Disclaimer: One of the main events in this chapter is heavily based off of one of the scenes in Ep. 5 "Big Bug" from the original series.

Pranking Sissi

Jeremie leaves the administration building. Outside, Sissi and Herve await him.

Sissi: Well?
Jeremie: Well?
Sissi: Don't play dumb with me, brainiac. I want to know how it went with my dad.
Jeremie: It went well overall; although, he didn't mention a following meeting with you.
Herve: (stepping forward) Listen, Belpois…

Sissi makes a gesture with her hand, which makes Herve stop and hush.

Sissi: What did you tell my poor daddy?
Jeremie: The truth.
Sissi: And what is that truth?
Jeremie: That I wasn't the one who sabotaged your phone.
Sissi: And my father believed you?
Jeremie: Of course. Why shouldn't he?
Sissi: (sighs) Sometimes, dad is so naive… Fortunately, I'm here to gather the missing information. (lowers down her hand; Herve starts walking towards Jeremie)
Jeremie: Jim already tried that strategy and your father didn't like it. What do you think you'll get besides a scolding from his part?
Sissi: I was hoping you could tell me.

Herve reaches Jeremie and takes him by the arms, each stuck to either side of his body. The tall boy raises the short one from the ground.

Jeremie: I think you'll gather more useful information if we studied together, Sissi. You'll at least perform better in science class that way.
Sissi: That is the worst pickup line I've heard in my whole life. It's no mystery that you're still single.

Herve shakes Jeremie somewhat. He then stops and listens.

Herve: His left pocket.

Sissi approaches, slips her hand inside Jeremie's pocket and extracts his cell phone.

Sissi: Hmm, a bit out of fashion, but it works as a substitute. Look, Jeremie, we won't beat you today, but we'll make a deal: you tell the truth to my father and I give you back your phone. I guess you won't be bothered by me having it for a while, given you destroyed mine.
Jeremie: I would be less bothered if your bodyguard left me on the ground.

Ulrich enters the scene, running from afar.

Ulrich: Sissi!

Sissi snaps her fingers. Herve immediately leaves Jeremie on the ground.

Sissi: Ulrich! How's this unusual holiday treating you?
Ulrich: (faking nervousness) Sissi, uh… Maybe, you should…
Sissi: Calm down, I was just borrowing Jeremie's phone.
Ulrich: It's not that… I, uh… Sissi, would you like to…?
Sissi: (suddenly, surprised) …Yes, Ulrich?
Ulrich: …I can't say it. I wrote you a letter. (takes something out of his pocket)
Sissi: …A note? Oh, Ulrich…

Sissi receives the note and Ulrich goes away, running.

Sissi: Wait!
Herve: What's with that Stern clown now? C'mon, Sissi, he doesn't deserve your attention.
Sissi: Don't talk about Ulrich like that! And let Jeremie go, he's had enough already.

Herve takes distance from Jeremie and kicks the ground, like he's about to throw a tantrum. Jeremie runs away in the direction that Ulrich took.

As he approaches the dorms building, his friends signal him. Jeremie joins them.

Yumi: Jeremie! Are you okay?
Jeremie: Yeah, I'm alright, except that I lost my phone.
Yumi: What? Did it blow up too?
Jeremie: No, no, Sissi took it. But I'm not worried, she'll keep it safe: she wouldn't dare harm a cell phone.
Ulrich: Did Herve hurt you?
Jeremie: He just rose me a few centimeters from the ground, but didn't hit me or push me.
Ulrich: Seems like there's another one who's winning himself a prank.
Yumi: Noted! And how did it go with the headmaster?
Jeremie: Good, he asked me about what happened yesterday, so I didn't have to lie. The only exception was the question that Jim asked.
Yumi: What did he ask?
Jeremie: The same thing that he asked when we came back yesterday. He still doesn't believe us; maybe we should be keeping an eye out. What about you?
Yumi: The plan is coming alone wonderfully. You saw Ulrich's acting, didn't you?
Jeremie: Yeah! You did it pretty well, Ulrich, I'm surprised by your acting abilities.
Ulrich: Anything to make Sissi have a bad time.
Jeremie: Anyways, I'll go to the factory now. Odd, we owe you a visit, do you want to come with me now?
Odd: I'd love to, but Kiwi's the main actor in Sissi's prank, and I'm his agent by excellence.
Yumi: Don't worry, Jeremie, we'll join you with Odd later.
Jeremie: Very well, I wish you success. See you later.
Yumi: Wait, Jeremie! (she takes out a camera from her backpack) What I promised yesterday.
Jeremie: Great, thanks, Yumi! (he receives the camera) That reminds me: I'll call my father so that he brings my scooter tomorrow.
Yumi: You'd better! I already brought my two skateboards.
Odd: Wait, you skateboard?
Jeremie: Only for transport for the time being.
Odd: I love skateboarding. I know tricks and everything.
Yumi: Wow! Ulrich, we have a new contestant among us.
Jeremie: Well, goodbye guys.
Ulrich: Bye Jeremie. (Jeremie leaves) You go compete, I'll stick to Penchak Silat.
Yumi: Speaking of which, are we training today?
Ulrich: I don't see why not.
Yumi: Odd, if Ulrich and I duel, could you be the judge?
Odd: I have to admit I know nothing about Penchak Silat, so I couldn't unless you allow me to invent rules.
Yumi: Don't worry about that, it's enough that you mark the start and the end of the matches.
Odd: Do matches start and end? I didn't know that either.
Ulrich: Anyways, remember I have a date with Sissi in fifteen minutes. How about we get ready?
Odd: Just a coincidence, but Kiwi also has a date with Sissi in fifteen minutes! We'll go with you so that you primp together.
Yumi: Let's go!

Montage that shows both Jeremie on his way to the factory and the rest of the gang dressing Kiwi to impress. A World Without Danger plays at the back.

Jeremie turns on the computer once more. Afterwards, he sits in front of the main monitor and loads Lyoko.
Jeremie: Aelita, are you there?
Aelita: Hi, Jeremie! How are you?
Jeremie: I'm good. I inform you that today's the next day since the last time we saw each other.
Aelita: That's good!
Jeremie: Not only that: it's morning. Despite today being tuesday, classes were suspended for today and tomorrow on Kadic.
Aelita: Oh, so then there has happened even less time than usual! Thank you so much for visiting me.
Jeremie: It's nothing, there's a lot to do. The sooner, the better. Oh, I almost forgot: I brought you something.
Aelita: Something like what?
Jeremie: You'll see. Give me a minute.

Jeremie goes to the scanners and places a notebook in the first and a pencil in the second. Then he goes back to the monitors.

CONSOLE
In: virt 1 notebook
In: virt 2 pencil 0.5 0.5

The scanners close, and the sound of acceleration fills the room.

Jeremie: Your gift is at the main coordinates.
Aelita: Let's see what you brought me… Oh, I see it!

Aelita approaches the notebook. She picks it up, along with the pencil.

Aelita: A notebook and a pencil?
Jeremie: That's right, the analog method for information storage by excellence and longevity. I thought that it'd be something you'd like to remember from the outer world.
Aelita: That's actually a great idea, Jeremie! I love it. Thank you very much.

Aelita hugs the open notebook. Then she writes something in it.

Aelita: Look over here, Jeremie.

Jeremie places the camera so that he can see clearly. Aelita shows the notebook displaying a large text that says "HELLO, WORLD"

Jeremie: Ha ha, hello to you, Aelita. Oh, that reminds me…!

Jeremie takes out Yumi's camera from his bag.

Jeremie: Let's see, there must be a plug over here… I see it.

Jeremie plugs the camera.

Jeremie: Now, to set up the driver…

The boy configures the computer so that it reads the information provided by the camera as an image.

Jeremie: Ready. Okay… Aelita, can you see me?
Aelita: Where? From an interface?
Jeremie: Agh, so stupid of me! I set it up so that the monitors display it, but not Lyoko's interfaces. Give me a minute.
Aelita: Happens to the best. I'll wait.

Jeremie types for a few seconds.

Jeremie: Now it's ready. Aelita, go to the nearest interface.
Aelita: I'm on it!

Aelita enters the forester's cabin and looks into the interface.

Aelita: Jeremie! Is that you?
Jeremie: Yeah, that's me. What's up?
Aelita: Hi! At last I can look at you! What a joy to get to know you a bit more.

Suddenly, a rush of shame comes over Jeremie and blushes deeply.

Jeremie: Yeah… I… Well, I have already seen you, right?
Aelita: (chuckles) Of course. It's a one-sided novelty.
Jeremie: Yeah, that's okay. Well, here I am.
Aelita: You've made me three gifts today, Jeremie: a memory from the real world, a camera to see it and a visual image of yourself. I'm very thankful for it.
Jeremie: (still blushing) You're welcome, Aelita.
Aelita: The only thing remaining is that you come so I can meet you in person. What's missing for that to happen?
Jeremie: It's missing a mechanism that ensures that I'll come back. Having nobody monitoring from my end, I need an automatic program that brings me back to the real world.
Aelita: Oh, but that's so simple! I can manipulate the console from Lyoko's terminals.
Jeremie: Yeah, it's true… It's just…
Aelita: Yes?
Jeremie: The truth… is that I'm a bit afraid of getting virtualized.
Aelita: Really? But your friends have already done it, and you know the procedure is safe.
Jeremie: You're right… (sighs) Did it ever happen to you that you had to jump into a pool or river, and you couldn't do it because the water was too cold?
Aelita: Yeah, I guess so…
Jeremie: That's my feeling, more or less.
Aelita: I get it. In any case, my way of overcoming something like that is to supress some of my thoughts and trust. Maybe you could do it.
Jeremie: Maybe, but it's not that simple.
Aelita: Look, today you wanted to work in ways to diminish the exposition to harm, didn't you? How about we work on that and, when the time comes to test it, we do it with you?
Jeremie: Hmm, we could do that. I'd definitely feel safer if we achieve it.
Aelita: Let's do that then, but don't you go finding more excuses afterwards!
Jeremie: (giggles nervously) Yeah, yeah, I promise. Let's get to it.

Yumi, Odd and Ulrich hide behind some bushes, a few meters from the tools warehouse.

Yumi: (whispering) Okay, ready?
Odd: All set, Yumi!

Kiwi pants in Odd's arms.
The kids wait for a couple more minutes. Ulrich watches; no sign of Sissi.

Yumi: So?
Ulrich: Nothing yet.
Odd: What could have happened? That girl likes you so much but she arrives late?
Ulrich: Knowing her, she's arriving late on purpose, to play hard to get.
Odd: Ah! That's a good conquest strategy, to be honest. I don't blame her.
Ulrich: It's an irritating strategy. If her aim is that I like her even less, she's achieving it.
Odd: C'mon, have some compassion! Not everybody has your lovely mood.

Yumi snorts trying to hold in a laugh.

Ulrich: Not everybody has the curse of being Sissi's… (he ducks and hides quickly. He whispers) Here she comes!
Sissi: Ulrich, dear? Here I am, you can come out now.
Odd: (whispering) Commencing maneuver K. (he steps away from the other kids, in order to set Kiwi up)

Sissi: Ulrich?

Ulrich is suddenly aware that he and Yumi are very close to each other. He looks and her and she looks back, with a face of mischievous laughter. Ulrich looks away and blushes.

Odd: (giving Kiwi a small treat) Okay, Kiwi, today's your grand première. Good luck!
Sissi: (bothered) I was meant to be the one to be late, not him.

Kiwi rushes towards Sissi. She hears the bushes as he approaches.

Sissi: Oh, there you are, Ul…! Hey, no! (screams)

Kiwi graciously jumps towards Sissi, who leans backwards and stumbles, falling to the ground. Kiwi approaches her, super exalted, and starts licking her face.

Sissi: (bewildered) Stop it, get out!

The pranksters start laughing from the bushes, especially Odd and Yumi.

Sissi: (upset) Who's there!?
Odd: (still laughing) That's enough, Kiwi, come back here!

Kiwi obeys immediately, running towards his owner.

Sissi: Flamehead! What's this, what…?
Odd: Nothing, I was just your date's wingman! What happened, did he treat you too badly?
Sissi: You have no idea of the mess you just got into, you excentric freak!
Yumi: (standing up) Hey, be careful with what you say to Odd!
Sissi: The japanese girl too? (hateful) You! You are the last person I want to see right now! Get out of here, scram!

Delmas and Jim appear, coming from the warehouse.

Delmas: Sissi!
Sissi: What!
Delmas: Don't talk to me like that! We need to talk.
Yumi: Uh oh, the headmaster, let's get out of here.

Ulrich stands up, but before they can run away, Jim intercepts them.

Jim: Stop right there, you rascals!
Sissi: …Ulrich? What is this? Why do you mistreat me like this?

Ulrich raises his hands in disbelief.

Delmas: Leave him, Sissi. Come with me.
Sissi: Wait, dad, those clowns fooled me and attacked me with a dog! Ulrich, answer me!
Delmas: Jim, you handle them. Take them to the library. I'll talk to them later.
Jim: You head the heardmaster! Suspending classes in Kadic is no reason to suspend rules in Kadic! And because of that, you three are suspended in Kadic! Now move it, to the library! And you Odd, get a leash on that dog.

Odd obeys, taking out his leash from his bag.

Sissi: (out of it, both crying and screaming) Ulrich, what did you do to me, Ulrich! (Delmas takes her by the hand and walks off with her)

As Jim and the trio walk to the library, Odd gives another treat to Kiwi, bigger than the last one. Yumi notices Ulrich, who's looking to the floor and has his hands in his pockets.

Yumi: (approaching Ulrich) Ulrich, you okay?
Ulrich: (raises his head) Me…? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.
Yumi: You sure?
Ulrich: (pauses) I don't want to talk about it right now.
Odd: (unaware of the other two's interaction) I'd never heard screams like the ones Sissi was making, had you?
Jim: Quiet, Della Robbia!

Yumi signals Odd so that he gets close; then, both of them wrap an arm around Ulrich's shoulders, each from one side. Ulrich sighs deeply. The walk proceeds in silence.