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.

21. Chapter 21

Odd: Dude, you seriously suck!

Ragnarok777: This is about the eternity I took to update, isn't it?

Odd: YES! You forced me to wait around forever to come back into the spotlight!

Ragnarok777: It hasn't been that long….

Ulrich: Um….it's been since February.

Ragnarok777: Oh….that long?

Odd: Yes! You kept us locked up in storage forever! And what about your readers?! I can't imagine how peeved they are!

Ragnarok777: I can explain….

Yumi: Oh this should be good…

Ragnarok777: There was college and homework and….goofing off on the Internet and unpredictable and annoying roommate problems.

Ulrich: Oh don't even try to complain about roommates…

Odd: Yeah he's right….wait what are you trying to say?

William: Can I point out that he left me suffering in a hospital for all this time?

Natalya: Yeah that was cruel….

Ragnarok777: Now come on…that was completely unintentional.

Rosaire: You took so long that the world has a new pope now.

Ragnarok777: …Like I could have predicted that.

Christophe: Forget your excuses! I say we break through the fourth wall and beat him senseless!

All: YEAH!

Ragnarok777: Well if you do that, I will have no choice….BUT TO GIVE YOU ALL SUCH A BRUTAL SHIPPING THAT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE STRAIGHT!

All: AHH NO MERCY MERCY!

Jeremie: No wait, don't listen to him. He's bluffing!

Moriarty: I wouldn't bet on it. He's even more twisted and sadistic than I am sometimes.

Aelita: Perhaps it's best not to test him…

Ragnarok777: Uh huh….that's what I thought.

Part 35

A group of humanoids and scorpions converges on a central platform in the Mountain Sector. The platform and the sector around it are separated by a series of mountainous stepping-stones that surround the platform like axles on wheels. The obstacle of the stepping stones proves useful to the warriors, who stand on the platform and defend themselves against the oncoming monsters. They stand huddled against the tower, feeling pressured by the superior strength of the monsters' numbers. The looks on their faces are tense and strained. Far above the platform, Dark Yumi appears on the summit of a nearby mountain. She looks down on the warriors' plight and licks her lips. She motions to a trio of vultures that have also just appeared. She points to the warriors.

Dark Yumi: Go on! Press the attack!

The vultures comply. They swoop down on the unsuspecting warriors. Natalya looks up at the approaching attack. She turns to Yumi.

Natalya: Yumi, we got vultures coming in fast!

Yumi blocks several laser blasts from humanoids.

Yumi: I'm a little busy right now!

The vultures open fire. Natalya rolls out of the way and strings her bow, aiming at the circling birds. Her hands shake.

Natalya: But….I'm still not good with moving aerial targets.

Three humanoids manage to charge past the stepping stones and land in front of Yumi on the platform. Yumi backs up.

Yumi: Well you better learn fast!

The vultures turn back around and divebomb Natalya in a straight line. Natalya fires an arrow, killing the first one, but the other two pounce on her before she can notch another arrow. Natalya is knocked to the ground as the maroon birds land beside her and prepare to end her. The vultures open their beaks, hissing at Natalya. Natalya closes her eyes, feeling defenseless. But thankfully Odd sees the situation and quickly acts. He aims his wrists at the vultures. He fires at the vultures and takes all of them out.

Natalya: Thank you.

Odd: No problem. He turns toward the tower. His gaze is distant and pained. Natalya notches an arrow and destroys a vulture right before it goes for Odd. Odd looks up with surprise. Oh….I guess I didn't see that one coming.

Natalya: This is hardly the time to daydream Odd!

Odd: I know I'm just….He looks back at the tower…concerned for Aelita.

Natalya: Do you know what's happened to her?

Odd looks off to the side.

Odd: No….I don't have the slightest idea.

On the other side of the platform, Christophe and William work together at repelling several scorpions. The monsters advance, gingerly crawling from stone to stone to reach the platform. They fire single, continuing streams of lasers at the two. Christophe and William hide behind William's sword.

Christophe: We'll be cut to pieces if we don't do something fast!

William grimaces, the grip on his sword hilt tightening.

William: You're right. The best defense is a good offense. Cover me. I'm going for their legs.

William turns into smoke and slithers around the scorpions. He reemerges long enough to cut their legs. One of the scorpions falls off the edge into the digital sea. The rest become crippled and are easy prey to Christophe's discs. But several meters away, a scorpion manages to reach the platform. Yumi takes the initiative and jumps onto the shell. But the tail of the monster knocks her off, sending her hurtling toward the tower. The scorpion tries to finish her but is quickly distracted by Ulrich. As the fight in front of her escalates, Yumi touches the side of the tower. It is solid. She curses and shouts into the tower.

Yumi: Aelita! COME OUT OF THERE! Ulrich is struck on the shoulder, losing a large chunk of lifepoints. Aelita come on! WE'RE BEING TORN APART!

Inside the tower, Aelita can feel the rage of battle echo from outside. But her mind does not register any of it. She lies prostrate on the upper platform in the tower, her face contorted in misery and horror. She holds her hair and goes into the fetal position. She then unleashes a wail that penetrates the silence of the tower. She becomes silent again as she covers her ears. But despite her attempts, she can still hear Jeremie's voice. His tone is gentle, but is becoming increasingly alarmed.

Jeremie: Aelita…

She doesn't answer.

Jeremie: Aelita, please listen to me for a moment….I just want to talk.

Aelita hugs herself as her eyes well up with pain. Her voice shakes as she slowly answers him.

Aelita: You….betrayed me. She closes her eyes and suddenly screams. YOU ALL BETRAYED ME!

Back in the lab, those words dig into Jeremie's flesh. He looks away from the computer, his face marked with self-disgust. He clenches his fists, feeling a wave of revulsion infect his body. He touches his earpiece, desperately wanting to remove it and escape her pain-stricken voice. Jeremie swallows his saliva.

Jeremie: The others didn't betray you Aelita. I did. His chest becomes heavy with the weight of the confession. I had to. Don't you understand?

Aelita pounds her fist on the platform like a madman.

Aelita: You lied to me….YOU LIED TO ME FROM THE VERY BEGINNING!

Jeremie looks down at the floor, wishing nothing more than to sink into the grimy tangle of wires below and fade away from this nightmare. His throat becomes incredibly dry. He coughs.

Jeremie: Please….please forgive me. I…I didn't know what to do!... I didn't know what was worse.

Aelita covers her face with her hands.

Aelita: How do I know…?

Jeremie's eyebrows furrow with deeper concern.

Jeremie: How do you know what?

Aelita looks toward the top of the tower and screams hysterically.

Aelita: HOW DO I KNOW I'M NOT HIS?!

Jeremie winces as if he's been punched in the stomach. His lip quivers as Aelita continues to moan. Her cries are too much for Jeremie. His clenched fists tighten further. A single tear drips from the right corner of his eye. All the while the warriors continue to announce their desperate state through his earpiece.

Yumi: Jeremie, what's going on?!

Ulrich: What's happened to Aelita?! We can't hold out much longer!

William: Did Moriarty infect her or something?!

Christophe: Get her to unlock the tower or we're done for!

Natalya: We really need help!

Aelita's wailing, unheard by the warriors but all too audible to Jeremie, makes him unable to answer. He sits there, frozen in the command chair, completely lost to the situation. His helplessness in the face of Aelita's wild grief sickens his stomach.

Yumi: JEREMIE ANSWER US!

Thirty-two hours earlier. Jeremie works on his computer in the early morning. He is still wearing his pajamas. Behind him, César continues to sleep peacefully with a somewhat mischievous look on his face. The door suddenly opens. Aelita peeks her head in the doorway. When she sees that César is still sleeping, she carefully tiptoes over to Jeremie. The Spanish prince rolls over in bed and mutters to himself.

César: Olvídalo Sissi, nunca serás mi reina. (Forget it Sissi, you will never be my queen.)

Aelita taps Jeremie on the shoulder. He briefly turns his attention to her and then continues working.

Jeremie: Good morning.

Aelita: Good morning. I hope you haven't been up all night again.

Jeremie: No no. I got up only fifteen minutes ago. Check the dent in my pillow if you don't believe me. Besides…He motions to the unconscious César…with him around I can't afford to work on anything too top secret.

Aelita taps her fingers on Jeremie's chair.

Aelita: Any progress on your research?

Jeremie: Actually…Jeremie gives her a warm smile….yes. I've decrypted enough to know that these lines of code have to do something with the DNA sequence of virtual entities. I believe the rest of this asymetric cryptography has something to do with a series of instructions for certain actions on the DNA sequence.

Aelita: And I'm guessing the kind of action my father mapped out for the DNA sequence wasn't exactly designed to beneficial for said virtual entity…

Jeremie snorts.

Jeremie: If it was designed to deal with Moriarty, I should hope it wasn't designed to be beneficial.

Aelita turns her head and looks at the wall.

Aelita: Very true…

Jeremie: I've completed the first step. But the sad thing is that was the easy part. Each level of encryption…I believe there are three, are different in nature than the one before. And I have to believe that each level is more difficult than the one before, kinda like a video game.

Aelita nods her head but doesn't answer. Jeremie stops typing and looks at her, sensing that her attention is elsewhere. He spins the chair around to face her.

Jeremie: You didn't come in here to discuss my progress with decrypting the Cannae Initiative, did you?

Aelita folds her arms across her chest and looks down at the ground.

Aelita: No. But it has to do with encryption…

Jeremie: Really?

Aelita: Yes. She looks him in the eye. Her penetrating gaze unsettles him. Your encryption to be precise…

Jeremie raises an eyebrow and stares at her with confusion. He lifts his hands up in innocence.

Jeremie: My encryption? What are you talking about? Our sensitive information is available for you to look at.

Aelita puts her hands on her hips.

Aelita: Including the log on Odd's dreams?

Jeremie's stomach becomes queasy. His mind accelerates, thinking of possible answers. All the while Odd's description of Antea and Moriarty's relationship enters his thoughts. He pushes the mental imagery out of his thoughts and tries to act normal. He rubs the back of his neck.

Jeremie: Oh yeah….that…

Aelita: Want to explain why this 'sensitive' information isn't available to me?

César mutters something unintelligible in Spanish. Aelita's temporary distraction on account of this allows Jeremie time to think over a response. He rubs his hands together and glances furtively at his computer.

Jeremie: Granted, I guess not all of our sensitive information is available to you.

Aelita: And why not?

Jeremie bites his lip.

Jeremie: Well, the truth is…you're still technically under probation and Yumi is still my second-in-command.

The look on Aelita's face sours. She closes her eyes and rubs her forehead. It's clear that she didn't buy the story.

Aelita: Jeremie…come on. If you're going to lie to me, you can do better than that. We gave up that probation charade a while ago. And besides, how come I have access to the Cannae Initiative, but not Odd's dreams? Isn't the first one far more sensitive?

Jeremie stutters.

Jeremie: Uh yes and n-

Aelita: What are you hiding from me Jeremie?

Jeremie's eyes move from side to side as Aelita impatiently waits for an answer. Jeremie knows that Aelita has caught him in this first lie. Since this lie is unsalvageable, he sighs and looks down at the carpet. He shrugs and admits the lie.

Jeremie: Yes. I admit it. What I just said doesn't hold water. I'm sorry. The truth is…He leans forward in his chair, giving Aelita the impression that she has Jeremie in a corner. Jeremie pauses in midsentence. The truth is I've encrypted it because….Odd's dreams have revealed a lot of mistreatment by government agents of your mother and father. Things that you don't remember or thankfully weren't around to witness. Aelita's look suddenly softens. Anger and annoyance are quickly replaced by a palpable sadness. Jeremie continues to milk the lie. These details don't help with the mission against Moriarty at all, and I thought it was best to hide them from you, for your own good….I'm sorry.

Aelita lowers her head, letting Jeremie's words sink in. She exhales through her nose and looks out the window. Jeremie gingerly puts her hand in his. Aelita closes her eyes.

Jeremie: I shouldn't have deceived you like that. He pauses, carefully monitoring Aelita's expression. Sensing her growing unease, Jeremie motions to the computer screen. If you really want to, I can let you see the whole thing. But I wouldn't recommend it.

Aelita is silent for a moment. Jeremie sits anxiously in his chair, secretly praying that his ploy has worked. Aelita turns her gaze to Jeremie's computer, and for a terrible moment Jeremie fears that his plan has backfired. But Aelita quickly looks away and lets go of Jeremie's hand.

Aelita: No. You're right. I don't want to see that. My memories are bad enough. What's done is done. Knowing the full truth won't change it. She turns around and gives him a bitter smile. Thank you for being honest with me. I really appreciate it. She opens the door. See you at breakfast.

As the door closes behind him, Jeremie lets out a deep sigh. He sinks back in his chair.

Jeremie: Whew…that was close. Jeremie turns back to his work and does some last minute adjustments before logging off. He then pushes his chair away from his desk. As he is about to get up, his eyes rest on a photo of him and Aelita on the corner of his desk. The two are laughing and acting silly. It is the photo booth picture that they took on Aelita's first night on Earth. Blissful nostalgia soothes Jeremie's thoughts when he sees the photo, but at the same time a pang of guilt washes over him. Jeremie frowns as he dwells over his latest lie. He picks up the photo and frowns. He runs his finger over Aelita's image. He closes his eyes. I'm sorry Aelita, but you're not ready to know about your mother and Moriarty. He puts the photo back. Or at least, I'm not ready to see you in pain again.

Class time for the 9th grade. The students enter Moriarty's classroom in strict Order fashion while Moriarty waits impatiently for them all to be seated. Their execution is flawless, but Moriarty still doesn't look pleased. Everyone sits at attention while Moriarty drums his fingers on his desk. His sour expression is easily perceived by the warriors, who watch with trepidation as he stares silently at the class. Jeremie and Aelita sit together at one desk while Ulrich and Odd sit at the one beside theirs. The four feel safe being close together. Nevertheless, the silence still unnerves them, as it does the rest of the class. Aelita reaches under the table and squeezes Jeremie's hand. He nods to her assuringly, letting her know that she isn't alone in this. After a painful thirty seconds, Moriarty stands up.

Moriarty: Good morning class.

All: Good morning Commandant!

The exuberant response does not seem to alter Moriarty's mood. He paces behind his desk.

Moriarty: I trust that you did your reading for today…

All: Yes Commandant! We did!

Moriarty: Of course you would say that. But as a teacher I need to see evidence that you did the reading. There has been a recent dropoff in grades lately. Nothing too serious, but enough to make me question your commitment to our movement. He stares at the class with heavy scrutiny. Are you committed?

The Order Members: Yes Commandant!

Moriarty mutters to himself and shakes his head.

Moriarty: More and more words. Be careful of words students. They can mean a lot, but in the end, words are just words. Moriarty taps his shoe on the floor. I need to see action!

Paul Gilliard stands up and salutes Moriarty.

Paul: Commandant, what action do you require of us?

Moriarty glares at Paul with the intensity of a hawk.

Moriarty: Sit down Paul! I am the one doing the talking right now…

Some students silently look at each other in concern. No one had expected Moriarty to act so hostile, especially to one of his own Order pupils. Odd leans over to whisper to Ulrich.

Odd: I think Moriarty's still pissed about his latest embarrassment.

Moriarty focuses the hawk glare at Odd. He grabs a ruler and slams it against the desk so hard that it nearly breaks.

Moriarty: Odd, do you have anything to share with me?!

Odd stands up, doing his best to appear unafraid

Odd: Commandant, I do not.

Moriarty: Very well, but any particular reason you decided not to salute me?

Odd: Commandant, no comment.

Moriarty storms over to Odd, who is still standing upright. Moriarty closely observes Odd's nervous but resolute face. The warriors, and to a lesser extent the other Outcasts, hold their breath.

Moriarty: Odd, did you forget the classroom salute?

Odd: Commandant, I am not a part of The Order. How could I then give the salute?

For a moment the two remain at an impasse. Ulrich clenches his fists together, ready to help Odd if necessary. Herb watches the situation with his companion Nicholas. He smiles gleefully, wanting nothing more than for Moriarty to let him have it. Moriarty looks around the room, seeing that all eyes are on them. He smiles.

Moriarty: Odd, what was our reading about?

Odd goes about the usual classroom formality, but he still doesn't salute him.

Odd: Commandant, the rise of Italian fascism.

Moriarty: Correct, but you still consciously refuse the salute?

Odd: Commandant, that is correct.

The classroom becomes deathly quiet. Moriarty leans his head toward Odd, who winces from the uncomfortable closeness to his mortal enemy. Moriarty whispers into his ear.

Moriarty: I want nothing more but to punish you right now. You made me swim away from the battle like some sort of animal. You will suffer dearly for that. But not yet. I won't punish you now. But I will show you what I'd like to do to you. Moriarty walks away, leaving Odd wide-eyed. You may sit down.

Odd does so. Ulrich quickly tries to gather information from him.

Ulrich: Well…?

Odd: Oh yeah….he's still pissed.

Ulrich: What did he say?

Odd swallows.

Odd: Things are about to get real messy.

Moriarty reaches his desk and does an about-face.

Moriarty: New policy students. To prove you did the reading, I will select a student at random to come up and give a brief oral presentation summarizing what they read. That should be a good motivation for you. And just for fun, let's start now. Students start to become nervous, worrying that it might be them. Moriarty wags his index finger at them. Oh, anxious are we? That doesn't bode well for you. After all, you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide. But enough stalling. Lucas Maes, get up here. Tell us about the reading.

The Belgian exchange student looks up from his book and becomes even paler than usual. He stands up with much trepidation. He points at himself.

Lucas: M-me?

Moriarty: That's me Commandant! And yes, get up here!

Moriarty's barking orders send Lucas moving quickly and clumsily to the front. He nearly trips over a backpack. When he reaches the front of the classroom, Moriarty leans against his desk and motions for Lucas to begin. Lucas taps his pants leg nervously. He looks at the other students and swallows. A bead of cold sweat drips down his forehead.

Lucas: The r-rise of Italian f-fascism began with the t-turmoil of W-World War II….Lucas shakes his head. No stupid….W-World War I and there….there w-was-

Moriarty: Lucas…relax. I am not grading you this time. This is just practice this time. Just a game…if you will. Just try to relax and calmly tell us what you read.

Lucas nods several times with embarrassment and tries to continue.

Lucas: W-What happened was t-the c-commnunists attempted a c-c-coup against…

Moriarty motions for Lucas to stop.

Moriarty: No. I'm sorry. That's just not correct. I'm sorry. Lucas hangs his head in defeat while some of The Order members give him mocking looks. Moriarty sighs and in a gesture of apparent mercy, hands him his own history testbook. He points to a certain page. Here. Read this. This should clear things up for you.

Lucas, feeling much more at ease with the presence of a textbook in his hands, begins again.

Lucas: Following W-World War I, I-Italy became engulfed in an-anarchy. L-Liberals feared the r-rise of c-communism, so they s-s-sponsored the emerging figure of B-Benito Muss….Lucas stops reading and squints, looking at the page. Commandant, I-I can't read anymore. T-There's a stain on t-this sentence. He touches the stain with his index finger and brings it close to his nose. P-Probably coffee. D-Do you drink it b-black?

Moriarty innocently peers behind Lucas' shoulder.

Moriarty: Oh that's not coffee. That must have been the stain from the hot chocolate I had last night.

Lucas suddenly flings the book onto the floor. His hands shake violently and he gasps. He looks at his index finger with horror.

Lucas: C-CHOCAL-LATE?! I'M A-ALLERGIC! D-D-DEATHLY ALLERGIC! Even if I t-t-touch it I-!

Moriarty: You're what?!

Lucas suddenly runs to his backpack while the rest of the class watches with a mix of confusion and apprehension. Lucas furiously looks through his backpack, dumping out his contents as he searches desperately for something. Moriarty walks up behind him, faking concern. But the warriors, especially Odd, sense a hidden sadistic pleasure from Lucas' panic. Lucas begins to breathe heavily.

Lucas: W-W-Where is it?!

Tobias: Where's what?!

Lucas: MY EPIPEN! I NEED IT-Lucas suddenly starts to wheeze. He grabs his throat and starts to tremble violently- N-No…It…h-hapenning.

Lucas searches through his pile desperately, but finds no epipen. Meanwhile his breathing becomes strained. He holds his throat as his breathing becomes harder to manage and more unnatural. Hives start to appear on his face. Class apprehension begins to turn to terror as Lucas' breaths become weaker.

Lucas: C-Can't b-brea….

Lucas falls onto the floor and begins to writhe. Most of the class screams. Several students get up to help, but Moriarty will have none of it.

Moriarty: Get back to your seats! You'll only make things worse!

Jeremie stands up without delay.

Jeremie: Commandant, HE'S DYING!

Moriarty examines Lucas' pitiful state with a cold, scientific stare.

Moriarty: He's going through anaphylactic shock. Herb, get the nurse…NOW!

Herb: Yes Commandant!

Herb runs out of the room while Moriarty gingerly approaches Lucas. Lucas looks at him, but his eyes don't register what they are looking at. They are concerned only with survival. He wheezes out a couple of breaths. Moriarty remains a little too calm.

Moriarty: Hang on Lucas…help is on the way.

The class continues to whimper as Lucas turns a shade of blue. Girls close their eyes while guys stand there, unsure what to do. Everyone, Order and Outcast, is completely distraught.

Aelita: Commandant, the nurse might not get here in time!

Moriarty: What would you have me do, Aelita? We can't do anything without adrenaline, and the nurse is the only one who has-

César: WAIT! Everyone turns to the Spanish prince. He suddenly gets up and taps on the windows of the classroom. ¡Felipe, Código 17! (Code 17)

In a split second, several muscular Spanish men break into the classroom. Felipe comes out with an epipen and immediately heads for César.

Felipe: Estámos aquí, Mi Señor. ¡Gabriel, mata la abeja que atacó al princípe! (We're here my lord. Gabriel, kill the bee that attacked the prince!)

César adamantly shakes his head and points to Lucas.

César: ¡No yo, el belga! (Not me, the Belgian!)

The security personnel then turn to Lucas and crowd around Moriarty.

Moriarty: Now wait a minute gentlemen, I think it would be best if you gave that to-

Without bothering to wait for Moriarty's instructions, Felipe sticks the epipen into Lucas' leg through his pants. He injects it and looks at Lucas' face, hoping desperately for some response. For a terrible couple of seconds the class holds its breath as Lucas' fate hangs in the balance. But miraculously Lucas starts to breathe again. A few anxious sighs of relief come from the students. At that moment, Herb returns with Yolanda and Jim, who is running faster than his heavy self would normally be able to do.

Yolanda: Oh thank God! You found an epipen!

Jim: OUT OF THE WAY! This man needs immediate medical attention!

Jim flings Lucas onto his shoulder (perhaps a tad bit too roughly) and runs out of the room with Yolanda. Immediately the room becomes abuzz with conversation. Moriarty claps his hands and walks to the front of the room.

Moriarty: CLASS! Quiet down! This is no time to forget discipline! Lucas will be fine, but you must not forget what this classroom….no what Kadic demands of you! SIT DOWN!

Reluctantly the class obeys. The Order members sit down, clearly shaken, but attempting to return to normalcy. The Outcasts, however, are not so calm. They nervously watch the clock, eager to get out of Moriarty's classroom. Tobias sits at a desk by himself, nervously playing with his thumbs. Odd sinks down into his chair, feeling sick to his stomach.

Ulrich: Was that what Moriarty was talking about?

Odd: Yep…

Every warrior except Jeremie huddles near the vending machines. Most of them lean on the wall of the building, thinking over what has happened. Ulrich exhales angrily through his nose and beats his fist against one of the machines.

Ulrich: He could have killed Lucas….just like that.

Aelita: He probably wanted to. He would've been able to get away with it.

Odd remains silent and taps his foot on the ground.

Yumi: This is definitely a challenge to us. She shakes her head. He knows that we are willing and prepared to suffer his wrath….but are we willing to let innocents suffer?

William: Not just innocents. There is more to this than that. Don't forget that Moriarty has already killed innocents. This is an attack on our allies, the ones who don't know the full truth.

Christophe: We can't win the war here in Kadic without them. Our need for supporters is greater on Earth than it is on Lyoko.

Ulrich: And Moriarty knows that too. That's why he's shifted tactics, making sure that our friends also get to feel his pain.

Natalya groans and curses Moriarty in Russian.

Natalya: Then what are we supposed to do? Back off a little bit to protect our allies here in Kadic?

Jeremie: I'm afraid that's not an option. Jeremie approaches the others with cellphone in hand. He ends a recent call and puts the phone into his pocket. Moriarty is already on the move elsewhere in France.

Christophe: What do you mean?

Jeremie: I just got off the phone with Patrick. You remember him?

Aelita: You mean your cousin who visited here once?

Jeremie: Yes. He goes to school in Rouen now, and he has told me that The Order has already spread to his school there.

Ulrich: What? Already?!

Jeremie: I'm afraid so. And to make matters worse, a student there has already been attacked.

A silent uneasiness passes from warrior to warrior as the news sinks in. A couple of them look absentmindedly at the ground, trying to appear calm.

Yumi: So…it's officially started.

Jeremie: Moriarty is firing on all cylinders now. We can't afford to not do the same.

Natalya: But-Natalya runs her fingers through her hair.-People like Lucas…how are we going to protect them?

Jeremie sighs.

Jeremie: I'm afraid we're going to have to accept some-

William: Guys, hold on a second. He taps Jeremie's shoulder and subtly points to the courtyard. Order members like Paul Gillaird and Mathias Burel watch from a distance. The two are separated from each other and appear to be innocently hanging out around campus, but the occasional stares they direct toward the warriors reveal their true intentions. We are being watched.

Odd looks in their direction. He finally speaks up.

Odd: Well no wonder. With all eight of us over here, we're bound to attract attention to ourselves.

Yumi: Ulrich and I will walk away. Maybe we'll draw away their attention.

Yumi grabs Ulrich's hand. A slightly flirtatious look passes between them.

Ulrich: Yeah and not to mention a couple separating from the group doesn't look too unusual.

Jeremie: Okay, we'll fill you in on anything important later.

Yumi and Ulrich walk away. Odd rolls his eyes.

Odd: 'Maybe we'll draw away their attention'. Yeah I'm sure that's the reason….

A couple of the warriors chuckle, but the humor dies quickly.

Jeremie: Back to business. As I've already mentioned, The Order is spreading rapidly, perhaps faster than we expected. But there is good news.

Odd crushes the soda can and throws it into the garbage.

Odd: Please explain to me how a rapidly spreading Order could possibly bring good news.

Jeremie: Simply put, as Moriarty's twisted ideology spreads, so do its opponents. I've already discussed the issue with Patrick and a girl friend of his named Jacqueline.

Odd: Wait, did you mean friend who happens to be a girl or a girl-

Jeremie: Odd…please focus. The point is that they are concerned with The Order. And they have agreed to help set up a chapter of the Outcasts there in Rouen.

The faces of the warriors brighten with the news of this happy surprise.

Christophe: So the Outcasts are ready to spread too?

Jeremie: Yes. We can't waste any more time. We have to go where The Order goes.

Aelita: But Jeremie, hold on a second. You can't just set up another chapter of the Outcasts on your own. You're not their leader. Jim is.

Jeremie: Very true. But-He adjusts his glasses- Jim may already be making his move.

William: What do you mean?

Jeremie: We kept silent about Moriarty and The Order's true intentions for some time, but now Moriarty's organization has caught Jim's attention. Delmas has apparently been poking around for him. He recently met with the principal of Lincoln over coffee. That principal complained about a new group on campus that has been causing faculty and students alike to turn on him. Delmas also has heard of a few fights in other schools around Paris and in the surrounding area. It fits the pattern. And to top it all of, Delmas has learned of an Order rally taking place in a park downtown.

William: Why would Moriarty throw a rally downtown when he could just have it here at Kadic?

Jeremie groans and rubs his forehead.

Jeremie: Have you not been listening? This rally is not just for Kadic. It's for everyone…He pauses as the warriors become more than slightly unnerved. That's right. Order members from all over the city might be coming to see him speak. And not just students and faculty…other random supporters will be there as well. His radio and talk show appearances have done their work….many people will be out there to see what he has to say.

Aelita gasps.

Aelita: If those listeners come to an Order rally-

Christophe: It will be a perfect opportunity for The Order to recruit them!

Jeremie solemnly nods.

Jeremie: And so the masses will start to gather to banner of The Order. Needless to say, Jim knows this. His next meeting will involve the Outcasts' counterattack.

Christophe pumps his fist in the air.

Christophe: Alright! It's about time!

William: We could use some more people coming to our banner.

Jeremie: Exactly. That's why we can't afford to back off now. Not on Lyoko and not on Earth.

Natalya pipes up, eager to address this particular part.

Natalya: But Lucas…and others caught in the crossfire. What about them?

Jeremie: What happened to Lucas….was terrible….But the battle lines are already being drawn. I hate to admit this but…Jeremie's face suddenly hardens with resolve…we can not allow danger to our allies stop us from going forward. Things like what happened today….may already be inevitable.

The warriors become quiet as they swallow this difficult truth.

Odd: Jeremie's right. We can't avoid what's coming. Even if we win, Moriarty will not go down quietly. People will get hurt.

Another round of silence.

Jeremie: So….are we clear about what this means….for us and for the Outcasts?

Aelita: Yes…She folds her arms across her chest…I just have one question. How did you know all about Jim's plans? Did he tell you all that?

Jeremie: Oh-Jeremie scratches the back of his head.-that…well…He furtively avoids the warriors' questioning looks…you know I trust Jim but…I needed to check on what he was doing and what he was planning. I had to make sure he didn't make a move too early so I kinda…Jeremie looks at the ground…bugged his room.

Aelita: You did WHAT?!

Yumi: You've been listening in on his Outcast plans?

Jeremie: And other…unintentional things. But I'd rather not talk about it…

William shakes his head and laughs.

William: I suppose you thought it was justified considering what the stakes are?

Jeremie: Yes I do. He backs up and lifts his hands in a pose of innocence. We are only talking about the fate of the free world here…my apologies if I have to do a few questionable things to make it happen.

Odd gives Jeremie a sarcastically questioning look.

Odd: Exactly how questionable?

Jeremie: Questionable within reason….Seeing that the warriors aren't satisfied with his answer, Jeremie checks a watch that doesn't exist…Oh…time for class already? Oh well, time to go!

He runs off.

Aelita: You're not getting off the hook that easily!

Jeremie disappears from sight. Odd turns to face the others.

Odd: Anyone else think Jeremie has gone to 'General Mode' again?

Everyone shakes their heads in agreement.

Odd: Good…thought it was just me.

At an undisclosed location, a man silently watches TV in a dark room. The screen lights up enough of the room to make his face visible. He is burly man, most likely in his sixties, who has an emerging bald spot on his head. A slim man in a black business suit approaches him from behind. He firmly rests his hand on the back of the older man's chair.

Victor: We cannot wait any longer sir.

The man in the chair merely blinks in response.

Victor: Sir, we cannot allow him to let him run amuck with impunity. This madness has to end.

Director: I agree…

Victor: Then why haven't you done anything?

The Director shrugs.

Director: Who's to say I haven't done anything? He motions to the TV screen, where an old rerun of a talk show featuring Moriarty plays on low volume. I've already made things difficult for him.

Victor clenches his teeth.

Victor: Sir, with all due respect…

Director: You call working day and night to protect military equipment from Renard to be a trivial thing? What about our firewall updates? How is that not important? And making our communications secure…do you think that was easy? What about the president? Have you forgotten about him?

Victor: You left him vulnerable…

Director: No. I saved him. After Morel's death, I couldn't take any chances. You know that removing our agents and filling the Secret Service with people who know nothing of our organization was the only way to prevent Sarkozy from being caught in the crossfire. We can't allow him to be at risk in case of our…

The Director's voice trails off. Victor looks at him questioningly.

Victor: In case of what?

The Director folds his hands together and places them over his mouth. He shuts his eyes.

Director: Our…extermination.

The room becomes silent for a while. Victor's grip on the back of the chair tightens.

Victor: Sir, if we are to avoid that, we have to go on the offensive. This man…..no I can't call him a man. Not after that little incident on the island. Even with that grainy satellite image we had the sight was still terrifying. He…he is a monster. He must be killed NOW.

Director: Then please enlighten me Victor…how does one kill a god?

Victor holds his chin up high.

Victor: He is not a god. He can still be killed.

Director: He can kill us far easier than we can kill him.

Victor turns around and paces. He breathes sharply and slams his fist against a back table.

Victor: And you would rather trust those kids to handle it?!

Director: Those kids…have given him a run for his money.

Victor: THOSE KIDS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ARRESTED!

The Director gets out of his chair and confronts Victor.

Director: FOR WHAT?! So we could create more monsters like Renard?! We've already seen what happens when we ruthlessly hunt our enemies. And I don't plan on letting it happen again! He turns around and shakes his head. Besides, we can't get within a kilometer of Kadic without getting killed. Better to do what we can on our end.

Victor: And what are we doing on our end besides hiding?

The Director mutes the TV. He tosses the remote onto the chair and shakes his index finger at Victor.

Director: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Now that his little bandwagon is spreading, we can expose his abuses. I've already set up some agents in these schools that are working as substitute teachers. Once we get enough information to damage him, we will make sure the government and media outlets know of-

Victor: Your goal is the PRESS?!

Director: Victor, keep in mind that he needs a following. If we can rob him of that then-

Victor turns his back and walks toward the door.

Victor: I've heard enough…

Director: Victor!-Victor stops at the door-You may not agree with me on this. You may think I'm wrong. I accept that. But…His voice becomes very stern…I order you to stand down. Do not take matters into your own hands, or you will be playing right into his.

Victor turns around and salutes the Director, masking his strong resentment.

Victor: Yes sir.

Director: Good. Now get out.

Victor obeys. He slips into a dimly lit hallway. As he rounds the corner, he checks the hall cameras. When they shift away from his direction, he enters another room. The room is dark, windowless, and bare. The only thing in the room is a large wooden chest. Victor approaches the chest and opens it. Inside the chest is a black, modern sniper rifle. Victor quickly takes the gun apart and places the parts in a briefcase. Then he slips out the door, making sure not to be seen by the other agents.

Early in the afternoon in downtown Paris, a crowd gathers in a small park. The surrounding area is a commercial district that bustles with normal business activity. But in that small park, the normal disappears. The green open spaces become seas of black and purple. Students from several different schools greet each other warmly, happy to salute these new comrades for the first time. Faculty from these schools talk with adults who have come to witness the affair. Some are put off by the strange intensity of The Order, but some smile with fascination at the display. As the crowd grows, a black car pulls up close to a stage at the front. The Order and other supporters burst into cheering when Moriarty emerges out of the passenger seat. Moriarty waves a polite greeting. Some come up to shake his hand, but several Order members encourage them to keep their distance. Gustave Chardin exits the driver's side door, avoiding the attention of the crowd. He carries a long and thin object in brown wrapping paper. He casually glances around for a familiar face in the crowd.

Emmanuel: Mr. Chardin…

Chardin turns around to see Emmanuel, Herb, Angeline, and Mathias approach them. The five exchange a brief salute.

Emmanuel: Do you have what we asked for?

Chardin smiles and hands the object over to him.

Chardin: As promised…

Emmanuel quickly unwraps the object. He reaches his hand into the mess of paper and pulls out a large black flag. With a flick of his wrist, Emmanuel unfurls the flag. The four stare at the flag in stunned silence. It is a beautifully crafted flag with the deep royal purple insignia of The Order. Emmanuel waves the flag a few times. The rush of the movement, the feeling of the flag in his hands brings a fire to his eyes. He grins from ear to ear.

Emmanuel: Oh, I'm going to have fun with this.

Herb: Hang on…Herb grabs the flagpole. He gives Emmanuel a dirty look. Who said you get to wave the flag?

Emmanuel yanks the flag back in his direction.

Emmanuel: Renard has given me special authority in The Order. When it comes to the 10th grade, I'm his main man.

Herb: So what? I'm his main man in the 9th grade…

Emmanuel and Herb glare at each other for a moment, but Chardin claps his hands to make them back off.

Chardin: Gentlemen, gentlemen….this is not the way for people of The Order to behave. Renard does not hold favorites in The Order. We are all equal. Whoever waves the flag does not do it on his own behalf. He does it for all of us. And besides…He points to the flag…Remember that this is the first of many…

Moriarty steps onto the stage that has been set up for the occasion. Another round of applause greets him. Emmanuel waves the flag, gaining the attention of several people around him. Moriarty nods slightly in the direction of Emmanuel. Moriarty assumes his position behind the podium. All eyes turn on him, both admirers and curious onlookers alike. He waves to the crowd again. He drops his hand, and the crowd becomes quiet. Moriarty attaches both hands to the sides of the podium and begins to speak.

Moriarty: Good afternoon, and thank you for coming. Before I begin, I would like to thank the 7th arrondissement council for approving this meeting. And of course…He motions to the food tables in the back…we simply must thank the people at Gaston's Deli for catering. A cheer goes out for the good food. Yes…don't treat such kindness lightly. It's the small support that counts. It's the little help that can make something small become very…very big. And, ladies of gentlemen of Paris –His tone becomes very serious- what you see before you today will become very big indeed. It's no secret now. I did not accept the national spotlight without reason. No, I am not so selfish. I wanted to improve France. I started with my own school. I took a school with faltering grades and collapsing discipline, and started a revolution. Our grades are skyrocketing and now Kadic Academy runs like a well-oiled machine. Almost every day I see negative articles in the paper, claiming that our young generations keep getting dumber and more self-centered. Citizens of Paris, look around you. These students, do they seem to fit that description? Absolutely not. They are organized, disciplined, and most importantly, driven. They have discovered that it is better to live for something larger than themselves, as I have. And I say you can too. He takes a pause. France continues to languish in an economic recession we can avoid. Our unemployment rate, as you well know, is not improving. We continue to lose national sovereignty to inefficient politicians in the EU. We continue to lose leverage in world affairs. We continue to suffer and fall behind other nations in education, our country's future. People of France, we don't have to go through this. I started The Order to bring change to the youth and education of this country. But I do not think we should stop there. The youth of the Order were meant to be the vanguard of this movement. I want to take this revolution from the classroom and into the hearts and minds of every French man and woman who believes in a stronger France! Several people start to cheer when they hear this. Many have criticized my methods. My enemies on the Left are growing. They have called us troublemakers, right-wing radicals, and even fascists. That word….fascist…haunts the memory of many people in Europe and the world. History strongly disagrees with fascism. But history often is selective. Everyone knows about the terrible atrocities of Hitler and Mussolini, but has anyone bothered to look elsewhere for the legacy of fascism? In the 1930s, when all the stuff I had mentioned was going on, a very different approach was taking place among a group of people in Brazil known as the Integralists. They were, in many ways, stereotypical fascists. But they were not racist. Brazil was and still is a very ethnically diverse country. So their approach did not involve prejudice. In fact their own slogan was: 'Union of all races and all peoples'. Their verbal salute,"Anauê!" meant, "You are my brother!". Many of these so called fascists were very different from each other racially and economically. But they believed in a singular vision for their country, grounded in the idea of unity in spite of differences. People of France, I ask, what is so wrong with that picture? And again I ask, what is wrong with this picture? I offer, no, The Order offers you a better future. One which will revitalize our nation's infrastructure and bring out a nationalism that you have never seen. More applause. One which will restore the meaning and pride of being a French citizen.

As Moriarty continues with his speech, Victor sets up a sniper position on the roof of a nearby building. He trains his sights on Moriarty's head. A slight grin materializes on his face.

Victor: I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut your little party short. His finger moves near the trigger. No one escapes Les Invisibles…

At that moment, a news truck pulls up to observe the affair. The satellite antenna and dish on the truck obscure Victor's shot. He curses and eases off the trigger.

Victor: I'm going to have to wait for him to be done for his speech.

Moriarty continues to enthrall his audience.

Moriarty: ….So I say, if wanting to end corruption is fascist, if the desire to reform our education makes me fascist, if the desire to bring out national unity and put our burdensome bureaucracy to death makes me a fascist, then by God….He throws his hands up in the air...Then I guess I am fascist! At this point, the ground breaks into thunderous applause. Join me…Join us…and I promise you that together we will bring about a France the likes of which the world has never seen!

Moriarty ends his speech and the crowd roars with approval. At this moment, reporters try to crowd around him, but Moriarty ducks away. He quickly joins Chardin and they enter the black car they came in when they arrived. Chardin begins to pull the car around. Victor locks on to Moriarty in the passenger seat. His finger returns to the trigger.

Victor: I've got you this time Renard.

Back in the car, as the crowd continues to wave at them from a distance, Chardin and Moriarty begin to have light conversation.

Chardin: That was inspiring! Profound! Commandant, if I may be so bold, you have a way with words.

Moriarty shrugs.

Moriarty: I was just telling them what they needed to hear.

Chardin: But it was incredible. Why, at the next rally, I expect there to be-

A shot rings out, and the world stops. Panic erupts in the park after the shot hits the windshield and pierces Moriarty's head. People fly in all directions, completely shocked by what has happened. In the car, Moriarty's head pours out gray ooze, and he struggles to get up from the seat. In the midst of the panic, his gray wound begins to heal, but glass shards have hit his face. Moriarty rises and looks to his driver.

Moriarty: Char-Chardin?

Moriarty's eyes widen. Chardin is dead, his head covered in blood. Moriarty quickly realizes that the bullet intended for him passed through his head and killed his companion. Moriarty's head swims. He reaches toward his forehead. He concentrates, and the gray blood coming from the small glass shards becomes blood red in appearance. He stares out the broken window. He sees a black figure holding what seems to be a gun. He zooms in with camera like eyes. He sees that the figure is a very confused man dressed in a black suit and sunglasses. Back on the roof, Victor drops his gun in stunned shock as Moriarty exits the car, looking right at him.

Victor: Im..Im..Impossible! I DIDN'T MISS! How can he be alive?!

Moriarty glares at him with murderous eyes. Victor starts to sweat. His hand shakes and he drops his gun. He begins to run for the exit. Moriarty sees this and hobbles across the park, his mind intent on one thing and one thing only. Some of the people at the rally notice this and stare in wonder.

Onlooker 1: Look! HE'S ALIVE!

Onlooker 2: Dr. Renard, are you alright?!

Moriarty doesn't respond but keeps walking.

Onlooker 1: Dr. Renard, do you need an ambul-

Moriarty: NO! JUST MOVE!

The onlookers obey and leave him alone. Moriarty crosses the street. He approaches the building and looks around. At the back of the building, he sees a man exit into the alley and start to flee. Moriarty electrocutes the runner without hesitation. Sure enough, Victor, the intended target, goes down. Victor stays conscious long enough to see the menacing figure stand over him and feel his body being dragged away.

Victor wakes up, abruptly and with great confusion. The room is dark, and his hands are chained above his head. He struggles, only to realize that he is hanging in midair. Even more disturbing, he finds that two metal prongs are attached to his bare chest. The prongs are attached to wires, but he can't see where they are leading. Victor groans and starts calling for help.

Victor: He-Hello? Is anyone there?...I need help!

Moriarty: I wouldn't bother to cry for help. A frightened Victor searches in the direction of the mysterious voice. As his eyes adjust, he makes out the image of Moriarty sitting in a chair near the wall. He is tapping his foot against the floor slowly and gleefully. I made sure to find a very…isolated place. No one can hear you call for help….or scream.

Victor starts violently struggling in his restraints. He frantically looks around, searching for any possible means of freeing himself. Moriarty laughs and slowly gets up.

Moriarty: Stop wasting energy. You aren't going anywhere. Moriarty turns on a switch. A light appears right above Victor. He winces from the light. Moriarty walks into the light. The scars from his face are still present. They look menacing in the fluorescent light. In fact, you aren't leaving this room alive.

Victor turns away, trying to register what he has just been told.

Victor: Go ahead and kill me. I'm prepared to die for my country.

Moriarty shakes his head sadly. He mockingly pats Victor on the head. Victor cringes from the touch.

Moriarty: You poor….stupid…stupid man. You don't understand that things are far more complicated than that. I don't want to kill you straightaway. Moriarty moves to the wall. He flips another switch. An electrical current runs into Victor's chest. He shakes violently and lets out a high-pitched scream. Moriarty smiles with sickening malice. I want you to tell me where the others are…SO I CAN KILL THEM TOO!

The shock stops. Victor breathes heavily. His eyes are crazed with fear and pain. He looks down at the floor.

Victor: I…will never tell.

Moriarty: Hmm…sorry wrong answer.

Victor becomes the victim of another painful shock. He howls in terrible pain. Moriarty makes this shock last slightly longer than the first. During the screaming, Moriarty calmly whistles a tune to himself. Finally Moriarty turns it off. Victor is gasping, breathing sporadically. His face, though ashen, remains resolute.

Victor: I've been trained…to resist torture. Another shock and round of screaming. He takes a few seconds to recover. You are wasting….your time.

Moriarty: Funny thing about pain though…it breaks everyone at some point. Everyone has their limits. He looks at him and sighs. Even you…

Victor spits at him.

Victor: Do your worst. You'll be waiting a long time.

Moriarty: Oh I can wait. He taps the wall. I've rigged this room to run on a timer. You will be shocked in rather nasty intervals. The current will vary so that it doesn't overwhelm your poor heart and kill you too soon. And I'm recording everything here…so I can be informed when you crack, even if I am teaching class. Oh…He rubs his hands together…and I can listen to your screams whenever you want. There's that too.

Victor is speechless. He hangs there, like a body already dead. He begins shaking violently with unspeakable fear. His breathing escalates to the point of hyperventilation. He then begins to whimper. Moriarty grabs his coat and heads toward the exit.

Moriarty: Well, I hate to be rude, but I must be going. An electric shock makes Victor let out a terrifying scream. Moriarty doesn't even flinch as he walks out the door. Remember…this can stop any time. Just give me what I want….and I will let you die…

Back at Kadic, a meeting of the Outcasts convenes in the safety of the basement of the science building. Jim addresses the crowd with an authoritative but reasonable tone.

Jim: Given the latest developments at Rouen and with the rally and all, it has become necessary for the Outcasts to spread to other schools. Some people react with surprise at this. That's right. We cannot fight The Order on our own. If we don't follow their lead, then we might as well give up. And I…never give up! I've already been in contact with some students and faculty at Lycée Jeanne d'Arc, and they have agreed to join us in our quest to end The Order's tyranny once and for all.

Mrs. Hertz stands up.

Mrs. Hertz: But that would imply that we are willing to bring this fight to a national level. That was not our original intent. Jim…surely you're joking.

Jim: I rarely joke Suzanne, but when I do….the jokes are usually terrible.

Reilley: Mrs. Hertz does have a point Jim. Many people here did not sign up for this. Fighting The Order at Kadic is one thing. Fighting on a large scale…why just imagine the chaos! Things could get out of hand.

Jim folds his arms across his chest.

Jim: Things are already out of hand.

Mrs. Hertz: And how exactly do you define 'out of hand'?

Léon bursts into the meeting. He rushes up the center aisle, nearly tripping over the chairs and himself. He is panting and there is an incredible wildness to his eyes. He rushes up to Jim and grabs his jacket.

Léon: The rally….Downtown….Renard….Gunfire!...Chardin!…..DEL I SANDWICHES!

Jim: Whoa…slow down there Léon…what in the world are you talking about?!

Léon takes some deep breaths and tries to calm himself. He rubs his forehead.

Léon: At the rally….after Renard's speech, there was gunfire.

The meeting suddenly becomes as quiet as an empty church. They stare at Léon, already sensing that his words are about to let all Hell break loose. Léon looks at the crowd and swallows.

Léon: Mr. Chardin is….dead. The Outcasts gasp and scream in shock. Léon shouts over the crowd. He was killed!

The meeting breaks out into pandemonium. Jim tries desperately to restore order, but it is to no avail. Delmas becomes deathly pale. Sissi checks on her father, worried that the shock may be too much for him. Reilley shouts and stamps his feet.

Reilley: QUIET! Let Léon speak! We need to know more!

The Outcasts follow the orders of their second-in-command and settle down. Léon twitches nervously, feeling the pressure on him mount.

Léon: I honestly don't know much…but apparently when Renard and Chardin were leaving the rally, someone shot at the car. I think the target was Renard, but Chardin was killed.

Jim: What about Renard?

Léon: Some people say they saw him stagger out of the car, but no one has heard of him since. He's vanished.

The pandemonium increases. Delmas stands up, and then promptly starts to faint. He collapses on the front row. People scream and rush to his side. Sissi shakes her father.

Sissi: Daddy! Daddy what's wrong?!

Delmas moans.

Delmas: Water….I need water please.

Jim: Someone fetch water for Mr. Delmas…He looks at the crowd...And everyone calm down for a second!

In the midst of the chaos, the warriors sit silently in their seats, just as stunned as everyone else. Natalya grabs William's forearm.

Natalya: Moriarty…is…is he really dead?

William: No….couldn't be.

Jeremie rests his hand on his forehead, looking increasingly paler. Aelita touches him on the shoulder.

Aelita: Jeremie?

Jeremie: No…we're never that lucky. William's fight leveled an island and he still couldn't kill him. Moriarty is definitely not dead.

Ulrich: Then who did this? It certainly wasn't us.

Christophe grunts in disgust.

Christophe: I bet Moriarty wanted to take one of his own people out.

Yumi shakes her head.

Yumi: That makes no sense. Why kill Chardin….one of his own supporters?

Jeremie: No, Yumi's right. Moriarty didn't do this. This was the work of a third party.

Aelita's eyes widen.

Aelita: The government agents?!

Jeremie solemnly nods.

Jeremie: Most likely. And in their haste to get rid of him they killed Chardin instead.

Odd: A casualty at the school, my God-He puts his face in his hands and moans. He leans forward in his chair.-I don't even want to think about what The Order are going to do.

A sharp pain hits his head. Odd grimaces.

Ulrich: Odd, are you okay?

Odd: No…it's…I feel Moriarty's presence. He's very much alive and...

Jeremie: And what?

Odd looks at the floor.

Odd: There's a rage there. A deep one. One that I've never felt from him before. It's like a pressure boiler about to explode.

The warriors become quiet, looking at each other gravely. Meanwhile Jim claps his hands to get everyone's attention.

Jim: Enough already! Everybody listen up. I think we should adjourn this meeting and head upstairs. The sooner we get out of here and check out this situation for ourselves, the sooner we can resolve it.

Léon feebly raises his hand.

Léon: I wouldn't do that…

Jim: Oh…and why not?

Léon: The Order is out in the courtyard, and they're raising hell. They're out there ripping our posters and burning them! The last thing they want to see is us.

Isabel stands up.

Isabel: Léon's right. We should probably lie low for an hour or so. Wait for them to cool down.

Tobias: I am in no mood to hide down here. No way.

César stands up. His recent addition to the Outcasts garners far more attention than the ordinary member.

César: I agree with the American. We can't show any signs of weakness. Besides, how bad can it be?

Outside, a pile of posters are dumped in a metal trash can and burned. Order members pass by and spit in the fire. They then begin to cluster together in the courtyard around Emmanuel, Herb, and Angeline. They shout at them, demanding answers. A few of the people present cry. Some are just generally confused. Emmanuel and the two others do their best to calm everyone down.

Emmanuel: Order! ORDER! This is no way for The Order to behave!

Herb: Everyone calm down! Everything will be fine.

Some of The Order members start to heckle them.

Paul: Fine?! How can anything be fine?! The Commandant might be dead!

Angeline: You don't know that for sure.

Thomas: But neither do you!

Mathias breaks through the crowd and tries to get everyone's attention.

Mathias: Yes but I do! I saw him! Eyes lock onto him when he says this. That's right. I saw him hobble out of the car and leave. I tried to help him but he walked off.

Emmanuel: You hear that? Commandant Renard is alive.

Johnny and Hiroki, who are on the outskirts of the crowd, decide to speak up.

Johnny: Then where is he now?

Hiroki: Yeah, he was alive when you say him last, but how do we know he's alive now? Order members begin to argue on this point. No one's heard from him at all.

Emmanuel: Don't…don't listen to them. They're just seventh graders. They don't know what they're talking about.

Hiroki: But the Commandant-

Emmanuel: Be quiet and let the older members handle this!

Hiroki folds his arms across his chest.

Hiroki: Hey, I may be a seventh grader, but I'm just as much a part of The Order as you are.

Herb threateningly approaches Hiroki, looking down on him through his thick glasses.

Herb: When an older Order member tells you to be quiet, you obey, got it?

Herb's glare intimidates Johnny, who sneaks behind Hiroki. But Hiroki matches Herb with a stare of barely concealed defiance.

Hiroki: Yes….sir…

Emmanuel: So to make myself completely clear, Commandant Renard is alive. I don't know where he is, but he is alive.

Paul: And do you have the slightest idea when we'll hear from him?

Angeline: Look! There he is!

All eyes turn to the front gate. In the fading afternoon sunlight, a figure hobbles up the walkway. His clothes are disheveled and there are still scars on his face, but there is no mistaking who he is. Moriarty slowly approaches his group of followers, who stare at him completely baffled. He moves through the crowd, gently pushing people aside. He approaches the trio, who are enraptured with his surprise appearance. Moriarty looks around and shrugs.

Moriarty: What? You didn't think the subversive elements in this country could get rid of me that easily, did you?

A loud cheer resonates in the courtyard.

As the sun begins to set, a tree in the woods is pierced by two arrows. Its blonde assailant, Natalya, surveys the damage from several meters away. She gets on her knees and looks at the arrows from a different angle. She then retrieves the arrows from the bark.

Natalya: A little low…

She returns to her original position. A cold chill in the air makes her shiver. She puts on a gray light jacket.

Natalya: The temperature's starting to drop. She picks up her bow and notches another arrow. She draws the bow back, slowly and carefully, until the bow forms almost a perfect triangle. She aims for a small brown circle in the bark. She finds her target and takes in a deep breath. She releases, and the arrow lands centimeters away from her target. Pretty good….I guess. But on Lyoko I might not get that margin of error.

Natalya's ears pick up a rustling in the trees. She turns around, clutching her bow tightly.

Natalya: Who's there?

William emerges from the bushes. Natalya instantly relaxes, but William doesn't seem so calm.

William: Natalya, what are you doing out here?

Natalya: What does it look like? Natalya strings up another arrow. She fires. The arrow lands several centimeters to the right of her first arrow. Practicing. I can't go back into Lyoko totally clueless again. Luckily Jim let me borrow some of the school's old archery equipment.

William: Well that's great but-Natalya fires another arrow while William talks-but Jeremie didn't want us wandering around Kadic and the woods without good reason. Things on campus are still really tense. No doubt The Order is just looking for an excuse to start something.

Natalya pulls her bow back and shuts her left eye.

Natalya: If they have a problem with me out here, they can tell it to my face.

William: It's not just The Order…The arrow fires…we still don't know what Moriarty is planning right now. He's just suffered a huge humiliation from us and an assassination attempt. Jeremie has a hunch that Moriarty might not be too rational right now. And you know who is immediately targeted when he's not acting rational: us.

Natalya: You can't live in fear all the time. She turns around and gives him an innocent smile. Besides, when's the last time anything bad has happened to me?

William raises an eyebrow. He rolls his eyes.

William: Oh gee…I wonder.

Natalya: Ancient history.

William: My concussion would beg to differ.

Natalya: Oh….did you forget where you put your jacket again for the thousandth time? I thought you had fully recovered.

William: Yeah…well regardless, pardon me for being a little concerned for your safety.

Natalya notches an arrow. She has a smirk look on her face.

Natalya: How sweet…She fires and the arrow lands high above her intended target. Oh that was terrible. The tiger would have eaten me by now!

Natalya grunts and picks up another arrow. She aims again, but it is clear that her latest failure has messed with her head. Her hands are unsteady, which causes the bow to shake. Natalya squints and tries to force her shot. But before she shoots, Natalya feels two strong hands touch her shoulders.

William: Relax your shoulders. You're way too tense.

Natalya's naturally pale face begins to turn a little red. A wave of embarrassment washes over her, but William's touch does allow her to relax. She aims again, and lets the arrow go. The arrow hits the target flawlessly. Natalya stares in amazement.

William: You did it!

Natalya: Yeah…I guess I did.

William: You'll give Moriarty's monsters a run for their money with skill like that.

Natalya: Or you….She gives him a tauntingly threatening look…if you ever think of cheating on me.

William: Oh boy…does romance always have to have the threat of violence?

Natalya drops her bow and approaches William. Her hands move up to the collar of his jacket.

Natalya: Love and war. They're basically the same thing. Especially in Russia.

William laughs at the joke and pulls Natalya close to him for a deep kiss. Back at Kadic, Jeremie is hard at work at his desk. He pauses for a moment and stares at the computer pensively.

Jeremie: Okay this encryption looks like a double helix, so I'm guessing the keys of entry lie in the structure of virtualized DNA. Deoxyribose particles would go there, and then adenine would go there…An error exclamation point goes off…Okay scratch that, it must be guanine. Another exclamation point. Jeremie lowers his head in exasperation. Organic cyber translation gives me such a headache. The super scan goes off. Jeremie suddenly perks up. And speaking of headaches…now we have an activated tower.

While William and Natalya kiss, William's phone starts to ring.

William: Their timing is truly amazing…

Natalya: Ignore it.

They keep kissing. This time, Natalya's phone rings.

William: You've got to be kidding me.

Natalya: I don't think Jeremie's fooling around. She breaks away for him for a second. It might be really important.

William: Can it not wait like…ten seconds?

Shadows crawl out from the trees. They start to form a circle around the pair and grow into fully formed specters. William and Natalya react with complete surprise to the ambush. They stand back to back.

Natalya: Apparently not. Natalya answers her phone. Jeremie?...Yeah we noticed. We could use a hand over here, and fast.

William's hands become electrified.

William: I've been through worse. Natalya….get down. I'll blow these guys to-His head starts to spin.-uh….oh boy not now.

Natalya: Apparently your concussion still doesn't go well with your Xana powers. The specters begin to tighen the circle. Natalya's voice becomes strained. She presses her phone to her ear. So uh…about that help…

Jeremie puts his shoes on while the computer continues to go off.

Jeremie: Some of the others are already on their way to help you. Don't worry- He rushes to the door-we'll get rid of this tower as soon as-The super scan suddenly stops beeping. Jeremie turns around. The tower is no longer activated-what in the world?

Back in the woods, the approaching specters suddenly disappear. William and Natalya look at each other in confusion. They remain defensive and alert.

Natalya: Um…is that a new record for you guys or something?

William: No no….something isn't right here.

Odd: BONZAI! Odd and Christophe burst out of the tree, wielding two large sticks. William, Natalya run while we….Odd looks around. Christophe drops his stick….distract them? Odd puts his hands on his hips with a look of disappointment. Hello, where's the welcoming committee?

William: We were wondering the same thing.

Odd scratches his chin.

Odd: Moriarty…must have called off his own attack.

Natalya: Why would he do that?

Christophe: Maybe he decided he didn't want to bother with a fight today.

Odd shakes his head. He frowns and looks off to the side.

Odd: No….most everything Moriarty does has a purpose. He wouldn't willingly give up without good reason….something isn't right here.

A couple of hours later, Christophe sits on a bench in the boys' locker room. He is shirtless with a towel around his neck, evidence of him having just gotten out of the shower. His usual assortment of music assaults his ears through his headphones. Christophe leans his head back and sighs.

Christophe: What a day…He stretches…a workout is definitely what I needed.

He stands up and opens his locker. As he fishes his shirt out, Bastien Roux comes around the corner. He runs in Christophe's direction, looking over his shoulder the entire time.

Bastien: Oh boy….am I in trouble!

Christophe: What are you talking about?

Bastien: Mathieu and Henri apparently didn't appreciate my sarcasm….The doors to the locker room slam open. Bastien cringes…because now they're here to pound me!

Sure enough, Mathieu and Henri round the corner, looking ready to inflict a beating. But when they see Christophe and Bastien together, they hesitate. Christophe smirks and tightens his fist.

Christophe: What's the matter? Christophe takes the towel off his neck and begins twisting it in his hands. You lost or something?

Christophe's insult strengthens their resolve. They approach their opponents.

Mathieu: We're here to teach some Outcasts some manners.

Henri: I've been itching to do this again.

Christophe: Likewise.

The fight begins. Christophe flings his towel at Henri, who smarts from the blow and then rips the towel out of his hand. Mathieu punches but Bastien blocks it and kicks him in the shin. Mathieu grimaces in pain. Bastien begins to mock him.

Bastien: You Frenchies don't know how to fight. Both of you would get your butts handed to you back in Cameroon.

Henri manages to hit Christophe in the stomach. He turns his attention back to Bastien.

Henri: If you love it there so much, why don't you go back to where you came from?!

Henri grabs a shoe that had been lying on the floor and hits Bastien. The surprise allows both of them to jump on their victim. Bastien tries to fight back, but he can't handle both of them at the same time. Christophe, having recovered from the punch, moves back into action. He kicks Mathieu in the back of the knee and grabs Henri's forearm.

Christophe: Bastien run!

Bastien gets up and quickly complies with Christophe's request. Henri wrenches his hand free from Christophe's grasp. Christophe backs up as the two begin to gang up on him.

Mathieu: You shouldn't have sent your little buddy away.

Henri: Now you're alone here with us.

Christophe backs up against a wall of lockers. His face remains steadfastly confident in spite of the odds.

Christophe: Come on…you two aren't that much of a challenge. Before the others can reply to this, two specters leak out of the walls. They creep along the floor behind the duo and overshadow them. Mathieu and Henri struggle for a few moments, but they quickly become possessed. They turn and glare at Christophe with a stronger hate than they had before. Christophe nervously swallows. Although that might change things a little.

In the cafeteria, the warriors minus Christophe have dinner. The dining room is mostly empty. Those present seem to be still shaken by the day's events. The warriors eat in silence. Or at least they would like to; Odd's loud munching of his food makes it rather difficult. Gradually the ugly stares he gets at the table begins to increase. Jeremie finally breaks the silence.

Jeremie: Odd, are you capable of eating like a human being and not say….a carnivore?

Odd swallows and wipes his face.

Odd: Don't judge. I'm just in touch with my animal instincts. It's part of my survival skills.

Jeremie's laptop beeps under the table. Jeremie reaches into his bag.

Jeremie: What? Again?

Yumi: What is he up to this time?

Return to the locker room. Christophe warily looks for the exit, seeing if there is any possibility of escape. He judges that he has a chance and makes a break for it.

Christophe: Nice try Moriarty, but you can't outrun a black guy! Mathieu electrocutes Christophe. He goes down hard and moans. Hey…that's cheating…

Henri steps on Christophe's bare back. Mathieu violently jerks Christophe's head up. Henri's fingers become electrified as they reach for Christophe's face. Christophe trembles and closes his eyes, bracing for the blow. But at that moment, Moriarty leaves their bodies. Mathieu and Henri faint. Mathieu somewhat rudely lands on top of Christophe. Christophe quickly shoves him off.

Christophe: I like my personal space…thank you. He looks at the two unconscious Order members. He scratches his head. What was the point of that?

In the sewers on the way to the factory, the beeping of the laptop stops. Jeremie stops running and checks it. The warriors stop and turn.

William: It happened again?

Jeremie: Yes. Jeremie closes his laptop. Moriarty has cried wolf again.

Several hours later, Jeremie and Aelita talk in their pajamas in Jeremie's room. Jeremie sits in his chair, tapping his chin, while Aelita leans against his dresser.

Jeremie: A series of attacks and retreats. Xana has done this before. What could Moriarty be doing?

Aelita: Maybe the exact thing Xana did. Lure us into a false sense of security.

Jeremie taps his fingers on his knee.

Jeremie: Yes…or just torment us before launching his big attack. Odd told us he's angry. And when he's angry to the point that he can't be rational…or rational within his normal definition, then things can get very…messy. He's suffered a terrible humiliation by us and has just survived an assassination attempt. That's a perfect formula for retaliation.

Aelita: If that's his goal, then why drag it out? Why wait for us to suffer more?

Jeremie: It's more fun for him to toy with his victims before he brings down the crushing blow. Moriarty wants revenge but he wants to savor it, to make it all the more rewarding when he actually goes through with it.

Aelita faces Jeremie. He looks at the floor, darting away from her gaze. Air passes sharply in and out of his noce. His expression becomes sickened and pale. His hands move toward his stomach. Aelita walks up to him.

Aelita: You're scared, aren't you?

Jeremie winces as he rubs his stomach with both hands.

Jeremie: Yes. I am very scared. To the point that it's making me…nauseous.

Aelita rests her hand on his. She lightly runs her fingers over his palm.

Aelita: Your hand is so cold….are you alright?

Jeremie closes his eyes but he puts her hand in his. He pulls her a little closer to him, indicating that he doesn't want to let go.

Jeremie: I'm getting too old for this.

Aelita: But, you're not even sixteen yet.

Jeremie: Lyoko has taken enough years of my lifespan to make me an old man at this point.

Aelita: Moriarty is just taunting us Jeremie. We need to stay calm or we will play right into his hands.

Jeremie keeps his eyes shut and sits in silence for a few moments.

Jeremie: Maybe you're right. We might not even be his target right now. He might be after the agent who tried to kill him. I mean, we know enough from Odd's dreams to know that Moriarty and the agents never…He suddenly stops, realizing he has crossed into forbidden territory….uh I mean…

Aelita turns around and wanders a few feet away from him. She lets out a big sigh.

Aelita: Jeremie, I've been thinking.

Jeremie: About what?

Aelita: About Odd's dreams. I've decided it's best that I fill in the gaps from my old life. Jeremie shifts uncomfortably in his seat as Aelita continues. I won't like it, but it will haunt me if I don't know the whole truth.

Jeremie's pulse increases. He subtly scoots his chair in between the computer and Aelita as the conversation proceeds to go in the wrong direction.

Jeremie: Aelita, remember what I-

Aelita: I do remember. And I do want to know. I want to know what happened to my parents, especially my mother.

Jeremie: Odd's dreams haven't given us anything definitive about what happened to your mother after the-

Aelita: I have to know…

Jeremie eyes the computer, silently cursing this turn of events. He again looks at the floor, trying to come up with something quickly.

Jeremie: I guess I did promise to show you the log if you wanted to…but I think you should think this over for a few days…make sure this is what you-

Aelita: Jeremie a few days difference is not going to change my-The super scan goes off. Jeremie almost breathes a sigh of relief from the distraction. Aelita groans.-He's at it again.

Jeremie: We'll wait a little bit. I want to make sure this isn't one of Moriarty's false alarms.

A specter crawls out of the wall beneath Jeremie's legs. Aelita looks down and jumps backward.

Aelita: Jeremie look out!

Jeremie looks down and shouts with surprise. He jumps out of his chair and backs up with Aelita into a corner. The specter rises and takes the form of Jeremie.

Jeremie: Don't worry. This is just one of Moriarty's scare tactics. He's not going to kill us.

The specter Jeremie lunges at them. They duck and the clone ends up punching the wall so hard that Jeremie's dresser and shelves shake from the blow. Jeremie and Aelita crawl away. The clone turns around.

Aelita: I wouldn't exactly put money on that.

Aelita looks toward the exit, but the specter sees this and rushes to the door to block them. Now Jeremie and Aelita move toward the desk.

Jeremie: I doubt Moriarty wants to kill us now. Electricity forms in the clone's hand. Then again….a small chance of being killed is still too much for me.

The specter gives Jeremie a minor electric shock and grabs Aelita's neck. He lifts her into the air.

Aelita: Jeremie! HELP!

The specter tightens its grip. It stares at Aelita's suffering without any enjoyment or reluctance. It shows no signs of the usual Moriarty. The look on its face is robotic and unreadable. Jeremie uses his desk to heave himself up. He stares at the specter and his fear quickly turns to anger. He moves to the computer and presses a few keys.

Jeremie: Put…her…down…

A new window opens on his computer. The specter suddenly starts to fluctuate and moan. It lets go of Aelita and goes to its knees. Aelita rushes back to Jeremie.

Aelita: What did you do?

Jeremie: It's high frequency soundwaves. I prepared this on my computer recently in case I was attacked in the room. It's interfering with the specter, but luckily no one can hear it. Across the hall they start hearing Kiwi bark. It is quickly followed by a loud 'SHUT UP!' most likely coming from Ulrich. Well, almost no one.

In spite of his technical difficulties, the specter manages to rise. Jeremie and Aelita hold onto each other, expecting another attack. But as soon as the specter stands up, it vanishes without a trace. The tower deactivates and the super scan stops beeping. Jeremie and Aelita stare into the empty space left by the specter, waiting a few seconds before breathing a sigh of relief. Jeremie wanders to his bed and buries his face in his pillow.

Jeremie: Like I said…I'm getting too old for this.

Aelita: He keeps sending fake attacks. How long will it be before he sends a real one?

Jeremie: Probably long enough for all of us to lose our minds…

An uneasy calm settles over Kadic as students and faculty somehow manage to get to sleep. The TVs broadcasting the terrifying attempt on Moriarty's life are finally turned off. Jim does his rounds a little more thoroughly than usual and then he too heads off to bed. Silence starts to stake its claim on the campus. But in the girls' hallway, Angeline Maillard is not sleeping so peacefully. She tosses and turns and even starts to moan. Suddenly she starts to scream and dig her fingers into her pillow.

Angeline: No! NO! Don't touch me you animal!

Her roommate Anais bolts up in bed. She takes one look at Angeline's state and starts to search desperately for her phone.

Anais: Angeline calm down! It's just a dream.

Angeline stuffs her face into her pillow and continues to writhe in bed.

Angeline: Go away! Why won't you leave me alone?!

Anais: Angeline please wake up!

Angeline's eyes open, but she acts like she is still in her nightmare.

Angeline: No….I can still see him. I can still see him!

Anais finds her phone and breezes through her contacts.

Anais: Emmanuel!...Emmanuel get here quickly! She's doing it again. It's bad this time.

Anais hangs up and goes to her side. She speaks comforting words, but Angeline seems unaffected. She covers her face with her hands and cries loudly.

Angeline: Emmanuel…where's my brother? She leans up and bed and hugs herself. The look on her face is distant and tormented. Where is he?!

Anais: He's coming. Just hold on a little longer. Angeline gasps. Remember to take deep breaths.

Emmanuel throws the door open. He runs into the room in his nightclothes and pushes Anais aside. He sits next to her in bed. Angeline grabs hold off Emmanuel and leans on him. She continues to sob, but after a while her crying starts to slow down. Emmanuel slowly and carefully runs his fingers through her black hair. The feeling begins to soothe her and she stops crying. She rests her head on his shoulder.

Angeline: It was worse this time. I could see his eyes…those lustful eyes.

Emmanuel hushes her and speaks to her in an unusually tender voice.

Emmanuel: Shh…It's okay. Big brother's here.

Angeline wipes some tears from her eyes and manages to laugh a little.

Angeline: By only five minutes.

Emmanuel: That still counts…Are you feeling better now?

Angeline hesitates.

Angeline: A little.

Anais: She was really upset this time. Emmanuel, did this…use to happen with her at Lincoln?

Emmanuel lowers his head and doesn't turn to face Anais. He remains focused on his sister.

Emmanuel: Let's just say Mom and Dad thought it would be better for her if I was close by.

Angeline chokes down another sob.

Angeline: Emmy….when will he go away?

Emmanuel: I don't know. But I can promise you that he will go away. And I swear to God…Emmanuel's face becomes frighteningly vindictive as he hugs Angeline…I will do all that I can to make sure that he…and the trash like him will never hurt us again.

Early the next morning. A brief amount of sunshine illuminates the Ishiyama residence. The sky is mostly cloudy. Inside the house, Yumi butters some toast before heading off to school. The doorbell rings. Grandpa Ishiyama makes an audible grunt from the living room.

Grandpa: The doorbell's ringing.

Yumi: I am aware of that.

Grandpa: If it's a Jehovah's Witness, tell him to go to hell. If it's the nurse from the hospital the other day….uh…tell her I'm not here.

Yumi sticks out her tongue and silently gags.

Yumi: Grandpa, it's Johnny's mom here to pick up Hiroki….just like she does every morning.

Grandpa: Then tell him to get down here already.

At that moment, Hiroki storms down the stairs and walks into the kitchen.

Hiroki: I know they're here Grandpa. I'm not the one in this house with a hearing aid.

Grandpa grumbles angrily at this insult. Yumi quietly ignores him.

Grandpa: I remember a time when a certain someone respected his elders!

Hiroki puts on his backpack and walks to the counter where Yumi is. He reaches for an apple in a basket. The two are uncomfortably close in proximity to one another. They both shoot each other negative looks. Hiroki picks up the apple and idles, looking at his older sister. The doorbell rings again.

Yumi: Aren't you going to get that?

Hiroki: In a second. I'm not in a rush.

Yumi takes her toast to the table. She keeps her back to her brother.

Yumi: Any specific reason you're stalling?

Hiroki: Maybe…He looks out the window…maybe not.

Yumi: I'm not really sure what that me-

Hiroki: I know you're an Outcast.

A tense silence passes between the two. Yumi takes a bite of her toast.

Yumi: …And?

Hiroki briefly glances down at his purple Order patch.

Hiroki: I don't know why you hate us, and frankly I don't care. What I want to say is….He closes his eyes…I don't want to be your enemy. You're still my sister. That's why I am asking you to switch sides. We would accept you even though you were once-

Yumi: No.

Hiroki: Look…I'm not doing this for me. I'm worried about you. After Chardin's murder…well things might get…more than a little tough for you. It's best if you stepped out. For your own good. I don't want to see you get hurt.

Yumi munches on her toast, her mind dwelling on Hiroki's request. Her fingers drum on the table.

Yumi: You admit that some of your own people might want to hurt me….so why are you a part of The Order?

The doorbell rings. Hiroki takes another bite of his apple.

Hiroki: I've said what I needed to say. He heads toward the door. Don't say I didn't warn you.

He closes the door behind him, leaving Yumi in uncomfortable silence. After a few minutes of eating, she too gets up and walks out the door. She puts on her helmet and revs her black moped to life. She goes down the street. She rounds a corner and stops at an intersection, waiting for traffic to pass. Meanwhile a car parked next to the sidewalk turns on. Yumi, hearing the noise, turns around to look at the car and then faces the road. But then she swivels her head around to look again. The car's engine has been turned on, but there is no one inside it. She faces the road again and anxiously waits for the light to turn green.

Yumi: Oh boy….

As soon as she is free to go, Yumi switches the moped into high gear. The car follows suit. Yumi looks behind her. The car is gaining ground. Yumi presses the moped's speed to its maximum. But she knows that it is no match for a car's speed.

Yumi: If I can just get to Kadic…

She takes a shortcut through a narrow alley. The car cannot pursue that way, so it follows parallel to her new path. Yumi comes upon a connecting street. The car then turns right and heads straight for her. Yumi slams on the brakes. The car overshoots her and hits a light post. Yumi takes the opportunity and hightails it for Kadic. But the car, despite the fact that its front bumper is destroyed, backs up and continues the pursuit. Yumi sees the gates of Kadic up ahead. Her heart is racing as she desperately hopes to make it in time. But as she crosses the last street before getting to Kadic, a delivery truck threatens to cut off her escape. She banks hard right, hugging the last edge of pavement necessary to pass the delivery truck. She accelerates hard and barely passes it. The Moriarty possessed car slams on the breaks. The specter evaporates from the vehicle. Yumi rides through a side gate of Kadic and goes into the woods. She slams on her breaks on the path of the woods, landing right in front of Odd as he waits for Kiwi to do his business. He gives Yumi a strange look as she gets off the bike. She breathes heavily and leans against a tree. She pulls her helmet off.

Odd: Um…any particular reason you nearly ran us over?

Yumi: Let's just say…I've had quite the morning…and things can only go up from here.

Kiwi sniffs Yumi's shoes and decides that it is time to urinate. Yumi looks down and hardly even reacts. She stares up at the sky.

Yumi: Okay…now things can only go up from here.

Later that morning, the warriors study together in an isolated corner of the library. The positioning of the shelves around the study table and the walls around them give them the comfort of security. Rain patters against the windows. It fills the void of silence, adding an element of normalcy to the tense situation. Eyes lock onto books, but winds wander. The warriors cannot help but glance from side to side every now and then. One of Odd's textbooks lies precariously on the table. He accidentally bumps it and the book lands on the floor with a loud bang. Immediately the warriors become alarmed. Christophe, William, Jeremie, and Yumi get out of their seats. All eyes look at Odd, who is staring at them innocently.

Odd: Guys, relax. I just dropped a book.

The eight gradually sit back down.

Aelita: I guess we've been a little on edge lately.

Natalya: Perhaps more than a little.

Ulrich grinds his teeth in disgust.

Ulrich: How long is Moriarty going to play this game with us?

Jeremie: As long as he wants. A revenge tastes better when it lasts, I suppose.

Odd: Do we even know for sure if that's Moriarty's plan right now?

Yumi: He sure didn't seem to be fooling around this morning. She anxiously twists her finger in her hair. And that look on his face in class this morning….it was unnerving.

William: Yeah…even for him. He lectured us again today on more aspects of the Cold War….by walking around the classroom. He passed through the aisles and desks…circling us. It was very subtle….not enough for anyone out of the loop to notice….but for us the message was all too clear. And that blank face he had….it gave me chills.

Odd: William…having chills?! Odd slumps in his chair. That's it. We're officially screwed.

Aelita's eyes dart in Jeremie's direction. Jeremie works on his laptop, balancing studying and Cannae Initiative research at the same time. She then turns to Odd.

Aelita: Odd, you know Moriarty more than any of us. Do you have any idea what he's trying to do?

Odd: Who knows? The most terrifying part of him is that he is brilliantly and sadistically unpredictable.

Aelita: Think hard Odd. You may know more than you think. Maybe something from your dreams could shed light on-

Jeremie: ….Uh I hardly think that's going to help us.

Aelita waits a few seconds while she gives Jeremie a stern look.

Aelita: And why would Moriarty's history not help us right now?

Jeremie: Just because we know what he did in the past….doesn't mean we know what he's going to do in the future.

Aelita looks down at the table, frustrated by another lost opportunity.

Christophe: We know all these fake attacks are meant to goad us. The question is…what should be our response?

Jeremie: Vigilance…constant vigilance.

Yumi: But Moriarty is just crying wolf. Are we just supposed to freak out after sixty fake strikes?

Jeremie: And what about the 61st? Or the 62nd? This could go on for a while. Moriarty can do over as much as he wants. We don't have that opportunity. He is trying to wear us down into complacency. It may take a hundred times. Maybe two hundred. As long as he sees fit to drag it out. And we have to be prepared for everyone one. He nervously taps his foot on the floor. Or we will be dead meat.

No one at the table says anything for a while. Jeremie's increasing paranoia has started to become contagious.

Ulrich: No, he's trying to push us over the edge again. I'm not falling for it.

Aelita: And if you're wrong and he does attack for real?

Ulrich: That's very possible. But I'd rather be caught off guard by him than live in a constant state of fear.

William: Ulrich does have a point. Fear is his weapon.

Yumi: A possessed sedan is also apparently one of his weapons.

Odd: God this is so frustrating. We don't want to lose it, but if we try to avoid losing it, we might lose our heads….

Everyone nods their heads in quiet and despondent agreement. The ringing of the bell suddenly makes them jumpy. Then they calm down again and get up.

William: Well, anyway, there's not much we can do about it now.

Jeremie: Yeah…time for class. They start to walk out as a group. At least you already had your class with Moriarty. We still have to deal with that.

Ulrich: Don't remind me….

As Odd walks out behind the rest of them, Aelita grabs hold of his arm. Odd looks back. Aelita is sending him a silent message to stay behind for a few moments. Odd looks back at the rest of the group. They haven't noticed that Odd and Aelita have hung back. Odd looks to his right and left and then turns to her.

Odd: What is it?

Aelita: What is Jeremie hiding from me?

Odd forces a carefree smile as his mouth begins to dry out.

Odd: What are you talking about? What is Jeremie hiding from you?

Aelita lowers her eyebrows in a deeply condescending way. Odd swallows.

Aelita: Don't lie to me Odd. He's keeping your dreams from me. And I know you know. They are your dreams after all. Odd starts to fidget and avoids eye contact with her. So spill it already. What is it that Jeremie wants to 'protect me' from?

Odd: I…no. I can't.

Aelita: You can't or you won't?

Odd's face becomes painfully serious.

Odd: Both. Aelita, Jeremie has made some mistakes with you in the past. But this time he knows what he is doing. It is really better that you don't know.

Aelita shakes her head firmly and stomps her foot on the ground.

Aelita: No. I can't. I can't accept that.

Odd: You can't or you won't?

Aelita: Both. She looks at the ground. Odd, I have to know. At this point it's not a matter of wanting…it's a matter of necessity.

Odd: Why is that?

Aelita: Because….

Odd: Because….why?

Aelita: Because….Aelita looks up. There are tears in her eyes. Her voice becomes strained as the tears begin to roll down her cheek. The sight of her so upset makes Odd feel like he's been punched in the stomach. Aelita rubs her eyes. I can't sleep. As long as the truth is hidden from me, I'm going to assume the worst. Not knowing….it's killing me! Everyday my imagination of the terrible things hidden in the past grows more and more awful. It won't leave me alone. I can't take it. Aelita grabs hold of Odd's arms and leans on him. Odd clenches his teeth, trying to suppress his own emotions. I have to know Odd. Whatever happened in the past has to be better than the torture I'm going through now. It has to be, right?

Odd closes his eyes and coldly separates himself from Aelita. He looks down at the floor.

Odd: No. Believe me. It's better this way.

Odd slowly makes his way out of the library, leaving Aelita more frustrated and upset than before.

The bell rings for Moriarty's 9th grade class. The classmates get up and salute the Commandant.

Moriarty: That's it for today. Remember to do your reading on Mussolini. I want your paper to answer the question of whether or not such an extreme response to Italy's political problems was inevitable. Oh and of course….Moriarty fakes some sorrow. He presses his hands on the desk and looks down. He takes a breath and he starts to lose his normal voice, indicating that he might be about to cry. The funeral for Mr. Chardin will be this weekend, with further details to be announced. I would like you to attend, regardless of whether or not you belong to The Order.

The class walks out of class. As Aelita passes by, Moriarty shoots her a quick sadicious look. She looks away and hurries out. Once the last student makes it out of the class and closes the door behind him, Moriarty drops the act. He stands up and brushes off his lab coat. As he goes to sit back down, his futuristic digital watch begins to beep. Moriarty checks to make sure no one is at the door and switches the watch's settings. Immediately a small live feed of Victor hanging in his torture chamber comes on screen. Victor is exhausted, beaten beyond the point of endurance. His entire body is shaking as he looks into the camera. His face exudes a terrified, animalistic desperation. His bottom lip trembles while a little stream of blood trickles out of his mouth.

Victor: Please…..PLEASE….His voice becomes high-pitched and pathetic… let me die.

Moriarty watches his victim without a trace of pity. In fact, he leans back in his chair, pretending to be bored.

Moriarty: Oh gladly. I just need one thing from you first.

Victor gasps and heaves violently. His coughing fit is so loud and cringingly painful that Moriarty has to turn down the volume on the watch, lest someone in the hall hear it. Victor hangs limp in his restraints.

Victor: I…I don't care anymore. I'll tell you everything…..EVERYTHING! Victor cries out to the ceiling. JUST MAKE THE PAIN STOP! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LET ME DIE!

Moriarty taps the watch absentmindedly and stares blankly at Victor, making sure that he knows what it's like to look in the face of a sociopath before dying. Moriarty smiles.

Moriarty: Don't worry Victor. Victor sobs as his mind and body surpass the breaking point. The journey is about to end. Just talk to me….and this will all be over.

Several hours later, the door to the lab room in the factory opens. Aelita peeks her head out of the elevator and checks to make sure Jeremie is not there. When she sees that she is alone, she walks over to the monitor with a heavy amount of anxiety, feeling as if she is a thief breaking into the place. She sits in the command chair and turns on the computer monitor. She quickly goes to the supercomputer mainframe and selects the secure file on Odd's dreams. The supercomputer responds with a firm ACCESS DENIED window. Aelita inhales through her nose and cracks her knuckles.

Aelita: You're good Jeremie, but you're not that good. You can't keep me out.

She goes on to try several hacking techniques to get past the firewall. The elementary methods she knows easily fails. She starts to use more complicated ways to break in. They too fail, but Jeremie's firewall security takes longer and longer to catch up to her advanced approaches. After about thirty minutes of working, she starts to get frustrated. She licks her lips and makes a face after another one of her attempts fails. She runs her fingers through her hair.

Aelita: There's got to be a way around this. Jeremie had to have made a mistake somewhere.

Aelita keeps working. After a long, stressful process, she manages to deconstruct the firewall into its primary lines of code. But she quickly realizes that the lines of code need to be organized in an extremely precise way in order to break through the firewall. She groans and rests her head on the keyboard.

Aelita: It's like a puzzle game from hell. It could take me a day putting all these pieces together to get through. Jeremie's really got me this time. She rests her head on her hands and spends several minutes lifeless at the command chair. She moans as she continues to dwell over her failure. Daddy….what should I do? She's silent for another minute. Then, just as she is about to call it quits and leave, an idea strikes her. She bolts upright in the chair. The dream log might be sealed up tight, but Jeremie's video diary….She slaps her forehead…Of course I'm so stupid! He talks about everything on the diary. It's bound to be on there somewhere! He was probably so concerned about the dream log he forgot to tie up that loose end. Aelita accesses the video diary. To her surprise, she finds that it has also been blocked by a firewall. She curses. I guess he lied about having every other file open to me. She goes to work again. This time, she has far more success. It quickly becomes obvious to her that Jeremie spent far less time on this firewall than the one on Odd's dream log. She quickly gains access to it. Okay, let's start. A long list of video files comes up. It might take a while to sort through these. She finds the date of the beginning of Odd's dreams and starts from there. At first she finds no success. When it becomes clear that the specific thing she is looking for won't be discussed in that entry, she moves on. She keeps clicking on them and moving on. No…A few videos later…No….More videos….Still no...You get the idea….Definitely no.

She clicks on the next one.

Video entry # 575

Odd has just had another interesting dream…

Aelita pauses the video.

Aelita: Wait, this may be it.

She presses play.

It appears that Gaspard Depaul is the connection that brought both Moriarty and Schaeffer into Project Carthage. It confirmed my suspicion that their initial research involved working with NATO for the disruption of the Soviet Union. So far it seems that both were on an equal playing field in the organization, though I think it is clear that Schaeffer was far more of an invaluable asset than Moriarty. But I have also learned something more personal about the two. I have found the breaking point of their relationship, and it came in the form of a rather….unexpected development during their years at the Carthage facility…..and it has rather disturbing implications for Aelita…

At this moment, Aelita is enraptured and is at the point of killing herself with suspense. But at that moment, the doors to the elevator open. Aelita immediately panics and pauses the video. She turns around to make up a story, but she quickly sees that it is no use. The unexpected guest is Odd, and he stares at Aelita gravely. He points at her with an accusatory look in his eyes.

Odd: Aelita, I know what you're doing, and I can't sit by and let you do it.

Aelita turns her back on the monitor and latches her hands onto the keyboard for dear life. Her face becomes fierce and defensive. She adamantly shakes her head.

Aelita: You can't stop me Odd! I've come too far to stop now. I have to know!

Odd takes several steps forward. His intensity increases.

Odd: Aelita, if you do this, it will do so much damage to you!

Aelita: It already has! The curiosity is killing me! I told that as long as I don't know, my worries and fears get only worse!

Odd holds his hands out in front of him in an attempt to calm her down.

Odd: Aelita, you're not thinking straight. You are stressed out and tired. Let me talk to you. Whatever happened in the past doesn't need to be known. Some thing's are meant to be buried for a reason. So why don't you just get down from the chair and we'll-

Aelita: Never!

Odd: Aelita….

Aelita: I won't do it!

Odd's rabid intensity to stop her soon returns.

Odd: Aelita stop this insanity before it's too late!

Aelita: You can't stop me!

Odd: Oh yes I can! I'll tear you out of that chair and drag you kicking and screaming back to Kadic if I have to!

Aelita: NO! Aelita desperately clutches the chair and the monitor. She starts to sob again. Her desperate and pained eyes dig into Odd. She sniffs. If you do that to me…I'll….I'll…..I'LL HATE YOU FOREVER!

Her rash and extraordinarily harsh statement silences Odd. His face moves from unshakable tenacity to that of shock and hurt. Aelita immediately regrets what she said, but the damage is already done. Odd stares blankly at her and folds his arms across his chest. He looks like he has just been slapped. Odd turns his back on her and idly shuffles his feet on the ground.

Odd: Go ahead….Aelita's jaw drops, shocked that Odd has given up. Nothing I can say or do will stop you. I guess you must know. I promised Jeremie but….there's nothing I can do for you now.

Aelita takes several seconds to respond.

Aelita: Odd, I didn't meant that-

Odd: DO IT! Odd closes his eyes and tries to press back the tears. Just don't tell me I didn't warn you.

Aelita sits back down in the chair. She looks at the paused video and hesitates. She looks back at Odd, who still has his back to her. For a moment, Aelita contemplates closing the video for the sake of Odd. But the tormenting desire to know soon forces her to do otherwise. She starts the video again without giving herself time to think about it.

…..Odd saw a familiar face in the Carthage facility. Antea Hopper also seemed to have worked at the Carthage facility as a research assistant…

Aelita's eyes begin to widen.

….And Antea was the reason that the two went from the best of friends to bitterest of enemies. They both loved Aelita's mother, and it inevitably led to conflict. The most shocking part was that Schaeffer did not start out in first place. No….Antea initially chose Moriarty, and they had a long relationship….

Aelita slowly leans back in the chair. Her face becomes blank and expressionless as a statue. Her mouth opens only slightly as the news drills into her mind. As Jeremie goes on, images of Moriarty and her mother together as a couple blend together in an increasingly vivid and terrifying tapestry. Her skin becomes ice cold.

…From what Odd described, their relationship was deep and passionate. No doubt Moriarty planned on marrying her. And there is enough evidence that their relationship was also very physically intimate and….yes sexual in nature.

Aelita breaks her silence to let out a short, high-pitched scream. She covers her mouth as the iciness spreads to her upper back and makes her shudder.

….He was and probably still is…very much in love with her. The only thing that separated them was a conflict between Moriarty's work and his relationship. He showed her his true nature, which led Antea to go for Schaeffer instead. It confirmed my hypothesis about why Moriarty hated Aelita so much from the start. Moriarty hinted at it the day that he first revealed himself to me.

Aelita: He….he knew?...From day one…..Aelita's head starts spinning. She becomes nauseous and looks away from the monitor….He…he knew. He always knew.

…..To Moriarty, Aelita is a constant reminder of his failure with Antea. And he hates her for it. He never accepted that Antea had left her. He probably tried many times to repair the relationship, to take Antea away from Schaeffer. Needless to say, I have kept this away from Aelita. She has suffered so much already. The knowledge that her own mother had such an intimacy with Moriarty would be too much for her to handle. She didn't need to know the day we met Moriarty, and she certainly doesn't need to know now. I care for her, no, I love her too much to let her go through any more hurt. The fact that Antea once considered Moriarty, our most hated enemy, to be her soulmate would be too hard for her to swallow.

Aelita whimpers and makes some whining, unintelligible noises.

….That's why Aelita must never know the truth. I hate that I have to lie to her again, but the suffering of my conscience is a necessary price to pay in order to protect her.

Aelita stops the video. Her body suddenly feels very very limp and weak. The chill in her body intensifies, making her hug her knees close to her body. Her face fluctuates between one of mounting horror and firm disbelief and denial. Her eyes remain eerily open, almost never bothering to blink. She looks around the room. The green walls of the lab room suddenly appear foreign and threatened, skewed in her imagination through the lens of this horrifying discovery. Her eyes desperately dart around the room. Everything is the same, and yet it is not the same. The computer monitor, the holomap, and even Odd don't look the same to her. Her frantic mind, spinning in circles, questions the very concept of familiarity itself. Aelita tries to step out of the chair. She quickly collapses. Odd, who has waited helplessly on the sidelines, now rushes to Aelita's side. He makes her sit up and hugs her, knowing that he can't say anything. Aelita looks irrevocably stunned and stares into space. She starts to mindlessly wrap her arms around Odd.

Aelita: How…why?

Odd: I tried to stop you….He starts to choke up. You're so stupid. You're so stupid! WHY COULD YOU HAVE JUST LET US PROTECT YOU?!

Aelita's voice becomes weak. Her face soon twists into an almost surreal expression of disgust and horror. She suddenly clutches on to Odd. She screams loudly and then screams into Odd's jacket. She slams her fists on Odd's shoulder. She hits very hard, but Odd silently absorbs the blows as she goes on a tantrum.

Aelita: Mommy…..MOMMY WHY?! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?! How could you let him touch you…..HE….HE DID THINGS TO YOU! She wails with loud abandon. She stuffs her face back into Odd's jacket. That monster touched my mommy! Mommy how…..why….? WHY WHY WHY?!

At this point, Odd's jacket becomes wet from her tears. He remains stoic, rocking Aelita back and forth while keeping a lid on his own emotions.

Odd: Please forgive me….if you can. Jeremie and I….thought it was better this way.

Aelita: I feel sick…

Odd: Are you going to throw up?

Aelita: No….She closes her eyes and screams into Odd's jacket a little more….I wish I could…oh how I wish I could throw up! Throw up and rid myself of this knowledge! She pounds her temples with her fists. Stupid. Stupid! STUPID! I'm such an idiot!

Odd: The fear of not knowing…sometimes that is worse. Perhaps you were right. At least this way you can begin to heal.

Aelita screams and starts to pull on her hair. She thrashes around so violently that Odd has to restrain her. Aelita resists his attempts to subdue her, cursing at him to let her be. He doesn't listen. She finally stops and breaks down into violent crying.

Aelita: No! NO! It can't be the same now! He has touched a part of me that can't be repaired. He's dug in so close to me and I can't escape him!

Her weeping continues but gradually starts to slow down. Odd loosens his grip on her slightly. He takes a deep breath and looks up at the pipe ceiling.

Odd: Believe me. I know the feeling.