Note: It's spooky month, everyone! The time for horror movies, trick-or-treating, scary monsters, and all sorts of stuff! Of course, that also means I'm doing a special chapter of this story for Halloween. What will it feature? Well, tune in to find out. It can be anything, from a zombie outbreak (which happened in the original Code Lyoko) to a disgusting, murderous blob.
Now that I've said that, and in order to avoid spoiling the story, it's time for chapter ten.
Chapter 10: The Bite of Lyoko
On Wednesday, the Lyoko Warriors were at the factory, going through a mission. A Tower had been activated in the Ice Sector, so it was up to Aelita to deactivate it. Jeremy had sent Ulrich, Odd, Yumi, and Louise with her, thinking that it would just be another easy mission. After all, they were just going to stop the X.A.N.A attack for the day. It wasn't something major, just a flooding of Ocean Avenue. With that in mind, the team wanted to get the mission done before anyone drowned.
As he watched the group run through the Ice Sector, Jeremy thought about how X.A.N.A's attack wasn't as catastrophic as much as the previous ones. Sure, a flood could be deadly, but the Lyoko Warriors were quick to see it start. With that in mind, Jeremy worried that his friends and their pupil were being led into a trap. X.A.N.A wasn't usually one to hold back when it came to his attacks, so it created disbelief for the Lyoko Warriors. If X.A.N.A had a trap, then it was either going to stop them before they reached the Tower, or appear in the factory. Neither thought was a pleasant one.
On Lyoko, Aelita was about to enter the Tower. That was until she got fired at by a Blok. Using an Energy Field, the pink-haired teen destroyed it. Several more came, but the others decided to take care of them, choosing to use their weapons as best as they could. While they did that, Aelita entered the Tower, intent on deactivating it as soon as possible. She hoped that her teammates would be fine without her, even if they were capable of destroying X.A.N.A's monsters by their lonesome.
Back in the lab, Jeremy was overlooking the mission, noticing how well the group was doing. He thought about sending William, Sissi, Tina, and Gene to Lyoko, but he figured that Aelita would've had the Tower deactivated in no time. The spectacled blonde kept an eye on the data, however, as X.A.N.A could've had a trap planned. If that was so, then it would've been stopped once Aelita deactivated the Tower. But, knowing X.A.N.A, he could have something in mind to do more lasting damage. After all, the AI was capable of any crazy scheme.
"Jeremy, say the word and I'll deactivate the Tower." Aelita spoke.
"You should be able to without any trouble." Jeremy spoke into the headset. "But, be careful, because X.A.N.A could have something planned."
As he sliced a Blok to Devirtualization, Ulrich heard something in the distance. It sounded almost like something was flying towards him and the others. Thinking that it would be a Hornet or a Manta, the brunette hoped that Odd or Yumi would handle it. If not them, then Louise would have to do it. While the nine-year-old only had knives, she had thrown them before. Even if she couldn't hit a moving target every time, she did manage to free a X.A.N.A-possessed Gene from the Scyphozoa. With that in mind, Ulrich hoped that the other three would be able to handle a flying enemy, if Aelita hadn't deactivated the Tower first.
"What's that noise?" Odd asked, having heard it too.
"Incoming, everyone!" Jeremy's voice rang out. "There's an enemy coming towards you!"
"Don't worry, we'll take it down!" Louise said, having destroyed the last of the Bloks.
Looking to where the sound was coming from, Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, and Louise readied themselves for the incoming enemy. They thought that it would be a swarm of Hornets or even a few Manta, but that was not what it was going to be. Once they saw a silhouette of the incoming enemy, the Lyoko Warriors could make out some of its features. It had wings, but they were much larger than those of a Hornet's. The body was a different shape from other the Hornets and Mantas, as its wings made up most of it. This was not something that they had fought before, and not something they were expecting.
When it had made its presence known, the monster had floated above the Lyoko Warriors who were in the Ice Sector. By doing that, the group was able to see what it looked like. The monster was a sleek, metallic blue, with silver indents on its wings. An Eye of X.A.N.A was on its underbelly, being etched in the same silver color that was on its wings. Its head was almost entirely silver, with its "face" being blue. With its features and appearance, the new monster looked almost entirely like a bat.
"Jeremy, what is this thing?" Yumi asked.
"I guess X.A.N.A made a new monster." Jeremy's voice spoke. "Take it down as quickly as you can, guys. Aelita's deactivated the Tower, so we'll launch a Return To The Past once that thing is gone."
Firing a few Laser Arrows at the monster, Odd hoped that they would destroy it as quickly as possible. However, it flapped its wings, causing the teen's attacks to be reflected. Yumi threw her fans at it, then used her psychokinesis to control them. She made her fans hit the creature's face, which seemed to affect it. With her turn being next, Louise threw her knives at the mysterious creature, aiming for the Eye of X.A.N.A on its underbelly. Apart from one, all of them failed to hit.
"Man, this thing's tougher than it looks!" Odd said.
The monster then flew down, looking like it was intent on crashing into its enemies. With that in mind, Ulrich ran towards it, hoping that he would be able to kill it with his saber. However, the moment he got close to it, the creature changed its priorities. It thrusted its head forward, essentially pecking Ulrich in his neck. The brunette let out a cry of pain, before being thrown back by the creature's attack. He landed on the ground of the Sector, with him beginning to Devirtualize.
"Ulrich?" Jeremy's voice rang out. "Are you alright? Ulrich?!"
Watching the group on Lyoko, Jeremy saw that Ulrich had been Devirtualized. He would be coming back to Earth in no time, meaning that he was booted out of Lyoko in an instant. Despite that, Jeremy had a bad feeling about what was going on. Aside from the Megatanks, none of X.A.N.A's monsters could instantly Devirtualize someone in one hit. Not even the Kolossus was that quick when it came to fighting the Lyoko Warriors. Of course, that was primarily due to its massive size.
"Oh no!" Jeremy spoke.
"Jeremy, what's wrong?" Aelita's voice came out of the headset.
"A monster attacked Ulrich and Devirtualized him in an instant!" The spectacled blonde said.
"What?!" The pink-haired teen asked. "What did it look like?!"
"From what I can tell, it looked like a bat!" He said.
"It must be a new monster." She said. "Have someone check on Ulrich, then activate the Return To The Past!"
Nodding his head, Jeremy turned around and looked at Gene. He gestured for the eleven-year-old to head for the Scanners, so that he could check for Ulrich. One came open, revealing the brunette sitting in the floor. Before Gene could check to see if he was alright, he opened his eyes, even smirking. With that in mind, the middle Belcher child turned to Jeremy, giving the thumbs-up signal. However, William, Sissi, and Tina were in anticipation, waiting for something to happen.
"I'm okay, everyone!" Ulrich spoke. "Jeremy, you can run the Return To The Past now!"
"Alright then." Jeremy said, not exactly believing the brunette's tone of voice.
Triggering the Return To The Past, Jeremy waited for it to take effect. Once it did, the whole world was engulfed by a white light. It turned time backwards, going back to the beginning of the day, right before X.A.N.A's attack. By the time it was over, only the Lyoko Warriors (including Bob) would remember what happened. However, none of them would forget about the monster that had Devirtualized Ulrich in a single attack. Whatever it was, they needed to keep an eye out for it the next mission.
When the Return To The Past was over, Tina, Gene and Louise were at lunch. The Lyoko Warriors we're not with them, as they had to take care of something in the teacher's lounge. However, the three didn't mind this, as it was a breath of fresh air to be away from their tutors for a while. After all, the Belcher children needed a bit of a break from Lyoko and X.A.N.A. Even if it was fun to fight whatever threat came their way, it could be stressful. Fighting X.A.N.A was fun, but it could interfere with their personal lives.
Just as the Belcher siblings finished eating, they heard a familiar voice.
"Hey guys."
Turning around, they saw Henry standing nearby. It had been a while since they had seen him, especially since he hadn't tagged with the Lyoko Warriors after the first mission. Seeing as the brunette was standing by, Tina, Gene, and Louise decided to speak with him. After all, why wouldn't they catch him up on what's been going on in his absence?
"Henry, how nice to see you." Louise spoke.
"What have you been up to?" Tina asked.
"I've been meaning to speak to you again." Henry said. "Every time I try to, something happens, as if time is being turned backwards."
"That must be from the Return To The Past." Gene said.
"Right, I forgot that Jeremy said it was something on the supercomputer." The nerdy brunette said. "Anyway, did I miss anything?"
"Nothing much," Louise spoke, "aside from the team discovering a new Sector, William and Sissi being added to the supercomputer, Gene being possessed, and Dad joining the team."
"He was even added to the supercomputer." Gene said.
"Your Dad joined the team?" Henry asked.
"If you think that's crazy, we've met plenty of crazy creatures on Lyoko." Tina said. "One of them even Devirtualized Ulrich in an instant!"
"Speaking of Ulrich, where is he?" The eighth grader said. "I haven't seen him all day."
"He wasn't there to tutor in gym class, which is weird." Louise said.
"Hopefully, he's alright." Tina said.
"He has to be," Gene said, "the Return To The Past was triggered!"
"I'm sure Jeremy will let us know." Henry said. "After all, he's the boss."
Knowing that Jeremy had the group get together when a X.A.N.A attack was happening, the Belcher children agreed to keep an eye out for any messages from him. Henry decided to do the same, intent on joining on another mission. Even if he couldn't go to Lyoko, he hoped to help. Whatever X.A.N.A had planned, the Lyoko Warriors would need all the help they could get.
In the teachers lounge, Ulrich was sitting in the corner, holding his head. Ever since that mission on Lyoko, he had been hoping that Jeremy would find out what the creature that bit him was. The monster was not one the Lyoko Warriors had fought before, as they had not encountered it on any missions prior to entering Seymour's Bay. However, it was rather strong, as it was capable of Devirtualizing someone in a single hit. The Megatanks were capable of doing so, but they could be easy to dodge. As a contrast, the new monster seemed to be cold, calculating, and determined to carry out its purpose, almost like the Scyphozoa.
Now that time had been reset by the Return To The Past, Ulrich had been feeling different. He figured that time being rewound would make him feel better. Instead, he felt completely different, as if someone had hit him in the head with a baseball. By feeling his chest, the brunette was shocked to see that it wasn't beating. Not only that, but he hadn't felt hungry or even tired. Whatever was going on, the teen was not interested in finding out.
Upon seeing someone's silhouette, Ulrich expected it to be one of the teachers in Wagstaff. However, it turned out to be Odd. The blonde was surprised to see how his friend had not left the teachers lounge since time had been reset. Maybe the brunette was sick? Maybe he was still thinking about the last mission? Either way, Odd was concerned about Ulrich.
"Hey, buddy, what's going on?" Odd asked.
"If you couldn't tell, Odd, I'm kinda in a bad mood right now." Ulrich said.
"You could've told the kids you're tutoring that." The blonde said.
"I told Coach Blevins that I wasn't feeling well." The brunette said.
"That checks out." The teen said.
All of a sudden, a strange scent hit Ulrich's nose. It hadn't appeared until Odd had entered the room, so the brunette was ready to assume that he had gotten done eating something. However, the scent was sweet, as if it was coming off a fruit. Whether or not it was a fruit or meat covered in a sweet sauce, it was clearly coming from somewhere. As soon as it came to Ulrich, he got up and started smelling around. Odd was confused, seeing as his friend was acting weird.
"Hey, Odd, do you smell that?" Ulrich asked.
"Smell what?" Odd spoke. "Ulrich, you're kinda freaking me out right now!"
"It's sweet, almost like a freshly-baked pie." The brunette said.
"Sure!" The blonde said, stepping out of the teachers lounge. "Whatever you say, buddy!"
Once Odd had left, Mr. Frond entered. Needless to say, he was surprised to see that Ulrich was still in the teachers lounge. The brunette had been there since this morning (at least, that's what the redhead knew), and he never seemed to have left. In fact, Coach Blevins had mentioned to his students that the teen couldn't tutor today.
"Mr. Stern," Mr. Frond spoke, "didn't expect to see you in here still."
"You can just call me Ulrich." Ulrich said. "Mr. Stern is my father."
"I'm not here to chitchat." The guidance counselor said. "I'm only here to grab some stuff."
As Mr. Frond searched through the teachers lounge, that sweet smell hit Ulrich's nose again. He tried to ignore it, but it was far too strong. Instead of getting up and smelling around, the brunette sat still, the scent growing stronger. With Mr. Frond nearby, it dawned on the teen what the sweet smell was: blood. Despite not having any wounds on his body, the redhead's blood could be smelled by him. Just as he had found what he was looking for, Ulrich spoke to the guidance counselor.
"Frond, could you stay for a minute?" He asked.
"I'm kinda in a hurry, but I guess I could." Mr. Frond said as he put his stuff down, not knowing what was going to happen next.
From outside the teachers lounge, Odd was talking with Jeremy and Aelita.
"So, Ulrich hasn't been out all day?" Jeremy asked.
"Not from what I could tell." Odd said. "Do you think the Return To The Past could have glitched?"
"It's possible." Aelita spoke. "In the meantime, we'll have to keep an eye out on Ulrich, as to make sure he's alright."
All of a sudden, the three heard a very familiar voice inside the teachers lounge. It was Mr. Frond, and he sounded like he was screaming in pain. Before they could enter the lounge or go to get help, Odd, Jeremy, and Aelita saw Ulrich come out. Mr. Frond was just behind him, walking as if he were a robot. He seemed to have a blank expression on his face, as if he had gotten amnesia. Ulrich, on the other hand, looked nonchalant.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Ulrich asked.
"We were just wondering what you were up to." Odd lied.
"Oh, all I was doing was talking with Phillip Frond over here!" The brunette said. "Isn't that right, Mr. Frond?"
"Indeed we were." Mr. Frond spoke, monotonously. "Hello, Della Robbia, Belpois, Stones. I hope you don't mind my brief absence."
"Not at all, sir." Aelita said.
"Ulrich, are you planning on leaving the teachers lounge anytime soon?" Jeremy asked.
"I'll leave later, guys, preferably when it's dark." Ulrich stated.
"Okay, that's weird." The spectacled blonde said.
"Are you going emo there, Ulrich?" Odd asked.
"Nah, I just have something to take care of." The brunette said. "See you later!"
Knowing that Ulrich hadn't been tutoring all day, Odd, Aelita, and Jeremy decided to let him take care of what he needed to do. As they walked out of Wagstaff, however, they felt as though something was wrong. In fact, Odd briefly turned around and saw both Ulrich and Mr. Frond standing side-by-side, their eyes glowing red. The Return To The Past should have reset the day, but it seemed to do something else. Whether or not it was a glitch in the supercomputer, there was something fishy going on. It seemed as though the Lyoko Warriors would find out in no time, but it felt like it would take much longer than that.
Once Tina, Gene, and Louise got home, they saw Bob and Linda still working. It had been a busy day at the restaurant, so they were probably waiting for the kids to help them before the day ended. While they had homework, the Belcher siblings put it aside for the time being. After all, their mother and father probably had a few tables to serve. Homework could wait after working in the restaurant and eating dinner. If Jeremy called them, then the Belchers would have to save their homework for much later, if not for the morning.
"Hey, how are my babies doing?" Linda greeted.
"We're doing just fine, mother." Louise said.
"Anything we can do?" Tina asked.
"Actually, the restaurant's almost empty." Bob said. "You can collect tips, though."
Tina, Gene, and Louise had a brief game of rock-paper-scissors to decide on who would collect the tips. Louise won the game, allowing her to gather the money that had been left behind. Once she was done, Bob closed the restaurant for the day. As such, the Belchers went up into the apartment, deciding to have dinner. The kids sat in the living room, while their parents worked on dinner. Watching a little bit of TV, Tina and her younger siblings waited to be called in for dinner.
While watching TV, Louise heard the phone rang. Initially, she thought that Jeremy was calling, having caught on to a X.A.N.A attack. If the AI was attacking, then the Belcher siblings would have to head to the factory as quickly as they could. Of course, that was assuming Bob didn't want to join in on the mission.
"Hello?" Louise answered the phone.
"Louise, it's Henry." Henry's voice came out of the phone. "I need to show you something."
"Can it wait until tomorrow?" The nine-year-old asked.
"Not really." The eighth grader said. "Is it okay if I come to your house?"
"Maybe when we're done eating dinner." She said. "I don't know when that will be."
"Either way, I'll come as quick as I can." He said. "See you soon."
Once the call had ended, the Belcher children saw Bob enter the room.
"Who was on the phone?" Bob asked.
"Henry Haber." Louise said.
"I was kinda hoping that it would be Jeremy." The man said.
"Jeremy only calls us when X.A.N.A's on the move." Tina said. "Henry's coming by because he has something to show us."
"Probably nerd stuff." Gene said.
An hour later, Henry had arrived at the Belcher residence. The family had already eaten dinner, so the boy was able to show Tina, Gene, and Louise what he was talking about. Bob joined them, due to being part of the Lyoko Warriors now. Louise was the one to catch Henry up on Bob's position in the team, even if he could've guessed it beforehand. While the restauranteur couldn't go to Lyoko, he could still help take the team to the factory. Despite that, Henry had bigger fish to fry, and that was showing the Belcher children what he was going to tell them about.
"So, Henry, what's on your mind?" Tina asked.
"Is it anything that might kill us?" Louise asked.
"No, but it's something much worse." Henry said.
"What's worse than something that can kill us?" Gene asked.
"Take a look." He said, showing the Belcher siblings and their father the images on his phone.
Looking through the pictures on Henry's phone, Tina, Gene, and Louise saw certain classmates of theirs lying on the floor at Wagstaff. While some of their acquaintances, such as Zeke, were lying on their backs, some, like Jocelyn, were lying on their side, and Rudy was lying on his front. The Belcher siblings were puzzled, wondering what could have caused the other students to do that. Bob zoomed into certain pictures, hoping to find something. Once he did that, Louise saw that the students had a mark on their necks. It initially looked like a bruise, but, upon closer inspection, it seemed to be teeth marks, like they had been bitten.
"What the Hell?" Louise asked.
"Who, or what, bit everyone?" Bob asked.
"I didn't see anything happen to them," Henry said, "but I noticed how Mr. Frond and Ulrich were nearby."
"Do you think that they had something to do with this?" Tina asked.
"I'm not sure, but we'll have to keep our eyes open." The eighth grader said.
"Don't worry, we'll keep an eye out for Frond." Louise said.
"And I'll try to talk to Ulrich tomorrow." Gene said.
"Good idea." Henry said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Henry left the Belcher residence, allowing them to carry on for the evening. Tina, however, was shocked from the images she had seen. Not only did several students at Wagstaff appear to be dead, but it looked like they had been bitten. It didn't help that Henry mentioned that Ulrich and Mr. Frond were nearby when he found each student. With that in mind, Tina hoped that there was a logical explanation for this. Perhaps tomorrow would explain what was going on.
The next day, Tina, Gene, and Louise went to school. Once they entered Wagstaff, however, they noticed that something was off. Certain students were wearing hoodies and sunglasses. Wearing sunglasses indoors was against the rules, which meant that they were likely going to get in trouble. No one said anything to the differently-dressed students, not even some of the teachers. Upon seeing this, the Belcher children (especially Tina) thought that this was weird, until an announcement came on the PA system.
"Students of Wagstaff," Mr. Frond spoke, "today is 'Hoodie and Sunglasses Day'! If you are already dressed in a hoodie and/or sunglasses, you are doing well! To those of you who are not dressed for the occasion, you are missing out. If you want to get the correct clothing for the day, come to my office! Also, make sure that your neck is clean!"
After the announcement, Louise knew that something was off. Mr. Frond was always a stickler for the rules, so it seemed unlikely that he would bend them for a day that wasn't part of Spirit Week. While Louise liked to be rebellious, it didn't seem right when everyone else was doing so. Tina and Gene wordlessly agreed with her, seeing that the so-called "Hoodie and Sunglasses Day" was not an actual thing. It was made up by Mr. Frond, but for what purpose? They knew that they would find out in no time.
Before any of them could enter their morning classes, the Belcher children heard someone speaking to them.
"Gene, Louise, Tina!"
Turning around, the kids saw Zeke standing nearby. He was one of the few students who was wearing a hoodie and a pair of sunglasses. As far as Tina could tell, he was probably going to ask them why they weren't wearing the clothing of the day. Strangely, Jimmy Junior was not with him, as if they had split up. Gene and Louise noticed this, though they were more perplexed by how everyone was wearing hoodies and sunglasses. Something strange was definitely going on.
"Hi Zeke." Louise greeted.
"How's it hanging?" Gene asked.
"I was wondering what you were doing after school today?" Zeke asked.
"We were just heading back to the restaurant." Tina said. "Other than that, nothing else."
"You guys wanna come to the party that's going on after school?" The brown-headed boy asked.
"Party? What Party?" Louise asked.
"There's a party too?" Tina asked.
"Yeah, and it's going to be great!" Zeke said. "It involves dancing to orchestral music, a dark atmosphere, and fine drink! Also, Tina, Mr. Frond wants to see you."
After that, Zeke walked away from the Belcher siblings. With him gone, Tina decided to head in the direction of Mr. Frond's office. Knowing what Henry said last night, Gene and Louise figured that this wasn't good. If Mr. Frond was behind biting several students, then it was likely he wanted to bite Tina next. As such, Gene was intent on preventing that from happening. Louise also wanted to prevent her eldest sibling from being bitten, but she wanted to head to the office in her place, just to prove that Mr. Frond was behind the attacks.
"Tina, be careful!" Gene whispered.
"I'll be as careful as I can be." Tina said. "If Frond tries anything, I'll run out of the room."
"Might want to carry a weapon with you." Louise said.
"I won't need a weapon." The thirteen-year-old said. "Even if he's behind those attacks, I can get away from Mr. Frond."
Gene and Louise refused to believe that, but they decided to let Tina do what she could. The siblings split up, with Tina heading to Mr. Frond's office, while Louise and Gene went to their respective morning classes. As that happened, some of the students noticed the Belcher siblings. Said students happened to be the ones who weren't wearing hoodies and sunglasses. They carefully scanned the three, as if checking to see if they were alright. While it seemed odd, these classmates were cautious towards those who were dressed for the special day, and it was for a reason they didn't know yet.
When it was time for lunch, Gene and Louise sat at a table, waiting for Tina. It had been hours since they had seen her last, so they were concerned for her. Mr. Frond clearly needed her for something, and it seemed to be something huge. The worst part was that the two younger Belcher siblings had an idea as to what that could have been. Considering what Henry had shown them, it was possible that something bad could've happened. As such, they wanted to keep an eye open for when they saw Tina again.
"She sure has been gone for a while." Gene spoke.
"Definitely." Louise said.
Eventually, Henry joined them at the table. He had been watching several of the hoodie-and-sunglasses-wearing students throughout the day, so he wanted to discuss it with Gene and Louise. Tina was not with them, which made it a bit easier. After all, the younger Belchers seemed to get along with the eighth grader much better.
"So, have you noticed anything strange today?" Henry asked.
"Aside from seeing certain people dressed strangely, not much." Louise said.
"Zeke DID mention an after school party, though." Gene stated.
"Yeah, I heard about it from Tammy and Jocelyn." Henry said.
"What could it be for?" The eleven-year-old asked.
"Maybe Mr. Frond's trying to be cool again?" Louise suggested.
"Actually, he just wants the cool kids to hang out and enjoy some fine drink."
Turning around, Gene and Louise saw Tina approaching them. Like several others, she was now dressed in a hoodie and a pair of sunglasses. Henry looked at the brunette with suspicion, having done so with the others. It didn't help that she didn't have a lunch tray like Gene and Louise. He didn't have a lunch tray himself, but that was because he had brought his own lunch. Of course, that didn't mean the eighth grader wasn't suspicious about the others.
"Looks like someone's dressed to kill!" Henry spoke.
"Thank you for noticing, Henry." Tina said, taking her seat at the table.
"So, Tina, did you not want lunch?" Louise asked.
"I'm not hungry." The thirteen-year-old said. "Besides, lunch has garlic in it, and garlic is bad."
"But garlic is a vegetable." Gene said.
"Yeah, but it can be bad for some people." She said.
Aelita then came to the table, looking eager to speak to everyone present. Louise noticed how eager the pink-haired teen was, considering how she practically ran all the way there. Gene and Henry knew by looking at her that it was urgent, but they didn't know what she wanted to talk about. Tina was silent, almost as if she were calculating something.
"How's everyone doing here today?" Aelita asked.
"Oh, we're doing just fine." Louise said.
"Admittedly, I've had better food than this." Gene stated.
"No wonder I packed my lunch." Henry said.
"Can I see you for a second, Henry, Gene, and Louise?" Aelita asked.
"Sure." Gene said.
"Beats sitting around, waiting for the next period." Henry said.
"I'll come with you, guys." Tina offered.
"Actually, Tina, it's better for you to stay here." Louise said. "Besides, your appetite might come back."
Following Aelita out of the cafeteria, Gene, Louise, and Henry watched as Tina sat still. Though they couldn't tell, she was somewhat angered. Ever since she came out of Mr. Frond's office, the thirteen-year-old wanted to invite them to the "party". If she had to turn her siblings and acquaintance to get them to come, she would. However, it would have to be quick, in order to not draw any suspicion to her. Tina wasn't dressed to kill, but the urge to kill was in her veins now, and she was intent on satisfying it.
Upon entering the teacher's lounge, Gene, Louise, and Henry were greeted by the Lyoko Warriors (sans Jeremy and Ulrich). The team was sitting down, having waited for Aelita to come back with them. Of course, they had a reason to gather the others. Something strange was going on, and they all wanted to be together at the moment.
"What's going on, guys?" Louise asked.
"Jeremy's not here," Odd spoke, "and neither is Ulrich."
"Well, where are they?" Henry asked.
"Ulrich went to the factory with Jeremy earlier, and they said that they would be here." Aelita stated. "However, they haven't come back."
"Weird, Tina went to Mr. Frond's office and was gone for a while as well." Gene said.
"Do you think that he did something to her?" Yumi asked.
"That depends." Louise said. "Do you think Ulrich did something to not only Jeremy, but also several of the students?"
"Maybe he's just trying to start a new fashion craze." Sissi spoke.
"Or maybe he bit some of those students." Henry said. "I saw him and Mr. Frond near certain people yesterday, so I took pictures. When I took said pictures, I noticed that they had bite marks on their necks."
"So, Ulrich and Frond are vampires, and they turned some of the students into vampires?" William asked.
"That's the only possibility that makes sense in this situation." The eighth grader said. "The hoodies and sunglasses are to protect them from the sun."
"But how is that possible?" Odd spoke. "Vampires aren't real!"
"This might sound strange," Aelita surmised, "but I think Ulrich was turned into a vampire when that new creature attacked him on Lyoko. When it struck him, not only did it Devirtualize him, but it infected him with a virus that turned him into a vampire. The Return To The Past didn't fix the problem, it only triggered the virus!"
"Then how are we gonna fix the problem?" Louise asked.
"I think we'll have to look for that monster when we go to Lyoko again." William said.
"But we'll have to be careful around Jeremy." Yumi said. "If Ulrich's with him, then he probably turned him into a vampire as well."
"Hopefully, Jeremy's still okay when we get there." Aelita said.
Seeing an opportunity, Henry and the Lyoko Warriors (sans Jeremy, Ulrich, and Tina) walked out of the teachers lounge when no one was looking. They were intent on getting out of Wagstaff as quickly as they could. However, the team was spotted by a hoodie-and-sunglasses-clothed Jocelyn. As soon as she saw them, the blonde pointed to them.
"They're escaping!" Jocelyn screeched.
As soon as she screamed, several students jumped out of their classrooms and hissed. These students were the ones who were dressed in hoodies and sunglasses. Seeing them, the Lyoko Warriors immediately ran out the door. However, the vampiric students rushed after them, their speed having increased. With their clothing of the day on, they were protected from the sunlight. But, all it would take was one slip up, then they would be reduced to ash under the sun.
Running as fast as they could, the Lyoko Warriors tried to get away from the students-turned-vampires. Unluckily enough, the vampire Mr. Frond was with them, and he was dressed like how they were. With a small army of the undead behind them, the team knew that they had to escape, and fast. If they stopped moving, then they would either be fed on or turned into more vampires. Trying to escape a vampire was hard enough, but it was much harder in an area where they would be able to dispose of the group much easier than in another area. However, they needed to reach the factory if they were going to save the day.
A vampiric Tina grabbed onto Henry's shoulder, but he was quick to toss his lunch bag at her. It turned out that it was full of garlic, which caused the vampires to panic. They backed off, not wanting the vegetable to touch them. Such an action was justified, given how garlic was said to cause harm to vampires, more so than any living person.
"That oughta keep 'em!" Henry said.
"Sorry Tina!" Gene shouted.
When they got to the factory, the Lyoko Warriors saw that the door was left open. Usually, it was closed whenever they had a mission, or whenever everything was okay. Once they entered the building, Gene quickly closed the door, then had Odd barricade it with him. Adding a barricade wouldn't keep the vampires out, but it would stall them long enough for the team to enter Lyoko. Hopefully, they would be able to find the bat-like monster that had bitten Ulrich. The only problem was that someone was going to have to stop him from attacking them.
Opening the door to the lab, the Lyoko Warriors met up with Jeremy and Ulrich. The two were standing side-by-side, having smiles on their faces and looking like nothing was wrong. However, the team did not trust their expressions. Given how Ulrich had been turned into a vampire, it was likely that Jeremy had been turned into one as well.
"Hey, what's up, guys?" Jeremy spoke.
"Jeremy, we need to get to Lyoko as quick as you can send us!" Aelita said. "There are vampires out there, and it's only getting worse!"
"Oh no, it's getting better." The spectacled blonde said.
"You've got to be kidding me, right?" Odd asked.
"Don't worry, everyone!" Ulrich said. "A Tower hasn't been activated, and it's definitely not in the Ice Sector!"
"He's lying!"
Looking to the side, everyone saw that Henry was on the supercomputer. He had bypassed all of them while they spoke with Jeremy and Ulrich, checking up on the data. Jeremy's expression became angered, letting out a hiss. Ulrich, on the other hand, remained confident, as if he knew that looking for the creature that infected him would be impossible.
"There's a Tower activated, alright, and it's in the Ice Sector!" Henry spoke. "Might want to get there, guys! Who's going, and who isn't?"
"Odd and I are staying here!" Yumi said. "The rest of you, head to the Scanners!"
Having little time to spare, Aelita, William, Sissi, Gene, and Louise went to the Scanners. Ulrich and Jeremy tried to run after them, but Odd and Yumi held them back. It wouldn't be enough, but the blonde and the brunette used their strength to keep their vampiric teammates from escaping. Once the others were in the Scanners, Henry began the Virtualization process, entering the code and coordinates for the Ice Sector. When everything was together, the eighth grader activated the Scanners.
"Transfer!" Henry spoke as he typed away. "Scanner! Virtualization!"
As Henry typed on the supercomputer, Aelita, William, Sissi, Gene, and Louise went through the Virtualization process. Once it was completed, they found themselves in the Ice Sector. They began to run in the direction of the Tower, wanting to have Aelita deactivate it before it was too late. However, they also kept an eye out for the new monster X.A.N.A had released. If they didn't find it, then those who had been turned into vampires would not return to normal. Of course, that depended on if Henry, Yumi, and Odd could keep Jeremy and Ulrich back.
"Alright, the Tower's just up ahead!" Gene said. "Head for it, Aelita!"
"Way ahead of you, Gene!" Aelita said. "Keep an eye out for that monster and take it out as quickly as possible!"
Turning on her wings, Aelita used them to fly to the Tower. In the process, she saw some Bloks approaching her teammates. Using her Energy Fields, the pink-haired teen took out all but two of them. With that out of the way, she entered the Tower, intent on deactivating it. Even if it stopped X.A.N.A's attack, it probably wouldn't have fixed the problem. That would have to come from killing the new monster.
With Aelita in the Tower, William, Sissi, Gene, and Louise found themselves facing off against the Bloks. Luckily, there were only two of the monsters, so destroying them was not a problem. However, the team kept an eye out for additional monsters, knowing that X.A.N.A wasn't one to send out only one monster. All they needed to do was to find his new monster, as killing it would turn everyone in the real world back to normal. Their weapons out, the teens and the two Belcher siblings kept their guard up. Even as Aelita deactivated the Tower, they knew the mission was not over yet.
All of a sudden, there was a noise that sounded like something flying in the air. Having heard this noise before, Louise knew that it was X.A.N.A's new monster. Once the Tower was deactivated, the creature immediately appeared above the group. Strangely, it didn't seem to arrive until after everything had gotten taken care of. Clearly, X.A.N.A wasn't playing by the rules this time around. However, the Lyoko Warriors we're going to oblige.
"There it is." Louise spoke.
"How are we gonna destroy it?" Gene asked.
"I think we should hit it on its underbelly." William said.
"If we CAN hit it." Louise said. "It's flying above us."
Not hesitating, William swung his sword towards the sky, intent on hitting the new creature. However, the attack missed, the monster dodging as soon as the shockwave was near. Louise threw one of her knives, only for it to get deflected back at her. Thankfully, Gene pulled her out of the way, just as the knife would've Devirtualized her. He fired his blaster at the bat-like monster, hoping that each round would hit. Like with William and Louise's attacks, they missed and got deflected.
Once the bat-like creature swooped down, Sissi saw a chance to attack. With her gauntlet, she punched at the Eye of X.A.N.A on the monster's underbelly. It seemed to work, as it let out a pained screech. However, that did not destroy it. Rather, the monster flew towards the group, intent on attacking them. They jumped out of the way, but the creature was not going to let them get away.
"Guys, you gotta destroy that thing!" Henry's voice rang out.
"Easier said than done, Henry!" Louise said. "It's stronger than the other monsters!"
"We can't keep the vampires at bay for much longer!" The eighth grader said. "Just try to attack it when it's vulnerable!"
Back in the real world, Odd and Yumi were still struggling with Jeremy and Ulrich. The vampiric teens soon broke loose, then approached Henry. He wasn't too bothered by this, as he still had a clove of garlic with him. It wouldn't keep them at bay forever, but it would stall them. The others were still fighting X.A.N.A's new creature, and it wouldn't be long until they took it down. However, they needed to be quicker in terms of strategy.
"So, they're trying to destroy it?" Jeremy spoke.
"That's right," Henry said, "and once it's destroyed, everyone will be back to normal!"
"I wouldn't count on it!" Ulrich said. "Knowing X.A.N.A, he doesn't give up so easily!"
"Just wait and see, gentlemen!" The eighth grader said.
As they continued to fight against the monster, William, Sissi, Louise, and Gene did the occasional bit of damage to it. While the creature didn't get killed, it seemed like it was getting close to death. The group didn't know how many times they would need to hit it in order to destroy it, but they felt as though one more would do the job. Once it was closer, they would hit it with everything they had. If Louise and William were unable to do it, then Sissi would. However, Gene could also do it, if his rounds would actually hit the weak spot.
Swiping its wing, the bat-like monster knocked Gene dangerously close to the edge of the terrain. Louise went to her brother's aid, leaving William and Sissi to fight the creature. It thrusted its head towards them, only to be blocked by William's sword. However, it started to push past the weapon, threatening to bite the teen regardless. Soon enough, he started to lose his grip on the weapon. Not willing to let that happen, Sissi was ready to rush towards the creature and slam it to the ground. That was until they heard a familiar voice shout.
"Energy Field!"
The creature was then hit with a pink light, which soon enveloped it. After that, it exploded, blowing it to pieces. Looking to the side, William, Sissi, Gene, and Louise saw Aelita standing nearby. She nearly collapsed, the attack having taken much out of her.
"Atta girl, Aelita!" Louise said.
"Let's hope that works." Aelita said.
In the lab, Jeremy had thrown Henry to the ground. As part of his newfound vampire instinct, the spectacled blonde was about to bite into the eighth grader's neck. That was until he felt a tremendous amount of pain, causing him to fall to the ground. Ulrich felt it too, and he held his head. Yumi and Odd watched as their teammates writhed in pain, knowing that they were going back to normal. Both Jeremy and Ulrich were surrounded by static, then it dissipated. They stopped writhing, then looked at everyone in the room.
"Hey, we're back to normal!" Ulrich spoke.
"Has the Tower been deactivated?" Jeremy asked, looking at Henry.
"Yes," Henry stated, "and the mystery monster's dead."
"In that case, launch a Return To The Past." The spectacled blonde said.
"I'll let you do that, Jeremy." The eighth grader said. "But, before then, load me into the supercomputer's data."
Jeremy obliged, scanning Henry into the supercomputer so that he would remember everything that happened before the Return To The Past. After that, he began the Return To The Past. Time began to reverse as the world was engulfed in a white light. While it happened, time reversed to earlier in the day. Once it was over, the only people who would remember what happened were the Lyoko Warriors. Henry would remember as well, as he was now part of the supercomputer's data.
Once time was rewound, the Lyoko Warriors found themselves back in the teachers lounge. This time, Jeremy and Ulrich were with them. Having the virus removed from him, Ulrich had not turned anyone into a vampire this time. In fact, things were going normally at Wagstaff.
"Still feel like sucking blood, Ulrich?" Odd asked.
"No." Ulrich said. "Why would I, anyway? It tastes like pennies!"
"Then you're back to normal." Yumi said. "Unfortunately, X.A.N.A's got a new monster on the prowl."
"He's really not holding back this time." Odd said.
"What should we call it?" William asked. "Dracula? Nosferatu? Alucard?"
"Spike?" Sissi asked.
"How about Chiropteran?" Aelita suggested. "The new monster does resemble a bat, after all."
"No matter what we call it," Jeremy spoke, "we've got to be careful when there's a new mission on Lyoko. As we increase the group, X.A.N.A's finding new ways to best us, and we can't let that happen."
Knowing the risks that were ahead of them, the Lyoko Warriors agreed to be more cautious during a mission. If X.A.N.A was increasing his powers, then they needed to deal more devastating blows to the AI. Even if they couldn't destroy him, the team could still learn how to survive certain situations that he caused. However, they had a feeling that they hadn't seen the last of his new monster: the Chiropteran.
Note: First a new Sector, and now a new monster? X.A.N.A's not willing to let anyone escape him this time. What else could he have planned? Can the Lyoko Warriors fight back against this new plan? Will there be another new member of the team? Is there anything at Wagstaff that will prevent the group from going to the factory all at once?
Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!
