"How're we suppose to get him away from Mara?" Lynn asked.
"I have a way." Cam huffed. He was to stressed to worry about out smarting Mara. Being direct is the best option sometimes.
Nearby Alexei ducked behind a tree to avoid Mara. She continued to insist that Alexei should be her practice model. Having seen Mara's makeup 'skills' on Avery, he wasn't raking a chance.
"You acting like makeup won't wash off!" Mara feinted left, than spun to the right. Alexei noticed to late to react. Mara's arms snaked around Alexei, bring him to a stop.
Cam watched the ridicous reenactment of Tom and Jerry, wish he could record the scene for future torment.
"Mara we need Alexei," He stated, continuing before she could speak. "Three days of homework and lunch with just you and Alexei."
Mara thought for a moment, it was a good deal. Free homework and a generated lunch with Alexei. If offering this much, what else could she get from him. "Five days of homework, one report, and two days of lunch with Alexei."
The homework and report wouldn't be a problem, but would take time away from his Lyoko projects. That was something he wasn't willing to scafice time for. Alexei, well, everyone has their part to play. "Two days of homework and a weekend hanging out with Alexei."
Mara's eyes widen at the offer. This was too good to pass up. She'd been wanting to hang out with Alexei, but he was always busy with Cam's group. "Deal." Mara released Alexei. "We'll have plenty of time to practice this weekend." She turned her attention to where Avery chatted with Ally. "Hey Avery let's get back to practicing."
Avery flinched at Mara's exiected voice. "He whispered something to Ally. Ally gestured to the dorms, than Avery sprinted that way. Meanwhile, Ally intercepted Mara, stopping her from following Avery.
While this went on, the boys made their waay to the manison. Instead of going through the park, they took the path behind the gym. This path they rarely used since it was on the school grounds where anyone could stumble upin them. They learnt about this path from Mr. C when Xana had sent kranlets to the real world eailer in the school year. Mr. C and Ally helped them get to this path.
That had been a long night. One that should've been spent in celebration. Lynn's competition had finished and Emi was successfully martialized into the real world. Xana couldn't let them have a moment to celebrate.
"Their in the Island Sector." Cam checked the situation on Lyoko. The girls had been separated, Emi inside a Way Tower and Kya on a separate Island with a clone of Emi; trying to lead the monsters away.
'How're we doing this?" Alexei asked.
"One of you will met up with Emi, the other with Kya." Cam explained. "Lynn link up with Kya, than join Alexei to escort Emi."
Lynn and Alexei made their way to the scanners. Once inside, the doors closed. Cam selected a location that was in-between where the girls where. "Transfer Lynn, Transfer Alexei." Trying in the virtualize commands was second nature to Cam. "Scanner Lynn, Scanner Alexei." Entering te final command, the process was complete. "Virtualization."
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Lynn's POV:
"Taxi please." Alexei requested upon our arrival.
"Yeah not possible." Cam answered. "Xana's trying to get access to a portion of the super computer. I'm trying to figure out his plan. In the mean time, I'll need the computing power from the vehicles."
"Guess we're going on foot. Just like the old days before Emi joined us on Earth." Alexei stated.
"Is there an actived tower?" I asked.
"The super scan hasn't picked up anything. I'll keep searching. For now, meet up with the girls." Cam provided directions to Kya and Emi respective locations.
Alexei headed south, while I went east. The fastest way to Kya's location would be to find a connecting lake.
Said lake was a few feet from our arrival point. The Island Sector was different from the other sectors in ___________ways. Instead of a giant landscape connected via paths or tunnels, several mini islands of various sizes. Each island consisted of palm trees, 'grass', hills, and a 'beach'. There were also 'lakes', digital code that , like Way Towers, provided access to different islands. So far we've been unable to determine which lakes connect to which island.
Crossing my fingers, I hopped into the lake. Going through the digital waters felt like the transfer process to get to Lyoko.
Landing on the other side of the lake took me to the island Kya was on. Several feet away, she stood a top a platform switching between her shields and attacking. Kranlets swarmed her from the front and sides. The shields protected those areas, but not her back. Two blocks approached the rear. My chakrams flew from my hands as I closed the distance.
The first chakram slammed into the Xana mark destroying the block.
Catching the first chakram, I used it to block an incoming laser. The second weapon circled back landing several feet from me. Pinned by the lasers, I chose to for go blocking.
Dropping down, I grabbed the chakram. Weapon in hand, I slashed the blok's eye of Xana. I backed away, than explosed. Moving towards Kya, I took out the kranlets on her left and right. This allowed Kya to lower her shields to take out the remaining kranlets in front of her.
"I take it you got/recieved our message?" Kya asked.
"What happened? How did Xana find out?" I asked, as I placed my chakrams on my back/hips.
"We were ambushed on our way to the Island sector. Not only us, but the clones were attacked as well." Kya suryed the area. Seeing no other monsters, she turned in the direction I came from.
"So you weren't able to make it to either tower?" At least they'd finished with the Tundra sector.
Kya shook her head. "We were on our way to the second tower in the Island sector when we were ambused."
"I think Xana attacked all of the clones, because he didn't know which ones were the real ones."
"That's unusual, Xana's not one for being reckless." Previous experience revealed that Xana's attacks are delirate.
Kya shrugged. "Computers aren't my thing, I'll stick to fighting monsters."
"Glad to hear that, you'll have a ton of fun." Cam said, a sacastic edge/tone to his voice. "Xana's sent monsters to Alexei's location."
"We'll met up, where are they?" I asked.
"No, her for the mountain sector. That's where the/an activated tower is." Cam gave direction to the/a Way Tower.
'What about Alexei and Emi?" Kya asked.
"They'll meet you there." Cam answered. "By the way don't get devizilzated, there's currently no way of/to bring you back."
"You want to elaborate on that?" I inquired. There are several reasons that could cause us to be stuck on (either) Lyoko or a virtual limbo. One of these is falling into the Digital Sea. Until recently we discovered, by accident that not having the devitalization codes when devitalized
from Sector 5 will cause the same result.
"Remember how I mentioned Xana was trying to gain access to the supercomputer?" Cam asked.
"Yeah, you couldn't send our/the vehicles because you needed the extra computing power 0or something like that)." I answered.
"Well it's a good thing I didn't send the vehicles, Xana's trying to overload the scanners." Cam explained, that he'd prevented Xana from fully accessing the supercomputer. However the added boost from the activated tower gave Xana an advantaged. "Xana's temporarily as we deactivated the tower, I'll be able to/have no problem turning the scanners back on. Until than, your stuck on Lyoko."
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"You should've seen the look on Jim's face!" Odd recounted his and Ulrich's lastest prank.
The others shook their heads at Odd's story. The more pranks they pulled/played, the more Jim and eventually the other adults would (be) watch(ing) them.
"You both (really) need to dial back the pranks. What happens if you get caught?" Yumi left out the mention of Lyoko and Xana. Xana plots often serepeate them as it was.
"Calm down Yumi, it wasn't that serious." Odd said between laughs.
"Your gonna get caught and except use to bail you out." Aelita added. She could admit their pranks were funny, but not warrant (most of the time). "What did Jim do this time?"
"He told Odd to stop begging Rosa for thirds and fourths." Ulrich answered, "Than this bonehead goes and does it anyway, not once but three times times during lunch in front of Jim."
"You left out the part where he gave the incredible iron stomach detention." Wave chimed. Still new to the school, Kadic, Wave didn't have a specific group she hung out with. Wave generally did her own thing unless invited or bored.
Emi wasn't in school, not that they had any classes together. Wave was the same age as Odd and Kya , but skipped a grade. This placed her in classes with Yumi and in the same grade as Lynn. They weren't close but got along well enough that Yumi (occasionally) invited her to hang out with her group wasn't unusual.
"Hey there's no need to mention that unnecessary detail!" Odd huffed.
"You mean like how you told Sissi about my hacking skills?' Wave countered. Like Cam and Jeremie, Wave was good with computers. Unlike them, she found creating programs boring. Hacking was much more challenging and exciting. "Not everyone needs to know I can hack into various systems. Least of all the prinpcals daughters."
Four pairs of eyes turned to stared Wave wide eyed. "I'm a hacker, not a miracle worker." Wave stated. "Don't know why Sissi thought I could help her improve her grades."
"She actually asked you to change her grades?" Ulrich questioned.
"Asked, hinted does it matter?" Wave shrugged. "I can't do the impossible."
"You should've taken her request, than lower them instead." Odd suggested.
"Odd, she can't lower something that's already rock bottom." Jeremie replied, earning laughs from the group.
A beeping sounded, silencing the everyone. Jeremie immediately check his computer to locate search for the activated tower. Nothing appeared on the screen, the connection to Lyoko still off.
Aelita leaned over to read the screen. "False alarm." She announce, calming the others.
"What is it than?" Yumi asked. Jeremie's computer beeping meant a Xana attack. The device goes off without warning, rather they were in class or sleeping. Xana rarely began attacks when they were in specific location. These involved separation or entrapment, forcing them to send fewer Warriors to Lyoko.
"I -" Jeremie paused, remembering Wave's presences. Her attention was on the laptop in her lap, typing away. "Don't you remember Yumi? Our group study session, you said you'd help use get ready for the upcoming math test." He nodded his head towards Wave, indicating the conversation couldn't be had with her present.
Ulrich snapped his fingers, as if suddenly remembering something. "We totally forgot. Good thing you set an alarm, Jeremie."
"We have test in math?" Odd asked, confused by the conversation. He rarely paid attention in class, but would've remembered a test. "Wave you've gotta help me study!" He pleaded.
The others groaned and rolled their eyes. The 'study' session was their excuse to sneak away to discuss the non-alert that went off on Jeremie's computer. Odd's invitation ruined that. Now they'll need to find another excuse.
"Like I said Odd, I'm not a miracle worker." Wave closed her laptop than picked up her bag. "I'm heading over to Kanna, gonna met up with Emi and her friends." She than dashed off in the direction of Kanna.
She hadn't expected her computer to go off when it did. Wave had it set to alert her to unusual activity on the Data Plane. She didn't know what else to call her discovery. Inside her bag was her laptop and the helmet she'd found while exploring upon her arrival at Kadic. The helmet was typically stored in her dorm when not in use. For some reason she decided to bring it with her when she left for classes that morning.
"What's going on on Lyoko, Einstein?" Ulrich asked Jeremie, who was feverishly checking several programs.
"It wasn't my computer that beeped, but something's definitely happening on Lyoko." The screen indicated activity on Lyoko, but not what. "That's strange." The amount of data pouring in from Lyoko indicated usage from the supercomputer. Aelita was the only person other than himself who knew how to use the supercomputer. Xana's not an option since an activated tower wasn't detected.
"Let's just go to the Factory and check out Lyoko." Odd suggested.
"No, Odd. It's to dangerous without any information." Jeremie preferred not to send anyone to Lyoko without reason. Sector 5 is the only time they've recently gone to Lyoko outside of an activated tower.
"That's why we'd be going to Lyoko, duh Einstein. To gather some info." Odd countered. He was always up for a trip to Lyoko.
"He's not wrong Jeremie." Aelita chimed. "There's a lot we don't know about Lyoko."
"We've been on defense from the beginning." Yumi thought aloud. "Going to Lyoko outside of an attack and not going to Sector 5 would throw Xana off guard."
Ulrich nodded in agreement. "The five of us are present, plus it's early enough where we won't have to sneak around."
Out voted, Jeremie gave in. "Fine, but if we don't find anything within thirty minutes, I'm bring you back."
Everything decided, the group made their way to the factory.
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"We could use some help General!" Alexei jumped, avoiding the leg of a krab. He spun to the side, releasing a shuriken into the Xana eye on a tarunala. Double lasers from the side drew his attention to the krabs chasing Emi. Emi continued running until she reached the edge of the sector. From there she held a hand out and whispered "Elbbep Gnitaolf!" (Floating pebble). Two boulders materialized in the space directly in front of Emi. Two krabs strode over to Emi, lasers ready. Emi lowered her hand, sending the blouders crashing onto both krabs.
"Nevermind, we're good here." Alexei gave a thumbs up. Than a laser slammed into his shoulder. A tarunala continued firing lasers, two of which hit Alexei's torso. Alexei responded with two shuriken that sliced off it's lasers. He followed up with a slash to the Xana eye destorying the creature.
"Alexei be careful, your down to fifty life points and the scanners are still down." Cam switched the holo map to Lynn and Kya's location. The white and grey arrows showed they'd arrived in the mountain sector. No monsters in sight they'd meet up with Alexei and Emi once they crossed they bridge from the other platform. "Their in the mountain sector and will arrive at any moment."
"Well what are we suppose to do until than!?" Alexei pulled out several shuriken, holding four in each hand. "Monsters keep appearing!" Protect Emi while monitoring his life points to avoid being devirilized. Another normal Xana filled day.
"Emi." Cam said. He continued to stall Xana's progress of gaining control over the the scanners. Xana's monsters were targeting the others more than Emi. If they were devirilized without the scanners, they'd be lost in the void between Lyoko and Earth. Not completely true. Cam didn't tell the others that there might be away to recover someone by modifying Code Earth. Code Earth is the code they used to bring Emi to earth. While geared to Emi, Cam was seventy precent sure he could make enough changes that it'd work on the others. However given how long it took them to create Code Earth, he knew it'd take at least several weeks to months to make enough modifications to use the code on someone else. That's time they didn't have.
Lynn and Kya are boarders at Kanna Academy and come from the same hometown. Outside of holidays and major events, like Lynn's final soccer game of the season, they don't visit their family. For this reason it would be best if one of them got devirilized instead of Alexei. Their absence Cam could forge paper work for a leave of absence while working on the modifications for Code Earth. The best in a worst case scenario.
Emi turned to Alexei. "Season three episode sixteen of Spy Force."
Alexei looked at Emi in shock. "Mi'lady that is a reckless and highly dangerous idea. Let's do it!"
Three tarunalas rushed towards them. Alexei grabbed Emi's hand and sprinted in the opposite direction. Lasers whirled pass them as they reached the edge of the platform. Alexei tossed Emi a sai and he held the second one. Not stopping, they leapt over the edge. Plumpting towards the Digital Sea, they each stabbed a sai into the side of the platform. The sai slide down slowing their descent until finally stopping.
"Are you crazy!" Cam's heart beat rapidly, as he watched the two dangle from the edge of the sector. "Didn't you have any other ideas Emi?"
Emi shrugged. "I could've encased us in stone, but the monster's will eventually destroy it with their lasers. If we're gonna be at risk for devitalization, might as well make it harder."
"You've discussed this plan before. haven't you." Cam stated. When Emi was still on Lyoko she often worked with Cam late into the night or watched movie with Alexei. She's the only member of the group who could stomach Alexei's taste in movies.
Kya and Lynn arrived to find three tarunalas standing at the edge of the platform peering down. Lynn destoryed two, while Kya finished off the three one. "Where are they?" Kya looked around for their friends.
"Look down." Cam said.
Lynn looked over the edge to see Alexei and Emi dangling like fish. "Umm, what?"
The two smiled at their friends. "Hello!" Emi yelled. She let go of Alexei's hand to wrap her free arm around his neck. Then swung her body to place her second arm around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. In a piggyback position, Emi stayed like that while Alexei grabbed his other sai. Using the sai as climbing spikes, Alexei climbed up the side of the platform.
"How have they not fell?" Kya watched in amazement. If Emi shifted the wrong way, herself or both of them could fall into the Digital Sea. Alexei moved like Emi weighted nothing. Effortlessly, Alexei brought them safely to the top of the platform.
"Ta-da!" Alexei did a bow, while Emi clapped. "Let's not do that again."
Lynn laughed. "Who's bright idea wa-" A laser knocked into his chest, forcing him to the ground. Kya immedatily stood in front of him and summoned her shields. Emi moved behind Alexei, who used his sais to parry lasers.
Two bloks and three krabs released a barrage of lasers at the group. Pinned to their spot, they could only defend against the onslaught.
"Lynn, do something!" Kya was rooted to the spot as long as her shields were active. She glanced over to Alexei, the only other person with long range weapons, he too couldn't move. If he did, Emi would be open.
"Yeah, about that." Eagle had activated, enhancing Lynn's sight. A trio of hornets flew from the west towards their location. "Got the number for pest control?" Lynn pulled out his charkams, than stepped to the side to fling the weapon at the nearest blok. The ciruclar weapon whirled through the air to knick the edge of the blok then returned to Lynn.
"Emi get behind Kya." Alexei ordered.
Emi slapped his shoulder. "Your not running head first into them. You don't have enough life points." As she spoke, a laser knocked one of Alexei's sai out of his hand. The weapon fell to the group useless. In that same moment, two lasers hit Kya's legs throwing her off balance. The groups formation broken, they were defenseless.
The monsters moved in, lasers directed at the group. When they went to fire, but nothing happened. Lasers hit an shimmery wall that surrounded the group. The more lasers hit, the brighter the wall became. Upon the third round of lasers the wall explosed, releasing the built up energy. The energy flew out in a wave towards the monsters, destorying the one krab and two bloks that stood closest.
A figure landed on top of a krab, swung a blade into the monster's Xana eye than leapt off before the krab explosed. Landing in front of the other krab, the figure moved to the left avoiding a laser. Then ran under the krab and used their weapon to slice into the eye from undernearrth the krab.
"That was close." She turned to the group. "I didn't think I'd make it in time. You okay?" Face covered by a white fox mask, the two fox eyes on top of her head were orange, like her hair. Orange hair stopped at her back, while a braid rested on her shoulder. She was cloaked in a white and red kimion dress that stopped at her knees under a black haori and matching black boots covered her feet, with white knee lengh socks.
"Camry! Explaination, now!?" Alexei shouted. He used Cam's real name, indicating his confusion.
"Woah, woah. I'm here to help. Watch." She strolled up to Alexei and placed her hand in front of him. "Amplify." Orange life engulfed Alexei than faded into his body. "See. Help, it's what I'm here for. Although I don't exactly know what's going on."
"What did you do?" Kya asked, as she looked Alexei over for any signs of change.
Alexei's avatar popped onto the screen, along with the girls. An arrow from the girls showed a transfer of her life points to Alexei's. "She healed him." Cam announced. "He now has seventy instead of fifty."
"Amplify, it lets me well amplify the life points of others at the cost of my own. Not sure if it does anything else." She ranted.
Three hornets rounded a cliff, firing lasers and poision. The girl stepped in front of the group, her naginata raised. "Shock Block!" A wall formed in front of her, abrosing the hornets attacks. She than pointed her naginata towards the hornets, dispelling the wall in the form of a beam. Two hornets flew to the right and left, while the one in the middle was hit by the beam.
"Anyone got any suggestions?" Alexei looked at his friends. This must be the girl Lynn and Emi encountered before.
"Yeah, deactivate the tower." Kya stated. "Nothing's change." She glanced at the girl. "Well one thing has."
"Get down!" Lynn shoved Kya aside to deflect the laser of a hornet. "Alexei and I will deal with them. Kya take Emi to the tower." Himself and Alexei had long range weapons, Kya was at a disadvangate with her ice skates.
"How're we suppose to make to the tower quickly before Xana sends another parade of monsters?" Emi asked. Kya's skaters could get her there quickly without a vehicle, but Emi would have to go on foot.
The length of a surf board, a grey and silver long board, with tires three times the size of normal ones materialiazed in front of Emi. "It's the protype Cyberboard. It's faster than the other vehicles, but buggy since it's not completed." Cam explained. "You've got use of it for less than a minute. That's all the time I can afford to give you while trying to stop Xana."
The girl hopped onto the Cyberboard first. "Coming?" When Emi nor Kya made a move, she sighed. "Neither one of you have a weapon, how are you gonna block attacks."
Kya shook her head, "I'll head off first and clear a path." Lightening crackling from her skates indicated the activation of Lightening Dash. "See ya at the tower." She took of West in the direction the hornets had come from.
Emi stepped onto the Cyberboard behind the girl and placed her hands on the girl's waist. "Do you know how to drive this?"
"No." The girl replied, than stomped on one of the panels on the Cyberboard. The Cyberboard took off, as four more hornets surrounding them. Alexei took his shuriken, while Lynn threw both charkams to get their attention.
The girl curved the Cyberboard to the left, than moved towards the opening of the tunnel. The hornets followed, firing lasers at the pair. She weaved the Cyberboard in-between the lasers. Stomping on another panel, boosting the their speed. Exiting the tunnel, a wall blocked their path. Undeteored, she continued foeward towards the tunnel. Hitting another panel, she reduced the speed, allowing the hornets to catch up to them. Meters from colliding with the wall, she allearted. The Cyberboard jetted towards the wall. The front of the board lifted, letting the board use the rounded wall to complete a U turn. They shot back unto the tunnel as the hornets unable to quickly chance direction, crashed into the wall.
"You've got thirty seconds until the Cyberboard dematerializtes." Cam paused his coding battle with Xana to being hacking into the tower. "The hack will be completed by the time you reach the tower."
Kya faced off against a krab and block. Lightening Dash still active, Kya kicked at the blok. The edge of her skate hitting the edge of the blol's body. Her attack may have missed, but the lightening from her skates plused through the blok, destroying it. Kya moved towards the krab. She didn't bother with the Xana eye on it's back, instead using Freeze to encase it in ice.
"Woah." Afemalevoice said with amazement."And I thought Shock Block was cool."
The girl with the fox mask and Emi ran over to Kya. The Cyberboard had timed out on their way back. It gotten them close enough to the tower that they could continue the rest of the way on foot.
"The hack's done, Emi do your think." Cam ordered.
As the girls moved to escote Emi the few feet to the tower, two mega-tanks blocked their path. The first one fired a laser. The girl activated Shock Block, but the barrier was instanely shattered. The girl was knocked to the ground and hit by the laser since she was standing in front.
"That's fifty life points gone." She muttered to herself. Amplify had used twenty, now she had thirty life points.
"Head for the tower!" Kya moved to confront the mega-tank on the left.
Emi watched, waiting for a moment to blot for the tower. She saw fox girl stand and with her weapon in hand rush towards the other mega-tank.
While they dealt with the monsters. Emi raced to the tower.
Entering the tower, Emi felt a familiar hum. The plce she sent much of her time before she could leave Lyoko. The tower welcomed her home, as it took her to the second level. Once there, she entered the code: Code Lyoko.
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Cam watched from the lab as Kya dodged a mega-tank. Her white icon moved around the screen, along with an orange icon. When Emi both icons remained still, Emi's purple icon moved towards the tower.
As Emi entered the tower a mega-tank turned to attack. The orange icon moved in-between Emi and the mega-tank, taking the attack. The orange icon disappeared, indicating she was no longer on Lyoko.
Cam began to search for the girl. Looking for any sign of her. Could Xana's attack have affected her? They know nothing about her. How would they find her if she was trapped on Lyoko? Was she human? It's possible Emi wasn't the only A.I. on Lyoko?
"Kya!" Lynn's panicked voice brought Cam's thoughts back.
On the screen, Kya's avatar card's color drained, than disappeared.
"Cam launch a Return to the Past!" Alexei ordered. "Kya's been devitalrized!"
Cam had already started the process for the Return to the Past when her saw Kya's avatar card begin to disappear. Error messages popped onto the screen. "I...I can't There's not enough data. The supercomputer needs time to recover/reboot."
"Then what about Kya?" Lynn asked.
Cam thought for a moment. "I have an idea, but we need access to the final tower in the Island Sector. So finish the -"
"How're Lynn and Alexei?" Kya exited the elevator.