Angel: Thanks to the two guests who said Happy Birthday to me, I was not going to update today but then that would mean not updating at all for this week lol Mostly because I'm busy with a few projects that I hope to release in due time.
A movie projector starts up, showing a woman backing away in fear. She whimpers as an alien is approaching her, bearing its teeth. She looks away in horror and it jumps up, only to be shot in the stomach from behind. Goop from the stomach lands on the woman, as there's a hole in the alien's stomach. It falls down to reveal a man, who looks like he's limping. He smiles and the two embrace each other in the next shot. They lean in to kiss, and the film ends there. The name of the director pops up as the credits roll.
"Totally ridiculous," Jeremy shakes his head.
"Wow, that was great," Ulrich smiles at the screen, as a group of students, including them, had just finished watching the movie in the hall.
"I thought the special effects were pretty good, but...well, it wasn't scary enough," Odd says with his hands behind his head.
"Since when were you a film critic?" Amy asks him with a smirk.
"You're kidding. How come your teeth were chattering? For the sound effects?" Yumi teases Odd, earning a loud laugh from the others. Odd crosses his arms with a pout and the curtains close. The principal is now standing on stage.
"Dear students, your attention, please. I would like you all to give a warm welcome to the director of the film you've just seen. And which we all found very...interesting. And here he is now, James Finson, who is honoring us with his presence today to discuss his work in the fascinating field of cinema," Principal Delmas claps, backing away as the students join in. Finson walks up to the mic.
"Uh, that's right, and I'm also here to look for locations to shoot for my new film. In fact, I heard there's an old factory around here that nobody uses anymore, which I'm very interested in." The students gasp, but Jeremy couldn't help but think he knows which factory the man is referring to.
"A factory? Oh no, not ours!" He flinches in alarm.
Finson is signing autographs for the students later in the cafeteria. "Great, thank you, sir," A male student walks off with his autograph.
"If this Finson guy finds out about our supercomputer, we're in trouble," Jeremy comments as the group sit outside the cafeteria.
"And that means we absolutely have to stop him from using it," Yumi points out with her arms crossed.
"Yeah, sure we do, but how?" Odd wonders from the steps.
"Hmm, nothing to worry about. I got an idea," Ulrich offers with a smile.
"Should I be worried?" Amy looks up at the others.
Sissi is next in line as the guard waves her forward. Ulrich steps up next and waits his turn. "How come every time he says there's nothing to worry about, I get worried?" Odd asks as they peek in from outside. "And I mean worried."
"Hey, that's what I said," Amy smiles as she points at him. Jeremy and Yumi hum to each other knowingly.
"Oh, I'm so glad to meet you, Mr. Finson," Sissi speaks up to him. "I just love your films, I'm a big fan of yours," She tries kissing up to him so that she can get to what she really wants.
"Oh, really? Well, I can't argue with your taste. I like my films too," He smiles up at her. "What's your name?"
"Um, why don't you write 'To Sissi, a rising star who I'm going to give the leading role to in my next film'?" She suggests and he raises a brow.
"Uh, I think I'm going to write 'To Sissi, who's got a lot of nerve'," He corrects her while writing.
"And a lot of talent," She smiles smugly while gesturing to herself.
"Well, I'm very sorry, Sissi, but the casting is over," He informs her while he signs. "The parts have all been distributed. So, better luck next time, huh?" He hands her the photo and she snatches it in disappointment, walking away with a huff. Ulrich clears his throat as he steps up.
"Um, hello, sir. The factory you were talking about, I was wondering if, uh, you'd already been there?"
"No, but I'm gonna start my scouting later today," He holds out an autograph to Ulrich, who holds up his hand.
"Well, you see, I know the place inside out and, uh...I really don't think you could find a better guide."
Finson chuckles out loud of how...lively some of the students seem to him. "It looks like everyone in this school has a lot of nerve."
Ulrich smiles a little at him.
"Fantastic," Finson comments as he tours the factory with Ulrich. "It's even better than I thought."
"Yeah, it looks alright, but the trouble is, it's falling apart. Hopefully the ceiling won't fall on our heads," Ulrich tells him as that's part of the plan to try and get him to back off of the factory.
"That's great. I love a dangerous shoot," Finson explains to Ulrich's shock. "That's what I always look for. An actor is always better under pressure," He steps forward while the boy facepalms himself at his failed attempt.
"Uh, Mr. Finson, you better watch out for your equipment," Ulrich calls out and runs to catch up with him. "It's crawling with rats here." Meanwhile, his friends are watching him from the second floor to see his progress.
"Rats? That's lucky. I've got some big scenes to shoot with rats in them," Finson replies gleefully as they continue walking.
"Conclusion: never trust Ulrich when he says there's nothing to worry about," Odd whispers to the three.
"Yeah, he tried to gross him out. Instead, he's even more excited," Jeremy adds in and Amy sighs.
"Well, didn't you see his film? That seems to be up his alley even though that's the first film I've seen from him," She says in exasperation to him. "Why'd we let Ulrich do this again?"
"You're right, it's a great set. Too bad about all that uranium they stored here for so many years and years," Ulrich lies while Finson has his eyes set on the elevator. "Maybe one day it won't be radioactive anymore."
"Uh-huh. Do you know where this freight elevator leads to?" The director asks him, ignoring the lie.
"Oh, that old thing? Huh, it stopped working ages ago. Anyway, they say that when it was working, it-"
Banging and a voice is suddenly heard from above. "What was that noise?" Finson turns to Ulrich in alarm.
"That noise? Oh, it's nothing. Nothing at all." Amy has Odd's mouth covered as he had tried being a ghost just now. Even though it's not that convincing...the others shush him as they don't want to be caught. "Well, there is an old rumor that this factory is haunted by ghosts, but I don't believe a word of that. Although-"
Finson just interrupts him with a laugh. "This place just keeps getting better and better than I thought."
"Are you kidding me?!" Amy whispers in disbelief as she facepalms.
"And you seem to know every nook and cranny of it," Finson turns around to Ulrich. "I know," He places a hand on Ulrich's shoulder. "How would you like to work as a technical advisor on the film?"
"Yes, do it. Say yes, say yes, say yes," Odd whispers as they all sit in anticipation. That way, Ulrich could keep an eye out in case Finson tries to use the elevator. Because while they couldn't stop him from using the factory, at least he wouldn't discover the supercomputer.
"Are you serious?" Ulrich asks in awe with wide eyes.
"Of course I am."
"Yaaaaaay!" The others cheer before covering their mouths. Then they all shush each other.
"Um, well, it would be a great honor, sir," Ulrich smiles up at him. "The only problem is that the principal would never let me miss my classes."
"Let me talk to him," Finson offers with a confident smile.
Later, Sissi is staring at her father's office, as she somehow found out what Finson is talking to the principal about. "Sissi, your father will never let Ulrich miss even one hour of school," Herb points out to her and she turns around.
"Hmm, we'll see about that. Nothing's gonna stop me from becoming a big movie star." The two boys stare at her, unsure. She narrows her eyes slightly, grunting and dismissing them. She turns around and leaves for her dad's office.
Finson and Ulrich step out of the building, as they had just spoken with the principal. "Wow, he said no. Incredible," Finson rubs the back of his head. "I even promised to put his name in the credits." Sissi suddenly appears by opening a door.
"Um, Mr. Finson? Can I talk to you for a second?"
Ulrich and Finson both blink in confusion at her.
"I don't believe it!" Jeremy exclaims as he sits across Amy, Odd, and Ulrich in his room. "Sissi got a part in Finson's film!"
"Yeah, in exchange for convincing her dad to let me skip school," Ulrich tells the three.
"So she gets to spend time with you AND have a part in the film? The nerve," Amy mutters in disbelief.
"Ulrich and Sissi, working together on a film. This could be the beginning of a great romance," Odd jokes, the brunette giggling to herself.
"Yeah, right. She won't leave me alone for one second. And what about Odd and Amy, the great romance that doesn't wanna begin?" He retorts back, alarming the both of them.
"Wha-hey, there's no romance at all! We're just two great friends. There's nothing wrong with that at all," Amy argues, blushing in embarrassment. Though she couldn't help but think of what it would be like, hypothetically.
"Yeah, a guy and a girl can't be best friends?" Odd turns away, coughing awkwardly.
"Well anyway, your real job is to be there in the factory making sure that nobody discovers our lab," Jeremy warns Ulrich, Aelita appearing on screen soon after.
"Come on, it's not going to be as bad as all that."
She's definitely wrong though as Sissi is standing outside the hatch from the factory's bridge. She stares at Ulrich, silently happy for what she did. "Are you sure it's not too heavy?" She wonders as Ulrich is dragging a briefcase. "When I think that I'm about to become a big star, and that you, Ulrich honey, are lucky enough to witness the event live."
He just huffs at her, not happy at all about this... "Oh, I envy you, I really do!"
They make it to the entrance as two guards are standing behind a lady sitting at the desk. They were all waiting for them as the lady is checking people in. "Hello, Mr. Finson is expecting us," Sissi greets the woman.
"Do you have cell phones by any chance?"
"Uh, cell phones? Oh, why of course. How could you think we didn't?" Sissi brags a little, trying already to act famous.
"Confiscated!" She holds out her hand. "Mr. Finson's orders." They stare at her in surprise.
"During the shooting, it's forbidden to communicate with the outside world without Finson's okay," The producer is explaining to the two as a bin holds every single phone from the cast. "That's so there are no leaks about the script or newspaper gossip." They're getting a tour of the set, even though for Ulrich it's not necessary. The factory is already full of crew and production members. "That's also why everyone sleeps here with guards at the entrance. Apart from all that, it's a lot of fun."
"Yes, but...what if we have to get in touch with...our parents, for example? In case there's a problem, huh?" Ulrich questions, because if he doesn't have his phone, he won't know if there's a XANA attack. Or he wouldn't be able to warn his friends about one.
"When you shoot with James Finson, there's never a problem!"
"Cut off from the rest of the world," Sissi grabs Ulrich's arm, smiling. "That's so incredibly romantic. It's almost like being alone on a desert island!"
"Yeah, fantastic, I can't wait," Ulrich deadpans at this. They all gather around something covered by a curtain. Finson is standing next to it.
"Well, it's time for you all to meet the main character of my movie. Prepare yourselves for a big surprise," He removes the curtain, everyone gasping as it's a fake green alien. It's tied to a wooden pole and also held by wires to keep it above ground. "Don't be shy, tell me what you think. It's my best monster yet, right? And to top it all off, I've invented a way to make him squirt slimy, disgusting threads of goo. It'll knock your socks off, you'll see."
Ulrich has a sly smile as he takes a good look, placing a finger on his chin. "Funny, but it makes me think of the alien of that film, uh...I can't remember the-"
Finson gets into his face as he's already offended. "My creature is unique, young man, and my movie will be like no other ever made," He crosses his arms with a pout. Finson tends to get...sensitive when people either suggest or straight out tell him that his ideas aren't original. He then walks away grumbling. Ulrich is just dumbfounded while two people comfort him.
"Mr. Finson?" Sissi catches up to the director. "I'm very anxious to get my script if you don't mind. I'd like to start working on my lines. You see, we professionals are very serious."
"Oh, why of course," He takes out a pencil and paper. "One second. Here it comes...there," He hands it to her.
"Thank you," She smiles gratefully, but she recoils back in shock at the paper. "Aaaaah!" She screams out, but the paper literally says just that. That's the only word she gets for the whole film.
"You got it, kid. You'll be the alien's first victim. 20 seconds on the screens. Yes, but 20 seconds of glory," He laughs as he pats a shocked Sissi's cheek. "Gory glory, too!" She watches him leave, flabbergasted before she growls, crumpling up the paper.
Later, the tents have been set up in the factory. "I think we can shoot that one in no time."
Ulrich is sleeping until he opens his eyes. He looks at Sissi across from him as they're sharing a tent. He sits up and puts his shoes on, crawling out of the tent. However, unknown to him, Sissi opens her eyes and stares at him.
Ulrich rushes past the tents, stopping for a moment to get a look at the alien, which is covered back up. He takes off again, not noticing Sissi following after him. One of XANA's specters appears from the film equipment, emerging out from an outlet. It then goes over to the alien prop to bring it to life.
"Hey, what are you doing in the lab?" Jeremy demands once Ulrich has contacted him. "Anything wrong?"
"They took my cell phone away. Finson's totally paranoid. It won't be easy staying in touch with you," He informs his friend.
"Well, well," He turns around in alarm to see Sissi had crawled down from the ladder. "What kind of a weird place is this?"
"Hey, Ulrich," Jeremy gives a worried look. "...Please tell me that wasn't Sissi's voice I just heard."
Ulrich doesn't answer, taking off the headset as he steps down from the chair. "Uh, Sissi. Listen, I can't explain this to you, but uh, you can't tell anyone about this or else."
"Or else what?" She retorts back as she's not fazed by the warning. "A monster's gonna squirt goopy goop all over my face, huh, Ulrich?" That's exactly what happens as goop lands over her forehead. She looks up and they both see the moving alien.
"Jeremy, we've got a BIG problem here," Ulrich informs over the headset. The alien squirts its goop at Ulrich and he leaps out of the way. The chair gets hit by it instead.
"Ulrich, what's going on?" Jeremy calls out from the headset. "What's that noise?" Ulrich goes up to the shaking Sissi and grabs her arm.
"Follow me, hurry up!" He urges her and she whimpers as they rush to the elevator. The alien jumps down from the ceiling. "Come on!" They back away to the wall as the alien lunges, but the doors close just in time thankfully.
"Ulrich, what is going on? Answer me!" Jeremy demands, but Ulrich both doesn't have his phone and is too far away from the headset. The elevator descends down, along with the alien following the two with a roar. The duo drop to the ground, panting. Something bulges in front of Sissi's face, making her gasp and back away. There's a thud as another mark comes from the floor. It happens again, and the alien roars. Ulrich holds Sissi's arms as they look down. The elevator suddenly slowly comes to a stop and they're now stuck in mid-air. The two look at each other before the alien punches right through the floor. Sissi backs away to the corner and Ulrich looks up, pointing to a hatch.
"Up there." He cups his hands together. "You gotta climb up. I'll follow you," He assures while hoisting her ip using his hands. The alien moves his hands so that they can get inside, searching for them. Sissi climbs up on top of the elevator and reaches out her hand. Ulrich grabs it and she begins to pull him up. The alien manages to get inside through the hole, and then snatches Ulrich's shoe. "Let's go, we can't stay here." He turns around and opens up the vent that's behind him. "Through here, come on," He crawls in first, Sissi going in after him.
"XANA's up to something. A tower's been activated," Jeremy guesses correctly from Ulrich's urgent tone. "I'm launching a scan to localize the tower. I'll wake Odd and Amy, call Yumi, and we'll be on our way," Jeremy runs out of his room while the scan finds the tower, and it gets sent to the supercomputer. The sun rises and music plays.
"Who's the moron that-" One of the actors moves away his tent door to see Finson standing in front of it. "Oh! It's you, boss. I'm sorry, heh heh."
"Not bad, huh? I just composed it for the film," Finson claps for everyone to wake up. "Okay, all you lazybones, let's go. We got a movie to make." The crew and cast start to crawl out of the tents as they wake up. "Go get the alien."
He sits in his chair as they wait for filming to start, but they need the alien first to start shooting. "Boss!"
"Huh?" He looks up from his clipboard.
"Better come and take a look. Uh, we've got a little problem here."
Everyone sees that the alien is disconnected from the cables. "A little problem, huh? You call this a little problem?!" Finson snaps at the production assistant. "Go and find him, you understand?! He couldn't have walked out on his own. Go find him!"
The secretary walks up to him. "Mister Finson, the two youngsters have both disappeared." Finson grits his teeth, immediately assuming that they stole the alien from him since they're the only two gone.
Ulrich and Sissi are hiding in a corner of the factory. "Finson's alien monster...it's come alive!" She grips his shirt a little. "How can a machine of plastic and rubber come alive?! Like-" Ulrich covers her mouth so that she can stop panicking. And because she might draw too much attention to them. Sissi whimpers a bit as they hear a roar. The alien jumps down all the way across from them. Her eyes widen and it starts running towards them. Sissi screams a roar is heard. He's imprisoned them in stands of goop. Tears appear in Sissi's eyes as the alien licks her cheek. He then slips away, probably going off to find more prey.
Yumi, Amy, Odd, and Jeremy have arrived at the factory, but there's still a guard at the factory entrance. Luckily for them, he's asleep, and so they slip right past him.
They make a plan near the pipes since production isn't going on there. "I'm gonna try and find Ulrich and Sissi," Yumi tells her friends. "We'll stay in contact, okay?"
"Right," Amy nods and the three walk away, climbing down into the lab. Jeremy gets into his chair to reach the screen.
"Aelita?" Jeremy speaks up to her. "Odd and Amy are about to make the plunge. How do things look?"
She's in the desert sector, and can feel the pulsations underneath her. "Pretty bad. You were right, Jeremy. XNANA is up to no good again."
"I've localized the tower, it's in the polar region," The boy informs the pink-haired girl.
Yumi goes searching for the duo, jumping across a gap of water in the sewers. She turns the corner, gasping as she sees the secretary and producer crawling down a ladder. She quickly hides behind a wall. "Do you really think it was those two kids who stole the alien?"
"If it was them, they better hope Finson doesn't find them."
Yumi glances at them and runs off, tripping a pipe and it clanks against the ground. The two look up ahead while holding flashlights, stepping forward. However, she's nowhere to be found. Yumi is actually hiding up above, wiping sweat off her forehead in relief.
"Okay Jeremy, we're in," Odd reports as he and Amy are in the scanner room now.
"Aelita's on her way to the polar region. That's where the scan localized the tower," Jeremy reports as they both step in. Both of them turn around. "I'll launch the transfer. Transfer Amy. Transfer Odd." The doors close in on the duo. "Scanner," He taps enter and they close their eyes as they're scanner. Their bodies then spin around. "Virtualization!"
They appear in the ice sector, landing safely on the path.
"Alright, we're here," Amy stands up with a hand on her hip. "Now we just need-"
"Odd, Amy!" Aelita calls out as they see Aelita running up to them on a path.
"Nice little place. What if you use a little heat?"
"Why am I friends with you again?" Amy jokes a little, crossing her arms.
"That's not how we work," Odd winks at the fairy. "Since it's Ames and Odd again, we gotta work real hard this time!"
"Oh man," Amy covers her face with both of her hands, a bit flustered.
Aelita points past the two. "The tower plateau is in that direction. Let's go, if we run, it'll warm you up."
"But I already fly," Amy reminds them, flapping her wings and hovering above them.
"I need the workout, anyway. How else am I gonna keep up with my favorite girl?" Odd points up at her playfully and she smirks.
"But you're already in second place!" She starts flying away from them.
"Hey! No fair!" Odd calls out playfully as they both run after her.
"I don't get this at all," Sissi speaks up to Ulrich while the goop was starting to dry. "W-Why did he leave us alone when he could've just as easily..." She stops, not wanting to finish that sentence.
"I'm pretty sure he wanted to use us as bait to attract the others," Ulrich explains to her.
"When you say the others, Ulrich...do you mean that whole gang of yours? But why?" She wonders as they hear a noise. Yumi suddenly comes around the corner from the opposite side.
"Ulrich, Sissi!" She runs up to them.
"Ah, Yumi!" Ulrich smiles in relief to see her.
"Whatever you do, don't move a muscle," She jokes slightly to them.
"Boy, aren't you funny?" Ulrich replies back, a little annoyed. Yumi pulls out a switchblade and cuts them free.
"Oh Yumi, I never thought I'd be saying this to you one day, but I'm actually very glad to see you for once," Sissi admits while the two brush off the dried goop.
"You can kiss and make-up later. We've gotta go or XANA's gonna get his way-"
"Come outta there!" Sissi gasps as they turn to Finson standing where Yumi once was. And he does not look happy. "And make it snappy!" He narrows his eyes, still believing that they stole the alien.
"Odd, Amy, Aelita, watch out. XANA's sent his monsters out," Jeremy warns all his friends. "Just behind you, there's a swarm of them, armed with lasers. 20 life points per impact."
Odd and Amy look up from the corner of their eyes, seeing five Hornets trailing near Amy. "A little battle's bound to keep me warm!" The Hornets close in on the trio and start firing all at once. Amy yelps as she spins around to avoid them.
"Be careful, Amy. They'll get your wings if you don't watch it," Jeremy tells the fairy.
"Tell me something I don't know," She rolls her eyes.
"Talk about a reception committee. Wow!" Odd comments as the Hornets fly up and then turn around, now in front of the three. Aelita stops running while Odd and Amy keep going. Odd runs up a ledge, aiming his fist at one in mid-air. "Laser arrow!" He hits the Hornet dead on and Amy spins around while flying. She then throws her scythe at one and destroys a second one. Odd rolls back onto the path, Aelita gasping.
"Odd! Watch out!" She warns, and he turns around. He doesn't have time to run as they all fire and get him in the back.
"Odd!" Amy flies over, only for the Hornets to fire again and they hit her wings, causing them to disappear. She grunts as she lands hard on the path in front of Odd. Aelita runs over to them in concern before they get onto their feet.
"Let's get going!" He says and they run in the other direction.
"Yumi!" Jeremy calls the Japanese girl to get a status update, and to see if she could help out. "Yumi, can you hear me? Where are you? Come on, answer me, Yumi. Please answer!"
Yumi's phone buzzes but she doesn't answer it. Mainly because Finson is interrogating them right now about the alien, which he's unaware of it coming to life. If she leaves or answers the phone, something tells her that he'd get the police involved... "Tell me right now. What have you done with my alien?" He demands the three, but they stay silent, not knowing what to tell him. The door creaks open, and they look up to see the alien standing at the door. "Huh?" Finson's eyes go wide at the moving alien. "B-But-" Before he can react, he's hit by its tail. It knocks him into a nearby wall, knocking him out for a bit.
"Let's go!" Ulrich runs to a door, Yumi and Sissi following as he tries opening it.
"Boss!" The secretary and producer run in. "Did you find the-" They stop short once they see what's going on.
"Don't let them get away!" Finson calls out from the floor, holding his head. "Get a move on!" They rush forward, only to get stuck by the window from the goop. Ulrich closes the door, the alien walking after the three. Finson reaches out and grabs his tail. "Stop! I created you! You have to obey me, you hear?!" He looks up in determination while holding on. The alien snarls at him, and the next thing Finson knew, he's stuck to the wall as well.
Ulrich barricades the door, backing away while the other door is barricaded as well. The alien tries to break the door down while the three reach the windows. The alien tries again and they huddle together. Yumi picks up her phone and calls Jeremy. "Jeremy, it's Yumi. Yeah, I did find them, but XANA's taken possession of a monster who's gonna be here at any-" She gasps as the alien pushes in harder from outside.
"Odd, Amy, Yumi and Ulrich are in big trouble. There's not much time!" Jeremy explains in urgency as they continue running. Odd looks back as the Hornets are still chasing them down. They approach a slide, coming to a stop.
"Wow, that sure is deep," He looks back at the Hornets, knowing that if they try taking them head-on now, they'd be outnumbered. And also, their lasers take a lot of life points so they couldn't take any more damage.
"But this is the only way, isn't it?" Amy sighs knowingly while she and Aelita examine it.
"Yup, we have no choice," Odd says and they all jump off. He slides down while standing upright. "Yaaaahoooo!" He shouts and Aelita slides down while sitting. Amy skids down behind them. "Ha ha, incredible!" He cheers as they go inside a tunnel of sorts. "Wow, Ames, this is totally cool!" They then make a sharp turn, Amy almost losing her balance. "Woo-hoo! Hey, I think just might set a record here!" Aelita gives off worried sounds in front Amy. Mainly because she's not as much a thrill-seeker like Odd. "By the way, Jeremy, what's at the end of this?"
Jeremy pauses for a few seconds. "Well, I uh-"
"Oh, we get the idea! Geronimoooooo!" They fly out of the tunnel and fall to the ground. Amy flies out last, but her wings activate and she floats down safely to them.
"That was kind of fun and terrifying at the same time," She dusts herself off.
"At any rate, the tower is pretty close now," Jeremy informs the three.
"Thanks for the info, Jeremy..." Odd says a little unenthusiastically since they can't even see it.
"You think he's called it quits?" Ulrich asks while they stare at the door, which has been silent for a while. Sissi is quivering between the two.
"For once I have a chance to show how talented I am and now that mechanical monster has to go nuts!" Sissi cries out in fear. "And what's more, he decides to pick on me! I don't understand! What did I ever do to that plastic piece of junk to deserve that, huh?"
Yumi turns to Ulrich as Sissi could be giving away their location right now. "Hey Ulrich, you think you could get her to keep still for a second?"
Ulrich shushes Sissi and she covers her mouth. The slamming can still be heard as they look up, the noise not coming from outside the door anymore.
Odd and Amy back away as they're on watch for the Hornets. "Well, Aelita, any sign of that tower yet?"
She looks up ahead, recoiling back in shock. "Yes, but I may be seeing double." Jeremy turns back to his screen after looking at the map. He only sees one tower from his side. The three are looking at two towers that are the exact same, side by side.
"Jeremy, there are two towers," Odd reports as they look on in shock.
"How can that be? I only saw one on the holo map!" Jeremy explains in disbelief.
"Well, it's definitely different here," Amy tells him.
"XANA must have done that to confuse us," Aelita deduces while Odd looks back.
"Well, it's definitely working, but we don't have time for this," Amy gestures to the towers.
"Ames is right. We've gotta choose one and pronto too," They all make a run for the two towers, as the Hornets have found them.
The ceiling starts to crack above them and Sissi whimpers. "Hello, Jeremy? Well, have you got any news for us?" The alien crashes through the ceiling.
"Yumi, what's going on? Answer, Yumi. Yumi! Yum-" The alien steps forward and steps on Yumi's phone, preventing any further communication. "Odd! Amy!"
"We know what you're gonna tell us, hurry up," Odd calls out while running. "Well, for your information, we're not exactly having a tea party here!" He runs across a Hornet, trying to destroy it. He flips forward and aims, but misses. Odd turns to Amy, who backs away from the two Hornets focusing on her. Aelita looks between the two towers before Odd pushes her out of the way. "Get down!" The Hornets fly past, firing lasers as Amy flies after them. She holds up a hand to fire her tiny ice arrows. "Aelita, you've gotta choose one of the towers now. Ames and I can't hold them off much longer," Odd explains in a serious tone and she nods up at him.
"Okay," She answers while Odd looks up at Amy. The Hornets come around to her again and Aelita takes off. Amy pulls out her scythe and throws it, but the Hornets simply slide to the left to avoid it. Odd steps forward, pointing up his arm.
"Laser Arrow!" He fires multiple times, but misses, running over and grabbing Amy's hand. "Yahooo!" He screams as Amy shouts in surprise, the two running off together. Aelita stands between the towers, thinking long and hard about which one to choose. Odd fires more laser arrows. "Take that!" Suddenly, he feels a click from his arm. "Oh no, I'm out of arrows."
"Here I go," Aelita speaks up, letting out a deep breath and entering the tower on her right. She walks onto the pad, the rings lighting up one by one. She starts floating up to the top. Odd glances between the towers and crouches onto all fours. Amy turns to him in alarm while spinning her scythe to avoid the lasers.
"Odd, what are you doing?"
He jumps forward with a yell and lets himself get hit by the lasers. He falls to the ground and devirtualizes.
"Odd!" She shouts and drops her weapon, allowing the Hornets to fire at her. She falls towards the ground while devirtualizing, screaming. Aelita keeps moving to the top.
Yumi, Sissi, and Ulrich back away to a wall as the alien approaches further. Tears stream down Sissi's face as she sits down in fear. She can only look in horror as Yumi and Ulrich get grabbed by the tentacles. They start to choke while being lifted up in the air.
Aelita still hasn't made it as she's reaching the platform.
Yumi and Ulrich struggle as the monster snarls its teeth at them.
Aelita descends onto the top pad, walking up to the center. "Jeremy, if I happen to choose the wrong tower, it'll be all over. You know that," She presses her hand against the interface.
"I have faith in you, Aelita," He confesses while closing his eyes.
Aelita
Code
Yumi starts swearing as they continue to be choked, coughing. The two Hornets fly around the activated tower.
Lyoko
"Ulrich..." Sissi holds out a hand to him as she cries, Ulrich struggling to keep his breath.
Nothing seems to happen in the tower Aelita's standing in, which means... "Jeremy, I'm sorry. I chose the wrong one."
Jeremy gives a solemn look at their failure. Aelita looks around and then the data starts to fall. "No, wait!" She cries out as the alien stops and the tower is deactivated.
Time starts to rewind as Jeremy taps the key. "Return to the Past now!"
Back at the cafeteria, Finson is giving out autographs, the others watching from outside the building. "Great idea to use the factory for a movie," Ulrich speaks up once it's his turn.
Finson looks up in surprise at the boy. "Thanks. I must confess my ideas are," He holds up a photo for the boy. "I say this with great modesty. Absolutely ingenious. Here."
"It makes a great set," Ulrich holds up his hands, refusing the picture. "By the way, you do know that a film was shot here once before?"
"You're kidding," Finson replies in disbelief.
"No, a science fiction movie, with an alien. Heh heh, had a fabulous picture too," Ulrich insists while winking and giving a thumbs up.
The others look up as Finson walks out of the cafeteria, phone in his hand. "No no, I've given it some thought and I don't think the factory's a good idea. Besides, it wasn't my idea in the first place. What's that? How dare you accuse me of lying to you?" Ulrich steps out as they continue listening. "I can find another producer, you know!" Ulrich gives his friends a thumbs up.
"Yes!" Odd jumps up with a cheer and they leave. They'd rather be safe than sorry on this one.