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.

13. Chapter 13

Sorry I took so long. But I'm sure you will forgive me.

Part 28

The Skid cuts through the Network with the core of Moriarty in its sights. A haze of purple surrounds the core and its black infected databases. Aelita accelerates without a word as they enter the danger zone. Pretty soon they are in a narrow passage on the path to the core. The warriors brace themselves.

Aelita: The turrets should be opening up on us soon. Is everyone ready?

There are a few grunts of assent. Aelita bites her lip.

Aelita: Odd?

Odd is in his Nav Skid, clutching nervously at the controls. But determination masks his hesitation.

Odd: I'm ready Aelita.

As they get closer, black turrets begin to appear from the databases. Aelita holds up her hand.

Aelita: Wait for my signal…

Yumi sighs.

Yumi: This is suicide….

Jeremie's voice suddenly pipes up.

Jeremie: As long as the Trans-Network Cyber Bridge works, it's not suicide.

The turrets warm up.

William: Aelita….

Aelita: Not yet…..just a little bit closer.

The turrets open fire. The Skid's shields begin to suffer some heavy blows.

Aelita: NOW!

The Nav Skids disembark. They immediately get behind the Skid, using it as a shield. Aelita accelerates into the fray. From behind the Nav Skids do their best to shoot down the turrets to clear a path for Aelita. But the Skid is getting annihilated. Aelita shakes about in her seat. Red warning lights appear. But she keeps going.

Aelita: 650 meters and closing…..come on….a little closer.

The turrets begin to tear the Skid to pieces. Her shields are almost gone. Jeremie watches nervously from the command chair. He bites his fingers and looks away.

Jeremie: Oh please let this work….

The alarms in the Skid are going crazy, but Aelita ignores them. She gives it one last effort, forcing the Skid to move forward. A new turret forms. It fires torpedoes directly at her. Aelita closes her eyes.

Aelita: Moment of truth…

The torpedoes explode on impact and destroy the Skid. The Nav Skids back up. But instead of the other warriors being witnesses to Aelita's eternal virtualization, they see a blinding blue light envelop the area where Aelita was destroyed. The beam retreats back to Lyoko. Jeremie holds his hands together, praying that it works. A plus sign appears on Aelita's digital incarnation card. Jeremie raises his fist in celebration.

Jeremie: Yes! IT WORKED!

Aelita comes out of the scanner. She is very disoriented. She can hear Jeremie's voice above him.

Jeremie: And it preserved the Skid as well! THIS IS FANTASTIC! GOOD WORK AELITA!

Aelita sits down next to the scanner. She rubs her head.

Aelita: Don't….mention it.

As soon as the Skid is destroyed, the second phase of the battle plan begins. Yumi takes the lead.

Yumi: Alright guys. Aelita got us this far. Now let's finish this! Hold nothing back! Eternal virtualization is no longer a threat, so let's really make him hurt.

William: Ay ay captain.

Ulrich: Moriarty hunting season….He charges his weapons…..is officially open.

Turrets now begin to fire at them now.

Yumi: Alright…..NOW!

The four split up in different directions. Ulrich and William pull out to the left and right, respectively. Yumi ascends to the ceiling of the passage, hovering away from firing range. Odd descends, hoping to sneak up on the core from below. A furious race against time begins. William barrels forward in an adjoining passage. He spins his Nav Skid onto its side and fires at the turrets. Ulrich speeds up, never stopping to eliminate turrets but doing his best to avoid them. Yumi shoots down some of the turrets with ease. She begins to see the core up ahead. Her heart leaps with joy and anticipation. But it is shortlived. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Odd's Nav Skid flying up from the abyss. It is heading straight for her. Yumi stares at her friend in horror.

Yumi: Odd what are you doing? You are supposed to be trying to find a weakness down below!

Odd: I know but….He goes under her and continues in the opposite direction. I ran into some unexpected company.

Yumi: Unexpected company? What are you-She turns to see a large black version of the Skid approaching her. The dark warriors are inside, aiming their guns directly at her. Yumi groans. Crap…..

They open fire and she is immediately blown to bits. Odd looks behind and sees an explosion of blue light. The Black Skid chases after him.

Odd: Guys…..

Ulrich rounds a corner in his passage and continues to do an epic dance of dodging.

Ulrich: Can't this wait Odd?

Enemy fire begins to hit Odd's shields.

Odd: Not exactly. The goon patrol apparently got a ship, and Yumi's been eliminated.

Ulrich swallows.

Ulrich: Did she…did Jeremie's thing work?

Odd narrowly avoids a cluster of torpedoes.

Odd: It was either that or blue angels taking her to heaven.

Ulrich: DON'T JOKE ABOUT THAT!

Jeremie butts in.

Jeremie: That's enough! Ulrich, Yumi is here alive and well. Odd, you need to distract them, make sure they don't get to Ulrich and William before they can complete the mission.

Odd can see that two of the Nav Skids are disembarking and heading in the direction of Ulrich and William. The Skid itself continues the chase.

Odd: Uh….that may be difficult.

Jeremie: Please Odd…..Ulrich and William are so close to the core...

Odd closes his eyes and tries to relax his anxious mind. He forces his shaking hands to grip onto the controls. He opens his eyes and starts to warm up his torpedoes.

Odd: Okay…..He flips around and charges the Skid, firing madly. The blasts slam into the enemy Skid's shields. Come at me!

Thirty minutes earlier, the warriors are huddled around in the lab room. Jeremie sits in the command chair, gazing at them somberly.

Yumi: You…..you want us to go on the offense in the Network?

Ulrich: After what Odd…..saw?

Jeremie taps his index fingers together.

Jeremie: I know it's a tall order, but think about it. The entire city was brought to its knees by a plague only a week ago. There were casualties….Jeremie sadly pushes his glasses higher up onto his nose. Moriarty has killed and will kill again. With Xana we were lucky…..but our luck has run out. More and more people are at risk, and my multi-agent system research has gone absolutely nowhere. Moriarty is gaining more and more power at the school. To put it simply…we are running out of options.

The warriors look at the floor in silence. Jeremie runs his fingers through his hair.

Jeremie: And besides…the Trans-Network Cyber Bridge will prevent us from having another…..incident.

Aelita: He's right. Jeremie and I have tested it before.

William: In a real combat situation?

Jeremie: Well…He looks up at the ceiling, avoiding the eye contact of several suspicious warriors…no. But we'll never know until we try. It will work…provided you don't…He scratches the back of his neck…run your Nav Skid into the core or something.

The rest of them shudder at the mention of Odd's vision, including Odd himself.

Jeremie: Yeah…..too soon.

The room is quiet for a while. William scratches his chin while he thinks over the situation. He shrugs.

William: Jeremie makes a valid point. If we stay on the defense with Moriarty, we won't get anywhere. And the risk is considerably lower now that we have the cyber bridge. So taking action isn't a bad idea. We need to at least remind Moriarty that we aren't backing down.

Yumi rubs her forehead.

Yumi: Yes, I know it sounds all great but-She stops in mid sentence, looking at Ulrich. Ulrich immediately knows what she is thinking about and looks away from her. Tension mounts in Yumi's face. A memory of absolute pain, one in which she thought she lost Ulrich forever, deeply burdens her. The first time didn't go so well…

The others nod, understanding Yumi's hesitation. Jeremie looks at his friends. There is no eagerness for battle. But by the looks on their faces he can tell that fear is very prevalent. He sighs and looks back at the computer.

Jeremie: I guess it's easy for me to send you into battle. You are the ones risking your lives. And now that I think about it…He taps his fingers against his knee….I'm the only one in this room that is safe from the prophecy….unless of course I lose my mind and decide to go on a mission with you.

The fear and despair of inaction begins to build in the room. It spreads through the others like wildfire, zapping their will to fight. All of them awkwardly stand there, waiting for one of them to speak up and call it quits for the day. But before that can happen, William lifts his head up and hardens his heart and mind.

William: Yes it is a risk. And yes Odd's prediction may come true. He breathes deeply and lowers his eyebrows. But we've always taken risks. I mean look at us…..The others start to pay attention to William….We've survived plagues, possessions, nuclear threats, insanity, and everything in between. We always take risks. We always fight….knowing that it may be our last. Yes, Odd's prediction makes it scary because it assures us that one of us is not going to make it. But are you seriously going to quit the fight because of it? Or are you going to keep going in spite of it?

The warriors stare at William closely, letting his powerful words sink in. William points around the room.

William: How many of you here are willing to die if it means defeating Moriarty?

The heavily loaded question casts a weight of uncertainty on them. For three seconds or so, no one replies. They all observe each other uneasily. Finally Odd clears his throat. He looks up confidently.

Odd: I am….

William turns and smiles, regarding Odd with pleasant surprise.

William: As am I….

The two of them place their right hands in the middle of the group huddle, indicating for the others to follow their example. Aelita forces herself at ease and exhales.

Aelita: My father gave everything to stop him. She places her hand on top of William's and Odd's. And so will I….

Ulrich watches the unfolding scene and suddenly becomes bold. He stretches his hand out.

Ulrich: I was willing to do it before….and I'm willing to do it again.

Yumi's face is expressionless. She merely holds out her hand and stares blankly at her friends.

Yumi: Justice…..at any cost.

This scene has deeply moved Jeremie. He takes off his glasses and looks away. The rest of the warriors look at Jeremie, waiting for his answer. They gaze at him intently. Jeremie realizes that they are looking for him to lead them. He can't help but imagine them as soldiers ready to obey their general's every order, even if that order is a reckless charge that will bring them certain death. They stare at him as willing sacrifices, sheep prepared to be slaughtered. A tear falls from Jeremie's eye. He gets up from the chair. His cold hand is placed on top of the others.

Jeremie: I will be with you every step of the way. I may not be able to fight with you, but I will do everything in my power to keep you alive. I promise to keep your safety first and listen to you…..something I haven't done in the past. And believe me, I'm willing to take the ultimate risk, even if that means meeting my end in the real world.

A sad but resolute determination rises out of the depths of their fears and emboldens them. They look at each other and smile with their hands together in a pile. They stand there like a team of gladiators, getting ready to walk into the arena and fight for their lives. Gradually the hand huddle is broken up.

William: So, who's up for some offense?

Odd: Me.

The warriors look at Odd, surprised that he has offered and hesitant to include him.

Aelita: Odd….are you sure?

Odd: Hey, I finally got over my fear of Lyoko. You didn't think I would go backwards, did you?

Jeremie: It's still a dangerous mission Odd.

Odd: Yes. But the danger here with Moriarty around is getting worse as well, and I can't bury my head in the sand forever.

Ulrich nods.

Ulrich: He makes a good point.

Odd: Besides, this would just be a warmup for the main challenge.

The group looks at Odd in confusion, wondering what his words mean. Odd smiles and waits to see if the others figure it out. Finally a light goes off in Yumi's head.

Yumi: You….you're planning on leaving the factory?

Odd nods.

William: Today?

Odd: You got that right.

Aelita: Are you sure you're ready?

Odd: Well I'll never know if I don't try. He looks around the lab room. I'm tired of hiding in this prison. There's only one way to face my problems, and that's head on.

These words reverberate through Odd's mind as he charges the Skid back in the Network. He fires torpedoes, but it is no match for the firepower of his much larger opponent. The counterattack makes his Nav Skid begin to fall apart. Red warning lights illuminate his cockpit. His hands shake on the controls.

Skid system: Warning….imminent structural breach.

Odd: Jeremie, would a collision into these guys virtualize me forever?

Jeremie: Um…..I don't think so….why?

Odd accelerates straight at the Skid. Dark Aelita begins to realize what he is doing and tries to veer out of the way.

Jeremie: Odd, wait! I SAID I DON'T THINK SO! I CAN'T PROMISE YOU THAT-

Odd: My vision said nothing about this….His exploding Nav Skid barrels toward its opponent. Kamikaze!

The two vehicles collide and instantly explode together. Despite Jeremie's concern, a blue light does envelop the area where Odd was destroyed. Jeremie groans and rubs his forehead.

Jeremie: Well, that's one way to take care of them.

Meanwhile William is heading toward his ultimate goal. He starts firing at the cables that are connecting to the infected databases. They start to disintegrate upon impact. He blows a cluster to pieces and howls with victory. He looks behind him.

William: Hope that wasn't important Moriarty!

Jeremie: William in front of you!

William turns to see his path completely blocked by cables. He can't react in time.

William: Me and my big-

He explodes. Ulrich can feel the vibration from his passage several meters away.

Ulrich: Great. It's up to me again. The core is now within his sights. The turrets continue to fire, but Ulrich has honed his reflexes well. His eyes are locked onto his goal. All of a sudden the turrets stop firing and disappear. There is nothing but a clear path to the core. Well, that can't be good.

A torpedo that strikes the rear of his Nav Skid warns Ulrich of Dark Ulrich's presence behind him. Ulrich speeds up.

Ulrich: You're not stopping me this time. I've come too far.

He looks in front of him to see the glistening white core of Moriarty surrounded by the four pyramid structures. Ulrich's heart races.

Ulrich: 100 meters and closing….come on!

His clear shot is suddenly dashed by the sight of Dark Yumi's Nav Skid rising in front of him. She fires her torpedoes at the same time Dark Ulrich does. The two sets of missiles close in on him from front and back. He grimaces.

Ulrich: So close…

Ulrich explodes and disappears into the blue light. He walks out of the scanner and nearly falls over. His body feels like it was rearranged and put back together several times. He sees that the other warriors are also recovering on the floor. A few of them groan.

Yumi: Devirtualization from cyber bridge….so much more uncomfortable.

Odd: I'm going to barf.

Aelita sits against a scanner, breathing deeply.

Aelita: Better than….not coming back at all.

William is face down on the floor, refusing to move.

William: Are you sure we're completely back? I think Jeremie forgot my kidneys or something.

Jeremie walks out of the elevator, smiling proudly.

Jeremie: If the cyber bridge left out your kidneys, I would know. But good work guys. You were great out there.

Ulrich: What are you talking about? We failed.

Jeremie: True, but you got closer than last time. And now that we have the cyber bridge, we can try again and again until we succeed.

William weakly raises his fist in mock excitement.

William: Hooray….

Aelita: Moriarty knows that we don't have a reason to hold back anymore. He might try to eliminate the cyber bridge apparatus at the entrance to Lyoko.

Jeremie shakes his head happily.

Jeremie: I wouldn't worry too much about that. I put some heavy shields around it. And I also planted a trap. If Moriarty starts to really do some damage, the apparatus is programmed to fire a devastating blast at Moriarty's infected databases. Not enough to kill him unfortunately, but it will give him a shock that he will never forget.

A thought crosses Ulrich's mind.

Ulrich: So if we fired on our own thing, couldn't we technically-?

Jeremie gives Ulrich a condescending look.

Jeremie: The attack is reserved for the worst case scenario only, not for your own amusement.

Ulrich: Can't blame a guy for trying…

Several minutes later, Ulrich, Aelita, William, Yumi, and Jeremie gather together in the middle of the bridge. It is twilight, and a beautiful sunset is descending on the city of Paris. At the warriors' sides is Kiwi, who waits eagerly for his master. Odd is standing at the entrance of the factory, staring at his friends with a hint of trepidation. They are separated by a distance of several meters. For Odd, it might as well be a mile. His friends watch him closely, waiting for him to make his move.

Jeremie: Whenever you're ready Odd.

Odd nods. He takes several deep breaths. He practices speaking to himself, calming his mind to prevent any sort of relapse. But he still has difficulty making that first step.

Aelita: If you want, we can wait a few days…

Odd: No. I've waited long enough.

He looks at the ground. His feet are only centimeters away from the outside world. A strong wave of uncertainty strikes him.

Odd: It's just a bridge. It's just a bridge….I can do this.

He inhales deeply and takes a first step before he can change his mind. He stumbles forward a little bit more. He looks behind him. He has walked about a meter. He turns to see his friends beckoning him forward.

Yumi: Come on Odd!

Aelita: You can do it!

William: One step at a time. That's all.

Odd appreciates their encouragement, but it is not silencing the terrible fury of his heartbeat and the growing panic in his mind. His legs are shaking. His palms start to sweat. But he moves forward.

Ulrich: That's it. You're doing it!

Kiwi barks with joy. Although the others continue to urge him on, Odd has become lost. Every ounce of his being is fighting to keep him from flying back to the factory. He wraps his arms around his chest to hold himself together. He walks toward them. When he is about halfway there, the sheer reality of the world's bigness and the memories associated with it hit him like a tidal wave. He gasps. He closes his eyes and tries to move forward, but it does no good. He is frozen with fear. The others look on in disappointment.

William: He's not ready….

Aelita: No. He can do it. He just needs help.

Aelita walks over to where Odd is standing. Yumi follows her example. They both grab his hands. Odd looks up at them in surprise.

Aelita: Come on Odd. We'll do this with you.

Yumi: Everything will be fine. You'll see.

They start to pull him forward. Odd tries to endure the agony, but suddenly an image of Moriarty in his human form staring menacingly at him makes his blood run cold. He opens his eyes and resists Yumi and Aelita's forceful encouragement.

Odd: N-no….

Aelita: Don't fight it Odd. It will pass. You'll see. Just keep walking, please.

They move a little closer to the male warriors. The burning skull pierces Odd's conscience. It zaps all courage from him. Odd screams. He breaks the girls' grip and runs back to the factory. He leans on the entrance, doing his best to recover. The others look at him and sigh. They walk toward him. Aelita puts a hand on his shoulder.

Odd: Wasn't…..ready.

Aelita: It's okay. You will be. You just need more time.

Odd: How much time do I need?

The others can't provide an answer.

Aelita: Just….rest for now. You already did a lot today.

William: Baby steps Odd. Don't try to cure yourself in one day.

Ulrich: You'll be all ready to go in a few days. Don't you worry.

Odd hangs his head in despair. He turns away from his friends, who still want to comfort him. But he doesn't want to hear it.

Odd: Goodnight.

He passes silently into the factory. No one tries to follow him. Later that night, Odd mopes in the lab room. Kiwi is at his side, wagging his tail happily. Odd groans.

Odd: I'm running out of options Kiwi. What am I supposed to do?

Kiwi licks his master's hand. Odd pays no attention to him. While he looks absentmindedly about the room, his eyes notice the dreaded PTSD helmet in the corner. Odd shudders at the sight. But suddenly a new conviction strengthens his will. He stands up and walks over to it. He picks it up. He sees his reflection in the shiny metal. Odd bites his lip.

Odd: I swore I would never put this thing on again but….

He stands there in silence, holding the helmet. He flips the matter over in his mind several times. His grip on the helmet tightens. Odd walks over to the command chair and puts the helmet on.

Odd: I am not staying here until I'm 90…

Without any supervision, Odd starts up the machine. Kiwi wags his tail slowly, anxiously watching for his master's response to the strange object on his head. The next morning outside Delmas' office, his secretary Nicole is working diligently at her computer. The sunlight fills the room and makes Nicole feel at ease. All is calm…..until the door to Delmas' office is thrust open and a very angry Brazilian girl walks out.

Isabel: BABACA! I want to go home!

Delmas: Miss Cacais, please….try to calm down.

Venom spews out of her screaming mouth.

Isabel: I WANT OUT OF THIS INSANE COUNTRY!

Delmas: …This is out of my control…

Isabel: If you think I'm staying at this school one more minute, YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND!

Delmas: You have no where else to go and furthermore….

Isabel glares at Delmas one more time and turns away.

Isabel: Unbelievable! My father will hear about this!

She thunders out of the office. Delmas groans and rubs his head.

Delmas: Great….I can't do anything at this school and I still get in trouble.

Nicole coughs a little.

Nicole: Sir….

She points to the camera in the upper right hand corner of the ceiling. Delmas lowers his head.

Delmas: Yes…..I know I have to watch what I say. He scratches his beard. This must be a strange situation for you.

Nicole goes back to working at the computer.

Nicole: Other than the fact that I no longer know who my real boss is….not really.

Outside, Isabel fumes on the steps outside the office. Lucas and Tobias approach her.

Lucas: W-we're s-stuck here?

Isabel: What do you think pea-brain? Don't you think I would walk out the front gate if I could?

Tobias: Hey now, no need to get testy…

Isabel: I'll get 'testy' if I want to! I want to go home! Back to São Paulo! Paris is not what I imagined it would be.

Lucas nervously bobs his head up and down.

Lucas: D-didn't expect p-plague either.

Isabel balls her fists together.

Isabel: When my dad finds out about this, that principal is so dead!

Tobias: It's not like he can help it. Our countries refuse to let us back in. Not until they're sure we ain't a health hazard. This bug has gotten everyone scared, so we're just going to have to be patient.

Isabel: Oh who asked you? Don't you want to go back to America?

Tobias: Sure I do. He suddenly pauses and looks at the ground. Although….less than usual considering my girl back home just left me for some country hick.

Lucas: D-d-dumped?

Tobias sighs.

Tobias: Brutally…so much for staying loyal while I was gone…

Isabel casts an angry eye at the two males.

Isabel: I don't care about your problems. She gets up and starts to walk away. And stop following me! Why do you two try to hang out with me?

Tobias throws his hands up innocently.

Tobias: Hey, we're just trying to be friendly. We all are new here, so I figured we should stick together.

Isabel scoffs at them.

Isabel: Thanks but no thanks.

She walks away.

Lucas: B-b-bit…bi-

Tobias: Save your breath. You don't have to state the obvious.

Across the courtyard, a crowd is gathering outside the lunch room. The object of attention is Emmanuel, who is standing on the front steps. His tense face and raised fist add to the ferocity of the rant he is giving his fellow students.

Emmanuel: The more I think about what's happened, the more angry I get. Think about it! A strange sickness nearly brings this city to its knees, and what has the government told us? NOTHING! Several students nod and affirm their agreement. They keep telling us that everything's fine. That everything is under control. Well I ask you….is it? First La Santé Prison….which in case you've forgotten, caused a hostage situation here. Second Sarkozy is nearly killed during a speech. And now this plague! Not only was it terrifying, it made no sense. Forty people die and then the disease disappears without any explanation? Not that I'm complaining to have survived….most of you here also got very sick. But for the love of God, don't we deserve an explanation? Several stuents shout in agreement. After all of these 'random' emergencies, who's to say that another one is out of the question? Are we really safe? Emmanuel points at the people watching him. And furthermore, what did the government do to help? Did Sarkozy do anything to save our lives? NO! He hid in his bunker and watched. But he has no problem lying to us and covering up the truth! He tightens his fist. Has anyone considered the possibility that this could have been a biological attack by terrorists? If it wasn't, why are they being so secretive? He raises his hands in the air with total exasperation and fury. And to top it all off, the teachers here are spoon feeding us the same crap the government has been giving us. Delmas has told us to continue going to class and return to our normal routines. THERE IS NO NORMAL ANYMORE! It's a lie! None of them are saying a word about it, except for Dr. Renard, who has the courage to stand up to the stupid system at this school. And until more do so, I say he's the only one we can trust…

Jim walks onto the scene. His hands are on his hips in his classic authoritarian stance.

Jim: Alright that's enough. All of you get out of here! Go to class!

Emmanuel points at Jim.

Emmanuel: Do you not see my point?

Jim: Maillard, get down from there right now or you're going to the principal's office!

Emmanuel: At least then I might get some straight answers! But all we are getting are lies a five year-old could see through. We want to know the truth, and you can't silence us forever.

The crowd shouts out in agreement, protesting the state of affairs at the school. Emmanuel gives Jim a smug look of defiance. Jim groans in frustration, realizing that this is going to be harder than he thought. Moriarty proudly watches Emmanuel work from the comfort of his classroom. He drinks his coffee slowly and methodically. He hears a knock on his door.

Moriarty: Come in.

Through the large wooden door the figures of school reporters Milly Solovieff and Tamiya Diop emerge. Milly enters the doors first. She is now a thirteen year-old girl who has managed to hit a small growth spurt. Her entrance into puberty and her decision to wear her red hair in a ponytail instead of pigtails has given her more of a grown up look. Tamiya still has a childlike face, but she has grown some as well. She too has removed her pigtails but has kept her hair braided. Milly immediately smiles brightly at Moriarty in an attempt to make a good impression. Tamiya comes in with less confidence than her partner, but she also manages to smile. The two walk to Moriarty's desk.

Milly: You wanted to see us sir?

Moriarty finally turns away from the window.

Moriarty: Why yes….He pauses. Tamiya and Milly. It's nice to see you again. I hope your 'exclusive' interview with me did well in the papers.

Milly becomes enthusiastic.

Milly: Did it ever! Being able to interview the man who saved Kadic and getting the news before anyone else could was…..She loses herself in the memory. INCREDIBLE! The best story we've ever done! Can you believe it? News stations had to call US to ask for more information on you!

Moriarty smiles modestly.

Moriarty: And of course the students enjoyed it…

Milly: Oh they couldn't get enough! We were afraid we would run out of paper they were going out so fast. The Kadic Herald was so popular!

Tamiya: Even more than when Chris Morales came to the school.

Moriarty: I'm glad to hear it. Though I have to say adjusting to the spotlight has been difficult, I am very happy it did so well. After all, that's the kind of thing that could make you professional journalists in the future.

Milly and Tamiya don't say anything but their exuberant faces tell Moriarty that the thought is giving them a wonderful taste of a childhood dream becoming reality.

Milly: That's what we intend sir.

Moriarty: So what are you working on now?

Tamiya: Oh right now we're asking students how they are feeling after the plague went through the school. There are so many stories! Milly and I have been running around nonstop to get the scoops.

Milly leans forward closer to Moriarty.

Milly: In fact Dr. Renard, we were hoping you could tell us about your experience. You're so popular here now and we know that you cared for several students when they were sick.

Tamiya: You wouldn't mind a short interview would you?

Tamiya takes out her camera and starts to film Moriarty. Moriarty quickly motions for her not to do that.

Moriarty: Um…..yes but not right now. I didn't call you here so you could interview me.

Tamiya turns her camera off with disappointment.

Tamiya: Oh….I'm sorry.

Milly: So, if that wasn't it, then what-?

Moriarty raises his index finger to tell Milly to be quiet. Milly obeys. Moriarty leans back in his chair.

Moriarty: I called you here to discuss the role of your paper here on campus.

Milly and Tamiya's faces become blank. Tamiya scratches her head.

Tamiya: The role of our paper?

Moriarty: Why yes. I mean your school paper has gotten really popular and I think it's time for us to think about what you publish at this school and the kind of impact it has on the students.

Milly nods with understanding, but she still gives Moriarty an inquisitive look.

Milly: Yes but….shouldn't we be speaking to Mr. Delmas about that?

Moriarty laughs a little bit.

Moriarty: Oh no, you needn't worry about that. Mr. Delmas has given me permission to be your faculty supervisor for the paper.

Tamiya: Faculty supervisor? We've never had one before…

Moriarty: Oh rest assured, I don't plan on controlling what you publish. But you are still young and you need access to certain resources that only faculty can provide. And besides, a little constructive criticism from some adults would do wonders to improve the quality of the paper.

Milly seems to gradually accept the idea.

Milly: Well I mean…..I guess-She looks at Tamiya and smiles. She looks back at Moriarty. Now that I think about it, we would really love it if you worked with us!

Moriarty: That's great. He rests his fists on the desk and leans forward. So tell me, what are the usual accepted parameters of your work?

Tamiya stutters.

Tamiya: Uh well usually we try to keep the articles no more than fifteen hundred words…

Moriarty shakes his head.

Moriarty: No no. I mean what are your limits? What can and can't you write about? What kind of freedom do you have?

Milly stands there a moment lost in thought, not having expected the question. She flips her hair back and shrugs.

Milly: There are things that we can't say. Like we can't write about teachers in a negative way, we have to avoid personal attacks on students, and we have to be careful about sensitive topics at school and sometimes….

Moriarty holds out his hand to signal for Milly to stop.

Moriarty: Yes I figured as much. You won't have to worry about that anymore.

Milly and Tamiya look at each other strangely, trying to see if they heard Moriarty correctly. Milly then stares at Moriarty intently.

Milly: Sir….are you saying that-?

Moriarty: Well you are reporters are you not? And you aspire to make a career out of it. Then shouldn't you have freedom of the press?

Tamiya: But….we are still students. I mean teachers have control and stuff.

Moriarty: That doesn't mean that they are immune to criticism.

Milly: Did Mr. Delmas really approve..?

Moriarty appears to be hurt at the reporters' questions. He sighs and gazes away from them.

Moriarty: Are you telling me you DON'T want this freedom?

Milly and Tamiya immediately shake their heads madly. Milly forces a smile to remove Moriarty's doubts.

Tamiya: Oh no Dr. Renard!

Milly: We do really appreciate it! She locks her hands together in almost a prayer pose and leans toward her new supervisor. And we would like to be treated like real reporters.

Moriarty: Good. So tell me. Now that you have this freedom, what is the first thing you are going to do?

An idea immediately pops into Milly's head. Her face becomes bright with excitement. She turns her head to face Tamiya.

Milly: Oh! After the plague scoop we can interview Rosa about the real quality of our cafeteria food and make sure she tells the truth. Can you just see the look on her face? She would freak!

Tamiya: Yeah! And then we can reveal all of Sissi's embarrassing moments that we know but could never publish!

Milly: And don't forget about Delmas' penguin game habits.

Tamiya: And we could research Jim's secret past!

While the girls babble on with ridiculous joy, Moriarty rests his head on his hand in exasperation. He scratches his head and mutters something to himself. But he quickly draws up a smile onto his face.

Moriarty: Girls, girls. Those ideas are all….interesting, but would you rather not focus on something else?

Milly and Tamiya stop their celebration and give Moriarty a confused stare.

Tamiya: You mean like writing about the leaky toilets above the science lab?

Moriarty shakes his head and makes a mental note not to go to the science lab.

Moriarty: Girls, you want to be professional reporters do you not?

Milly & Tamiya: Yes sir.

Moriarty: Then why focus on silly gossip and stuff the tabloids are made for?

Milly and Tamiya become quiet and start to seriously think this over. They both frown as this realization begins to kick in. Tamiya taps her foot on the floor.

Tamiya: Because it's…interesting. It gets us readers.

Milly: Yeah….and it's also really fun.

Moriarty taps his fingers on the table and nods with understanding.

Moriarty: Gossip is a very powerful tool, I will admit. He stops tapping and gazes at the two girls shrewdly. His facial expression immediately reminds them that this man possesses an intellect and character that they desperately want to experience. His suave attitude charms them into diverting their whole attention to him. The girls are spellbound by this mysterious substitute, this hero of Kadic. And Moriarty knows it. But the content of said gossip needs to change. It must be more mature, more focused, more…..He smiles. scathing…

Tamiya: Scathing?

Moriarty shrugs.

Moriarty: A real reporter holds nothing back. If you want to write about something and you have evidence to support it, you shouldn't have to worry about hurting feelings or following some ridiculous school code.

Milly: That's true.

Moriarty: But more importantly, as seasoned reporters, don't you want to focus on heavier matters?

Tamiya: You mean like….She pauses in thought. politics?

Moriarty snaps his fingers at points at Tamiya.

Moriarty: Now there's an idea. Politics is a very mature topic.

Milly: So you don't want us to write gossip?

Moriarty: Oh gossip is fine. He gets up and walks around his desk toward them. It just needs to be reformed and I would prefer that it not be the exclusive focus of the Kadic Herald. What's going around in the world is also important.

Tamiya: I guess we could be more serious. As long as we can still have a gossip section.

Moriarty: As I said before, gossip is not a problem. And I can make your gossip better.

Milly: You can?

Moriarty: Of course. He extends his hand in the form of a deal. Just make sure you take a look outside Kadic every now and then, and I will be sure to make sure you never run out of juicy gossip.

Milly: Okay….but I have to warn you that not many students seem to be interested in reading about politics.

Moriarty shakes her somewhat reluctant hand and smiles.

Moriarty: Oh trust me. They will….

William puts on his jacket as he prepares to leave his dorm room and start the day. He looks at the small mirror in the wall and adjusts his hair. He stands up straight and breathes deeply, mentally preparing himself for another round of frightening education from his mortal enemy. As William enjoys these last moments of peace and security, he hears a knock on the door.

William: Come in.

Jim walks into the room carrying a large white box. He seems to be eyeing it eagerly.

Jim: Well, William, you are one lucky man. This thing smells really tasty.

William: That's great I…He pauses for a moment. Tasty?

He takes the package from Jim's hands and looks inside. It contains a rather large round cake covered with blue icing. William looks at the present with surprise.

William: I didn't know I'd be getting a cake…

Jim: If you don't end up eating it all…Jim rubs his large belly hungrily. I'd be happy to take some of it of your hands. Only if you want to though. He begins to go out the door. But seriously let me know.

Jim leaves the room. William finds a piece of paper to the side of the cake. It is folded in half. William opens it and begins to read.

Dear William,

I know we already apologized to you profusely about not making it to the hospital to see you, but we cannot help but feel that apologies are not enough. I know you told us it wasn't a big deal and that you understand that the chaos of those few days made it impossible, but nothing can excuse us from not being at your side when you were gravely ill. Our shame is only surpassed by our overwhelming relief and joy at the fact that you are now alive and well. At least we can rest easy knowing that Rosaire was able to visit you in our place. Your mother insisted that we give this to you in the hope that you will find a way to forgive us. We hope that you will enjoy it and take time to recover. Don't ever scare us like that again and please don't eat it all yourself! Share it with those friends you have told us about.

Love, Dad

William finishes reading. He awkwardly smiles at this heartfelt note from his dad and puts it back. He closes the box and leaves the room without a word.

Soon afterwards Yumi and William sit with the rest of their 10th grade history class. The classroom is abuzz with discussion. The fear and strangeness of the recent illness is the hot topic. At the center of it all Emmanuel continues to make his voice clear among the circular formation of the desks. He repeats his conspiracy theory tirade, which is quickly followed by either enthusiastic support or violent denial. Yumi and William sit at their desks quietly, trying to block it all out. To the left of them Natalya and Christophe sit together. Natalya gives Emmanuel a piece of her mind, while Christophe just remains quiet and glares at him. As soon as the door opens the room falls silent. Moriarty walks in front of his desk and pulls some papers out of his briefcase. He holds them up and looks at them for a moment. He shakes his head sadly.

Moriarty: Bad news comrades. Our last test didn't go so well.

He starts to pass them out. A groan of disappointment steadily goes around the circle like a snake wrapping around its prey. Moriarty hardly makes any eye contact with the students and simply hands them out like a machine. But he does slow down a little bit at Yumi and William's table to give them a warm smile. Yumi and William do not return it. As the students take a harder look at their tests, a wave of confusion and anger slowly arises.

Anais: Hey wait a minute! All our test scores are the same!

Moriarty: Indeed Comrade Fiquet. They are all 67s.

The clamor in the classroom becomes louder.

Anais: But but…..I studied…..and most of my answers are correct! How could I get a 67?

Moriarty: You received a 67 because all of our grades are held in common. And that was the average classroom grade, so that is your score.

Anais clutches her paper tightly, fuming at this injustice.

Anais: But Comrade Renard, I earned better than this!

Moriarty: Indeed you did. You did very well and I was very impressed. Unfortunately some of the class didn't.

Anais: That…..that's not fair!

Moriarty looks at her with a smug grin.

Moriarty: Fair to you? No. Fair to the entire class commune? Yes. Moriarty notices that Anais is looking down at the floor and is steadily becoming very upset. But don't take it too personally Comrade Fiquet. Many students got much less than they deserved.

Some students pipe in.

Henri: Yeah, I know I deserved better than this.

Amélie: My grade was higher too.

Paul: This isn't right. If this keeps up we'll all fail.

Before the protests can become more heated, Moriarty leans against his desk and stares at the students quietly. There is a great intensity and purpose to his expression, like a predator waiting for his quarry to come to him. Gradually the students get the message and become silent. A few moments pass. Moriarty looks out the window, as if bored by the silly protests from his students.

Moriarty: Comrades…..if you are upset you have no one but yourselves to blame. You were overjoyed to hear that grades were going to be held in common. That you would no longer have to worry about individual effort….

Anais: Then…..what happened?

Moriarty: Communism. That's what happened. The students quickly become puzzled. Moriarty rolls his eyes at their slowness. He paces around the room. It's very simple. Since you believed a stronger form of socialism would solve Europe's economic woes, I adapted that to a classroom setting. Immediately your fears of grades were diminished because you were not relying on individual effort. There is only one problem. Once the fear was taken away, your incentive to work was taken away as well. After all, why not let some other student go the extra mile and do the work for you? It sounds good doesn't it? Only one problem. If every student no longer wants to work, then the overall class performance plummets. You were all expecting someone to rise to the occasion and work for the rest of you, but it didn't happen. Instead all students, regardless of how low or high their average was, slacked off and it has made everyone suffer as a result.

Moriarty's speech immediately silences them. As the words sink in, they begin to stop complaining. Yumi and William look at each other grimly, unable to deny Moriarty's logic. Emmanuel leans back in his chair and nods.

Emmanuel: Then communism can't work.

Moriarty: That's exactly what Eastern Europe said in 1989. And now Comrade M'Bala He glares triumphantly at him. I believe I win our bet.

Christophe twirls his iPod speakers with barely restrained annoyance.

Christophe: Comrade Renard, what I was suggesting was not communism. It was socialism.

Moriarty: But we already have that in our country. I mean…this is Europe after all. And you suggested that more was necessary, so I figured that you wanted something farther to the left. And communism is farther to the left. He shrugs at him innocently. I was just giving you what you wanted.

Christophe: That's not what I wanted.

Moriarty: Then what did you want?

Christophe: I…He can't find an answer. He quickly realizes that the whole class is staring at him. Christophe quickly becomes embarrassed and furious knowing that Moriarty has backed him into a corner. He lowers his head. I'm not sure…

Moriarty: Nor do I Comrade M'Bala….

Emmanuel snickers at Christophe's clear intellectual defeat. His eyes wander to the left where Mathias Burel is sitting. Emmanuel can see red marks all over his paper. He instantly lowers his eyebrows and becomes angry. He grabs Mathias' shirt collar, much to the shock of Mathias and the rest of the class.

Emmanuel: Hey! You should have gotten worse than a 67! Mathias shakes slightly at the anger burning from Emmanuel's face. You lazy piece of crap! You screwed us all over!

One sharp look from Moriarty makes Emmanuel reluctantly lower Mathias down. Mathias sheepishly tries to avoid angry glances from the rest of the class.

Moriarty: Comrade Burel merely acted logically in the face of the communist system. He didn't need to work hard, so he didn't. Don't blame Comrade Burel. Blame human nature. He sits back down at his desk. He spins his chair around nonchalantly and faces the chalkboard. The students are left with nothing but a view of the back of his head. So I'm guessing you are tired of communism now?

Frustrated and embarrassed yeses echo through the room. Moriarty spins wildly around in his chair and stares at his students eagerly. The sudden motion catches several of them off guard. He stands up straight.

Moriarty: Good. I was tired of calling you comrades. And you calling me comrade. It annoyed me. You learned your lesson blah blah blah. Let's move on…

William breathes a sigh of relief.

William: At least the experiment's over. He won't have an excuse to target us now.

Yumi: Uh…..not so fast.

William: Not so fast what?

Yumi: This is a double feature…..remember?

William: Wait….An uneasy feeling passes through his chest. You mean far left and far…

Yumi bites her lip and nods. A tremor of horror passes through William's mostly stoic face.

William: Oh shi-

Moriarty: Move those desks back. We won't need them in a circle anymore. A terrible chorus of screeching ensues. Moriarty turns his back and hums a tune to himself as the horrible noise behind him progresses. Once the noise stops, he turns around. The desks are back in their regular position. The students are as well. They are lounging about with mundane despair and disappointment. Moriarty observes their dreary expression with his sharp analytical eyes. He puts his hands behind his back and struts about the room happily. Now why the long faces? I thought you enjoyed this experiment.

Anais: We did….

Morgane: Until we got our grades back.

Thomas: And we ended up looking stupid.

Mathias finds the courage to speak up now.

Mathias: The roleplaying was fun. But we were proven wrong. You were right Dr. Renard. What we thought doesn't always work in practice. He adjusts his glasses. His downcast expression reveals his guilt for helping end the experiment. We're glad we don't have to worry about grades falling anymore, but now class is just going to go back to normal. I guess that's what's disappointing about it.

Moriarty peers at Mathias strangely and scratches his ear, pretending that he didn't hear Mathias correctly. He gives the same look to the rest of the class, giving the impression that the teacher and his pupils are clearly not on the same page. An uncomfortable hush falls on the room as the students start to get the memo that Moriarty is about to unfold something else on them. As soon as Moriarty can see that they have gotten the message, he begins to smile.

Yumi: Oh boy. Here we go.

William: Oh this isn't happening.

Yumi clutches her shirt collar uneasily.

Yumi: But it is. God help us…

Moriarty: Back to normal? He says those words with utter disgust. Why students, the fun is only just beginning.

A fever of curiosity begins to leak into the room. Students whisper among themselves, wondering what Moriarty has in mind. Christophe looks at William and Yumi with concern. Their negative reactions confirm his fears. Moriarty turns his head toward the door.

Moriarty: Mr. Klotz, you can come in now.

To everyone's surprise, Hans Klotz comes in. He quickly pulls up a chair and takes a seat in the front right corner of the room.

Moriarty: Mr. Klotz will be visiting our class today. He wanted to watch the beginning of our next phase.

Mathias: The next phase? What do you mean?

Moriarty: Why don't you remember Mathias? This is a test of extremes. Both extremes.

Mathias: You mean….He pushes his glasses up his nose with a hint of nervousness. We're going to be total fascists and call you Fuhrer Renard?

The thought, although disturbing in nature, makes a few students laugh. Moriarty smiles and lets the silliness of the idea sink in.

Moriarty: Ah yes. Just like communism, fascism has a very bad history. And no doubt it makes a few of you feel uneasy. But just humor me for now. Let's forget the historical baggage and focus on the fundamentals of what it means to be 'far right'. He turns around and writes the words FASCISM on the chalkboard. He puts the chalk down and turns around. Fascism. An extreme far right ideology. How is it different from communism?

Emmanuel immediately raises his hand.

Moriarty: Yes Emmanuel?

Emmanuel: Fascism has a strong emphasis on national identity and physical strength of the people.

Moriarty: Very good. What else?

The room becomes silent. People look around to see if someone answers, but no one does. Moriarty scratches his head in disappointment.

Moriarty: Oh think classmates. What is one thing you lacked in our little communist experiment?

When no one answers, Moriarty goes to the board and writes DISCIPLINE. He turns back around.

Moriarty: Discipline. In a communist society discipline easily falls apart. In a fascist society, discipline is key. Discipline is what keeps a society strong. So….He slams his fist against his open palm. We must have discipline!

Instantly several students begin to groan. The response temporarily makes Yumi and William feel at ease.

William: Maybe this won't work after all.

Yumi: Yeah. And maybe he'll give up and send us an apology gift.

William: Thanks for the sarcasm. But speaking of gifts…

Moriarty: Now students…..He calmly absorbs the reaction and laughs. He turns to Mr. Klotz. I figured that they wouldn't take it too well.

Klotz smiles.

Klotz: I honestly thought it would be worse than it is now.

Moriarty turns back around. His piercing and mysterious stare makes them quiet again. Moriarty lets a few seconds of silence sink in before he speaks.

Moriarty: You hate that word even more than fascism I see. But…..I believe years of obeying parents and teachers have given you the wrong idea about discipline. I am not talking about simple obedience. I am talking about an organized system of power. Of strength. I am talking about…..He heavily emphasizes the next few words. Strength through discipline!

Moriarty writes those words on the board.

Moriarty: We are talking about power…success. How many people here would like power and success?

Everyone raises their hands except Yumi and William. Moriarty sees his chance and locks his predatory eyes on them.

Moriarty: William, Yumi….you don't want success and power?

Yumi's face glows with animosity. Her fingernails dig into the wood.

William: Yumi…..choose your words carefully. Some of the class is already under his spell.

Yumi breathes deeply.

Yumi: It…depends on the power and success…..sir.

Moriarty: Ah, I see. You are trying to point out that success and power is not always a good thing. Very true. But that is beside the point. Without discipline, you cannot have either the good version or the bad. Discipline must be in place regardless. He points to Anais. You are a dancer, are you not?

Anais: Yes Dr. Renard.

Moriarty: And to be good, you must have the discipline to continue practicing, correct?

Anais: Yes sir.

Moriarty: And Yumi…Moriarty relishes in her horror for being called on by him. You practice Pencak Silat. That requires discipline, does it not?

Yumi: Yes…sir…

Emmanuel: Or a boyfriend to practice it with….

The class laughs at Emmanuel's reference to Ulrich and Yumi's Pencak Silat sessions. Yumi turns red and glares at Emmanuel. Moriarty delights in this little humiliation.

Moriarty: So now we are on the same page. We must have discipline. So we must establish a few rules. First, everyone must have good posture while sitting and standing. He sees Mathias hunched over his desk. The slacker is starting to doze off. MATHIAS! Mathias bolts upright in surprise. Your posture is terrible. No wonder you are so sleepy. Straighten your back and rest it firmly on the back of the chair. He does so. Now place your feet firmly on the floor parallel to each other. Mathias obeys this as well. Moriarty nods with approval. Good. He points Mathias out as an example. See how his back is straight and his knees are at a ninety degree angle? And that his head is facing straight forward? He pauses. Everyone take a deep breath. They obey. Now assume Mathias' position and take a deep breath. A deep inhale reverberates in the room. Students suddenly appear more alert. Now be honest with me, is it easier to breathe in this position?

Everyone nods their heads.

Moriarty: With proper posture you can be more alert and focused in class. That is the first rule. Second, we must have a leader. He looks around the room. Seeing as how I am the only adult here besides Mr. Klotz…no offense friend but you don't count, I shall be your leader.

Henri pipes up to make a joke.

Henri: Yay leader!

A sharp glance from Moriarty silences him. Their leader shakes his head.

Moriarty: No. In a fascist society, the leader must be addressed with a respectful….powerful name.

Mathias: So we are going with Fuhrer?

Moriarty: No. How about something simple such as….He thinks for a moment. Once he makes the decision, a self-glorifying smile takes form on his lips…..Commandant? Yes…that's it. From now on you will refer to me as Commandant Renard or just Commandant. A strange sensation of excitement enters the room. Which brings me to our next rule. When you are answering a question or asking a question, you must stand up and always begin your question or statement with 'Commandant'.

Christophe stands up and slams his hands on the table.

Christophe: Sir, this is outrageous! You can't-

Moriarty: No! You weren't listening. Sit down. Christophe reluctantly obeys. Moriarty turns to Emmanuel. Emmanuel show Christophe the proper way of beginning a question.

Emmanuel gets out of his chair and stands up straight.

Emmanuel: Commandant.

He sits back down.

Moriarty: Good. Now it's your turn Christophe.

Christophe grudgingly stands up from his chair.

Christophe: Commandant Renard, this is outrageous. I know you think experimenting is fun but establishing yourself as a sort of fascist leader in our class is-

Moriarty: Oh that reminds me of the fourth rule. Don't ramble. When you answer or ask a question, make your answers as short and precise as possible. For instance….He points to Emmanuel. What was the last offensive campaign of the Third Reich?

Emmanuel stands up again with the precision of a machine.

Emmanuel: Commandant, The Battle of the Bulge.

Moriarty points to Mathias.

Moriarty: Who were the primary victims of the holocaust?

Mathias awkwardly follows Emmanuel's example.

Mathias: Commandant Renard, Jews, Gypsies, and homosexuals.

Moriarty's index finger goes to Anais.

Moriarty: Who were the three primary nations of the Axis Powers?

Anais bolts out of her chair.

Anais: Commandant, Germany, Italy, and Japan.

After Anais sits down, Moriarty stops the questions. He holds out his hands in the direction of the class.

Moriarty: You see? Was that not easier? Standing up keeps your blood flowing, makes your brain sharp. He stands there smiling for a moment. Christophe, you may ask your question.

Christophe stands up once again.

Christophe: Commandant, this is an excess of power.

Moriarty: Very good. You followed my instructions perfectly. Unfortunately I don't agree with you.

The class laughs after Christophe has gone through such efforts only to be shot down. He scowls at his history teacher with barely restrained hate.

Moriarty: What are you worried about? Does this look like 1934 Germany? Are we threatening mass genocide? Think about it Christophe. In our communist experiment, did anyone starve from government neglect? Did we have our own Chernobyl? No. Look around you Christophe. This is just a classroom, full of classmates no different from you. You have absolutely nothing to fear….

Christophe hangs his head in defeat. William groans.

William: This isn't right. We shouldn't leave Christophe to take all the punches.

Yumi: True. But unlike us, Christophe doesn't know who he's dealing with.

William: So we just sit here until things spiral out of control?

Yumi: Speaking up too much is exactly what he wants us to do. Didn't you say that we need to choose our words carefully?

William: Yes, but choosing words implies that we don't remain completely silent.

Moriarty: So, besides discipline, what is needed in a fascist society?

Moriarty points to various students who raise their hands.

Mathias: Commandant, a strong sense of national identity.

Amélie: Commandant Renard, a regulated economic structure.

Morgane: Commandant, a totalitarian state.

Henri: Commandant, community.

Moriarty interrupts.

Moriarty: Yes! Community! That is what we need. A community that pushes itself toward strength and gradually removes all weaknesses. While communism seems to encourage collective mooching, fascism encourages its participants to push each other with constant improvement. That doesn't mean you can't help others, but it does mean that competition drives the society forward. He looks around the room. What else?

Natalya raises her hand. She has a rebellious smirk on her face. Moriarty calls on her without hesitation. Natalya obeys the new protocol, but she does it with a slight flair that intentionally separates her from the rest of the students.

Natalya: Commandant, no freedom of the press.

Moriarty taps his fingers on the desk and thinks.

Moriarty: That is an understood part of totalitarianism, but good Natalya. He turns his back on the class and looks at her over his shoulder. His expression is unnervingly shrewd. No doubt you understand that quite well.

That last comment puts Natalya into a sort of petrified trance. She opens her mouth and closes it again several times. She stares at Moriarty as if he has just stabbed her in the chest. She flips her hair and avoids everyone's eye contact. She slowly and mechanically sits down. Her eyes lock onto the wood of the desk. William watches her bizarre reaction with concern.

Moriarty: There is one final thing you are missing.

Emmanuel raises his hand. Moriarty motions for him to answer.

Emmanuel: Commandant Renard, a cause.

Moriarty: YES! Moriarty almost shouts this. A cause. A purpose. A direction. That is absolutely essential in a fascist system. A cause is needed so that every individual can become part of something larger than his or her self. All of you….His eyes wander around the room….often have no direction. You don't have a purpose, a strong intention for your own life. And that is why I have called Mr. Klotz in here. He walks toward his colleague. Mr. Klotz, please do not give me any names, but what is the number one question troubled students ask you?

Mr. Klotz stands up.

Klotz: Commandant…

Moriarty: You don't have to call me Commandant.

Klotz smiles at him.

Klotz: But I want to. I don't want to destroy the mood of the experiment. It's best to be at the students' level.

Moriarty: Very well. What is the number one question?

Klotz: Commandant, Who am I?

Moriarty: That is it. That is the question you adolescents are asking at this point in your life. Your body and responsibilities are always changing. It is a hectic experience. Many students find themselves confused, directionless, and depressed. And they end up in Mr. Klotz's office. So Mr. Klotz, how do students try to handle that question?

Mr. Klotz takes a moment to think it over. He scratches his thin beard to search for an answer. After a few moments he rises again.

Klotz: Commandant, they pursue anything that gives them pleasure.

Moriarty: Interesting. Does that make them happy?

Klotz: Commandant, no it does not.

Moriarty throws his hands up in the air.

Moriarty: Of course it's not! You are doing nothing but chasing the wind! It's an endless search for scraps of enjoyment in a purposeless life. How exhausting! This freedom or burden to choose what to do leaves you confused and restless. Friends, with fascism you do have a purpose. What do you think the purpose is?

No one is able to answer the question, not even Emmanuel.

Moriarty: Your purpose…He grins from ear to ear…..your cause is to submit yourself to this system and let it give you your purpose. Students, I will give you direction. All you need to do…He rubs his hands together eagerly…is listen to me. And in return, I promise you that you will never again suffer a dull moment in this class. Trust me, you're in for the ride of your life. He claps his hands together. And to demonstrate, we are going to begin with a little exercise. You are way too tired. Everyone stand up. People slowly get out of their chairs and stand up. They stare blankly at Moriarty. He gazes at his wrist, as if he's looking at his watch. He shakes his head. Nope too slow. Try again. The students sit down. Remember, get up with purpose, with discipline. Now get up. This time most of the students get up at the same time. It is one fluid motion. Moriarty looks at his fake watch again and smiles. Good. Now let's start walking in place. Come on. Feet start moving up and down lackadaisically onto the floor. The students don't seem to be quite into it. Moriarty frowns. NO! There must be precision! Like this He starts doing it with them. Left….right…left…right…left…right….Come on Klotz, help me out here!

Klotz gets up.

Klotz: Yes Commandant.

He mirrors Moriarty perfectly. With the two teachers working together, the students begin to get in rhythm. The noise of their shoes begins to get louder.

Moriarty: Better! We should be completely in rhythm. We are walking together….He stops to think and stares off into space. Actually it is more like a march. Pick your knees up. Follow each other's moments flawlessly. The noise becomes louder. The sound of shoes hitting the floor grows into a steady rumble. Some of the students start to smile at each other. A trickle of excitement fills the air. The students pick up the pace. They are steadily becoming a unit, one single force. Every step sounds more like a massive giant than a collection of high school students. The classroom begins to shake from the vibration. The students' faces go from excited to completely enthusiastic. The feeling of togetherness and power is becoming…intoxicating. Yumi and William share looks of horror. Natalya and Christophe reluctantly keep pace. Christophe is looking around the room, trying to find someone who is as disturbed as he is. Emmanuel's legs move up and down with an intensity to rival that of Moriarty's. His eyes are as cold as ice. Moriarty lifts his hands up and breathes. He takes in the aura of the masterpiece he has created. Now isn't this fun?

A few students say yes. Moriarty stomps his foot on the ground.

Moriarty: I said…..ISN'T THIS FUN?

Almost everyone joins in now.

Students: YES COMMANDANT!

Moriarty: GOOD! He inhales with the crazed intensity of a drug addict. The low rumble has transformed into an overwhelming roar. The thunder of their steps echoes through the building. EXCELLENT! Can you feel that? DO YOU FEEL IT?

Not much later, the same thunder is being produced by the 9th grade class in front of their commandant. Sissi pitifully falls behind, but the other students are getting the hang of it. While Nicholas treats it like a fun game, Herb moves his knees high and sways his arms. He looks ridiculous, but the dangerously passionate look on his face takes any humor out of his march. Moriarty moves about the room like a tiger.

Moriarty: Come on. You can beat the 10th grade class! Can you feel the strength flowing through you as one? Can you feel it? He shouts at them. WHAT ARE YOU FEELING?

Jeremie and Aelita uncomfortably march together. Fear chokes the color out of their faces.

Jeremie: I feel like I'm going to be sick.

Aelita: Same.

Ulrich struggles to keep up the rhythm. He curses Moriarty's strange but effective methods. Odd's Clone does not miss a beat.

Odd's Clone: Subject Ulrich Stern requires greater knee extension.

Ulrich: Hey! Don't go along with him!

Tobias leans over to Lucas as they continue to march.

Tobias: Are you sure we came to the right school?

Lucas: W-wah-wondering s-same thing.

Moriarty: WHAT ARE YOU FEELING?

Students: Discipline Commandant.

Moriarty: Louder.

Students: Discipline Commandant!

Moriarty: Louder!

Students: DISCIPLINE COMMANDANT!

Moriarty: I SAID LOUDER!

Students: DISCIPLINE COMMANDANT!

Moriarty: STOP!

The students pause what they are doing at once. Immediately they begin to pant from the unexpected but exhilarating exercise. Silence fills the gap of their stomping feet. After a few moments, Moriarty indicates for them to sit down.

Moriarty: Now…..wasn't that fun? Isn't this much more fun than our communist experiment?

Students: Yes Commandant!

Moriarty: Good. The bell rings. Some students groan with disappointment. Ulrich, Aelita, Jeremie, and a few others breathe a sigh of relief. Moriarty sadly acknowledges that class is over. Oh well. We can continue this tomorrow. The next phase will begin soon. I can't wait to see you progress. There's so much we can learn when we decide to live history instead of reading about it. But for now….He points toward his precious students….remember what has happened here today. Let's bring some order to Kadic. An idea makes him stop in his tracks. He smacks his forehead. That's it! I can't believe I almost forgot!

He turns to the chalkboard and writes something as the students get ready to leave. When he moves away, the words THE ORDER are written on the chalkboard. We need a name to unify us. Simply calling us a class isn't enough. We must be a part of something special that applies to us only. So how about 'The Order'? How does that sound?

The name quickly resonates with several students. Excited positive replies greet Moriarty's ears. Indescribable joy and pride for his students is evident on Moriarty's face.

Moriarty: That's it then. He throws the chalk away. Today…The Order has been born.

Back in William's room, the warriors sit around in silence. William solemnly passes out pieces of the cake that his father gave him. At first they don't seem to be interested in eating and simply push their slices around their paper plates. Eventually they start to take a few bites and find the appetite to eat. William sits back down on his bed and grabs a piece for himself.

William: The only good news of the day I suppose. He takes his first bite. Not like my dad to send me food, but I'm not complaining.

Aelita: Odd would really like this too.

William: I already stopped by the factory and gave him a piece.

Yumi sets her plate down and pushes some black hair out of her face.

Yumi: What a day….

Ulrich: How could he manipulate our classes so easily in just one day?

Jeremie: He hasn't done it one day. He has slowly built up to this point, carefully laying the foundations of his master plan. First it was just ordinary lectures to keep us thinking. Then he put his communist experiment in place. At first I thought that was going to be it…..but no. It was only a stepping stone to something larger. He got us used to the idea of experimenting, then he introduced us to this new experiment. Now that he has the trust of his 9th and 10th grade classes, there's no telling what he can do.

Ulrich: What is he going to do? We still aren't completely sure….

Jeremie: I wish I had that answer Ulrich. At first I thought it was going to be his nuclear monopoly plan, but after my uh…incident…..he seems to have changed strategies for some reason. I am not sure what his endgame is, but I do know that it involves creating the most dangerous political movement in Europe since World War II. He inhales another bite. Mhmm…this is good cake.

Yumi: I figured he would start there.

Ulrich wipes his face with a napkin.

Ulrich: So he's trying to get everyone on his side. He looks down at the floor. We never had to worry about that with Xana.

William: Xana only knows how to subdue and conquer. Manipulation is not his forte.

Jeremie takes off his glasses and bitterly buries his head in his knees. He lets out a low moan of exasperation. Aelita taps his shoulder.

Aelita: Jeremie, we will get through this. We always do.

Jeremie: This is torture. He has the upper hand on both fronts….Lyoko and Earth. He sets down his plate. You know…..considering what we're going through….there are times when I honestly miss Xana.

William grimaces and grabs his head.

Yumi: William?

William: Ow!...I don't think the feeling is mutual Jeremie…

From outside, the warriors suddenly hear a low whimpering sound. They stop and stare at the door.

Ulrich: What the?

Aelita: That sounded like crying!

William gets up.

William: I'll check it out.

He opens the door to see a crying Natalya walking by. Her downcast eyes gaze miserably onto the floor. She moves slowly, lost in her own kind of grief. A strong empathy and a chivalric desire to help take hold of William.

William: Natalya.

She turns to face him. Her eyes are red, which sharply contrasts her pale white skin. His presence immediately pains her more. She looks away. William takes a few steps forward.

William: Natalya, what's wrong?

She doesn't stay to answer. Instead she runs away from him, leaving William hurt and confused. He stares back at his fellow warriors, completely dumbfounded.

William: What just happened?

Aelita stands up.

Aelita: Don't worry William. We'll talk to her.

Yumi: Um…..who's we?

Aelita gives her a condescending look.

Aelita: Me and the only other girl in this room. Did you think I was honestly going to ask one of the guys to come with me and help a girl deal with her emotional problems?

Yumi: Uh….point taken.

The two get up and run after her. Across the hall, Moriarty is walking toward his own faculty dorm room. As he reaches for the doorknob, he notices the figure of Mrs. Meyer standing beside her.

Moriarty: Oh...hello.

Mrs. Meyer holds a book against her chest. She is staring at Moriarty with admiration.

Mrs. Meyer: Dr. Renard, I simply have to congratulate you for making my students so attentive.

Moriarty: I'm sorry….I don't quite understand.

Mrs. Meyer: My students were so focused today. They payed attention to class and answered questions so quickly…..I thought they had been replaced by clones!

Moriarty laughs with her at this joke.

Moriarty: Oh not quite.

Mrs. Meyer: How did you do it? I've tried to get those students to sit up straight and do their work with diligence for years, and you've done it in one day!

Chardin: That's right!

The grey-haired and very strange looking Gustave Chardin, the main art teacher of Kadic, approaches the other two teachers.

Chardin: In all my years I've never seen such a thing! Usually I bore them to sleep, but today they seemed to be forcing themselves to pay attention to the material. How could you be so good at discipline?

Mrs. Meyer: Yes, we must know your secret Dr. Renard. Imagine the improvement in test scores!

Chardin: How did you create such a masterpiece of voluntary obedience?

Moriarty looks at his colleagues modestly.

Moriarty: Oh it's really not that difficult, you just need to have the right…approach.

Mrs. Meyer: I remember one of the students saying they were part of something called 'The Order'. Was that your doing?

Moriarty: Guilty as charged.

Mrs. Meyer: Would you mind if we adapted a few 'Order' policies to our own classroom?

Moriarty: Not at all….In fact…

Yumi and Aelita blow past them, nearly knocking Mrs. Meyer over.

Mrs. Meyer: My word!

Yumi: Sorry emergency!

They disappear from sight. Mrs. Meyer huffs in disgust.

Mrs. Meyer: Dr. Renard you simply must do something about those two and their little gang. They have done nothing here but get in trouble.

Moriarty: I know. I have tried disciplining them like the rest but…..A swell of carefully concealed hate rises to his face…I'm afraid they have proved very resistant thus far.

Yumi and Aelita open the doors of the library to find Natalya sitting at a table alone. Her head is buried in her hands and lying face down on the table. Choked sobs fill the empty library. Yumi and Aelita cautiously approach this grieving girl. She doesn't seem to notice them. Aelita places a hand on her shoulder.

Aelita: Natalya.

Natalya immediately recoils to her touch.

Natalya: Leave me alone!

Yumi: Natalya, we just want to-

Natalya: Leave me alone if you know what's good for you!

Yumi and Aelita back up. Yumi regards Natalya's violent reaction with slight disdain.

Yumi: Hey. We went out of our way to help you. And in case you didn't know, we care about you. Not to mention William is worried about you. But if you don't want our help…She starts to walk away. Come on Aelita.

Aelita reluctantly follows Yumi. As they get toward the door, Natalya perks her head up. A heavy dose of regret punctures her already pained expression.

Natalya: Wait….The girls stop at the door. The tone of Natalya's voice transforms from angry and combative to weak and vulnerable. I'm sorry. I'm just used to dealing with these things on my own.

Yumi and Aelita come back and sit down next to her.

Yumi: Trust me, that never gets easier. It's best not to do that at all.

Aelita: Yes. You need to confide in someone. Sometimes that's the only way to stay sane.

Natalya sniffs and wipes her eyes. She lets the other girls place their hands on her shoulders.

Natalya: Yes well…I didn't have a choice.

Aelita: What do you mean?

Natalya's eyelids shut tightly, but tears still manage to leak through. She wipes her eyes again. A strong reluctance to let this emotional tidal wave loose wrestles with her, but after a few deep breaths she resolves to open up.

Natalya: I haven't told anyone this….but my life has kinda been a mess.

Natalya begins to tell Yumi and Aelita about her past. The scene shifts to the cold but impressive city landscape of St. Petersburg, Russia. The snow and bitter cold keep a stranglehold on the city. But within one humble apartment, light and warmth hold complete dominion. On a small couch a large man with a thick black beard plays with his young daughter. He tickles her and the girl giggles with delight.

Mr. Dikau: You've been a bad girl Natalya….what happened to those cookies?

The young Natalya shouts without a hint of remorse.

Natalya: I ate vhem!

Mr. Dikau tickles her some more. Natalya laughs uncontrollably.

Mr. Dikau: Oh you bad little tsarina! What am I going to do with you?

Natalya: Give me more cookie!

Mr. Dikau: I don't think so!

Before Mr. Dikau can tickle her daughter again, a woman with long blonde hair enters the room. She is beautiful, but the tense movements of her body indicate that she is high-strung. She walks into the living room reading the paper. Her face is weighed down by anxiety. She looks up at her husband.

Mrs. Dikau: Alexsandr….we need to talk.

Mr. Dikau sets Natalya down and groans.

Mr. Dikau: Not this again…

Mrs. Dikau: Alexsandr you can't write those things about the government! You'll get in trouble!

Mr. Dikau goes to the kitchen and pours a little vodka in his glass.

Mr. Dikau: Last time I checked we live in a democracy now. This is not the Soviet Union.

Mrs. Dikau puts her hands on her hips.

Mrs. Dikau: Don't be so naïve! You have heard about what happens to journalists who stick their noses where they shouldn't. Have you forgotten what happened to Miron?

Mr. Dikau looks away and takes a swig. He stares off into space.

Mr. Dikau: No….I haven't.

Mrs. Dikau: Then why do you insist on angering them?

Mr. Dikau: Because the people deserve to hear the truth! We have to show them that we're not afraid. I didn't live through years of authoritarian rule just to see more of the same.

Mrs. Dikau fumes at her husband's stubbornness.

Mrs. Dikau: Why must you insist on being the hero?

Mr. Dikau: Because if I don't, no one-

The doors are suddenly thrust open. Men in black uniforms storm the apartment. Mrs. Dikau screams. Mr. Dikau drops his glass to the floor and looks at them somberly, fully aware of what is coming. They grab him and start dragging him out the door. Mrs. Dikau shouts in protest and tries to grab her husband, but they force her away. Natalya watches from the living room, tears filling up her eyes.

Natalya: Daddy…..

Mr. Dikau takes a final look at her daughter.

Mr. Dikau: Don't worry my little tsarina! I'll be back, I'll be-

The door slams shut. The memory becomes clouded out by misery and darkness. The flashback switches to several years later. Mrs. Dikau is in a bathrobe on the couch, pouring glass after glass of alcohol into her body. An older Natalya watches her mother with fear.

Natalya: Mom…..you really have to stop.

Mrs. Dikau explodes into rage.

Mrs. Dikau: I'll stop when I feel like stopping! She throws a glass across the room. It shatters against the wall. Natalya retreats in horror.

The scene shifts once again. Mrs. Dikau's broken body is being taken from the shattered wreck of a car. A police officer talks with Natalya on the sidewalk. Natalya has completely blocked out everything but this officer's voice. Her emotions shut down.

Officer: I'm terribly sorry…

Natalya doesn't say anything.

Officer: We've contacted your uncle in Paris. He's agreed to become your guardian.

Natalya: Paris?

Officer: Yes. I think he mentioned that he already had a school picked out for you.

Later on, a white Mercedes pulls up to Kadic. Natalya is almost pushed out. She quickly grabs her bags. She looks at the massive campus of Kadic with a hint of dread and foreboding. Natalya looks back at the Mercedes.

Natalya: Where am I supposed to-?

The Mercedes pulls off, leaving her on the sidewalk. Natalya looks at the campus and unwillingly picks up her bags and walks through the front gate. As Natalya finishes her story, she starts to cry profusely. Aelita and Yumi stare at her in shock. A small tear goes down Aelita's eye.

Yumi: My God…..Natalya….we had no idea.

Natalya: No one does.

Aelita: How could you deal with that?

Natalya: The only way I know how….by getting myself involved with a lot of guys. It has never worked permanently, but it does fill the…..She chokes on her own words…emptiness.

Yumi rubs her forehead, trying to wrap her mind around this terrible revelation. A sudden onslaught of guilt strikes her. A few tears leak out of her eyes. Her voice shakes.

Yumi: And to think I just thought you were…..were…

Natalya: A dirty slut? Don't try to apologize. Everyone does. And of course, She pulls a water bottle out of her purse, there's this.

Aelita: Is that- Aelita's eyes widen- salt water?

Natalya nods grimly.

Natalya: Yes. I'm afraid I have a problem with….accepting the way my body looks.

Yumi: Anorexia? Natalya….She wraps her hand around Natalya's wrist. You know how dangerous that can be. You have to stop that now. Basing your value on how guys look at you will only destroy you.

Natalya stares at the water bottle as if it were a drug. A drug that brings untold harm but also gives a temporary pleasure that she can't give up.

Natalya: It's not that easy.

Aelita continues to listen to Natalya. But for some reason she starts to become restless. She fidgets around in her chair. Natalya's voice seems to become more and more distant. Her eyes begin to wander around the library.

Yumi: These things you're doing are only masking the pain. You have to find a healthy way to fix this.

Aelita stares at her palms. She starts rubbing her face with them. When she looks at them again, she assumes an expression of utter confusion.

Natalya: I know but…She bites her lip. Did…did you say William was very worried about me?

Yumi: Yes. He cares about you.

Natalya's cheeks become slightly pink. She plays with her earrings. Aelita is scooting around in her chair strangely. She looks over at Yumi and Natalya and strains her eyes to focus on them. The other two don't notice.

Natalya: He's not like the other ones. He doesn't take advantage of me…

Yumi: No he doesn't. And…Yumi carefully considers her words. I hate to play matchmaker here, but maybe finding a guy who doesn't use you may be the first step.

Natalya blushes even more at the thought. But she shakes her head. Meanwhile Aelita begins to stare at the ceiling. Her mouth opens. She begins to tremble.

Natalya: He…..he wouldn't want me. Not with my past and all.

Yumi: You don't know that. And William's past isn't spotless either.

Aelita's heartbeat increases. Her mouth becomes dry. Her trembling has increased. Her eyes become possessed by fear.

Natalya: Oh come on. What could have happened to him that was so bad?

Yumi: …..Well…

Aelita gets out of her chair, still staring at the ceiling. She quickly stumbles and falls. Natalya and Yumi turn around. Aelita is crawling backwards, staring at them in horror. Her terrified gaze locks onto Natalya.

Aelita: Yumi….help me. IT'S THE SCYPHOZOA!

Yumi takes a moment to process Aelita's ridiculous statement. Natalya stares at her like she's from another planet.

Natalya: I'm a what?

Aelita screams and runs out the door. Yumi quickly follows.

Yumi: She's…..not herself! I'll go check on her!

Before Natalya can reply, Yumi takes off. She follows Aelita into the girls' bathroom. Once she enters, she sees Aelita huddled up in a corner. Aelita is completely petrified. She holds her knees close to her chest and barely acknowledges Yumi's presence. Aelita's behavior quickly increases Yumi's growing alarm. She cautiously approaches.

Yumi: Aelita?

She points at the ceiling.

Aelita: There! ….She points again. AND THERE!

Yumi sees nothing but shadows reflected from the top windows. Growing fears about Aelita's imagination playing tricks on her are starting to become confirmed in Yumi's mind.

Yumi: Aelita, there's no one here but us.

Aelita: No! Don't you see? She suddenly shudders and hugs herself tighter. He's here…..

Yumi looks again. The room is completely normal, although she starts to feel a little hazy. Yumi shakes it off.

Yumi: Aelita, you clearly have gone through too much today. Let's go to your room….let you lie down and…..The pipes appear to groan. Yumi nearly jumps out of her skin. She stumbles and falls to the floor. Her vision blurs. There is another groan. Something catches Yumi's eye. She swallows. What….what was that?

Aelita's fear gains intensity.

Aelita: It's him! He's here! HE'S EVERYWHERE!

The tension increases in Yumi's voice. She looks around with the same paranoia as Aelita. She backs up against the wall.

Yumi: Moriarty has launched an attack! We have to get out of here!

Aelita: Too late! He's trapped us!

The dark shadows Yumi had been ignoring seem to move with a cyclical malevolence. Yumi grabs onto the sink in an attempt to regain herself. She prepares herself for a fight, but all her courage has been zapped from her. As she stands there helplessly, she notices her reflection in the mirror. Her hand shakes as she points to the image. A bead of sweat rolls down her cheek.

Yumi: Who…..who is that? She turns to Aelita. Her composure is completely gone. Her face overflows with panic. WHO IS THAT?

Aelita looks into the mirror. She gasps.

Aelita: Moriarty sent a specter! Kill her!

Yumi's boot goes flying into the mirror, creating a large crack. Meanwhile the darkness descends on them. Aelita and Yumi scream. They cover their heads and go into the fetal position.

At the same time, Ulrich falls to the floor of his dorm room. His face is flushed and strained. Surrounding him are ten humanoids. Ulrich stands up to face them. His heart races and his breathing becomes shallower, but he reaches for his sword.

Ulrich: I don't know how you got your monsters in here Moriarty, but they're history!

He slashes madly around the room, knocking over lamps and posters. But the humanoids just keep coming. They wrap their hands around Ulrich's head and neck.

Ulrich: No….NO!

Jeremie runs through the hallway like a madman. A nanobot swarm tears through after him, devouring everything in its path. Jeremie moves as fast as his weak legs can carry him. He refuses to look back. At the end of the hall, Moriarty is having a discussion with Jim and Suzanne Hertz. Moriarty appears polite and suave, but Jim and Mrs. Hertz are staring at him with their arms crossed.

Mrs. Hertz: The answer is no.

Moriarty smiles and laughs, clearly not taking no for an answer.

Moriarty: Oh Suzanne, I'm sure we can find a way to make this work.

Mrs. Hertz does not ease up at all.

Mrs. Hertz: Unacceptable. I will not let students out of my class for some assembly or function or whatever you choose to call it.

Moriarty: But it would only be on Fridays. This is not a major loss on your part.

Mrs. Hertz: I disagree. I'm not going to let you run off with my students for some experiment. Jim is with me one hundred percent on this, right?

Jim looks at her and stammers.

Jim: Uh….yes! You're not taking students away from my gym class either. Gym is the most important thing since…..uh…..something that came before that that was more important than gym.

Mrs. Hertz: The…..point is that you may impress students and teachers with your fancy changes, but you don't impress us.

Moriarty looks innocently at them and turns up the charm.

Moriarty: I'm just trying to improve the lives of students at this school. I don't understand why you are being so….hostile.

Mrs. Hertz's eyebrow twitches. Jim immediately senses that the Kadic science teacher didn't take that too well.

Mrs. Hertz: Hostile? Renard….you haven't even begun to see me-

Jeremie heads straight for them, screaming loudly.

Jeremie: RUN! IT'S COMING!

The teachers look at him in shock.

Mrs. Hertz: Belpois?

Before Jeremie can run blindly into them, Jim manages to lift him up by his shirt collar. He runs in place, raving like a lunatic. He looks behind him to see the nanobot beast approaching. The teachers don't seem to notice. He writhes in terror.

Jeremie: RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! IT WILL RIP YOUR FLESH TO PIECES IN SECONDS!

The faculty trio watch dumbfounded as the school's star pupil squirms like a trapped animal. He is almost foaming at the mouth.

Jeremie: Your flesh! It's coming! You're all appetizers to his feast!

Mrs. Hertz: Jeremie…..She blinks, trying to make sure this is really happening…whatever you're saying isn't possible.

Jim: She's right. He rubs his large belly. There's no way I could be an appetizer for anything.

Jeremie glares at Moriarty, his body shaking. A skeleton finger is pointed at the history teacher.

Jeremie: You…..Moriarty…..YOU DID THIS! You monster! I'll destroy you! He reaches to grab Moriarty but Jim quickly puts Jeremie in a sleeper hold. Jeremie violently resists but eventually he passes out. Moriarty remains completely unfazed the entire time.

Jim: Well, I guess the principal's going to have to hear about this one.

Mrs. Hertz: Is this the result of one of your 'experiments' with the students?

Moriarty laughs incredulously at the accusation.

Moriarty: Surely you can't honestly be trying to blame this insanity on me!

The middle-aged woman's finger pokes into her rival's lab coat.

Mrs. Hertz: After all the nonsense happening in this school and in this country, I'm ready to believe anything.

William tries to clear his head in the gym by doing a few pushups. His movements are steady and rhythmic, flowing with graceful strength. As he continues to move up and down, his throat starts to become hot and itchy. He grunts and tries to get over the feeling. But his thirst rises and begins to escalate. Once the feeling becomes very uncomfortable, William gets up. He grabs his water bottle and downs it. Out of nowhere his face begins to feel very hot. He turns the water bottle over his head and lets the water flow down him. William digs his fingers through his black wet hair to try and recover himself. He opens his eyes. While water drips over his eyelids, William begins to notice a strange black creature approaching him. Multiple legs scurry in his direction. Eight legs to be exact. An icy terror passes through William's mind. However, he is quickly able to master it. He scoffs at the creature.

William: Really Xana? Is this what you've resorted to? Using my fear of spiders against me?

William's confidence is soon dashed by a cold apprehension coming from his subconscious. His mind is assaulted by a wave of fear that does not belong to him. The usual metallic voice enters his thoughts, but it is not as cool and menacing as before.

Xana: This…..is not my doing.

The spider opens its jaws. An electric shock of sudden panic shoots through William's spine.

William: What….what do you mean you're not doing this?

Xana: I am not deceiving you slave. I am not doing this. This...William can feel Xana's merciless reason fighting this admission…monster is real.

The beast lunges for William. William tries to jump out of the way but his chest suddenly explodes in pain. He looks up to see the spider looking over him. Salivia drips down its fangs. They seem to reach into his rapidly beating heart. William feels his entire body tremor with unrestrained fright. Xana's voice becomes more unbalanced and defensive.

Xana: This sensation….this pit in my mind…..what is this? This human emotion?...Fear? Xana groans with humiliation and horror. I've never felt fear in my life! WORTHLESS SLAVE! Your weaknesses have infected me!

William: N-not now Xana….

The spider locks its multiple eyes on him. The soulless gaze prompts the terrified William into action. He punches the monster in the eyes. The spider screeches and William covers his ears. He opens them to see that the spider is gone. William clumsily tries to stand. His legs are weak.

William: Think spider….gone to Network with Xana and fuze….

Xana: I am Xana you fool! You're not making sense. Sense. I sense miscalculation within cerebrum. Mathematics at core temperature levels. Levels. Levels discombobulated within Carthage. I….must destroy Carthage.

William wheels around to see several spiders grab him. They pull him upward toward the ceiling. Then the ceiling turns into the floor. It switches again. William's mind swims and finds itself twirling the body on the floor. William exhales.

William: Master…mode of attack?

Xana: Terminate the Spider Lyoko Warriors!

William swings his fists around madly. His pupils dilate and swirl with a crazed purpose. After knocking several down, a new sight appears before him that nearly makes his heart stop. The figure of Natalya looms in front of him, but her face has been mutated into that of a horrendous spider reaching out to him. William turns white and freezes in place.

Natalya: Need to…..She snarls and licks her jaws. Your friends…The legs growing out of her face become very hairy. Yumi and Aelita…..lost…So terribly strange.

William's world spins drunkenly around Natalya's spider face. He goes to his knees, completely exhausted.

William: Yumi and Aelita? What have you done to them?

He faints onto the basketball gym floor. Natalya grabs his shoulder and shakes him. Her blonde hair hangs inches away from his face. She bites her fingernails and tries to rouse him. She feels his forehead. It is warm.

Natalya: William…ARE YOU OKAY?

A splash of water hits Yumi's face. She coughs and looks up groggily. Above her the confused but somehow caring face of Sissi Delmas comes to focus in her vision.

Yumi: Where….am I?

Sissi: The bathroom near the library.

Yumi: Doing….She rubs her eyes. What?

Sissi: Lying here passed out on the floor apparently. Can you explain to me why I found you and Mrs. Einstein like this?

Yumi looks to the side to see Aelita slowly coming to. She feebly searches her foggy memories, but nothing seems to be coming back. It's just a hazy cloud. A cloud that contains nothing but blackness…..and fear. She rubs her forehead.

Yumi: I….don't remember.

Thirty minutes later the warriors gather in William's room once again. This time they are not only downcast, they are positively distraught. Every change in light, every sound puts them on edge. Some of them are visibly shaking. Jeremie silently taps on his computer. He readjusts his glasses to keep them from haphazardly hanging off his face. His skin is flushed red with pale whiteness occasionally breaking through. His breathing is heavy.

Jeremie: No doubt about it this time. This is not a Moriarty attack.

Aelita looks out the window, using the calming scenes of nature to keep herself grounded.

Aelita: Then why did we all see that? That….whatever it was.

Jeremie's hand holds onto William's desk tightly. His lip quivers erratically. A simple look at his scared eyes reveals something that greatly disheartens the warriors. The Jeremie of impeccable reason and rationality is completely lost for answers. But Jeremie quickly masks it.

Jeremie: Just a terrible dream…nothing more.

Ulrich looks up. He is sitting on the bed close to Yumi. His eyes are grim and tortured.

Ulrich: A dream that we all had together?

Jeremie: No other explanation.

Yumi aims her hawkish and pained gaze at Jeremie.

Yumi: There is an explanation.

Jeremie's aggressive glance tries to silence her.

Jeremie: No.

Yumi: There is, and you know it.

Jeremie's voice quickly turns more unstable and vehement.

Jeremie: Just a dream. A silly dream. We were tired. That's what did it.

Yumi: No.

Jeremie: I'll just tell Mr. Delmas when he gets back from off campus that it was just a terrible dream.

Yumi's voice becomes more threatening.

Yumi: You know the truth….

Jeremie: There is nothing wrong. We are all fine. He lowers his eyebrows. Just fine…

Yumi: You can't deny it Jeremie.

Jeremie literally bares his teeth at Yumi.

Jeremie: Yumi, I'd suggest you be quiet and listen to me. I am telling you that we are fine.

Yumi stands up.

Yumi: WE'RE LOSING OUR MINDS!

Jeremie: Shut up.

Yumi: Moriarty finally did it.

Jeremie: Shut up!

Yumi: The pressure's finally gotten to us. Face it Jeremie. We've snapped!

Jeremie: I SAID SHUT UP!

He gets up and slaps Yumi with the back of his hand. A collective gasp seizes the room. Yumi falls to the floor. She refuses to get up, preferring to stay as low as she feels at the moment. Aelita cries in the corner. William just stares at Jeremie, unable to form words. Ulrich's reaction is delayed. At first he is completely stunned. But a rage soon seizes him. He quickly pins Jeremie up against the dresser.

Ulrich: HOW DARE YOU HIT HER! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!

William yanks Ulrich off Jeremie. Ulrich curses in protest.

William: No! You're not thinking straight!

He pushes Ulrich back onto the bed. Ulrich balls his fists and punches the wall. Jeremie sinks to the floor.

Jeremie: I can't be insane. I won't be. I am not going back do you hear? His eyes tear up. I'M NOT GOING BACK!

William stands in the middle of the room, serving as a barrier to prevent his friends from killing each other. His expression softens. He sees their unity, which has endured so much, showing signs of cracking. Though everyone appears quiet and despondent, he knows that even the slightest upset could ignite another uproar. The thought depresses him.

William: And I thought Natalya finding me raving on the floor was awful….

He pulls out a box from his dresser. He hands it to his friends.

William: Here. Have some of the leftovers of the cake. It will get your mind off things. While the others silently obey William, he sits down on his desk chair and tries to relax the horrors away. Shortly after he gets a phone call. He halfheartedly answers it.

William: Hello?

Mr. Dunbar: Son, it's been a while. How are you feeling now?

William: Um….not so great actually.

Mr. Dunbar: Oh no….His voice quickly sounds concerned. Have you suffered a relapse or-?

William: No no. I am over the sickness. It's just been a terrible day, that's all.

Mr. Dunbar: Do you want to talk about it?

William: I…..can't. Sorry, I'd rather not.

Mr. Dunbar: Son, don't tell me this is one of your 'You wouldn't understand' things. Your mother and I are getting quite tired of those.

William rubs his head.

William: As am I.

Mr. Dunbar: Whatever is wrong, I want to help. I don't like feeling helpless. But I'm going to stay helpless unless you tell me what's wrong.

William: Um…..it's a teacher. Let's leave it at that.

Mr. Dunbar sounds more at ease.

Mr. Dunbar: Oh….yes. That's unfortunate. But don't worry son. I had to deal with the same problem.

William: I…doubt that. But don't worry about me too much. After all, I have your cake to make me feel better.

Mr. Dunbar: My….cake?

William's body becomes stiff. His eyes widen. He grips his phone very tightly.

William: The cake….the one you sent me….remember?

Mr. Dunbar: Son, I never sent you a cake.

William turns back around toward his friends, who are somberly enjoying William's cake. A deep pit forms in William's stomach. He swallows.

William: Dad, I'm going to have to call you back. He hangs up, but quickly gets another call. He growls and answers it. Dad I said….He pauses. Odd?

Scene shifts to Odd in the lab room. He is backed against the wall and appears to be very anxious.

Odd: William, about that piece of cake you sent me. Was something wrong with it?

William: I…uh…not sure. Why?

Odd: Because Kiwi got a hold of it. Odd stares at Kiwi as he runs around in circles. He appears to be barking madly at absolutely nothing. And he's acting very weird.

The fears and suspicions of William are grimly confirmed. He forces himself to take a deep breath. After taking a glance back at his friends, William talks softly back into the phone. He covers his mouth to prevent the others from listening.

William: Odd, we have a very delicate situation. I'm going to need to bring the others to the factory.

Odd: What? Why?

William: No time to explain. I'm going to tell them you've decided to try to leave the factory again. They'll buy that. I just need you to play along in case they ask. Oh, and I need you to research…..hallucinogenic drugs.

Odd's line is quiet for a while, as he is having difficulty processing what William has just told him to do.

Odd: Uh….William? That's very illegal and while I admit that I have been curious at times…

William: I meant the Internet you idiot!

Odd: Oh right. I knew that.

Shortly after their conversation, the door to William's room opens. Ulrich, Aelita, Jeremie, and Yumi file out. William tiptoes out, slowly and cautiously closing the door behind him. He stays behind the warriors, watching their every movement. But he keeps his hands in his pockets to give the impression that nothing is wrong. As they approach the end of the hall, he feels his shoulder grabbed from behind. He wheels around to see Natalya staring at him. She locks onto his face, appearing to be checking to see whether or not William is in his right mind. William regards her with impatience.

William: Something wrong?

Natalya: You tell me.

William can tell that her legendary lie detection senses are on full alert. William groans in exasperation.

William: I'm sorry you saw me….William tries to think of the right words….have an episode, but I don't have time.

Natalya pulls on his arm as he tries to walk away.

Natalya: Make time.

William boils with frustration, but he keeps his cool. Yumi looks behind her to see William lagging behind. William smiles at her.

William: Go on. I'll catch up.

The warriors obey. As soon as they exit through the double doors, he swings his head toward Natalya. His expression is deadly serious.

William: Man you're stubborn.

Natalya: Only when I want to know the truth. Which unfortunately with you is very often.

William sees that Natalya will not be pacified. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

William: You're right. After all that's happened today, you deserve to know the truth.

Natalya: I do. So enough lies. Why did you flip out when I tried to talk to you about Yumi and Aelita?

William looks to his right and left. When he is sure no one is listening, he leans over to whisper in Natalya's ear.

William: You know how a lot of people in this school don't like us?

Natalya: Yeah…

William: Well someone drugged us. They put something in a cake I thought was from my parents, and it messed us up pretty badly.

After a brief moment of silent surprise, Natalya snaps her fingers.

Natalya: That would explain it! No wonder you acted that way at the same time as the others.

William: Yes. Unfortunately the others don't know and just had some of the cake.

Natalya puts her hand over her mouth. She peers down the hall where the warriors had just previously been.

Natalya: What do we do?

William: I need to bring them to a place where they can safely deal with the symptoms. And now that you know- He places his hand on her shoulder.-I want you to cover for us if anyone asks. If I don't get them off campus, they could do something to get them kicked out of school….or worse. Can you do that?

Natalya touches the hand resting on her shoulder. She slowly removes it, but holds his hand tenderly while she does it. William smiles uncomfortably in response to her unexpected warmth. She lets go of his hand and winks at him.

Natalya: You can count on me.

William: R-right. Thank you again.

He awkwardly walks away.

Natalya: I'm still waiting for the full explanation….

William swears under his breath. His encounter with her lingers a while in his mind. But he pushes it to the side as he chases after the psychotic ticking time bombs that are his friends.

Not much later, William and his friends wait on the main floor of the factory. William presses the button for the elevator. Jeremie raises an eyebrow.

Jeremie: Um…why are we going down? Shouldn't Odd be coming up to join us?

William avoids eye contact.

William: Uh…..he just needs a little encouragement is all. He'd prefer for you guys to go with him every step of the way.

Ulrich: Sounds to me like he is getting cold feet.

Yumi: If that's the case then encouragement may backfire. If he's not ready, he's not ready.

William: Guys, just trust me on this one.

The elevator opens. Ulrich suddenly furrows his eyebrows. He puts one fist on top of the other, as if he is holding his saber. He goes into the elevator and slashes in the air with his imaginary weapon. He then proceeds to look around wildly, suggesting that he missed his intended target. The others look at him strangely, except for William, who had been preparing himself for this.

Jeremie: Ulrich?

Ulrich: A specter. I was sure I saw one. In the elevator. Moriarty….he's up to something.

Yumi: Yeah….Yumi has a strange look in her eyes. I thought I saw something too.

Jeremie: Okay but….why did you swing around like you were on Lyoko?

Ulrich looks at the position of his hands, suddenly realizing what he is doing. Embarassment begins to take effect, but it is quickly swamped by sheer confusion. Ulrich observes his surroundings. He then looks back at his hands.

Ulrich: Force of habit I suppose.

Aelita: Oh no….Aelita puts her hands over her mouth. We're imagining things again!

William quickly intervenes, speaking to them in a calm voice.

William: No, no. We're all just fine. We're just jumpy, okay? Now let's just calm down and get in the elevator…

Before the others can hesitate or object, William somewhat forcefully corrals them into the elevator. He quickly closes the door. Aelita tugs on the collar of her dress.

Aelita: Is it just me, or is it really hot in here?

Jeremie: Yes. Jeremie wipes his forehead. The air conditioning in this factory must be messed up.

William can tell that the faces of the other warriors are becoming flushed with heat. He bites his lip and avoids their gaze. Ulrich stares at the ceiling with alarm.

Ulrich: There he is again!

Aelita: No Ulrich, it isn't real!

Yumi assumes a fighting stance.

Yumi: Looks pretty real to me. But how did he…..Yumi appears to become mentally lost….get into the tower?

After what seems like an eternity, the door to the elevators open. William rushes out to Odd, who is sitting at the command chair.

William: Please tell me you have a way to fix this.

Odd: Don't worry. I have the best website available on the job.

William rolls his eyes.

William: Wikipedia?

Odd: Hey do you want it completely accurate, or do you want it fast?

William: I'd prefer both. But what do you have so far?

Odd: Well, apparently there are three types of hallucinogenic drugs: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants.

Yumi: Hey, what are you guys talking about? And why does it look like Odd isn't going anywhere?

William smiles innocently.

William: Oh, we're just taking care of some last minute….things.

Jeremie: Why do I get the feeling that you two aren't- Jeremie stops talking when he takes a glance in Kiwi's direction. He stops in horror. Oh no, Kiwi's possessed!

Kiwi is wagging his tail innocently, but the others begin to follow Jeremie's hallucination.

Ulrich: Stay back Jeremie! Moriarty may be using him to make everyone zombies like last time!

The others slowly back away from the supposedly possessed canine. Kiwi walks toward them without any sinister intent, but the warriors do not interpret it that way. Odd turns around and looks at them incredulously.

Odd: Guys, nothing is wrong with my dog. Open your eyes!

William: Focus Odd. The three types?

Odd: Oh right. The psychedelics are pretty self-explanatory. Dissociatives make one feel detached from their environment or something. Deliriants make people experience really unpleasant stuff and go crazy.

Kiwi barks. The others cringe.

Yumi: He's attacking!

Ulrich: We have no choice, let's take down this kankrelot!

William: Definitely deliriants.

Odd: Yep.

Ulrich and Yumi begin to chase Kiwi around the room. Kiwi barks and runs away. Jeremie and Aelita merely stare, their eyes glazed over with confusion. Aelita eventually begins to stumble and fall to the ground. Jeremie remains totally lost. He feels the walls of the lab, frantically trying to find an exit. Odd shouts at Yumi and Ulrich.

Odd: Leave Kiwi alone! I don't care what you're seeing, you better not hurt him!

William: I'll handle those two, you keep researching deliriants.

Jeremie claws on the walls.

Jeremie: No way out…NO WAY OUT!

Aelita curls up on the floor, shaking violently.

Aelita: The wolves….make the wolves go away Daddy. She opens her eyes. An imaginary forest springs out of the world of metal and technology around her. Cold yellow eyes surrounded by black fur penetrate her mind. She screams. THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!

William groans.

William: This is a nightmare…

As Ulrich and Yumi round the corner in pursuit of Kiwi, William grabs the dog and backs away from them. Ulrich and Yumi stop, regarding William with uncertainty. William holds his hand out in a gesture of peace.

William: You two….listen to me carefully. You've been drugged by Moriarty. There was some sort of hallucinogenic drug in the cake. All of the things you are seeing aren't real. Odd and I are doing our best to fix this, but for the moment you just need to try and calm down-

Yumi: IT'S WILLIAM!

Ulrich burns with anger. The ferocity of an animal overtakes him.

Ulrich: I should have known Xana's servant was behind this! But no matter…..you will never win William!

Yumi tries to throw her fans, but she instantly becomes disappointed.

Yumi: Our weapons have no effect!

Ulrich: Then we'll do this the old-fashioned way.

Both of them approach William with fists in the air, ready to fight.

William: Crap…

While William tries to defend himself from his drugged opponents, Odd searches on the computer.

Odd: It says it's characterized by extreme confusion and an inability to control one's actions.

Aelita starts to choke herself.

Aelita: Daddy help me….they're biting my neck. I CAN'T BREATHE!

William blocks a punch from Yumi. He takes advantage of their confused state by moving quickly to respond to their attacks. But he tries his best not to hurt them.

William: Brilliant. I could have guessed that!

Ulrich: We will never surrender Xana!

Odd: Apparently the hallucinations tend to be dark and entity-like….

Jeremie: Please…..stop yelling at me! He huddles against the wall. Tears are in his eyes. I tried my best to stop him. I really did! I'm sorry, I FAILED!

William: I got that part. He dodges punches. How about cures?

Odd: Give me a second.

Aelita grabs William's pant leg. She tugs and screams.

Aelita: Please Xana, give my Daddy back! PLEASE!

William's horrified reaction allows Yumi and Ulrich time to tackle him. He struggles against them.

William: No rush or anything…

Yumi: Why won't he devirtualize?

Ulrich: Xana must have given him extra lifepoints!

Yumi: Then we'll hit him harder!

Before Yumi can launch a punch, William grabs her wrist.

William: I'm sorry about this Yumi. He twists her wrist. She howls. William takes advantage of her distraction to throw her off and escape their clutches. Odd, please tell me you have something.

Odd: Uh….He scratches his head. Often symptoms include embarrassing or inappropriate behavior such as disrobing….He turns around and instantly becomes as red as a tomato. AELITA!

Aelita has removed her dark pink dress. The only thing she has on is her bra and her pink leggings. She stumbles around, totally unaware of what she is doing.

Aelita: So hot….

Odd quickly turns his head away and continues reading. Ulrich and Yumi rush William. But their movements are becoming slower and more erratic. Sweat drops down their foreheads.

Yumi: He….he's everywhere.

Ulrich: Darkness….everything's dark. What is he doing to me?

Jeremie begins wandering toward Odd.

Jeremie: You…..you have betrayed us….

Odd: William? Help me out here…

William: You need to help me! What's the cure?

Jeremie stares at Odd maliciously. He grabs his shoulder. A sensation of powerful fear works its way into Odd's bones.

Odd: I….I don't think there is one. I think they have to ride this out.

William: Then what would you suggest we do?

As Jeremie goes for Odd's throat, Odd responds with a powerful blow to the head. Jeremie is knocked out cold. William begrudgingly understands the idea.

William: No choice I guess.

When Ulrich lunges for him, William grabs him and wraps his arm around Ulrich's neck. He positions Ulrich in front of him, causing Yumi to punch Ulrich in the face. Ulrich becomes limp in William's arms. He drops Ulrich.

William: Sorry again.

He grabs a loose pipe. When Yumi makes a wrong move, William renders her unconscious. The room becomes quiet. Odd sees that Aelita has fainted on her own. He breathes a sigh of relief. William drops the pipe. He calmly walks over to Aelita and covers her with the dress she discarded. William then lowers himself onto the floor. He stares blankly into space, trying to wipe the experience from his mind.

William: I'm officially off cake…

The next day Jeremie talks with Aelita on the phone from the comfort of the desk in his room. He types on the computer.

Jeremie: Yes, that's right. It was a drug called 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate. He listens to her talk for a moment. Yeah I know it's a mouthful. It's also known as BZ. This thing is an odorless military incapacitating agent. Gives people some pretty unpleasant hallucinations. It can even make people imagine things together. I can't believe we didn't see through the cake ploy. Why activate a tower when he could just render us insane with a drug you could hide in food? No doubt Moriarty wanted us to either tear each other to pieces or become humiliated throughout the entire school. Probably a combination of the two.

Jeremie is quiet for a moment.

Jeremie: Yes I've had the meeting with Delmas. But I'm afraid the joke's on Moriarty. We are not as alone as we think. I'll give you the full details later. I want to have a group meeting to discuss it. Jeremie then turns red. Um no Aelita….I didn't see you when you….did that. Pause. Yes I know it's embarrassing. But Ulrich and Yumi also chased Kiwi around, so don't think you are alone. This was a horrible experience and let's just do our best to move on. We should be thankful that Odd and William helped limit the damage.

His phone beeps at him.

Jeremie: Aelita, can I call you back? I'm getting another call.

He ends the call with Aelita and puts the phone to his ear again.

Jeremie: Hello?

Delmas: Jeremie, hello. I hope you are doing well.

Jeremie: As good as I can be sir.

Delmas' voice becomes grave.

Delmas: Yes. Anyway I hate to bother you and I would usually just email you, but I totally forgot to mention something regarding your room arrangements.

Jeremie scratches his head.

Jeremie: Room arrangements? What are you-?

The door to his room is suddenly kicked open. After nearly suffering a heart attack, Jeremie turns around to meet his sudden intruder. The sight before him takes him totally by surprise. Before him is a guy who seems to be of the same age. He stands in the doorway, holding a violin in his hands. He is dressed fashionably but also comfortably, donning a pair of slacks and a loose polo shirt. Sewed onto the polo is a strange symbol that appears to a coat of arms. Jeremie notices that the coat of arms strongly resembles that of a nearby country: Spain. This young Spaniard has black hair, which is combed in a manner that gives him a brooding, rebellious look. The lean and tan Spaniard regards Jeremie's room proudly.

César: ¡Ya he llegado! (I have arrived!)

Jeremie's mouth drops.

Jeremie: What the?

A burly man walks into the room, armed with several suitcases under his arms. He briefly glances in Jeremie's direction.

Felipe: Jeremie Belpois?

Jeremie: Yes.

Felipe: Allow me to introduce you to your new roommate. César Alfonso Victor de Bordón. The Crown Prince of Spain.