He was in a large, bright room; standing near a leather sofa, he could hear the hum of the television behind him. Just in front of the guy was a table with a stack of papers on it. He quickly realized that he could move of his own accord and, touched by a premonition, approached; that's when he felt the chill in his chest, where the specter had passed through him. He furrowed his brow as the spirit seized most of the colorful brochures, which flew towards a cabinet, coming to rest on its top. Shortly after, the shadow dispersed, and when the blond lowered his gaze, he noticed that only one of the leaflets remained in view.
He turned around when he heard footsteps approaching him; he still couldn't see faces, but by the sound of the voices, he guessed they were a boy and a girl. The taller figure noticed a page on the floor and bent down to pick it up; as Odd approached, he could only see colorful blotches where the letters should be.
- Hey, look. - spoke the brunette, and his tone sounded oddly familiar. - Danny used to go to this school. What do you think?
- I don't know. It's quite far. - replied the girl, and the boy's heart skipped a beat.
He tried to scrutinize the face of the figure, but the more he strained his eyes, the less distinct the shapes became. The girl's hair wasn't purple, but he recognized her voice; he felt it was Alex. But why was she appearing in his dream? Why in such a situation? What did it mean?
- It's only two hours. And it's a boarding school; we can always arrange a place for ourselves. - said Charlie. It had to be Charlie. The guy passed through him and sat on the sofa, putting his legs on the table and reaching for something, probably the TV remote. - It could be fun. I talked to my dad, and there's really nothing better around here.
- Yeah, I guess. - sighed the girl, taking a seat next to her friend and waving her hand.
When Odd looked down, he saw a small puppy playing around her legs, and ironically, he could see it very clearly. The blond involuntarily lifted the corners of his mouth. He couldn't help it; he loved dogs, and a part of him regretted not being able to see the girl's smile as she played with the animal.
- So, do you want to come with me? - the words of the brunette snapped him out of his trance, and the boy finally tore his gaze away from the rolling black ball. - I need to tell parents by tomorrow.
- You know the answer.
William stood in front of the door to the room that (according to Jeremy's words) belonged to Alex. He took a deep breath before knocking twice, cursing in his mind the fact that he was the one entrusted with the task of bringing the girl. He didn't like her since their worlds collided for the first time, quite literally when she hit him square in the solar plexus. He felt like the dark-haired girl was created just to annoy him; no person had ever irritated him so much, not trying particularly hard (of course, except for Ulrich, but that was a completely different case). It bothered him how she avoided confrontation with him. She didn't respond to any of his taunts, and he hated it, hated when people didn't react the way he expected.
Deep down, he knew why he couldn't stand her, though he would never admit it out loud; the truth was that he was disgustingly jealous. She easily got what he had to work for a long time: a place among the warriors, and she had the audacity to despise it. And that was another reason why William didn't want to agree to Jeremy's plan, because would the girl even go with him to the factory? But now he was standing in front of her door, unable to stop thinking that he wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for the damn Della Robbia. Odd, who brought the girl to the factory again, the same Odd who always thought with the wrong head.
- Can I talk to you for a moment? - he muttered when a familiar face finally appeared before his eyes.
When the brunette looked over her head, he noticed that she wasn't alone; some guy was sitting at the desk, and it took Dunbar a moment to remember that it was the same guy who attacked them at the factory. Notebooks and pens were scattered on the floor, and when he looked at the girl's hands, he noticed that they were stained with ink. Ach, artists.
- Yeah? - her brows furrowed, and her hazel eyes squinted at him suspiciously.
She clearly indicated that she didn't want his presence in her room; too bad he didn't care.
- Odd needs your help.
- In what?
He raised his eyebrows, which quickly fell. Did she think he was joking or something?
- Well... - he glanced at her friend, who also looked in his direction. - In the virtual world. - he cleared his throat and turned his gaze aside, hoping it was enough for her to understand what he meant.
- You mean... In the virtual virtual?
- Yes, in the virtual virtual. - he snapped impatiently. - I'll explain everything on the way, but we need to hurry. It won't work without you. - her eyes widened in shock, and Charlie furrowed his brow from his seat, listening to their unusual exchange.
- This is the weirdest game invitation I've ever heard. - he muttered under his breath. - Go with you?
- No. I'm sure it's nothing. - she replied, trying with all her might to sound calm, though a storm of emotions raged inside her, and her mind was filled with questions.
Was Odd in trouble? But then why didn't he ask for help from others? She had no clue about all those towers and Lyoko! What if it's a trap?
She looked into William's eyes again, who seemed to only scowl harder. He didn't look like a specter. If anyone resembled one, it was her, with her fingers as black as coal. But didn't Della Robbia mention that specters could look like normal people?
- Are you sure? - Charles' voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and his green eyes glanced suspiciously at the stranger standing in the doorway. Trap or not, she couldn't involve her friend in this.
- Give us a minute. - she said, closing the door in Dunbar's face before he could say a word. She took a deep breath, then turned to the brunette, who was now sitting with crossed arms, staring at her intently. - Relax, I'm going to Odd.
- Well, then I can go with you. - he offered and raised a corner of his mouth. - I play better than you.
- That's not necessary, seriously. - she hissed, and when she saw his surprised expression, she added a bit more calmly. - It's probably about some nonsense; it won't take me long.
In silence, he stared at her for a while, watching as the girl walked back and forth in the room. He watched her reach for a hoodie lying on the bed and put it on. Then she grabbed her phone, adjusted a random book on the shelf, and only then did she look at him.
- You're hiding something.
- No.
- You always do that when you're up to something.
- Like what?!
- You're not looking at me! And you're pacing around the room as if you had ADHD! - he exclaimed, and when the girl rolled her eyes and turned her head, he pointed at her with his finger. - And again!
- Stop it! I'm not hiding anything. - she snapped, ignoring the panic building up in her chest. Damn, if this goes on, he'll drag her hand in hand to that damn factory.
- Don't make your boyfriend wait! - shouted Dunbar from behind the wall, and she could swear she felt her blood freezing in her veins.
Charlie's eyebrows shot up when he looked at her in shock, and she immediately reciprocated the look.
- No. - he said; she couldn't find the strength to object in time. - You're not dating with Della Robbia. I don't believe it.
- I'm not. - she finally said, feeling her ears burning.
- I didn't believe it either, but it's true! - William interjected, taking advantage of the fact that the walls in this dorm were made of cardboard. - So, will you let me take her to him or not?!
- Alex. - the boy folded his hands in prayer and took a deep breath. - I like Odd, but damn, do you realize that this guy went out with half the school? He said he was with two girls at the same time several times! Besides, he's not even your type... - he spoke, and then made big eyes, and the girl knew what he meant. - No. Just don't tell me it's like with Randy.
- I'm not!
- Sure, just like with Randy! - William confirmed, this time barging into the room and smiling broadly at the boy before shifting his attention to the girl, and his face immediately became serious. - Can we go now?
Moreau stared at him, but even if the stranger irritated him, he didn't show it.
- Why didn't you tell me? - he grumbled, and she knew he felt sorry.
She hated it when Charlie was sad, and he was always sad when he learned about facts from her life secondhand. Honesty was a value that the boy particularly cherished, and even if what the warrior said was a lie, she couldn't tell him; at least not now, when Dunbar's warning gaze burned a hole in her back.
- I'll explain everything later, okay? - she sent him an apologetic smile before following William, leaving the boy alone in the room.
Maybe he was disappointed, but above all, he was safe, unlike Della Robbia, and she clung to that thought.
- So... - the brunette began when they were outside, but she raised her hand. After a moment, she stood next to one of the benches, pressed the phone to her ear, and didn't take her eyes off the boy. He raised his eyebrows when he realized that she had called Jeremy to make sure he was telling the truth. Only after Einstein confirmed it did her feet finally leave the ground.
- Okay, let's go.
- I don't know whether to congratulate you on your caution or laugh at your paranoia. - he snorted, pushing her toward the path leading to the entrance, as she started going in the wrong direction. She tensed at his touch, but said nothing, obediently slowing down to walk behind him. For someone in a hurry to defend friends and the world, the boy walked annoyingly slowly. - By the way, who is Randy?
- An idiot with a stupid name.
- You have a weakness for guys with stupid names, huh? - he snorted, but she ignored him.
When they reached the entrance, he went in first, and she followed right behind him. She grimaced when she touched something disgustingly wet, and whatever it was, she wiped it on the jacket of the boy standing in front of her. When the brunette turned around and looked at her from under his brow, she smiled broadly.
- So... what happened to Odd?
He felt sick.
He had the sensation that virtual ants were crawling all over his body, and his head pulsed to the rhythm of every, even the faintest, sound that reached his ears. Above all, he was incredibly disoriented. He had lost consciousness for a few minutes, and he felt that it could just as well have been hours or seconds. He also had to focus hard on how he ended up lying motionless in the desert sector.
It got worse when he remembered his strange dream, digging it out piece by piece from the abyss of his mind. The memory became incredibly vivid, as if replaying the plot of a movie in his head rather than a situation created by his own imagination. Moreover, this was already the third time something like this had happened. First, the strange conversation, then the escape, and now this. Perhaps it was something like lucid dreaming, but Odd had no influence on the events. On the other hand, he never really tried, too dazed by what was happening before his eyes.
- Jeremy? - he grimaced when he heard his own voice. It was weak and hoarse, as if he hadn't used it for several days. - How long was I out?
- About fifteen minutes. - hearing Della Robbia, Belpois immediately perked up. - Everything okay?
- Let's say so. - it might not be colorful, but being virtual definitely had its advantages. He suspected that on Earth he wouldn't even be able to talk, let alone sit. - Did I miss anything?
- Not much. - he sighed. - The blocks are still standing under the tower.
- So, am I safe?
- For now, yes. Even if they know you're in Lyoko, they don't know where.
- And on Earth?
- No one except William and Alex is answering my calls.
- Alex? - he flinched, and his heart pounded harder in his chest. - Is she being pursued by the specter or something?
- No, Odd. - he sighed, and the tone of his voice oscillated between calm and exhausted. - I'm planning to send her to Lyoko.
- What?! - he reflexively jumped up, too abruptly, which quickly made his poor stomach known. - Is this a joke? You can't send her to Lyoko!
- We have no choice. - he replied with a hint of weariness, somewhat like a teacher who explains the same topic for the third time. - You can barely move, and Ulrich, Yumi, and Aelita can't escape forever. We don't even know which one of them was touched by the specter, and if it's Aelita... If she's alone... - the lump in his throat prevented him from expressing his concerns aloud, so instead, he said; - It's just three blocks; she'll surely handle it.
The blond snorted, trying to get up, but in the end, his head again fell heavily on the rock behind him.
- That's not the point.
- Then why don't you want to let go? - Einstein's voice was quiet, as if he were afraid that someone would come into the room with the supercomputer and catch him conspiring. The warrior knew that Jeremy was doing this to ease his mind, but the first option was more amusing in his imagination.
- I... - he sighed softly, staring at his hands, which were large purple spots on an equally blurred background. - I was hoping that maybe you could erase her memory, and that way, we wouldn't... involve her more, you know?
He didn't deny it, but he didn't confirm it either; not that Odd required it. He himself wasn't sure if what he said made any sense, and frankly, he didn't know where these feelings came from. Once, he would probably have been excited about having another friend in the team; moreover, a pretty one! But every time he thought of Alex as a Lyoko warrior, something twisted in his stomach. No words were enough to erase the memory of her face when she stared at the unconscious Charlie that fateful Friday. He hated the sight of those sad, brown eyes.
- Odd. - Jeremy's voice interrupted his thoughts. - If Alex didn't want to help you, she wouldn't come here.
- She doesn't know what she's getting into...
- She knows better than you, Ulrich, or Yumi did when you followed me. If she takes such a risk for you, it's her own decision.
Della Robbia knew Einstein was right. He also understood that it was currently the only way to save his friends, and for a brief moment, he was even ready to confess everything he felt, what he saw; that he saw Stones running away, that maybe she was still hiding in the hermitage. However, fear and uncertainty effectively sealed his mouth; he didn't want to give Jeremy false hope, let alone admit where he knew it from.
These could be hallucinations or a trap, he thought, although every cell in his body screamed in protest. Regardless of the reason, he decided not to mention it. Never, to anyone.
If necessary, he would take this secret to the grave.
With every word from William, the girl felt like her head was getting more and more tangled. So far, the boy had explained that one of the girls had been touched by the specter, and Odd was lying knocked out in a sector (what sector?). However, he spared her no foolish details in the style of tales, such as how he didn't have to go back through the entire Cadic to find her because she didn't know the way through the sewers, so he had to kindly guide her, causing all the important information to mix with the irrelevant, and consequently losing its meaning.
- I don't understand. - she interrupted him when he once again went off on tangents about how he single-handedly took care of five tarantulas while Della Robbia stood and waited like a fool. - You were talking about a virtual world, right? So, how am I supposed to help?
- We were all in Lyoko, and we won't get back there for another twelve hours. There are three blocks in front of the tower, someone has to destroy them and help that idiot get into the tower. - he stopped at one of the grates and looked at her. - Jeremy thinks you're our last hope.
- As I understand it, you don't think so? - she squinted her eyes as he smirked mockingly before resuming the march, leaving her behind with that significant answer.
- Honestly, I thought you wouldn't even come with me. - he spoke after a while. - I thought you were a coward.
- I'm going there for Odd, not for you. Tell me better how I can help.
- I already told you. - he snapped. - You have to destroy the monsters and lead Odd to the tower.
- Yes, but how?
- The blocks are easy. Aim for the eye, avoid lasers, and you'll be fine.
- But what do I aim with? - with every passing second in his company, she felt like her IQ was dropping, and in its place, frustration and anger were growing. The only person who could equally effectively unsettle her was her sister and mother.
- I don't know. - he shrugged. - Each of us has a different weapon. Fans, energy fields, a sword...
- And you probably have a sword, right?
- How did you know? - he asked, then immediately rolled his eyes. - Ah, right. Odd told you?
- I guessed. - she smiled at him, to which he sent her a mixed look. Yes, definitely, a sword was perfect for a show-off like him.
- Yeah, okay, never mind. - he nodded toward the ladder, indicating that she should start climbing first. - Anyway, Jeremy will explain everything to you in Lyoko.
This time, the elevator ride was longer than before. She understood why when, instead of reaching the room with the supercomputer, she found herself in a completely new room. Anxiety tied the girl's stomach into knots as she stood in front of something Jeremy called a scanner.
She was worried and full of doubts. Part of this anxiety was accumulating in her due to Della Robbia's bad condition, but above all, she was deadly scared because of all this responsibility thrown on her shoulders. What would happen to the blonde if she couldn't handle it?
- You know, you can still back out. - the brunette spoke, a mocking smile on his face.
She knew she could, but she also knew he was provoking her. If the situation weren't critical, she wouldn't be here. And since she came, she would at least try; with this resolution, she crossed the threshold of the machine.
After the scanner doors closed behind her, she heard Jeremy's voice in the background, launching the virtualization program. A rush of air lifted her hair, forcing her to close her eyes and then her fingers on the sleeves of her hoodie. Her limbs started tingling, and when the wind disappeared, and she could finally open her eyes, she was already in the virtual world. By the time her feet touched the ground, Jeremy's voice fell silent, and she was greeted by the silence of an unknown land.
The sky here was yellow-orange, almost free of clouds. She stood on a vast, sandy area, although it was clear that it was not ordinary sand. When she moved her foot on the ground, she could see a cloud of small pixels rising into the air. All around were stones and boulders of various sizes and shapes, and small islands floated in the air.
Only after a moment did she notice herself; the material enveloping her body was intersected with strips of neon green, cutting off the dominant matte black shade from the more slippery material that mainly covered her arms and paws.
Wait, paws.
She looked in amazement at the lines crossing her fingers, which had a slightly different shade of green than those on her body. Just below them were light purple diamond-shaped symbols that danced with her joints as she decided to move her hand. It didn't stop at four fingers because when she looked back, she noticed a tail, and what she felt on her head had to be ears.
So she was a cat.
A big, virtual cat.
And in her life, she would never admit how high and with what excitement she jumped in place because of it.
She also had to admit that the costume itself was really comfortable, a bit like a second skin. And she was convinced that in the real world, her waist and legs didn't look that good. There was only one problem; she didn't see any weapons, and her purple claws were definitely too short to inflict any damage.
- Jeremy? Any tips? - she said, but her request fell on deaf ears.
Okay, now there were two problems.
Meanwhile, the blond was going crazy with worry, passionately cursing the malice of inanimate objects. The girl's icon was highlighted in red, and it quickly turned out that he couldn't communicate with her in any way. What's worse, he didn't see her on the screen, so he didn't even know if she had made it to Lyoko.
- What's going on?
- Not now, William. - Jeremy snapped, and his blue eyes followed the entered lines of code in search of any discrepancies, but quickly he found that everything had been entered correctly.
It was official; God hated him, there was no other explanation.
- What's happening? - Odd's voice resounded in his ears, and he wasn't sure how to tell him that something went wrong again.
He was so absorbed in trying to fix the error, coming up with a suitable explanation for Della Robbia in the meantime, that he didn't notice when the elevator doors slid open behind his back.
- Jeremy...
- William, please. This is serious.
- Maybe I can help? - the boy's head immediately turned towards the owner of the voice, and when he saw a familiar, smiling face, for a moment, he forgot about all the problems in the world.
- Aelita! - he quickly left his chair to run to the girl and hug her. When he looked at her face, apart from the red cheeks from exertion, there was nothing to indicate that she was suffering from the touch of the specter. So, God did love him after all. - Are you okay? Did you escape the specter? Didn't XANA catch you?
- N... No, I lost him on the trail with my phone, and no. Did he catch someone? - her gaze shifted to the supercomputer screen, and when she noticed an unknown avatar and a series of errors, her mouth opened in surprise. - Is this what I think it is?
Einstein looked in the direction she was looking, and he swallowed hard.
- I'll explain everything to you. But first, you have to help me.