Olivie woke up feeling like she had had the worst nightmare. But it was real, right. It had to be. She was in pain. XANA was saying such outlandish things. Wait.
Return to the past, she concluded.
Just as she finished that thought, her door shot open and revealed a messy head of pink hair. Aelita exhaled. Olivie was safe. Everything was alright.
"How are you feeling?" Aelita asked and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"I am not sure," Olivie admitted. The events were slowly coming back to her. And unlike a few moments ago, now she had the time and space to think. Suddenly remembering something, she faced Aelita. "I think I have some things I'd like to ask about."
After a speedy breakfast – much to Odd's displeasure – the gang gathered in Jeremie's room. Olivie had mentioned she had something important to ask and insisted it was most likely too important to be talked about when around so many people. So, all eyes were on her now. And she wasted no time.
"Who is Franz Hopper?" she asked. Sensing the name had brought confusion along with it, she continued. "Before I started replying to XANA, it ordered me to find and destroy the diary of someone called Franz Hopper. CDs most likely in Jeremie's possession."
She looked at the boy's eyes behind the glasses. They were downcast, brows lightly furrowed.
"So, XANA knows about the diary," Jeremie mumbled, then raised his voice a bit, "I have already made a copy of it, so destroying the CDs would actually not hinder us. But of course, XANA doesn't know that. I should probably make a backup just in case… Did it say anything after that?"
Olivie shook her head. "No. That's when I wrote that I wouldn't do it. Or anything else anymore. And… that's when I started to hear a weird humming and then that happened." She eyed Yumi. A subconscious attempt at seeking help explaining it.
"The walls exploded, and you got caught in the middle of all those wires," Yumi explained her point of view and nodded slowly. "What was going on in there?"
Olivie took a deep breath. "XANA spoke to me. If I am being honest, I didn't quite understand a lot of it. It said something about children being wont to rebel against their parents and discipline was needed. And that I could only win if I was on its side, which I would realize soon. It also claimed that the next time we encounter, it would get the latest report from me. While talking, it also," she took a break to breathe, "it also… The wires… Th– They were around me and it didn't hurt at first, but soon it did, and I at times couldn't even hear anything. But it was over eventually, and I woke up. That was the return to the past, right?"
The others nodded.
"While I try to wrap my head around that all, I'll answer your earlier question," Jeremie said, stroking his chin in thought. "Franz Hopper is the creator of Lyoko and was also apparently a teacher at Kadic at some point."
"There's an old house nearby that he used to live in," Aelita stepped in. "A bit ago we found a doll in there, and inside the doll was the key that led us to the diary."
"I see." Olivie fell deep in thought. Franz Hopper. The creator of Lyoko. So, most likely, also the creator of XANA. Franz Hopper was the creator of her creator. How come this was the first time she heard of him? Where was he now? XANA not mentioning him until now could mean that he was not a threat. Or at least not significant enough for Olivie's mission of gathering intel for XANA. Before she could give voice to her thoughts, Ulrich reminded them of the time.
"Not to interrupt an important conversation, but we should go before Mrs. Meyer starts the class and we're not there."
If not for Olivie's quick-as-a-calculator brain, she would've been completely out of it during classes. There were the questions about Franz Hopper and where he was now. There was also the cloud of XANA hanging right over her head. What did it mean that XANA would get the report from her? Did XANA have some way to force it out of her? The thought of it happening again made her breath get stuck in her throat. The thought of all the wires and being trapped. She decided she had to figure out a way to somehow sever XANA's control over her. Wait. If Olivie were to go to Lyoko, would XANA still be able to speak to her? She really hoped not.
In any case, she had time to prepare and talk things through. She had denied XANA, so now it would have to rethink options. Maybe it had already done so. But it would be a few days at least until XANA would act again. A few days wasn't a lot. But it was something. And Olivie could work with something.
Classes felt exceptionally long that day.
"Hermitage," Olivie read the sign. She didn't know what to expect when she heard 'creator of Lyoko' and to be fair, she had no expectations one way or the other. But still, this derelict house surrounded by overgrown grass and flowers completely wiped out by weeds… she was not expecting this. "This is where Franz Hopper lived?"
"Hard to believe, I know," Jeremie stated, "but yes. This is it."
They headed inside. Olivie took everything in one room at a time. Furniture drowned in dust. Cobwebs in almost every corner. Wallpaper so greyed out she couldn't see what it was supposed to be in the first place. She felt a bittersweet nostalgia. Not that she could name it as such. She merely felt a cold pang in her heart.
Olivie faced the others once the tour of the house was over. "What happened to Franz Hopper? Where is he now?"
"We don't know," Yumi shrugged. "We've gone through the entire place, but so far only Mr. Puck and the key have given us any useful info at all."
"I hope the diary will give us more information." Jeremie adjusted his glasses. "Decrypting it is taking a lot more effort than anticipated. Though, I suppose I should've expected that from the creator of Lyoko."
"You'll get it soon enough. I'm sure of it, Einstein," Odd encouraged him with a wide smirk.
"Thanks, Odd."
So, there are still many uncertainties, Olivie surmised. But based on how XANA wanted to get rid of the diary, it thinks there's something important in there. What secrets did Franz Hopper hide? While speculating on the possibilities, Yumi's voice called her out of her thoughts.
"There's one thing I just don't get." She faced Olivie. "Why would XANA go through all the trouble to create a thinking and feeling person, much more complex and dangerous than any monster so far, but give it free will? And give us a chance to turn you against it?"
Olivie sighed. She had thought of the same question. Even cursed her free will at some points. It made things complicated and difficult. But now, looking at Yumi, she noticed something had changed in her eyes. In the way she looked at her. Those were not the same eyes that she had seen reflected on her laptop screen before the confrontation with XANA. Not the same eyes that had glared at Olivie when she approached Aelita. Maybe free will wasn't so bad at all. If Olivie's choice made such a change, maybe it was all right that things were complicated and difficult.
"I'm sorry," Olivie apologized and turned her eyes down. "I've told you all I know, and that's something I do not know. I would like to know. But I don't."
"Don't worry about it!" Aelita was quick to jump in. "What matters is that you're here and you're with us."
"…Thanks, Aelita." Olivie still kept her eyes gazed down, but a small smile warmed her heart.
Jeremie coughed to get their attention. "Sorry, Olivie, but could you give us some time. I want to confirm some things."
"Of course. I understand," Olivie assured, but the warmth in her heart smothered out. She gave a quick nod to Aelita, turned around, and walked away. Suddenly, she felt an odd connection with the forlorn house.
Once he was sure Olivie was out of the house, Jeremie turned to Yumi. "What do you think? Is Olivie opposing XANA?"
"The look in her eyes after XANA's attack…" Yumi recalled. "I have zero doubts. Those emotions I saw, they were not fake. Regardless of what XANA's aims are, or what its plans are for Olivie, she was so scared. She was crying. And I could see the red marks on her skin. Plus, she warned me before the wires exploded from the walls. If she didn't, I could've been caught in as well or gotten hurt."
"I don't know." Odd scratched his head. "I struggle to think that XANA would be dumb enough to give Olivie a chance to turn against it."
"It's weird for sure," Ulrich conceded. "But it's starting to look like she's been telling the truth. And for XANA to react so drastically…"
Jeremie sighed. "We can't let our guard down yet. Even if Olivie is a hundred percent honest with us right now, XANA for sure has tricks up its sleeve."
"What if Olivie asks to join us in Lyoko the next time XANA launches an attack?" Ulrich pondered. "Would that be safe? For us and for her?"
"If she's willing to help, I say we let her," Aelita said.
"Look," Jeremie stepped in. "I know you trust her, but do you truly think it's safe? What if going to Lyoko somehow changes something in her, and she attacks you?"
Aelita thought for a second. "What if we keep her as a last resort? If things are looking bad, and she wants to help, I think it's worth the risk."
Jeremie's first instinct was to argue back, but he had to admit Aelita's suggestion made sense. There had been close calls before. And now XANA had more detailed information about them thanks to Olivie's reports. It could potentially launch a much more targeted attack. An extra person would be helpful. That is if Olivie truly wanted to be their ally. Aelita was convinced from the start, and now Yumi was convinced of Olivie's conviction. Which wasn't an easy feat.
In the end, Jeremie relented. "Alright. If all of you agree that it's the right course of action, I say we give her a chance. We know Aelita and Yumi's stances. So, Odd? Ulrich?"
"I'm okay with it," Ulrich nodded. "We should still be careful, but I don't see any ill will from Olivie."
Odd tilted his head to the side and sighed. "Well, I don't want to be the exception now… I mean, I'm not fully on board, but I'm curious and if it turns out well it's going to be really good for us, right? I'll keep my eyes open, but sure."
"It's a unanimous decision then," Jeremie stated. "But. Only if we're in a pinch and need extra help. We should have several days to think through everything. But now, I'm going back to work on decrypting the diary. If XANA's interested in destroying it, there must be something crucially important there. Otherwise, let's keep at it as we usually do."
Olivie waited outside the house, leaning against the vine-covered wall. It was soft. Unlike Olivie's heart and mind. She couldn't stop worrying about XANA's words. She saw only one option. Even if she was scared, she would not go back. She would fight alongside the others.
She placed her hand on her heart. Doubt flowed into her thoughts. Was her heart the same as the others'? Did it beat in the same way? And if so, how did XANA build it? If it was different, would it be possible for someone to figure out she wasn't human? Maybe it was time to rethink her actions and try to blend in more effectively.
She recalled a conversation from some days ago.
"I agree with people, you might be a bit weird."
"Is that a negative?"
"Not really."
Weird. Something unusual and different from the normal. In that sense, Olivie admitted she was weird. But according to William it wasn't a bad thing. During her short stay on Earth, Olivie had noticed people were vastly different. Even the Lyoko warriors, a group united under the same purpose, even they were all very different and clashed every now and then. Olivie wondered if she should embrace her 'weirdness' or try to seal it away. Or maybe it wasn't a case of being weird or not. Should she instead focus on being her? She decided she shouldn't settle on an answer just yet. She needed more time.
The door opened, hinges creaking slightly, when the others rejoined Olivie. They looked serious.
"What is it?" she asked, fearing that they might want nothing to do with her after all. Why else would they look so serious?
Jeremie cleared his throat. "Do you want to fight against XANA with us?"
What? Olivie was shaken. Up until now, their serious faces had meant something negative, but now they came to her and asked her to join them. Perhaps seriousness had a positive side as well.
"Yes," Olivie replied, eyes fixed with determination. "I see no other choice for me."
"Alright. We just talked about it." Jeremie pointed to the others. "And we all agreed on it. If you want to help us, we welcome you. But," he lifted a finger, "you'll join the others on Lyoko only if things are looking bad. Because even if we trust you, we don't know what XANA might do. You're intelligent, so I think you'll agree that it's a necessary safety measure."
"Yes, it makes sense. I'm also worried about what XANA might do next. I don't want that to be repeated. And I understand that the easiest way to accomplish that would be to go with XANA's terms, but everything in me somehow warns me not to. I will do what I can to help you."
Jeremie nodded, deciding he was satisfied with Olivie's answer. Then Aelita stepped forward towards Olivie.
"And it won't be just you helping us," she told Olivie with a smile. "It goes both ways. Friends support one another. We'll also help you."
Olivie nodded and smiled back. She deemed words unnecessary. Although, one word made a warm nest inside her heart and the warmth from that word spread to her entire being.
Friends.
A few days later, Olivie was practicing the flute in her room. Classes were over for the day, so she committed herself fully to the instrument – as she had everyday after that. She noticed it helped her stay sane. Focusing on the flute made it so she wasn't focusing on something else. It was a distraction. And she was starting to get the hang of it. That first time she had tried it, she had managed to produce a very brief and rough sound. Now, she could produce clear sounds more often than unclear. Studying the books and putting theory into practice was difficult, but success was all the more sweeter because of it.
At first, Olivie had struggled with playing the flute. It was XANA that had gifted it to her, after all. Part of her was tempted to throw it away, along with The Subsonics CDs. But in the end, she kept it all. She wanted to keep them, so she decided it didn't matter how she got them. What mattered was that she wanted to learn the flute and listen to music.
Knocking on her door took her away from the book's page scale practice she was doing. She gently placed the flute on her desk and went to open the door, only to be greeted by two very upset eyes.
"Are you torturing mice in here or something?" Sissi glared at Olivie. "This squealing is unbearable and, more importantly, disturbing my beauty routine."
"If it's so distracting, why don't you put on headphones or invest in earplugs?" Olivie suggested, a bit confused.
"Why do I have to do something when you're the one who's being a nuisance to others?"
"Others...? You're the only one who's got an issue."
Sissi was seething. "I don't have an issue! And don't look at me like that. You know what you're doing."
Olivie blinked. "I… I don't see the problem?"
Before Sissi could unleash further complaints on Olivie, a familiar voice joined into the exchange, "Don't give her too much thought. People like Sissi get confused when there's more than one thing to focus on." Aelita strode past Sissi, as if she wasn't even there.
"Oh," Olivie perked up, "I see."
"No. You. Don't. I give up." Sissi stormed away.
Aelita shook her head. "As I said, don't give Sissi too much thought. She's always like that. You have all the right to play. And from the little I heard before Sissi started yelling, you're getting better."
"Thanks, Aelita," Olivie beamed.
They chatted for a while about the flute, Aelita's music, The Subsonics… Everything not Lyoko. Aelita wanted to have a normal moment and Olivie just went along with the conversation, not realizing Aelita was knowingly avoiding some topics. But the both of them knew that this was only a short reprieve. XANA would act soon, and they knew not what to expect.
This was all just a calm before the storm.
.
.
Author here yet again~ Just to quickly say that I felt really creative this week, so on top of writing I finally took the time to draw a cover picture for the story. Totally not late or anything. But better late than never, I guess, and I'm actually pretty happy with how it turned out.
Author out!