Chapter 11 End of Take
A.N. – Another normal chapter. Nothing much to say. Let's begin!
Disclaimer – I do not own Code Lyoko, the plot, or the story idea. I am just a fan of the show, the plot is owned by the creators, and the idea was submitted by LittleRedRebel.
In the hall, a movie is playing. A woman backs away to the wall, an alien inching closer to her. She whimpers in fear as the alien bears its teeth. It jumps only to be shot in the stomach from behind. The goop hits the woman and her rescuer to be a man, who looks like he's limping. He smiles and a flash shows slightly. In the next shot, he's holding the woman by the waist, and they lean in to kiss, but the film stops there.
"Totally ridiculous" Jeremy comments.
"Wow, that was great" Ulrich smiles.
"I thought the special effects were pretty good, but…well, it wasn't scary enough" Odd says.
"Speaking of, why doesn't anyone make something more original. It's always zombies, aliens, or remakes of other monsters" Nadia adds.
"You're kidding," Yumi addresses to Odd. "How come your teeth were chattering? For the sound effects?" Yumi teases him, Jeremy laughing. Odd crosses his arms as the others join in on the laughter. The film stops, the curtains closing as the principal is speaking.
"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 world of cinema" Principal Delmas claps as he backs away from the mic, the students clapping. Finson stands 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 anybody uses anymore, which I'm very interested in" the students gasp, but Jeremy couldn't help but think he knows which factory he's referring to.
"A factory? Oh no, not ours!" Jeremy exclaims.
Finson is signing autographs for the students later in the cafeteria. "Great, thank you, sir."
"If this Finson guy finds out about our supercomputer, we're in trouble" Jeremy comments as they stand outside the cafeteria.
"And that means we absolutely have to stop him from using it" Yumi points out.
"Yeah, sure we do, but how?" Odd wonders.
"Maybe persuade him to film elsewhere" Nadia suggests.
"Hmm, I think I got a better idea" Ulrich offers.
Sissi is next in line and the guard lets her through, Ulrich next. "I wonder what he is thinking of doing" Odd asks as they listen from outside.
"And what makes it better than my idea" Nadia adds.
"He's a movie director. You got to give him a convincing reason to change the location. Just talking won't do the trick."
"Oh, I'm so glad to meet you Mr. Finson. I just love your films, I'm a big fan of yours" Sissi tries kissing up so she can ask for what she really wants.
"Oh really? Well, I can't argue with your taste. I like my films too. What's you name?" He asks.
"Um, why don't you just write 'To Sissi, a rising star who I'm going to give the leading role to in my next film?'" She suggests.
"Uh, I think I'm going to write 'To Sissi, whos' got a lot of nerve.'"
"And a lot of talent."
"Well, I'm very sorry Sissi, but the casting is over. The parts have all been distributed. So, better luck next time, huh?" He offers her an autograph and she snatches it, walking away.
Ulrich clears his throat when 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 him, but Ulrich raises a hand.
"Well, you see, I know the place inside out and…I really don't think you could find a better guide."
Finson chuckles to himself. "It looks like everyone in this school has a lot of nerve."
Ulrich smiles a little.
"Fantastic," Finson comments as he tours the factory. "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, starting his plan.
"That's great. I love a dangerous shoot. That's what I always look for. An actor is always better under pressure" Finson steps forward as Ulrich face palms.
"Uh, Mr. Finson, you better watch out for your equipment. It's crawling with rats here" Ulrich catches up with him as the others watch from the ceiling.
"Rats? That's lucky. I've got some big scenes to shoot with rats in them."
"Conclusion: never trust Ulrich when he says he has a better idea" Odd states.
"Yeah, he tried to gross him out. Instead, he's even more excited" Jeremy says.
"Ulrich should've have taken a different approach. Make this place less desirable and somewhere else better" Nadia adds.
"You're right, it's a great set. Too bad about the uranium they stored here for so many years and years. Maybe one day it won't be radioactive anymore" Ulrich lies even further.
"Uh huh. Do you know where this freight elevator leads to?" Finson wonders.
"Oh, that old thing? Huh, it stopped working ages ago. Anyway, they say that when it was working, it-"
Banging is suddenly heard along with ghost noises. "What was that noise?"
"That noise? Oh it's nothing, nothing at all." Nadia has Odd's mouth shut as the others shush him. "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 laughs. "This place just keeps getting better and better than I thought. And you seem to know every nook and cranny of it. 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, yes, yes!" Odd whispers as the others close their eyes in anticipation. They wanted him to keep an eye on Finson, so he doesn't discover the supercomputer.
"Are you serious?" Ulrich asks in disbelief.
"Of course I am" Finson nods.
"Yaaaaay!" The others cheer before covering their mouths. They shush each other.
"Um, well, it would be a great honor sir," Ulrich answers. "The only problem is that the principal would never let me miss my classes."
"Let me talk to him" Finson offers.
Later, Sissi is staring at her father's office. "Sissi, your father will never let Ulrich miss even one hour of school" Nicolas tells her.
She turns around to the two. "Hmm, we'll see about that. Nothing's gonna stop me from becoming a big movie star." They stare at her, unsure. She narrows her eyes slightly, grunting as she dismisses them, leaving for her dad's office.
Finson and Ulrich step out into the hall. "Wow, he said no. Incredible. I even promised to put his name in the credits" Finson rubs the back of his head. Sissi suddenly appears from a door.
"Um, Mr. Finson? Can I talk to you for a second?"
Ulrich and Finson look at her in confusion.
"I don't believe it!" Jeremy comments as he sits across Odd, Nadia, and Ulrich. "Sissi got a part in Finson's film!"
"Yeah, in exchange for convincing her dad to let me skip school" Ulrich explains.
"I hate to admit it, but Sissi has more power here than the rest of us. You have to deal with it Ulrich. We can't let Finson find out about us" Nadia tells him.
"Ulrich and Sissi, working together on a film. This could be the beginning of a great romance" Odd jokes.
"Yeah, right. She won't leave me alone for one second" Ulrich responds.
"Your real job is to be there in the factory making sure that nobody discovers our lab" Jeremy warns, Aelita appearing on his computer screen.
"Come on, it's not going to be as bad as all that" Aelita suggests.
Aelita was definitely wrong as Sissi is standing outside, near the hatch, looking at Ulrich. "Are you sure it's not too heavy?" Ulrich drags a briefcase. "When I think that I'm about to become a big star, and that you Ulrich, are lucky enough to witness the event live."
"Hmph," he murmurs.
"Oh, I envy you, I really do!" Two guards stand behind a lady sitting at the desk, who was waiting for them. She's the secretary. "Hello. Mr. Finson is expecting us" Sissi explains.
"Do you have cell phones by any chance?" She asks.
"Um, cell phones? Oh, why of course. How could you think we didn't?"
"Confiscated!" She holds out her hand. "Mr. Finson's orders." They look in surprise."
"During the shooting, it's forbidden to communicate with the outside world without Finson's okay. That's so there are no leaks about the script or newspaper gossip," the producer is explaining to them as he gives Ulrich and Sissi a tour of the set. "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 wonders. If Xana attacks now, he wouldn't know…unless he was targeted.
"When you shoot with James Finson, there's never a problem!"
"Cut off from the rest of the world," Sissi grabs his arm. "That's so incredibly romantic. It's almost like being on a desert island!"
"Fantastic, I can't wait" Ulrich deadpans. They all gather around something covered under a curtain.
"Well, it's time for you all to meet the main character of my movie. Prepare yourselves for a big surprise," Finson takes off the curtain and they gasp when they see a fake alien, tied to a wooden pole, and held up by wires to keep it up. "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 places a finger on his chin, a smug look on his face. "Funny, but it makes ne think of the alien in that film, uh…I can't remember the-"
Finson gets in his face. "My creature is unique, young man, and my movie will be like no other ever made" he says defensively, crossing his arms with a pout. He walks away, grumbling to himself. Ulrich's eyes widen at his attitude, two people comforting him.
"Mr. Finson?" Sissi runs after him. "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 piece of paper and pencil. "One second. Here it comes. There" he holds out the paper to her.
"Thank you," she opens it, her eyes widening in surprise. "Aaaaah!" She screams, but the paper literally says that.
"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 pets 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 was sleeping until he opens his eyes. He looks at Sissi across from him before sitting up. He slips his shoes on, crawling out of their tent. Sissi opens her eyes.
Ulrich rushes past the tents, stopping for a moment as he looks at the cloaked alien. He starts running again, not noticing Sissi following him. The sign of Xana appears on one of the computers. A ghost comes out from an outlet, entering the green monster and bringing it to life.
"Hey, what are you doing in the lab?" Jeremy demands from his room as he talks to Ulrich. "Anything wrong?"
"They took my cell phone away," Ulrich explains. "Finson's totally paranoid. It won't be easy staying in touch with you."
"Well, well." Ulrich turns to see Sissi! "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? A monster's gonna squirt goopy goop all over my face, huh Ulrich?" Suddenly, goop drops on her face, and she looks up to see the alive alien.
"Jeremy, we've got a BIG problem here" Ulrich says into the headset. The alien squirts goop at Ulrich as he ducks. The chair gets hit instead.
"Ulrich, what's going on? What's that noise?" Jeremy calls out but gets nothing as Ulrich grabs Sissi's arm.
"In here, hurry up!"
Sissi whimpers as they run to the elevator. The alien jumps down. "Come on!" They back away to the wall as the alien lunges, but the doors close just in time.
"Ulrich, what is going on? Answer me!" Jeremy demands, but there is no response.
The elevator ascends to the top, along with the alien following the two. They drop to the ground, panting. Something bulges in front of Sissi, making her gasp and back away. There's a thud as another bulge appears from the floor. It happens again, along with a roar and Ulrich holds Sissi's arms as they look down. The elevator suddenly stops, and they are now stuck. Sissi and Ulrich look at each other before the alien punches through the ground. Sissi backs away to the corner and Ulrich looks up, pointing to a hatch.
"Up there," he cups his hands together. "You gotta climb. I'll follow you." He hoists her up using his hands as the alien's arms search around. Sissi climbs on top of the elevator and reaches out her hand. She begins to pull him up and the alien manages to get inside the shaft, grabbing Ulrich's shoe. "Let's go, we can't stay here" Ulrich turns around and opens the shaft behind him. "Through here, come on." He starts crawling, Sissi following behind him.
"Xana's up to something. A tower's been activated. I'm launching a scan to localize the tower. I'll wake Odd and Nadia, call Yumi, and we'll be on our way" Jeremy runs out of his room as the scan finds the tower. The sun rises and music plays.
"Whos' the moron that-" One of the actors sees Finson standing in front of his tent, the music coming from his radio. "Oh! It's you boss. I'm sorry, heh heh."
"Not bad, huh? I just composed it for the film," Finson claps. "Okay, all you lazy bones, let's go. We got a movie to make." The crew starts to crawl out of their tents, awake. "Go get the alien." Finson sits in his director chair, waiting for filming to start. "Boss!"
"Huh?" He looks up.
"Better come and have a look. Uh, we've got a little problem here."
They look at the missing alien. "A little problem, huh? You call this a little problem?! Go and find him, you understand?! He couldn't have walked out on his own. Go find him!"
The secretary walks up to him. "Mr. Finson, the two youngsters have both disappeared." Finson grits his teeth at another problem he'd have to deal with.
Ulrich and Sissi are hiding in a corner of the factory. "Finson's alien monster…it's come alive! How can a machine made of plastic and rubber come alive?! Like-" Ulrich covers her mouth, so she doesn't draw too much attention to them. Roaring can be heard and Sissi whimpers under Ulrich's hand. The alien jumps down in front of them a few feet away. Sissi's eyes widen, and it starts running towards them. Sissi screams as a roar is heard. He's imprisoned them in goo. Tears appear in Sissi's eyes as the alien licks her cheek. He slips away, strangely not doing any harm to them.
Yumi, Nadia, Odd, and Jeremy have gotten to the factory, but there's a guard sitting in front of the factory entrance. Luckily for them, he's asleep, and they tiptoe past him.
"I'm gonna try and find Ulrich and Sissi," Yumi explains. "We'll stay in contact, okay?"
"Right," the three walk away and climb down into the lab. Jeremy gets into his chair. "Aelita? Odd and Nadia are about to make the plunge. How do things look?"
Aelita can feel pulsations in the desert sector. "You were right Jeremy. Xana is up to no good again."
"I've localized the tower, it's in the ice sector."
Yumi goes searching, jumping across a gap in the sewers. She turns the corner and gasps when she sees the secretary and the producer climbing down a ladder. "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 runs, making a pipe clang against the ground. The two look at her direction, moving forward with flashlights. They don't see Yumi since she's sitting above. She wipes sweat off her forehead in relief.
"Okay Jeremy, we're in" Odd calls out.
"Aelita's on her way to the ice sector. That's where the scan localized the tower," Odd and Nadia step in. "I'll launch the transfer. Transfer Nadia." The doors close on her and then Odd. "Transfer Odd. Scanner." He presses enter and are successfully scanned. "Virtualization!"
They are virtualized successfully in the ice sector, landing safely on the path.
"Odd, Nadia" they turn around to see Aelita running up to them.
"Nice little place. What if you use a little heat?" Odd says.
"Don't worry. Xana will turn up the heat for us" Nadia adds.
Aelita points forward. "The tower plateau is in that direction. Let's go, if we run, it'll warm you up." They take off in a run.
"I don't get this at all. W-Why did he leave us alone when he could've just as easily-" Sissi stops, not wanting to finish that sentence.
"I'm pretty sure he wanted to use us as bait to attract the others" Ulrich explains.
"When you say the others, Ulrich…do you mean that whole gang of yours? But why?" Sissi wonders. Yumi suddenly appears around the corner from the opposite side.
"Ulrich, Sissi!" She runs up to them.
"Ah, Yumi" Ulrich says in relief.
"Whatever you do, don't move a muscle" she jokes.
"Boy aren't you funny?" Ulrich replies, slightly unamused. 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 as she brushes dried goop off herself.
"You can kiss and make up later. We've gotta go or Xana's gonna get his way-"
"Come outta there!" Sissi gasps and they turn to Finson, and he did not look happy. "And make it snappy!" He narrows his eyes at them, since he believes that they stole his alien.
"Nadia, Odd, Aelita, watch out. Xana's sent his monsters out," Jeremy warns. "Just behind you, there's a swarm of them, armed with lasers. 20 life points per impact."
Odd and Nadia look out of the corner of their eyes, seeing five hornets trailing behind them. "A little battle bound to keep me warm!" Odd exclaims as the hornets start firing as they continue to run. "Talk about a reception committee. Wow!"
"Yeah, and they have the advantage of the air also" Nadia adds, blocking and deflecting lasers.
The hornets fly up and turn around, now in front of them. Aelita stops running while Odd and Nadia keep running while Odd and Nadia keep running. Odd runs up a ledge, aiming his fist at one. "Laser arrow!" He hits the hornet dead on.
Nadia runs up and slices through one, landing behind the swarm. Odd rolls on the path, as the hornets approach, Aelita gasps.
"Odd! Watch out!" Aelita tells him as he turns around, only to get hit in the back. Nadia runs up to him, blocking more lasers. Aelita joins them.
"Let's keep going!" They start running in the other direction.
"Yumi!" Jeremy calls her. "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. Finson is currently interrogating them which allows her not to answer.
"Tell me right now. What have you done with my alien?" They stay silent, not wanting to tell him about Xana, also he wouldn't believe them. They hear the door creak and see the alien has found them. "Huh?" Finson's eyes go wide in surprise at his now alive alien. "B-But-" Before he can react, he's hit by the tail. He it's the wall, his head dangling.
"Let's go!" Ulrich runs to the door, Yumi and Sissi following him.
"Boss!" The producer and secretary come in. "Did you find the-" They stop short when they also see the alive alien.
"Don't let them get away! Get a move on!" Finson orders, holding his head. They rush forward, only to get stuck to the window by the goop. The alien starts to follow the three, but Finson grabs him by the tail. "Stop! I created you! You have to obey me, you hear?" Finson gives a determined look and the alien snarls at him. The next thing he knew, he's stuck to the window as well.
Ulrich barricades the door, backing away. The other door is barricaded as well, and the alien tries to break it down. They back away in fear as they hear the slamming. Sissi shakes between Ulrich and Yumi. "Jeremy, it's Yumi. Yeah, I did find them, but Xana's taken possession of a monster who's gonna be here-" she stops as the alien tries harder to break in.
"Odd, Nadia, Yumi and Ulrich are in big trouble. There's not much time!" Jeremy explains as they run. Odd looks back at the hornets flying behind them. There's a slide in front of them.
"Wow, that sure is deep" Odd says as he turns around to the approaching hornets.
"We try our luck or get mauled to death by hornets. I know what I'm choosing" Nadia comments as she jumps off. The two follow.
"Yaaahooo!" Odd yells as he skates on the slide. Aelita slides down while sitting. "Bonzai!" They appear in a tunnel, Odd laughing. "This is totally cool! Hey, I think I just might get a record here!" Aelita gives worried sounds as Nadia stays focused on the path. "By the way, Jeremy, what's at the end of this?"
"Well, I, uh-" Jeremy tries to explain.
"Oh, we get the idea. Geronimoooo!" They all catapult out of the tunnel, Nadia lands on her feet, skidding to a stop as the other two land, They both stand up.
"At any rate, the tower is pretty close now."
"Thanks for the info Jeremy."
"You think he's called it quits?" Ulrich asks Yumi as Sissi is still quivering.
"For once I have a chance to show how talented I am and now that mechanical monster has to go nuts! 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. "Hey Ulrich, you think you could get her to keep still for a second?"
Ulrich shushes Sissi and covers her mouth. The slamming can still be heard.
Odd and Nadia back away, on alert. "Well Aelita, any sign of that tower yet?"
"Yes, but I might be seeing double," Aelita looks in surprise. Jeremy turns back to the screen. "Jeremy, there are two towers."
"How can that be? I only see one on the holomap" Jeremy explains.
"Xana must have done this to confuse us" Aelita deduces.
"Yeah, but right now, choosing the right one chooses if Yumi and Ulrich live or die together" Nadia adds.
"Nadia is right. We've gotta choose one and pronto too" Odd says as they run to the towers, followed by the three hornets.
The ceiling above the other three starts to crack 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 me, Yumi. Yumi! Yum-" The alien steps on Yumi's cell phone. "Odd! Nadia!"
"We know what you're gonna tell us, hurry up! Well, for your information, we're not exactly having a tea party here!" Odd retorts as he runs across a hornet, trying to destroy it. He calls and aims, missing. Odd turns to Nadia, who gets her sword knocked out of her hands and then hit twice. Aelita looks between the two towers before Odd pushes her out of the way. "Get down!" They fly past, firing lasers.
"Aelita, you've gotta choose one of the towers now. Nadia and I can't hold them off much longer" Odd explains seriously. Aelita nods up at him.
"One last run?" Nadia says to Odd.
"Let's do it" Odd responds.
"Okay" Aelita says as the hornets come back. She takes off towards the two towers. Nadia blocks the lasers. She tries to hit one but misses. Odd steps forward, firing his laser arrows.
"Laser arrow!" He misses as him and Nadia run away. Aelita stands between the towers, thinking long and hard. Odd fires another laser arrow. "Take that!" He suddenly can't fire anymore. "Oh no, I'm out of arrows."
"Here I go" Aelita lets out a deep breath, walking into the tower on her right. She walks on the pad, and it lights up one by one ring. She starts floating up to the top. Odd crouches down on his hands and knees, jumping forward with a Tarzan yell and letting himself get devirtualized. Nadia sacrifices herself and she's devirtualized as well.
Yumi, Sissi, and Ulrich back away to the wall as the alien approaches further. Tears stream down Sissi's face in fear. She watches in horror as Yumi and Ulrich get grabbed by the tentacles. It starts choking them.
Aelita arrives at the top and walks to the middle. "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" Jeremy confesses honestly.
Aelita
Code
Yumi starts to sweat as they continue to be chocked, coughing. The three hornets fly around the tower.
Lyoko
"Ulrich…" Sissi holds out a hand as she cries, Ulrich struggles to keep his breath.
Nothing seems to happen in the tower Aelita's in, which means…
"Jeremy, I'm sorry. I choose the wrong one." Jeremy gives a solemn look at her revelation. Aelita looks around before something happens. "No, wait!" The tower starts to deactivate.
Everything stops with Yumi and Ulrich. "Return to the past now!"
Jeremy says as he taps the key and time is reversed.
Back at the cafeteria, where Finson was writing autographs, the others watch from the outside. "Great idea to use the factory for a movie" Ulrich says to Finson.
"Thanks. I must confess that my ideas are, I say this with great modesty, absolutely ingenious. Here" he replies, holding up an autograph.
"It makes a great set," Ulrich holds up his hands. "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."
The others look up as Finson walks out of the cafeteria, phone in 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? I can find another producer, you know!"
Ulrich walks out, giving them a thumbs up.
"Yes!" Odd cheers and they laugh as they walk away.
Nadia begins to worry how many times someone else will see the factory, or even if their secret can remain a secret.
A.N. – As we all know, the factory will be discovered many more times (by Jim more than anyone else) but this is the end of the chapter for now. PM me with story ideas! Review with questions or comments! I will respond! As always, till next time! See ya! -lyokowarrior97