He had to admit he was quite pleased with himself. He had eliminated quite a few monsters at the controls of the Megapod before the vehicle's shields went down and the warriors were forced outside. Additionally, for the first fifteen minutes, he was able to engage in traditional combat and did quite well for himself, even though he had to ease up a bit over time. Unfortunately, with such opponents, it was hard for him to conserve energy and not move more aggressively than he should. And that was just the beginning of his troubles.
A major problem was the megatank, which nearly devirtualized Stones several times and consistently attacked their machine until it disintegrated into digital dust. At first, he felt bold enough to try to take it on himself, but when he almost ended up under its deadly fire, he decided to pass that task on to someone else. Besides, there were also ninjas slowly advancing toward them, and only a miracle could protect him from their swords. Even at the peak of his abilities, his shots were never a challenge for them, and approaching within a few meters almost always equaled devirtualization.
The whole situation was actually incredibly ironic. It wasn't the first time ninjas had witnessed firsthand the activity of something they had warned their leader about but that he still refused to believe in. Nevertheless, using Xana's monsters as the first line of attack was a very wise move on their part. They waited for the warriors to expend most of their strength, only to finish them off later, and he could see his future bleakly when they finally decided to do so. Hence, taking on the responsibility of eliminating the monsters while the rest could save themselves for tougher opponents seemed like the most sensible decision he had made in a long time.
- Einstein! Are you ever going to fix this connection or not? - he snapped, while also keeping an eye on the manta flying towards Aelita. He shot it down before it could hit the girl, which she didn't notice anyway.
- I've already said it's complicated!
- I wasn't trying to be mean.
Though he definitely could have been.
Due to their discussion in the Megapod and Belpois's insistence on participating in it, he cut off the connection with Alex and William. Unfortunately, given the technical problems the supercomputer was facing, restoring the connection proved to be a much more difficult, if not impossible, task for the time being. Thanks to Jeremy, however, they knew that both of them were still virtual, but for some reason, they weren't coming out of hiding. And the version of the scenario Odd stuck to was that Meyer must have a plan and it must make sense. Either that, or they were frozen in time; nothing else would keep Dunbar in place.
With each passing moment, every move became more demanding than the last, leaving him exhausted and exceptionally sore. To make matters worse, he had been driven to the edge of the land, where avoiding lasers was no longer so easy, especially with a vast chasm behind him.
He got shot in the calf, and shortly after, in the arm, not even knowing where or from whom - though judging by the impact, it was probably one of the mantas. Their lasers always seemed stronger. The latter shot caused him to lose his balance and fall, only catching himself on one of the lower platforms at the last moment. It was then that the monster decided to leave him alone and change targets. The mere thought that Della Robbia wasn't worth his attention made his first instinct want to go back and keep fighting, but fatigue prevailed over momentary desperation.
He needed a break.
So he gritted his teeth and clung tightly to the wall with his claws, climbing those few meters up to reach a small niche in the wall. He almost fell on his face, taking deep breaths to dispel the dark spots from his vision. The inner sides of his paws practically throbbed with effort, and he felt like he was about to cough up his lungs - and virtual or not, that would definitely not be a pretty view.
Deep down, he knew he had definitely overdone it, but Jeremy cared about those data - and Odd cared about completing the mission successfully, regardless of what kind of information was a priority here. And although there were fewer monsters on Xana's side, each one attacked exceptionally aggressively, and he was determined to keep up with them. He was too stubborn to give up and completely ignored how unsuitable his body was for this kind of activity today. This insubordination would surely come back to haunt him when they returned to the ground, which he normally couldn't wait for.
After some time, he stood up with a sigh, ready to return, when the sound of a familiar voice calling his name in an annoyed whisper reached his ears. At first, he thought he had misheard, especially since Jeremy hadn't informed him of anything like that. However, he then noticed her and forgot about the dizziness as he rushed forward to grab the girl's hand.
- I like being fashionably late too, but from your side, it's a bit too much. - he said as he pulled her into his hiding spot before she could pass him by for the second time.
- Why, did you miss me? - she retorted, with a mischievous glint in her eye and that arrogant smile that had its counterpart on his own face.
And although the boy's breath was still heavy, and his heart seemed to be about to jump out of his chest at any moment, he didn't care. All that frustration and impatience? All those questions that occupied his mind and distracted him during the fight? They didn't matter when she stood in front of him, clearly excited to see him.
- Of course. It feels like I haven't seen you in ages.
- Probably because you've been really busy. - she replied, and the obvious sarcasm in his voice didn't faze her.
- I could have been busy with you if you had come earlier. - he murmured, and his smile only widened when he heard her giggle. - Actually, I think I should be mad at you.
- Fair enough, but if I apologize, you'll forgive me, right?
He hummed softly, amused. She definitely had too good of a mood to come to him empty-handed; and whatever it was, he already liked it.
- I'm not sure.
- Will it help if I say that William and I fought demons? - she asked, peering deeply into his eyes and batting her lashes in a mocking attempt to beg for forgiveness.
- Your own demons, I presume?
- Close, they were demons of his bottomless stupidity. - she squinted her eyes, and the corners of her mouth immediately drooped, eliciting a quiet chuckle from deep within his throat.
- And I gather you managed to defeat them?
- Yes, but I have no idea for how long, so listen to me carefully. - she said, and he didn't need to be told twice. He knew that tone perfectly well.
- I'm all ears.
- Okay, wait. - he muttered after a moment, trying to process everything he had been told so far. - So instead of destroying the monsters first and then going to the core together, you want to send Aelita alone, right?
She nodded.
- And we'll be fighting here in the meantime, so she can work there in peace?
Another nod.
- Okay, that makes sense. - he pondered for a moment before adding. - And how do you plan to hide the fact that she'll be opening the passage?
- She won't be the one opening it. - she replied firmly, but she didn't seem eager to explain more.
Or maybe she had already said that, and he was too distracted to remember? Hard to say.
- If so, why do you want to send her there? - he inquired.
She furrowed her brow. Of all the questions, she didn't expect this one.
- Well, actually, William suggested it. - she admitted. - And I assumed she knows the most about it and will do it the fastest. Plus, she seems to be handling this fight the worst.
He raised an eyebrow.
- She? The worst? She probably has the most points out of all of us.
- Maybe, but she doesn't hit too often, and besides, she's constantly on the radar. It's better to get her out of here before that big ball finally hits, and we're left with zero options. - she explained, and perhaps for the first time in a long while, she tried to be careful with her words around him, just in case.
Part of her had expected a repeat of the discussion with William, where she had to explain that she didn't actually think she was better than Aelita, and what she was saying were just plain facts. But Della Robbia clearly didn't care about that; if anything, he seemed somewhat amused by her attitude, which he didn't particularly try to hide.
- So you need Aelita to disappear from here, for example, as if she got devirtualized, right? - he continued, earning her eternal gratitude, while also driving another nail into Dunbar's coffin.
- Exactly!
He fell silent for a moment, rubbing his chin, while also looking at her in that disturbingly attentive way, as if he wanted to peer into her skull and intercept her thoughts.
- I knew you'd come up with something smart, kitty. - he finally said, with a genuine smile on his face, which dispelled any doubts that had been swirling in her head for the past twenty minutes.
- Jesus Christ, Odd… - she groaned disapprovingly, rolling her eyes, leaving him clearly pleased with himself.
However, she couldn't help but notice that the boy immediately guessed who was behind this plan, which left her with a bursting sense of pride, twisting the corners of her mouth.
- But I don't understand why I can't help you, instead of Dunbar. - he added, crossing his arms over his chest and giving her that overly petulant grimace. - I'm better than him at diverting attention.
He wouldn't be himself if he didn't point that out to her; even if in reality, he was the worst possible option in this case.
- Oh God, yes! Believe me, I'd much rather work with you than with that moron. - she exclaimed.
- Did he annoy you that much?
Her snort was more than telling, but it didn't fully capture the hatred she harbored for that man. And it didn't help that the longer she stood here and talked with Odd, the less she wanted to go back there, to relive that horror all over again.
Within less than an hour of today, William Dunbar had officially become her number one enemy. That damn idiot, a disgrace to his own family, a bloody oxygen waster and a thief of her precious time, dared to threaten her with a sword. He made her beg him to listen, only to then continuously question every sentence she uttered, as well as those he put into her mouth, like with Aelita. And if he had been making any sensible points, but almost every remark of his boiled down to the idea that a direct attack on the enemy was a cure-all.
It was hard to annoy her - truly annoy her, but this man was endowed with a special gift that he didn't hesitate to exploit. He was unbearable, torturing her with mindless comments and idiotic nicknames; and it had nothing to do with what Odd did. In Della Robbia's mouth, every stupid nickname sounded like an innocent joke; something that was understandable only to them (and anyone with functioning eyes who saw her in Lyoko, but that was irrelevant). And so, it was still embarrassing, but never to the extent that she wanted to throttle him.
Above all, Odd irritated her when he meant to. He systematically pushed her boundaries, fascinated by how they moved further and further each time, because the girl never really said no to him. Mainly because, yes, he was malicious, but he did it intentionally, and she could appreciate that. And he had a sense of humor.
Dunbar, on the other hand, was on the opposite side of the spectrum, driving her mad with pure ignorance. He acted as if he knew everything there was to know, proudly voicing his opinions, which were the simplest observations or plain nonsense, nothing in between. And maybe he would realize it and finally shut his mouth if he ever tried to listen to himself.
- Yes, but I need him on that bridge. - she finally hissed through gritted teeth, as if admitting it caused her physical pain.
- Why?
Everything in her boiled and burned to spit out a dozen colorful remarks about William, especially since she wasn't the type of person who easily let go of conflicts. However, the sound of lasers in the distance reminded her that, in reality, neither of them had time for it.
Odd, on the other hand, seemed to sense her hesitation, as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, indicating that he wasn't going anywhere. And again; her first instinct was to confess everything to him, immediately, but she quickly bit her tongue.
- You'll see. - she cut in, pitying the blond and sparing him her complaints. He didn't deserve such torment, at least not for now. - Besides, you'll kill them all, and that's not what we're here for.
- Oh, come on. Ninjas aren't my level.
- I know, that's why I can't trust you. You'll do it too quickly, and I remind you, our main job is pretending to try to get in there, not a slaughter. - she scoffed.
- Sweetheart, that's not what I meant. I'm the worst when it comes to taking down Tyron's minions. - he explained, and although he maintained a light tone, admitting it out loud cost him more than he would like to admit.
However, if he learned any lesson from today, it was that lies in such easily verifiable matters were absolutely unprofitable. That's why he preferred to dampen her enthusiasm now rather than disappoint her later, like everyone else.
- Wow, I didn't think you could be so modest. - she teased, not taking him seriously at all. - But you don't have to, because I saw how you fought.
He almost choked on air when he heard that.
- So... you were watching?
Was she watching? She couldn't take her eyes off him.
The way he attacked was absolutely incomprehensible to her. He had everything necessary to take down monsters from afar or from the air when Jeremy felt generous enough to virtualize him a board. He didn't have skills that could easily get him out of danger, like teleportation, super smoke, or wings. Nevertheless, he didn't hesitate to jump right into the fight, driven by motives she couldn't understand at first.
She had seen him hit the mantas, dodging the lasers of those Dunbar referred to as crabs. They possessed Xana's eye, making them significantly more challenging targets for arrows, but that didn't faze Della Robbia. He wasn't afraid to jump onto one of them, destroy a block nearby, then strike the target beneath his feet and escape towards the next opponent. He was clever, fast, and effective, leaving her with a look of admiration and a sigh on her lips.
- Yeah. - she admitted, deciding absolutely not to mention how long she had been watching. - Honestly, at first, I thought you were nuts when you started running straight at those blocks, but when I realized it was to distract them? Damn, genius!
That statement shut him up, but only for a moment.
- Oh, well, thanks? - he felt like his tongue was tied, and a strong sense of embarrassment twisted his insides. - So, I guess I met your expectations?
- Are you kidding? - she gasped with unfiltered awe in her voice, which did something strange to his stomach. - I still have in my mind how you hit that manta and crab in mid-air! You were fucking amazing!
He froze. He could swear his dizziness returned with doubled force as he stared at her, and any coherent thought left his mind.
The sudden blast of a laser just above their heads made them both jump in place, and Alex interrupted her monologue about his arrows, which he didn't even catch.
- Okay, I should probably go before they delete Aelita. - she sighed, not hiding her disappointment as she stepped away from him. - But you have to teach me that someday! - she added, waving goodbye.
Then her figure disappeared from his sight, and Odd felt like he could breathe again.
He had no idea how long he stood there, staring at the same spot, trying to digest what had just happened. He couldn't remember the last time he heard words of praise, let alone something like this, and he was grateful that the girl decided to leave. He didn't know whether he would sooner leap at her or perhaps sink into the ground from embarrassment.
It struck him how much her tone didn't match the content. She said those things with such certainty, as if she were stating the most obvious facts in the world, while nothing coming out of her mouth made any sense.
Him? Amazing?
She said it, just like that, and didn't retract her words. She didn't mock him. She didn't lie to boost his ego. She really said it and seemed to mean it. Moreover, all this time she looked at him with something he would describe as respect, if he had the courage.
And he couldn't help but let out a quiet, awkward chuckle, echoing off the walls of the empty room, as he realized it. Soon after, the laughter turned into a bitter scoff, audible only to him, as he hid his face in his hands.
God, what nonsense.
Convincing the warriors to go along with Alex's proposal turned out to be much easier than he had anticipated.
As he suspected, Einstein was initially displeased, as usual when the situation required Stones to act alone. Despite his concerns, the party in question agreed to the presented plan, and the rest promised to assist in its execution. Therefore, Jeremy had nothing else to do but go with the flow, which he reconciled with exceptionally quickly. Maybe because he genuinely believed in the success of this idea, or perhaps because no one suggested anything better. Not that it mattered.
She counted to three, then soared into the air and dove into one of the corridors, only to emerge from behind one of the walls and attack the first manta she encountered. She deliberately missed, expecting a quick reaction from the creature, but it left her and fled towards the digital sea. The other two also disappeared somewhere, perhaps devirtualized, which she didn't particularly care about.
So she turned back towards the Megatank, which was like her second shadow since she set foot on the Cortex. She sent a burst of energy towards it, wanting to draw its attention, but the monster managed to change its position in such an unlucky way that she hit it straight in Xana's eye. She winced, hoping none of the warriors noticed. She had never been so disappointed by the devirtualization of a target.
- Aelita? What are you doing? - Stern hissed as the girl landed next to him, striking a ninja who was trying to attack him from behind. - Get out of here, you won't make it before they catch you.
But she didn't listen to his warnings, and her stubbornness, though admirable, was frustrating.
- Let her. - Einstein said, disorienting him.
Meyer was equally disoriented, still waiting for a signal - any signal - to switch places with the girl while remaining unnoticed. Meanwhile, Aelita returned to the center of the battlefield, completely negating her plans and dragging everything out longer than necessary. She widened her eyes, just like the warriors, when one of the avatars managed to push Ulrich aside while the other cut the girl in half.
Suddenly time seemed to slow down. The monsters stopped shooting, just like the warriors, all staring at the spot where Stones had stood moments ago. And at first, Meyer felt simply offended. Was her plan so bad that the girl preferred to get devirtualized rather than help execute it?
But she immediately dismissed that thought; it would be absurd. Jeremy wouldn't give up on this mission so easily. The man who specifically recruited her, a stranger, for the sake of his friend, would surely do everything to obtain those damn data. Just like Aelita.
She was convinced she was right; it couldn't be as straightforward as it seemed. So she began to look around, aware of Dunbar's probing gaze. He, too, remained too calm for what had just unfolded before their eyes, only confirming her suspicions. Her gaze caught the flash of pink on the platform nearby, and she smirked, heading towards it.
The trio of avatars glanced at each other as a cloud of dark smoke materialized out of nowhere, sweeping across the platforms nearby before finally settling at the beginning of the bridge. As the smoke cleared, the digital particles began to coalesce once again, forming the figure of William. The boy then summoned his sword, striking a wave of energy towards one of the ninjas. Although he missed, he managed to do exactly what he intended - divert the attention of the opponents.
The alarmed ninjas rushed towards him, traversing almost the entire length of the bridge, passing the point where the passage automatically scanned their silhouettes. Provoked by the familiar tactic, the passage opened a few seconds later. However, none of the avatars paid attention to this fact; they were too preoccupied with the current threat posed by the intruder before them.
Well. Their mistake.
Alex waited precisely a second before teleporting to the ground just behind the gate. Another second passed before Aelita took her place. And as the girl returned to the upper platform, Stones safely headed towards the transporter.
As the girl disappeared from her sight, Meyer took a few moments to assess how William was doing. Although he had a powerful weapon, the boy was definitely slower than the avatars. Nevertheless, he managed to hit and devirtualize one of them before he had to retreat in the form of smoke and engage in another round.
The entrance to the core was closed, and William surely noticed Aelita entering it; nevertheless, he didn't give up. She wasn't sure if it was related to their plan or if he was doing it just for the sake of the fight, but he was damn determined in all of this. Not that she cared - the most important thing was that he was credible, and she had to admit that, contrary to her expectations, he was doing quite well; at least until the two avatars transformed into five.
Part of her was satisfied with the sight of the tough circumstances the boy found himself in, but the other part felt frustrated due to the lack of ability to act, especially when looking at the rest of the Lyoko warriors. She wasn't like Odd; she couldn't think quickly, attack, and want to come out of it unscathed at the same time. She needed time, ideas, and above all, an advantage - and without teleportation, she had none of these things. She couldn't openly use her ability in front of intelligent avatars; they would quickly realize that something was wrong, even despite Stones' minor demonstration. She didn't want to risk it, so as long as Aelita was inside, her hands were tied. However, the warriors didn't need her anyway, right? And that gave her the opportunity to control the situation and act in case of absolute necessity, didn't it?
She grimaced as Dunbar's weapon landed with a thud on the ground, along with its owner. Speaking of the devil...
William groaned in pain as one of the opponents kicked him in the stomach. His head painfully swayed on his neck, and the sword slipped from his hand, unnoticed by him. He raised his gaze just as the ninja raised its blade - only for its exposed torso to be pierced by a hail of purple daggers, embedding into the floor just behind him. He blinked, as surprised as the avatars standing before him, who began to vanish one by one from his sight as Alex appeared behind them, summoning projectiles towards herself. Two of them managed to dodge, and if they were surprised at how the girl got there, they didn't dwell on it, immediately advancing towards her.
Meyer decided to further disorient them by jumping from the platform straight into the abyss; at least that's how it looked from their perspective. Meanwhile, William pulled himself together and devirtualized one of them. Then the second one instinctively turned towards him, but before he could even flinch, he received an arrow straight to the back of his head.
- Hey, what the fuck!? - he shouted, recoiling at the sight of the latter. - You don't do it like that!
- Because? - she snorted, climbing back onto the path, brushing invisible dust off her shoulders. - Isn't it more effective?
- It's inhumane. Do you know what kind of migraine you get from that?
Just a look was enough to let him know how little she cared.
- You'd better thank me for saving your life.
- What? - he scoffed, leaning on his sword and smiling mockingly. He did both things decidedly too often for her liking. - Someone here clearly didn't do their homework. We have two lives each, fuzzball.
- So you didn't hear Aelita. - she stated, and it wasn't a question.
That caught his attention. She could see it in the way his features froze for a moment before he responded, trying to maintain an air of indifference.
- What do you mean?
- What do you think, William? How many points do you have left?
The boy's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, he felt disoriented by the sudden change of topic. But then a confident smile spread across his face as he understood where she was heading.
- Give it a rest. - he sighed, squinting his eyes. - You won't scare me.
- Scare you? - she raised an eyebrow, looking him straight in the eyes. - I'm just wondering.
- Wondering about what?
He forced himself not to flinch as he noticed a dazzling violet in his field of vision. When did she manage to get closer?
- How much do you think someone's head would hurt if I shot here? - she asked, sliding her hand slightly upward, at the level of his right eye. - Or maybe we'll find out if we can tear someone apart in Lyoko? - she added, her tone as sharp as her long claws, which he saw in front of him.
And if he didn't know better, her casual stance and serious tone might have unsettled him, something he would never admit in his life.
- Go ahead. - he smirked ironically. - That someone will surely give you a report from the scanner.
- Maybe. - she shrugged before abruptly stepping back and turning on her heel. - Or maybe not.
- Do you even realize what you're saying? - he scoffed incredulously, crossing his arms over his chest.
- Didn't you think it's a bit strange that only we don't hear Jeremy? - she responded with a question.
- You know if what you're implying were true, I could have seriously died? - he inquired, deciding to play along with her game and push the topic further; curious about what she had to say.
- But you didn't. - she shrugged. - And this is the moment when you thank me. - she repeated, and even though she barely reached his chin, he felt like she was looking down on him at that moment.
It was both amusing and irritating.
- Make me. - he provoked.
Before she could respond, a barrage of lasers struck the ground right next to his feet, silencing her. They both looked toward the mantas emerging from the core cover, which finally noticed them at the gate and apparently were not thrilled about it. And as if that wasn't enough, a few meters away, the surface of the bridge started deforming, releasing more warriors ready to defend their place.
- I'm giving you ten seconds. - he heard her words, but ignored her, grabbing his sword. - Good luck.
- Enough of this nonsense, we have… - he turned just in time to see her smirk, simultaneously raising her hand to her forehead in a mocking salute. - Wait, damn it, you're not leaving me here!
She dreamed of being able to take a picture of him and forever capture that tiny, tiniest glimmer of panic on his face as she leaned over the edge to transport herself away.
- Alex!