(A/N: I skipped over Big Bug because I didn't really know how to fit Mel into the episode without it feeling a little forced)
Everyone was gathered on the school's sports field as Principal Delmas was talking to them about the renovations being done to better improve their sporting experience.
"Wow, can he talk." Odd spoke quietly. "Do we really have to listen to all this?"
"Not really. You could've stayed with Jeremy if you wanted to." Ulrich replied.
"What's Einstein up to anyway?" Yumi asked.
"The usual." Odd replied.
"He's glued to his computer screen talking to Aelita." Mel explained.
****
Yumi, Mel, Ulrich and Odd were all gathered in Jeremy's room as he told them he'd managed to complete the materialisation program for Aelita and was planning on materialising her.
Yumi shook her head in denial at the idea.
"Yumi, it's now or never. We may not get a second chance." Jeremy explained as he stood up and began pacing. "What if there's some sort of bug? I'll never be able to set up the program again."
"Listen, you can't just materialise Aelita like that without making a lot of preparations." Yumi said.
"I've boosted the scans. I've got the program going, everything's ready." Jeremy explained.
"Yeah, in your head." Ulrich said. "Hey, come back to Earth, Jeremy. Try to be practical for once. Aelita has no parents and she hasn't got a birth certificate. What's more, she's not enrolled in any school- okay, that's no biggie- but-"
"All that together means she doesn't exist in our world." Mel finished for him.
"Imagine 'hello, I'm Aelita. I just got here from a virtual reality'. That's a one way ticket to the nut-house." Odd said.
"You know, Jeremy. It doesn't have to be today." Aelita spoke up. "I can wait."
"Well, what do we do now?" Jeremy asked.
"I can put her up at my house. My folks wouldn't mind." Yumi said.
"And you can plug into the city hall computers and create a fake identity for her." Ulrich said. "Find her a new name. All the stuff she needs."
"Then you just have to enroll her at our school." Mel said.
"Yeah, and try to put her in our class." Odd said. "That'd be really cool, huh?"
Jeremy was quiet for a moment as he thought about it all.
"Okay. We'll get started first thing tomorrow." He finally agreed.
****
Yumi had invited Mel over to her house for a sleepover since they hadn't hung out together, just the two of them, for a while and Mel got permission from Principal Delmas to leave campus for the night.
Both girls were asleep when the sound of Yumi's phone ringing woke them up.
"What's going on?" Mel yawned.
"I don't know. It's Jeremy." Yumi spoke sleepily as she answered her phone. "Do you realise what time it is?... Bulldozers? What bulldozers."
Yumi suddenly sat upright in a panic, which caused Mel to wake up completely as she realised this was important.
"We're on our way." Yumi said before quickly jumping out of bed.
"What's happening?" Mel asked as she too got up and started getting dressed.
"Xana's launched an attack."
****
"Yumi, Mel, I've lost contact with Ulrich." Jeremy informed the two girls who were sprinting towards the Factory.
"Where was he when you last spoke to him?" Yumi asked.
"He was heading for the Factory with the bulldozers." Jermy replied.
"Okay, we're almost there." Mel said. "We'll find him."
****
When Yumi and Mel arrived at the Factory they saw the bulldozer beginning to destroy the place and Ulrich's arm hanging out the side of one.
"Mel, you go on ahead and help Jeremy." Yumi said.
"You sure?" Mel asked and Yumi nodded. "Be careful, Yumi."
Mel then quickly used a rope to swing down to the ground and Yumi followed suit, only she swung herself into the bulldozer with Ulrich in it
Mel quickly made her way to where Jeremy was and he sent her over to the scanners and quickly virtualised her.
"Glad you could join the party." Odd greeted her as she took out her laser bladed sword.
"Yeah, sorry I'm late." She replied.
"Hello, Rogsters. Now which one of you wants to be first?" Odd said as he and Mel crouched protectively in front of Aelita.
The monsters started firing rapidly and both Odd and Mel were struck a few times as they barely had enough time to react. Even Aelita ended up being struck in the leg, which caused Mel to move closer to her and start using her sword more to block the blasts rather than dodging and risking Aelita being struck again.
"Hey, would you two cool it? Your mission is to protect Aelita. Remember?" Jeremy told them.
"You want to trade places, Jeremy?" Odd replied.
"Odd, you've used up four of tour ten arrows." Jeremy informed.
"Here comes three more." Odd said as he flipped out of the way of multiple blasts and sent three laser arrows at a monster, killing it.
"Nicely done, Odd." Mel complimented as the three of them ran from the remaining three monsters.
****
"Jeremy. We're starting to get a little lonely out here." Odd said.
"Okay, Yumi's on her way." Jeremy replied. "As for Ulrich... Let's just say he's fast asleep."
"He is? That must be tough. I mean, without his ear plugs." Odd said.
"Ulrich sleeps with ear plugs?" Mel asked curiously.
"Yeah. Just found out today. Weird, huh?" Odd said.
Yumi was soon virtualised not long after that conversation.
"Odd, Mel. Figure out a way to slow down the Rogsters. You're way ahead of Yumi." Jeremy said.
"You take care of the Rogsters. I'll protect Aelita." Mel said.
"Right." Odd replied before hanging back as Aelita and Mel ran ahead.
"Hang on! Yumi's almost there!" Jeremy assured them after a moment.
"No!"
Mel stopped in her tracks as she looked back just in time to see Yumi arriving and Odd being devirtualised as she took down the remaining monster.
"Jeremy. I didn't make it in time. It's game over for Odd." Yumi said. "I'll back up Aelita with Mel in case she needs help."
"I don't want to stress you out or anything, but if the scans are destroyed you two are on a one way trip." Jeremy warned them.
"No problem, Jeremy. We'll hurry." Mel replied as she started running, Yumi not far behind her.
"I wouldn't mind a little nap before class." Yumi said.
"Jeremy, it isn't the scanner they have to worry about." Odd said. "I just had a vision. I saw Mel falling into the digital void."
"Virtualised forever." Jeremy said. "Hey, Mel."
"I heard him." Mel replied.
"Jeremy." Aelita said as she stopped in front of a Megatank.
"I saw it." Jeremy replied. "Yumi and Mel are on their way to help you. Give me a visual."
"There it is. That's exactly where I saw Mel fall." Odd said.
Ulrich was soon virtualised, despite him currently being in bad shape due to being knocked out in a bulldozer crash.
Yumi and Mel were running as fast as they could to get to where Aelita was. Mel was a little ways ahead since she was using her quick dash to help her get there faster.
The monster came into view and Mel could see it's blast was about to hit Aelita.
Without thinking too much about what was going to happen after, she quickly lept up and shoulder barged the Megatank so it's blast would shift off course and the monster would fall off the ledge it was on, ultimately causing her to follow suit as she quickly grabbed the wall beside her to stop her fall.
"Mel!" Yumi called out in worry as she saw her fall.
Mel's hand was slowly slipping and she knew her grip wasn't going to last.
"Jeremy. I can't hold on anymore." Mel said, fear inching its way into her tone.
"Aelita's inside the tower now. Hang on, Mel." Jeremy told her.
Yumi felt something rush past her and it wasn't until they spoke that she realised it was Ulrich using his super speed.
"Mel! I'm coming! Mel!" He called out as he approached the edge.
Just as he got there, her hand gave out and she fell.
"No!" Ulrich cried out and Yumi reached his side.
"No, Mel!" She also cried out.
Neither of them could believe it. They were a mere half a second too late.
****
Mel woke up in one of the scanners and immediately collapsed into Ulrich and Yumi's arms.
"It's alright, Mel. You're going to be okay." Ulrich assured her.
"Welcome home." Odd said from where he stood.
"How... did you get me back here?" Mel asked.
****
The three of them had explained that Jeremy had to use Aelita's materialisation program to bring her back.
The bespectacled boy was sadly scooting along the sewers when the group approached him, Mel at their side as she put an arm over his shoulders alongside Ulrich.
"Hey, Jeremy. Want some candy?" Odd offered as he held up a piece of candy.
"Hey, what are you doing with that? It's mine." Jeremy asked.
"Oh, yeah. I guess it is." Odd said. "Okay. No problemo. Here you go."
"Come on, have one." Yumi said. "Candy can fix anything. Even a broken heart."
"If you say so." Jeremy caved.
Odd threw the candy in the air and Jeremy caught it in his mouth as he ate it.
The group of friends then exited the sewers as they all went home to sleep off an emotional rollercoaster of a day.
A/N: Another chapter for my lovely readers! I hope you all Enjoy!