant he feels weak-kneed. He is taken in by this Russian beauty….a Russian beauty that has no idea what she is getting herself into by hanging around him. He becomes concerned. He sets his hot chocolate down on the table.

William: Listen, I don't want you to do that again.

Natalya: Why not?

William: Yumi and I can take care of ourselves, and I'd rather you not get involved.

Natalya: That Renard guy is treating you unfairly. Really unfairly. And you want me to do nothing?

William: Exactly.

Natalya: That makes absolutely no sense.

William: I'm sorry, but it's just best if you do…He starts to walk away.

Natalya: Oh no. You're not leaving until you give me a good explanation.

William groans in exasperation.

William: I just don't want you to get hurt, okay?

Natalya looks at him in disbelief. She points to herself.

Natalya: Me? Get hurt? So that's the game you're playing. You think I can't handle it. You think just because I'm a girl I can't handle it!

William: What? NO! That's not it at all!

Natalya: Well it sure sounded like it!

William: I'm just looking out for you!

Natalya: And I can't do the same for you?

In the heat of their argument, neither notices Moriarty walk by and subtly switch William's hot chocolate with a different cup. He slips away. William grabs the hot chocolate shortly after.

William: That's it. I'm done defending myself. You won't listen.

He walks away. Natalya fumes.

Natalya: Because you won't give me straight answers!

William angrily sits down with his friends. Conversation inevitably goes to the pressure Moriarty is putting on them. William sips the hot chocolate, trying to forget his fight with Natalya. Later on William is walking in the courtyard on his way to class. He passes a parked truck with several delivery men carrying boxes out. William suddenly gets the urge to cough. He tries to cover his mouth with his fist but the cough escapes from his chest before he can react. A chubby delivery man accidentally walks into the line of fire as he exits the truck. The man is rather disgusted.

Delivery Man: Hey kid, cover your mouth.

William: Sorry, I didn't mean to do that.

William walks away and the men keep on working. Later that night in a small Parisian apartment, the same delivery man tosses uneasily in bed. He grimaces and starts coughing loudly. His wife stirs.

Wife: Honey, if you keep this up I won't get any sleep.

He grabs his chest.

Delivery Man: I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me. I felt fine a while ago….

He coughs again.

Delivery Man: Ugh….I'm going to get some cough medicine. He gets out of bed and walks toward the bathroom. He turns on the light. As soon as he does so, he starts to feel dizzy. His body aches all over. He groans and reaches for the medicine cabinet. Suddenly a very violent fit of coughing overtakes him. His chest burns with every convulsion. The noise is terrible. He grips the sink. Beads of cold sweat fall down his face. What….what's wrong with me?

He goes into a second coughing fit. His wife sits up in bed.

Wife: Honey, are you alright?

No answer. The coughing stops. His wife gets up and walks toward the bathroom.

Wife: Honey?

She looks inside the bathroom and screams. Her husband is bent over on the floor with blood on his hands. A third cough makes more blood spill onto his palms. He turns and looks at his wife in terror. A small trickle of blood falls down his lip.

Wife: We need to call a doctor! NOW!

Several days pass. Ulrich, Aelita, Yumi, and Jeremie are in the rec room. Ulrich and Yumi entertain themselves with a game of ping pong. Jeremie and Aelita are on the couch with several study materials lying around. However, somewhere along the line studying became less of a concern and their relationship intervened. Jeremie puts his arm around her shoulder and the two begin to talk on a more personal level. Since the warriors are preoccupied, no one notices the TV, which is playing at low volume. Ulrich makes a perfect serve and gets it past Yumi.

Ulrich: I win again.

Yumi moans in disappointment.

Yumi: I don't understand why I struggle at this.

Ulrich flexes his bicep.

Ulrich: Perhaps you are too distracted by this.

A ping pong ball hits him in the forehead.

Ulrich: Oh! Was that necessary?

Yumi: Yes.

Jeremie kisses Aelita and whispers into her ear. She giggles. Ulrich turns to Jeremie.

Ulrich: Would you keep the volume down?

Jeremie maintains his focus on Aelita.

Jeremie: Why? You can barely hear the TV.

Ulrich: I wasn't talking about the TV.

Yumi laughs and rolls her eyes. Jeremie and Aelita aren't amused.

Jeremie: Hypocrites…..

Jeremie leans over to Aelita again, but Aelita stops him. Her eyes are focused on the television screen. Jeremie tries to get her attention.

Jeremie: Aelita?

Aelita: Turn up the volume. You got to hear this.

Jeremie does so. Ulrich and Yumi stop what they're doing and head to the couch. On the screen, images of paramedics in masks bring at least nine people into the hospital on stretchers.

Diane: A dozen people have been hosptialized, and it is reported that five are in critical condition. Public health officials are scrambling to find answers to this mysterious outbreak. But so far nothing has been confirmed except that it is a violent respiratory disease and that it is contagious…

Yumi: Violent?...Exactly how violent?

Diane: At first symptoms were confused with that of an ordinary flu or strep. But as the illness progressed, doctors realized that they were dealing with something else entirely….

Aelita: They…they don't know what it is?

Ulrich: Jeremie?

Jeremie notices Ulrich's questioning look and shrugs.

Jeremie: If it was Moriarty, I would have known. The super scan would have gone off.

Ulrich: If it's not him, then what is it?

Jeremie: Outbreaks like this happen. It will be taken care of. Don't you remember the avian flu scare? The media always overreacts with these things. I wouldn't worry about it.

Diane: …..Local authorities are advising citizens to stay indoors and away from public areas until more is learned about the disease.

A chill passes over Jeremie, but he quickly masks it.

Jeremie: It will all blow over, you'll see.

William washes his face in the bathroom. He looks into the mirror. His face is pale. His eyes are slightly red. William grunts in frustration and pours more water onto his face. He coughs. His chest throbs as a result. He groans and mutters to himself.

William: Oh man, I can't get sick now. Not now. What if Moriarty attacks?

He looks again at his ghostly complexion in the mirror. He inhales and stands up straight.

William: I'm not sick. I'm just fine.

William walks out of the bathroom exit very confidently. But his chest itches, and he starts to cough violently again. Each forced exhale burns his throat. He keeps walking.

William: Not sick….not sick.

He walks into the library, trying to take his mind off of his cough. He stumbles through the aisles. Although he makes a good effort to block it out, his chest starts to hurt again. The pain starts to spread to his entire body. He quickly becomes weak. He pants and leans against a bookshelf. He opens his eyes to find his world spinning. William's mind begins to panic, but he stubbornly holds on to the hope that it will pass. He heads toward the library tables, where several students are studying. He sees an empty seat next to Natalya. Ordinarily he would avoid sitting there, but his thoughts have become cloudy and he desperately wants to sit down. He plops down next to her. Natalya peers over her book and gives him a cold look. The two are quiet for a while. Finally she speaks up.

Natalya: Are you going to read or are you just going to sit there and make me feel uncomfortable?

William inhales, doing his best to block out the weakness and ache of his body.

William: Natalya I don't….want to start anything now.

Natalya: Then why are you here?

William: I'm trying to…..rest. That's all.

Natalya: In the library?

William: Um…..I guess. The truth is….I'm not doing so great.

Natalya: Oh so you DO need help?

William starts to feel cold. He pulls his jacket closer to his body.

William: I….hope not.

Another violent coughing fit begins. He does his best to repress it, but it comes out in full force. Natalya scoots away from him.

Natalya: Could you keep it down? We're in a library.

He doesn't stop. He bends over the table and coughs some more. His chest is on fire and shakes with every violent eruption. Students from across the room stop what they're doing and stare at him. As the attack continues, Natalya feels the anger slip from her. She softens and turns back to face him. She scoots toward him, her face full of concern.

Natalya: William?

He falls to the floor. The students stand up in surprise. Natalya sees William cough up blood. She puts her hands over her mouth and whimpers. Then she bends down to examine him.

Natalya: William….are you okay? Her only answer is a weak expression of pain from his face. She gets up. Get the nurse! William needs help!

The four other warriors exit the rec room shortly after. They talk amongst themselves, but their attention is diverted to the sight of Jim carrying Theo in his arms. The exchange student Lucas runs with him to the nurse's office.

Jim: What happened?

Lucas: He t-told me he d-didn't f-f-feel good and….His speech impediment catches hold of him.

Jim: Out with it man!

Lucas: He f-fell on the floor of the l-locker room and c-c-coughed up blood.

Jim thinks for a moment, his face unreadable.

Jim: Blood? Are you sure?

Lucas: Y-yes.

Jim's face becomes very serious.

Jim: I was afraid of that…

As the two disappear out of sight, all eyes shift to Jeremie. He swallows.

Aelita: Should we be worried now?

He bites his lip.

Jeremie: Uh…..maybe a little bit.

Ulrich: Are you sure nothing's going on?

Jeremie: I just checked the super scan in front of you. Moriarty has not activated a tower.

Yumi: Moriarty or not, this is bad.

The conversation is interrumpted by the sound of someone crying behind them. They spin around to see Natalya looking at them with eyes red from tears.

Yumi: Natalya?

She sniffs and stands there for a moment.

Aelita: Natalya what's wrong?

She doesn't answer for a second. Aelita takes her hand.

Aelita: Natalya, I'm your roommate. You can talk to me.

Natalya looks up.

Natalya: It's William. He's…..She looks down……he's sick. Very sick. He coughed up blood in front of me.

Paralyzing fear spreads through the warriors faster than the plague. They stand motionless, watching Natalya cry. Jeremie presses his hands against his temples.

Jeremie: No….. No. No. NO!

Aelita: We need to go see him!

They begin to rush toward the nurse's office. Natalya stands there weakly.

Natalya: They won't let you….

Scene shifts to the door outside the nurse's office. Yolanda stands over the door with a mask over her mouth. The warriors appear angry.

Ulrich: WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN'T SEE HIM?

Aelita: He's our friend!

Yolanda: No one enters this room but me. These students are contagious, and it's my job to make sure it doesn't spread.

Yumi: So you're just not going to let us see him?

Yolanda: I am trying to keep you safe! Don't you see? This sickness is much bigger than the school. I have to take every precaution to make sure students don't get sick.

Aelita: But he needs us!

Yolanda: William is under my care and I will do the best I can to help him. I know it's hard to leave him but you have no choice!

Yumi clenches her fists and struggles to contain herself.

Yumi: I can't just leave him! He would never do that to me!

Ulrich: We'll stay at a distance! Just let us see him!

Yolanda puts her foot down.

Yolanda: NO ONE GOES IN! NO EXCEPTIONS!

Yumi prepares to argue, but Jeremie puts a hand on her shoulder. He speaks to her calmly.

Jeremie: Yumi, William wouldn't want you to get sick from him. He would agree with Yolanda. So let's give him some space.

She sighs exhaling her anger.

Yumi: I guess but….She looks up. Is it serious?

Yolanda hesitates, avoiding their pleading eyes. Eventually she looks at them and groans. She digs her fingernails into her skull. The stress is clearly getting to her. But she puts on a positive demeanor.

Yolanda: William's parents are coming to get him soon. He'll be okay.

Jim runs in with Paul Gaillard.

Jim: Yolanda, we got another one!

Her expression becomes pained. She closes her eyes and points toward the exit.

Yolanda: Please leave now.

Late in the afternoon, Yumi sits in the courtyard alone. She rests her head on her fist, absorbing the day's events in desperate silence. She looks up to see students ambling around the campus nervously. From outside the campus she can hear sirens wailing. She hunches over and places her fists between her knees. A student walks past her. Without warning, he begins to cough. Yumi instinctively covers her face with her forearm. She begins to get up to avoid him, but the student quickly panics and begins running to the nurse's office. After that incident, the campus becomes very quiet. Yumi begins to shake. Very shortly afterward, her silence and solitude is broken by Emmanuel and Christophe, who appear to be arguing more heatedly than usual.

Emmanuel: I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT TO RENARD!

Christophe: He deserved it!

Emmanuel: Deserved it? You were the one antagonizing him!

Christophe: He was browbeating Yumi and William for no reason!

Emmanuel: NO REASON? Were you listening to him? Those guys are freaks!

Christophe: They're just different!

Emmanuel: Does being different make all those strange absences normal?

Christophe: Well…..no but

Emmanuel: Do you know what they're doing?

Christophe: No….He gets in Emmanuel's face and tries to turn the tables. But neither do you!

Emmanuel: Exactly! No one does! And that's why they can't be trusted! Forget the stupid communist experiment. They are up to something.

Christophe: And Renard isn't?

Emmanuel exhales through his nose. A steady anger takes root in his mind and gradually causes his face to get hot. He points an index finger at Christophe.

Emmanuel: You know, you're really starting to get on my nerves. Ever since Renard got here you've hated him. Why? Because he's the only teacher here who tells the truth? The only one who can be brutally honest?

Christophe: He's definitely brutal. I don't think he's honest.

Emmanuel: You know what your problem is? He leans close to him. You know Renard is telling the truth, but you are too stubborn to accept it. Partly because you are part of the problem.

Christophe's eyes widen. He nods, stoicly processing Emmanuel's strong statement.

Christophe: I'm part of the problem? How?

Emmanuel turns his back on him.

Emmanuel: Listen to him, and maybe you'll figure it out.

Christophe: I don't want to listen to him. He's nothing but National Front garbage.

Emmanuel stops. For a moment the orange sunlight of the twilight shines over his body. He stands transfixed in that spot, quietly repeating Christophe's words in his mind. Then a cloud passes over and a shadow covers him. He lifts his shoulders and turns around. Christophe is immediately stunned by the malevolence exhuding from his dark glare. Emmanuel approaches him.

Emmanuel: Christophe, I support the National Front.

An icy dagger pierces through Christophe. He looks at his classmate and friend with wild confusion. The confusion slowly transforms into a strong feeling of betrayal. He looks down at the ground, lost for words. Meanwhile Yumi, who has been watching this scene the entire time, shakes her head. She continues to shake.

Christophe: National Front…..? But Emmanuel, that….that's a far-right….racist party!

Emmanuel shows no emotion or remorse.

Emmanuel: So?

Christophe can't believe his ears. His voice becomes strained and hurt.

Christophe: So? I'm black!

Emmanuel: Yes. Yes I know. And I thought you were different from the rest.

The dagger goes deeper. Christophe's voice shakes.

Christophe: The rest?

Emmanuel: But I was wrong. He closes his eyes, deeply pondering this situation. When he is done, he opens his eyes. Christophe notices in horror that his eyes are filled with an emotion he has never seen before from his former friend: Hate. You are just like the rest of the immigrants who come here and try to destroy the French race and culture!

Christophe feels exposed and vulnerable. He looks down at his black skin, never having expected that his race meant anything to Emmanuel. The icy dagger rips his heart out.

Christophe: DON'T YOU SEE I'M OFFENDED BY THIS?

Emmanuel: Don't you think I'm not offended? You people treat this country like it's your own. But it's not. You are guests at best. Yet when we try to do the slightest thing to reclaim our country, you protest into the streets. Tell me Christophe, who has the right to be offended?

Misery and betrayal have transformed into rage. His body burns with indignation. Christophe's thoughts have become murderous. In a moment of wild abandon, he rushes at Emmanuel.

Christophe: YOU RACIST TRAITOR!

Emmanuel calmly grabs Christophe's wrist and twists it behind his back. He shoves him to the ground. Upon seeing the confrontation get violent, Yumi gets up to help him. But she is stopped by a sudden dizziness floating in her head. A sharp pain hits her chest. She holds on to the bench for a moment to restore her body's equilibrium.

Emmanuel: Goodbye Christophe. I'll see you later. You could have proved me wrong and sided with us, but I guess these things are bound to be divided by racial lines.

Christophe curses angrily at him.

Christophe: Who's 'us'?

Emmanuel: I've talked with Renard. And I know things. This communist experiment is just a taste of things to come…..So get used to it.

He leaves Christophe in the dirt. Christophe takes some pebbles on the ground and throws it after him. Then he slams his fist onto the ground and shouts in outrage. He lies there motionless, until a hand is reached towards him. He looks up to see Yumi smiling at him. He takes it and is helped up. Christophe slightly nods to her.

Christophe: Thank you.

He tries to walk away, but Yumi grabs his arm.

Yumi: Hold on. I saw what happened.

Christophe: Good for you…

Yumi: Want to talk about it?

Christophe: Not really. You wouldn't understand.

Yumi folds her arms across her chest. She shivers a little, not expecting it to be so cold at this hour.

Yumi: You think I don't know what it's like to be prejudiced against?

Christophe pauses.

Christophe: Good point.

They sit down at the bench. Yumi winces.

Christophe: You alright?

Yumi: I'm fine….just some pain in my chest. I must have pulled something in Pencak Silat yesterday.

Christophe: I'm sorry.

Yumi: Don't be….She pushes her hair back and unexpectedly feels some sweat on her scalp. She pauses for a moment and then continues to talk. This conversation is not about me. It's about you, and what you're going through. Are you okay?

Christophe: Well, a guy I thought was my friend turned out to be a racist jerk. I guess I could be better….

Yumi: Right. She looks down at the ground. That was probably a dumb question.

Christophe rubs his forehead. He stares out into space in an attempt to make sense of what has just happened.

Christophe: In retrospect, I guess I should have seen this coming.

Another chill shoots down Yumi's spine. She does her best to make sure he doesn't notice.

Christophe: He's always had a sort of hard-nosed personality and he occasionally hung around some questionable people. But I looked the other way. After all, he was my best friend.

Yumi's chest begins to itch. She pulls her shirt collar up and clears her throat.

Yumi: Some best friend….

Christophe: He wasn't always like that. He used to be pretty cool with everyone, regardless of their race. But then something happened to his twin sister Angeline…

Yumi turns in surprise.

Yumi: I didn't know he had a twin sister.

Christophe: She doesn't go to this school and Emmanuel usually doesn't talk about her….for good reason.

The itching in Yumi's chest gets stronger. She turns to the side and clears her throat again. Christophe doesn't seem to notice.

Christophe: I swore never to tell anyone this, but last summer Angeline was seriously harassed by a Nigerian immigrant on the bad side of Paris. Had she not yelled for help, she might have been raped. Needless to say Emmanuel was furious. He started changing, only hanging around French people, me being the only exception. He shakes his head. That should have been my warning sign. Then Renard came and he went from bad to worse.

As Yumi listens to Christophe talk, her vision starts to become confused and dizzy. Christophe's image starts to float around her. She grabs her head. She forces herself to speak.

Yumi: That reminds me. I never thanked you for standing up for William and me. You didn't have to do that. She smiles weakly. But I really appreciate it.

Christophe: Don't mention it. That guy's a creep. I hate him. He's trying to mess everyone up.

Yumi sighs. She coughs slightly and quickly covers her mouth. A deep anxiety starts to sprout in her mind.

Yumi: Why…..why is that you are the only one who can see that?

Christophe: I'm not the only one. You saw that Natalya refused to go along with the rest of the crowd. And there are a few others. The rest don't seem to get it. He thinks for a moment. I guess I had an advantage the others didn't.

Yumi's body starts to feel colder. The only exception is her chest, which is starting to burn more intensely. A bead of sweat runs down her face. She breathes out of her mouth and shuts her eyes tightly, trying to make the feeling go away and focus on the conversation.

Yumi: What advantage?

Christophe leans his head to the side and starts to explain.

Christophe: It's kind of a long story actually.

Yumi hugs herself and shivers. Christophe is still oblivious and looking off into space.

Yumi: Give me the Reader's Digest version.

Christophe: Well, my family is originally from Côte D'Ivoire. We were a prominent family over there. My own grandfather was one of the advisers who helped President Félix Houphouët-Boigny make the country an independent nation.

Yumi does her best to repress another round of itching in her chest. A cough escapes from her mouth. She shivers.

Yumi: Okay, butI don't see how that has to do with-

Christophe: Hold on, I'm getting to it. You see, originally Félix promised to make Côte D'Ivoire a strong democracy. But as time went on, he started to retain more and more power for himself. My grandfather called him out on it…and it didn't end so well. All of the sudden Félix started these trials for his political opponents, and my grandfather heard that he was going to be on the list. So he and the rest of my family went into exile here.

Yumi is starting to look a little pale. Her throat starts to feel hot.

Christophe: My grandfather was very bitter before he died. He used to point his cane into chest and tell me, 'Never trust demagogues, boy! If someone comes around and promises change and everyone loves him, don't believe him! They're all the same!'

The itching starts to build in Yumi's chest again. She tries to hold back the urge to cough, but it is getting unbearable. She tries to hang on.

Christophe: I guess when Renard came into the picture I started to hear my grandfather warning me again. Warning me that something didn't smell right.

Yumi can't take it anymore. She sinks into a coughing fit. She bends over and tries to get it all out. Immediately Christophe snaps out of it and scoots away from her on the bench. He stammers and points at her.

Christophe: You…..you have it too!

Yumi frowns. Christophe's statement forces her to admit the truth: She is sick.

Yumi: I'm sorry. I should have told you I was feeling bad. I just didn't want to admit it. Her voice is full of fear. She shakes violently. I'm going to call my parents and wait in the front office.

Yumi gets up. She takes a few steps and then a dizzy attack strikes her with a vengeance. She stumbles, doing her best to maintain her balance, but her illness is making it difficult. As she starts to fall, she feels someone grab her arm.

Christophe: I got you.

He starts to help her walk to the office.

Yumi: Christophe, get away from me! I'm sick! You'll catch it too!

Christophe: Not going to happen. You helped me. It's my turn to return the favor.

Yumi stops arguing and gratefully uses him as a crutch to walk to the office. Back in Jeremie's room, Aelita and Jeremie examine the super scan.

Aelita: I'm telling you, something's wrong!

Jeremie: I've checked it twenty times Aelita! Nothing is going on! This isn't Moriarty! He shudders. We may not be able to do anything about this.

Aelita groans in frustration. She thrusts her palms over her eyes.

Aelita: More people are getting sick Jeremie. And at the rate things are going, it may not be your average flu or bronchitis.

Jeremie: I know Aelita….He spins around in his chair to face her. But what can we do?

Aelita looks back at Jeremie. As soon as she faces him, something catches her eye. She peers over Jeremie's shoulder to look at the computer screen. Her eyes widen.

Jeremie: Aelita, is something wrong?

Aelita: Jeremie, why is Xana's symbol in the corner of the super scan?

Jeremie: Xana? What are you talking about? Xana's dead, why would the computer be searching for….He looks at the screen and freezes. His mouth falls open. Some strangled breaths issue from his mouth. No….no….it couldn't be. He furiously begins to type.

Aelita: Jeremie?

He starts smacking himself on the head.

Jeremie: IDIOT! Why didn't I see it before?

Aelita: See what?

Jeremie: The super scan! Somehow Moriarty readjusted the super scan to search for Xana attacks only. No wonder the super scan hasn't gone off! He readjusts it. Immediately the super scan beeps loudly. IDIOT! IDIOT!

Aelita: Now's not the time to blame yourself Jeremie. The entire city is at risk! If we don't do something, William and the other infected could die!

Jeremie gets on his cellphone to warn the other warriors. But his only response is a loud beeping. He curses.

Jeremie: Stupid cellphone towers are jammed with emergency calls! I can't contact them!

Aelita opens the door.

Aelita: I'll get them. Meet me at the factory.

She slams the door shut. Jeremie rises from his chair. A strange feeling of weakness and dizziness overtakes him. He holds onto the chair. Immediately his scientific mind goes to the worst possible scenario. He feels his forehead.

Jeremie: Oh no….Oh…Oh no.

He starts to cough. His body quakes with fear and dread. Painful considerations of his own mortality start to haunt him.

Jeremie: Oh God. Oh God it's happening!

He stumbles and clutches on to his bed. A voice starts to echo through the halls.

Delmas: Students, given the risk of further infection, classes are cancelled until further notice. Please stay in your rooms. If you see anyone infected, please stay away from them. But above all…remain calm….

Jeremie coughs louder. His palms start to become sweaty. He takes off his glasses and wipes his forehead.

Jeremie: I knew his revenge would be terrible.

Delmas: Jim Morales and Nurse Yolanda will be handing out masks for students to use. I-He starts to speak to someone else back in his office. What's that Nicole? Long pause. Er…Jim Morales will be handing out masks. It appears Nurse Yolanda is….ill.

Jeremie forces himself onto his bed. He coughs some more, and he is not alone. Across the hall the same horrible noises can be heard in dorm rooms across Kadic. Outside Kadic, the same hacking and wheezing echoes throughout the streets of Paris. A growing throng of ambulance sirens builds in intensity. The coughing and roar of the sirens creates a twisted melody of sickness in this French metropolis. Aelita runs through the campus, urgently calling out for Yumi and Ulrich. The number of sick students around her fills her with fear. Haunted faces peek out of doors. Aelita looks around in horror. She backs up into Sissi, who looks like a pale zombie.

Sissi: Please…..would you give me some water….She hacks in front of Aelita. Similar requests bombard Aelita. They slowly try to approach her.

Students: Help…..please help…..

Aelita screams and bursts through the crowd. She flies back to Jeremie's room in a panic. The threat of the plague follows her footsteps, casting an ever growing shadow over the tomblike campus of Kadic Academy.