「Odd x Reader」Edge of Reality

13

"Yeah, especially after today. Nothing like test after test." Ulrich leans against Yumi. He looks like he's ready to pass out any given second. Yumi smiles softly.

"Don't forget the mile run." Odd's arms give out, dropping Kiwi on his chest. "My limbs feel like jello!"

"Sheesh. It sounds like the Tenth-Grade isn't treating you guys well." Yumi says.

"It's not like we have it any easier. Hours of studying for pointless exams with university prep being shoved down our throats." William groans. "Waking up at six am doesn't help either."

Clearing his throat, Jeremie shifts the conversation back to the topic at hand. "Xana is plotting something. But, tired or not, a virus isn't going to wait for us to rest up before launching an actual attack."

"Well, maybe it's trying to re-create the Replika's?" I suggest. "I'm sure there are more Super Computers than the ones you guys destroyed before."

"That could be possible." Aelita shoots a worried glance towards Jeremie. "We still have the Skidbladnir, don't we?"

Jeremie spins his chair back towards brightly lit monitors, quickly checking the program. It takes only a moment for him to confirm it's thankfully still up and running.

"What if. . . its's trying to possess us? Like, all of us?" William stiffens as the words leave his mouth. "With us, as its bodyguards, Xana would truly be unstoppable."

I frown, knowing what that would mean. William despises even the slightest mention of Xana, and being re-possessed is one of his greatest fears. Well, next to spiders, that is.

He's playing it cool right now, but you'd have to be utterly blind not to see how uncomfortable he is—picking at his nails, biting his lip, bouncing his leg against the wall. You name it.

A harsh silence fills the room. With everyone's uncertainty mixed with anxiety, the Lab almost seemed to shrink down in size. In the back of our minds, we all know any of us can get possessed by the demonic A.I. It's just not one that anyone likes being reminded of.

"L-let's just focus on trapping Xana back in the Super Computer, yeah?" I clear my throat, wanting to change the subject to something lighter. "Sure, it's plotting something bad and all, but it's not like it's the end of the world. I mean, you're Lyoko Warriors, after all! You've always found a way to beat Xana one way or another."

"Don't you mean all of us?" Odd sits up, a lighthearted smirk makes its way across his cheeks, and he laughs. My heart speeds up at the soft sound. "You're a Lyoko Warrior now too, (Y/n)! So, we'll figure out this mess together!"

Looking into his eyes, the feeling in the pit of my stomach sinks further down as I realize how dumb I must look. Is now really the time for me to be feeling like this? Odd didn't mean anything like that. It was obvious enough from our conversation the other day.

"I say we figure this out later. It's getting late, and I need to head back before my parents realize I'm gone again."

Everyone agrees, either verbally or with a simple nod of the head. We were all exhausted. Mentally and physically, Xana has pushed us further than we'd like.

It wasn't until William was poking my arm that I noticed we were standing on the bridge, mindlessly waiting for the maintenance hole cover to be opened.