Code Lyoko Fanfic The Cost of Redemption Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - A Step to Isolation

The factory was in sight. With Odd waiting in the scanner room, Jeremy at the controls and the other three just arriving, it seemed X.A.N.A had been too slow.

"Can't we just have a normal day for once whenever we go somewhere?" Asked Ulrich.

"Why? I thought you liked the excitement." Yumi answered cheerfully whilst trying to keep Andrew's right arm over her shoulder.

Ulrich held Andrew's left arm as the boy starting to wake.

"Looks like you're going to live after all." Ulrich tapped him on the shoulder.

"…Where's… where's the clone?" Andrew asked with little breath remaining.

Yumi and Ulrich looked up at each other.

"Clone?" Yumi asked befuddled.

"The other me. I was attacked by a copy. He had the X.A.N.A symbol in his eyes."

Andrew could see clearly that they had no idea about any clone.

"We found you in the alley way on your own. We didn't see where your attacker went." Ulrich explained.

Andrew grunted with frustration.

"X.A.N.A's made a copy of me, and now he's out there in the town somewhere, and if he's not at the factory then he must… oh God." Andrew realised the mess he was in.

Andrew released himself from Ulrich and Yumi's grip and struggled on his own two feet in the opposite direction.

"Andrew you can't fight X.A.N.A in this state!" Ulrich followed after him.

"Then come and lend your martial arts skills then." Truth be told Andrew knew he was no match for X.A.N.A so he hoped Ulrich would follow.

"Yumi, you get to the factory and lend Odd a helping hand. Tell Jeremy that we're on our way to Andrew's house."

She gave them a salute and ran towards the bridge.

"X.A.N.A would have known full well if I was dead or not, so why would he leave me there? He's trying to draw us into a trap at my house." Andrew thought the situation through.

"Right… you mean the place we're heading to now? Am I the only one who can see this messed up logic?" Ulrich obviously doubted Andrew's resolve.

Although he had been part of the team for a month, he was still a mystery to them, especially considering how they first met.

"I can't leave them against him. Maybe we can draw him away."

Ulrich was having to slow down to stay at the same pace as the hobbling Andrew.

"I'll go ahead. There's no way we'll reach them in time with you running like Odd when he's half asleep."

Andrew stopped to catch his breath as his friend sped ahead of him. He looked back at the factory. Would it be better if he helped them on Lyoko? At least his injured ankle wouldn't impede him, but his family was in danger because of him. He couldn't leave X.A.N.A to do whatever he wanted to them. Still in pain he pressed on.

…

The scanners fired up into life and prepared to virtualise the town's heroes. Yumi and Odd would have to cut it, no reinforcements today.

"It's off to the desert sector with the both of you, and hurry up because if what you have said is true Yumi then I don't want to know what X.A.N.A has planned. We need to stop him before he gets the chance." Jeremy spoke over the speakers.

"Just hit the button Einstein and let the experts do their job." Odd was raring to go.

"Transfer, Yumi. Transfer, Odd."

The scanners lifted them into the air as they did their work.

"Scanning, Yumi. Scanning, Odd. Virtualisation!"

The scanner doors swung open as white smoke was sprayed out. Another successful transfer. Landing in succession the Lyoko Warriors found themselves in a rocky area of the desert. In front of them was a valley that cut through the land with two towers standing idly in the lonely landscape, but neither were their target.

"Another day, another X.A.N.A stomping, ready to do some more running?" Aelita revealed herself from the rocky outcrop.

"You know it princess." Odd answered before winking to her. Yumi rolled her eyes at him.

"Any monsters in the area Aelita?" Yumi asked.

"I saw a group of Kankrelats and a mega tank heading south passed the rocks. Their heading towards the source of the pulsations." Aelita pointed out passed the trench of sharp boulders.

Yumi didn't like it. It was an ideal area for an ambush, but maybe they could get the jump on X.A.N.A.

"Odd, climb up behind those rocks and see if you can get to the top of the trench." Yumi commanded.

"Can do!" With a short sprint, a jump and some virtual climbing he was on his way.

…

The floor creaked quietly as the clone covertly made its way along the front hall. It could hear faint voices somewhere in the house.

"He needs to accept that if I'm given another offer we will have to move."

"You know how much this place has changed him for the better. If we do move I have no idea what he will be like."

X.A.N.A had no interest in these trifling matters, although he had learnt that his new foe may not be a pest for much longer. Still, it calculated the odds of taking that chance. With the eye of X.A.N.A pulsating in its pupils, the clone scanned the house. After finding what it was looking for its form began to buzz and take on a more ethereal appearance. With no effort it phased through the door on its right, revealing something from under its jacket…

…

Ulrich controlled his breathing as he sprinted through Andrew's street. He was the best runner in the group, yet X.A.N.A's constant attacks were making sure he had more than a few training sessions. He saw the house in front of him at last. Ulrich had only been to Andrew's house once himself unlike the rest of the group due to his parent's recent relationship issues leaving him wanting to be alone. Still X.A.N.A was always a distraction from his own emotions. He headed straight for the door and found it still locked. He rang the doorbell countless times before realising that what he had just done may have been a mistake. There was no obvious sign of X.A.N.A's presence. If he was not there then he would look like a total nutter barging his way into the house. Yet he couldn't risk leaving. It was Andrew's mother who answered the door, very much in one piece.

"Ulrich? Is everything alright? She asked confused.

"Umm…." They must have been wrong about X.A.N.A after all.

"Just forgot my sketchbook!" Andrew shouted from across the street.

He had caught up but now he was exhausted.

"Andrew, we need to talk to you right now." His Mum saw the state of him.

"Not now, busy, busy…" Andrew pushed his way past his Mum and gestured for Ulrich to follow him.

"Andrew, you're bleeding!"

Andrew doubled back and looked in the mirror on the wall beside him. He hadn't realised that blood was running down his forehead, he must have cut it when his copy attacked him.

"Err, yeah, fell over…" He frantically checked every room he could.

"Upstairs." Andrew whispered to Ulrich.

"You two stop right there and tell me what's going on!" His mother was concerned and angry now.

They ignored her, knowing that she would never understand, or believe them for that matter.

"Nothing up here." Ulrich said from the top of the stairs.

Every room was void of any clone.

"Damn it!" Andrew shouted. He ran back out the door as fast as his weakened state would let him.

Ulrich headed out after him, leaving Andrew's Mum in total bewilderment.

…

"Only sixty life points left Yumi!" Jeremy spoke through the Super Computer.

Kankrelats scuttled through the valley, firing constant fusillades at her. Using her fan she blocked what she could and dived away to take shelter behind the rocky terrain.

"Hurry up Odd." She spoke in her head.

The horde closed in. She peeped over the rocks in front of her and threw her fan, slicing two monsters in half. They retaliated with an accurate shot to her shoulder. Her arm sparked as she was left with few life points left. She looked up from the floor and saw the swirling of energy as the Kankrelats readied themselves to de-virtualise her.

"Laser arrow!"

A flurry off arrows flew past above her. Odd had dived over the top of the valley and fired at them upside down. Each of the four arrows hit their mark. The way was clear as the monsters exploded into pixels. Odd landed on his feet and cheered as he praised himself.

"Yes! Let's see Andrew beat that one."

"Everything's a competition to you, isn't it Odd?" Yumi asked, smiling with relief.

"Of course." Odd asked whilst mimicking a gun with his hand and blowing on it.

"Nice work Odd, now get Aelita to the tower ASAP!" Jeremy commanded him.

Aelita met up with them from her hiding spot and together they began to ascend the rocks out of the valley.

"The Tower should be up here!" Aelita told them.

Back inside the lab the screen on Jeremy's right lit up. An incoming call.

"What's going on Ulrich? Are you two alright?" Jeremy answered.

"Not at all. The copy wasn't at Andrew's house."

Jeremy grunted.

"Darn, where could it be? I can here you in the lift now, head to the scanners as fast as possible."

Ulrich and Andrew stopped in their tracks.

"Jeremy… We're not in the lift." He spoke with fear.

Jeremy's was left with a blank face. That meant that there was only one person it could be. He span the chair round and watched the heavy mechanisms of the elevator door pull it open.

"Shut down that tower!" Jeremy shouted over the microphone.

"To the factory!" Ulrich yelled to Andrew.

They headed off as fast as they could, but every step made Andrew dizzier as the blood ran down his head. The copy stared at Jeremy with hatred in its eyes. It marched towards him as the blonde boy stepped out of his chair and grabbed a pipe resting against the wall.

"Stay back X.A.N.A!" He shouted.

The truth was he had little chance against a human opponent, let alone an enhanced host of X.A.N.A. He ducked as the copy lashed out at home. Its fist created a huge dent in the metal wall before turning. Jeremy couldn't flee for the elevator; that would leave X.A.N.A free to mess with any codes he desired through the control panel. Jeremy swung the pipe out at the copies head, but it stopped it dead with one hand. Closing its palm slowly, the copy crushed the weapon and pulled it away. Now defenceless, Jeremy tackled the copy to the ground. Remaining silent, the copy wrestled the boy back and grabbed his shirt before electrocuting him. Sparks coursed through its body as Jeremy screamed before passed out.

His glasses shattered next to him, Jeremy lay completely helpless. X.A.N.A saw no more need to quarrel with this boy and so continued with his plan. Standing over the keyboard the copy did its work.

"Dead ahead." Aelita pointed out the activated tower in the distance.

"X.A.N.A could have least left us with some cover, that's just not fair." Odd pointed out the fact that the land in front of them was pretty barren of any protection other than the occasional boulder.

"Mega tank, 2 o'clock." Yumi readied her fan.

"I see it." Odd aimed his wrist directly at the spinning monster.

"I've got the most life points left so I'll hold it off, you get Aelita to the tower." Odd explained the game plan to Yumi.

"On it. Be careful." She answered.

"Aren't I always?" He smiled back.

The two girls sprinted across the open plain as Odd drew the attention of the Mega Tank.

"Hello Milly, miss your cousin Miranda yet?" Odd joked. "Any more monster heading our way Einstein?"

There was only silence,

"Jeremy?" Odd called out.

There was no answer.

"Oh no…" He ran at the Mega Tank, knowing they had little time left.

"We're nearly there!" Yumi was relieved when suddenly she felt a laser bolt hit her in the back, sending her tumbling.

"No, yumi!" Aelita panicked for her friend.

She turned to see a swarm of hornets flying towards them. With ten life points left, Yumi found her feet and swung her fan out. It cut through the air elegantly and sliced through a hornet.

"I can never hit these things!" She called out frustratingly.

Aelita raced passed her, the tower no less than three hundred yards away by Earth measurements. The monsters buzzed around Yumi, leaving her the chance to stop just one of them. She felt the pain of their volley as she fell to the virtual dust. She disappeared from the world, and now no one stood between them and Aelita. They flew ahead, only to have two more of them shot out of the sky.

"Not so fast my little bug friends!" Odd fired each laser arrow with precision.

With the Mega tank dealt with, it was now his turn to protect Aelita. He hopped from side to side as their assaults had little effect. He was enjoying himself, until he saw the horror in the distance. Two blocks revealed themselves from behind the active tower and acted as a wall between it and Aelita. She skid across the sandy floor as she stopped herself mid-sprint. They targeted her as she headed off to the side, hoping to take shelter behind a collection of boulders by the tower.

"Sneaky thing X.A.N.A! Two can play at… huh?" Odd felt strange.

His body began to fall away and loose its shape, disappearing before his eyes. He was de-virtualising. Aelita dived over the rocky outcrop as lasers flew all around her, it was a miracle she wasn't hit. She looked for hope, some form of protection and a route to the tower, but all she saw was her friend fading away. She was alone with X.A.N.A's monstrosities.

"Jeremy!" She screamed.

The clone smiled, Odd's Materialisation program was on-screen. It had done its job and its new program was in place. Now left one more task, the Lyoko Warriors were to die. He picked up Jeremy by the throat as he stirred. His cruel hand closed around his neck as the boy made a gagging sound. X.A.N.A was ready to finish off his nemesis once and for all when the clone heard clapping behind it.

"You're a clever one X.A.N.A, but now you're outnumbered!" Andrew, Yumi and Ulrich were standing in front of the lift

He dropped Jeremy and turned to face the duo. It ran towards them and punched out at Andrew. He fell to one knee to dodge as Ulrich kicked out. The clone fell onto its back as sparks emanated from it.

"Guess it's up to me." Andrew called out before hitting the button. The lift door closed loudly as the elevator was drawn down into the Earth towards the scanners.

Ulrich and Yumi worked as a team to keep the clone at bay, but its strength was intimidating. In a half-awake state, Jeremy dragged himself across the floor and lent up onto the control panel. With no glasses the screen was a blur. Luckily he was so experienced with the super computer that he was able to remember most of the thing's programs off by heart. He felt for the microphone on the seat and put it on.

"Tell me when you're ready." His voice was weak.

"Will do Jeremy." Andrew didn't sound much better, his head now having a mixture of dry and fresh blood down it.

"Jeremy! What's going on?" Odd shouted out for him to hear.

"Odd… you're in the scanner room?! Aelita's on her own?!" He pulled himself onto the chair with every ounce of strength he could muster.

"I was de-virtualised, I don't know what happened." Odd felt ashamed.

"The clone's in the lab! Get up here as fast as you can. Andrew will deal with it." Jeremy was wrestling with the keyboard, trying to make sense of the blurry shapes on screen.

"Aelita, are you alright!?" Jeremy's heart was racing.

"Jeremy! I'm surrounded by monsters."

Blocks and hornets fired away to clear the wall of boulders between them and her. Using her power she had raised further boulders to act as a small fort.

"Andrew's on his way, just hold on tight… please." Jeremy's voice became quieter.

"Ready to go." Andrew breathed heavily in the scanner as consciousness began to fade away from him.

"Transfer, Andrew."

The metal wall rattled as Ulrich was thrown against it.

"Scanning, Andrew."

Yumi wrestled the clone away from her new boyfriend.

"Virtualisation!"