"Come on, hurry! We're gonna be late!" Kya called, as she zoomed by the others. her in-line skates boosted her speed, allowing her close her to close the distance. Behind her, Lynn raced with Alexei to catch up. the three of them had overslept that morning, while Cam and Emi got up on time. Their friends left for school without them after several failed attempts at waking them.
"Why didn't they wake us!?" Alexei huffed, trying to keep pace with Lynn.
"They did. We wouldn't get up." Lynn hopped over an overturned trash can.
"Why are you rushing Lynn? You don don't have class with Mr. C. like us." Kya called over her shoulder.
"If I arrive to late, I'll have to stay after school and help clean the art room. Yeah, not gonna happen." Lynn liked the arts, if it was music. Cleaning the Art room is not how he wanted to show his appreciation for the arts.
"well, we'd better hurry up." Alexei checked his phone. "Five minutes until we're late!"
"Thank we should hurry." Kya picked up speed, leaving her friends. She zoomed round a corner towards the school's enterance.
No one was at the gate, which meant she didn't have to slow down. She continued forward, not noticing the hole in front of the gate. The edge of the skate caught got trapped in the hole. Kya's momentum sent her flying forward. Unfortunately, Alexei and Lynn chose that time to catch up. They couldn't stop in time and ran in to Kya. Toppling over, they fell on top of each other.
"If your going to sneak in, at least be quiet." Mr. Z stood over them arms crossed.
He gave them a moment to collect themselves and check for injuries. None of them were physically hurt, only an embraced ego.
"Let's hear it, what excuse do you have prepared?" Mr. C asked, a dull edge to his voice.
Kya and Lynn looked to Alexei. He was the one who came up with wacky excuses. might be believable, but it could be enough to get Mr. 2 to be leaneate.
"Mom needed our help, so we had permission to arrive lateish. " Alexei confidently stated.
"Oh? Where is Ms. Tiya?"Mr. C questioned.
"Still at home." Alexei hadn't seen his mom when they left. He assumed she was either asleep or running errands.
Mr. C shook his head," You mean that Ms. Tiya is still home?" He waved to a figure approaching from behind them.
"Mr. C, rare to see you out of the nurse's office ... Did someone get injured?" Ms. Tiya gave a concerned glance to the kids. "Your never outside... by choice,"
Mr. C pinched the bridge of his nose." No, Ms. Tiya. Everyone is fine, despite their fall. But your son was just telling me how you were still at home. said you needed help and gave them permission to be late."
Ms. Tiya blinked, processing everything. "Alexei, care to explain." Her tone was calm, but an aura of anger radiated from her. Kya and Lynn gulped oom pls. Tiya's cheery smile. "While your at it, share just how many times you've used my name to avoid trouble."
Lynn and Kya quickly moved towards the safety that is Mr. C.
"Don't get comfy you two. We still have to have a chat with Prinpal Hall and your parents." Mr. Z ushered them inside.
"So, are we not going to discuss the superscan's repeated false alerts?" Odd asked the group as they left class. "We've been rushing to Lyoko for days, only to find nothing."
"I know it's frusating Odd, but there's nothing we can do." Aelita answered, as they walked towards the quad to meet Yumi for morning break.
Odd shock his head, "No, going to Lyoko is never a problem. But well , something's off."
Ulrich snorted. "Since when has anything about Xana been normal?"
"I'm being serious!" Odd shouted.
"Uh,oh. Odd serious? The cafeteria run out of deseresst again?" Yumi joined the group as they found two open benches to sit on.
"Odd was complaining about the false alerts from the superscan." Ulrich answered, taking a seat beside Yumi.
"He thinks something's 'off'." Aelita answered.
Odd crossed his arms." This could be a trick of Xana'!"
"Or computer issues." Aelita suggested." "The supercomputer has had problems before."
Yumi shared her thoughts. "Odd might be right." They turned to her in shock. The words 'Odd' and 'right', weren't typically use together.
"Xana's sneaking. He's done stuff without us noticing before. Like trapping us in a simulation on Lyoko, creating a copy of me on Earth and trapping me in a guardian." Yumi went on to list a few other examples. She brought up when Xana trapped Aelita in a guardian and others. "Plus after the repeat Return to the Past, Xana's grown stronger."
Jermie, who'd be working on his laptop closed the device. ""Point is, we do need to investage. We'll have to go to Sector 5." Putting his laptop away he shared his findings. Over the last few days, he's run tests and checked the superscan and everything else. "Everything is working fine. Sector5's our only other option."
"We going afterschool?" Ulrich asked, ready to return to Lyoko.
"No, there's one more thing I wanna check with Aelita." Jermie answered. "I'll let you guys know about next steps tomorrow at breakfast or morning break."
The group gathered their things to return to class. Yumi, as usual, went on her own. The other four headed to math class. The room, a short walk, was mostly empty. Wave was seated, laptop open. Emi had entered just before Jermrie and his friends.
Emi walked over to get Wave's attention. "Did you sneak of out of class again?"
Wave continued typing t, to focused to her hear Emi.
Emi thought it odd. Wave wasn't wearing her headphones. Emi came up behind Wave. "Waverly!" She called wave's full an me.
"Ahh!!" Wave humped in panic and shut her laptop. "Don't do that Emi!" Wave turned to face her friend.
Emi giggled, "Sorry but you wouldn't answer no matter how much I called you." She glanced at the laptop." What are you working on? New samples?"
"Huh? Yeah, something like that." Wave saw students filing into the classroom and began packing up. "Gotta go, classis starting."
"Ah? Okay." Emi watched in confusion as Wave packed. "See you at lunch?"
"Probably not." Wave brushed some of her hair out of her face." There's some stuff I wanna finish and send to Lynn for his thoughts."
Emi raised an eyebrow. "Lynn? Since when have you two grew close?"
wave blushed, than cleared her throat." "This past Saturday, in the morning for a bit. He was at the dorms looking for you. Told him Alexei came by to get you. We hung out for a bit after discovering a mutual interest in music."
By now other students had settled into ca class. Seeing this Wave quickly said bye to Emi before scurrying out of the room. Emi shrugged it off as Wave not wanting detention for being late again. She took Wave's empty seat and got ready for the lesson. Not that she'd be able to pay attention. The lesson was on a topic she already knew, like usual Time Times like this made her wonder if she prepared to much for live on Earth in some areas. The lessons and education for math or science was easy. History and language classes weren't hard, but not breezy like other classes. P.E. was probably one of the hardest. b Battling on Lyoko did nothing to keep her human body in shape. According to Ulrich, she's doing better than Jerimie. Emi made a mental note to try playing sports with Lynn and Alexei.
"Emi, the answer?" The teacher's voice drew Emi's attention.
Emi's hesitation gave Sissi time to comment. "New girl must be lost. Not everyone can be a math genius."
Snickers echoed inside the classroom.
"Yeah not everyone can be Jermie." Ulrich called.
Odd added, "Sissi the math ungenius should know!"
The snickers became full on laugher. It took several moments for the class to settle down.
"Emi, do you have the answer?" The teacher asked.
"4." Emi answered without looking up from her notebook. She found herself doodling instead of taking notes.
The teacher blinked, surprised."h...how did you solve that so quickly? Without looking?"
Emi paused, unable to answer."...I guessed?"
The teacher shook his head. "Guessing would get you close, but not the correct answer."
Uh, Oh. Emi realized she'd messed up. She wasn't suppose to 'show off' her smarts. Oringally, when it was thought she would be going to Kanna, she was to be enrolled in eight grade with Alexei, Kya, and Cam. More people to help her out and cover for her i if nessacry. Lynn had his hand hand full already with keeping Avery from suspecting anything. Emi 'skipping' a good wasn't a good idea, even at Kadic. Should they move her to a different grade, she's be in that new grade when transferring to Kanna.
Emi gave a pleading look to Aelita and Jermine.
Remembering his promise to Cam, that he'd Keep an eye on and help out Emi; Jermine raised his hand. "Sir, you went over this problem to two weeks ago."
"I did?" The teacher stopped to conder d consider this.
Jermine nudged Aelita, gesturing for her to back him up. "Oh, yes you did. It was the same week when you thought the same lesson three times that week."
The teacher shrugged. "Your probably right." He didn't doubt them, but he did have a habit of reteaching the same thing.
"Well, let's move on to the next part." He turned to the board." Do tell me if I'm reteaching aagin.
The lesson continued, new topic not reteaching. Emi let out a breath, gad for Jermine and Aelita. Now she just had to try not to repeat the same mistake.
"I can't believe they called our parents!" Kya took her lunch tra over to their usual table. "So glad no one as answered."
"Yeah, well at least you two have time to think of an excuse." Alexei plopped into a seat across from Ka. "Mom was uncharacterically mad."
Lynn snorted. "Mad? No she's angry and fuming. So happy I'll only have to deal with my folks over the phone."
Morning classes were over and lunch had started. The trio had missed their first classes, since they were in the prinpal's office. Mr. Hall lectured them of over thirty minutes . Than called Kya and Lynn's parents. Luckily, both went straight to voicemail. Alexei, however, had to deal with constant glares from his mother. When everything was over, Mr C escorted them each to class.
"We'll' have to ask the General for notes." Alexei sniffed his food and made a 'yuck' face.
"Where is Cam? He wasn't in class this morning." Kya eyed her own food suspectly.
"Probably in your dorm or the mansion." Lynn pulled a long stringy greystrand out of the mush on his tray. The plastic fork bent from the weight. "We should let him know about our month long detention," He pushed the tray away no longer hungry.
"Yeah, that's going to be a problem if Xana attacks." Kya bite into her apple, than spit it into a napkin. "No way all three of us can easily slip out of detention for a month."
"Plus there's the missions to explore Sector 5, the Island Sector, and Tundra Secter." Alexei reviewed the food in front of him and decided against trying it. "What's up with the food? It's totally inedible."
"I'm not going to chance it and I'll eat most things." Lynn wrinkled his nose.
They glanced around the cafeteria to see if anyone else thought lunch was a failed science experiment. But nope, everyone was chatting like they weren't consuming a biohazard.
Alexei suggested they sneak into the dorms to snack on Kya's stash. Kya shot the idea down immediately. The stash were the remenants of the care package from her family. It contained local goodies that could only be found at her hometown. Lynn vetoed the idea, stating they were already in enough trouble from that morning. Getting caught in the dorms was a gamble they couldn't risk. Plus it wasn't like xana or Lyoko were involved. Cam They weren't like cam, who usually snuck into the dorms to work on things regarding Lyoko.
"There you are!" Mara's cheery voice stopped their discussion. "Where have you been hiding!?" She rushed over and to their shock, save Kya a big hug.
Kya went still like a dear in headlights. She gave a grim look to Alexei that said 'Get her off of me, now.'
"Hey Mara?" Alexei put on a smile, trying to hide his surprise.
Mara turned to give him an annoyed glare."What do you want? Can't you see I'm talking to my bestie?"
Alexe's mouth dropped, Lynn had to turn his head to hide his smirking and laugh, and Kya went ridget.
"Why are you sitting with those losers?" Mara winced. "Are you still mad at me?" She pouted.
"Alexei" Kya said through gritted teeth. "Fix this ..."
Alexei shallowed and moved over to Mara. He placed a hand on her shoulder, to get her attention. "Look Mara, Kya - "
She shook his hand off, than spun to face him. "Go away, pleasent. I'm busy and don't have time for a loser like you."
Kya gave Lynn a warning look as well. She was tired of Mara's delsien and clinging. If they didn't get her to leave, Kya was going to snap. Lynn knew that wouldn't and in any other way but more trouble and extra detention.
Lynn moved to stand, placing himself in a way that forced Mara to release Kya. "Yeah, Alexei leave her be. She's trying to bond with her 'bestie'.
Kya used Lynn's presence and distraction to slip away. She grabbed her bag and slipped under the table. Than procceded to crawl towards the exit.
"Finally someone who gets it. Thank you Lynn." Mara patted Lynn on the shoulder. She than looked behind him to see that Kya's seat empty. "W...where did she go?"
"Oh you know how Kiya is." Lynn pretended everything is normal. "Being athelic she needs to werk off her lunch."
"Your right Lynn!" Mara execitly thanked him. She mentioned something about finding Kya on the sports field than took off.
The guys were speechless as they cleaned up and left to regroup with Kya. They found her outside bidding in the alcove where the vending machines are.
"That was ... something." Alexei scratched the back of his head. "Any idea that was?"
"A sign that I'll need a three hour shower." Kya shuttered at the memory of Mara's hug.
Lynn agreed. " Something's not right. We need to find Cam."
"Well, we're in luck." Alexei pointed to the back of the quad. "But I don't know how much help he'll be."
Cam sat on his laptop working as usual, but he wasn't alone. He was talking and laughing with two people ... Calex and Avery.
"Don't say it." Lynn groaned.
Kya sighed."Looks like it."
"Xana's gotten to Cam." Alexer declared.
Emi's Pov:
"Come on you lazys! You just had lunch, you should be full of energy!" Jim ran ahead of his students, who were struggling to keep up. " Move it, move it!"
Behind me, even Odd and Ulrich were red and out of breath. The two of them typically out pace the others. They look like Jeremie after five minutes of exesrice.
"Jim this is torture!" Odd huffed. "There's gotta be a law against working out after a meal."
"No one told you to eat four helping odd." Wave teased. "You knew we had P.E, after lunch today."
Wave usually took classes with Yumi. Wave was half a grade ahead of us. She's smart enough to be fully in ninth grade with Yumi. However, her grades hold her back. Other than the classes she's genenutty instered in, her grade are 'meh'. I don't understand her crazy class schudle. Even with being in half eighth grade and half ninth grade classes, Wave is everywhere. Most times she's in classes with Yumi, other times she's in classes with me and the others, and randomly in classes without anyone from our group.
Only reason she's with us for P.E. is because Jim is doing a joint class.
"Jim, how about going easy on us?" Ulrich asked. Seeing him and Old struggle shows just how intense this is.
Jim stopped running, but jogged in place. "Why during my days for special forces training, We were training while. eating. But you know I'd -"
"Rather not talk about it." Yumi and I said at the same time.
"Why yes. How did you know?" Jim stopped jogging to ask.
Yumi passed me a knowing look. "Lucky guess." She polite answered.
Truthfully, Jim always says that after bringing up an in starting fact about his past. One of these days I hope he'll tell the full story instead of only mentioning it.
In the near distance a whistle blew, followed by a familar tried voice. "Okay, we're here."
Jim might've been curious as well because he lead us down the forest path to a small clearing.
"Ah, Mr.C surprised to see the Kanna's schod nurse here." Jim greeted him.
"Oh hi Jim." Mr. C yawned. " I'd much rather be in my office. But the school's got me subbing again, this time for P.E." He gestured to the group of Kanna students behind him.
Jim clapped his hands together. "Perfect! We're here for that as well. This forest is the perfect place to practice working out in a different enviroment. Care to join us? We were doing a simple two mile jog as a warm-up."
Mr. C took one look at the exshuated Kadie students than paused to look at the Kanna students pleading 'no'. "Okay." He answered, to a chours of teen groans. "Might I make a suggestion for the workout?"
Jim hestiated, but agreed. "I'm listening."
"I have these markers." Mr. C pointed to the bag of colored markers. "How about we give one school's students a marker. Put them in pairs and let them go into the forest. While the school's students without markers has work in pairs to find the others' with markers. Any one without a marker by the end of class has to do a two mile run with you."
Jim smiled, "Great idea! It promotes fitness and time work!"
"No, no no." Wave whispered from behind me. "My brother is with the Kanna students. He Can't find me, not yet."
Sure enough, Calex was standing in a group with Avery. Mark and Ally are also among them. If those girls are there, Cam and tthe others should be as well. Seems Ranna's also having a joint eighth grade and ninth grade P.E. class. Alexei mentioned previously that this happens from time to time. It's the only time they have a class with Lynn.
Five minutes later, we'd all gotten into pairs. Kadic was to recieve the markers, K anna would have to find them. To make it fair, Kanna's students we're allowed to enter the forest first.
After getting the marker from Mr. C, I met up with Wave. She'd stayed in the back with other Kadic students to avoid Calex seeing her.
"Thanks, Emi." She took her marker and snapped it to her hair ribbon. "We cannot be caught, espically by my brother. Let's just go to that old man is an I showed you before. We can hide in there."
"Wait. "I called after, Wave had run off. It took several minutes for me to catch up with her. "Wave, we couldn't get in last time."
"Yeah, but we can still hide in the surrounding area." Wave took alf again when she heard rusting in the brushes.
Before I could follow, a hand pulled me to a stop. "Emi!" The hand's owner is Cam. "I've been trying to call you since this morning."
"Sorry, I left my cell at Alexei's house." I turned to see a worried expression on his face. "What's wrong? Did Xana attack? Are the others trapped?"
Cam sighed. "That I don't know." He looked around to make sure no one was around. Than he continued. " The others never arrived at school."
"That's not possible we saw them this morning." I remember all three were still alseep when we left for school.
"Ms. Tiya confirmed they left for school before she did. But no one's seen them since. They also aren't answering their phones." Cam explained.
"Could it be Xana?" Wouldn't be out of the realm of possiblity.
"Don't know." He sheepishly rubbed the backup his neck. "I left my laptop Kya's dorm after sneaking in during morning break to check somethings. I tried to go back during lunch to get it, but I was questioned by the teachers about the others location."
Cam explained, he told them the others were skipping school to see the new Outer Realms movie.
"We should get to the manison. We need to check for an actived tower." I began moving in the direction of the access tunnel.
Cam nodded. "Hopefully Kya and the others aren't in to much danger."
The crunch of twigs made as freeze. Someone is nearby.
"What do you mean?" The voice's owner stepped into view. "Kya's in danger?" Calex stood before us.