AUTHOR'S NOTES:
This is a reimagining of the Code Lyoko series and does not directly follow the timeline of the source materials. Alterations to the setting, timeframe, story and characters have been made to better suit the Mature rating as well as tell a more cohesive, mature narrative. However, many aspects of the series are still present which includes many of its comedic elements.
Changes to the source material vary in this reimagining.
PROLOGUE
JUNE 6th
"June 6th, 2004… Day 2." An aged, bearded man spoke before the camera attached to the top of the Super Computer's monitor, his voice grizzled and steady. His pale skin was made even brighter by the glow of the screen before him, which emitted a light that was like a glimmer in the dim darkness of the cold, metallic room he had sat in for hours in silence. The floor around him was dotted with papers and notebooks; extensive notes of his work that went back years were now useful.. The man's hopes, however, had been that they'd been useful under different circumstances… much safer circumstances. He had paused for a longer than a minute as he stared at himself at the monitor in front of his gaze. Franz hadn't slept all that well for the past several weeks and he hadn't been keeping his appearance all that well. For a genius that wasn't as self-conscious about his work before, he was a man that didn't want those closest to him to see him like this… He took a deep breath and began to speak again, steadying his speech once more.
"I'm not sure if anyone will ever see this… but to anyone who finds it, this will be not only a documentation of my work… but also of my defiance. Here, I will make my stand to not only save myself… but the life of my daughter."
There was another pause… but silence did not follow it, but instead, there was a slight quiver of his lip and a sniffle. The man of science's composure almost broke right after the mention of his beloved daughter. She reminded him so much of his wife, Anthea, the strongest woman he had ever gotten to know. Remembering her fate was enough to get him to break, but what was at stake at the moment he sat himself down. That was more than enough to break the stoic composure of Franz Hopper. Yet, with this breakdown of bearing, Franz took another deep breath and scooted himself closer to the camera, removing his thick, tinted eyeglasses. His eyes glanced down at his lap for a few seconds before they stared right into his own eyes on the screen.
"I sit here today with the key to everything…" Franz spoke again, his voice shaking with determination. "The key to freedom for myself and my daughter, the key to the destruction of Project: Carthage, the key to the very survival of my wife's memory! Lyoko is the key…"
"Lyoko will be our shelter… XANA will be our saviors… and Project: Carthage will be destroyed once and for all. I should've stopped them when I had the chance… Anthea would still be alive if I had…"
His gaze again shifted away from the computer. He shook his head as he gave all his strength to stop himself from breaking down once again… Franz promised to keep himself strong for his daughter, to give her a chance to live a life free from the dangers that followed them since Anthea's death. At that moment, and every time before he broke down, he felt as though he was breaking that promise to Aelita… So, with another deep breath, he again regained composure, trying to keep his promise.
"What matters now is Lyoko. What matters now is XANA. What matters now is righting the wrong decisions I made by working on Project: Carthage… And this - this is how I'm going to do it!" He slid his glasses back on, a finger raised over the enter key on the keyboard as he stared at the monitor. He nodded his head, assuring himself of the act of defiance he had now displayed to anyone he thought would find his entry. The moment he found himself in was pivotal… not only for him… but for the world.
"Returning to the Past… NOW." Franz pressed the enter key on the keyboard and a light brighter than the light from the sun itself blinded the camera. As soon as the room became engulfed in the light, he stopped the recording and watched in continued disbelief at the engulfing light before him that came from the center of the Lab. It wasn't long before he himself was enveloped in this sphere of light and, soon, the world followed…
PEACEKEEPER'S
CODE LYOKO