Odd's POV

After three days of nonstop work we finally made Aelita and Jeremy take a break and get some sleep. They had already powered up the skid again and were trying their hardest to locate Astrid. Fear wormed around in mu stomach all day long but most of the time I turned it into doing my best to look for her through the web. That's what Jeremy assigned me to do at least. Their wasn't many things on her though, just a few pictures on an adoption page. eventually though Jeremy and Aelita came out of the factory at the end of the day with a huge grin on their faces.

"What is it?" i asked eagerly. I don't think it would be possible go be more worried about a person. Although this particular person is my girlfriend and she has been captured my the evil program who has tried to kill us multiple times over. She should be fine right?

"Did you find anything on Astrid?" Ulrich asked, we were all worried about her. Even though she's been with us for less time than we all have, she's a part of our team now. I think one time she called us the true blood team? Something like that.

"Did we?" Jeremy said excitedly and we headed to the cafeteria for dinner.

"We found out where she was. We think this could be somewhat of Xana's hideout." Aelita said, she looked happy to finally find her too.

"How did you find her?" Yumi asked before she had to separate from us and go to her house along with William.

"I'll explain that when Astrid's back. Be here early tomorrow. We have to head out to rescue her as soon as we can." Jeremy said with impatientness in his voice.

"Okay!" She said and she and William headed off.

"You know, itd be just like Astrid to just show up at the table saying, 'wow you guys were late! took so long I got out of there myself.'" Ulrich said tryng to imitate her voice. I can't wait to see her again. A dark knot of fear wormed inside me again, what if I never see her again? I push the thoughts from my mind as we walk into the mostly empty cafeteria.

"Yeah, and then she'd probably just laugh it off and suggest something fun to do to get our minds off it. She'd hate it if she thought we were worrying so much about her." Yumi said and we all agreed. After we ate dinner we headed to our dorms and all tried to go to sleep early. I had trouble sleeping at first but soon fell asleep.

Astrid's POV

I backed up a bit and swallowed nervously. The last person I want to face right now is this guy, I'd rather kick some butt and get back to my friends. He smiled at me and suddenly I got the urge to kick him. Instead I tried my best to walk away from him but he just sighed and ran his hand through his hair. I pointedly turned my back and then mentally kicked myself. This isn't the time for drama, I need to get out of here.

i walked over to him with long strides and said, "You have two minutes to explain to me how to get out of here. That's it." H suddenly let his head flopped down and for a moment I was terrified. "You can get me out right!?" he looked at me with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry, he possessed me. I dont know how but I broke free. Unfortunately I'm stuck here with you." He said then a look of shock went on his face. "No I didn't mean it like that I meant here I, I can't get us out. I'm sorry." He said and for a moment i felt pity for him.

"Do you at least know where we are?" I said with a sigh. He nodded and point to around the room.

"Our own little virtual jail. There's no way out, unless from the outside." He said and I started to panic. If Aelita or Any of the others come in here they'll be trapped too! I started pacing around the room. And now I'm stuck here with this guy, who seems to be aaiting for a fateful reunion which he won't get. I bit my lip and looked back to the passage that led to the room. I sighed.

"So what now?" I asked and he made a gesture to my pajamas.

"Why don't you change and meet me back here, I'll try to find something in my room." He said and climbed up a latter at the opposite side of the room that I hadn't noticed. I climbed back up mine and eventually made it back to the room. I groaned but went over to the closet and picked out a simple outfit not unlike the ones I used to wear.

After changing in the bathroom I watched myself in the mirror. If Xana had wanted to control me before why doesn't he do it now? I looked more intensely at my reflection. I looked both worse and better than I've ever been at the same time. I raised my hand and brushed my face with my fingers and suddenly a wave of nausea broke through. I swayed at my spot and an image flashed in my mind.

A grand room filled with technology advance things. Dark pillars rose from the ground in both a ominous and futuristic way. Then on the far end of the room were two thrones. Sitting in one was a man just a bit older than me, and yet looked a bit like me too. He had the same white hair that I had except his was shorter.

i sucked in a breath as my gaze fluttered to the right side of the room. A large crystal sphere was floating in the air next to its twin. One was blue and the other was red. The image faded just as I caught a glimpse of myself frozen inside of the red one, Alex in the blue.

i woke from the vision sprawled on the floor. I quickly scrambled up and ran back to the trap door. I yanked on it but it wouldn't open. "No!" I said as I tried to pull harder. Widely i looked around the room but I couldn't see anything that would help me. With the panic of bing alone rising through me a long lost connection tied back around me. What's this? I felt a mysterious power flurried through me as I rasied my hand up to the trap door.

I released it and I blew the trapdoor open. I instantly climbed up and ran through the dusty attic, making it fly everywhere stimulating my rough breathing. "Alex!" I yelled as I felled down the ladder just as he was coming down. He ran over to me and helped me up, only to have me sink to the ground again.

Williams POV

we met early at the factory the next morning. We decided that me and Aelita wouldn't go for the sake of any surprise Xana attacks, and for Aelita's safety. We anxiously paced as the others went into lyoko and boarded the skid.

"What do you think this virtual world will be like?" Ulrich asked.

"I don't know, I just hope we can go in and out of that place quickly." Yumi said, no one knew what to expect but no one thought highly of it.

I sighed and took a seat up agiants the wall. I hated being kept back like this when more than anything I wanted to be there for Astrid, and Yumi. My thought stayed to the two girls that both seemed to be interested in someone else. I shrugged and pushed it aside reluctantly.

"Alright prepare to go." Jeremy said, I didn't listen to the complicated things they did next, but just sat there hoping everything went well. When they made it there I was notified by the wooping sound through the computer.

"We're in Jeremy!" Odd said and I smiled. I hope they can find Astrid quickly.

"Okay, be careful but hurry!"

Odds POV

we walked through a big gate to exactly what you'd think a stronghold castle kidnap princess place would be like. We walked into the big castle and I breathed in sharply. al around wer futuristic computer like stuff, again probably what you'd imagine a computer programs hideout to be like.

I hardened my gaze and started running through, no time for gaping. "Jeremy do you know where she is?" I asked and he said to go down the hallway on the left, up the stairs and finally through a huge door.

We ran through the castle quickly and surprisingly not finding any resistance. "This is Odd, don't you think?" Ulrich said and I shrugged. As long as Astrid is safe. Once we made it to the big door Jeremy described we took awhile trying to figure out how exactly to get in.

"well we could all try pushing really hard?" Yumi said but I shook my head.

"there must be a simple way to get in, that or xana's on the other laughing cause he can hear everything we're saying. and in reality it's either impossible to open the door, or we only need to knock and say, house keeping." I said quickly and the others laughed shortly.

Afterr I said that we stood there waiting for Jeremy to say something and the door cracked open. We looked at each other confused but just went with it. We walked through and the doors slammed behind us. I don't think it really was noticeable compared to the room we were in. I let myself wonder over it until I saw Astrid and someone else trapped inside of spheres.

i hardly got the chance to move before Jeremy said, "Get to the computer at the end of the room. That'll shut down the spheres!" The others ran for the computer and I ran for Astrid. After a few minutes Yumi shut them down and Astrid fell out unconscience. The other guy fell too but I only had my eyes on Astrid.

she opened her eyes weakly and I smiled at her. "Odd, Alex is a friend. Odd. I missed you." She whispered before closing her eyes again.

"what should we do with him?" Ulrich asked about who I assume is Alex.

"Astrid said he's a friend. Bring him back?" I said and we agreed to it. Just as Ulrich and yumi were figuring out how to carry him jetemy spoke up.

"I'll just devirtualize them. Odd you too. Yumi and Ulrich wool bring the skid back." He said and a second after that I was devirtualized. Gee thanks jeremy, I love deciding things on my own too. I pushed the thought away as I came out of the scanner and headed toward Astrid.

Hey guys! I'm sorry for not posting in a while but I should get more regular. Ah heck you guys should've learned by now not to trust my word anyways. Well in my defense I'm putting off a big project and sleep for this chapter. Oh well, hope you like it!