September 1, 2024, 10:48 am

Factory

Stuart used his stamina he got from working tirelessly at football practice. He used the running drills to dodge and evade the electric tentacles that were hostile towards him. Though Stuart wasn't completely successful, he was out of breath, lots of red scratches and black burn marks. Stuart realized quickly into the fight that a metal rod isn't the best weapon against electricity, it turned him into a human lightning rod. He quickly ditched it and found a stray piece of plywood lying in a room nearby.

"What kind of living electricity are you?" Stuart yelled trying to keep the whipping wires from making its way down to Martin. Stuart sees a wire coming in again to hit against his shins, noticing this he jumps out of the way and slamming the wooden board at the wire, hoping it does some damage.

"That the best you got?" He retorted as he landed on a box nearby. He found a long metal pole lying against the wall with a tattered rag pined between the tip of the pipe and the wall. Stuart narrowed his eyes and got an idea that surely won't backfire.


40 minutes later

Lyoko – Forest Sector

Alex and Violet were sprinting down pathways of grass. Tons of floating trees getting passed by. Noticing how much energy they have, Alex attempted a couple front flips. He pressed his right foot down on the ground and scrunched his body, stopping his momentum for only a second. He uncompressed and jumped up like a spring, putting his body into a ball and barreling forward, extending his left leg and landed on his right foot.

"Holy crap we are much more powerful here!" Alex exclaimed with glee in his voice.

"OK Leon Kennedy! No need for those unnecessary flips! We need to find this damn tower!" Violet exclaimed, annoyed that she had to be a voice of reason. "I still don't see it, are you sure it's a straight shot from here?" She yelled into the sky.

"From what it shows yes, I don't know why you guys can't see it?" Martin said, confused. "It should be less than 10 feet in front of you!" a couple keys to get a more aerial look at where the tower is. But it seems like it's a straight shot, no stairs or terrain they need to move to. He notices their icons stop right before the tower. "What's going on?"

"There's nothing!" Violet yelled with her hands in the air. "It's just a pathway that ends and straight into that water down there!

"You don't want to jump in, is what the voice said." Martin said trying to be helpful.

"That's pretty self-explanatory. If this is a game, and it sure looks like it, that looks like the bottom of the screen where you get game over!" Violet exclaimed, which clicked something in Martin's head. After all those years of programing and making games has come to this.

"Hold there, I know what's happening." Martin said with keys being audibly clicked in the background.

"Hurry up! We don't know how long Stuart and the school can hold those things off!" Alex said trying to be encouraging. Martin didn't respond, as he had a hunch of what was going on.

Moments pass as Violet sits on the ground fiddling with her thumbs. Alex looks like he's using his claws on some trees, scratching them like it's a cat post.

"What are you doing?" Violet said looking towards Alex, Alex doesn't turn around and keeps scratching at the tree.

"Trying to figure these out, since this seems like a VR action game, and we seem to have weapons."

"What do you mean weapons?" Violet interrupted Alex as he was mid-sentence.

"Your baton thing strapped to your side, clearly, it's a weapon. And since I don't really have access to regular fingers these claws, I have must be the weapon!" Alex gleefully said until a laser exploded out of one of the tips of his claws, exploding into the tree. The tree didn't show any damage, but Alex was exploded backwards towards the edge. Except instead of falling into the void, his back hit an invisible wall. Violet and Alex stood there frozen in shock.

"Hey Martin?!" Alex yelled.

"What's wrong?" Martin said worriedly.

"We found out why we can't see the Tower. It's hidden by a wall that's camouflaging it!" Alex responded.

"I had a feeling it was one of those walls in a video game that doesn't express. After Violet mentioned the video game bit it had me thinking. Currently working out a solution on my side." Martin said calmly.

"Unfortunately, you have enough time, we got some friends coming!" Violet said interrupting Alex and Martin's conversation. Both Alex and Violet got into a battle stance. Alex with his claws pointed directly at the enemies. Violet grabs her baton and holds it to the side. She sees a button and presses it, at the tip of the baton a purple energy rope extended out with what looks like the end of a devils tail at the end, a 2 forked prong.

The enemies got closer both Alex and Violet could make out what they looked like. There were 2 in the front that were really small. They had mechanical legs, a huge egg shaped head, with no visible arms or body. Where its mouth possibly could be was a red dot, it looked like it was flowing. On its face was just a symbol. A symbol neither of them have ever seen before.

The 3 behind where much larger creatures, they were all red, with long organic looking legs, like a crab strangely enough. The head was an oval shape with 6 pure white eyes. 3 under the oval, while 3 are in the middle of the oval. The duo couldn't see it but there was also the strange symbol on the top of the creature as well.

Both Violet and Alex started running forward, Alex started blasting his energy lasers that exploded on impact against the smaller creatures. The first one, after many hits collapsed to the floor, after a moment it's skin was a white wire frame all over its body, suddenly it explodes into white small triangles before completely disappearing.

"Is it dead?" Violet said in a worried tone.

"No, the Krankerlot is just a minion XANA can control and spawn at any time. Same with those Krabs behind them." Explained the mysterious voice again.

"Alright so these things are called Krankerlots and Krabs? Alright time to blast them to kingdom come!" yelled Alex as he continued to charge forward. Violet starts whipping her Laser Whip at the other Krankerlot who started shooting at them, same with the Krabs. A slash mark appears on the face of the Krankerlot where that strange symbol was. The Krankerlot did the same as its twin as it also died.

Alex and Violet did their best at dodging the bolts of energy being thrown at them by the 2 remaining Krabs. Alex took a hit from both that made him land on his back.

"Alex are you ok?!" Screamed Violet.

"He just lost a few hit points. He's fine but he needs to be more careful, we don't know if this is a case of 'you die in the game you die in real life'." Said Martin trying to key in the script so they can get to the tower.

"Thankfully that's not true, they'll return back to the real world, but they'll be very fatigued and won't be able to make another trip to Lyoko." Explained the mysterious voice, only to Martin.

"Did you hear that guys?" Martin asked the pair on Lyoko.

"No, we did not! But kind of busy here!" Violet said as she got her whip to entangle itself around one of the Krabs legs. She pulled her whip away from the Krab, making it fall to the ground. "Go Alex! I think that Symbol is their weak spot!" Alex nodded as he got back up and jumped, twirling in the air, once he was vertical above the Krab he pointed his claws directly at the Krabs head.

"Full Frontal Attack!" Alex screamed as every tip of his claws started glowing and exploded out directly at the center of the symbol on top of the Krab. The explosive blasts hit at the same time, Alex was able to continue his movement away from the Krab as the Krab exploded. Alex landed on his feet, turned around and bowed towards Violet.

"Thank you! Thank you very much! I'll be here all evening!"

"Alex look out!" Violet screamed. But it was too late, the last Krab sent an energy bolt towards Alex which hit him square in the back. It hit him so hard he fell to the floor and getting the wind knocked out of him. Violet ran towards him right before his body started to disintegrate right in front of her. His body turned white as a wire frame also enveloped his body.

"Kick his ass" is all Alex for our before completely disappearing in front of her. Violet couldn't, but if she could, she would be a waterfall of tears. As to her knowledge her best friend since childhood just died right in front of her. She was frozen and wide open to an attack from the remaining Krab.

"Violet quickly the Krab!" Martin screamed to get Violet's attention. She seemingly woke up from the trance she was under. Her face grew dark as she threw her whip and got all of the Krabs legs wrapped around her whip. She walked slowly towards the Krab as it fell, trying to shoot at her but since he can't aim, it aimed towards the sky.

"You killed my best friend, now I'm going to kill you!" A guttural scream came from her as she went into a dead sprint, jumping up onto the top of the currently toppled Krab. She started punching the head of the Krab. Not stopping until the Krab disappeared and she fell to the ground. Even when reaching the ground, she still kept punching the ground. She imagined the tears engulfing her, but her digital form was incapable of displaying such emotion.

"Violet calm down it's me! I'm alright!" a voice Violet recognized coming from the sky, she heard her best friend. And he was alive! She felt all her anger and sadness seep away at that second.

"You're okay!" Alex said as she started getting up, a huge smile on her face.

"Turns out it isn't an SAO, but I am extremely tired." Alex said with a yawn at the end of the sentence.

"That's good, hey Martin have you figured out the whole tower issue?"

"Yes, I finally cracked the code, if you look towards where you thought was a dead end, is now a tower being guarded." Martin said with a gulp at the end.

"She's going to need help." Alex said eyeing Martin.

"I don't think I want t-"Martin was interrupted by a voice coming from above them. Alex looked up as if thinking he never left Lyoko. Confusion resting on both boys faces.

"I took care of those wires, but I don't know how much longer time we will have of this peace. So, I came down here. And I heard someone needs some help." It was Stuart, he was making his way down the ladder toward the Super Computer.

"If you didn't know the elevator codes, why didn't you call?" Martin asked.

"My phone is still in my locker back at Kadic, remember? Coach doesn't like us having our phones on us during practice." Stuart said as he landed his last foot off the ladder, making his way towards the computer.

"Figures" Martin said annoyed he forgot that. "Listen, we don't got a lot of time to explain, but Alex here is going to lead you to where we need your help." Martin said as he signaled Alex to guide Stuart to the Scanners. Alex nodded as he gave a salute to Martin. Then he made his way to the elevator. Stuart followed behind them, still battered and bruised but knew his friends needed his help. He mustered up the energy needed and followed Alex.

"Alright Violet I'm sending Stuart in, I need you to keep your distance until you have backup." Martin explained to Violet.

Violet was hiding behind some grass blocks that hid her away from view of the monsters surrounding the tower. It was 3 more Krankerlots and 4 flying creatures, it honestly looked like as if a booger grew wings and had a long straw out of its mouth. But with the consistency from the last 2 creatures she fought. She assumed it was going to fire some energy bolts from that straw it had. On its face also had the same symbol as before.

"Got it, but I don't know if they already know that I'm here. I think about couple of those Krankerlots and a couple flying ones are investigating their once invisible wall stood." Violet gave the play by play to Martin.

"The flying ones icons says that they're called Hornets?" Martin said not too confident in himself. Martin then heard Alex telling him that Stuart is ready. Martin then got the transfer procedure ready once more. Letting the scanners open up and Stuart steps inside.

"It's going to feel kind of funny during this process, but it's 100% totally safe!" Alex said with a huge grin and 2 thumbs up towards Stuart who wasn't too entirely convinced that this was safe. Stuart didn't question it as he stayed facing Alex until he heard Martin's voice.

"Transfer Stuart"

The Scanners closed and Stuart began to panic.

"Scanner Stuart"

"Dude, you need to calm down in there! As I said it's going to feel funny, but you will be completely fine!" Alex sounded muffled but Stuart understood inside of the scanner.

"Virtualization"

Stuart then disappeared from inside of the scanner.

Violet kept watch from a distance until she noticed behind her what looked like another person being essentially spawned in. It was Stuart, he kept his Dark brown hair. But he looked to have some sort of red camo shirt with a black sash going around his left shoulder. It looked like shotgun shells were attached to the sash. His pants looked as if his shirt was actually a onesie as the red camo continued down. As he landed, he fell on his butt and started getting up, on his back it looked like a red and black blaster. Like a huge sci-fi gun used to fight Aliens.

Stuart rubbed his head as he noticed his new body. Panic started to encroach on his face and body before Violet interrupted his current revelation of where he is.

"Sorry! Don't got time to explain what's going on! Just use that gun on your back and shoot those guys where their symbol is!" Violet yelled at him as she watched the enemies notice Stuart being virtualized. She got up and started using her whips tail to slash across 2 of the Krankerlots faces before they die.

"Damn I'm getting to be a better shot!" Violet said excitedly. As she was running towards the enemies.

Stuart seemed to be hanging back, blaster in hand but shaking a bit to his situation. He just moments ago was fighting living electricity wires for crying out loud! And he won at that! He shook his head and became determined to destroy whatever these things in front of him are. He charged forward with a war cry and started blasting.

Violet did a summersault as she landed on the other side of the wall of enemies, she started whipping back and forth, doing a type of keep away with the tower. The Krankerlots seemed to stay away and get closer to Stuart, but the Hornets seemed to think they have the advantage against their current opponent.

Stuart didn't get his aim right at first but slowly got his aim perfect. The Krankerlots and Stuart were exchanging shots. Mostly missing but Stuart was the one landing all his shots. After a few exchanges both of his enemies were slain. Stuart looked proud of himself, he then started making over to where Violet was.

Violet successfully taken 2 of the 4 Hornets down, she continued trying to grab a hold of them with her whip and using them as a hammer against the ground. The last 2 Hornets picked up on her plan after the first 2 Hornets were destroyed by Violet's previous attempts. The Hornets keep their distance as Violet tries to get her whip to reach the Hornets, but it falls too short to reach. The Hornets continued to blast away at Violet, managing to hit her 3 times. She was too focused on trying to reach them than to protect herself.

"Violet you are 1 shot away from devirtualizing! You need to be more careful!" Martin warned Violet. Violet just shrugged it off and continued her attempts. Until the 2 remaining Hornets explode one after the other. She looked confused but found Stuart a bit of ways away aiming his blaster towards where the Hornets previously were. Violet gave a sigh of relief.

"Alright Martin the Tower is clear from any evil doing bugs!" Violet said to the sky. Which Stuart gave her a look of questioning.

"Give me a few minutes, don't let any monsters get close as this'll interrupt my attempt at deactivating the tower." The mysterious voice said.

"Martin, you sound weird?!" Stuart said more shocked than confused at this point.

"That wasn't me, it's a friend who knows more about what's happening at the moment. He's our guide at the moment." Martin explained as his voice rang out from the skies.

"I'm so confused," Stuart was trying to wrap his head around what was going on. He wished he hadn't been fighting those electricity wires from earlier as he is completely unaware of the current situation. Though he was glad he could help in any way.

"Tower should now be deactivated, again I'll be here to help but I won't be here always. Martin, I need you to find a way to either obtain a Lyoko key or just one of you being programmed with it in." The mysterious voice said to the whole group, in and out of Lyoko. Violet and Stuart noticed the red smoke coming from the top of the tower to turn white. Signaling that the tower had in fact deactivated.

"So, what now, since I'm not in the loop at all," Stuart said as little annoyed as he has no idea what was happening. Violet just gave him a shrug as she didn't know either.

"He's explaining to me how to engage something called a return to the past. It's to wipe everyone except our memories of today's events. It's supposed to send us back to this morning." Martin explained to the pair on lyoko and Alex in the room with him.

"That sound completely science fiction smart guy." Alex retorted not believing in Martin.

"Since I fought those wires earlier, I think I'll be the judge on whether this is fiction or reality." Stuart said giving Martin verbal backup.

"Nah I'm with Alex on this one." Violet said through the speakers of the computer. Martin to look visibly annoyed.

"Of course you would Miss Goth Queen." Stuart responded after Martin didn't say anything.

"Screw it, return to the past now!" Martin said after hitting his enter key. All of the forest sector began to become enveloped in a glowing white dome coming from a tower on the other side of the sector. Both Alex and Stuart held their breath as they got covered in the white dome. The center of the laboratory where Alex and Martin were currently residing with the Super Computer, was currently also enveloped by the white dome. Martin and Alex didn't have time to react to the explosion that they assumed was happening.

The whole world began to slowly get engulfed by the white dome, before time reset. Back to earlier that morning.


September 1, 6:05 am

Elsewhere

Jeremie was sitting on his bed, again… they must've not had time to turn off the computer before a certain someone came back. Jeremie groaned as he typed away on his computer. With an email fully finished he was about to send to Martin.

Martin,

I'm aware of the Super Calculator you've encountered the day before. But please trust me that you go and turn that off right this instant! I am not mad, nor disappointed. But you should've seen the video I sent to the Calculator after I shut it down. Please it's not too late!

Jeremie sighed as he removed the entire message and closed his laptop. It certainly was too late now to warn him. As a return to the past has taken place. Jeremie places his laptop to his side before leaning forward, he can't think entirely about the situation right now. His company needs him to run a meeting in the United States to explain the products the company he works for sells. Right before the return to the past, he finally got home and got to relax after the stressful day. Now he has to do it all over again.

"Jeremie!" Jeremie heard screaming from the bathroom as his wife just left the shower. A towel wrapped around her and a towel wrapped around her head. But Jeremie saw some pink hair falling out from the towel.

"Did the return to the past just happen?!" Aelita screamed as a look of terror was on her face. He knew that fear, she felt the fear of knowing XANA might be back. Jeremie didn't respond right away, he turned his face away from her. She took that as her answer, yes, yes it was.

"Who's the idiot who didn't listen to your video?!" Aelita yelled, she was in full panic mode as she began to pace back and forth. Jeremie didn't want to say as she'd blow up into a full fury. Jeremie otherwise wanted to protect him, but with Aelita on the same intelligence as her husband, Jeremie knew she'd find out eventually. It's better to hear it from him.

"Our son…" Jeremie said quietly. That made Aelita screech to a halt. It was quiet. Aelita looked at her husband as if he betrayed her.

"We need to get back to France!" She said as she began to frantically pack up a suitcase by throwing everything, she could into it.

"I have someone taking care of them. Someone who knows XANA better than any of us." Jeremie continued to look at the ground. As if suddenly a hole would open up underneath him. Silence laid upon them as growing realization dawned on Aelita.

"You can't mean? You know he can't be trusted! What if he has been secretly brainwashed by XANA and will betray us and take our kid!" She screamed as she stared at Jeremie from across the room. This now gave Jeremie the courage to look at his wife in the eyes.

"You know I've kept in touch with him! He has been understanding but hurt how the rest of the group has essentially banished him as they won't give him trust. I gave him that trust and he never broke it. Since he, unfortunately, did work with XANA against his will. He has a few strings up his sleeves that'll help Martin and whoever he trusted at that school to help him. I just hope Martin trusts William than the rest of the group has." Jeremie finally got off his chest. He didn't feel like the ostracizing the group had done towards him was warranted. Jeremie had given William a lifeline when he needed it the most. Gave William a purpose that he won't ever betray. He knows it's not a game anymore.

Aelita just sighed as she got up from her suitcase and walked over to her husband and hugged him, Jeremie gave her a hug back. After they gave each other a quick kiss to signify that neither are really mad at each other. Aelita calmed down and sat in a chair across from Jeremie.

"We need to tell the others right away. They'll obviously have noticed by now. Just as we did." Aelita said as she clasped her hands together.

"I'll create a quick meeting with them on a video call later. For now, we need to get ready again for the meeting." Jeremie got up again and left another kiss on Aelita's forehead before he made his way into the bathroom so he could get ready.


September 1, 2024, 7:14 am

Kadic

Violet was juggling a sausage link between her fork across her tray. Thinking about her experiences from last night. Or was it later? This return to the past thing was weird. She definitely was going to ask Martin later. She then noticed her friend Alex making his way over with his own tray of food.

"Sure took your time." Violet said clearly worried about her friend who could've easily died earlier.

"Nah if they really wanted to kill me, they need to be stronger than that!" Alex flexed a muscle he didn't have as he was sitting down. Violet rolled her eyes but smiled knowing he was still his old self.

"You got to tell me! How was it being on Lyoko or whatever it is called. Then waking up in your body from this morning?" Alex said genuinely curious, he was louder than expected and got a few stares from kids nearby.

"First you need to be a lot quieter. Second, it was a hard adjustment. And seeing as we are the only ones to know about this. This won't be the last time. Though I have some questions for him." Violet said towards her friend in a more whispered tone.

"Same here, do you know where Martin is now?"

"I heard he snuck out last night towards the factory." They gave each other a smirk before Violet continued. "But currently since I haven't seen him at all this morning, he's probably still asleep."

"Want to go get Stuart and go wake him up?" Alex posed the question.

"No, Stuart currently is at practice. Which is where Martin is avoiding so good chance even if he isn't still asleep. Is living in his dorm." Violet gave an honest and precise answer.

"Ok good to know that dye doesn't start seeping into your head until a few hours from now." Alex smirked at his reference to a joke that he didn't even say yet. Violet gave him a glare as she watched him finish his food.

They got up and made their way to the dorms. After banging on the door after a wild a disheveled boy with light pink hair and no glasses on answers the door.

"What the hell do you want?" Martin said in a groggy voice.

"We just got a couple questions you might have an answer for from 'earlier'." Alex said with air quotes.

Martin looked confused. "The hell are you two talking about? Actually, before you 2 answer how about you go before whatever prank you bullies are planning to pull on me. And don't you even try to explain your way out of this. I remember you 2 delinquents always running around and causing pranks. It's annoying." Then before either Violet or Alex could say anything, which they couldn't out of shock and confusion. Martin slammed the door in front of them.


A/N yes, I am taking inspiration from the 2 part prequel episodes. But I feel like Jeremie was a little too willing. Though of course it'll be hard to write Martin to be too hard to explain the situation to him. Or will it? Anyways thank you all for checking out this chapter!

I'll see you guys next week! Get Ready to Virtualize!